Feliciano
"Feliciano."
"And it was really, really funny even though we all got detention after-"
"Feliciano."
"I don't really mind getting a detention though. They're not so bad! Especially in English class, 'cause I get to sit by Seychelles and she's really, really pretty-"
"Feliciano!"
"Huh?"
"Please be quiet. I wish to speak with you."
"Oh. Okay! What is it?" Ludwig's using his super serious voice, which is different than his normal serious voice, which is really just his normal voice if you think about it, 'cause Ludwig's a really serious guy. But this is his really serious voice which means he really wants you to pay attention so whenever he talks like that, Feliciano does his best to listen.
"I will be going away for winter break."
"Huh? Where are you going, Ludwig?"
"I will be attending military camp."
"Eh? Why would you wanna do that? Winter break is supposed to be fun!"
"Don't always think about fun!" he snaps and that's scary, but then he clears his throat after so Feli knows he doesn't really mean it. "Anyway. I won't be coming back after winter break."
"Eh?"
"I will be with this program for a very long time."
"Ehhh?" "Yes. For about six months. then, if all goes well, I …I may even enlist."
"Eh? Ehh?"
"This is what my parents want. …And it will be good for me! I have gotten soft recently…"
"You can't go Ludwig! I'll be lonely without you!" He, Ludwig and Kiku, they're a trio! You can't have a trio with just two people, it doesn't work!
Huh? Oh, Ludwig's talking again.
"The program involves three months of wilderness survival training so… I will not be able to write home for that time. After that, I will be allowed one phone call a week and … If you want to write to me, I will answer."
"But-but-… I…" Lovino keeps telling him that he cries too easy. Lovino says he's too old to cry. But he can't help it. He doesn't want Ludwig to go.
"Feliciano. Look at me."
Feliciano looks.
"I will be home soon. It's only six months." This starts him off again.
"But- but- six months is a really long time…"
"Feliciano." Feliciano looks up again, scrubbing the tears with the back of his fist. "I will be back. I promise. Do you understand?"
"I guess so…"
"I said DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"
"Ahhh! S-si!"
"Good." Ludwig almost smiles right then. Feliciano likes that because when he smiles, he's really not a bad looking guy! He's not as scary, that's for sure. "And I will write you if you want. Every day."
"Si! Si! I want you to!"
"Then I will." Ludwig checks his watch. "You should go. If you're not home soon, your mother will worry."
"O-okay!"
"WAIT. What do you have for homework tonight?"
He thinks for a moment. "Physics!"
"What pages?"
"Pages 12 and 13!"
"And what else?"
"Math! Questions 1-12!"
"What time do we have to be at school tomorrow?"
"Eight o' clock!"
"NO!"
"Ahhh! Seven! Seven!"
"And why do we have to be there so early?"
"Band practice!"
"Good boy. Don't talk to strangers on the way home."
"I know that Ludwig! Don't worry!" For some reason, Ludwig gets a strange look on his face with he says that.
Ludwig
Gilbert thinks he's crazy.
"You're crazy, West!" he says, dragging one of Ludwig's suitcases down the stairs. It's the one Ludwig specifically asked him to be careful with. "Why would you wanna go back to military camp? I spent all my time there trying to get kicked out! There is no way you and I are related."
(They are though. Ludwig knows this for a fact because when he was thirteen and Gilbert was fourteen they both sent in urine samples, just to be sure. Gilbert still says their results must have gotten mixed up with someone else's.
"I don't get it!" Young Gilbert says, staring at the sheet. "We can't be related!"
"Clearly we are. Get over it.")
Ludwig ignores him and takes the suitcase instead. Gilbert has been complaining all week, this is just more of the same. He has more important things to worry about.
Conducting a brief examination of his suitcase to ensure that nothing has been damaged, Ludwig runs through his mental checklist.
He has all assigned school materials, he's sufficiently organized his room, he's safely locked up everything he doesn't want Gilbert going through. The things he really doesn't want Gilbert going through, he's taking with him because there's no lock that can stop his brother when he sets his mind to it. Mother and Father said goodbye before they left for work this morning. He's checked with all the house staff to ensure that there are no last minute problems he needs to attend to and he's left them an emergency number at which he can be reached if something goes wrong. He has also taken the time to stress to the newer members of the staff that "Gilbert is being himself" is not an emergency but something they're going to have to learn to deal with.
