Warnings: a bit of language and frank discussion of sexual themes.
Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia. If I did I wouldn't need to write fanfiction.
...
Chapter 3
The first thing Ludwig registered when he woke was a feeling like his head had been sawed open.
Second was that he was not in his own bed.
Third was that he was not alone in bed.
He shot straight up, but immediately regretted doing so. His head pounded horrendously, and his stomach was threatening to revolt. He squeezed his eyes shut, as if it would somehow help the pain, and flopped back down on the foreign pillow with a groan. His throat was raspy and his mouth desert dry and foul tasting.
"Hey, looks like sleeping beauty finally decided to rise from her slumber," drawled an all-too recognizable voice next to his ear (and rather too loudly for comfort). "Rise and shine, bruderlein!"
Ludwig cracked an eye open. Scarlet irises, inches from his face, were gazing at him intently. He parted his parched lips in an attempt to speak, but a wave of nausea surged up from his gut to his chest and all he could manage was a groan as his eyes squeezed closed again.
Gilbert sat up a little to look down at his younger brother's contorted face with concern. "That bad, huh?"
Ludwig nodded weakly, lips firmly pressed together.
"Hang on a sec." Gilbert scooted off the bed and disappeared through the door to the bathroom.
It was only then that Ludwig was able to take note of his surroundings. He was in his brother's room, and, embarrassingly enough, his bed.
His clothes had been removed down to the boxers, yet he still felt feverishly warm. He threw the blankets off of himself fitfully and began squirming around, restlessly seeking a position in which his stomach might settle down and his head might stay in one piece.
"Woah there, cowboy." Gilbert was at his side again, placing a reassuring hand on Ludwig's shoulder. "Just lie still and try to drink this."
The blond squinted up at his brother and the proffered glass of water as he struggled not to move, but even his shallow breathing felt like too much of a disturbance to the rest of his body. There was no way he could swallow anything in this condition… and then he felt the tell-tale sign of a rising lump in his throat.
His face must have shown what he felt, because Gilbert's eyes widened.
"Oh, no, you're not going to—"
Ludwig leaned instinctively towards the edge of the bed.
"Oh shit, you are, aren't you—" Gilbert grabbed his trashcan and held it up just in time as his brother gave a sickening heave.
"Don't get it on my sheets!" he squealed, but luckily Ludwig's aim was true.
As Gilbert watched his brother empty the contents of his stomach, his initial revulsion gave way to worry, even sympathy. He had been in similar condition plenty of times, and he knew it was no fun. He set down the glass and gingerly reached out to place a hand on Ludwig's perspiring back, gently rubbing in a slow circle as he had when the boy was little.
The warm presence of his brother's hand was a comfort to Ludwig, but his stomach was still churning.
"Mm, shh, shhh…" the albino cooed sympathetically as the younger gave a few more heaves.
Ludwig squeezed his eyes shut and tried to concentrate on the smooth movement of the hand against his back, letting its steady repetitions lull him and calm his aching muscles.
Finally, when Ludwig's brow unknit, Gilbert deemed it safe to clean out the trashcan.
"Uh, be right back…" With one last rub he turned and headed to the bathroom.
He quickly dumped the contents of the trashcan down the toilet and flushed, but didn't bother to rinse it out in case it was needed again. As an afterthought, he grabbed a washcloth and wet it with warm water.
Returning to his brother's side, he looked compassionately down at the pale, sweaty face, and pressed the cloth gently to the shining forehead.
Ludwig opened his eyes in surprise at the unexpected sensation, but soon closed them again with a contented hum as his brother stroked his face soothingly with the warm cloth and cleaned around his mouth. He was always surprised to remember how tender Gilbert could be; he had always doted on Ludwig when the younger boy was sick.
Gilbert sighed as he worked. He hated seeing Ludwig in pain. In fact, there was probably nothing he hated more, and it pained him in turn when he, the older brother and supposed protector, could not instantly make everything better. So when the blond let out another groan, Gilbert felt his own chest constricting.
Ludwig's head was pounding anew. "Gilbert…" he implored in a hoarse whisper, though he didn't know what he expected his brother to do about it. He was being childish, but he felt so miserable he didn't care, he just wanted the relentless affliction throughout his body to go away.
