Summary: "It confused him…and quite frankly it frightened him to think that the secret that Ludwig was keeping down there could potentially be a lot more than a fabricated story."

A/N: Hi all...

This is like the next fic that I have started...and another one with an ending that isn't yet posted...orz
I feel like for me, just as acidic as the number 3 is for Valve, I think number 2 might be my own pitfall.

But this is for a friend on for Halloween. She knows what's up.

The young little Italian boy was asleep, and the weight lifted off of Roderich's chest. He was sitting languidly in the chair, voice fading into silence as his eyes continued reading the story that he had been instructed to read out loud not too long ago. His legs were crossed and his glasses readjusted as he read the rest of the tale.

It was regarding the relationship between two brothers, with the older brother always being overbearing toward the younger when they traveled together in the woods. The younger brother, annoyed with this constant hovering, decides to become independent. He yells at the other before running away into the woods. In the end, the younger child gets eaten by a bear.

Roderich sighed. He didn't often like to read fairy tales with such dark endings to tell their morals. He especially didn't like telling them to Feliciano. When he told the stories, he typically modified the endings so that it wouldn't sound so sinister, lest Feliciano start crying, keeping him up longer. The idea of brotherhood was something he preferred to talk about with him, as he wasn't entirely close with his brother.

The clock was already reaching one in the morning. Roderich hadn't had a chance to go grocery shopping like he had originally planned. Though slightly annoyed, he couldn't really muster himself to stay that way when he looked at the young boy peacefully snoring.

The gentle silence was calming in the evening time, and the city cars weren't honking at their usual frequency anymore. Their engines passed by quietly, while the distant sound of an ambulance siren was weakly heard over the next few streets.

Roderich closed the book, setting it down on the night desk next to the sleeping Feliciano. After standing up and stretching, he went to leave the room to grab his bag.

Today would mark the last time he would be available for babysitting. Last time here in this location, at least. The Austrian was planning to move out of the city and into the countryside once more, where it would be a more favorable distance to the university. He sat down on the weathered couch and began to pull out a book, waiting for Romulus Vargas to get back home.

It didn't take as long as he thought, however. Fifteen minutes later, the elder man entered the apartment with Lovino close behind him. He was older than Feliciano by about three years, and was currently going to be enrolled in high school soon.

Roderich put his book away and greeted him.

"How was your trip?"

"Well enough, I suppose. We got out later than we wanted, as there was traffic on the way back from the airport before the highway cleared up again. Sorry about the overtime."

Lovino just quietly shuffled passed them and made a quick getaway for the bed. Romulus chuckled as he set his coat on the hanger.

"Not a problem. I just put Feliciano to sleep. Telling him that I was leaving was a bit too much for him. Cried for about three hours before I got him to bed," Roderich knew he probably had to wash his jacket off because of all the extra mucus.

Romulus smiled. "Oh right. It is your last time here. You will move out soon?"

"Hopefully," he admitted. "I still need to find a place to stay. The apartments there are too expensive."

Roderich wasn't entirely energized for a conversation at the moment. He was honestly ready to collapse on his bed. College conversations were tiresome sometimes. Romulus, still taking his sweet time to retrieve the payment, sat down on the couch. The impression he gave out always seemed a little intimidating. He didn't dare ask for him to hurry up.

"I used to have a family friend," he sighed. "Living in the area you're suggesting to move to. He passed away some time ago, but his sons now occupy the house. I'm sure they can provide a living space for you if I give you a good word."

Roderich blinked.

"Are you sure, Mr. Vargas? I'm grateful for the offer, but…"

"No, no. I insist." The smile on his face that was typically there to relieve him was not present. "I actually wanted to make this offer…more of a favor."

Roderich furrowed his eyebrows together.

"A favor? What do you mean?"

"I'll pay you another twenty extra," he insisted. "Those boys need someone to watch and stay with them. I have not heard back from their place for about a year now, but I'm worried. The older one should be the caretaker of the house…but I'm unsure where he's been."

Romulus began to pull out his wallet and fish out the cash that was owed, plus the twenty. He handed it to Roderich. Before he could argue, he ushered him to the door.

"Gilbert is his name. Last I heard, he was working as a janitor at the local elementary school."

The Austrian frowned. "I suppose I'll look into it, sir. How old are the two brothers?"

