Ch.2
Ludwig turned the alarm off and got out of the bed. It was no surprise that Feliciano was there drooling on his pillow going on about pasta next to him. He placed his clothes out on a chair, neatly folded and headed to the bathroom to take a shower. After what was a some what relaxing shower that was more to wake him up and forget about his guests, he walked out with a towel around his waist and placed his dirty laundry in his hamper. The moment he stepped out of the bathroom he was greeted by the mixed scent of different foods and spices. There is only one person who uses spices in that house and Ludwig was honestly surprised that he was up. After getting dressed he decided to go see what Feliciano was cooking. Before he got to the kitchen he heard furniture being moved and a series of swears in German. He poked his head into the living room to see Gilbert trying to shove something behind the sofa.
"What are you doing?" Ludwig asked, feeling agitated.
"Oh! West! umm...It's not what you think." Gilbert started. "It's not my puke! So I'm not going to clean it ok!" He held up his pillow that was covered in vomit. He had drank too much and threw up in his sleep. Why he was trying to hide it behind the sofa, Ludwig will never know.
"Damn it, Gilbert! Just clean that mess up."
"It's not mine! I'm not going to clean it up!" Ludwig walked into his room, pulled a pistol out of a drawer, walked back to where his brother was, and pointed it at him. "Clean up your mess. You can puke on your own shit at your house and not clean it, but not in mine!"
"Ok ok! Geez! Calm down!" Gilbert picked up the pillow and went to go wash it. "Geez, Old Fritz, can't you send someone to do this for me?"
Ludwig put his gun away and headed into the kitchen. It was like Gilbert to pull something like that off and he does, fairly often. When he walked in he saw Feliciano putting eggs on a plate with potatoes and left over pasta.
"Look, Ludwig! It's us under the summer sun!" Felicano spoke enthusiaticly holding up the plate. He was referring himself as the pasta, Ludwig as the chopped potatoes, and the sun as the egg. "Isn't it cute? Oh but I was going to make something else but you didn't have any of the ingredients I needed."
Ludwig wouldn't admit he got what he meant by the dish being 'cute', you sort of catch on when you've lived with him for awhile, but that wasn't why he hasn't responded. Ludwig shut his eyes and massaged his temples again as he felt another headache coming on.
"Feliciano...why aren't you dressed?" Ludwig asked.
"But I am! See? I'm wearing a shirt!" Feliciano tugged on his favourite sailor shirt.
Ludwig left the room without another word and gave Feliciano a pair of his pants. Of course, Feliciano had to be difficult and refuse to put them on so Ludwig had to pretty much hold him down and force the pants on. Gilbert walked in, finished with cleaning his mess, the moment Ludwig managed to get the Italian's pants on.
"Damn West! This early in the morning already?" Gilbert yelled out pointing at the two. Ludwig had shoved Feliciano into the wall when he was pulling the pants up and his hands were still on the waist band. "I thought you weren't like that."
Ludwig dropped his friend and promptly punched his brother in the face. He then calmly sat down and began eating. The others joined with one on each side of him. The moment he finished he began lecturing Feliciano about needing to make pants his first priority when he woke up. Then he lectured Gilbert about needing to stop being an ass and picking up after himself. Once he was done, he fed his dogs and left for his office to go cram more Russian. The sad thing about that morning was that it has almost become normal to him.
He didn't need to be in work today, but his office was the only place where he can get away from the two. He managed to completely memorize and understand 3 chapters from the language textbook on Russian. He felt proud of himself and a bit sleepy, but sleep can wait. Feliciano popped into mind shouting cheerily, "Let's sleep together!" He shivered, maybe sleeping at his desk now would be a good idea. He shifted the books over and laid his head down. A nap for a few minutes wouldn't hurt. Just as he was going to fall asleep there was a sharp knock on his door. Ludwig let out a heavy sigh and sat up.
"Come in."
The SS officer from yesterday walked in. He raised his eyebrow when he saw Ludwig's tired yet agitated face.
"So it's you." Ludwig leaned back with a heavy sigh. "I have my uniform on correctly."
The officer snapped into attention. "Are you Ludwig?" He asked in a strict tone. Ludwig nodded. The officer suddenly looked nervous as he stared down at the papers in his hand. "U-uh...I have to apologize! I never realized how high of a rank you are! Please don't report my behaviour from yesterday to the Führer, I didn't realize who you are."
Ludwig waved his hand in dismissal. "It's fine, I forgot I was on duty."
The officer nodded. "I was asked to give you these documents in regards of your current assignment." He held up a thin folder. "And here is something that you've been asked to do. A report should be filed in by tonight." He walked over and handed the folders to Ludwig.
"Thanks. You can go." Ludwig opened the folder on his current assignment ignoring the officer's salute. When he read it, the colour drained from his face.
"Sir?" The officer asked, unsure on why Ludwig froze and has a worried look on his face. After he wasn't given an answer he leaned over to see the contents. Ludwig immediately shut the folder and stood up.
"Excuse me," He said as he rushed by the officer out the door. The officer just looked back at the desk and left baffled.
Ludwig ran out to his car and started the engine. The moment it roared to life a pair of hands grabbed him from behind the seat.
