A/N: This is a gift fic for who was the fifteenth review of my story 'Thank You Pookie.' I hope you like it!
"Though I've tried before to tell her
Of the feelings I have for her in my heart
Every time that I come near her
I just lose my nerve as I've done from the start
Every little thing she does is magic
Everything she doe just turns me on
Even though my life before was tragic
Now I know my love for her goes on"
-The Police
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
I needed to tell him. I couldn't stand it anymore. Every time I looked at him I got that feeling, that warm fuzzy feeling that made me happy, I'm not used to happy. At least I wasn't before I met him.
It had been a normal day. I was a little early to the place where my meeting was supposed to take place, and I decided to get a cup of coffee to buy some time until I had to go. There was a small quaint café by the name of 'Braginski Treats' just across the street from the office building so I parked my car in the lot and went into it.
A bell chimed when the door opened, alerting those inside to my presence. A few people looked up at the sound before getting back to their prior engagement. No one was at the counter but I walked up anyway to read the menu.
"Sorry about the wait, Mr. Braginski needed me to crawl down and get something under the shelves that was dropped." A brunette man walked out of the employees' only room tightening an apron around his back. He plopped his hands on the counter and smiled up at me. "How may I help you sir?"
I jumped slightly when he came out since he caught me off guard but I straightened myself up before anyone noticed. As soon as I looked at him I felt something. My throat became dry and I stared unblinking.
He was beautiful. His tanned skin, his odd looking lock of hair curling upwards and to the left, his smile, Gott that smile, and those cheery brown eyes. Those eyes were gorgeous. Everything about him was gorgeous.
"Sir?" He asked. I realized then how stupid I looked. My eyes wide and my mouth hanging open as I just gawked at him.
"U-uh, yes?" I stuttered awkwardly.
"Are you okay sir?" He looked at me with confusion and concern.
"Y-yeah! I'm, uh, fine." I cleared my throat to try and loosen up a bit.
"Ok then…" He eyed me skeptically. "So what can I get you?" He went back to that cheery face and I had to fight back the urge to stare at him again.
"A coffee please, um, decaf." I managed to get out.
"Sure thing! Would you like a chocolate muffin as well? They just got out of the oven."
"Yeah, that would be nice."
"Okay, I'll get that ready for you. Why don't you go sit down while you wait? I'll bring it to you. Ve~."
I nodded at him and went to sit down at an empty table. Soon he had brought my coffee and muffin and set it down on the table for me.
"Enjoy!" He turned around but before he got far I stopped him.
"Hey!" I called out to him.
"Hmmm?" He turned around.
"Uh, thank you, um…" I tried to get him to understand what I was getting at.
"Feliciano."
"Thank you, Feliciano." I smiled at him.
"What's your name?" He asked politely.
"Ludwig."
"Well you are welcome Ludwig." Feliciano smiled sweetly at me before turning back to work.
I knew at that moment that I wanted to see him again.
I kept thinking about Feliciano all the time. In my free time at home I would smile remembering his face and his voice and everything about him. Silly and stupid, I know, but I couldn't help it. In the monotonous life I had come to know I needed something to hold on to.
There was a bulletin posted about going to another meeting at the same place as last time, about a week after my first visit. Usually if it was not mandatory I would not go, but this was my opportunity. I needed to take it. Sure I could go any other time to Braginski's Treats, but I needed an excuse, work was perfect.
That whole day at work I walked around with a sense of excitement about me. Making my co-workers a little nervous. At my desk I could even see Berwald looking at me like he needed to make sure I was okay. But I was. More than he thought.
The day of the meeting I came early again. It was raining outside with a light drizzle but I thought nothing of it at first. However, by the time I got there it had kicked up pretty bad and when I ran across the street to the café I was soaked.
Again the bell rang, but the building was empty this time, shy of Feliciano at the counter.
He looked up immediately and jumped over the counter to me.
"Sir?! Sir, are you okay?" He asked, guiding me over to a table to sit down. "You're really wet."
"I'm fine." I tried to assure him. I took off my jacket and shook my head to get some of the water out of my hair. My bangs that were usually pushed back were sticking to my forehead in weird ends up. I knew I looked very scraggly and unprofessional at that moment and my face heated up because of it.
