There's Something About Him

by coco42

Celebrating their conquest of most of Europe, the Nazi Party hosts a grand ball. The top elite of the Allied Forces attends the celebration as spies in order to crash the party. But one Nazi officer takes a liking to the American spy and relays a very close guarded secret. Conflicted, the American spy is torn between following his heart or the orders given to his group.

7. Chapter 7

A/N: What's that? It's after the 21st? Yay, we didn't die! We'll all live for another day! I'm sorry, but I just had to say that. Whew, I got that out of my system. Anyway, thank you to all you guys who stayed with my stories despite my erratic updating schedule. I got a lot of favs and follows last chapter, so thanks to the people who did that. I hope my writing isn't too terrible. Or awkward for that matter…but other than that, it's still fun to write this story. I can't wait till I can get started on later chapters. But anyway, if you have time, please drop a line or two. I do love to hear from you.

asdfmawesome2 : Thank you! I'm glad! I was beginning to think I was making him blush a little too much, but I guess not.

Anana : Thanks! I'm glad you like it!

Aura Laths : Thank you! And no, it doesn't really take that long to write. It just depends because sometimes I can get kinda lazy. But when I do finish writing, I go over it at proofread the whole thing to catch any mistakes and minimize any errors, so that takes some time as well.

I am SO sorry for the really long period between this chapter and the last. And to make up for the super long gap in updates SUPER, MEGA, ULTRA, LONG chapter ahead!

And with that, Chapter 7 starts now!

---

Chapter 7

Warm sheets.

Soft bed.

Fluffy pillow.

And an amazing fresh scent in the air.

These were the things that Alfred woke up to as he slowly started to rise out of a peaceful unconsciousness.

It was actually strange, really.

So much different than what he was used to.

And very much different than what he had in his home.

It was just…weird.

So much so, that Alfred had been startled awake as he began to wake up.

He shot straight upright in bed and he frantically looked around with bleary eyes.

Once he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, Alfred finally got a look around.

When he got familiar with his new surroundings, he relaxed.

"Oh…" Alfred sighed.

Right.

He remembered now.

Alfred held his head up by his hand and chuckled wryly. "Right…I forgot where I was for a second."

He glanced over at the window then.

From the look of it, it was still early in the morning.

Alfred groaned. "Oh, goddammit, I woke up for nothin'!"

Falling back into the sheets, Alfred just lay there.

Just lying there, staring up at the ceiling.

As he was about to doze back off into sleep, Alfred heard a soft knock at the door.

He just laid there, eyes closed as he cocked an eyebrow, wondering if he was hearing things.

He heard another knock and when he realized that he wasn't going crazy, his eyes flashed open and he jumped up to stare at the door, heart pounding.

But then he realized that he had locked the door last night, smart move, and finally calmed down.

As he stared down the door, Alfred could only wonder who would actually get up this early.

Not him, that's for damn sure.

So he silently cleared his throat and disguised his voice, as usual, and somewhat feigned just waking up.

"Ludwig? Is that you?" Alfred asked.

A muffled, deep clearing of a throat and then Alfred heard that familiar deep voice.

"J-Ja…I…didn't know you were still asleep…" Ludwig said.

As Alfred looked at the door, he could just imagine Ludwig's face.

Probably blushing again, Alfred imagined with a smile.

"Mein apologies…I didn't mean to wake you…I had just wanted to see if you were still awake." Ludwig said.

Alfred snickered and rolled his eyes.

Ludwig, always so polite.

"It's ok. You didn't wake me. In fact, I just woke up myself." Alfred said.

"O-Oh…w-well, uh…" Ludwig said, trailing off.

Alfred eyed the door.

Ludwig sounded taken aback.

Like he hadn't expected Alfred to be up at the same time.

"Do you need something?" Alfred asked.

"Oh, uh, nein. Nothing…s-since you're awake, I wanted to tell you that I have to go out for the day." Ludwig said.

"Oh, can I go?" Alfred asked.

A short silence and then Ludwig spoke up. "N-Nein. I'm sorry. This is something that I have to do alone."

Alfred's brow lowered in confusion.

But then he realized what Ludwig must have had to do.

"Oh…" Alfred said.

"Please don't worry. I'm not going to be gone all day." Ludwig said.

"But it's so early! Do you really have to go now?" Alfred said, sounding sad.

"I'm really sorry. I'll make it up to you, I promise." Ludwig said.

Alfred tried to suppress a giggle, so he clasped a hand over his mouth.

"It's ok. Just do what you have to do. Don't let me stop you." Alfred said.

"I'll be back as soon as I can. Und when I return, we can do whatever you want. I can take you to do more sightseeing if you want." Ludwig offered.

"I'd like that. There's a lot more I want to see." Alfred said.

"Good. I just hope you don't get lonely being here by yourself." Ludwig said.

Alfred scoffed silently.

Lonely?

Really?

No, he'd be perfectly fine.

But then he got an idea.

Just because he would be alone, didn't mean he couldn't have fun.

"Don't worry, I won't be. As long as I know you're coming back, I'll be ok. Take your time. I'd wait all day for you." Alfred said.

Another nervous clearing of his throat before Ludwig spoke up again. "Uh, j-ja.S-Sure."

"Really, don't worry about me! Just make sure I get to see you again, ok?" Alfred asked.

"J-Ja…o-of course." Ludwig said.

Alfred snickered again.

Sure, it may have been a little sickening to act so sweet and innocent, but that didn't mean that he didn't have fun doing it to Ludwig.

So, he didn't really mind acting all mushy towards him.

It was just so damn fun to watch the man's reaction!

He could just imagine him right now.

Just standing there, red faced, and probably stuttering like an idiot.

"Well? Go on. I'll be fine. I promise!" Alfred said.

"J-Ja…w-well. I'll see you when I return." Ludwig said.

"See you then!" Alfred said.

A short silence passed.

"O-Oh, ja! I almost forgot!" Ludwig said.

"Yes?" Alfred asked.

"I wanted to tell you that I've arranged for your things to be brought up to the room." Ludwig said.

Alfred gasped. "Oh no! I forgot about that!"

Ludwig chuckled. "It's ok. Someone will bring it up soon, so don't worry. It's all taken care of."

Alfred cursed himself.

How could he just forget about his stuff like that?

That suitcase had all his spy stuff in there.

Oh well.

At least no one could get into it except him.

He could at least take solace in that.

But, really, he would have to pay better attention to his things.

He was probably so dumbstruck by the sights that he had forgotten.

But that still didn't excuse his carelessness.

What if he had lost it?

Oh God, that was something he didn't want to think about.

That thing had a lot of important stuff in it.

He couldn't afford to lose it.

And so, Alfred sighed as he buried his head in his hands. "Thank you, Ludwig. I really don't know what I would have done if I lost it."

Ludwig chuckled again. "Like I said, don't worry about it. It's all taken care of."

"Oh, thank God." Alfred said.