"Gilbert is twenty-two," said Romulus. "The younger one is nine."

Romulus stood to lead Roderich to the door.
"…please consider the offer. I'm sorry I had to ask you of all people. But I trust you with my grandchildren, so I'll have no worries knowing that my friend's children will be also safe with you."

"I'll try my best, sir. If it comes to that."

"Thank you."

Romulus watched him get outside before waving and closing the front door. Roderich reached inside of his pocket to grab the keys to his car and unlocked it. As he settled into the seat, he felt his heart sink at the forced obligation he had to do. He looked at the city apartment one last time before driving away home.

He only hoped that the circumstances weren't too out of hand for his help.

The doorbell wasn't the chime he expected but was instead a loud and annoying buzzing noise that echoed the longer he pressed. Roderich stood at the door, currently assessing the quality of the house itself through his own eyes while plopping his suitcases on the floor of the porch gently. It wasn't particularly old, but the exterior clearly looked weathered down by rain and snow. The windows didn't look like they had been washed well from the outside. He was not one to judge by first glances, but he already felt like there was something quirky about this place.

The creak of the door was opened, but instead of meeting the gaze of a taller individual, he was forced to look down and meet the eyes of a younger, well-dressed little boy.

Roderich furrowed his eyebrows while Ludwig met his gaze.

"…you're Mr. Edelstein, correct?"
"Yes. You are Ludwig Beilschmidt?"

The little boy nodded, opening the door wider for him to enter. Roderich thanked him quietly as he stepped inside, grabbing and setting the suitcases out of the way. The young child Ludwig closed the door behind them before meeting his gaze again. "Mr. Vargas sent you?"

"Yes. Thank you again for letting me stay here for the while."

Ludwig nodded, picking up the suitcases for Roderich.

"You don't have to…"

"This way." It was a rather definitive answer. Roderich decided he had no choice, following him up the stairs and into a bedroom that looked rather dull and empty except for the lone drawer, bed, and carpet on the floor. Ludwig set the suitcases down before looking back up to him.

"Danke schoēn," he replied to him. "Thank you."

He wasn't sure if the other could speak German very well. Ludwig just seemed to take the response without much mind before heading back to the door.

"Are you hungry?"

"Well…perhaps not now. Sometime later."

Again, Ludwig nodded.

"Just let me know. I'll start cooking some stew later."

Before the younger child had a chance to leave the room…

"Wait."

Ludwig stopped, turning back around to face him.

"Romulus Vargas also mentioned that you had another brother here with you," stated Roderich. "Gilbert, right?"

Ludwig blinked, looking as if he were thinking a way to explain himself.

"Yes. He is currently sick right now."

"Sick?"

"Mm. He actually doesn't like visitors to come in. He's not here right now, so I thought it would be alright to let you in since Mr. Vargas asked."

Roderich widened his eyes. "You are alone?"
"No. He's downstairs in the basement."

The Austrian seemed to frown at this then. What a weird place to choose for a bedroom. "Why there?"

"He's alb...albeen…"

He seemed to have trouble pronouncing it.

"Albino?"

"Ja. He said too much sun hurts his skin."

"Oh."

Roderich suddenly felt he knew the reason for Gilbert's supposed absence. Perhaps it was physical stress. He didn't want to sound too intrusive, so he just nodded and let Ludwig off to do whatever he planned to do.

Roderich placed his suitcases on the bed, clicking them open while he sorted the clothes. During his unpacking, he ran into some old sheet music that he recalled writing earlier in the semester. He smiled fondly, thinking perhaps that it wouldn't be so bad to try and make some pieces again. Maybe he could play it when Ludwig was at school? He'd have to ask permission from Gilbert, though. The Gilbert that lives in the basement.

That didn't sound creepy at all.

Evening was soon drawing near. Roderich had almost finished his unpacking, but he knew he had at least a few more boxes coming by truck the following day. He sighed, supposing that Ludwig was almost done with dinner. Roderich hadn't left the room for the last three hours and it was already approaching near seven in the evening. He opened the door leading out his room. The sounds of clinking and bubbling, as well as the aroma of food indicated that Ludwig had already started.

The house was eerily quiet and dark in the evening setting. The only light that remained obvious was the kitchen area, while the rest of the living room that was downstairs was uncomfortably dim. As he walked toward the kitchen, he glanced around, planning to at least explore the house a little later on his own time. It was too large for only two people.

