Feliciano lay under the covers, looking up at the sky through the window over his head. The night was clear, the stars glowing brightly against the brilliant blue backdrop of space. There seemed to be a million of them, all softly whispering one name. Ludwig...

Feliciano let his eyes fall again to the sleeping figure at his right. The moonlight bathed the German in a pool of shining silver, and he seemed to glow from within - through his for-once messy hair, always carefully gelled during the day; through the sculpted muscle and smooth skin of his chest; through his face, with the bright blue eyes and the tempting lips that only seemed to relax while he slept-

He swallowed. His thoughts were headed into a very dangerous direction. He wanted so badly for Ludwig to take him into his arms and never let go. It was unlikely that the feelings were mutual, though even if they were Ludwig would probably refuse to act on them. He was so composed, so self-controlled, always thinking about war before his own desires, always trying to suppress his emotions.

Feliciano sighed. He would probably never get to hold Ludwig the way he wanted to. At least, not during the time of the living. But maybe... Maybe right now he could. Maybe he could say he'd rolled in his sleep, and maybe Ludwig would believe him. Maybe he would never find out.

His hands shook and his heart started pounding in his ears. He pushed himself onto his knees, straddled his friend, and then carefully lowered himself onto his chest, chin propped up to watch the face he had long since memorized.

Feliciano lay perfectly still, terrified that Ludwig would wake up and discover him, and then... Then what? What would happen if Ludwig found Feliciano lying on top of him? He decided that it didn't matter. Any reaction the man might've had would be small potatoes next to the horror of being discovered, vulnerable, his true feelings revealed.

Feliciano thought back to the dream that had woken him up. In it, there was nothing but blackness. It wasn't cold, or frightening, but it was blackness all the same - and it was lonely. Ludwig was nowhere to be found. He tried to search for him, to sit at his side once again, but he couldn't move his limbs. Ludwig's absence felt almost painful. Where was he? He was gone, missing - no, taken, taken away, he needed help!-

Feliciano inhaled deeply, absorbing as much of the other's scent as he could. He felt safe here, lying in Ludwig's arms. This was where he belonged. He rested his cheek against Ludwig's chest and hugged him tightly, as sleep began to overpower him at last. He sighed. "I love you, Ludwig," he whispered, before slipping gratefully, blissfully, into unconsciousness.

Ludwig's dreams had turned very sweet indeed. Feliciano had been talking to him, the way he did in all of his dreams, when suddenly a newfound courage rose up in him, and he pulled his Feli into a tight embrace and crushed his lips to his. The kiss was short, but passionate. An electricity flowed between them unlike anything he'd ever felt before. Then Feliciano pressed his head against Ludwig's chest and whispered the words he'd long been aching for: "I love you, Ludwig."

Ludwig opened his eyes with a start, heart pounding, Feliciano's words echoing around him. After taking a moment to orient himself with reality, Ludwig looked down.

Feliciano was lying on his chest, hugging his body tightly. His breath slid soft and warm across his skin, and Ludwig thought he felt his heartbeat change to match its steady rhythm. His skin felt warm everywhere their bodies met, and he felt a quiet peace descend over him, as if now his body could truly relax, all its needs satisfied.

He lay there for a moment, unsure of what to do. "...Feli," he said, touching his arm.

But the brunet did not respond, evidently asleep. How strange, Ludwig thought. It sounded so real...

He sighed, then slowly, hesitantly, wrapped his arms around the sleeping man. "I love you, too, Feli." He kissed the top of his head, then laid back to watch the stars through the window. Feliciano sighed in his sleep and nuzzled closer, laying one of his hands on top of Ludwig's. Ludwig closed his eyes, relishing the warmth that filled his entire body, and soon drifted off to dreamworld with his best friend.

I'm not sure how happy I am with this... It was inspired by Taylor Swift's Untouchable, which at the time was stuck in my head because, well, songs tend to get stuck in your head after you see a concert. I know not everyone's a Taylor Swift fan, but I am, so I'd appreciate it if y'all would review the STORY, not the song.

This thing is ~750 words and, so far, the longest piece for Hetalia that I have ever written. (I'm working on another one which so far looks to be a bit longer, but I haven't bothered to word count it yet. I'm hoping that'll be done by next week.) I don't know why I can't write anything longer (perhaps it has something to do with the need for a plot hook), but when I do, I'll try to get it up ASAP.

Italy's dream strikes me as something I might want to use again later, so if you please, no copycats. If you have an absolutely EXCELLENT idea for a plot, feel free to contact me via review or personal message, and I can approve it on a case-by-case basis.

And now, a poem:

Review if you like, review if you hate
Review very quickly; don't make me wait
Review for the good, review for the bad,
Review if you're angry or very very sad
Review whether near me or quite far away
Reviews make me smile throughout the whole day. :)

...I don't know where that came from. But thank you for reading the story and reading the rant. Lyrics next chapter, if you're interested.