Feliciano? Do you think you could come over for a few minutes?
Feliciano stared at the text message for several seconds. He knew he was always welcome at Ludwig's home, but the German man never asked him to come over - not unless it was some kind of emergency.
So what had happened?
I'll be over as soon as I can, he replied, and quickly began gathering his things. An overnight bag with enough clothes for two nights, just in case, plus his wallet, with cash and his I.D. so he could pick up some good beer on his way over. A stop at the kitchen so he could pick up some tiramisu, and then he was out the door.
Or, he would be, if Lovino hadn't noticed his frantic preparations.
There he stood, a scowling, cursing barrier between Feliciano and the door that would mark his departure for Ludwig's.
"Where do you think you're going?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
Feliciano breathed deeply through his nose. "I am going to visit Ludwig," he said evenly, "and it is very important, so I would like for you to let me go now."
Lovino looked down and noticed Feliciano's overnight bag. "If you think I'm letting you stay at that potato bastard's house overnight you've got another think coming."
Feliciano huffed. "Lovino, let me go now."
Lovino smirked and pointed his nose in the air. "No."
His cell phone suddenly felt very heavy in his pocket. It reminded him of that text, and the urgency of his departure. "Lovino, I understand that you don't like him, but I'm going whether you like it or not, so please move!"
His brother shook his head emphatically. "Believe me, Fratello, I'm doing you a favor. That good-for-nothing son of a bitch is gonna dump you in a ditch one of these days, and you're gonna be left with a broken heart and no one to go to and he won't even give a damn and-"
Lovino's rant was interrupted by a loud slap across the face. He looked at Feliciano in shock.
"Don't you dare talk about him that way!" he shouted. "I don't care what you think, Lovino, but he is a good person, and unlike you he would do anything to make me happy, even if it was something that he didn't like! It's a little something called sacrifice. You do it for people you love."
Lovino said nothing in reply, only reaching a hand to his awestruck face, gently touching the mark left by Feliciano's hand.
Feliciano shook his head in disgust and pushed past him roughly. "I'm leaving. Don't wait up."
He slammed the door behind him and made a beeline for his Ferrari - it would probably get him there fastest, speed limits be damned. As he pulled away he dimly noticed that he was driving somewhat recklessly even for him, reliving the argument incessantly.
But then he remembered Ludwig's text.
Ludwig was a proud man, not very communicative about his emotions. So whatever had gone on at his house was probably causing him a lot of pain, and it had probably taken him quite a while to gather the courage to text Feliciano for help.
Lovino could wait. For now, Feliciano felt his foot press the smallest bit more on the gas pedal. Ludwig needed him, and so to Ludwig he would go.
Speedier update this time~ (marginally...).
Any guesses on what Ludwig's big emotional thing was?
I heart reviews. Even nasty ones. ;)
