ITALY and its leaders made a stupid mistake, and now everyone had to deal with their stupid decision. They had already had to leave home for this stupid war, and then they had to leave their country? Italy was warm and it had good food, but Germany barely had a fraction of the sun that Italy beamed. There was so little sun, it was depressing. No wonder the Germans looked so ugly, with those stupid frowns on their faces all the time. Feliciano had been scared the entire time, during transport, and the Germans always yelled at them for holding onto each other, but if they didn't want them to hold onto each other, they shouldn't have put them in with a pack of Germans!
Right from the start, Lovino knew that this was going to be a terrible place, with awful food. Their first breakfast was some really hard bread that no one would ever serve in Italia! In fact, all of their breakfasts had really hard bread. It hurt his teeth to bite into, and Feliciano always went hungry. He could hear his stomach rumbling all day and all night, and if his stomach wasn't making noise, then his mouth was. All he heard all day was "fratello, fratello!" but that honestly wasn't any different from Italy, either.
What was different, though, was the amount of people Feliciano annoyed, and the amount of people that annoyed him. They all said stupid things and called them things like "lazy" and "cowards," but they were no cowards! They knew nothing of Italy and its people, least of all the war they were fighting. Grandfather talked about it all the time, but had spoken of it less before they had been drafted. He had avoided that kind of talk around Feliciano, as if that were somehow protecting him, but with war cries being raised all around them, there was really nothing that could protect him.
Grandfather still tried, but there was no point. Soon, it was just for his peace of mind.
Feliciano was making a lot of noise one night, complaining about the food, their beds, the other men, the cold - basically everything. That was when the German exploded. "Schweige!" he shouted, his voice booming. The whole room went still. Lovino gave the man a shocked and startled look at the same time, unsure of what to say, until his brother broke the silence.
His fratello started his usual cries, rambling as he did when he was frightened. Lovino shut his hands over his ears, squeezing his eyes shut. He heard too much of this, especially now that they were in Germany. This wasn't home, and that made his fratello even more skittish.
Lovino looked over the edge of his bed, looking down at the German that had made his brother scream. He seemed annoyed, as was expected, but the man above him was laughing at him. Lovino narrowed his eyes. Nothing funny had happened, so why was he laughing? Stupid Germans. They had a terrible sense of humor.
Lovino turned over to the other edge of his bed. "Oi," he said, calling over to his brother, "what are'a you crying about? Nothing happened."
Feliciano rubbed the palm of his hand into his eye. "Si, but something could'a have happened."
"But nothing happened! You can't'a cry at'a something that could have'a happened!"
Feliciano rubbed his eye again, sniffing up snot. "Ve, fratello, why'a not?"
"Because'a it's'a stupid, that's why!" Lovino threw himself back into his bed, arms crossed. After a moment, he hung over the guardrail again. "You'a know how grandpa says, 'Don't'a cry over'a spilled wine'? Well'a, this is the same thing! Don'ta cry over'a spilled wine!" Lovino whipped his pillow at him.
Feliciano flinched from it. "But I'a thought you said'a that nothing happened, so'a how could'a wine have been'a spilled?"
Lovino paused. "Listen to your'a fratello!" he cried, scratching towards him. Feliciano flinched again. "And'a give me back'a my'a pillow! You'a can't'a have it!" He kept scratching the air.
Feliciano handed the pillow back, staying away from Lovino's hands. The brother took it and replaced it at the top of his bed, laying his head on it with a huff. "Fratello?" Feliciano called.
Lovino groaned. There was always something else, wasn't there? "What'a now?" he asked, turning over to the side of his bed again.
"When are'a we going home?" Lovino paused. He turned back into his bed.
"I don't'a know," he said, and closed his eyes.
"I miss'a nonno…" Lovino could feel the bed shaking. He opened his eyes, seeing Feliciano peeking his head over the bunk. He crawled in, causing Lovino to scowl, but he didn't do anything as his brother wrapped his arms around his waist. The older Italian groaned, but he made no move to shove the other away. It was one thing that calmed Feliciano down.