"I'm right here," Gilbert comforted, heart aching at his brother's pitiable entreaty. He set aside the washcloth and picked up the glass of water again. "You need to drink this."
He pressed the glass to the younger's lips while gently lifting his head with his other hand. Ludwig complied with a few sips, then had to stop.
"Oh God, my head…" he moaned, fighting the impulse to sob.
If the situation weren't already embarrassing enough for the blond, it was made worse by the fact that he knew it was all his fault. Stupid, stupid, stupid… why had he felt the need to drink so many beers? Surely the last cup hadn't been necessary, nor the second-to-last, nor maybe even the third-to-last… he was just stupid, stupid, so fucking stupid and God he felt like he was going to die, there was no relief from the pressure in his head and the indeterminate yet all too acute discomfort everywhere else…
Gilbert looked on helplessly. "C'mon, Lud, drink… you'll feel better…" He hoped it wasn't a lie.
Ludwig took a few more gulps. "Advil?" he questioned feebly.
"Sorry bro, not a good idea, it can mess with your stomach." Gilbert wished he could give it to him anyway.
Ludwig wanted to cry, he really did. He just wanted this to be over. Who knew hangovers could be so god-awful? And why did he have to be so weak about it? Gilbert would probably never let him live this one down, though for now he couldn't have been more grateful for his brother's presence.
He couldn't help it. "C-cold," he whined, for suddenly he was shivering.
"That's 'cause you threw your covers off, genius," Gilbert tried to tease lightly as he pulled the blankets back up and tucked them under Ludwig's chin.
But Ludwig was still shivering.
Gilbert stood by the bed in indecision, but another low groan from his brother made up his mind. Swiftly, he slipped under the covers next to Ludwig and tentatively wrapped his arms around his firm torso.
He half-expected to be pushed away gruffly, as he often was when showering affection on his reticent little brother, but Ludwig made no move to stop him. Encouraged by this, Gilbert snuggled up closer to his brother, pressing his body to the larger blond's side in as comforting a manner as possible.
Ludwig became vaguely aware of the fact that Gilbert was also only wearing boxers, and that under normal circumstances he would have immediately kicked him out of the bed (never mind that it was Gilbert's bed). As it was, however, the soft warmth of his elder brother's body was a welcome sensation compared to everything else he was feeling. He let himself melt into the strong yet gentle embrace. The arms holding him were heavy, but not too heavy. They felt like anchors securing Ludwig to reality: the softness of the mattress, the steady rise and fall of Gilbert's chest, the smoothness of his skin, and the hot zephyrs of his breath dusting Ludwig's temples. He tried to narrow his focus to these things and block out the pain. Eventually, these too slipped away as Ludwig drifted back into a peaceful sleep.
Gilbert, however, remained awake. He watched the lines on Ludwig's face disappear as slumber took him, and he couldn't help but smile at how innocent his little brother looked—not that it was just a matter of appearance. Ludwig was innocent. Their father had brought both brothers up in a very sheltered atmosphere, which had somewhat hindered their social lives when they were younger.
For Gilbert, this had been compounded by his condition. He hated going to the park to play sports, covered from head to toe, only to be laughed at by the other boys and girls for his appearance. He hated their mockery and he feared their taunts, so he tended to stay indoors, away from his two worst enemies: his cruel classmates and the sun.
Both brothers did make some friends, of course, but with so many carefully-marked hours stuck in the house for chores and homework, they saw far more of each other than of their peers, and perhaps out of the necessity to break up the monotony of their father's rigid household, they learned to enjoy each other's company despite their conflicting personalities. But while Ludwig had always been a stickler for their father's rules, Gilbert had a rebellious streak that became more and more blaringly obvious throughout his high school years, manifesting itself in broken curfews and hastily-hidden piles of refuse that included empty cigarette packs, beer cans, and condom wrappers. He wasn't always successful in keeping those from their father's prying eyes, which resulted in some of the most heated and painful arguments he could remember.
When Gilbert left for college, Ludwig had been starting his sophomore year in high school, but never once did he show any signs of following in his brother's unruly footsteps. Ludwig continued to live the same quiet, scrupulous existence as before, only now without Gilbert's company. And Gilbert felt sorry for him. Not in a completely self-important way (though he did feel a little bad for anyone without the fortune of having someone as awesome as himself around), but more in a concerned way. He worried about his brother wasting his best years without ever doing the kind of crazy things you could only get away with at that age. He worried about the fact that his brother had never dated, nor even expressed much interest in doing so—hell, he worried that Ludwig would stay a virgin for life!
