A/N: Hey guys! Finally, the sequel to Getting Along is up! I'm pretty ok with how the first chapter turned out and I only hope that it gets better as I go. I don't think it'll be much longer than Getting Along, but it might because I hope to develop the relationship a bit more. If they're a bit OOC, I apologize, but hey, I hope you like it! Thank you to all of my reviewers from the previous story, you guys make this so much more worth it I swear! Thanks to all you who emailed me through the process, I hope to stay in contact with you through the course of this story! Oh! Remember that guy that I mentioned in an author's note from Getting Along? Well we're dating now and it's awesome. We have a "date" of sorts tomorrow :3
"What?" exclaimed the usually calm German. He was sitting across from his father, his eyes wide with shock, his mouth gaping. His father nodded solemnly, sitting almost nervously in his chair. "But why Vatti, why did you give him up but keep me even though I'm only a year younger?" The older man shook his head, ashamed. "I don't know Ludwig. We weren't ready when your brother was born, but when you were, your mother just couldn't stand to give you up." Ludwig stood suddenly, slamming his hands down on the table, his eyes blazing. "You should have gone back for him! He was still a baby and wouldn't have remembered being given up. Things could have gone on like normal Vatti, but you refused to acknowledge your other son, my big brother. I-I won't stand for that! I'm going to find him Vatti, I'm going to find him and bring him home." With that, Ludwig walked out the door. He slid into his car and with a deep breath drove back to his apartment to start his search.
3 months later
After another pointless day of searching, Ludwig found himself walking back to his apartment. He had stopped paying attention to his surroundings after a few blocks and started thinking about where else he could search. He was shaken back into reality when he heard a soft spoken man walking down the street asking for the Boise Children's Home. He almost hit himself right then and there. He had been looking into the records of orphanages from way out of state, not even imagining that his older brother could have grown up so close to him. Ludwig turned on his heal and ran right past the man, probably knocking him over. He shouted a quick sorry over his shoulder before picking up his pace.
He made it to the orphanage about an hour later very out of breath. He made himself presentable and walked inside, ringing the small bell at the front desk. He waited for a moment before a man walked out, a large smile on his face. He was a pleasant looking man: a wide smile, bright eyes, soft brown hair and a wayward curl jutting from his hair. "Hello, do you have an appointment, an interview, are you here to adopt maybe?" It was clear to Ludwig now that the man was very Italian, "Ah, not quite. I actually was wondering if I could look into some of your old records, you see, my older brother was given up for adoption and I just, I want to find him and I think he might have been here. I know my parents named him before they dropped him off, I just don't know what they named him." The man just looked at him, unsure of what to do. "W-well you see, I'm just filling in for someone today. I usually just volunteer on Friday's but Gilbert's moving today so they called me in t-to work b-because I know the kids and…" Ludwig cut him off. "Did you say Gilbert?" The man just nodded, "yes, Gilbert. He's my friend! He helped me and my big brother out when we were little. He taught me a lot, so now I'm helping him by filling in for his shift." Ludwig was baffled. Could it really be this easy? Had he found his brother already? "Is there any chance you could tell me where this Gilbert lives? It's crucial that I find him." The young man bit his lip and frowned, "well I can't just give you his address, but after my shift I could take you over if you want." He seemed shy, unsure, as he spoke to the tall German. For the first time in a very long time, Ludwig smiled. "Ja, that's great. Thank you…uh…" The Italian laughed embarrassedly, "Feliciano. You can call me Feli if you want, everyone else does." Ludwig nodded at him, smiling still. "Well thank you Feliciano. When shall I come get you from work?" Feliciano seemed to get a bit flustered at the request. "Well, there's no need to come get me, I can just meet you somewhere if you want." Ludwig nodded, putting his hands in his pockets. "Alright, there's a little café down the street. How about we meet there at 5? Is that ok with you?" Feliciano nodded a bright smile on his face. "Yeah, that's fine, I'll see you then." Ludwig smiled and then left, his mind going at a million miles an hour. He was so close to finding his older brother. He sighed. It wouldn't be easy to convince him that Ludwig was his brother, but he was determined
Ludwig sat in the café for about 30 minutes before Feliciano showed up. The young Italian was flustered and embarrassed by his lateness when he sat down across from Ludwig. "I am so sorry! I had to tend to a couple of the kids before I left and I just got caught up in making sure they were ok and…" Ludwig cut him off. "It's fine Feliciano." He suddenly seemed just as embarrassed. "I have realized that I haven't introduced myself yet. I am Ludwig Beilschmidt." Feliciano's eyes widened. "A-ah, so you are related to Gilbert. His last name is Beilschmidt also. He told me that it was on a note left with him as a baby. It's all he had, a blanket and a note. Sad really." Ludwig frowned and stood up gesturing for Feliciano to do the same. "Please, show me to this, Gilbert. I must know if he's my brother and if I can give him a home. Please." Feliciano nodded and stood, leading the tall blond to his friend's home.
Feliciano knocked on the door hesitantly, twiddling his thumbs as they waited for the door to open. A timid man with dirty blond hair and a wayward curl answered the door. When he saw Feliciano he smiled, "hey Feli, what's going on? I'm sorry but Gilbert isn't here right now." Feliciano frowned. "Well it's not me who wants to meet him, but my friend here," he gestured to Ludwig, "he…he has some things he wants to ask him." The smaller blond smiled at the German. "Hi, I'm Matthew, Gilbert's boyfriend. It's nice to meet you. Would you like to come in?" Ludwig took a moment to let what the small man had just said. Boyfriend. So his brother was gay. There was one thing they had in common. He smiled stiffly and nodded. "Ja that would be nice."