Roderich paused for a while. It was only then that he remembered that he was there to take the place of a dead relative. He felt his chest grow heavy at the thought.

He entered the kitchen, expecting to see two people at the dinner table, but with no sign of the older brother in the same room. Strange. He thought the evening time would be more favorable for leaving that basement.

"You're here," said Ludwig in surprising, having not noticed his entry until now. Upon further inspection, he realized that Ludwig was standing on a stool in order to cook the food. It seemed like simple potato soup. Roderich's facial expression softened. He must have worked hard on that.

"Yes. I've been in my room all day unpacking." He paused a moment, wondering if he should ask.

"Is…your brother not going to join us?"

"No," sighed Ludwig. "But I already gave him dinner. I'm almost done cooking so you can sit down."

Roderich followed what he said. He sat down, pulling out his phone from his pocket. He was finally getting back to the people he still needed to message about his move in.

Elizaveta, of course, had several messages sent at one time. He did a quick glance through before replying that the move was successful. He didn't mention anything about the brothers, though. Following that, was Feliciano. This was no surprise, seeing as he had recently received a new phone by his grandfather. But the message was a bit more heartfelt than he originally thought.

From: Feliciano V

To: Roderich E

Sent: 20:23

Hi roderich! Its feli! I was wondering if u made it to ludwigs ok? Hes very shy to talk to but he speaks german like u! Make sure to tell him and gilbert that me and lovi said hi!

Roderich pursed his lips. He felt a bit singled out for being the only one who hasn't quite officially met Gilbert.

Ludwig stepped off the stool, attempting to lift the pot off the stove with mittens in his hands. Roderich closed his phone, standing to help him carry the pot to the table while Ludwig got bowls and spoons instead.

"…How long has Gilbert been sick?" inquired Roderich. He poured Ludwig his own share of the soup before collecting some himself.

"For a year now," replied Ludwig, drinking the soup without much thought. "I've been taking care of him."

"Alone? Still?"

"Yes. No one is here to do it."

"Oh."

Roderich realized he hadn't even touched the soup, so he began to eat it slowly, thinking about what to say.
"Is he still in the basement?"
"Yes."

"Can I introduce myself to him there?"

"He's sleeping right now."

Roderich clinked the spoon in his bowl. It didn't seem Ludwig felt too rushed to introduce him to his brother. The Austrian concluded that he'd probably have to try and find him on his own time. Instead, he began to change subjects. Ludwig didn't seem like the talkative type, but if he had to live with him for the next academic school years, he'd have to be familiar with him.

"So…what's your favorite subject in school?"

Ludwig blinked as if no one had ever asked him. Perhaps this is what Feliciano meant by shy.

"…well I like math." He said before pausing. "Mr. Vargas said you liked music."

"Ah…yes. I like to compose my own pieces." Roderich seemed to smile a little with that. "I hope you don't mind me playing some songs while here."

"No…I don't mind. Music helps me study."

Roderich's smile brightened. "…do you play music?"

"I'm good at…v-violin." stuttered Ludwig. "I-I'm not an expert at it though…"

"No worries. Neither am I."

"What? How can you say that? You just said you make your own music!" he exclaimed.

"Well…a good player doesn't need to be the best at what he does," said Roderich as he seemed to then get more soup. "Just love what he is doing."

Ludwig remained quiet then. Roderich hoped he had at least shown the boy that he meant well.

"Also…your friend Feliciano says hello."

Dinner was soon concluded and Roderich insisted that he wash the dishes to compensate for dinner. Ludwig reluctantly agreed, preoccupied at the thought that his friend still remembered him. Roderich found that very endearing.

The days went by quickly as the university's schedule began to pull him back in the swing of busy feet. Roderich quickly realized that he arrived at home the same time as Ludwig, thankfully making it easier to keep an eye on him. Unfortunately, throughout this time with the young German, he also realized that Ludwig was deliberately trying to keep him away from Gilbert. This was subtle at first. He noticed that Gilbert was coincidentally "not feeling too well" whenever he asked. Roderich eventually gave up this pursuit, starting to develop a conclusion that he might not be in the basement at all, and that he was trying to cover up the fact that Gilbert might have left him all by himself. The thought made him angry. How could anyone think about leaving a kid as good as Ludwig behind?

