"Bruder? What are you doing?"

You froze.

Your blood went cold.

You instantly recognised the voice.

You hoped it had been your imagination, however that hope was shattered as soon as Ludwig turned around, revealing his brother right behind him, standing there with his usual better-than-thou attitude.

You wanted to hide. You wanted to turn around and run. To just make yourself invisible right there. Nevertheless you were frozen on your spot, and even as the albino's confused eyes met yours and flooded with several emotions you couldn't be bothered to distinguish, you couldn't seem to move. You had been feeling sick anyway, even drowsy. It was hard enough to just concentrate on everything with your light-headedness, and you just didn't have the energy to try and get away any more.

"What are you doing with iher/i?!" his anger was suddenly directed towards his brother, red eyes glaring coldly at the taller male.

"That is my business." Ludwig didn't seem to be bothered by the glare, and you found yourself nearly hiding behind the human tank that was the german. "I don't see why it is your concern." he continued, voice cold.

"You're mein bruder, and she's an uneawesome loner. Why would you even bother with her?"

"Again I say, that's none of your business." he glared, before hissing the last word, unknowingly leaning just a bit closer to the other. "Bruder."

You were watching the whole confrontation from the sidelines, dumbfounded and nearly forgotten by the two germans.

"Tch. You're mein little bruder. It iis/i mein business."

"Bruder or not, I will choose who my own friends are." their shoulder were tense, eyes cold, full of contempt, their noses nearly touching, and you weren't sure whether you were supposed to break them up or not, still astonished by how Ludwig was willing to confront his own brother for your sake.

As such thoughts were crossing your mind, you never registered Gilbert abruptly turning towards you, seeming to remember that you were still there, more anger in his eyes that you had ever witnessed in the albino before. Taken aback by the quick rate of things you couldn't seem to keep up with everything, nor would you get your limbs to move in time. Next thing you knew pain was coursing through your back-side as you were slammed into the wall, Gilbert's face mere centimeters from your own. You hadn't even noticed the crowd gatherign around you by that point, only concentrating on gilbert's warm breath on your face, on his hands on your shoulders, his eyes boring into yours.

"You." your blood froze. How could one single word hold that much hate, that much venom and accusation? "What did you do to mein bruder?"

"She has no fault in this, Gilbert!" Ludwig's voice cut him off abruptly. You were frozen in your place, and you weren't sure whether that was from shock, fear, or dizzyness, but you found yourself falling numbly to the ground the instant Gilbert's hands were removed from you.

"Don't you ever-"

"Crap! A teacher!" As soon as those words broke through tension brought forth by the confrontation, the reaction was instantaneous. Everyone snapped back to reality, the crown dispersing as soon as it had gathered, leaving the three protagonists behind in a haze.

"What is going on here?"

Ludwig vaguely recognised that teacher. He had seen the man around school on occasion before, by he had no actual classes with the man so his knowledge of the teacher's was restricted to his looks.

Even so the german was instantly aware of hos that scene must have looked. With you on the ground, gathering your breath and looking like a trainwreck, and him twisting a still scowling Gilbert's arm behind his back, Ludwig knew they were in trouble.

Gilbert was glaring daggers at the floor and you were staring at your teacher pleadingly, your heart beating out of your chest, Ludwig standing between you and his brother with an unreadable expression.

"Miss (L/n), I was honestly expecting more from you. You iare/i the top student in my class, along with Mr. Jones. Getting involved in a fight? I'm sorry to have to be the one to taint your perfect sheet, but I'm going to have to hold you back for detention." the IT teacher scolded, not taking note of the color slowly draining from your face with his every word.

"Wh-what…? Mr. Heyman please reconsider… I-is there nothing-" you tried to plead shakily, but were soon cut off.

"Miss (L/n) this is your first such offense, so I will only call you in detention for one day, but I'm afraid that's as low as I can go. I know you're an exceptional student, but the rules are rules, and all evidence points to the three of you having engaged into a physical confrontation on school grounds. There's nothing I can do."

You shut your mouth and stared at the ground, biting back tears, knowing that your father wouldn't be pleased with this. He was expecting you to be perfect in school, and while you knew you hadn't done anything worth punishing, he wasn't going to listen to that, and you were well aware of that fact.

"Sir, with all due respect, that isn't fair." your head snapped up at Ludwig's remark. "That matter was entirely between mein bruder and I. (Y/n) was nothing more than a victim." he stated matter-o-factly, once more ignoring his brother's glare, and you found yourself still astonished that he was willing to stand up for you.

Mr. Heyman looked up at the taller german with a calculating look in his eyes before studying both you and Gilbert for several more seconds, but in the end he sighed. "I'm sorry Mr. Beilschmidt. I honestly want to take your word on that. However as long as there's no evidence to support your claim, believing you blindly could be seen as favouritism." he sighed once again, sitting down in his desk and filling in a few papers. "As for the two of you, I'll let you off easy and hold you one day, just like Miss (Y/n) here, but consider this the first and last favour I do you." he explained as he looked up from his scribbling. "I'll also have to have your homeroom teacher announce your families about this event. Now take these." he handed all three of you your detention slips, and before either one could say anything more he continued with a swift 'You are dismissed'.

"I can't believe you!" Gilbert complained to his brother as soon as you were all out. "You would protect this loser and not your own bruder?!" he stepped before the two of you, startling you and effectively preventing you from walking away (as well as managing to elicit a frustrated sigh from Ludwig).

"I'm sorry, Gilbert, but that was the truth. We were the ones who were fighting. It was unfair that (Y/n) would be punished for it."

You shivered as the albino's glare was once again directed towards you, though you couldn't look away. You were surprised to find that, other than anger, there was something else in those ruby eyes of his, only his left one slightly covered by his uneven fringe. Upon closer inspection you found that he had small bags under his eyes. Nothing very obvious, but still there. You also noticed a faded scar just next to the corner of his left eye, yet another detail you'd never noticed before. His eyes seemed to shine differently than usual, and it was at that moment that you realised that he was holding back tears, and you could almost read another emotion in there, had he not turned around before you could pinpoint it.

"Fine. If you chose her, then so be it." he said bitterly, the normal anger and conceitedness you were used to unreadable in his tone.

"Gilbert-" Ludwig meant to explain that he wasn't 'choosing' anyone, but was cut off.

"Save it." and with that, Gilbert marched away.