Hey, everyone! Thanks for the feedback on my first chapter. This story is definitely going to be updated frequently! (Or at least until college starts up again...)
Personally, I feel like my storytelling can be very slow-paced, and I apologize for that. Quite a bit happens in this chapter, though!
Feliciano was insufferable.
Ludwig's first day of Youth training had been the worst day of his life. The partners had taken their first trot on the camp's obstacle course, and he and Feliciano had gotten the lowest score.
Ludwig's partner could not climb, could not jump without falling, couldn't even run to keep up with his own pace. It was the tire exercise in particular that had resulted in Ludwig having to carry his partner on his shoulders for the second half of the course.
Each and every day went on like this: Ludwig was being held back by Feliciano's cowardice, rarely did the two ever rank higher than last place in exercises, and the blonde had to face the laughter and ridicule of the other children after training was over.
What was even more unbearable was that Mr. Hinova, Mr. Edelstein, and even his own father had thought that Ludwig's partnership with the Italian was good for both of them. "My son has never had that sort of contact with any other child save for his brother," the curly-haired Austrian had remarked one day during a meeting about Ludwig's performance. "He will gain more confidence in due time, Mr. Beilschmidt, but your son must keep up his patience."
"It is your duty to help and nurture your fellow Youth scouts, sohn," Ludwig's father had agreed to his horror. "Deutscher Youth is more concerned about the abilities of the group as a whole than those of each child as an individual."
"But Vater, the boy is holding me back!" Ludwig had uncharacteristically retorted. "If you all want me to rub off on another scout, give me someone who actually has a future as a soldier!"
Ludwig had been assigned to clean the latrines for a week for that outburst, causing the other scouts to remark and taunt him even more so.
"Hey Luddy, are you trying to earn money to buy a ring for little Italian lover?"
"Did Feliciano finally vomit from jogging?"
"How much digested pasta was stuck to the walls today, Luddy?"
"Oh no! Did Feliciano drop his white flag in the toilet again?"
There was one instance about two weeks into the camp's duration where Feliciano had brought a miniature white flag to their training session.
"What the hell is that! Why on earth have you pulled a white flag out of your pocket during rifle practice, you twit? Do you even know what that stands for?"
"Of course I do, Ludwig!" Feliciano smiled, that dozy look not breaking even while surrounded by violent kids holding guns. "I knew we were playing with guns today, so I wanted to bring this so no one would hit me!"
By this time, Ludwig had become so frustrated with his partner that Feliciano's innocent charms no longer guilt-tripped him into compliance. "The point of rifle practice," Ludwig said through gritted teeth, "Is to practice using guns and dodging bullets so you won't get hit!"
Feliciano, as always, was confused by Ludwig's logic. "But Ludwig, accidents always happen no matter what you know!" He had cocked his head to the side at that point, face still dozy looking and body language overall unbecoming of a soldier. "Everyone has to play nice, and telling people that you surrender is the best way not to get hurt!"
Ludwig clenched his fists, failing to keep his cool today. Gilbert had eaten the last piece of strudel that Mr. Edelstein had sent to the Beilschmidts as a gift for their father's previous meeting, and the younger child was still irate from the previous night's remark that only "the awesomest Deutscher Youth scouts get to eat all the strudel, not some little kid on a fairy tale adventure with his boyfriend!"
As Feliciano stood there waving his little white flag, all Ludwig could hear in his head was the plethora of smart-assed remarks from the other scouts, the constant sound of disapproval, the reminder that he was no good because of that weak, scrawny, dopey-faced runt.
"Pata-pata-pata~! Pata-pata-pat-Ah!" Ludwig had grabbed his rifle and shot the flag out of Feliciano's hand. His aim had surprisingly hit the thin, stick-like pole, although narrowly missing the other boy's fingers.
Feliciano had cried more than usual that day over his broken flag as well as his partner's anger, and Ludwig was tackled by Lovino when news had spread throughout the whole camp. Luckily, Gilbert had previously received too many bruises and black eyes from his partnership with the older Italian boy to pull him off of his little brother a second time. Mr. Edelstein, although ordering Ludwig to clean the latrines for another week, sympathized with him along with Mr. Hinova. "Well, we'll give you praise for your aim."