Roderich compromised himself to become a little more open to Ludwig. Living alone at the age of nine must be tiring for him. Roderich at least wanted to give him a break from adulthood and to let him be a kid again.

The days went on like this, and Ludwig eventually did begin to talk without sounding too robotic. He didn't bring up the topic of Gilbert too much, though he was still no closer to figuring out more on his sudden disappearance. Roderich also still felt that there were important things down in that basement that would answer a lot of questions.

During this time frame of careful planning, Roderich explored the rest of the house by himself. He noted that there were a lot of frames depicting the old owner Aldrich Beilschmidt with what looked like his wife and son. Only one picture included Ludwig's family, with Ludwig sporting a frown in the picture while the taller albino child next to him was stooped down to his level and grinning right at the camera. Gilbert, most likely. He studied the picture, trying to form an image in his own head on how Gilbert must look like at twenty-two years of age.

After a late night of studying music history, Roderich decided that perhaps 1:30 was a good time to assume that Ludwig was asleep. Equipped with only his phone as a source of light, he hunted around the downstairs floor for a one-way ticket to the basement. The door underneath the stairs he at first assumed was a closet became a close bet. His hand twisted the knob, but it didn't budge at all. Locked.

Disappointment wasn't an option either. If Ludwig was able to get down there every day to 'feed' his brother, then there had to be a key somewhere around the place.

He went back upstairs dejected but not quite done yet.

The mornings were usually quiet too. They alternated making breakfasts and dinners, often resulting in mild chatter about school, activities, and friends.

Although Roderich liked the idea of bringing some of his colleagues over, he still felt that the house rightfully belonged to Ludwig and Gilbert. He didn't want to impose on their property, despite already living there for good three months now. In the mornings, Ludwig would be the first one up, and it didn't matter how early Roderich force himself out of the bed since Ludwig seemed to never stay asleep for long anyway. One morning, he caught Ludwig coming inside from the back door with a bowl of what looked like flowers and weeds from the outside gardens. Roderich hid right on the stairs, waiting for him to pass. He realized that he was taking the bowl to the basement under the stairs. The jingling of the keys was heard to unlock it and Ludwig's light footsteps were heard descending. He came back up within a few minutes and proceeded to go wash his hands and make breakfast like he usually did.

Roderich came then into the kitchen, pretending that whatever he saw had not been witnessed as they ate. When they were finished and Ludwig returned upstairs, the Austrian's eyes trained themselves at the door that was locked again.

It confused him…and quite frankly it frightened him to think that the secret that Ludwig was keeping down there could potentially be a lot more than a fabricated story.

"I'll be home late tomorrow," said Ludwig the evening before. Roderich was currently in his room, once again preparing for another exam that was nearing. Roderich removed his glasses to look at Ludwig.
"Late? Why's that?"

"I'm…I'm interested in joining the track team." He revealed. A blush was visible in the lamplight the room provided. Roderich seemed to smile back at him then.

"Well…I'm glad to hear that you're going to participate in some afterschool activities. How late will you be?"

"…about two hours later than usual. I hope that doesn't worry you too much."

Roderich seemed to laugh at that. Genuinely happy for him. "Worrying? You're the younger one! Don't worry yourself with me. Just make sure you drink a lot of water and come back safely. I'm glad you're getting a chance to do more things than sit around and do homework all day."

Ludwig seemed to then feel a lot more satisfied with that answer, and a leap of hope after months of patient waiting began to form in Roderich's chest. That following afternoon was something so highly anticipated; he nearly forgot about his exam that day.

Once he got back home, the rest of the day was free of study hours and music making. The basement was his priority, and the lock still persisted to be the reason for his inability to enter.

Roderich did a quick glance across Ludwig's bedroom, careful not to ruin anything that might alert him of his presence here when Ludwig got home. The drawers did not contain anything but his clothes, but eventually he encountered a small box under the bed that thankfully had a clinking sound to it when he shook it.

The Austrian took it, feeling dread now beginning to cloud. Weeds every morning and evening in a bowl downstairs to the basement.

The image wasn't pleasant to recall but was something that needed to be answered.

Roderich had convinced himself that the Gilbert that he never met could even be dead somewhere in that basement when Roderich first arrived to the house. And Ludwig must be trying to pay a form of respect by giving him flowers.