"I'll get you a hot chocolate, kay?"
"Ja, thanks." He went behind the counter and I watched as he poured some hot chocolate in a mug. Feliciano reached up into a cabinet and brought out a can of whipped cream, he poured a generous amount of it in the mug, and skipped back over to me.
"Here you go! Ve~ what was your name again?" He asked, sitting down across from me.
"Thanks. My name's Ludwig." I took a sip of the drink, the liquid warming my body up. I put the cup down, leaving a thin white moustache. I quickly whipped it off but Feliciano was already giggling, trying to hold it back.
"Sorry!" He backed up in his seat when he noticed I had seen him.
"No need to be sorry." I smiled at him and he calmed down again, relaxing more.
"So what are you doing out in this rain anyway?" He asked me.
"I'm a little early for a company meeting next door. I thought this would be a nice place to wait it out."
"Maybe you should wait out all the rain in here." He offered, "I mean, you might be a little late, but you uh- you don't want to get sick do you? Heh."
"No we don't want that." I leaned back into my chair and took another sip of hot chocolate.
That day was my first day missing a meeting in my life. But it sure as hell was worth it. I got to experience that fuzzy. The crush fuzzy. The like like fuzzy. I enjoyed that.
That was a good memory to think back on. We just talked and I felt like for the most part I knew what to do. But I didn't now. I just needed to have some inspiration. I thought I would go to some of my work-buddies apartments to ask them how they got things going.
I knocked on Arthur's door, hoping he was home.
"Just a minute please." Good. I breathed a sigh of relief.
Arthur opened the door and let me come in the living room.
"Why, hello, Ludwig. What a pleasant surprise."
"Hey, hey, bro!" Alfred, Arthur's boyfriend greeted me as he walked into the room. We exchanged a friendly handshake and he sat down on the couch.
"So, what's up?" Arthur asked me.
"Well I was just um wondering if you could." I took a deep breath, I don't know why I always got awkward with this stuff, but that's me. "If you could tell me how you guys started dating?"
Alfred got a little red in the face at this and looked down. Arthur, however, chuckled happily.
"Well it wasn't easy, I'll tell you that!" Arthur exclaimed.
I smiled at this and waited for him to continue.
"You see, Alfred was really difficult to uh, 'woo'. At first he wanted nothing to do with me. I would go to see him come out of class every day, and try to talk to him." He glanced at Alfred next to him. "But he never would. So I would bring him things, like this one time, I don't know what I was thinking, but I brought him a little whale toy dressed up as Uncle Sam."
Alfred chuckled and facepalmed.
"But it turns out that that's what it took!" Arthur continued. "He just hugged me and I got him to come to coffee with me. We clicked and just, you know. We're here where we are now."
"I really like whales." Alfred joked, grabbing Arthurs hand in his own. "But the animals."
Arthur gave Alfred a quick slap to the back of the head.
We talked a little more before I left, thanking them for their time.
Next on my list of visits for the night was Berwald. We we're awkward when it came to friendship. We invited the other out from time to time, but nothing really formal. Just small get togethers or parties.
Which reminded me of the time I went to my first party with Feliciano.
I was very uncomfortable with the situation. Very, uncomfortable. I didn't really know what to do, and Feliciano's brother always had a hatred for me, I have no idea why.
"Hey Luddy! You made it ve~!" Feliciano waved me over to where he was flirting with a bunch of girls. It always hurt me to see him being so flirtatious, but I had to shrug it off.
"Ja." One of the girls came to try and dance with me and I just stood there very awkwardly.
"Eheheh. Why don't you come over here?" He took my arm and dragged me off away from the girls (Gott sei Dank). "I want you to meet my fratello!" To my confused face he added: "My brother, silly!"
"Sorry I don't speak Italian." I mumbled.
In response, Feliciano snuggled into my arm. I loved when he did that. He was the most over affectionate person I knew; I assumed it was a cultural difference. Either way I liked it.
"Lovino~!" Feliciano called out, looking around walking to different placed in the club. "Hey, where ar- Oh! Hahaha hi fratello!"