The two boys were separated and trained individually after that, which unfortunately hadn't caused any of Ludwig's bullies to let up.
"Aww! I heard you guys broke up!"
"Must be hard to go through a trial separation, eh, Ludwig?"
Ludwig's patience had been so badly damaged by then that he no longer thought before punching or shooting at every kid that taunted him. Mr. Edelstein and the soldier who now trained Ludwig only had the pupil continue cleaning the latrines by himself, unable to push aside their sympathy.
By a month's end, Ludwig was miserable and mentally exhausted. He was cleaning the camp's latrines every day after practice, the other Youth scouts were still taunting him, and he still had to put up with Gilbert's remarks every evening.
One day, as Ludwig trudged up the stairs of his father's summer home, Gilbert came running out from the front door and blocked his sibling from entrance. "Nein! Only good Deutscher Youth scouts have the awesome Gilbert's permission to enter his house!"
Ludwig forced himself to look up at his brother's smirk. "Bruder, I'm sure you're no better than me to receive so many bruises from your partner almost every day."
The pale teen's skin, thanks to Lovino's short temper, now somewhat resembled multiple blueberries swimming in milk. "At least Lovino is able to break someone else's skin!" With this, Gilbert turned and strutted off to his bedroom. "How does one brother inherit all the strength of his family and the other end up as a failure's wife? I guess strength is the same as awesomeness! Hahahahaha!"
Ludwig knelt on the clean, white floorboards of their summer home's porch. Gilbert is right, he thought. How have I allowed myself to receive such a punishment? What have I done to deserve this!
"Ludwig, is that you?"
"Yes, Vater!" Ludwig said absentmindedly from outside the still opened front door.
"Close the door and come into my study, sohn. I want no mosquitoes interrupting my conversation with you!"
Oh, mein Gott, Ludwig thought. He is going to pull me out of camp!
Mr. Beilschmidt was facing the window above his desk when Ludwig stepped into his carpeted library. "Boots off, sohn!" The accomplished banker ordered with his back turned.
As Ludwig approached his father in his sweaty socks, the man turned to face him with an utmost look of sympathy.
"First and foremost, I heard the entirety of your brother's remarks. I do not hold you accountable for any insects." The man had been on edge since they ventured out to southern Germany for Youth training. Growing up in the northeasternmost region had accustomed him to gray skies and less-than-muggy summers.
"Second of all," Mr. Beilschmidt was now looking his weary son in the eyes. "I am convinced from my observance of you that you are being unfairly punished for your actions. There is no reason for you to continue cleaning the latrines, sohn.
"However," the man turned back to the window. "I also believe that you have treated your Deutscher Youth partner wrongly, and must apologize." Ludwig cringed at the mention of Feliciano.
"The most important part of becoming an adult, Ludwig, is learning to accept the strengths, weaknesses, and thought processes of others. I only know how frustrating it is for someone like you to deal with a person of Feliciano's rationale, but learning to accept him with open arms as a friend is your most crucial duty at this point."
The man turned back to his son, who now had to abstain from trashing his father's study. "I have arranged for our family to have dinner at Mr. Edelstein's house tomorrow night. I have exempted you from Youth training for the weekend, so I trust that you will use this evening to prepare yourself mentally and emotionally to apologize and bond with Feliciano."
The words of his father still rang in Ludwig's ears even as he lay upon his bed afterward. He now wished that he had been expelled from Youth training. Oh mein Gott, when will my punishment end? What have I done to deserve such torture?
As he questioned everything in his life, Ludwig could hear his brother cackling in the other bedroom that was several feet down the hallway. Gilbert had never been one to know what is and isn't private.
Poor Ludwig. :(
In case any of you are confused about this, Mr. Beilschmidt is Germania. I haven't mentioned this yet, but he and Mr. Edelstein are both wealthy bankers who help fund the war. This will be elaborated later on.
Also, I forgot to mention this in the previous chapter, but the Deutscher Youth would be similar to the Hitler Youth that took place in Nazi-era Germany, but much more watered down. I'll probably be changing a lot more of the common terminology and some historical events; I honestly don't want the story to be too dramatic or offensive at all.
The story should hopefully be more sped up in later chapters!
I appreciate feedback! Please keep reviewing, guys!