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verstiiegen:

“If the terms are not negotiable, then I guess I’ll just have to think about it. If it wasn’t you then I’d have already turned it down.”

He uttered a single, quiet laugh that encompassed surprise and frustration. 

“I see. You were more amenable than I had expected. I could have saved myself the trip. What a waste.” 

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“If it were, then the fact that it’d compromise both my neutrality and sovereignty would be the only reason why I haven’t joined yet. And for once I hope you’re wrong. Germany’s leadership—or lack thereof—is what worries me most about the EU.”

“Well for the most part the EU is a good thing right? Most of us in our part of Europe like Germany enough to want to stay, at least I think so.” 

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"Maybe not if you’re a Southern European or post-communist country. Unlike them, however, you lack neither people nor wealth. I have an idea as to why you’ve remained a member of the EU despite its many shortcomings, but I’d rather refrain from drawing a conclusion based on a mere hunch."

“Not all of us can afford it.”

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“The terms are non-negotiable. Either you accept them or the deal’s off. I will not cater to you, Austria.”

“I would never agree to such a term.”

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“The only country that has the sense to hold an EU exit referendum doesn’t border mine. Color me surprised.”

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“I would have picked you up.” His voice rose an octave, upset that she hadn’t even tried to call him. It couldn’t have been that she doubted whether he’d come to her aid. In all their years together, not once did he ever hesitate to help her. 

Why then?  

Perhaps it was in the same vein as his struggle to not behave in a way that could be misconstrued as paternal. Except, in her case, it was a tightrope between relying on him and being independent. 

Bearing that in mind, he gripped the kitchen counter on either side of the stove and drew a slow breath. 

“Adalie. I want you to call me the next time something like this happens. I’ll help you, even if I’m away on work. And it’s not that I think that you can’t take care of yourself. It’s just that...” 

He tensed when Adalie nudged him, and his head snapped toward her, concern etched on his brow. She was not only his friend but his confidant. He ought to be the last person to instill feelings of inadequacy in her. Rather than grope for the right words to finish the thought, he nudged her in return, a flush crossing his face as he did so. 

“As long as you’re all right.”

The kettle whistle sounded, and he turned the stove knob until the burner flame went out. He gathered loose tea, teaware, and—most important—a chocolate bar. Carefully, he poured the water into a teapot and cup, and spooned in the loose tea. He placed the tea and chocolate, as well as a sugar bowl, on a tray and set them down on the table. 

“Let me know if there’s anything else you need.”

Shame flooded her veins. She had hurt him, hadn’t she? Though she had initially assumed that he was difficult to read upon first meeting, she now found him to be quite expressive. The tensing of his fingers upon her shoulder too was impossible to mistake. It was with regret that she watched him turn from her, and she clung to the towel he handed to her like a lifeline.

She followed him to the kitchen, unwilling to go anywhere else. It would be foolish of her to leave him with a wounded pride, and she didn’t want him to think that she thought less of him than she did. Of course he would not be privy to all of her insecurities, so it was silly of her to react to his care for her like she had. Of all the nations, she felt less like a child around him, less underestimated and mocked for her youthful appearance. Though inwardly she cursed her found cheeks and soft features that caused the mistake, he had never made her feel…. less.

Preoccupied with her own thoughts, she almost missed the question he sent her way.

“Oh, I’m not sure. Perhaps it was but it died.”

She removed the phone from her pocket and brandished its blank screen.

“I could have found a public phone or such, however. I’m sorry.”

Drawn by the heat of the stove, she crossed the room to stand as close to it as she could without risk of burning, and lightly bumped his side with her shoulder. She didn’t want him to think that she had become uncomfortable with his presence.

“I truly do appreciate this, Basch.”

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x

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[text: unknown] There’s no advertisement, so I’m assuming this isn’t spam.

[text: unknown] Who are you and how did you get this number?!

[text: mass] every time you lick a stamp you’re consuming 1/10 of a calorie. 

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It was just his luck that it was Francis who showed up at his house unannounced. There were only a couple of other nations that could claim to know Basch better than he did which meant that he’d likely see through any attempt to cut short his visit. That and Francis was not one to be easily discouraged, either. Under the circumstances, Basch would just have to grin and bear it, minus the grinning. 

“—hardly!” He was so quick to deny the notion that he nearly interrupted Francis mid-sentence. And his eyes darted away in embarrassment. 

“It couldn’t have been more than a few months ago that I last saw you.” It was a long time to go without talking to someone. But for Basch, it was miniscule. 

“Leave your shoes at the door.” He stepped aside, allowing Francis to enter what was supposed to be his haven from the annoyances of the outside world with socializing being the biggest one of them all.

Basch enjoyed his solitude, and Francis sometimes found himself worried about his old friend. They were neighbours, and shared a rather good history together, compared to the others that bordered him. He figured the other might turn him down if he called, so the Frenchman decided to go unannounced. Thankfully, he remembered Basch’s home address, or his plan would have been ruined.

He stood outside and waited to be greeted by the little man. “Well, it was a surprise,” he smiled happily, “Missed me, Suisse~?”

