Author: Cyhirae

Notes: After the rather dark and head-trippy bit that was "Ruins of Me", the angst of "Lost Glory" and general failed humor of "Ivan Goes Surfin' USSR", I decided I need to try a new category! Fluff. That means Feliciano. This is a general fic of him considering past and present and two particular people in his life. Human names are used in all but one's case because…he doesn't have a human name. Also, I fail at fluff, about like I do at humor and romance. Hrm. Well it was worth a shot.

Disclaimer: Hetalia is not mine, never was, never will be.

Every now and again, Feliciano liked to simply take a walk away from home for awhile. Ludwig was busy right now; and the other countries kept whispering that he shouldn't be talking to him anyway after everything that happened…World War II was a long time ago now, but they still wanted him to stay away from Ludwig.

Well Lovino always did, but that was just how it went. He really didn't seem to like Ludwig for some reason. Feliciano really couldn't figure out why either: Ludwig was strong, determined but not really all that scary once you got to know him at all.

Well maybe a little scary when he was giving orders but then that was just how he was. He did some things the rest of the world called bad now at his boss' orders- but hadn't the others too? Feliciano sighed, leveling a half hearted kick against a stone…then he stopped to stare at what the stone had clicked against.

A ruined stone archway, standing in what had plainly been a courtyard at one point, but had long since grown over and been abandoned. Feliciano stared at it for a long moment, then dashed up to it and peered through into the overgrown yard; some ways away stood a familiar house, though far smaller than he remembered it being.

Roderich had certainly gotten his feet back under him after the war, but some signs of what had happened were hard to miss…such as this ruined courtyard and collapsed wing of the house Feliciano had once stayed in.

"Ve…I wonder if I should visit..?" He pondered a moment, smiling to recall the piano playing he had so loved; he could hear it coming from the house. Maybe he could just stop by and- then the sound of notes suddenly getting jarred in a very noisy, off key way filled the air.

"Gilbert! Will you please take yourself to another part of the country at very least? I am attempting to play! You are ruining my concen- stop that! My piano is not a to- Gilbert!" More off key notes filled the air briefly before playing that most certainly not Roderich's filled the air, much to the Austrian's audible dismay.

Right, he already had his usual afternoon visitor. Though where Gilbert had learned to play 'chopsticks', he had no idea. And he hadn't thought anyone could play it that badly, either. Feliciano tucked his hands in his pockets and crept back toward the stone archway. Perhaps this wouldn't be the best time if Roderich was yelling loud enough to be heard all the way out here. Feliciano didn't know Ludwig's brother very well, but he knew enough to avoid giving an audience.

He stopped by the archway, however; just looking up at it for a long time. This used to be the main way in; when had it crumbled? Probably when the wing had fallen too…Feliciano leaned back against the vine covered stone, looking over the courtyard again as the argument continued in the distance. It really hadn't been such a bad time, or so he'd thought. Roderich had gotten mad a lot and there had always been lots of work but Elisaveta and….

Feliciano looked up the archway; the stone no longer met all the way, worn away like the rest of this place. He could remember standing under this arch many times, whenever his work was done, just watching and waiting for a promise to be kept by the last member of that long ago household…though he had left it long before he had disappeared for good.

"Ve…" a sad little sound emerged then as he looked to the nearly invisible path now that had led up to this archway. It was such a long time ago, but he could remember the promise that had been made. He had said he would come back…and he hadn't. Yet. "He never broke a promise…"

So it was 'yet'. He had never said exactly when he would come back; just when the war was done. But one war always led to another one, right? So maybe he was still out there and fighting. Feliciano shook his head at that, then settled down to lay on his back in the courtyard and stare up at the sky.

He had never told Lovino about what happened while they were apart; probably because any such question sent his brother off on a rant about 'that jackass!', Antonio. Feliciano let out a little giggle at the thought, resting in the warm sunlight.

Lovino was about the only person who actually believed any of the ranting. He had to wonder if his brother would ever figure out just how much he didn't mean it.

Feliciano's smile tapered off a bit; he really should tell Antonio how he felt. You really never knew when something was going to happen…a war, your bosses deciding they didn't like each other so you weren't allowed to talk to someone anymore-

-A foot suddenly coming down on your stomach-

"Waaaah-?" The yelp barely had any air to work with, but he made do with what he had as his eyes flew open to a blue eyed, blond topped face staring down at him- and Feliciano promptly wrapped his arms around the leg that had stomped on him. "Ve! You came back! I knew you-"

"Ah-eh? F-Feliciano? Why are you napping in Roderich's courtyard-?" Ludwig started down at the brunette that had become a part of his boot somehow; he hadn't even seen the Italian there.

"Ah? You sound like-" Feliciano pulled back then to look at the boot; heavy, no-nonsense and plain black with equally boring pants tucked in. He continued looking up…then released the leg as he surged upward- and momentarily forgot he was under the German's foot- to try to tackle and hug onto the man. "Ve~! Ludwig~! Hug!"

After about a minute of mutual disentanglement, the two parties sat apart from each other, Ludwig looking no little lost between contriteness and determination not to strangle his friend. Feliciano just looked as happy as he ever had. He couldn't be yelled at if they met by accident, right?

"Feliciano; why are you in Roderich's courtyard? Especially this one?" Ludwig looked around the place a moment; he usually came in this way for some reason. There was just something comfortable if a little sad about the ruined looking place.

"Ve~! I used to live here! It was my job to clean up the courtyard!" Well, Ludwig could see how it got into this condition then…How Feliciano found the time to do anything between eating, sleeping and making white flags, he wasn't entirely sure. "Though that was a long time ago now…"

Something in the tone caught Ludwig's attention; it wasn't the usual bright, chirpy tone he'd come to associate with the Italian or the whiny one that was more common to the 'emotional' moments. If he didn't know any better, he'd say it was nearly bordering on sad.

He had his doubts that emotion even existed in Feliciano's emotional vocabulary but there it was even so as he started up at the broken arch again.

"Ve…I was also seeing if someone was going to keep his promise…ah, but-" And now that chipper tone was back, though weak compared to the enthusiasm it usually contained. "I guess he isn't coming today! So why are you here, Ludwig?"

"I was called to take care of a problem." Recollection of why made Ludwig sigh and take to his feet again; the house was now rather silent in the distance. This could be a very good sign- that Gilbert had hopefully gone home of his own volition and all he would have to do is apologize to Roderich for not thinking of a way to keep his brother home.

Or he was possibly passed out on a couch in need of medical attention after Elisaveta had perhaps gotten here a bit sooner than he had. Unfortunately, he was suspecting it was the latter.

"Ve~ Well since we're both here, maybe we can have pasta for lunch together?" Feliciano caught hold of Ludwig's arm and beamed up at his friend; the promise still remained unfulfilled but one day, maybe…

Until then, he had other good friends now too. Ludwig, Kiku; even Lovino if he'd maybe be just a little nicer…Feliciano could introduce them all to him when he finally kept his promise and came home. As they began to walk toward the house, Ludwig uttering something Feliciano chose to take as an affirmative to the lunch plans, the Italian looked back to the archway again for a moment, head nodded down in a brief prayer and plea.

…Please keep your promise and come back…Holy Roman Empire…

~Fin~

Afterward: I completely support the theory that Ludwig = HRE. Hence the little idea of him coming up through that archway while Feliciano decided to try waiting a little bit. Naturally, Feliciano the super-ditz rather well misses the industrial sized ACME lead pipe hint. Oh well~!

So that's that; just a bit of sentimental fluff after all the darker stuff I've been doing.