The morning came too soon. It wasn't afternoon like he wanted. It wasn't bright and sunny, there weren't delicious smells of pasta or pizza wafting through the air. He was still in the stupid German barracks, where he would be trained for the stupid war that he didn't belong in. He moved his pillow over his face, trying to drown out the sounds of the morning, and realized that he was still being clung to. Groaning softly, he looked over at the light brown hair.
"Feli!" Lovino snapped, shaking him. "Get'a up," the other whined, wrapping his arms tighter around his brother. Lovino groaned, pushing at him again. "Feliciano!" Hazel eyes looked up at him, before he yawned. Shoving him again, Feliciano let out another whine.
"Lovi, don'ta push me," he pouted.
"Get'a out of'a my bed!" Lovino snapped, sitting up as Feliciano pulled away from him. Pouting at him, Feliciano slowly crawled down the ladder to the bottom bunk. He wobbled as he stood on his feet, Lovino climbing down after him. Feliciano flopped down face first on his bed. Lovino started to pull his clothes off, scratching at his chest. Walking around, he reached and grabbed some clothes off the floor. Looking over them, he threw a pair at Feliciano, before dressing himself in his own.
Lovino looked around the barracks. The Germans were completely ready, but the Italians were still wandering around the barracks, not done getting ready.
"Everyvon, at attention!" the German superior walked in. There weren't many Italian officers around anymore. Lovino scowled as the people they shared a room with started to move into a line. "Feli," he whacked his brother, who was fully dressed by now.
"Ve?" Feliciano looked up at him. Lovino grabbed his arm, yanking him up and putting him in his place. Standing next to him, the Italian squared his back, trying to stand as straight as possible. He ignored his brother, hunched over as usual. He would get yelled at again, and scared out of his wits. Looking over at his brother Lovino was about to snap something at him when he noticed the German that had yelled at him the night before. Feliciano straightened. Lovino raised a brow, but turned forwards as the man that was inspecting them walked past.
"Oi!" Lovino stomped over to the German as the superior officer left the barracks. He was given a weird look from the German man. Lovino narrowed his eyes up at him. "Bastardo, don'ta you taint'a my fratello with'a your stupido German ways'a," he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Excuse me?" he replied, already turning away from Lovino. He jumped as he met eyes with Feliciano. "This is-"
"Come'a on, Feli," Lovino shoved his way past the German man, moving towards the door. Feliciano hung back, still looking at the man, before he scampered after. They headed to the cafeteria, getting in line for the stupid hard bread and watered down coffee they were going to be fed for the day. Scowling to himself, Lovino looked at the tray of shitty food, his stomach already groaning in protest as it begged for more. He missed those amazing dishes of pasta that he would make with his family. He missed slaving over a brick oven, dragging out the round, doughy goodness that he put all of his effort into.
The two moved over to a table, sitting down. Feliciano complained the whole meal, whining about how they didn't have any pasta, or pizza, or anything good, like tomatoes or wine. Ignoring him to the best of his ability, Lovino scowled as he took a bit into the hard bread.
"Fuck'a!" he snarled. "I think I broke'a my tooth!"
"Let'a me see, fratello," Feliciano leaned over. Lovino opened his mouth, and Feliciano shook his head.
"No'a, you didn't," he said. Lovino scowled, staring at the bread.
"I'ma done with'a this," he pushed the tray away. Feliciano whined, pushing his own away too. The brothers walked out of the cafeteria. They lounged around until the bugles started to sound. Feliciano grabbed Lovino's hand, pulling him to the line, before stopping. Lovino looked around, before his eyes widened. "Feli," he hissed, leaning in so only his brother could hear him. "Why are'a we standing next to'a the German that'a yelled at'a you?" he hissed.
"Ve, because he'a helped me today," Feliciano whispered back. "He'a must be'a super nice! He made'a it so I wouldn'ta get yelled at!" smiling wide, Feliciano turned forwards again. Lovino frowned, staring at the German for a few more seconds, before looking forwards as well.
