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A February Interlude (1983 Doomsday AU)

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A February Interlude: Or, a 1983 Doomsday Tale through the Nations' Eyes.

Outskirts of Linz, Alpine Confederation. 2014

Not too long ago, Austria mused as he slowly slid into consciousness, he made it a point not to share his bed with anyone, human or Nation if circumstances permitted it. After so many years, it had become something of a habit. To remind him of times when he didn’t have resort to something like that every single day. As he opened his eyes to the sight of his worn-out if elegant bedroom, sunlight lazily filtering through the curtains, that no longer seemed to matter.

At least, he thought quietly while putting on his spectacles. Not anymore. The Nation’s real attention was on the sleeping lady slowly waking up under the sheets beside him, her bare, heaving body so close to his. A part of him was bemused at how snugly fit the flower in her hair still was even after all they did the previous night. While some other part of him wanted so much to never let her go, perhaps out of some fear that she would vanish from the living. They didn't always get along, but never in his wildest dreams nor in his most angered moments did he wish her to be gone from his life forever. In the end, he decided to shrug it off with a soft smile.

Quietly, he tried to get from his bedside a small gift he had been reserving just for this day. A bundle of Edelweiss, strung together to form a simple if sturdy wreath. But as he turned back, he noticed the sheets rustling slightly as his technically late beloved work up.

“Good morning, Roderich~” Elizaveta Hedervary yawned, her green eyes soon opening to meet his own purple ones. “Do you know what today is?”

“A nice February day, I imagine,” the Austrian replied a little coyly if with a bit of melanchony as he reached for a small wreath of flowers and gently placed it on her hair. Just for the occasion. “Though it is not often that you get to spend the night these days. In your present body at least, Liebchen.”

The Nation formerly known as Hungary smiled as he cupped her face. “You really haven’t lost your touch, Drágám. But I doubt you’d like to see my true form for too long. Not yet anyway,” she trailed with a wink. “And besides, you know I’m always here for you and Julia, right?”

Ja. And I remain grateful for all this. For you. Us. Though if onl-”

He was silenced by a soft yet passionate kiss. Even right then, the aristocrat could sense the fresh though otherworldly scent coming from her body. It almost made him think that she was still alive. That somehow, she managed to survive the horrors of Doomsday. Almost. No point dwelling in it anymore. As they parted, Hungary nudged a bit to rest her head on his chest, the flower on her hair seemingly following in unison.

“You can save the rest for later,” she smirked teasingly. “We still have all Bálint Nap to catch up. And I hope you’re ready, Roderich. ‘Cause today’s going t-”

“Mama? Papa?”

The voice came from young preteen girl dressed in old yet well kept clothes, smiling as she stood by a flung-open door, startling the couple. “Um…sorry to wake you!”

“Julia?!” Roderich gasped, flustered as he tried to regain his composure. “I-Is it possible to give your mother and I a few more minutes to…freshen up? Perhaps not isn’t the good time!” The aristocrat was inwardly glad that he and Elizaveta were covered up by the blankets.  It would have been deeply embarassing and awkward for both them and their little Sopron had it been otherwise. Perhaps one day.

Hungary however just laughed. “It’s no trouble, little one. How about you go downstairs first? I have a feeling there’ll be some surprises for all of us today. And I don’t want you to starve!”  ]There was a knowing look on her face though even as she wagged her finger playfully. “Will you do that?”

The girl happily nodded as she moved to turn away. But not before curtsying just like Roderich taught her. “Boldog Valentinstag!”

The Alpine Nation, for all his public reputation as a stoic aristocrat, smiled warmly. You really are my daughter. Turning to his friend, wife, lover and guardian angel, Austria noticed the Magyar returning the gesture.

“So then. What do you have in mind, Ungarn?”

--o--

Most couples, even in those parts of the world still shattered by Doomsday, would start this particular day off with pleasantries like sweets or bouquets of different flowers. Lord knows the lady formerly known as Hungary had done that more than once in life with her dear Austria. And so much more~ she added silently with a coy look in her face. But a sparring match in front of their own daughter on a field facing their old house was definitely something most people in the Alpine Confederation wouldn’t even think of.

Just like old times. The former Nation smirked as she once more felt the weight of the old sword on her hand, the Alpine military uniform she wore partly undone for more movement. Of all the things in the wastes, you still found this one. The blade, despite all the rust and grime was still surprisingly sharp. Though it wasn’t long before, after a few inaudible hums, it was back to its old, gleaming form. That’s more like it.

“You could have done that earlier,” she heard the bespectacled Austrian call out, still handsome in his outdated fencing attire if a bit exhausted. “Shall we have another match? Or would you like to rest again in peace?”