Most of all, though, he was worried that they would grow apart. It didn't look to him like Ludwig was going to break out of his shell any time soon, and he wondered if, after Ludwig graduated from college and after years of living separately, their strange chemistry would be lost, and they would simply be too different. It was why he had encouraged Ludwig so ardently to come to the same school, hoping he could exert enough of his influence in one year to "save" his little brother—to save their relationship.
Gilbert could feel the toned muscle of the body under his hands, and he had to admit he thought himself a little ridiculous for feeling the need to come to the rescue of such a brawny, not to mention intelligent, young man. Most people would probably consider his little brother to be more capable than he; yet Gilbert would never stop thinking of Ludwig as the boy who would run to him for comfort when he was in tears and whose head Gilbert could easily tuck under his chin when they hugged.
At the moment, Ludwig was once again tucked under Gilbert's chin, but for the first time in… well, the albino couldn't remember the last time he had been able to hold his brother like this. And it felt… nice. Simply being so close. If distance between Ludwig and himself was what he feared, then this had to be the opposite. The angelic blond's soft breaths tickled Gilbert's neck, making him smile. The vast expanses of Ludwig's warm flesh pressing against Gilbert's was a reassurance, that he was very much present, and that he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.
Sighing happily, Gilbert leaned in to touch his lips to his brother's smooth brow. He stayed there a moment as the blond continued to dream untroubled, and bestowed all the tenderness and affection he could summon into the gentle kiss. Sighing again, he settled his head back down on the pillow and contented himself with watching Ludwig's undisturbed features and the synchronized rise and fall of breath within both their bodies, thinking how absolutely perfect this moment was.
…
Ludwig's eyes fluttered open. For a single instant, he was once again shocked at his situation—in bed with someone else's arms around him—before he realized it was Gilbert, and remembered how he had fallen back asleep. Glancing up, he saw that his older brother had snoozed off as well.
He had absolutely no clue what time it was, but he felt surprisingly refreshed and mercifully headache-free. If he really was better, though, he should be getting back to his dorm to do some of the work he had put off… not to mention that as he stared at his brother's collarbone directly in front of his face he was becoming more and more embarrassed with the situation.
He glanced guiltily at Gilbert's sleeping face. He felt bad about disturbing him, but Ludwig couldn't simply stay there as his personal body pillow. As grateful as he was for his earlier care, Ludwig had never been nearly as comfortable as Gilbert with physical signs of affection.
Gingerly, he sat up and scooted a few inches back from his brother, whose long arm fell from Ludwig's torso. A white brow furrowed and red eyes squinted up at the blond. A smile spread over Gilbert's features.
"Hey, you're awake. How d'you feel?"
Ludwig took in a deep breath. "Fine, actually."
"Kesese, I cured you with my awesomeness!" He reached up to ruffle Ludwig's hair.
Ludwig snorted but smiled down sheepishly. "Yeah, I guess. Thanks. Though… how did I even get here?"
"Yeah, not surprised you don't remember. You must have blacked out. After I picked you up off the floor you could barely walk even with me holding you up! But I brought you back here 'cause I couldn't leave you alone and have you choke on your vomit or something. How much did you drink, anyway?"
"…Six beers, I think?"
"HA! Aw, that's okay, Luddy, we'll build up your tolerance yet…"
For a moment Gilbert just gazed happily up at his brother. Ludwig could feel himself growing flustered.
"Well, uh, I really should get going, I have a lot to do—"
"Hang on just one second, you're not going anywhere yet." Gilbert reached out and pulled the younger boy back down to the mattress. "You've got some explaining to do." He grinned mischievously.
Ludwig knew that grin all too well. "W-what do you mean?"
"Like, how do you know Lili?"
"Lili?" he questioned, honestly confused.
"Yeah, you know, the girl you were nearly finger-fucking with your tongue down her throat when I came and saved you."
Ludwig reddened. "What? I was not—"
"Looked like you were having a pretty good time, though. Was that your first?"