A command to "Go!" startled Feliciano, and Lovino grabbed his arm, knowing better than to leave him behind. He pushed his brother ahead of him, trying to keep him in line, but he took to the line better than Lovino had expected. He attached to the man in front of him, thereby diminishing any imperfections in the group's form by no longer being a part of it. Lovino was about to pull him off, when the German did it for him. Feliciano was placed at his side, and Lovino gave him a scowl before continuing to run.
Feliciano was a man who could really do it if he tried, though, and he succeeded in attaching himself to the big German again. Even as the German bent, climbing through painful splinters, Feliciano clung on. They both jumped, however, when the German turned back and shouted at them.
"Just'a let go!" Lovino yelled after his brother, who had hung on despite having been given a hard shake. Feliciano's was an incredible perseverance that only made him seem even more unreasonable.
"I can't'a let go, if'a I let'a go, I'll be left'a behind!" Feliciano cried back. "Please don't'a make me let go, Mr. German Man, I need'a your help!" He yelped when the German's elbow hit his head. "Fratello, fratello! I can't'a see! I can't'a see!"
Lovino crawled out from under the barbed wire, glaring up at the German that Feliciano was holding onto. The other one was missing, the white-haired one, so either that man had gone far ahead or they had fallen way behind. Either way, you could see the skill of the German soldiers even in their training: each man, save for the German that Feliciano was holding onto, managed to keep his place in line, running with a practiced gait. Their movements were not robotic, but rather performed with skill. It was actually kind of impressive, but they were still stupid Germans.
Feliciano was still on the German's leg, and by this point, Lovino was just sick of seeing him there. He grabbed onto his brother, screaming at him to get off. Feliciano protested, shaking his head mostly, and so Lovino pulled harder. They gasped as the German man shook them, and then jumped as the man shouted, "Get off!"
Lovino held onto the man. Eventually, he decided that holding onto him wasn't so bad. They still had to run some of the drills, however, since the German officers still loomed over them, making sure that they were doing as they were told. By the end of it, Lovino was still reasonably exhausted.
Feliciano chased after the German again, so Lovino had to jog after him. The other German was there again, looking slightly less winded than the rest of them. "Vhat ze hell happened to you?" he asked, and Lovino narrowed his eyes at him. Germans even sounded stupid.
"Italians," replied the bigger one, panting heavily. Lovino glared at him now. They weren't so bad.
The white haired one grinned. "You made friends?"
"Parasites," answered the first, "I do not even know zeir names."
Feliciano spoke up then, managing to say, "F-Feliciano!" The blond looked back at them.
"Was?" he said, glaring at them. Lovino was about to step in when his brother continued.
"My'a name," Feliciano whined, still leaning on his knees, "It'sa Feliciano," He looked up at the blond German, giving him his trademark smile.
The man seemed stunned. "Vell, looks like you did make some new friends, Ludvig," the white haired German spoke up. Lovino scowled up at him. "I am his older more avesome Bruder, Gilbert," the Italian looked down at his hand as he held it out. Feliciano reached for it, but Lovino hit it to stop them from meeting.
"Don'ta touch him, Feli," he snapped.
"But'a Lovi, he'a seems nice," Feliciano whined. "What if'a they want to be'a our friends? Lovi, we'a need friends," scowling at him, Lovino shook his head.
"No'a we don't. Now, let'sa go, Feli. We need to'a go take a shower before'a the stupido Germans get'a there!" he grabbed Feliciano's wrist, starting to pull him along. Feliciano whined, but waved to the German men. Lovino rolled his eyes. Now he was just inviting those men to come over and bother them all the time.
The two made their ways to the showers, undressing with the rest of their Italian comrades, using up all of the hot water as they chit-chatted in the showers and took their time in washing. Redressing themselves, the Vargas brothers made their way back to the barracks for a little rest and relaxation, before they were to line up again before bed.
Being looked over as if they were cattle being sent to the slaughter, they passed their inspection with ease. The nightly rounds always went smoother than the morning. The superior was tired and already annoyed, so he slacked on his exam, leaving in a hurry.
