Author's note: Lucyverse. This takes place over the course of many months, because Ludwig being Ludwig, he has to plan everything out as if it would all happen as he wanted it to. For your interest, Lucy is 25 in this. Also, chick time of the month reference? Do I have to give a warning about that? It happens and the reference is about 3 seconds but I don't want anyone upset over it.

Solitaire

Ludwig collapses onto his girlfriend's chest, their breathing still labored, her back pressed into the dark wood of his desk. Small hairs stick to her face, the top button of her blouse missing. A little sadly the German pulls out of her with enough energy left to lift Lucy and take her with him as he falls into his large chair, the American's head under his chin.

For about ten minutes according to the clock on the wall they say and do nothing. Then Lucy kisses him sweetly and Ludwig moans into her mouth at that.

He's out back playing with the four dogs when a hand grabs his shoulder, Gilbert coming to stand beside him. "Hey Lutz."

"I've made a decision Bruder."

The paler man stands beside him, nodding slowly as if he already knows what the younger nation is about to say. "You're going to ask her, aren't you?"

Taking a deep breath and watching the dogs fight over a stick he had thrown, Ludwig nods. "Ja."

"Is it worth the pain?" Turning Ludwig finds Gilbert watching him. "You'll only have to say goodbye in the end."

"My life has meant nothing until Lucy came into it," the German says with a strength he lost a long time ago.

His brother nods, looking out over the backyard, before turning back to him and smiling. A hand ruffles the neatly combed hair as Gilbert pulls him into a hug. "Little Lutz is gonna get married!"

"Only if she says yes," he manages which only serves to make his brother laugh more.

"As if she wouldn't."

The creamy skin had felt so good against his mouth, making him grow hard before Lucy'd pulled away. Looking up he finds his girlfriend standing in the doorway to the bathroom in nothing but her black shorts, her eyes on his.

"Ludwig," she sighs. "Don't tease me like that."

"Not a tease," he says hotly, wanting so badly for someone to stroke his growing erection.

"You know what the shorts mean," Lucy says sheepishly.

It takes a moment for Ludwig to react, shrugging. "Don't mind so much."

"Really?" The woman seems genuinely surprised at that.

"Ja, so long as it doesn't stain the sheets."

The beautiful Italian woman looks into the bathroom, presumably towards the shower she had been heading for, before turning back and smiling mischievously. When she disappears into the room, Ludwig understands what she'd silently said.

Between the steam in the stall and the hot back pressing into his chest, Ludwig still running his hands up and down Lucy's chest, the shower feels incredible. The woman giggles, turning in his arms.

"You look so damn sexy," the German teases, "with that shower cap."

"Oh shut up!" and Lucy slaps his arm. "If I had short blond hair and was built like a woman's fantasy, I wouldn't have to worry about my hair either."

"Am I built like your fantasy?"

Lucy raises an eyebrow though her cheeks turning red betray her amusement. "Perhaps."

Erzsi takes Lucy out into Vienna the moment they get in, leaving Ludwig to wonder how she knew that that was what he would ask her to do. "Gilbert already called," Roderich says haughtily as he leads the way into the couple's apartment. "Do you know what Lucy wants?"

"Simple," the German nation replies as they enter the small study. Roderich seats himself, pulling from one of the drawers of his girlfriend's desk a bound collection of papers and photographs. Ludwig sits himself across from the Austrian. "She likes simple and she likes classic and it needs to be gold."

"Yellow gold?" the brunet asks, already flipping through the pages. "And I presume you want a diamond?"

"A solitaire." Ludwig knows for the wedding he'll need to buy her a solid gold ring, and he knows he wants one too, but the ring he'll use to propose he's still not sure of yet.

A page is placed down before him, Ludwig leaning over the desk to take it in. "I do not care how modest a woman is," Roderich says with an air of experience to his words, "all women love unnecessarily large diamonds."

Ludwig takes in the offered ring, its band the simple gold he had wanted, a large white diamond mounted in it. The information beside it seems to indicate the diamond is incredible in both its color and clarity. "Who has this one?"

"Ironically enough," the Austrian says, rolling his eyes, "Lili. I bought that for her years ago, for her twelfth birthday. We were still very close then."

Big blue eyes take in the man, silently asking how in the world they'll get Basch to hand it over.

"It is in a trust for her," Roderich says leaning back. "Basch has no control over it, and I am sure if dear, darling Lutz asks his childhood playmate, she'll say yes. Lili does have a sweet spot for you."