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Adalie’s insistence that she was not a child brought him to a halt, and he reflexively scrunched up the damp fabric beneath his fingertips. Oblivious as he was, even he had caught on to the fact that she was insecure about her youthful appearance. He didn’t want her to think that his fierce protectiveness of her stemmed from that, but he couldn’t help himself from overreacting whenever her well-being was compromised. 

“Very well.” He sighed, his sense of urgency diminishing, and he stepped away from Adalie to fetch what looked more like a sheepskin rug than a towel. Cautious not to seem paternalistic, he handed her the towel instead of wrapping it around her like he did with his jacket. 

A faint blush filled his cheeks. He didn’t know which was more embarrassing: that she just assumed he had chocolate, or that she was right to as his kitchen was always chock-full of just about every brand of Swiss chocolate there was.

“Of course.” He tried to will his blush away, but to no avail. And, with a quick turn on his heel, he headed for the kitchen. There, he filled a tea kettle with water and placed it on the stove before turning the burner on.

“It’s fine, Adalie.” Truthfully, he was glad she was here. Her presence alone was able to alleviate his stress in a way that alcohol never could. He only tolerated the company of most others, but he welcomed hers without fail. 

As he waited for the water to boil, he pulled out a cell phone from his hip pocket and frowned when he saw that Adalie’s name wasn’t in the call history. 

“Was your phone not able to get a signal?” 

The heat that flooded her expression as Basch wrapped an arm around her would have been sufficient to revitalize her, and she had to fight the instinct to pull away. Basch kept everyone at such a distance that having him so close to her and in her personal space was quite the shock. Was he consciously aware of how far his guard was let down around her, or did he just react on instinct? Regardless, her body reacted to the masculine form beside her, and she blushed crimson.

“I’m alright, really, Basch! I’m not a child, and I won’t catch cold!”

She tried the best she could to ward him off. The thought of Basch touching her intimates was mortifying, and she could not allow it.

“All I need is a towel and maybe some tea if you have it. Though I wouldn’t say no to some chocolate either.”

A knowing smile passed her lips as there was no doubt that Basch had some chocolate somewhere in the house. It was an endearing vice he had, and reflective of his personality. Often bitter, but with a hidden sweetness inside. She couldn’t help but smile at the thought.

She pulled his jacket closer around her, relishing the dregs of his body heat. Oh how she did not want to give this up just yet.

“I’m so sorry for dropping by unannounced. This must be such an inconvenience for you..”

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After a rather discouraging finance meeting in Zürich, Basch hoped to unwind by hiking with his goats when he returned to his chalet in the Alps. Unfortunately, the sky was overcast and the sitter he hired to take care of Eiger, Jungfrau, and Mönch informed him that they had fled to their barn in anticipation of a storm. Thus he was left with little choice but to stay inside his chalet once he dismissed the sitter and secured the goats’ barn.��

To relax, he settled for watching the subsequent rain from his window with a glass of wine and plate of cheese. And while the rain poured down hard enough to drown out his troubled thoughts, it couldn’t muffle the pounding on his front door. 

He set his glass down on the kitchen table and took out a pistol from his gun cabinet. He knew it was most likely someone who simply got caught in the storm, but he always took precautions no matter how small the risk. As he approached the door, however, he heard Adalie’s unmistakable, soft voice cry out to him in distress. 

He stuffed his pistol in his back pocket and hastily unlocked the door. When he opened it, his eyes widened at the sight of Adalie drenched with rain. He promptly unzipped his jacket and draped it over her shoulders before ushering her inside. 

“What happened, Adalie?!” His hand moved up and down her arm to give her more warmth as he closed the door. 

“I’ll check if you have any clothes here, and if not, then you can borrow mine while I get yours washed. In the meantime, you should take a shower.” He tightened his arm around her and guided her to the bathroom. 

armedneutrality

Thunder rolled across the clouds as Adalie shivered in her dress. The fabric hadn’t felt thin until her car had broken down in the middle of a storm, but she was close enough to Basch’s house that she had decided to rely on his hospitality. Now, though, her initial bravado had faded, and her clothing clung uncomfortably to her skin. She should have called first, but the door was right there… right there..

She pounded on the door with all her strength, which considering the circumstances, wasn’t very much.

“Basch, please tell me you’re there!” she called as another shiver ran through her. “I need to rely on you again, for a short time though!”

Oh she should have thought this through more. What if he was busy? What if he was out doing business with Ludwig or Francis or someone else? 

A phone call would have been more appropriate, and maybe he could have come to pick her up. But it was too late now. She was stuck here if he wasn’t home, and seeing as the rain showed no signs of stopping, that thought was a horrifying one.

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i don’t think u understand how much i love aph switzerland

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Basch scrutinized his unexpected and frankly, unwanted guest. It wasn’t anything against them per se. There were nations he disliked, but none that he outright despised—not now anyway. He just far preferred solitude over company with Liechtenstein seemingly being the only exception. 

It was also partly why he was so insistent on having others call him before coming to his house. It was easier to essentially tell someone to leave him alone when they hadn’t traveled great distances just to see him. Not even he was a big enough jerk to do that. 

He half-suppressed a groan and then gave what had to be the most unenthusiastic greeting in the history of ever. 

“Next time, notify me of your visit in advance. At any rate, what business do you have with me today?”