A/N: This was a bday gift to a friend of mine. I'm better at writing GerIta so at least he likes this pairing (though he liked the previous thing I wrote for him, but it was too short for my liking because I got stuck). This is to make up for my lack of pages on the previous fic I wrote him. I'm just hoping that my lack of knowledge of certain characters in this one doesn't make them seem OOC.


Ludwig swirled the expensive wine in his glass that the bar offered, almost glaring down at the drink. All around him people laughed and cheered, but there was no way the blond himself could get wrapped up in all of the happiness. He raised his blue eyes when a crowd of people started chanting 'Kiss him' over and over again. In the middle of that crowd were Feliciano and Sadiq. Ludwig couldn't tell much from the Turkish man's expression under his mask, but he sported an amused smirk. Feliciano on the other hand looked a bit bashful, glancing up at the taller man. With a growl, the blond looked away not wanting to see his best friend kiss the other.

Ludwig wasn't a fan of the whole situation, though he tried to hide it. Ever since Feliciano's father announced that the Italian was engaged to Sadiq, nothing had been the same. The blond would be lying if he said that he wasn't feeling a bit neglected. Before this whole engagement thing, Feliciano stuck to Ludwig like glue. The two of them were rarely apart and if they were then it wouldn't be for long. The blond longed for the days when it was just the two of them.

The room filled with loud whistling and cheers to the point it was deafening. Ludwig bit his lip, trying to ignore the fact that the couple in the room were kissing, though it was hard. He felt anger bubble up inside him along with jealousy until he couldn't stand it anymore. As quick as he could, the blond escaped outside where it was quieter. He could still hear the sounds from inside, but at least it was muffled and could be easily blocked out.

"Just be happy for him!" he could hear Gilbert's voice echo in his head, "This is something you can't change. Protest all you want but in the end you'll be the asshole."

"How can I be happy for him when it feels like my heart is breaking?" Ludwig whispered to himself, leaning against the wall and staring up at the night sky.

It was probably obvious to everyone by now. Who wouldn't know that Ludwig had fallen for his best friend? He hadn't fully realized how deep he was in. If the blond was honest with himself, Ludwig knew that he had feelings for Feliciano though he wasn't sure when these feelings emerged. It was almost as if one day they were just friends and the next the simplest of smiles made his heart beat a tad bit quicker and a single touch sent pleasant shivers down his spine. He was helpless to these feelings that drowned him.

"Ludwig?" The voice that called to him made his knees feel weak. It's been a while since he heard Feliciano say his name. "Are you okay?"

He couldn't help but look to the side to see the concern in those beautiful golden eyes. "Fine." Ludwig nearly winced at the tone he used. Why did his annoyance have to leak through now of all times?

Feliciano stayed quiet a moment, watching as the blond's eyes returned to the sky. He felt hurt at the tone that was directed at him, though he couldn't really blame the other man. "…It doesn't sound like it."

The other sighed in annoyance, "Of course it wouldn't."

Feliciano bit his lip. "Well…if it makes any difference, I'm happy that you accepted the invitation to the party."

"Yeah, because it's so good to see someone make your already official engagement more official with an official proposal and to top it off with an expensive ring."

"You're being unfair Ludwig!"

"This whole thing is unfair Feliciano!" Ludwig exclaimed, pushing off the wall while running a hand through his hair, "Nothing good will come out of this arranged marriage. It's a set up!"

"And what do you want me to do about it? Go up to my father and say that I can't marry Sadiq without a good reason?"

"He's using you for your money!"

"You don't think I know that? How many times are you going to bring that up? Will it make you feel any better knowing that I'm marrying him for the same reason? That's my father's plan!"

Ludwig was going to shout some more but bit his tongue. This was the exact argument he had with Feliciano three weeks ago and they hadn't talked since. He was lucky that Feliciano even sent him an invitation as a sign of peace. Was he really going to screw this up? He probably already did. The blond knew that this arrange marriage was a ploy to get money out of the other guy's pocket, but it really looked like Feliciano's father was on the losing end of the deal.

"I'm sorry." Ludwig sighed, looking to the ground with guilt, "I should take my leave."