It was a dark thought (and a ridiculous stretch) but it was an extreme speculation. It was either something like that or perhaps something more likely, such as Gilbert not being downstairs at all and he'd find a huge underground flowerbed.

Nonetheless, it didn't stop him from missing his opportunity to explore the part of the house that may reveal something about Gilbert.

As he went to the door to finally unlock it, the hinges decided to make a mildly loud creak when he opened it. His hand went to flip on the light switch he spotted at the entrance but was disappointed to find that it was not working. The only flashlight that the musician had was the light switch on his phone. It was almost dead, but he didn't expect a long trip downstairs anyway.

Roderich swallowed heavily, trying to compose himself to walk down the blinding staircase. He flashed his light in front of him, discovering really nothing unusual, save for some out of place furniture that didn't seem to fit in any of the boxes. The air was dry and dusty as expected, and he felt the instinct to cover his nose and mouth as he tried to look around. Any clues. Perhaps even proof of Gilbert still being downstairs like he was supposed to be.

"…uh…Gilbert Beilschmidt?" he called out after a while. No response was given, but he felt his foot kick something. The light reflected down to reveal that the bowl Ludwig left that morning was still there and untouched. The flowers were a little frizzled up.

Roderich felt now concerned. His two original theories on what could have happened were now tossed out the window. But he ignored it for now and continued to search around the deeper back area of the basement.

Boxes filled the shelves, all labeled with generic things. Christmas decorations, fall and winter clothes, toys…nothing entirely unique. The floor itself was dusted with dried mud, and he was still unsure. He might even find a dog down here. He hurried over when he found enough leg room, trying to account for his phone's limited battery. Although he expected to see any proof of a dog (or perhaps any rodent), he found out that there wasn't anything available for further guesses since it was an empty corner.

He sighed. Damn.

As Roderich began to leave, something was heard shuffling ahead. It didn't sound entirely loud, so he suspected the rodent. The house was old anyway, and it wouldn't be surprising to encounter one. He wasn't squeamish, but he also didn't like filth. He'd have to think a good time to try and bring this up in conversation when Ludwig came back…

The basement door shut, and the remaining light inside of the basement was now completely black. His heart jumped, not at all enjoying this dry atmosphere. His phone was reading 3%, and the sudden need to leave was building.
Roderich found the foot of the stairs after frantic shining. He immediately headed for them, but not before noticing the bowl right at the base of the staircase.

Empty.

A heavy growl sounded behind him, and he didn't dare take the time to try and stick around to see what it was. He scrambled up the stairs two at a time before trying to twist the knob open. It was jammed, and something heavy was heard stepping on the steps. Slowly. Much bigger than a rodent.

He didn't want to make any sudden movements, and he held his flashlight steady. It was at 2%.

His hand went to slowly reach his pocket to grab the keys. He just needed to take them and unlock the door and he'd be out free without a problem.

But as he did this, he couldn't help but evaluate…if he blinded whatever thing was behind him by shining the light in its eyes, he could make a run for it and also take a glance to see what it was.

The sound of the door unlocking was alarmingly loud. But he still didn't want to risk moving too fast.

He counted to three quietly in his head, gripping his phone. 1%.

One…two…

He flashed the light rapidly behind him while trying to literally shove the door open. What he saw behind him had red eyeballs, roaring a noise similar to a human scream and a gurgling snarl. The potential energy from shoving the door caused him to fall right onto the floor with a heavy thud. His phone skittered away as this happened. The monstrous creature grabbed his leg, immediately tugging him back down into the place he escaped from.

Roderich screamed, trying to grab something that could help hold him upstairs. He grabbed the doorframe, fingernails digging into the wall as he felt the thing tug him.

Another growl. He turned his gaze to his feet, where he saw something pale still attempting to yank him. Roderich grunted, trying to rapidly kick with his free leg; to be as frustrating as possible to hold still.

His heart sank when the second hand managed to grab the ankle of his other foot. And he felt the stronger jerk make his fingers slip. Roderich's head smacked the floor painfully, cracking his glasses. He felt too dizzy to focus on anything, and he didn't even know if he felt any shards in his eye. Roderich passed out before he could get the sense to call for help.

Posted October 19, 2016

My hope is to get the second part of this done before Halloween. Thanks to all the kudos for all my previous stories so far!