"Und I've also arranged for food to be brought up just in case you get hungry." Ludwig said.

Alfred perked up then. "Huh? What did you say? Food?"

"Ja." Ludwig said.

"When did you do that?" Alfred said.

"When I woke up. I wanted to prepare things early for you." Ludwig answered.

"Ooh, so organized." Alfred joked.

Ludwig laughed. "Ja. It's a habit. Sorry."

"Oh, don't apologize. It's a good thing. A very good thing." Alfred said.

"D-Do you really think so?" Ludwig asked.

Alfred laughed. "Of course I do! Because if so, then that means I know when to expect you! If you say you won't be gone all day, then I believe you! I like knowing when I can see you again."

"W-Well…if you say so." Ludwig said.

At that time, Alfred regretted being separated by a door.

To see the look on Ludwig's face would have been priceless.

"Of course, I do! Now, go on. Go on before you're late! I'll see you later." Alfred said.

"Alright. I'll be back as soon as I can." Ludwig said.

"Good. And I'll take you up on that offer when you come back, if you don't mind." Alfred said.

"Of course." Ludwig said, before walking off.

Alfred heard Ludwig laugh as his heavy footfalls faded away before he heard a door open and close.

Getting up as quietly as possible, Alfred got out of bed and tiptoed over to the door and leaned against it.

He pressed his ear against it to see if he could hear anything on the other side.

When he didn't hear anything, he decided to call out just in case.

"Ludwig?" Alfred called.

No response.

Just silence.

"Ludwig, are you there?" Alfred called out louder.

And again, there was no response.

And, seeing that there was none, Alfred let out a sigh of relief.

He opened the door and tiptoed out, walking towards the door.

When he reached the door, he peered out of the peephole.

He got there just in time to see Ludwig step into the elevator and the door close.

Alfred sighed again in relief, knowing that he was truly alone.

He walked back into his room and threw himself back down on the bed.

"Whew, a guy could sure get used to this!" Alfred said, crossing his hands behind his head.

As he lay there, dozing off again, he could only wonder one thing.

'Who the fuck gets up this early?' Alfred thought.

Sure Ludwig had stuff to do, but still.

This was much too early for his tastes that was for sure.

However, just before sleep could claim him once again, he heard a knock at the door.

Much to his extreme displeasure.

He heard another knock and growled in annoyance.

That is before he shot up in fear.

Alfred gasped.

"Uh-oh. Oh-no, Oh-no, no, no. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!" Alfred said, as he scrambled to get dressed.

Oh, God, it wasn't Ludwig at the door was it?

Had he forgotten something?

He hurriedly got dressed and donned the wig that was sitting on the dresser, gave himself a once over in the mirror before stumbling over to the door.

Alfred paused to catch his breath and collect himself before opening the door.

Reaching for the knob, he expected to see Ludwig standing there, but he was surprised to see someone else standing there.

And he saw that they had a suitcase in hand.

And then he remembered.

Ludwig had said that he would send his stuff up.

And so Alfred just stepped to the side and let the man in.

Once he set the case down, he turned to Alfred, nodded, and went on his way.

Alfred returned the gesture and watched as the man exited the room.

When the door closed, Alfred couldn't help but wonder when they were going to send up food.

Ludwig had said that they would right?

He was getting hungry.

But he would worry about that later.

Right now, he had to check on his stuff.

Taking his case to his room, Alfred set it on the bed before closing the door.

Just in case.

Alfred lowered himself to the bed and inspected the case.

It didn't look like it had been tampered with.

And it didn't look like anyone had tried to get into it.

It looked to be in good condition.

Alfred sighed again.

Good.

Entering the combination, Alfred heard the lock click and saw the top pop open.

And he was relieved to see that everything was how he placed them.

The clothes that he was supposed to wear and, when he lifted up the false bottom, his spy gear was there as well.

Alfred chuckled victoriously at the sight.

He couldn't wait to use it.

He closed the suitcase and shoved it under the bed for easy access.

When there was nothing else left to do, Alfred left his bedroom and into the living room.

Unable to go back to sleep since he was so rudely interrupted, Alfred just sat there on the couch and stared out at the window, chin resting in his palm and a bored look on his face.

It was a nice view, but it wasn't as nice as last night.

Maybe because it wasn't as special since it wasn't his first time.

Or maybe because Ludwig wasn't there with him.

Alfred's brow lowered then.

There was that thought again.

What was that?

Alfred tried to clear his head and get it out of his mind as he tried to come up with other reasons why it wasn't nearly as nice staring out of the window.

He was probably just bored.

Or maybe he was just still tired and hasn't fully woken up yet.

Alfred tried to rationalize any possible reason as to why he would be bored.

Any reason that didn't involve Ludwig.

But it was really hard.

After all, Ludwig was the only one he really knew and could talk to in this foreign land.

Of course, besides Francis and everyone else.

Trying and failing to come up with any other reason why he would be bored because his mind kept drifting back to Ludwig, Alfred just decided to write it off as just being alone.

Anyone would be bored by themselves.

It doesn't have to be a specific person, right?

As long as they weren't alone.

So Ludwig wasn't a factor that contributed to his loneliness.

At least that's what Alfred wanted to tell himself.

But he could at least admit that maybe he was a little lonely without him.

If only because he didn't have anyone to talk to.

Only a little.

It wasn't like he actually missed him or something.

Alfred tried to busy his mind and tried to think of something else.

Anything that would just get his mind off of the man.

He hated that his mind kept drifting to him whenever his mind wasn't busy.

It was always distracting when he was supposed to be here on a mission.

And he couldn't let any confusing feelings get in the way of that.

So he would just have to push them away to the back of his mind so that he could focus better.

Figuring out those feelings would come later.

But for right now, he had to focus on what he came here to do.

And that was getting information out of Ludwig.

Just that.

Nothing else.

Unable to keep his mind from wandering back to Ludwig, Alfred got off of the couch and walked back into his room.

Before he passed the threshold, Alfred's eyes drifted down the hall to Ludwig's room.

Alfred stopped when he walked into his room and backed up to peek around the threshold to do a double-take at Ludwig's door.

He stared at his door for a long time.

And it was then that he felt his curiosity mounting.

What was behind that door?

Alfred couldn't help but wonder what was behind the door in Ludwig's room.

Alfred squirmed in anticipation as his mind began wandering again.

He wondered what his room looked like.

He continued to stare at the door for a little while longer.

And finally, not being able to contain his curiosity any longer, Alfred began to take a step out into the hallway.

Looking back and forth, feeling as if he was being watched, Alfred tentatively began to take small steps towards Ludwig's room.

As he got closer his heart started pounding.

He didn't know why.

Maybe it was because he was anxious to see what was in Ludwig's room.

Alfred gulped as he made his way even closer.

When he finally inched his way over to the door, Alfred took a slow quivering breath and reached out a shaky hand.

He grabbed the doorknob and gasped at the cold feeling.

He hoped that that wasn't some sort of sign to just forget about it and leave it alone.