Climbing up into the bed he shared with his brother, Lovino brought the stupid covers up to his face. They were too scratchy, too cold. He hated the way they made his skin writhe, the material feeling horrible against it. He expected what came next, his younger brother crawling up into his bunk, cuddling up next to him. No complaints from him tonight, strangely.
The two fell asleep quickly enough, and morning came even quicker. Groaning as the bugle went off, Lovino hit at the air as if he could make it go away. His brother cuddled closer to him, and he stayed where he was, until the racket around him became too annoying for him to handle. "Feliciano," he groaned. "Get'a up, we need to go'a," Feliciano rolled over, and Lovino sat up, rubbing his eyes.
The two moved from the top bunk, getting dressed. Feliciano looked around, talking about what the blond German had told him as he looked for the pair. Lovino watched his brother, buttoning up his tan uniform jacket. He frowned, moving his eyes away.
"Lovi, let'sa go see what'a they're talking about!" Feliciano pulled Lovino with him as he walked to the Germans. The blond one left, but the white haired man stayed standing where he was. The German turned, looking at them with wide eyes.
"Where are'a you going?" Feliciano asked, squinting for some odd reason. He was always doing something weird like that, if not complaining. "Everyone'a leaves during this'a day, why does'a everyone'a leave?"
The man grinned at them. Lovino narrowed his eyes. "You mean you have not heard? Ve get Sunday off. Zey let us go to town on Sunday, too," he explained, his eyes shifting from Feliciano to Lovino.
Lovino huffed, crossing his arms over his chest, looking away. Something about him seemed very familiar. "Ve, Sunday off?" Feliciano kept squinting. "Where'a do you guys'a go?"
"Ve go home," the man blinked, looking between the two. "Ve actually live nearby, so ve go home every Sonntag." Feliciano rocked on his feet as the German spoke, his hands clasping behind his back.
"Can'a we go'a with you?" he smiled up at the taller man.
"Feli!" Lovino hissed, grabbing his arm. "You don'ta know anything about'a these people, don't ask'a to go home'a with them," he snapped. Feliciano whined, looking up at him.
"But'a Lovi, they seem'a so nice!"
"Ja, you can come vith us," The man earned yet another glare from the darker haired Italian boy. "Ve have plenty of room in ze house, und it vould be a nice change of pace to bring home some new people."
Lovino and Feliciano crawled into the back of the car that the blond German had returned with. The brothers spoke about a bar, but Lovino ignored them. He stared out of the window, Feliciano rocking as the car moved. He stared at the German driving, before looking at the white haired one, before looking to his brother. He smiled wide as Lovino met his eyes. Rolling his own, Lovino started to stare back out the window.
"We'a haven't been to a German'a house before, have'a we, Lovi?" Feliciano smiled, as the car stopped in front of the German's house and the two got out. The white haired man hurried to the front door, throwing it open. Lovino stood in front front yard with the larger German and Feliciano, raising a brow as a man with long blond hair stuck his head out of the door. Their eyes met, Lovino narrowing his own as the man looked at him and his brother with a calculating gaze. He pulled away from the door as Lovino was herded inside.
"Zey are friends of Ludvig," Lovino caught one of the men saying as they stepped into the house. If he remembered correctly, his name was Gilbert. The door was shut behind them.
"Not my friends, I hardly even know zem," Ludwig spoke up. Feliciano gasped, eyes widening as he stared at another man.
"Mr. Roderich?" Lovino looked at Feliciano as he spoke, then at the man sitting down. His own eyes widened as he recognized him. He was the man that they had stayed with for a few years, when they lived in Austria.
"Du!" he exclaimed, his own eyes widening to match Feliciano's. "And your brother, too!" His head snapped to look at Ludwig, Lovino following his eyes. Why did he need to look to the German for answers? "Vhere did you find zese two?"
"At ze camp," Gilbert explained for his brother. "Did you not know? Ever since ze Italians kept losing all of zose battles, ze Germans have been training zem," Lovino crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at the back of Gilbert's head. How dare he say that it was simply because they were losing battles. They were right here, right in front of him, and he outwardly insulted their war capabilities. Sure, he was right, but it was the fact that he would say something like that that pissed Lovino off. "Ve have been training vith zem for ze past few veeks," the albino finished before Lovino could open his mouth.
