"West! I'm home!" Gilbert announced as he strode in through the front door discarding his boots and coat carelessly on the ground. He could smell something burning and saw a light smoke pillow out from the kitchen. Almost stumbling over his boots he ran to the room to find some pans producing a lot of smoke and quickly turned off the elements which they stood upon. "Jesus West, are you trying to burn the house down?" Gilbert hollered, fanning the smoke away from his nose and mouth. When he heard no response Gilbert got a slight wave of worry. He looked around the kitchen to find any sign of recent activity, but all he saw was vegetables (Some chopped, some not), a few spices and now burnt wurst. But then he noticed a cutting board with some distinctive red liquid on it and on the floor just below it was a stained knife. He could feel the worry step up another level and started out hunting for Ludwig.

"Hey, west? Where are you?" Gilbert yelled poking his head through different doors of the house, finally coming to the bathroom, his question finally answered. He breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against the door frame. "What did you do to yourself now West?" Gilbert asked, a small smile curving his lips. Ludwig was sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, a blue towel clenched tightly on top of his arm. His gaze was down wards, eyes unfocused and mouth slightly open. Gilbert crouched down and lifted Ludwig's head up with a finger. "Hello? Anyone home?" He tilted his head, curious. Ludwig blinked, then quietly, almost a whisper. "Oh... when did you get home?"

Gilbert grew confused and stood up scratching his head. "I was cooking dinner, but my hand slipped...and then..." Ludwig trailed off, his eyes switching from side to side. Gilbert sighed and helped him up onto the side of the bathtub. He noticed in the new position that Ludwig's face was red, and his cheeks were a little puffed out. Gilbert took his hand and cupped it around Ludwig's forehead. It was feverous to the touch. Gilbert's eyes became slits as he looked towards his younger brother. "How long did you stay up last night working and how late today?" Ludwig's sapphire eyes met Gilbert's ruby ones; the expression of his face gave Gilbert an answer more concerning than words. "The reason you have this fever, West, is because you've been stressing yourself too much lately." Gilbert lifted the blood stained towel from Ludwig's arm and threw it carelessly into the sink. "And this here is proof of that; you can't even concentrate on simple tasks!"

Gilbert balanced on his tippy toes to reach the disinfectant and bandages to tend to Ludwig. He crouched in front of him again and began tending to his wound, his eyes soft and affectionate. Ludwig stared down at Gilbert, and patted his head with his free hand, giving a smirk. "Thank you, East." Gilbert gave a soft curse as he felt his hair get ruffled. Once he was done he whipped his hands on his pants and stood heroically, grinning in the process. "See? All better! You'd have died without my Awesomeness." Ludwig just showed a slight smile, a few drops of sweat forming around his brows. "Now next time, try not to burn the house down with dinner." Gilbert said putting the supplies back. Ludwig stood up abruptly, almost knocking Gilbert over. "I forgot about that!" He tried rushing past Gilbert but got stopped with simply his hand. "Now now, you take it easy! I'll cook us an amazing dinner that will make others jealous."

Gilbert raised an eye brow as Ludwig started to sway back and forth. "Maaaybe you should sit down for a while." He said, putting a finger to his lip. Guiding Ludwig to the dining room, Gilbert let him collapse onto the chair, grabbing a cloth and dampening it with cold water and applying it to Ludwig's forehead. "Just take it easy, you'll have the most awesome dinner soon!" Gilbert said cleaning the burning pans from earlier and preparing them for a new start, then grabbing a beer from the fridge. Ludwig leaned against the back of the chair eyes half closed and putting pressure on the cloth, staring at Gilbert as he raced back and forth around the kitchen looking for the things he needed. The kitchen now filled with a wondrous aroma cancelling out the bitter smoky smell from before.

When Gilbert was finished cooking he turned around to smile at Ludwig, but turned to see him with his head down on the table, his smile fading. Walking over he planted a light kiss on Ludwig's now cool forehead. Instantly Ludwig's eyes flickered open and he looked up to find Gilbert towering above him, (A site very rarely seen.) eyes closed and a grin from ear to ear. He lifted his head and rubbed his eyes with his good arm, yawning in the process. "Does West want some awesome dinner now?" Ludwig's vision was still blurry, but his mouth watered by the pure smell. When Gilbert didn't get a response he put his hands on his hips and puffed his cheeks. Ludwig looked up, his normally serious eyes were lost and tired looking. Finishing off his beer Gilbert lifted Ludwig to a standing position and manoeuvred him to his bedroom. Ludwig's eyes kept shutting and shooting open, and once he felt the soft cover of his bed a smile formed on his lips. Sliding under the covers with closed eyes Ludwig rested his head onto the feathered pillow. Gilbert looked to the opposite side of the bed, and then at a TV in the corner of the room and a huge smile tickled his lips. He ran out of the room, and Ludwig, assuming he was gone for good now, took a deep breath and sank into the bed. "Gute Nacht, mein bruder..." he said peacefully into the humid night air.

But within one minute of that comment Gilbert appeared back in the bedroom with a beer bottle between his teeth and two plates crammed with food, dropping one on the bed-side table in front of Ludwig and jumping into the unoccupied section of the bed. He leaned over Ludwig to snatch the remote control from under the plate of food he had just set down. "Gilbert, I want to sleep!" Ludwig roared, pulling the covers over his head. "Nonsense! The football game is about to come on, it's Germany vs. America! I have $250 riding on this game." Ludwig uncovered an eye and shot a death glare at Gilbert. "DARE I ask whose money it is?" Gilbert laughing, chocking on some food he had just scarfed down. "And god help me if you mess up this room or bed again. Next time YOU'RE cleaning up the beer stains." Gilbert turned his head and gave him a sly smile. "I sleep in this bed too you know, do you think I'd want my awesomeness tainted by dirt?"

Ludwig proceeded by pulling the covers over his head again, muttering some curses under his breath while Gilbert turned up the TV, spilling food on and around the bed. "Woah! Did you just see that!? Man, we have an awesome team! Not as awesome as me though. But still." Gilbert was bouncing all over the bed. "Hey hey! Stay on your side of the bed!" Ludwig wailed, punching Gilbert's arm. Gilbert grabbed Ludwig's arm and stopped bouncing around, then held it up. Ludwig shuffled so he could free his other injured arm from under him and shot out to restrain Gilbert. But Gilbert being faster and healthier at this point snatched that arm as well just under the bandage.

"Well well well, what do I have here? A defenceless little West do I?" Gilbert showed his most innocent smile, which was always a bad sign for Ludwig. Ludwig bit his lip and winced, his older brother's hand now putting pressure on the injury. Gilbert suddenly let go of his hands, causing Ludwig to slam his head against the head board. "Oh shit! Sorry West!" Gilbert laughed while holding his sides, not at all sympathetic. "Gilbert!" Ludwig cried while rubbing the now sore spot on his head. "Gott..." Ludwig relaxed back into his spot and closed his eyes angrily, trying to ignore his brother. Gilbert soon calmed back down and continued watching the game, energetically bouncing whenever Germany made a goal. When Gilbert next looked over he saw Ludwig lying on his side with a hand curled up to his chest and his other hand slightly opened near his head. It reminded him so much of when they were younger, and when he didn't take up more than half the bed. Gilbert smiled and relaxed into the bed, turning the volume down. "Gute Nacht, West..."