Matthew ushered the two in and sat them down in the family room. After offering them something to drink, he sat down and asked the question that had been on his mind ever since he was introduced to the German. "So you sound a lot like Gilbert. I know that accents vary from region to region, but you sound almost identical. And you're here to ask about him. Is this about his family?" Ludwig was shocked at how perceptive the man was. He took a deep breath and twiddled his thumbs, not sure how to present himself to this man. "Well you see, I think that your Gilbert is my older brother. When he was born our parents were not ready for a child so they gave him up. Then when I was born, my mother couldn't bear to lose another child. My name is Ludwig Beilschmidt and as I've been told, I share Gilbert's last name. I just want to find my brother and give him the family that he never had." At his last statement, the timid Canadian jumped up, his eyes blazing. "After all these years, you're just now coming to look for him? And the family he never had? What about me! I've been his family for 2 years now. I love him and I am his family. As hard as I tried to reconnect him with his family, I will not allow you to come in here and say that he never had a family." Ludwig was taken aback. Even though he didn't know the man very well, he didn't take him for one to get angry. He held his hands up in surrender. "I apologize Matthew, you're right; it was rude of me to suggest that you weren't like his family." Matthew sat down and took a deep breath, calming himself down. "Gilbert should be home soon, but when you talk with him, I want to be there for support." Ludwig just nodded, relieved that the man was easily calmed.
It was an awkward 15 minutes in the living room with Matthew, Ludwig and Feliciano fidgeting in their seats. Finally, the door opened and Ludwig heard a German voice rung through the house. "Birdy! Where are you? I'm home." Matthew stood up and left the room, whispering a few things to Gilbert and just as soon as Matthew left, Gilbert came running in, his eyes wide. He looked at Ludwig and Ludwig stood, extending his hand to the albino. "Hello, my name is Ludwig Beilschmidt. I think I'm your younger brother." Gilbert's eyes widened and he stepped back. "My brother? How could you know that and how could you have my last name?" Ludwig winced slightly but took a deep breath before dropping his hand. "Our parents couldn't bear to part with their second child. I grew up with our family with no knowledge of an older brother." Gilbert's eyebrows furrowed and then he reached back, punching Ludwig right in the face.
Ludwig woke up with a throbbing headache and on a bed that he knew wasn't his. He sat up and groaned, feeling the pain extend to the bridge of his nose. Not broken, but bruised. "Ah, you're awake Luddy! That's so wonderful! Ve~" Ludwig's eyebrow shot up and he glanced over to his left and saw the small Italian. "Ja, I am…how long was I out. What knocked me out Feliciano?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowed. Feliciano laughed and was about to answer when a frowning albino entered the room. "Hey asshole…I guess I'm sorry for knocking you out. I didn't mean to hit you…that hard anyway." Ludwig frowned at him. "I know that this must come as a shock to you, but I really am completely interested in getting to know you and being apart of the family that you've started to rebuild." Gilbert faltered slightly, unsure of how to answer him. "I'm not saying that I'm going to be your friend, but I'll…I'll give you the chance that our parents…your parents never gave me." Ludwig smiled softly at his brother. "Thank you Gilbert…it truly means the world to me and…and I know it would mean the world to our father if you would come to a family dinner. Of course…I know that you may not want to but…still. Maybe one day you will?" Gilbert frowned and shook his head. "Not any time soon. Or at least not without my Birdy." His eyebrows then furrowed. "Tell me, how do you feel about having a homosexual brother?" Ludwig blushed, becoming quiet. "I cannot mind it because I'm the same. I prefer the company of men." Gilbert laughed and shook his head. "Don't be so shy about it. If you're anything like the awesome me, it's nothing to be ashamed about." At that moment Feliciano felt a swell of hope in his heart. He had to admit that he found the tall blond German rather attractive and he had been hoping that they played for the same team. Finally he spoke up. "A-ah Ludwig, I a-actually have to be going home to go cook dinner for my brother. I…I hope to see you soon though…maybe come by the orphanage or something Ve~" Feliciano flushed deeply and smiled a bit as he stood up and quickly fled the house. Ludwig stared after the strange boy and then looked at his newly found brother. "I feel as though I shouldn't intrude any longer. Thank you for listening to me. Here is my number, I hope to…to spend time with you soon." Ludwig handed the albino a slip of paper with his number and smiled awkwardly at the man. He stood up and stuck his hand out to shake Gilbert's but dropped it after he realized that he wouldn't return the gesture. "I'll…see you soon then I hope." With that, Ludwig left the house, walking the 8 blocks to his own. It was weird to know that his brother was so close and he never knew it.
He ate a quick dinner when he got home and as he slipped into bed he checked his phone and his eyes widened. He had 2 missed texts from Feliciano, both asking if he wished to hang out soon and where he wanted to meet. Ludwig couldn't think of a time when the young man could have put his number in the German's phone, but he just accepted it and replied quickly to his texts, agreeing to meet him the next morning. He didn't know why quite yet, he just felt as if it was the right thing to do. He enjoyed the young man and as he thought about his bright smile, he felt a blush rise to his cheeks.
A/N: Ok guys, I hope you enjoyed it, give me a chapter to get used to writing these new characters alright? I love all of you who have been supporting me through the writing of my first story. I won't be updating every day or every other day like with Getting Along due to school and classes and being a senior and stuff. I'll try and update once a week though, probably on Saturdays or Sundays. Thanks guys!