"Uh…"
"Heh, first drink and first kiss all in one night, huh? Gotta say I'm pretty proud of you, bro. Maybe you're not a lost cause after all. Though I am a little miffed your first time wasn't with me."
"W-wait, what?"
Gilbert blinked at him for a moment, then burst out laughing. "I mean getting drunk, Luddy! Kesese, did you think I meant kissing? Kesesesese!"
Ludwig sat up, irritated. "Well what's it to you anyway?"
Gilbert wiped away tears of laughter. "Oh, nothing, just, ah, I didn't take you for a cradle robber, but hey, if you're into that just don't get caught."
"What in the world are you talking about?" He was getting seriously annoyed.
"What, don't tell me you didn't know."
"Didn't know WHAT?"
Gilbert raised his eyebrows. "Uh, you do remember that cute little girl you were so enthusiastically snogging, don't you?"
Ludwig's blush deepened. "Um, well, something like that, yes…"
"And you do realize she's Vash Zwingli's little sister, don't you?"
Ludwig's eyes widened.
"And that she's… I think sixteen years old at most?"
His jaw dropped. "W-w-what?"
"Oh, so you didn't know. Good thing I happened to drop in on that party, then."
"I— sh— w— what the hell was she doing there then?"
"Vash's family lives nearby, she goes to high school in town."
"Th-that doesn't answer the question," Ludwig breathed, dazed.
Gilbert propped himself up on an elbow. "Well, see, the whole pre-pubescent Lolita thing isn't the problem here," he explained very matter-of-factly. "The problem is her brother. He's very protective of her, you could say. Goes home on weekends to visit the fam', mostly to check on little Lili though. I've seen her around here before, seems she likes to rebel just a little. Of course, Vash would bite the head off any guy who tried to lay a finger on her if he knew, so while I was saving you from jail-bait, I was, more importantly, saving you from said jail-bait's brother. 'Cause, you know, I like you with a head and everything."
Ludwig stared, slack-jawed. He felt awful. He had practically molested an underage girl. "I… I had no idea, I swear… I just thought she looked young…"
"Are you listening to what I'm saying? Don't feel bad about that, it's not like you're the first. It's her brother you gotta watch out for, who happens to live in the same house as me."
Ludwig blinked at him. Gilbert glanced around as if to make sure the subject of their conversation was not present in Gilbert's own room, and instinctively Ludwig followed suit. Gilbert then leaned in to whisper conspiratorially in his brother's ear. "Y'know… I think it goes beyond brotherly affection, if ya know what I mean." He shot the blond a significant look.
Ludwig froze in shock and disgust. "Ew. Gilbert. Don't joke about those things."
The albino raised his hands defensively. "Hey, I'm just speakin' the truth."
"No you're not, you don't know the truth! Don't talk about things you don't know about!"
"Why, can't I share an opinion with you?"
"I don't want to know about… whatever they do, or don't do! Neither should you! It's none of your business, so don't spread rumors."
Gilbert arched an eyebrow. "You don't think it's my business if someone I'm living with is committing incest? Which is a crime, I might add?"
Ludwig could feel his face getting hotter by the second. "W— well… I…" He swallowed. "If… if it's not disturbing you, you don't need to go prying into it. And it's probably nothing anyway." He fixed his eyes on the sheets he was clutching in his lap.
But Gilbert didn't respond, and the silence was wearing Ludwig's nerves even thinner. Finally he had to glance back, only to meet a bemused expression on his brother's face.
"No way…" Gilbert said softly, almost to himself, before speaking up more. "Heh. You're such a one for rules, Luddy, I didn't expect that from you… essentially saying you don't care about the laws if it doesn't hurt anyone, right? Maybe a little beer and female attention was all you needed to loosen up just a bit, kesese!"
"N-no, it's just that…" He couldn't think of how to finish.
"Well, that's ok, I'm not actually digging my nose in their biz; I mean, as long as it's consensual, right?" He smirked.
"Th-that's not what I meant!"
"Tch, well, whatever, anyway." Gilbert scooted off the bed, much to Ludwig's relief. God, was there anything more uncomfortable than discussing incest… with his own brother?
Gilbert shot a look back over his shoulder at him. "Kesese, you should see yourself when you're embarrassed, Lud. It's a picture."
If it had been possible, Ludwig's blush would have gone a shade darker.
