Hello! This started off as an RP with VVrules21, but we've decided to turn it into a proper fic.

Hope you enjoy it!

The chains around Feliciano's neck clinked as he tugged fruitlessly at them. After several attempts to find a weak link, he sighed and let the chain fall noisily to the floor. Footsteps started to echo down the dark hall, behind the steel bars. His head snapped up and his legs started to scrabble on the floor, trying to find grip. Feliciano whispered to himself a quiet and desperate prayer.

A figure shadowed through the bars, the dark form moving in a rush. Before he could even get a good look at who was casting it, a guard unlocked and forced the door open. The man started to shout in German, pulling Feliciano to his feet roughly. "Come with me, piece of filth!" That was all he could translate from the man's incessant shouting. "I-please! Wait I don't know why I'm here, please I don't belon-" his face suddenly whipped from the force of an unexpected slap from the guard. He forced his breathing to become more levelled, unintentionally making it louder. His chains were unlocked from the walls and used to leash him out of the slave-holding cell. He fell many times, and tried to get to his feet before the guard kicked him and pulled him up by his chain.

He was dragged to a set of large double doors, the guard knocked on the wood and said something in German. By the soft tone in his voice, Feliciano guessed he was asking for permission to enter.

The doors swung open, and the guard pulled the struggling man onto a stage, forcing him to line up in front of a large crowd, alongside 5 other men, all shirtless and clad in chains, one of them showing a lash mark across his chest, one with a large bruise on his arm, all a lot better built than Feliciano.
"Last group of the day," one of the far-off guards shouted out as Feliciano's guard hung a sign around him neck that said '85'.

The Italian couldn't tell if he was shaking from cold or fear. His heart pounded as he looked at the sea of spectators, all of them staring back at him as if they want to eat him.

He shuddered and looked down, focusing only on his dirty feet. How could this have happened? He should have never left home, he should have just stayed with Romano and his grandfather. Feliciano wanted to cry and scream at his own foolishness.

The small Italian knew he should have never gone snooping into his brother's room…but he couldn't help it. Romano was so different when he got back from his trip to Spain. His grandfather even noticed! Ultimately, he had found a painting of a man and what looked to be Romano…kissing. The man had brown shaggy hair and brown, glowing skin…

He didn't even notice his brother's raging presence behind him until he had started to shout. He never shouted the way he had that day, Feliciano had been so scared, so he had run. He sprinted out the door of the house far into the woods that he played in as a child.

When he had slowed to catch his breath, he looked behind him and found relief that no one was chasing him…but it was getting dark, very dark.

He had looked around and realized that he didn't know where he was. He'd started to panic, calling for his brother or his grandfather, but no one answered.

Then he saw a small orange light, cast by a lantern not too far away. He smiled, with tears in his eyes, and ran as fast as he could to it. As he got closer he'd realized the man was covered in metal, and that the man noticed him. The grin that spread across the stranger's face made his blood run cold, he started to back away, only to back into another metal-clad man.

That was the last thing he could remember.

One of the German men looked up from the crowd, eyeing the row of new slaves, the last group of the day was always the 'unbroken' one, it wasn't ideal but he hadn't been able to get here earlier.
They all looked so frail, starved, beaten. He hated how they treated new slaves; you wouldn't treat a game or hunting dog this way.

They looked so scared, the one on the end, the smallest one, looked like he was about to cry. He watched two of the six be dragged off, sold already. It didn't look like the smallest one would sell… and this place would kill him, Ludwig had seen it happen before.

Ludwig tilted his head to talk to his brother, "I bet if we buy one each, I can train mine better than yours."

Gilbert let out a loud laugh, "You will lose… I want 82." 82 was the largest of the remaining men, the one with the bruise on his arm.

"I want 85," Ludwig replied, raising his hand, calling for the guard to bring down 82 and 85.

The Italian's head jerked up at the call, panting gently as the guard confirmed "Number 85" his attention is now on a blond man with blue eyes, staring at him with an expression he couldn't read.

Simply looking at the man terrified him.

Ludwig watched as the guards brought down the two slaves, pulling them down the steps, the smaller one stumbling and almost tripping, being pulled upright by the guard, whimpering slightly as the chains tugged at his wrists.

They followed the guards to the side of the stage, the two slaves held tightly, looking at their feet. These two, Ludwig was sure, would not have survived more than a few days.