Maybe he was just paranoid.

But when the knob started to warm under his touch, he calmed down just a little bit.

And Alfred just stood there, holding the doorknob and just staring at it.

Staring.

Almost as if he was trying to will himself into just opening up the door.

Alfred took a few more deep breaths to calm himself.

He hated how he was getting so worked up.

Why was he so nervous?

He was just opening a door.

Alfred finally calmed himself down and forced his hand to stop shaking.

When he was ready, he finally turned the knob and opened the door.

Or at least that's what he wanted to do.

Alfred's brow lowered.

He twisted the knob again and tried to push the door open.

It wouldn't budge.

Alfred jiggled the knob and pushed again.

The door still wouldn't budge.

And it was then that he realized why it wouldn't move.

"Dammit!" Alfred cursed under his breath.

Locked.

Perfect.

Just fuckin' great.

Of course he would lock it.

And so Alfred's hand dropped to his side and his shoulders fell.

Dammit.

He really wanted to see what lie beyond that door too.

But then it struck him right then.

Alfred lifted his gaze and his brow rose up as it hit him.

And he gasped at the sudden realization.

And it was then that mischievous smile crept across Alfred's face.

He chuckled darkly before he turned around and walked back into his room.

Getting down on his knees, Alfred reached under the bed and pulled out his suitcase before putting it on the bed.

Unlocking the suitcase, Alfred moved the clothes out of the way and opened the false bottom.

"Hmm, it should be here somewhere." Alfred muttered.

He rooted around through his gear looking for it.

Binoculars.

Weapons.

False documents.

Just in case.

And…

"Aha! Found it!" Alfred cried digging out what he was looking for.

He chuckled as he looked it over.

Lock pick.

"Gotcha." Alfred said, with a toothy, mischievous smile.

Gotta have a lock pick.

What kind of spy didn't have a lock pick?

It can be a very useful tool in certain situations.

And this was one of them.

Alfred closed the suitcase and shoved it back under the bed.

With the lock pick in hand, Alfred made his way back to Ludwig's door.

Kneeling down, Alfred tried to pick the lock without making it look like it had been messed with.

He didn't want to have to explain anything to Ludwig since he was the only one who could have done anything since he was there alone.

After a few minutes of trying, Alfred heard the telltale 'click' of the lock.

"Yes!" Alfred cheered.

Standing up, Alfred took the doorknob into his hand after putting the lock pick into a convenient pocket on the dress.

And again, Alfred looked around before twisting the knob.

He didn't really know why he did because he was the only one there.

It's not like he would get caught.

Alfred's eyes widened then.

Because it was then that he realized that he had forgotten to put on gloves.

And with his fingerprints on everything, he really could get caught.

But then again, it's not like Ludwig had a fingerprint dusting kit on him or something.

And then again, he could have one.

But as unlikely as that seemed, Alfred still didn't want to take any chances.

And he didn't want to be the one who was taken down all because of a few fingerprints.

He would be damned before he let that happen.

So, going back into his room, Alfred fetched his gloves and returned to Ludwig's door.

Donning the gloves, he reached out towards the doorknob again, this time feeling a lot safer.

And again that feeling of anxiety set in once again.

And, for the life of him, Alfred couldn't understand why this was happening to him.

It had never happened before on his other missions.

Maybe it was just the thrill of doing something that he probably shouldn't be doing.

But pushing that feeling aside, Alfred took another breath to prepare himself before entering a room in which he had no business being in.

Jittery feelings finally put aside, Alfred finally twisted the knob and pushed the door open.

The door squeaked open and Alfred just stood there.

He was dumbstruck.

Alfred then dared himself to step further into Ludwig's room.

But what he saw surprised him to say the least.

What he saw was…nothing.

Well, not nothing.

There was a bed, dresser, and other things.

Just like any other hotel room.

It was more like what he didn't see that surprised him.

He had expected it to be more in here.

The room was just clean.

Bed made up immaculately.

Curtains neatly arranged.

Everything in place.

Not even a single speck of dust anywhere.

Ok.

Apparently, Ludwig was a bit of a neat freak, Alfred guessed as he ran a finger across the surface of a dresser and inspected it.

Yeah.

No dust whatsoever.

But unsettling cleanliness aside, Alfred couldn't lie and say that he wasn't at least a little disappointed in the find.

Turning his attention to the rest of the room and sighed.

This was wasn't what he was expecting.

He had been expecting the room to be full of things.

And it was just weird.

Alfred had expected Ludwig's room to be filled with things like Nazi memorabilia or guns or something.

He had imagined that the walls would be adorned with swastikas and medals.

But they weren't.

And that was what confused him the most.

Here Ludwig was, a Nazi, and he had nothing in here that labeled him as such.

If he was a Nazi, then shouldn't he be proud of it?

Or at least proud of his accomplishments since he was obviously one of the higher ups.

Alfred thought that he would at least have his medals up.

Or any patches.

So he could at least look at them fondly and remember how hard he worked.

That's what he would do if he were in the army or military.

Alfred just didn't get it.

Why was Ludwig's room just so clean?

But then again, Alfred supposed that maybe Ludwig didn't use this room much which was why there was nothing here.

Isn't that what he said, that he didn't come here very often?

Yeah.

Maybe that was the reason.

And come to think of it, Alfred hadn't really seen anything that belonged to Ludwig here.

Yeah, sure there was that picture that he had shown him last night, but that had really been it.

There was just nothing else here.

Great.

Now there was yet another thing he had to figure out about Ludwig.

God, why was he so damn mysterious?

Rubbing his chin in thought, Alfred walked around the room, looking around.

And the something caught his eye.

Looking over from the periphery of his vision, Alfred saw a big desk.

It had papers all over it.

Stacked up neatly, of course.

Pens.

Markers.

Important looking papers.

And a small lamp.

Alfred figured it was just in case Ludwig had to fill out paperwork late at night.

Walking closer, Alfred looked over the desk in detail.

The papers that were stacked up looked like they were important documents of some kind.

He wanted to look closer at it, but he dared himself not to touch anything.

He didn't want to move anything out of place.

And even if he did look closer, it would probably be in German anyway.

And since he wasn't particularly fluent in German, it wouldn't be of any use to him.

Walking around the desk, to look over it more, another thing caught Alfred's eye.

At the corner of the desk, there was a folded piece of paper.

Cocking an eyebrow in curiosity, Alfred reached over and hesitated.

He pulled his hand back slightly and bit his lip, wondering if he should dare risk touching something in Ludwig's room.

But then again, it was just a folded piece of paper.

He could just put it back where he found it.

And so looking at the paper, Alfred stared at it to make sure he remembered exactly how it was placed and finally reached forward and grabbed it up.

When he picked it up, Alfred's heart began pounding in his chest.

Who knew what he would find in its folder confines.

Alfred's hands were shaking slightly.

And it didn't help that his knees were too.

All of this anxiety was not helping him.