"I… I need to get back. Um…" He glanced around the room. "Gilbert, where are my clothes?"
"Oh, they smelled like alcohol, sweat, and cigarette smoke. Didn't think that'd appeal to you too much, so I dumped them in the dirty laundry. I almost took the boxers too, but I decided I didn't wanna spoil you too much so I let you keep 'em. Anyway I'll wash the clothes and get 'em back to you asap."
"Uh, thanks, but… what am I supposed to wear now?"
"Some of my clothes, of course! Something ought to fit you…" He started digging around in a drawer. "Here, try… this!" A few articles of clothing came flying at Ludwig's face.
He held them up and stared.
"Gilbert… I'm not wearing this."
"Oh, well, if you'd prefer to walk back in your boxers, be my guest. It'd be quite a show for the ladies on the porch of the old people's home up the street, though you might not have quite as much luck with campus security. See, that's the only t-shirt you wouldn't stretch out in the shoulders, and those pants were always a size too big for me."
Ludwig glared at his brother, then at the obnoxiously yellow skinny jeans and neon pink v-neck with some band name scribbled across the front that he held in his hands.
"I hate you," he grumbled.
…
"Ludwig, what are you wearing?"
Those were the first words out of Kiku's mouth when Ludwig stepped back into their suite.
"They're my brother's," he mumbled without making eye contact.
Kiku simply watched, bewildered, as the muscular blond stuffed into too-tight, brightly colored clothing brushed past and disappeared through the door to his room.
Much to Ludwig's relief, he found the room empty. He didn't want to hear Feliciano's reaction to his "new look." Throwing the offending clothes into his laundry hamper as quickly as possible and changing into a fresh pair of boxers, he put the air-conditioning on full blast and sank gratefully into his desk chair. His peace was short-lived, however, for suddenly the door opened and Herakles' face peeked in.
Ludwig frowned slightly. Didn't people knock anymore?
"Oh, you're back," Herakles said almost apathetically.
"Yes…"
Herakles stepped in, followed by Kiku.
Exasperated, Ludwig began, "I have a lot to do; do you need something?"
Kiku looked at the blond, frozen in shock. "P-please, put a shirt on!"
Ludwig looked at the Japanese boy in confusion, but compliantly took his pajama shirt from his bed and pulled it on.
Herakles stared at his roommate, slightly perplexed, for a moment before saying, "You don't mind when I'm not wearing a shirt…"
Kiku blushed. "Th-that's different! A-anyway, Ludwig! We came to ask what happened last night!" he blurted out.
It was Ludwig's turn to blush. "Nothing happened," he said quietly, looking down.
"But Feliciano said you never came back. And why were you wearing your brother's clothes?" Kiku pressed.
Herakles tilted his head, a slight flicker of interest in his eyes. "Don't be embarrassed about a one-night stand, if that's what it was," he said in his lethargic way. "I had a great one last night."
The other two boys stared at him, their blushes deepening.
"Wh-who was it?" Kiku asked tentatively.
"The girl I was dancing with."
Ludwig tried to remember who he had seen Herakles grinding on.
Kiku saved him the trouble. "You mean the president of the Taiwanese Student Association?"
"Yeah."
"Ah, is she… your type?" Kiku's voice was very timid.
"Hm. Don't think I have a type… My friends say I have yellow fever, but… I don't see it."
"Yellow fever?" Ludwig and Kiku questioned in unison.
"Yeah, you know… They think I only like Asians. But just because I only went out with Asians in high school doesn't mean I have yellow fever… there were just a lot of Asians at my school."
Ludwig looked at him skeptically while Kiku simply reddened even more.
"Anyway…" the Greek continued, looking at Ludwig. "What about you?"
Ludwig felt the heat returning to his cheeks. "Nothing, I said! My brother just came and picked me up and let me crash at his place. And he… lent me clothes."
"Why, did you get naked at the party?" Herakles asked, very matter-of-factly.
The others nearly choked.
"Wh-what? No! I just—no, Gilbert just offered to wash my clothes for me!"
"Oh."
After what felt like a very long and awkward pause to Ludwig, Herakles continued. "It must be nice to have a brother," he said with a far-off face.
