Let war be waged 7
It was an awkward dinner. Czech and Slovakia oozed disdain with their every movement and it was a surprise they even bothered to show up. Even usually calm Slovenia was pissed. Hungary couldn't blame him, the poor guy had been out fighting Italy at Isonzo more than once already and it didn't look like it was about to end yet. After Slovenia ended up defending Serbia in an argument with Austria he suddenly found himself sent out against Italy instead. Hungary almost felt bad for him.
Croatia poured himself more wine and held the glass with slender elegant fingers, not offering her or Austria anything. Croatia was very pretty, prettier than Hungary felt at the moment, still bruised after dusts with Russia and surprisingly Macedonia. It was strangely provoking, in a way she thought she would be beyond at this point.
“Did you ever consider Slovenia isn't going to like you more when you make him do your dirty work? At this point we might as well canonize Serbia just because he's too busy running for his life to act this stupid.”
Slovenia looked embarrassed but didn't disagree.
“Shut up Croatia,” Hungary said.
“That's not very diplomatic of you...”
“Shut up Croatia,” Austria agreed. Hungary felt a bit calmer, not only because of the wine. For once Austria took her side without prompting.
“Oh yeah,” Czech said. “This made me remember, Prussia has a message for you. He told me you're both incompetence idiots who shouldn't try anything more advanced than playing piano and he wanted more armies now, how can you be so such a useless ally for force him to hold the entire Eastern front by himself, you should have finished off Serbia yesterday and Russia the day after that. Hm, I think I forgot the rest. I didn't take notes. I should have because the rest was good too.”
“Thank you for forwarding that message,” Austria coldly said. “And for choosing such an appropriate time to bring it up.”
There wasn't quite laughter from the rest but soon, if nothing changed, there would be. Hungary felt like there wasn't enough air in the room left for her.
Their provinces shattered, maybe to go to bed, maybe do something useful and maybe to plot against her. At the moment she couldn't bring herself to care.
“Do you think I made a mistake?” Austria asked. He pushed up his glasses, nervously touching his own face.
“I can't even tell anymore,” Hungary said. “I don't know what to do and I hate it.”
“Prussia does not even laugh behind our backs anymore. He is laughing in my face and tells me I am incompetent. And he is our ally.”
Hungary remembered Prussia's real worry about her safety.
“He has a lot on his mind. It doesn't make it alright but... It's complicated, isn't it?”
“How did we end up like this? Even though there was many... complications before our marriage I thought we would have more time together after it was done. I looked forward to it. I miss what I thought we would have.”
“Me too,” Hungary said. The 'complications' had been endless, her feelings about Austria's bosses were well known but so was her feelings for Austria himself. She thought they would be alright too, finally having time on their own to redefine their relationship.
For a while they sat together, cuddling against each other, saying nothing. When Austria spoke up again it was about the wrong thing.
“Could you try to be nicer to Croatia? I loathe to admit it but he is the most influential person in our household.”
“Croatia tries to cuddle with you while I'm getting beaten up by Russia, ranted at by Bulgaria, dealing with Serbia's hopeless citizens and Prussia's arrogance,” Hungary said, trying to keep down her rage. Austria did none of these things. “Do you have any ideas how many words Croatia's language has for violent intercourse? Maybe you should find out before you let him cuddle with you.”
Austria's cheeks flushed, Hungary didn't even want to imagine what that could mean.
“I am sorry,” he said. “Lately I feel like everything I say come out wrong.”
Hungary didn't know what to reply because he was right.
Fighting usually made her feel better. But not when her enemy was her former ally and someone she used to care for.
“Hungary, Hungary, I'm sorry!” Italy called. “Please don't send Germany on me again! He's very very scary.”
Prussia adored Italy and let him go with a warning after catching him in his bad attempts on spying. It was a mistake. Italy did much worse than ignoring their pact after that.
“Then go home!” Hungary yelled back in frustration.
Italy shook his head.