Ludwig smiled to himself proudly as he began to 'inspect' his chosen slave, Gilbert did the same to his own. This boy looked no older than 18, his hair was far too long for Ludwig's liking but he could easily fix that, Ludwig held a hand to the boy's face, pulling open his mouth to look at his teeth, "Look at me," he instructed, checking his vision.

Feliciano's heart started to thunder in his ears. This man, the blond was so… big. He could easily crush Feliciano, he could kill him! He pushed the thought away, it made him even colder. When the man had commanded him to look up, he had complied. Those cold, hard eyes stared at him and he visibly shivered. He flinched as the man's large hands prodded his face, he wanted to pull away, but was frozen with fear. His wide and teary eyes looked down when the German pulled his hand away.

"He seems good. I'll take him," Ludwig said to the guard, waiting for Gilbert to finish inspecting his own slave.

"Gil?" he asked Gilbert as the man stepped away, knowing he'd have an opinion.

Gilbert nodded, "Mine's good, strong, aesthetically pleasing, no visible health problems… Yours is scrawny, he looks like a child, his hair is too long… Mine will be a better slave than yours."
Ludwig huffed slightly; he'd prove Gilbert wrong he was sure. Gilbert laughed at his almost certain victory and handed some money to the guards, receiving the slave's chains and handing 85's to Ludwig.

When Feliciano felt himself pulled by his chain he looked up. The other slave was also being pulled along, his shaggy blond hair was long and wavy, so it covered his face. His eyes followed his chain to a pale hand gripping number 82's leash. The man dragging him had white hair and pale skin, and a very obnoxious voice. Suddenly his bare feet tangled on themselves and he fell to the ground, his left leg curled under his right, immediately starting to cry. "Please-please let me go. I-I have m-money, please just let me get back to my family," he pleaded in English, hoping they would understand.

Ludwig leant forward to attempt to help the smaller man up, taking his hand to bring him to his feet, listening to his pleading but only understanding around half, but obviously the slave knew English, this would be helpful.

"What are you doing?" Gilbert laughed, watching Ludwig help his slave up, "Just pull him up, that's what the chain is for," he gave his slave's chain a tug, making him grunt and stumble.

"It's ok," Ludwig said to 85, in as close to English as he knew, "You' come home with me, I will look after you."

Gilbert chuckled, his pace quickening a little as they walked down the cobble path towards their old house, "Your English is so shit… Why're you even talking to him?"

Ludwig glared at his brother, "He's my slave, I will train him and treat him how I want."

The slave hardly moved even as he was pulled to his feet, his hands gripping his sides. Embarrassingly he started to sob, "Please! Please I have to see my family! They know I'm missing! They must be worried…o-oh god, you have to let me go…" He stayed grounded to the cobblestone, hugging his middle tightly.

Ludwig frowned gently at his slave's disobedience; he knew to expect this. "It's ok, come home with me," he repeated, "I won't hurt you." He took a step forward take Feli's arm gently, pulling him forward a little, or trying to.

Gilbert huffed and rolled his eyes, "Ludwig!" he said, growling with annoyance, "Just fucking pull him." He grabbed Feliciano's chain and pulled it hard, flinging him forward, much to Ludwig's dismay.

Feliciano yelped loudly as he flew forward, almost falling down again. He whimpered hopelessly as he was helped up. This was a nightmare, his grandfather, his brother, they must be so worried! What if Nonno has a heart attack! What if Romano gets angry at himself…it was all his fault. He should have never run away.

"Glbert!" Ludwig yelled, "I don't want you to interact with my slave."

Gilbert scoffed, looking between his own slave and Ludwig's, "Don't go giving him privileges, I don't want him rebelling I paid good money for him."

Ludwig took his slave by the arm, firmly but not tight enough to hurt him. "What is your name?"

The man's icy eyes were on his and that large hand was around his arm leading him forward. He did his best to answer without sobbing, he decided to pretend that Ludwig was a new friend and not his owner. "Feliciano" he paused and chewed his lip, then hesitantly looked up, meeting cold eyes. "What-What is your name?" He continued.

Ludwig smiled slightly, happy that the boy was speaking slow enough for him to understand, "Feliciano," he said in conformation, "I am Ludwig Beilschmidt. You are to call me 'Mr Beilschmidt'. Yes?"

In contrast to his eyes, the German's smile was…warm. "Yes…Mr. B-Beilschmidt…" The slave squeaked up at Ludwig. He looked back down, flinching at the harsh tone the other man gave to 'Mr. Beilschmidt' in their immediate exchange.