"Indeed, you are very lucky," Kiku said. "I wish I had such a relationship with my siblings. You and Gilbert are very close, aren't you?"
"Uh, well… yeah, I guess. He was around a lot more than my dad when I was little, so even though he's only three years older, I guess you could say he kind of raised me." Ludwig rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. He was always caught off-guard by people expressing envy for his sibling relationship, which happened surprisingly often. He supposed he took Gilbert for granted, but perhaps he ought not to. Though his elder brother certainly knew how to push his buttons, it made him feel guilty to think he didn't appreciate him more, especially when others made it seem like what they had was so rare.
"You… you really think that's unusual?" he ventured.
"In my family all my siblings are so different, and competition gets in the way too. It would be unusual for one of them to go out of their way for me. But I think it's quite special," said Kiku.
Herakles nodded, then added, as if as an afterthought, "I thought brothers usually hated each other."
"Well, it's not like we don't fight…" And he and Gilbert could hardly be more different; why, then, were they still so close, when other siblings weren't? For some reason, though, Ludwig felt uncomfortable and defensive. "Look, I really do have to get to work, so…"
"Ah, of course." Kiku bobbed his head. "Sorry to detain you." He left, followed by Herakles, who gave a nod on his way out.
…
But Ludwig couldn't work. As he sat, staring at the same page of The Confessions of Saint Augustine as he had been on for the past forty-five minutes, his thoughts kept roaming to the previous night and that morning. He wanted to kick himself a million times over for a million different things. Drinking the beer, getting the hangover, giving away his first kiss while drunk, giving away his first kiss to a sixteen-year-old while drunk, touching a sixteen-year-old while drunk, heading towards fucking a sixteen-year-old and sister of his brother's house-mate while drunk, not making it that far—wait, no, he wasn't supposed to think that—not stopping himself sooner (or who was he kidding—not stopping himself at all), blacking out, puking in Gilbert's room, embarrassing himself in front of Gilbert (not to mention sleeping in his arms in only boxers like some five-year-old), embarrassing himself in front of the whole campus in Gilbert's clothing (or so he felt), and… not expressing his gratitude to Gilbert enough.
He sighed, exhausted just by thinking of it all. It may well have been the craziest twelve hours of his life. Now, though, he really needed to concentrate on his reading. Perhaps it would help if he took notes.
He rummaged around in his desk drawer for his sticky notes (he could never stand the thought of ruining a pristine book by scrawling in the margins) but couldn't find them. Strange… he always kept his school supplies in perfect order… but perhaps he could borrow some.
Feliciano wasn't back yet, and he didn't think it right to go rummaging through his roommate's things without his permission, so he knocked on Kiku's and Herakles' door.
"Come in," called Kiku.
Ludwig stepped in and saw Kiku bent over his laptop at his desk and Herakles, sprawled on his bed with his nose in a book—or no, he was actually using the book as a pillow. Not wanting to wake him, Ludwig tiptoed over to Kiku and whispered, "Sorry to ask, but do you have any sticky notes I could borrow? I seem to have misplaced mine."
"Oh, don't worry about waking him," Kiku said, not bother to keep his voice down as he gestured to the sleeping boy. "He sleeps through a lot. And yes, I do have some you could use."
He reached into his desk and handed a small square of hot pink post-its to Ludwig, who twitched slightly at the color. It reminded him of Gilbert's v-neck.
"Thanks," he breathed anyway. Then he caught sight of Kiku's computer screen. Rather than the essay or jumble of computer-programming he had expected, there was a digital drawing in progress glaring from the monitor, and it looked quite skillfully done.
"What's that?" he asked bluntly, genuinely curious. He remembered Kiku had listed drawing manga as a hobby of his.
"Ah, I'm working on a doujinshi for a manga series I like."
"A what?"
"It's called a doujinshi. It's a self-published manga. They're usually based off of a mainstream publication, like the ones I do. That way I can sell them to fans of the series."
Ludwig was impressed Kiku made money off his artwork, though he would never say so directly. "Well, I can see why they'd want to buy them—it looks very good," he said, nodding to the screen.
Kiku smiled and bowed his head. "Thank you." He reached to the bookshelf by his desk, which was crowded with volumes of manga. He pulled one out and handed it to Ludwig. "Here, this is the first volume of the series, translated into English. I got it several years ago to practice my English in an entertaining way. You should read it if you're interested; it's very good."