He cannot feel entirely at ease with the whole situation though. After all there is still the matter of… well, Feliciano. He knows that he has done everything he can for his friend but that knowledge has done nothing to help him sleep at night.
Feliciano has been his responsibility since the day Ludwig got him out of that locker, the first day they met. What will Feliciano do without him? Without Ludwig, who will make sure he does his homework? Who will make sure no one bullies him? Who will keep track of his lunch money?
But no. Feliciano survived just fine before they met, surely he can survive without him for six months.
Right?
Right? Oh, who is he kidding? Feli is a stick! He's completely insufficient, there is no way he will last two weeks! He was crying the minute Ludwig told him he was leaving!
How will he survive six months?
He slams the trunk of the car shut with more force than necessary, starling Kurt, the driver. Ludwig hasn't needed a driver since he first got his license but he clearly won't be able to return the car to the house himself and Gilbert is childishly refusing to drive him.
"Is that all, sir?" Kurt asks.
"That is all. We can leave now."
"Very good sir."
"Hey! West!" He turns around and sees Gilbert standing there, looking sheepish.
"Yes, what is it?"
Gilbert scratches his neck ruefully. "…Have a good time."
"…I will."
"Excuse me, Master Ludwig?" They both turn. The gatekeeper is standing there. "There is a young man here to see you. I told him you were leaving, but he was quite insistent-"
"Ludwig, Ludwig!" Feliciano is running up the driveway, waving at him. The gatekeeper shrugs helplessly.
"I asked him to wait, sir." He's new or else he would know that there's no use telling Feliciano anything.
"It's okay. I will deal with this."
"I'm really glad you haven't left yet!" Feliciano says when he reaches them. "I wanted to give you something! I told my mama you were leaving, and she make this for you!" He draws a package out of his bag and hands it to Ludwig. He looks at it uncertainly.
"Your mother is very kind… Uh…It's not pasta is it?"
"Nope! It's cartellate!"
"…What's cartellate?"
"It's a pastry! You eat it for dessert, and it's really good! If you want you can cover it with honey or-" He would've kept going, but Ludwig cuts him off.
"I see. Well, that was kind of your mother, please thank her for me."
"I will!"
Trust Mrs. Vargas to think honey covered dessert pastries were appropriate fare for military camp. Well, she was a sweet woman, even if she did spoil Feliciano shamelessly.
"Oh! I almost forgot! I make something for you too!"
"Hm?"
"Here you are!" And he takes one more thing out of his bag and unrolls it. "It's a white flag!"
"Uh…"
"I make it so, this way, if you get into trouble, you can surrender without getting killed!"
"…Dankeschön… I think…" He reaches out to take it but that's as far he gets before Feliciano launches himself at him, sobbing incoherently.
"Ludwiiiiig!" he wails, burying his face in Ludwig's shirt.
Ludwig sighs. "Feliciano…" But he puts one hand on Felicano's back and the other on his head and tries his hardest to ignore the fact that his brother is watching them with disgust. Eventually, the crying subsides. Taking Feliciano by the shoulders, Ludwig carefully pulls him off his person. He leans down so they're on eye level. "You will be okay." Please Feliciano. Be okay. "You will not fall apart the minute I leave. Understood?" Promise me.
Feliciano sniffles. "S-si…"
"UNDERSTOOD?"
"A-ah! Yes sir!"
Ludwig sighs and places a hand on Feliciano's head. He is not the only responsibility you have. He will be fine. He will be fine.
Kurt coughs delicately. "Young master, it's almost nine o' clock…"
"Ah, right. Danke, Kurt." He looks at Feliciano awkwardly. "I will see you in six months, then."
"…See you..."
Ludwig refuses to look back as they pull out of the driveway. It doesn't matter. In the rear-view mirror, he can see Feliciano, running after the car, waving frantically until they disappear from sight. All at once Ludwig has an absurd, completely irrational urge to jump out of the moving car and pick himself up and go running back to a world that cannot seem to function without him. Back to Feliciano and his crying and Gilbert and his insane, irrationality and a household that relies on him for everything.
Instead, he clenches his fists and stays in his seat and does his duty, just like a good soldier should.
The ride to the train station seem twice as long as usual.