It was really awkward to walk in on. To be honest. Feliciano's brother (I had assumed it was his brother since they looked very similar), was being pinned against the wall by a Spaniard who was gripping Lovino's ass tightly.
"Fucking bastard!" Lovino pushed the taller man off of him, blushing profusely. "Don't fuh- shit, don't fucking touch me."
Feliciano laughed and smacked my back to get me moving forward with him. If I didn't like him as much I would have stayed, but you do things for people sometimes.
"Lovino! Why are you acting so mean all of a sudden?" The Spaniard asked, trying to grab on to the other man again.
"Ciao, Antonio! How are you doing?" Feliciano hugged Antonio and went to hug his brother as well who didn't return it.
"Who's the potato bastard?" Lovino asked. I was a little taken aback by that comment. Sure I enjoyed a potato from time to time, but I didn't even know this guy.
"This is my best friend, Ludwig~." I tried to hold back my blush but fortunately club lights conceal most everything.
"Uh, hi." How else was I supposed to greet these people who looked like they were ready to go at it just two seconds ago?
"Fuck you." With that and a glare, Lovino strutted off, grabbing Antonio with him.
"Hahaha! Don't mind him! He's just being silly." Right. I thought sarcastically, rolling my eyes.
"Anyways, wanna dance?" Feliciano asked sweetly.
"Uh-um-I, er-"
"Come on Luddy! It'll be fun ve~!" He grabbed my arm and pulled me on to the dance floor.
I went along with it, of course I pretended like I didn't want to, but I finally allowed him to get his way.
"Why don't you dance with the pretty ladies?" I asked him while we shuffled around.
"Why would I?" He retorted.
"Well, don't you like them?"
Feliciano closed his eyes and swayed with me a few steps before responding.
"Not as much as you would think."
That was a nice time too. That whole night I enjoyed myself more than I had in a long time. Even those couple of times that Lovino broke us apart and sent me to sit down with Antonio. I could deal with that damn man for Feliciano. His brother, of course, Antonio was pretty decent.
In the time it took me for my little flashback I had arrived at Berwald's apartment.
I rang the bell and Berwald let me in. He led me into the dining room where Tino was already sitting down eating some cookies.
"Oh hi, Ludwig!" Tino greeted after swallowing what was in his mouth. "Want a cookie?" He gestured to the plate with the freshly baked treats and I nodded and took one to be polite. That and the fact that this household always made good baked items.
"So what's up? It's nice to have this sudden visit out of the blue from you." Berwald told me from across the table.
"Well I was just wondering how you guys got together. You just always have kind of have been with each other." I took a bite of my cookie and watched their expressions change to reminisce.
"You're right." Tino spoke up, "We have always been together." He twiddled his thumbs in front of him and looked down at them. He sighed.
"When I was in elementary school and high school, I was always picked on. But Berwald wouldn't let them bring me down. We didn't go to the same schools up until collage, but everyday he'd walk across the street to my house or call me or just something to let me know that I was worth something.
On really bad days we would just sit together in my room in silence and he would just hold me. He taught me how to be the optimistic person I am today, and I love him for that." He looked up at me.
"On the dating half, it was like some unspoken connection. One day when he took me to the movies, I kissed him. That was our first year of college. It's been official ever since then, I guess." Tino looked over at Berwald who flushed but didn't break the eye contact. That was adorable. They were always adorable. Always holding hands and sharing such a deep love for each other.
I wanted something like that.
I didn't stay as long as I did at Arthur's house, not with this newfound determination.
I drove to Feliciano's apartment. I needed to tell him. I couldn't not tell him.
Very shakily I parked in front of his building. Was I really going to go through with this? I've known Feliciano for two years now; did I really want to take the risk of losing his friendship? Most likely that was the outcome. He's such a flirtatious guy that it would surprise me if anything different happened.
Yet that didn't stop me from walking up the steps to his door. I needed to tell him. Even if it was stupid, even if it was useless.
I knocked on the door a few times before he answered.