We wanted to sit down, but he dared himself not to, for fear that Ludwig might notice that someone had been sitting in his chair.

So Alfred willed himself to keep standing.

Alfred took a shaky breath and began unfolding the paper.

He unfolded it a few times, carefully remembering how each one was folded.

Another thing he wanted to be sure that was exactly how it was placed.

Lest he cause suspicion.

When he finally unfolded the paper, Alfred's eyes widened and he realized what it was.

It was a map.

The pounding in his chest and the quivering of his hands and knees died down slightly.

And again, Alfred cocked an eyebrow in confusion.

He looked around and he saw another map.

This time, it was behind Ludwig's desk.

And his eyes switched from the one he held in his hands and the one on the wall.

And he noticed that they were of the same thing.

It was a map of Europe.

Except the one on the wall was bigger.

Probably for a better visual of a certain area.

Alfred also noticed that there were markings on the map in his hands.

And the same thing went for the map on the wall.

He then looked and the pens and markers on Ludwig's desk.

So that's that they were for, Alfred guessed, as he looked over the maps.

But what was he marking on the maps?

As he looked over it, Alfred got confused.

He couldn't make heads or tails of it.

All he saw were circles around certain areas of Europe.

Some were also crossed out.

Maybe, Alfred supposed, that Ludwig had already been there before.

He probably crossed them out so that he wouldn't double back and end up wasting time on a place he had already been to.

But what were those places he had circled and crossed out?

A lot of them had been crossed out.

But there was one that hadn't been.

It was just sticking out from the others.

And Alfred's eyes kept being drawn back to it.

It was weird.

Many other circles were crossed out.

But not this one.

Almost as if Ludwig had been avoiding it.

Because most of the surrounding circles had been crossed out.

Except that one.

Ludwig avoiding going to a certain place?

Why?

It just didn't seem like him.

Ludwig just seemed so confident.

And unafraid of anything.

He was just so authoritative that Alfred didn't even know that he could even be afraid of anything.

And the times that Alfred had been around him, Ludwig seemed to carry that air of being feared.

He was either feared or shown the upmost respect.

The people around him seemed to watch what they said or did lest they incur Ludwig's wrath.

Ludwig had garnered respect and admiration wherever he went, so what did he have to fear about going to a certain area?

If anything, that place should fear him.

Not the other way around.

Unless…

Did Ludwig have a bad experience there before?

It didn't seem likely.

But then again, it could be a possibility.

It would certainly explain why all the other places had been crossed out.

But there could also be another reason.

Maybe he was just holding off on going there.

Plus, there was that phrase of "save the best for last."

So it could be that maybe it was just was fun place to go to and Ludwig just wanted to hold off on going there.

Going to the other places first and then going there.

Maybe as a reward of sorts?

Alfred just didn't understand it.

So, with a sigh, Alfred just folded up the paper, carefully making sure that it folded like he had originally found it, and placed the now folded map back in the corner of the desk.

Alfred looked around the room and couldn't find anything else of interest.

The room was just so empty that it didn't seem to give out any information about Ludwig.

It was like there wasn't anything worth looking at.

Not enough information.

Nothing to go on.

The only thing he at least had a lead on was that map.

And even then it didn't tell him anything.

Or not much anyway.

Just a map with circles all over Europe.

Circles over what Alfred assumed Ludwig had not been yet.

And crossed out circles where Alfred assumed Ludwig had been.

And for some reason a circle among crossed out ones.

Was it because Ludwig had a bad experience there?

It would explain his theory since it looked like it was being avoided.

Or was it just a planned leisure vacation spot after he was done doing whatever he had to do?

Just what were those places?!

Alfred's head hurt just thinking and processing all this new information.

But even though the map didn't tell him much, didn't mean that it wasn't important.

It could prove to be useful sometime in the future.

Just in case he ever lost track of Ludwig.

So Alfred would make sure to remember the places he saw on the map.

And if he didn't, he could at least remember the important places.

Maybe when he gets back, he could ask someone where certain places were.

Maybe Francis or somebody had a map with them and Alfred could use it to find out where and what those places were.

Alfred perked up then.

Speaking of Francis…

Alfred then got an idea.

When he didn't find anything else of interest, Alfred walked out of Ludwig's room.

He took one last look around to make sure that everything was where it should be.

Leave no trace.

That's what he was taught.

Before he walked out, he turned the lock and carefully made his way out.

Closing the door behind him, Alfred made sure the door was locked.

And quickly remembering, he turned back around to wipe the fingerprints that he had no doubt made on the doorknob when he had been picking the lock.

Satisfied, he turned back around and smoothed down his clothes, made sure to put his tools and gloves back into his suitcase before setting off into the living room.

Alfred scanned the room, searching for what he was looking for.

And then he spotted it.

"Gotcha." Alfred said.

Alfred then walked up to a telephone that was sitting on a small table.

He eyed it for a short while before digging around in his pocket for that piece of paper with the number on it.

Once he got it out, he flashed a quick smile before picking up the phone off of the receiver.

Alfred quickly punched in the numbers on the paper.

The phone rang for a few seconds before he heard someone pick up.

But there was no answer.

Alfred cocked and eyebrow in confusion. "Hello? Francis? Anybody?"

"Oh! Alfred, mon dieu, you're ok!" Francis said, relieved.

"Yeah, I'm ok. Why didn't you say anything when you picked up?" Alfred asked.

"Because I wasn't sure who would be calling. Although no one has ever called here before, I still wanted to be sure. I suppose I should have told you that before you left." Francis said, adding the last part as an afterthought.

"Ah…I see." Alfred said.

"So, do you have anything to report or were you just calling to check in?" Francis asked.

"Well…I don't have much, but I did find something kind of interesting." Alfred said.

"Oh? And what is that?" Francis asked.

"Well, earlier, when I-" Alfred began to say but was cut off by a sudden commotion on the other line.

Alfred heard talking on the other end.

"Who is that on the phone?" came a voice.

"It's Alfred." Francis said.

"What?! Alfred?!" came that same voice.

"Oui. And he's trying to tell me something, so let me finish talking." Francis said.

And the next thing Alfred heard were the sounds of a scuffle.

It sounded like the phone was being handled roughly.

"What are you doing?!" Francis asked.

"Give me the phone!" yelled that voice that was becoming increasingly familiar.

"Non! You have to wait your turn if you want to talk!" Francis yelled.

"No! I said give me the phone right now, you bloody idiot!" the voice yelled.

He cocked his eyebrow in confusion again.

"Uh, hello? Francis? Are you there?" Alfred asked.

Alfred then heard panting.

And then finally a sigh.

"Fine, talk, and then give it back." Francis said.

Alfred heard someone finally huff.

"Uhh, hello? Anyone there?" Alfred asked.

"Hello? Alfred?" asked that voice again.

"Uhh, y-yeah?" Alfred asked.

Alfred heard a growl then.

"ALFRED!? WHAT THE BLOODY HELL TOOK YOU SO LONG TO CALL, YOU GIT?!" the voice yelled.