“But this should be mine Hungary, my people fought so much even when it was scary, I have to keep working hard too now, didn't you always tell me I should?”
“Not like this!”
Her anger made him nervous and he ran off before she could continue. The rest of the Italians didn't care their personification liked to run and hide like a coward and grimly fought on.
She had to admit to her husband her attempts to talk sense into Italy went nowhere. And her attempts to beat him into submission didn't work out as well as she had expected either. Italy was going nowhere and yet he kept on trying.
“Sadly I have bad news too,” Austria said. “News I did not wish to share with the others.”
He handed her a letter. It was short and to the point.
I was forced to surrender to Russia since he asked nicely. Sorry. He does horrible things to me, like listening to my hopes and dreams. Truly, Russia is a heinous person. Come and save me soon.
Love, Czech
“Slovakia is gone too,” Austria continued. “If you had treated Czech and Slovakia better we wouldn't be in this situation. What did you do to make them think it would be great to join Russia?”
“Maybe they noticed how you treat me and realized they would be even worse off.”
Austria looked as if she hit him.
“I-” he stuttered, lost for words. “I-”
She wished she had hit him instead. It would be easier to take back.
“This didn't go as I planned,” she said. She put a hand on Austria's and not unexpectedly he flinched. It still hurt, this feeling he didn't completely trust her.
“I'm sorry,” he said and kissed her on the cheek. Hesitating only a moment before realizing they were married now and he could kiss her on the mouth too. “About all of this.”
Austria let go of her, looking down at the floor, forcing himself to continue after a short but uncomfortable silence.
“I- I do know Croatia's language... And Serbia's is the same. I feel embarrassed you needed to save me that time. And over what might have happened if you had not. I should have defeated him on my own. Maybe Prussia is right about me.”
Hungary blinked. This was not what she had expected.
“It was long ago,” she said. It felt like an eternity to be honest. “If you can win in a fistfight isn't exactly a measure of true power. You know that.”
Austria kept looking down.
“I should protect you. Not the other way around. That was the first action I took in this war and it feels like the failure has cursed me.”
“Forget about it,” Hungary said. “I kicked other nations' ass in the most humiliating ways and every now and then I got a bit beaten up too. It happens.”
And yet, in a way, thinking about Austria getting beaten up by Serbia and remembering Prussia take on Russia and winning... Hungary didn't like how that made her feel.
They held each other for a long time before Austria looked at the clock, reminding them both they had things to do. There was never time to properly finish anything anymore.
Looking over their allies Austria couldn't hide his discomfort. Hungary hoped she did better. Germany was happy to see them, Prussia not so much. He still looked as arrogant as ever, but not as spotless and not nearly as healthy as he had when all this started. Germany was pale as well, worrying himself sleepless over all the things Prussia assumed would solve themselves eventually.
And then there was Ottoman. Just seeing him made Hungary angry and she held on to her husband very hard.
“It's nice how we are friends again,” Ottoman said.
Hungary tried to not shudder. Ottoman always made her nervous, always made her think of the time she spent in his house. How she couldn't see his expression or read him through the mask. Croatia had suggested Ottoman started to not take off his mask to hide how the scars from when Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia clawed at him still hadn't completely healed. Hungary loved that theory. Ottoman wasn't nearly as strong as he once been if even that trio managed to mark him. His bad health was a secret everyone knew by now. He was the one who needed her.
“Lovely to see you again,” Hungary said. “I hope Germany's kindness has been good for you, I know he worries about you, anyway I hope your health keeps improving...”
“I have the same hopes for your marriage,” Ottoman said. It was a low blow, hers must have hurt more than she had dared to hope.
Prussia slouched over the table in a clear demonstration of how little he cared of anyone's opinion except his own.
“Stop bitching and listening to me now. My awesome planning and endless competence will bring this to an end any day now. Just wait and see...”
At least Prussia's spirits never waned. It would take her and Austria forever to sort things out but they would, she was certain.