"Ludwig!" Feliciano was quick to grab the blond's wrist, his eyes shining with so many emotions. There was frustration, sadness… Ludwig could only hope to identify them all. "Please don't leave. Our last conversation didn't end on a good note. I don't want that to happen again."

"I…I can't."

"Why not? I know that we haven't been able to hang out since the engagement announcement, but… Please, Ludwig? I can't lose you."

"Feliciano…" Ludwig growled in frustration more to himself than his friend as he tried to pry his wrist away, "I can't. I can't stand being here anymore. I'm going to do something stupid if I don't leave."

"Then do something stupid! I don't care as long as you stay."

"You will care if I clock your fiancé! I can't stand being in the same room with the same man who gets to claim you as his own!"

Feliciano's grip loosened out of surprise and Ludwig reclaimed his wrist not daring to look at his friend. Why not go and confess to make things worse? Feliciano's hand came to put a reassuring hand on the blond's shoulder but he shied away.

"Please don't." Ludwig said in a quiet voice that almost sounded desperate. Once Feliciano stepped back, he sighed and turned his back on his friend. "Goodbye Feliciano. Congratulations on your engagement."


Ludwig sat in the living room, flipping through the channels on the TV. Nothing caught his interest, though he wasn't paying attention. It has been three days since the engagement party and the argument he and Feliciano had. His mind kept roaming back to his outburst, thinking of different ways that it could have gone differently if he had just kept his feelings at bay. There were so many things he could have done, but these solutions only came now that he was calm. With a frustrated sigh, Ludwig turned off the TV and tossed the control to the other side of the couch. There was nothing he could do about what he did. Ludwig hoped that Feliciano didn't think much of what happened. The last thing he wanted was for Feliciano to pity him.

The doorbell snapped Ludwig out of his thoughts. Who would be at the door at this time? Ludwig thought as he glanced at the clock to see that it was late at night. Gilbert had gone out and had his keys so he wouldn't need to ring the bell. Another ring got Ludwig off the couch to answer the door but once he was able to look outside, the blond froze.

"Hi, Ludwig." Feliciano said tentatively, "Can…I come in?"

It took a moment for the question to sink in before he dumbly nodded and stepped to the side. The blond could only watch as the smaller man looked around, a smile on his lips as he reacquainted himself with Ludwig's home. It was only when Feliciano was staring at him for a moment that he finally found his voice.

"What are you doing here? Should you be with Sadiq?"

"He's…busy with something else." Feliciano answered slowly, "I just wanted to see you."

"I…don't understand…" Ludwig furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Just…come sit with me. I'll explain."

Feliciano grabbed Ludwig's hand, almost seeming impatient as he guided the blond to the couch in the living room. Once they were settled, everything stayed silent. Feliciano hadn't let go of Ludwig's hand which he didn't mind but what did bother the blond was the silence. It was becoming awkward the longer the smaller man stay quiet. Ludwig tugged his hand away from the other's grip which seemed to have reminded Feliciano that he was supposed to say something.

"Ah, sorry." He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck, "I was just…" Feliciano sighed, trying to gather his thoughts before blurting out, "You're uncomfortable with me being with Sadiq."

"Er…not really?"

"Then you don't like the idea of me being with him."

"That…wasn't obvious?"

"So you like me."

"I-what?"

Feliciano leaned in towards Ludwig who leaned away. "You like me."

"Y-You're my best friend. Of course I like you."

Feliciano frowned, looking disappointed. "Oh…"

The smaller man moved away looking dejected. "Did I say something wrong?"

Feliciano shook his head. "No. I just thought… It's dumb, don't worry."

"Feliciano." Ludwig moved to place a hand on his friend's shoulder, "Why don't you tell me what's wrong? I don't like seeing you like this."

"…I thought you liked me." He revealed after a pause, "I mean, I thought you liked me more than as a friend. You said that you couldn't stand being in the same room as the man who claimed me, or so I thought." Feliciano glanced up at the blond, seeing those blue eyes widen. "I can see you getting jealous as a friend would be when having to share your best friend with someone else but… You're getting mad that I'm getting married to someone. Why?"