And Alfred finally knew who that voice belonged to right then.

Yep.

That was him.

That was Arthur, alright.

No mistaking that.

Alfred flinched at the sudden assault on his ear.

"Y-Yeah, i-it's me. Sorry about that." Alfred said.

"Sorry?! You're sorry?! Why didn't you just call when you first got there?!" Arthur asked.

Alfred flinched again and held the phone away from his ear.

"I-I-" Alfred stuttered trying to explain himself.

But then he heard Francis speak up in the background.

"Calm down, Arthur, he's only been gone for a day." Francis said.

"I don't care! That doesn't mean he can just call whenever he wants!" Arthur said.

"Alright, alright…I'm sorry, ok?" Alfred said, trying to calm Arthur down.

"Well then…good. Just make sure to be careful, ok?" Arthur asked.

'Geez, what is he, my mom or something?' Alfred thought, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah…ok." Alfred said, lowly.

Alfred then heard the sound of the phone being passed to someone else.

"Sorry about that, Alfred." Francis sighed.

"No, it's ok." Alfred said.

"Hm, you wouldn't believe how much Arthur's been worried about you." Francis said.

Alfred blushed, slightly. "H-He was worried about me?"

"Oh, very much so. Every once in a while, he would always wonder how you were doing." Francis said.

"Really?" Alfred asked.

"Yes, it may seem like he doesn't care, but he actually worries about you." Francis said.

"Who knew?" Alfred asked.

"That he can be a bit too worrisome?" Francis asked.

"H-Hey, I-I was not worried about him! I was just asking!" Arthur yelled in the background.

Alfred couldn't help but smile then.

If Arthur really was worried about him, then maybe he wasn't as big of a pain in the ass that Alfred had once thought.

"By the way, is it just you and Arthur? Where's Ivan and Yao?" Alfred asked.

"Well, apparently, Ivan has a lead in Munich, and Yao is in Cologne." Francis said.

"Oh…will they be ok?" Alfred asked.

"Oh, don't worry about them. They can handle themselves." Francis said.

"Have you and Arthur got anything?" Alfred asked.

"Well, Arthur and I went to a base and saw some interesting things. You know, weapons and such." Francis said.

"You did? How?" Alfred asked.

"Well, it's easy when you "borrow" a uniform from unsuspecting commanders." Francis said, darkly.

Alfred's eyes widened. "And they just let you in? How did you not get caught?"

"Well, looks and ranking helps. Plus, being blond and blue-eyed gets a person quite far here." Francis said. "And of course being able to communicate works too."

Alfred made a choked sound. "W-Wait. You and Arthur speak German?"

"Of course. We had to, considering the current situation. You know the saying, 'keep your friends close and enemies closer?' And what is a better way than by communication?" Francis asked.

And Alfred cursed himself then.

'Goddammit. Really should have learned it.' Alfred thought.

"So, I'm guessing Ivan and Yao do too?" Alfred asked.

Francis hummed "Well, they're off on their own, so yes, I would imagine so."

Great.

Well now, Alfred felt inferior.

Alfred sighed, dejectedly.

"Alfred?" Francis asked. "Is something wrong?"

"…Nah. It's nothing." Alfred said.

"If you have any concerns, it is best to tell me if you need anything." Francis said.

"I'm ok. Really." Alfred insisted.

Francis sighed. "Well, ok. If you say so."

"Yeah." Alfred muttered.

"Now, what was it you were saying about finding something interesting earlier?" Francis asked.

Alfred perked up. "Huh? Oh, yeah! When I was in Ludwig's room earlier, I-" Alfred said, before he was cut off.

"Oh? What were you doing in his room? Were you sharing a bed?" Francis asked.

Alfred turned a bright red then. "N-No! We weren't sh-sharing a bed! We have our own rooms!"

"Ok, ok. No need to yell. I was only teasing. It was half joking." Francis said.

"Well, half joking is still half serious." Alfred grumbled, cheeks still burning bright red.

"Just forget about it. Continue." Francis said.

"Anyway." Alfred hissed, continuing on with his story. "Like I said, I found something worth looking into."

"And that is?" Francis asked.

"You may want to sit down. This could take a while." Alfred said.

Francis took the chair next to the table and sat down. "Carry on."

"Well…" Alfred began, sitting down as well. "When I tried to go into his room, it was locked at first, so I picked the lock because I was curious, and when I went in his room, I was kinda expecting to see Nazi flags and stuff or even medals, but there was just…nothing. I just didn't get it. It was just so weird."

"…Is that it?" Francis asked.

"No. I was just getting into what I saw." Alfred said.

"Ah." Francis said, simply.

"Anyway…as I was looking around, I saw his desk and it had, like a whole bunch of papers on it and stuff. They looked important, so I didn't want to move anything. And then I saw a folded paper on the corner on his desk and when I unfolded it, I saw that it was a map of Europe." Alfred paused to take a breath.

"So, it was just a map? That's what is so important?" Francis asked, confused.

"W-Wait…wait, you didn't let me finish." Alfred said, panting. "Like I was saying, when I opened the paper, it was a map of Europe. And it wasn't just a map, it was what was on the map that was important." Alfred said.

"Ah? And what was it?" Francis asked.

Alfred chuckled, nervously. "Y-Yeah, about that. I-I don't really know exactly what it was, but it was definitely something."

"Were you going to tell me?" Francis asked.

"O-Oh, w-well. Like I said, I don't really know what they were. All I saw were circles all over the map." Alfred said.

"Circles?" Francis asked.

Alfred hummed. "Yeah, circles. Like, all over the map and some were crossed out. And I'm guessing the ones that were crossed off were the places that Ludwig must have been visiting."

"And where are they on the map?" Francis asked.

"Well, I couldn't really see where, but there was a bigger map behind Ludwig's desk and they were the same map. And judging from that, a lot of the circles seem to be concentrated in Poland. There's some in Germany too, but a lot are in Poland." Alfred said, rubbing his chin absentmindedly.

"Poland, huh?" Francis said.

"Yeah. I was thinking that when I come back, I could go there and check them out. I want to see what Ludwig's doing there. He's so mysterious, I can't take it anymore. I need to find out more about him. And it's so frustrating not knowing." Alfred said.

Francis sighed. "Alfred, you don't want to go there."

Alfred tilted his head in confusion. "Huh? Why not?"

"You know what they say, 'ignorance is bliss'." Francis said.

"I don't get you. What do you mean?" Alfred asked.

"Forget it. It would be best if someone as young as you don't get to see things like that." Francis said.

"Hey, I can handle anything!" Alfred said, defensively.

"That's what most people say before they actually faced with anything." Francis said.

Alfred grumbled. "Hey, I'm not some kid, alright? I'm pretty sure I can handle myself!"

Francis huffed. "Pretty sure doesn't cut it out here! You need to be absolutely sure. Otherwise you'll die! This is war we're talking about, not some adventure where everything goes right! One simple little mistake could be your last!"