“Just because I’m your guardian doesn’t mean I’m going easy on you, Roderich,” she smirked as kept her blade up. “Julia’s here too, you know. So I hope you won’t disappoint her!”

Austria nodded as, ever the aristocratic officer, he raised his fencing blade and positioned himself. “Then bitte, let us show her how the Nations of the Danube fight. En garde!”

That’s all I need to hear! With enthusiasm, she lunged right at him, sword in hand with as much of her physical strength as she could muster. Roderich blocked it handily enough though not without stumbling ever so slightly backward. With each attempted attack, parry and nimble dodge, Elizaveta felt memories of the past coming back. In one moment, she was a riding a horse alongside her warriors on the plains, towards a young Austria. In another, she was fighting Turkey’s forces. While in some other time, she was chasing Prussia back into Berlin. All at once it seemed, Hungary saw snapshots of her many lives, good and ill.  The Napoleonic Wars. 1848. The rise and fall of the Dual Monarchy. The World Wars. 1956. The Cold War. Doomsday. Her last gasps amidst an irradiated waste. All so long ago now. Yet after all that had happened, even since her death, the once-Nation didn’t regret being who and what she was. It was one of those things that, if for a glimmer on this world, made her feel alive. And to see you all again…

But as she dodged another of Austria’s rather predictable attempts at slashing, the Magyar noticed , or rather sensed some rustling in the overgrown shrubs further away. She frowned as she tried to focus. Just what are you tr- “Wha?!”

Those few precious seconds was all it took for Hungary to suddenly find herself falling to the ground, only to realize that the old Empire managed to kick her legs off-balance. Staring up, she noticed Roderich standing up atop her, his poise dignified even as he had his blade pointed to her head. A part of her wanted to just let slip her true form and overpower him, only to feel that old familiar if faint pull making her think otherwise. Guess I still don’t like losing. Not even to you.

“That’s definitely different,” Elizaveta panted, her face still unrelenting even as she took his other arm. “Istenem, I didn’t expect that, Roderich!”

“I learned a few tricks while you were…gone, if you will,” the Alpine Nation tiredly nodded, smiling as Sopron approached them. “After all, I though I’d surprise you today for a change.”

She smirked as he felt his lips meet hers. Parting for breath, the once-Nation blushed. At least that much hasn’t changed about you~ “I never tire of this. So…wait, what’s wrong?”

There was a sudden look in his eyes as he pushed her and their daughter out of the way. Quickly catching up, Hungary noticed him slashing through the greenery. She smirked as she gently pointed at one of the shrubs with a toy yellow bird. I knew it. With a few quick jabs, a red-eyed albino in a worn-out dark blue uniform jumped out, clearly panicked despite a pitiful attempt at shrugging it off.

“Hi Uncle Gilbert!” Julia greeted in German, to Hungary’s clear delight.

“COME ON!” the Kingdom of Prussia whined only to notice the once-Nation and Austria. “Uh, Guten Tag, Specs. And Liz! Nice flower wreath! Didn’t know dead p-”

Hungary chuckled as Roderich slapped him nonchalantly with the back of his blade, only to smile. To think it actually held together! “I think he got the point already, Drágám.”

The once mighty Empire nodded, though with a clear hint of playfulness about. “It is the least I could do. Though I’m fairly certain Gilbert wasn’t in on this too, ja?”

Nem, though now that you brought it up…” She turned, smiling towards their daughter. “How about you look after our Sopron for a while? We’ve got other plans for the day. Though I’m sure she’ll appreciate it. Right, little one?“

Julia nodded happily if a little knowingly as she dragged the Prussian away. Still, Elizaveta couldn’t resist as she quickly took on a decayed form only Gilbert was able to see. Watching his frightened, speechless face never ceased to amuse her even in the afterlife. Then, in the blink of an eye, she turned back to gaze at her friend, husband and lover. The candlelit dinner and other escapades could wait. But somehow, she knew, this was going to be a really good Valentine’s Day for them.

“So Roderich,” she whispered. “Do you yield?”
This was originally meant for Valentine's Day. But after long delays and the frustrations of the workplace, here's a new entry for the Hetalia/1983: Doomsday AU. Come to think of it, it's also the first Doomsday-verse fic of the year! So I thought of making this one right. For one, I tried to make this as accessible as possible. Also, there's a bit of a spoiler here: Hungary was killed in the AU…but she hasn't quite stayed dead.

The fic is to say the least very much an Austria-Hungary/AusHun tale set during the "present" time of the Doomsday-verse AU. It's also a nod to and a continuation of sorts for A Quiet Anniversary ( mdc01957.deviantart.com/art/A-… ), which was set in the same place but on Austria and Hungary's "Wedding Anniversary" (aka the Augsleich) in 1892, not to mention this particular story ( mdc01957.deviantart.com/art/He… ). While a certain OC child of theres and an albino German from Berlin show up. 