"Ve~ Ciao, Luddy!" He greeted me with that beautiful smile that I had fallen in love with. "Come on in!" He pulled me inside and closed the door, bringing me into a hug. I was going to miss those hugs when the inevitable happened.
I took a deep breath. Now was not the time to wimp out. Now was the time to be strong and honest.
Feliciano let me go and looked up at me with a confused look on his face.
"Are you okay Ludwig?" He asked.
"I need to talk to you." I replied, grabbing ahold on his wrist, sliding my hands down to hold his.
He looked down at his hands before looking back up at me and slowly said, "Okay."
I looked him straight in the eyes. I needed to tell him.
"I know this is really stupid of me to say, and I understand if you don't want to talk to me because of it, but I-" His gaze didn't shift from mine. He held my now shaking hands in is with great care. "I love you." I whispered out those last three words, unable to bring my voice any louder.
I held my gaze in place. My pride not letting me do otherwise.
There was an awkward pause for a moment before he tilted his head and answered.
"I love you too, Luddy! Ve~ you're my best friend!"
I shook my head, trying to keep my stoic expression through the hurt that I could foresee coming.
"No, not like that." He looked back up at me. "I don't mean I love you like you love pasta, or cats or sleeping." I could feel my voice wavering. "I-Ich leibe dich. I've always loved you. I didn't know how happy I could be until I met you. You mean so much me to me and I know I shouldn't be saying this, but I needed to. I need for you to know how much I love you. And how much it hurts me knowing you will never feel the same."
I finished my rant with shaky breathing. I still continued to make eye contact with him even though I desperately wanted to look anywhere but him. He stared back, and seemed to be searching for something.
"I guess you're right." Feliciano spoke up. "You are stupid for telling me that."
There it was. There was the hurt. My heart sank to the ground. I blinked excessively to try and hold back any sign of emotion.
I don't know why I had expected anything differently. I thought I had mental prepared myself for this. For the pain.
"Stupid for telling me that now." I took a sharp intake of air through my nose. He held onto my hands tighter.
"You should have told me that sooner. That way we both wouldn't have had to suffer."
What did he just say? I stayed quiet and just looked at him with a bewildered look.
"Ludwig, I-I I love you too, and I thought at first that you were a nice guy, but then I started to see you differently. I saw how you always made time for me and would listen to all of my silly ramblings and I just started to love you more and more." Feliciano, who had started hugging me when he started to talk, now took a moment to breathe.
"And I thought that it was pointless. That you would never feel the same way. And I was too much of a chicken to ever say anything."
I tried processing all this, but all I could do was wrap my arms around him, pulling him closer.
I was obviously dreaming. This was not Feli telling me that my pitiful feelings of love were returned. It couldn't be.
But whether it be dream or not, it made me happy. It gave me that fuzzy. All my hurt from before was replaced by that feeling. He could always do that to me. He could always give me the fuzzies. He was magic in that sense.
"So where does this leave us?" Feliciano asked, striating up to look back at me. "I hope this changes things."
This wasn't a dream, my mind told me after finally grabbing a hold of what was going on. This was real. I smiled and held onto his shoulders, pulling him closer to me. This was real.
I knew what I wanted to do. What I had wanted to do to Feliciano since I met him. He knew too. He looked up at me, telling me with unspoken words to go ahead.
I leaned in closer and whispered "I love you so much, Feliciano." Before finally closing my eyes and bringing our lips together to seal those words.
I needed to tell him. I did tell him. The most magical, wonderful beautiful man I knew. And I have never regretted it.
"Every little thing she does is magic
Everything she do just turns me on
Even though my life before was tragic
Now I know my love for her goes on
Every little thing she does is magic
Everything she do just turns me on
Even though my life before was tragic
Now I know my love for her goes on"
-The Police
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
A/N: Cheesy? Yes. But I know you like it anyway :). I actually have had an idea where I would have a GerIta story where Germany meets Italy from Italy working in a coffee shop, so this worked out well. And I added most of the ships you gave me, and just had Russia as a side guy because we all love him. I thought the song would be good for this since it's about not having the confidence to express your love, but mine ends happy :D cause I'm a sucker for happy endings! I hope you guys enjoyed this as much as I did writing it!