Alfred fell silent and his shoulders dropped. "I know that. That's how I've been alive up until now. I know the dangers, Francis. Everything's been going fine until now. So, is it wrong to think that everything could go smoothly from here? If I play my cards right, everything will be ok."

Francis sighed. "…You really don't get it, do you?"

Alfred blinked. "Get what?"

"Take it from someone with more experience. An attitude like that can get you killed. If you go about thinking that everything will be ok, it will be the greatest mistake you will ever make. You must be prepared for anything and have a backup plan in case something goes wrong. You have a dangerous, attitude about this, Alfred. If you don't watch yourself, you'll end up dead." Francis said. "Don't be so sure that everything will work out, because, quite frankly, it most likely won't."

"But everything worked out well with Ludwig, so I'm pretty sure-scratch that-I know I'll be ok if I go to Poland. If I can fool a Nazi general, then I know that I ca-" Alfred said, before he was cut off.

"Alfred, you can't even speak German!" Francis yelled.

Alfred flinched at the sudden yell and winced at the harsh truth.

And his mouth closed up.

"How the hell do you think you'll survive in Poland?! As soon as they hear you, they could take you as a POW, or worse, they could just shoot you right there on the spot! Yes, you may have fooled him, but do you honestly think that everyone else will be the same?! A sharp tongue and quick wits will only get you so far! You have to have skill and experience to be able to maneuver around these people! You can't rely on the thought that maybe they won't notice! Because they will!"

Alfred held the phone away from his ear and winced.

Francis had basically poked holes in his ideas.

His shoulder and face fell.

Uh-oh.

There was that blow to his ego again.

And it did not feel good.

"Look, I honestly don't know how you got this far with him in the first place, but somehow you did. Maybe he's just not very cautious or maybe very oblivious, but you can't just assume that because it went well with him that it will go well with others." Francis said.

Alfred couldn't even offer a rebuttal.

He just sat there, silent.

"Alfred? Are you still there?" Francis asked.

"Yeah…I'm here." Alfred said, lowly.

Francis sighed. "Look, Alfred, I didn't mean to yell at you, but it was the only way to get through to you. I was just trying to tell you that you can't just assume that everything will be ok in a time of war. Because things can go very,very to not think that it a vast underestimation."

"Uh-huh." Alfred said, nodding.

"It's for you own good, Alfred." Francis said.

"Ok." Alfred said.

And just like before, whenever his ego was hurt, Alfred felt himself lose his motivation.

He just felt like getting back in bed and curling up.

"Don't feel bad, Alfred. I just wanted to let you know so that you aren't caught off guard if anything does go wrong." Francis added.

"What do you mean?" Alfred asked.

"I was the same way you are. Do you remember when I told you about the invasion of France? How I was ignorant of my friend warning me? And how badly I was caught off guard when they came?" Francis asked.

"Yeah." Alfred said.

"Yes, well, I ignored my friend because I was arrogant and when it actually happened, I didn't know what to do. I was so caught off guard and I didn't even listen to my most trusted friend that was trying to tell me something. Arrogance can really lead to one's downfall and great humility." Francis said.

"Yeah." Alfred said.

"But humility isn't a bad thing, Alfred. Because it lets us know what we can and can't do. If someone doesn't have humility then they think they can go around doing whatever they want. I made the choice to ignore Pierre, and I've learned from that. And now, I'm warning you to be careful out there. And like I said, take it from someone with experience. You would do very well to follow my advice. I don't want to have to hear about a friend's death because there was no one to steer them in the right path." Francis said.

"Yeah…thanks…Francis." Alfred said.

"You're very welcome. And, just like Arthur said, be careful, Alfred. Think before you do anything and always have a backup plan in case the shit hits the fan, ok?" Francis asked.

Alfred smiled a little. "Ok. Gotcha."

Francis sighed. "You know, I don't really know if you're good at what you do and it's different from my way of doing things or if you're just really, really lucky."

Alfred laughed slightly. "Well, that's the mystery. After all, I've be successful on every mission I've been on. I guess I'm just really lucky. Or very skilled. Maybe it's a mixture of both, but I'm still pretty sure it's me."

"Alfred?" Francis warned. "What did I just get done telling you?"

Alfred sighed. "Ok, ok. I won't think like that anymore, ok?"

Francis smiled. "Good. Now is there anything else?"

"No, I think that's it." Alfred said.

"'You 'think', Alfred?" Francis said.

Alfred sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine. That's it. You happy now?"

Francis chuckled. "Alright then. Be sure to report whatever you find, no matter how trivial it may seem. It could help us in the future."

"Yeah, ok. I'll try to find out as much as I can." Alfred said.

"Good. Now, I have some things to attend to, so I have to go. Goodbye, Alfred." Francis said.

"Goodbye, oh-wait, wait!" Alfred said.

"What is it?" Francis asked.

Alfred blushed, slightly." U-Um…could you tell Arthur not to worry about me so much? I don't want him wracking his brain worrying about me. Just tell him to focus and that I'm ok and can handle myself."

Francis laughed. "Of course, Alfred! I'll tell him. Though, he may scream at me and say that he was never worried."

Alfred chuckled. "Yeah, that's Arthur for ya. Always denying his feelings."

"Hm, yes. Very like him." Francis said. "Anyway, I have to go now. Remember to stay safe and be careful."

"Ok, ok. My God, what are you guys, my mom? I heard you the first time. There's no need to keep repeating it." Alfred said.

"Well, who else is going to drill it into your head?" Francis joked.

Alfred grumbled. "I'm not dumb."

"Oh, I know you're not. But you're the youngest out of all of us, so you have a greater benefit if we tell you something." Francis mentioned.

"Yeah, yeah." Alfred said.

"Now, I really must be going. Those Nazis aren't going to spy on themselves." Francis said.

"See you later." Alfred said.

Francis chuckled. "Goodbye, Alfred."

And with that, Francis hung up.

Alfred put the phone back on the receiver and just sat there, thinking.

He sighed.

"Great, I didn't even get the chance to ask him what those places were. Dammit." Alfred said.

Oh well.

He'll figure it out later.

The room was quiet without the noise of conversation.

Even though it was over the phone, it was still nice to just talk to someone.

No matter how many miles separated them.

Sighing, Alfred just sat there, chin resting in his hand and looking lazily out of the window.

It was starting to get late.

Just passing by midday.

And he wondered what Ludwig could possibly be doing that would have him out all day.

Alfred sighed again for what had to be the millionth time.

He had sat there for hours, doing nothing but just staring outside.

Sure, it was a beautiful view, but it was nothing if he didn't have anyone to talk to and look at it with.

Alfred yawned and then started to nod off.

The day slowly started fading in and out in intermittent periods.

And then, finally, there was a knock at the door.

He was in the middle of nodding off back to sleep, so he wasn't sure if he had been dreaming or not when the knock had come.

So he just ignored it and dozed off.