Gilbert scoffed, annoyed by his brother's 'hospitality', "Don't Ask him, fucking Tell him, you own him!"

"Shut up!" Ludwig yelled in reply, "I own him, so I decide how he is treated."

Gilbert shook his head in annoyance; if Ludwig carried on like this then they'd never get home, that kid was never going to move unless he was made to. He turned to the Italian, speaking fast and loud in English so Ludwig couldn't understand properly, "Listen here you little shit, my bruter owns you now, you will do everything he asks no matter what it is, and you will pretend to be happy about it, do you understand? WALK." he yelled, giving Feli's chain another quick tug, "NOW!"

The demand to walk from the albino made him squeak, scrabbling to walk as fast as he could, shaking and stuttering in fear. "I'm-I'm sorry, but please-please! You have to let me go!" He tried to beg to the albino's back.

Ludwig smiled a little as his slave began to walk, though unimpressed that his brother had shouted. "What did you say?" he asked, ignoring the Italian's whimpered words from behind them.

Gilbert held out a hand to stop the slave's moaning, shushing him. "Does it matter? He'll do what you tell him to now."

Feliciano wanted to scream as loud as he could. Why were they ignoring him? Did no one understand him?

"You…have a brother too?" A meek voice spoke out from next to him. He turned his head a little, but kept his eyes on the ground.

Feliciano nodded, "Yes. He probably hates me now though… I ran away." He whispered sadly.

The blond nodded, "I'm sorry, but at least he notices if you're gone, my brother and my fathers wouldn't notice, they probably haven't"

Feliciano frowned, finally turning to look at him, "That's terrible. They probably do miss you, a lot. What's your name?"

"Matthew Williams, I would shake you hand, but…" He shrugged, gesturing to the chains, continuing to walk.

Feliciano hummed, a plan coming to him, "We can stick together, then we can both see our brothers!" He looked up at him fully with a large smile on his face.

The two Germans led them down to an old house, covered in parched Ivy, the albino swiftly led them down the amazingly decorated entrance hall, smiling as the slaves marvelled at what was now their workplace, he thrust out his set of chains for his brother to take, "Take them, would you, downstairs, make your you lock their chains tight."

Ludwig nodded and took them, walking with them, their chains slack, leading them to the small workroom. "This will be your home," he said slowly as they entered, "You will eat, sleep… spend all your 'spare' time in here. You are not to leave unless we order you to," he hooked their chains to a long bar that ran across the room, "Understood?"

Feliciano looked at Matt with a small sense of fear, then he turned to Ludwig and nodded. "Please, Ludwig, I need to go back to my home!"

Ludwig growled, locking the chains in place so the two men could move about the room, but not escape. "My name, Slave, is Mr Beilschmidt. You will call me Mr Beilschmidt. Do you understand? You are my slave, Whatever life you had before now you forget, you are mine now. I will take care of you, make sure you are healthy and fed, but you will never leave here."

Feliciano almost sunk in on himself, he tugged at the chains and looked at Ludwig with horrified and wide eyes. "No! You can't do this! My family is going to go mad wondering where I am! You can't! Please, oh dio!" He shouted with hysteria.

He needed to get out, oh god, Romano, he would never see him again, he would never see his grandfather again! He started to wail louder, tugging and fighting to get out. He screamed in Italian and English, trying to get free.

Ludwig grit his teeth, he tried to ignore the man's screeching for as long as he could while he secured the chains, but his patience could only last so long, and eventually his stoic barrier broke, "Shut up!" he said, extending his hand and slapping the small man across the face, "You are not leaving here! You will do what I tell you! You. Will. Be. Quiet!"

Feliciano fell silent, crumbling down onto the ground and pulling his knees to his chest. He dug his head into his knees and cried silently, ignoring the stinging sensation on his cheek.

Matthew hesitantly fell beside him, gently wrapping his arms around the sobbing boy and pulling him into his chest. "Its okay…we'll get out, sooner or later they'll get sick of us…"

Feliciano's shoulders shook harder.

Matthew bit his lip and started to soothingly stroke the brunette waves, cooing softly to him. He glared up at the German. His expression painfully despising of the man. "You aren't the only one with a brother…" He whispered venomously

Ludwig stared down at the two men, he swallowed hard and crossed his arms, "You two should be happy that you are only separated from your family, and not hanging from a tree." He walked across the small room, back to the door now that he was sure the two men were secured and could not escape, "You will have a better life here than you would at any other hand… you should be happy."

Thanks for reading, please leave a review!