Memories of playing together as small children fill the German's mind. He's grown much since then; Lili, who had been slightly older, has grown little.

Something vibrates, Roderich pulling a cell phone from his pocket. Beyond being surprised that the Austrian even knew what a cell phone was, Ludwig watches with amazement as his southern neighbor smiles, placing the phone with its text still visible down in front of him. "According to Erzsi, it is even Lucy's size."

The tea is perfectly brewed, the small finger sandwiches delicious. Basch stares at them the whole time, Lili giggling happily at having company over to entertain. While Ludwig is still wary, Lucy beside him seems quite content.

And after the small lunch Lucy steals away the Swiss man's attention, asking about the various languages and dialects in his country which seems to absolutely delight the man. His girlfriend winks over her shoulder at Ludwig and just for a moment the German thinks that maybe his Italian lover knows why they'd come here.

The small Liechtenstein, on the other hand, clearly gives herself away once her brother and Lucy are out of earshot. "How are you going to propose?"

"Roderich told you?" Ludwig counters and the girl nods.

"I am very excited for you and Frau Pontecorvo. I like her."

"Do you?" Ludwig wasn't really aware of how often the two had interacted. Now that Lucy had become a more permanent fixture at world meetings, always by his side at breakfast and dinner, the other European nations were more comfortable with her presence and their relationship. It was incredible what accidental political advantages she could win her German partner and the sides she could bring out of the other nations he had known for decades.

"Yes, she is very kind to me," Lili explains. "She asks after my country and my brother and my relationship with Roderich. She gives me good advice and does not treat at me as if I was a child."

"You're not a child," Ludwig says without thinking, which makes the young lady smile.

"I am only fifteen, I know, but I am also nearly one thousand years old as well. I may never be important in history, but I would like it if someone noticed me every once and a while." The girl's gaze out the window, Ludwig decides the time is now.

"Lili? I've come to make a request of you, on behalf of Lucy."

Summer over, autumn blowing in, Ludwig braces himself in the kitchen. Everything in it is kosher, for Lucy. There's two of everything in the bathroom, for him and for Lucy. There's twice the laundry to be done each week, and there's her car and her dog and her computer….

Ludwig knows she'll say yes but there's still a knot in his stomach so tight he can barely stand.

Out the window he sees her sitting in the garden and knows it's now or… well, tomorrow, but never makes now seem like a better option than his racing heart says it is.

The German nation's beautiful girlfriend giggles as the dogs go running, her long, dark hair blowing in the wind. Ludwig sits quietly beside her, putting an arm around her shoulders. Immediately her head comes to rest on his shoulder.

"Lutz," she sighs and that name has never sounded so beautiful before. In his pocket the ring waits.

"Lucy, I had something to ask you."

"Oh?" she seems genuinely surprised by that, sitting to look at him. Then her face softens as she says, "I have something to tell you too."

"Hmm? What is it?" Now he's starting to get anxious but Ludwig knows he has to let her go before him. "Ladies first."

The woman smiles serenely. "Sometimes I marvel at how serendipitous our lives have become, finding each other. And I look around at this wonderful life of yours that you've let me into and I can't believe it. I was the Italian-American girl from New York; no one was ever suppose to notice me."

"I noticed you," Ludwig cuts in as she wraps her arms around his neck.

"Yes you did." Lucy takes a deep breath, sighing, before her green eyes look up into his. "I love you, Lutz."

"I love you too Luce."

"Good," and her cheeks get a little red, "because– Well, I'm pregnant Ludwig."

That night Ludwig lays on the bed watching her change and put away the last of their things. "I'm still stunned Lucretia."

"I know," she laughs, walking over in her panties and one of his undershirts. The woman lays down on top of him, Ludwig's hands moving to the small of her back. "I couldn't believe it but they're sure, even the special fancy-schmancy, nations incarnate doctor said so."

"How many weeks are you?" The moment she had told him everything had changed and yet for a man who so needs structure and stability, the feel of free falling is absolutely wonderful.

"Twelve," Lucy sighs. "I wanted to be sure before I told you."

"Well then," and Ludwig rolls them over, holding his girlfriend in his arms. After she had delivered her news he couldn't propose, feeling the two moments had to be separate; perhaps in a week or two the opportunity would present itself, the ring tucked away in his bedside table's drawer to wait. "Let me repay your patience with kindness."

"By all means," Lucy laughs, kissing his lips and running her hands through his hair.