The knock came again, louder this time.

Alfred's eyes shot open as he was startled awake.

He looked at the door and instantly shot up out of the chair.

Heart pounding, Alfred gulped, smoothed out his clothes, and slowly made his way to the door.

He looked through the peephole and was instantly calmed down.

It was just the man that had brought him his stuff earlier.

Sighing, Alfred opened the door.

And upon opening it, Alfred saw that the man had brought with him, a medium sized platter.

Alfred's eyes widened slightly.

He then realized that he was standing in the man's way and quickly stepped aside.

The man pushed the cart inside and Alfred walked up next to him.

Alfred wondered what could be under the silver lid over the platter.

The man made a move to leave and Alfred wanted to say something to thank the man, but remembering that he couldn't speak German, he kept his mouth shut.

But then he remembered something that he had heard occasionally whenever he heard Ludwig speak to people.

What was it again?

Judging from how the conversations went, it was almost like he could sort of understand.

Sort of.

What was it?

It seemed to be similar to…

"Danke?" Alfred said out loud, without realizing it.

The man then turned around.

Alfred immediately blushed and his hands flew up to his mouth.

Uh-oh.

He thought he said it in his mind!

'Did I just say that out loud?!' Alfred thought, panicking.

"Was?" the man asked.

Alfred gulped.

"U-Uh, d-danke?" Alfred stammered.

Oh-no.

Oh-no.

Oh, God.

Why did he have to open his mouth, why?!

The man eyed Alfred for a few seconds.

And then he smiled.

"Bitte schön" the man said.

Alfred hesitantly smiled back.

The man nodded and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Alfred gave a loud sigh of relief.

"Oh, God, that was so close." Alfred said, shuddering.

He waited for his heart to stop pounding, which took a while thanks to his blundering outburst.

When he finally settled, Alfred looked back at the cart that had been wheeled into the room.

He touched the lid and ran his hand over it.

"Ooh. Nice." Alfred mused.

It was so smooth to the touch.

And again, Alfred wondered what was under it.

So then, with his curiosity mounting, Alfred gripped the small knob at the top and, slowly and gently, lifted the lid up.

As Alfred picked the lid up, he almost dropped it when he saw what it was hiding.

He gasped and covered his mouth.

And then his stomach growled.

Because what the lid was concealing was food.

Not a full-course meal, but just something to eat.

And Alfred eyed the platter like it was a gift bestowed upon him by God himself.

And of course it was nothing special.

It was just a pile of assorted fruits and the like.

Strawberries, cherries, grapes, watermelon slices, and etcetera.

And it wasn't a meal, of course.

It was more of a snack, really.

Alfred gulped, nervously.

His stomach began growling.

And he began salivating.

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

He could have gone for something else, but this was still good.

At least it was something to eat.

And he didn't even realize how hungry he was until he had took the lid off.

And it's not like he would have told the man to take it back.

But it's not like he could anyway.

Slowly reaching for the fruit, Alfred licked his lips in anticipation.

Picking up a strawberry, Alfred eyed it before putting it in his mouth.

And the second he bit down, his eyes widened.

Oh, God!

It was like he had gotten punched in the jaw by flavor.

"Oh my God." Alfred said, incredulously.

Or maybe it was because he was really,really hungry and his hunger response hadn't been triggered until this moment.

But either way, it was still really good.

And so Alfred reached for another.

And another.

And another.

And soon, Alfred was devouring the fruit with both hands.

The lid sat overturned on a nearby chair as Alfred inhaled the spread.

He ate to his heart's content until he was full.

Alfred let out a loud burp before walking over and sinking down on the couch with a loud contented sigh.

He lay back on the couch and crossed his arms behind his head and stared up at the ceiling.

"I could have eaten something else, but that was still really good." Alfred said.

Looking back over to the cart, Alfred saw that he had polished off about half of the pile of assorted fruit.

Wow, did he really eat that much?

He guessed he wasn't really paying that much attention since, he was so hungry.

"Heh, I guess, I should have slowed down some." Alfred said, with a wry smile.

He smiled as he rubbed his full stomach.

He then looked out the window and his smiled faded.

It was getting later now.

And the slowly reddening sky only reminded him that he was still there alone.

Alone.

God, he was just so bored!

Why wasn't there anything to do?

"God, no wonder Ludwig doesn't come here that often. It's so fuckin' boring here!" Alfred huffed, crossing his arms.

He reached over to pull the cart closer and took another fruit from the pile.

After he finished it off, he sighed dejectedly and crossed his arms.

"I wish he'd just come back already. It's not fair." Alfred said, softly.

And then suddenly Francis' knowing smile popped up in Alfred's mind.

Alfred immediately blushed a deep red.

"O-Only 'cause it's so boring here! I-It's not like that! I-I just wanna go out and just do something, th-that's all since he's been gone all day!" Alfred said, defensively.

He then sighed.

Here he was, talking to someone that wasn't even here.

"He still better hurry up, though." Alfred muttered, cheek still dusted a light pink.

And perfectly content to just lay there, Alfred yawned as he began to get drowsy.

Looking out the window with sleepy eyes, he saw that the sky was starting to turn a darker shade of orange.

And, just like before, the day slowly faded in and out in random periods, except this time, there were no interruptions.

Once Alfred finally fell asleep, there was no telling how much time had passed.

Everything was dark, so there was no way of knowing what went on as Alfred lay there, unconscious.

Though the only thing that did go on was the passing of the day, because when Alfred slowly woke up hours later, the shy was completely dark and the city lights were shining bright below.

It took Alfred a short while to register what happened because he didn't recall ever falling asleep in the first place.

But after blinking the sleep out of his eyes a few times, Alfred's eyes widened and he shot up off of the couch.

Oh, God.

What if Ludwig had come back and saw that he was sleeping there?

Alfred looked around the room frantically.

"Ludwig? A-Are you here?" Alfred asked, loudly.

No response.

Alfred walked into the hallway.

"Ludwig?" Alfred called again.

He then looked at Ludwig's door.

Alfred gulped and then walked up to Ludwig's room.

He stood in front of it for a short while before finally gathering up the courage to knock.

"H-Hello?" Alfred called, softly.

And again, there was no response.

Alfred cocked and eyebrow in confusion.

Was Ludwig still not here yet?

But it was nighttime, already.

Just where in the hell was he?!

Alfred's shoulders dropped and he walked back into the living room.

He looked out of the window and saw the city lights below.

Alfred walked over to the window, rested his forehead against it and sighed.

He rested a palm against the glass as he stared out at the city below.

"He's still not back isn't he back yet?" Alfred asked.

As hard as it was to admit, Alfred sometimes hated being alone.

Hated it.

Sure, sometimes it was great, but there were times when he just wanted to be with somebody.

But he could still handle being alone sometimes.

But just as long as he had someone to talk to.

Even if it was on the phone.

But if it was for an extended period of time, he hated it.

Because it was just so boring!

