#hws eu

Prompt: Perfect Date

Pairing: GerFra

Word Count: 1029

The Perfect Date

Blankets? Check. Pillows? Check. Snacks? Check. Wine? Check. Movies? Check. Everything seemed to be in order as Ludwig looked around the room. Now all he needed was to wait for Francis to finish putting down Laura and they were set for their movie night. 

It had been months since they had had a proper date, but having a kid would do that to you. It was a last-minute decision really which was rare for Ludwig, but they couldn’t let the little girl go on without some form of guardian after she was found (who knew how many years she had spent on her own up until then). She was similar to them, but instead of a nation, she represented a union, specifically that of the European Union. It threw the nations into a frenzy, not only had it been years since a child of their kind sprung up without any hint of who would be responsible for them, but also she wasn’t technically a nation. Among the confusion, many had turned to Francis and Ludwig who had been seen as the power of the EU and many had proposed they take on the child as many saw them as the “parents” of the EU long before they discovered its personification. It seemed only natural and Francis was delighted at the idea of raising another child. Ludwig was less ecstatic, but if Francis was happy and they were doing it together, he felt as though he could manage. So they agreed and Laura had been in their care for about a year now.

They had to learn quickly, but on the bright side, Laura was around 7 to 8 and she was quite independent. Still, it was a big change to their lives and they had less time to themselves. Much to Francis’ disappointment, fancy dates were now out of the question until Laura was a little older or they felt comfortable enough leaving her with someone else for a time, but Ludwig had never really cared for those kinds of dates to begin with. A quiet evening cuddled up with a movie was enough for him and with Laura here, it was one of the few date nights they could get away with anymore. But being a parent again more than made up for it to Francis while for Ludwig it was already an ideal date. 

“Goodness, Matthew was never this hard to get to bed,” Francis sighed as he entered the room. His hair was falling out of his ponytail as he rubbed his tired eyes. He looked beautiful in Ludwig’s eyes (then again the man always did no matter what his state).

“Maybe it's just because you’re old,” Ludwig teased back, giving him a playful smile.

Francis let out a huff, collapsing onto the couch and snuggling into Ludwig’s side. “No Matthew was an easy child is all, at least when it came to bedtime. A stuffed animal and maybe a story and he was off to sleep. Anyway, I’m ready now.” 

“Okay. I got your favorite wine by the way if you want to pour some while I set up.”

“Aww amour you always know what to do.” 

Though they had been dating for a while now, a compliment from Francis never failed to make Ludwig’s heart beat fast or his face heat up and this time was no different. At least in this situation, he had his back turned to the Frenchman and was focused on putting the disk in. 

“Snow White?” Francis cooed as Ludwig returned to his side.

“My comfort film. Don’t worry I have multiple rom-coms for you to choose from next.”

Francis’s hand wandered into Ludwig’s hair, combing through it in a repetitive motion and undoing the pulled back strands. In his other, he held a wine glass that he took a sip from now and then. “You are always prepared mon amour,” he said with a dreamy sigh. 

Ludwig threw him a smile before collecting his own glass and settling against Francis to watch the film, The Frenchman’s arm snaking around his shoulder. It was peaceful, cozy, and quiet other than the noise from the t.v which only made this date more perfect. The quietness of it didn’t last long enough as the pitter-patter of feet sounded from upstairs. Francis let out a groan, throwing his head back before making a move to get up. 

“No, I’ll get her,” Ludwig said, getting up instead. He made his way to the stairs to see Laura timidly peering down at him through her brown bangs. “What’s wrong Spatz?”

“N-Nothing,” Laura whispered, hugging her teddy bear closer. 

“Nightmares?” 

She looked down and her feet, burying her nose in her bear’s head before nodding.

“Okay,” Ludwig said with a nod, “how about you join papa and me for a little bit? We’re watching Snow White.”

Laura was hesitant at first her head turned to look back down the hall, but after a few minutes, she came down the stairs. Scooping her up, Ludwig carried her to the couch and seated her between himself and Francis.

Francis gave her a gentle smile. “How did you get your father to let you stay up?” He teased.

She just shrugged, once more clinging to her teddy bear and bringing her knees up. 

“I don’t think she feels like talking about it right now,” Ludwig whispered to Francis. 

The Frenchman nodded and dropped all questions. She was just like her fathers in that regard, not wanting to talk about what was bugging her. Time and distractions were their best option now. Was T.V. the best distraction choice? Probably not, but considering how tired she seemed already, it probably wouldn’t hurt this one time. Pulling the blanket over the three of them, Ludwig hit play and the movie continued. 

Not even ten minutes later, Laura had leaned into Francis’ side and was out like a light. Francis let out a soft chuckle. “You’re right,” Francis mused, “this is a perfect date.”  Ludwig’s chest swelled with pride and he couldn’t help but smile. He never imagined being here, with Francis and raising a child with the man he loved, but this was his reality and he couldn’t be happier.  

Translation:

Spatz: Sparrow