"Where are you off to in such a hurry, West?" Gilbert chuckled as he rested an arm on top of Ludwig's head and poked his face.
"What are you doing in my car?" Ludwig grumbled as he shifted the gear and began to pull the car out of it's parked location.
"I was going to hot wire it and take it for a spin since you'll probably be gone all day at work. But I guess I was caught." Gilbert crawled up into the front seat, making his brother grumble as his hat was knocked off. Gilbert snatched the hat and put it on his own head. "So where are we going anyways?"
"The airport."
"Airport? The hell why? What's over there?"
"I have to ask my boss what he's planning." Gilbert stared at Ludwig, a look of pure seriousness replaced his usual easygoing demeanor. "It's not good to question your superiors. Don't you have an ounce of loyalty in you?"
"I am loyal." Ludwig snapped. "I'm just worried about what's going to happen to me."
"What do you have to worry about?" Gilbert asked as he lowered the window. "What is it he has you doing that has got you so off your ass and up a tree like a scared cat?"
Normally, Ludwig would have given off a sarcastic laugh to his brother's comment, but this time he really was uncharacteristically worried. "I have to live in Russia."
"What? Pull over the car." Gilbert waited for his brother to pull over but when he kept driving down the highway, he rose his voice. "Pull over! Damn it, West, pull over!" He grabbed the wheel and pulled it towards him, making the car swerve off the road. Ludwig slammed on the break making them both lunge forth.
"What the hell?!" Ludwig cried when he managed to block his head from hitting the steering wheel with his hand. He shoved his brother. "What were you thinking?! You better be glad there were no other cars!"
"I was thinking that you should just stop here!" Gilbert pulled out the keys and took a breather while his brother silently fumed beside him. "Ok...You're going to live in Russia? I heard that right?" Ludwig nodded. "Fuck, I hate Russians! Especially this one guy I met when I--"
"Why did you have to pull the wheel and nearly make me crash?!"
"Because, it's the only way to keep you from making a mistake." Ludwig stared at his brother curiously. "Don't go against your superior, for one. Two, if you question him, and if he was making you go there for pissing him off for some reason, it'll only make things worse." Gilbert paused. "This is our chance!" He leaned over against Ludwig so that their faces were just inches apart. Ludwig could smell that his brother was drinking again. "If you live in Russia, you'll run into him, and when you do, you can get all the inside information about him and his country and we can turn it in and BAM! Promotion!"
"Gilbo, we can't get promoted."
"You know what I mean! We can get more money, a bigger house, awesome cars!" he laughed. "We'll be set! And even better! We'll have material to blackmail that damn Communist bastard who...well, it doesn't matter. I'll be able to get my revenge on him!"
Ludwig grabbed his brother's face and tried to push him off, but he stuck to him like a leech. "You're too close, back off." Gilbert just ignored him.
"Oh for the love of Fritz, if you help me with this West I could just kiss you!"
"You try to anyways, and I can do without your --"
"I'll clean your house for a whole year! I'll do anything! Leave you alone even! Just....Just help me get material for revenge ok?"
"What did he do to make you want payback so badly?"
"I don't feel like talking about it but, just do this for me ok? For your big bro? Please?!"
Ludwig thought for a moment. It would be wonderful to not have to deal with Gilbert for a whole year. "Sure, only if--"
"Thank you West! I'll even stop taking pictures of you while you're sleeping!" Gilbert kissed Ludwig repeatedly on the cheek.
"Ack! Get off!" Ludwig shoved his brother off, took his foot off the pedal and managed to place the bottom of his boot on his brother's face. Gilbert opened the door and fell out laughing.
"I was kidding! Geez, don't be so up tight!" Ludwig shut the door and locked it and stared out the windshield. "I got the keys." Gilbert teased, jingling the keys in his hand. Ludwig grumbled and opened the door. Gilbert jumped back into the car and handed Ludwig the keys. After he started the car, Ludwig spun it around and headed back to his office. They drove back by the sound of Gilbert's humming of his favourite song.
"You know, you should really stop." Ludwig muttered as Gilbert began tracing the swastika on his hat.
"What? Irritating you? But I love to see you get irritated. Reminds me of when you where little." Gilbert turned and smiled as his younger sibling. "I can't believe you're all grown up already!"
"So who is this guy?"
"I can't remember his name but all I can remember is that his name is written with a backwards 'N'-B-A-H. I have no idea how you pronounce that in Russian."
"Ivan."
"What?"
"His name is Ivan. I've been learning Russian as an order."
"Well then. When you meet this 'Ivan' get as much info as you can on him."
"What what does he look like?"
Gilbert paused and thought for a moment. "Russian." Ludwig rolled his eyes and punched his brother in the arm. "Ow! Hey, I was drunk! Everything is all fuzzy, so I don't know...Oh! He has this really weird obsession with sunflowers if that helps."
"Sunflowers?"
"Yeah, he's really weird. Anyways, once we get back, do you think we can drink a few?"
"Sure."
Gilbert cheered and started babbling on about how Feliciano got yelled at for being late to a meeting he was needed at. The next couple weeks went by smoothly and it was time for Ludwig to make the flight to Russia. After many tearful goodbyes and hugs from Feliciano, Gilbert went over his game plan on what to do if he ran into the Russian who's been marked with revenge.