Ludwig didn't answer, his eyes casting down to look at the carpet. He could feel Feliciano's eyes on him, waiting for an answer but what was he supposed to say? The couch shifted and the blond felt a hand on top of his. Glancing up, Feliciano was there by his side. The two of them stared at each other a moment and neither knew who started it but lips connected. The kiss was shy at first, almost as if they expected the other to pull away. Kisses moved to become bolder, more passionate than before while hands tangled in hair and roamed. They only pulled away when the TV turned on, filling the room with sound. They quickly parted and Ludwig turned off the TV while Feliciano fixed his clothes.

"We shouldn't have done that." Ludwig said into the silence, pushing his hair back into place, "I'm sorry."

"No…I wanted to…"

"Still! You're engaged Feliciano."

"To a man I don't love." The smaller man took the Ludwig's hands into his own, "I told you before that we're only getting married because of money. Any affection we show to the public is for show."

"That doesn't make this right." Ludwig shook his head, squeezing the hands of the friend he loved, "I love you too much to put you through this affair. If we're caught, not only will I get in trouble but so will you and then you'll have to deal with your father. I can't do this to you."


No, no, no! This shouldn't be happening. Yet it was. Feliciano and Ludwig pushed away from each other, fixing their disheveled clothes while looking anywhere but at the groom himself. The two of them had been so careful in making sure this didn't happen. For the first week they managed to not lay a hand on each other than lingering hugs and handshakes. Unfortunately, they just couldn't keep their acknowledged feelings in the dark. The two of them made a plan.

Their outings became more private, going out and finding places that had little to no people around. They shared kisses, held hands, and whatever else couples usually did. They avoided doing anything that would bring them further than hugs and kisses just in case someone was to walk in on them. They're luck had been good to them in the beginning but once the wedding date was announced, their luck was running thin. Sadiq was required to be around Feliciano more, along with their wedding planner. Ludwig usually avoided being around when Sadiq was close by. They had to continue their public affection and the blond found himself itching to push the two of them apart.

Due to not being able to be around as much as they liked, they became too bold in their actions. Ludwig would usually catch himself but even there were times that the job had to fall on Feliciano and by then the two were in various stages of undress.

When the wedding day came, Ludwig was able to get through the service. He didn't pay attention, focusing his mind on other things so he didn't have to remember that his love was going to be someone else's. Service went by quick and the after party soon came. That was where things got a bit…tricky. The two of them promised to find each other and sneak away to discuss what they were going to do but either Feliciano was pulled away before he could reach Ludwig or they were spotted and pulled into conversations. It was finally when the two of them were finally able to pull away from everyone else that they got a bit…distracted.

"So, how long has this been going on?" Sadiq asked, closing the door behind him. Neither answered. "That long? It's a wonder how you weren't caught."

"Please, Sadiq…" Feliciano started but the Turkish man interrupted.

"Don't speak Feliciano. You know that if I were someone else, I would be revealing this affair to your father. We were chosen for this marriage for a reason and we're expected to be faithful."

"I'm sorry. It's-"

"My fault." Ludwig interrupted, "You don't need to inform anyone of this. I will leave. You won't even see me passing on the street."

"Calm yourself Ludwig." Sadiq sighed, putting a hand to his forehead, "I'm not going to separate you." Both Ludwig and Feliciano spluttered and the masked man raised a hand to silence them. "This marriage is like an alliance of sorts. The Vargas' and my family benefit no matter who has more money. If this was brought into the light earlier, then we could have cleared the secrecy."

"How?" Feliciano asked, sharing a confused glance with Ludwig.

"You only had to be open with me. I wouldn't have told and you wouldn't have had to sneak around."

"…You would have let us been together from the beginning?"

"Why not? I have no emotional ties to you. Besides, I have my eyes for someone else whom I been seeing as well. He'll be as pleased as you are that we can keep our public appearances while keeping our real lovers a secret."

"There's still the press." Ludwig pointed out.

"That won't be a problem now that the cat's out of the bag between us. We'll work out what to do once you meet Kiku tonight."