As for a warning, there are some suggestive scenes though the rest could be left to your imagination. At least for now. ;)

As always, comments and critiques are welcome. So I hope you enjoy this one!

UPDATE: I made a few formatting fixes. And also, here's a "deleted scene/chapter" of the fic, which you may find a bitexplicit: mdc01957.deviantart.com/art/An… ;)


---

As for some reference:

The backstory behind the Alpine Confederation and Sopron can be found here: [www.deviantart.com/users/outgo… and [www.deviantart.com/users/outgo…

The Kingdom of Prussia ([link]) is what ultimately became of East Germany after Doomsday. Berlin escaped the destruction seen elsewhere, but with the Communist government largely wiped out and the remnants overthrown, the East Germans turned to the Hohenzollern survivors and rekindled their former identity as Prussians. Their kingdom was formally renamed Prussia though in 1992.

...as for what became of Hungary in the Doomsday-verse, it can be found here: [link]

Also, there's a Valentine's Day custom in Austria for one to give his/her significant other a bundle of flowers. In this case, Austria decided to make them into a wreath. And yes, Edelweiss is an Austrian flower.

Guten Tag - "Good say/Good morning" (German)
Liebchen - "Beloved" (German)
Boldog Valentinstag - "Happy Valentine's Day!" (mixed German and Hungarian) 
Nem - "No" (Hungarian)
Drágám - "Darling/Beloved" (Hungarian)
Istenem  - "God" (Hungarian) 

----

I neither own Hetalia nor 1983: Doomsday. All rights belong to their respective owners.

----

Austria/Alpine Confederation:
A Wasteland Melody (First Version): mdc01957.deviantart.com/art/A-…
A Wasteland Melody (Revised/Final Version): mdc01957.deviantart.com/art/A-…
A New Symphony for the Wastes (First Version): mdc01957.deviantart.com/art/A-…
A Symphony for a New World (Finalized Version): mdc01957.deviantart.com/art/A-…
A New Meeting for Old Rivalsmdc01957.deviantart.com/art/A-…
One Unexpected Daymdc01957.deviantart.com/art/On…? (Part 1/2)
One Unexpected Daymdc01957.deviantart.com/art/On… (Part 2/2 END)
A Wasteland Memorialmdc01957.deviantart.com/art/A-… (Doomsday Future)

America:
An American Twilightmdc01957.deviantart.com/art/An… (Doomsday Prologue)

Prussia:
An Order Rebornmdc01957.deviantart.com/art/An…
A German Surprisemdc01957.deviantart.com/art/A-…
Dreams of Another Timemdc01957.deviantart.com/art/Dr…
Rivals and Friendsmdc01957.deviantart.com/art/Ri…

Hungary: 
An Ocean of Flame Abovemdc01957.deviantart.com/art/An…
Her Guarding Armmdc01957.deviantart.com/art/He… (Part 1)
Her Guarding Armmdc01957.deviantart.com/art/He… (Part 2)
Her Guarding Armmdc01957.deviantart.com/art/He… (Part 3)
Her Guarding Armmdc01957.deviantart.com/art/He… (Part 4)

Sopron:
A Child of Hungarymdc01957.deviantart.com/art/A-…
A Wasteland Yuletidemdc01957.deviantart.com/art/A-…
A Wonderful Time in the Wastesmdc01957.deviantart.com/art/A-…

Switzerland/Alpine Confederation:
An Alpine Dawnmdc01957.deviantart.com/art/An… (Doomsday Prologue)
An Unexpected Unionmdc01957.deviantart.com/art/An… (Part 1)
An Unexpected Unionmdc01957.deviantart.com/art/An… (Part 2)
An Unexpected Unionmdc01957.deviantart.com/art/An… (Part 3/Epilogue)

Japan:
Wisps in the Rising Sunmdc01957.deviantart.com/art/Wi…

Partium:
Youth on the Plainsmdc01957.deviantart.com/art/Yo… 

Orleans:
A Rose over the Wastes: mdc01957.deviantart.com/art/A-…

Canada:
Wasteland Madness: mdc01957.deviantart.com/art/Wa… (Part 1) 
Wasteland Madness: mdc01957.deviantart.com/art/Wa… (Part 2)
Ghosts of Yuletides' Past: mdc01957.deviantart.com/art/Gh…

Crossover: 
Children of Two Worlds: mdc01957.deviantart.com/art/Ch…

Comments2
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kyuzoaoi's avatar
So, Austria still misses Hungary, and Prussia is liked by his niece.