"Oh, ah, thanks…"
"You're welcome."
"And, thanks again for the notes!" Ludwig added, turning to go back to his room.
…
The sticky notes didn't help, though. He simply couldn't organize his thoughts enough to condense them to post-it size. And the shocking pink hurt his eyes.
Ludwig glanced to the manga lying on his desk for what felt like the hundredth time. He had never joined in the manga craze; the intense anime fans had always scared him just a little. He thought it strange they could devote so much time and energy to a fictional series. And yet, Kiku seemed a balanced enough person. Sure, he had his oddities, but that was just his… Japanese-ness, wasn't it? That wasn't racist, right? Anyway, he was a straight-A student in a difficult field… and his drawing had piqued Ludwig's curiosity. If this series could capture the attention of a science major, maybe it was worth a try… and it wasn't like he was getting anywhere with Saint Augustine. He could always hole himself up in the library tomorrow…
After assuaging his dutiful conscience and assiduous ethics with enough justification, he reached tentatively for the magazine and settled down on his bed.
It took a while to get used to the right-to-left direction of the panels and the idiosyncratic-seeming flow of the action, which must have had to do with conventions of the genre but which were completely different from any Western comics Ludwig had read, but after a while Ludwig found he was enjoying himself, much to his surprise. It was a historical drama of sorts, and he had always had a soft spot for those—the costume dramas on Masterpiece Theatre were his guilty pleasure—since they coincided with his general interest in history. Perhaps, though, he was overanalyzing why he enjoyed what was simply a good storyline.
When Feliciano finally came bouncing back into the room and handed Ludwig the sticky notes he had taken from his desk (because he was sure such an awesome roommate wouldn't mind) Ludwig barely looked up from his reading, though he was forced to pause long enough to give a cursory explanation of the previous night's events. Thankfully, Feliciano soon contented himself with watching a TV show on his laptop rather than pestering his roommate, and Ludwig was able to return his attention to the manga.
Then his phone rang. Irritated, he glanced at it. It was Gilbert once again. He should have expected it—did anyone else ever call him?
"Hi Gilbert."
"Well don't sound so cheery. Just callin' to check up on you. You busy or something?"
He glanced at the magazine in front of him. "Uh… not really."
"Well, you feeling okay?"
"Yeah, normal."
"Those jeans didn't give you too bad a wedgie then?"
"…No. Uh, I'll wash those before I give them back."
"Aw thanks!"
"…"
"…Um… well, I guess that's it, heh… glad you're feeling okay…"
"Yeah…"
"…Alright, then, see you—"
"Ah, wait, Gilbert?"
"Yeah Lud?"
"I… I really do appreciate you helping me out this morning. I… didn't get a chance to say… but, anyway, thanks."
"Kesese, of course Luddy! That's what awesome brothers like me are for. See you soon, okay?"
"Okay."
"G'night!"
"Good night, Gilbert."
"Sleep tight!"
"You too."
"Don't let the bed bugs—"
"Got it, okay."
"Right. Sweet dreams!"
"…I'm hanging up now…"
"Not if I beat you to it!"
Click.
…
Ludwig was slightly surprised when Feliciano switched his lamp off and crawled into bed. He hadn't realized it had gotten so late, he had been so engrossed in his reading. Turned out comics weren't necessarily a quick read.
He flipped through the remaining pages. Surely it wouldn't take that long to finish… and better to have it out of the way now and stay up just a little later than to leave it to tempt him while he was finishing all his homework tomorrow…
Feeling just a twinge of guilt, but not enough to stop him, Ludwig snuggled closer into his pillow and continued to read by his lamp and the moonlight streaming in through the window.
...
A/N: Phew, that was longer than expected. A little different from the first two chapters too, so please pretty please please with a cherry on top review and let me know what you think! It will literally MAKE. MY. DAY. :D
Next chapter: more character introductions, plus-Ludwig finds out something very... interesting about his new hobby.
Also please let me know if you'd rather another installment of this series or Deutschlandlied (my other current project) first, especially if you have been following both of them (and if you have, I LOVE YOU). I can't decide what to write next but I'm running out of time before I go back to school and life gets crazy!
Thanks for reading, faving, following, and especially reviewing!