Lovino shifted on his feet, leaning against the wall now. He turned his gaze back to Roderich as he started to speak up. "At least-"
Suddenly, Feliciano jumped from the door way. "Mr. Roderich!" he cried, and Lovino's head whipped towards him just as he grabbed ahold of the startled Austrian. Lovino stepped forwards to get Feliciano away from Roderich. The Italian was pulled off of by the man he was holding on to, though. Surprisingly, he didn't struggle much, though. Lovino stood by the couch, shoving a hand in his pocket, trying to seem like he was more comfortable than he really was.
Moving his gaze to the old German man, Lovino sat himself down on the couch. "Zere is food in ze kitchen," he said, "zere should be enough for everyvon, but if not, ve vill make more." Lovino secretly prayed that there was going to be some kind of pasta, or some kind of pizza. As the conversation between the grandson and his grandfather carried on, though, Lovino could feel himself become more and more disappointed. All they spoke of was some types of stupid German food that sounded about as appetizing as sandpaper. Things like Schwein, Kartoffeln, Knödel, and somethingcalled Kuchen.
Ludwig stepped over to Lovino, urging him off of the couch, before walking over to Feliciano and taking his arm gently in hand. He started to move them towards the kitchen.
"I don't'a want'a your stinky German food!" Lovino complained, trying to move past the German, "I want'a pasta and'a pizza and not'a your food!"
Lovino was pushed aside by the white haired German, and Lovino scowled at him as he did so. They were herded into the kitchen by Ludwig, and Lovino was shown the spread that was made by the Germans. He frowned at the lack of pasta and pizza, looking at the other foods with disdain. Ludwig took two plates, packing them with food, before putting them on the table. He talked at Feliciano as he served him, maybe explaining some thing or the other.
"You sit here," Ludwig looked at Lovino, pointing to a seat, before turning to Feliciano. He began to try and get him to sit, but the Italian ignored his pleas and his reasoning. The man began to speak in a firmer voice. "Just sit. Sit. Sit. Setz dich." Feliciano still twitched about.
"But'a I want to sit'a next to you, Ludi," Feliciano whined. Gilbert started to laugh, and Lovino rolled his eyes as he sat.
"Ludi?!"
"M-mein name ist Ludvig!" the German stuttered. "It is not Ludi!"
"Can'a I sit'a next to you?" Feliciano ignored any of the man's comments. Lovino had turned to his food by now, starting to poke and eat some of it.
"Ja, I suppose so…" he said as he sank into a seat.
Lovino ate with a pout, but Feliciano ate gratefully. Lovino watched his brother as he talked at Ludwig through mouthfuls, and Ludwig kept pushing napkins in his face. The man kept lecturing him, too, but Lovino knew that everything he said would just roll right off his brother.
Lovino pushed his plate away. He was tired of disgusting German food. He was tired of not having pasta. Standing up, Lovino turned away from the food; Feliciano looked from Ludwig to his brother. "Ve, Lovi," he pouted. "You haven't even'a finished all of'a your food."
"I don'ta want this'a fucking German food!" he spat. Alaric narrowed his eyes at him. Lovino just scoffed. "I'ma leaving," he hissed, before turning on his heel. Feliciano whined, getting up and moving after him.
"But'a Lovi!" he whimpered. "They are'a so nice to'a us! We have a place to'a sleep, and'a we have some'a different food to'a eat! Pleaseeee Lovi, be'a nice."
"Fuck'a you. If you want to'a stay here so'a bad, then stay'a!" he reached for the door. "But I'ma goin-" opening it up, he froze.
His green eyes met another brilliant shade. Both sets widened. The other green pair moved over his face, realization coming to them. Lovino stared at the curled, dark brown hair. The stupid grin as it started to spread over the stupid face. The tanned, sunkissed skin Lovino had seen before. And then, in an instant, it was gone, replaced by the wooden door Lovino slammed shut.