There was blood. So much blood.

He couldn't move, but he had to. He had to get to Ludwig.

Feliciano stood watching the blood blossom from the wound on his friend's chest.

It was like tomato sauce.

He had to move. Had to help him.

Had to be there.

He watched as Ludwig moved towards him, his limbs not working quite right, face contorted in pain.

"Feliciano..." Ludwig coughed, blood dribbling down his chin. The corners of Felicianos vision became blurred, he was losing consciousness.

No, he had to be there.

The darkness closed in, his legs gave way.

"Feliciano..."

No.

Feliciano sat up so fast, he almost cracked his head against the bottom of the bunk bed.

It was only a dream.

He looked over at the digital clock resting on the floor.

4 am.

Too early to really do anything, but Feliciano couldn't just go back to sleep.

He rolled out of his bottom bunk and pulled on his robe.

It was March 17th, his birthday. Well, he shared it with his older brother Lovino. It was strange, them being born on the same day, yet three years apart. Grandpa made a big deal out of it every year. Careful not to disturb his brother sleeping in the top bunk, he crept out of the room into the connecting bathroom.

He would be turning 20 today.

20 years old and he still slept in a bunk bed.

He flicked the switch on, momentarily dazzled by the sudden light. He turned on the sink and held his hands under the water. The water ran through his fingers and pooled in his palms.

Just like blood.

He shook the thought away, no need to dwell on a nightmare, besides he was 20 years old now.

He wasn't sure what to do now. It was too early to shower, it would wake Lovino up, and Lovino was not a morning person. He exited the bathroom and softly snuck down the stairs into the kitchen.

He went to the cupboard and pulled out a pan and filled it with water. After setting the stove to the right temperature, he placed the water filled pan on the burner. Reaching into the pantry he pulled an unopened box of spaghetti noodles out and proceeded to break the noodles in half and submerge them in the hot water. After waiting several minutes, Feliciano stirred the noodles until they were limp in the boiling water. When he finished sprinkling salt in the pan and letting the noodles soak, he brought it over to the kitchen sink. Grabbing a strainer he poured the contents of the pan into the strainer, making sure all the water and drained out before dumping the noodles on a plate. What else did he need? Right. Tomato sauce. He went to the pantry and pulled out a jar of tomato sauce. He hesitated, studying the jar. The semi liquid sauce was thick and red, it moved when he moved the jar.

Like blood.

It wasn't tomato sauce anymore, it was blood.

Feliciano screamed and dropped the jar. The jar shattered upon hitting the floor, tomato sauce spurting everywhere.

It was on him.

His hands, his face, his feet.

Feliciano dropped to the ground, slipping in the sauce.

Slipping in the blood.

He heard a loud thump upstairs followed by some explicit cursing. Lovino was up, and judging by the thump he had hit his head on the ceiling.

Grandpa and Lovino both skidded into the kitchen at the same time.

"Fratello? What's wrong!?"

"Feliciano? You broke the tomato sauce?"

When Feliciano didn't answer, Lovino knelt next to him.

"Fratello, brother, what is going on?"

"The blood. I'm covered in it." Feliciano whispered.

"Now now, it's ok, you had another bad dream, that's all. Here, let's get you cleaned up." Feliciano let himself be guided out of the kitchen and up the stairs, leaving his confused grandfather to clean up his mess.

Up in the bathroom, Lovino helped his brother get out of his tomato soaked pajamas and started a hot bath.

"Feliciano, what is going on?" Lovino asked as he added lavender to the bath water.

"I had another dream."

"Ahh." Lovino nodded with understanding. "It's ok brother. You're awake now, it was only a dream, and it is tomato sauce, not blood." Feliciano nodded mutely. "Here, your bath is ready." Lovino stood. "Relax, remember today is our birthday." He smiled and left the bathroom.

Feliciano slowly lowered himself into the hot bath water. Only now he realized that Lovino didn't seem angry to be woken so early, and he hadn't called Feliciano any rude names.

Feliciano smiled, closed his eyes, and let the warm bath water wash the blood away.