"Liar." Alfred said, pouting. "He said he wouldn't be gone all day."

And then Alfred blushed, feeling like a lovesick teen or a spoiled child.

He then scoffed, annoyed.

"Whatever. I don't even care." Alfred said, trying to convince himself.

Though it wasn't really working.

Even though Alfred was supposed to be making an impression on Ludwig, it seemed that Ludwig also seemed to be making an impression on Alfred as well.

But to what extent, Alfred didn't know.

Or figure out.

But, hopefully, it wasn't too much of an impression.

Alfred sighed for the umpteenth time as he stared out of the window.

Surely, he had been standing there for an hour or two.

Or, at least, it seemed like it.

Just when Alfred was about to just give up waiting for Ludwig and just turn in for the night, he suddenly heard the sound of the door being unlocked.

The door opened and when Alfred looked up, he saw the reflection of Ludwig walking through the door.

His eyes widened and, for a second, he thought he might be dreaming, but when he turned around and saw with his own eyesthat Ludwig was truly there, he was awash with the feeling of great relief.

When Ludwig caught his eyes and smiled, albeit a bit tiredly, Alfred couldn't control the giant smile that spread across his face.

And, without realizing it, Alfred bounded over to Ludwig and smiled greatly up at him.

"You're finally here!" Alfred said, happily.

Ludwig smiled and took off his hat. "Heh, ja. Sorry, I didn't mean to be gone all day."

Alfred huffed and crossed his arms before turned away and pouting playfully. "Liar. You said you weren't going to be gone all day. It's night."

Ludwig rubbed his head a bit guiltily. "Sorry. I shouldn't have said that so surely."

Alfred huffed again and walked back over to the window.

Ludwig set his hat down on a small table and hesitantly walked closer to Alfred, stopping at the center of the room.

"Were you lonely here by yourself?" Ludwig asked, after a long moment of awkward silence.

"Hmm. No, not really that man came up a few times. He brought my things and then he brought me a platter of fruit a little later." Alfred said, motioning to the cart.

Ludwig saw it by the couch and his eyes widened. "O-Oh, I…I didn't see that there."

"Yes. It was just fruit, but it was still quite good." Alfred said.

"Really?" Ludwig asked.

"Yes." Alfred said, simply.

"There isn't very much. Is this all he gave you?" Ludwig asked.

Alfred instantly blushed a deep red then, remembering his previous ravenous eating spree.

"Uh, y-yes. O-Of course, I ate some of it, but that's more or less how much there was originally." Alfred said, still facing the glass and hoping that Ludwig wouldn't see him blushing.

Ludwig hummed as he eyed the platter. "Hmm."

And Alfred didn't notice that Ludwig began to take his gloves off.

"So, let's get back to the matter of your being late, how are you going to-" Alfred began as he turned around but was cut off as he saw Ludwig pick up a strawberry and place it in his mouth.

When Ludwig finished it off, he licked his lips free of strawberry juice and hummed in surprise.

"U-Uh…w-wha…?" Alfred stammered.

And Ludwig apparently didn't notice Alfred stuttering as he reached for another fruit and ate it, this time having the juice dribble down his chin.

Alfred immediately blushed about 4 shades redder as he watched the juice dribble down Ludwig's chin.

And he watched as Ludwig licked his lips again and wiped the juice off his chin with the back of his hand.

Alfred's heart was pounding in his chest and he couldn't hear anything.

All he could hear was the sound of blood rushing in his ears.

"Hmm. Heh, it's really juicy. But it's good. You were right." Ludwig said, smiling.

And as impossible as it seemed, Alfred blushed even redder.

He bowed his head and tried to hide his face so Ludwig wouldn't see.

Though it was likely possibly that he would anyway, given how red Alfred's face was.

Having a face blushing that red would take some time to die down back to normal.

"Hey. A-Are you ok?" Ludwig asked, worry evident in his voice.

"I-I'm fine!" Alfred blurted out.

Ludwig made a face and eyed Alfred with uncertainty.

Almost looking like he didn't believe him.

"I'm ok. Really, I am." Alfred said, lowly.

"If you say so." Ludwig said.

They stood there in awkward silence.

Every time Alfred wanted to say something, his throat closed up and his mouth fell shut.

So he just shuffled his feet awkwardly.

And, in the end, it was Ludwig who was the first one to speak up.

"So, are you ready to go?" Ludwig asked.

Alfred looked up with a confused expression. "Huh? 'Go'? What do you mean 'go'? Go where?"

Ludwig chuckled. "Don't tell me you've forgotten already. I told you when I come back, I would take you out."

"Oh…B-But it's awfully late. Aren't you tired from being out all day?" Alfred asked.

Ludwig shook his head. "Nein. Well, maybe a little, bit I promised that I would take you out to see the sights. I plan to keep that promise."

"O-Oh. Well, you really don't have to do that. Heh, to be honest, I thought you weren't really going to do it." Alfred said.

"Nein, I was serious. I wouldn't lie to you like that. It's not polite." Ludwig said.

Alfred blushed. "W-Well, you know, with you being gone all day, I figured that you would be too tired to go right back out again. Honestly, I'm fine with jut staying here tonight. You really don't have to do this."

Ludwig took a step forward. "But I want to. It's my way of making it up to you for leaving you here all day by youself."

"I-I…umm…" Alfred trailed off, gaze falling to the floor.

Ludwig took another step closer to Alfred and placed a hand on his cheek.

Alfred gasped slightly.

Ludwig had never touched his face before.

So he was shocked at how warm and soft it was.

And again, his heart went into overdrive, pounding against his chest again.

Ludwig then lifted Alfred's head up with a curled finger until they were looking into each other's eyes.

And Alfred could swear that he was going to pass out right there.

If not from the intense heat on his face, then from the close proximity of their faces.

Noses just mere inches apart.

Alfred was completely frozen.

Ludwig then gave a warm smile.

"Please? It's my fault that I left you here alone for so long. Let me make it up to you." Ludwig said, his deep baritone voice rumbling in his throat and vibrating to the pit of Alfred's soul.

Alfred gulped nervously before gathering up the courage to speak.

"U-Um…I-I…o-ok." Alfred stammered, conceding.

Ludwig's smile widened and he finally let Alfred go, leaving the other a scarlet red.

"Good. Now, let's go. There's so much that I want you to see." Ludwig said.

"S-Sure." Alfred stuttered, hating himself for being so easily flustered.

And so Alfred finally took a step forward, albeit a bit shakily thanks to Ludwig, and stepped in at his side.

"We have a lot to see, so let's hurry." Ludwig said, stepping forward.

"O-Oh, wait!" Alfred suddenly cried out.

Ludwig cocked an eyebrow and watched as Alfred left his side.

Alfred went over to the chair and picked up the abandoned lid before placing it carefully back on the platter.

Ludwig watched as Alfred fussed over the little details on the cart with a confused look on his face.

Alfred hoped that this little diversion would calm his mind down, if only a little bit, before going out with Ludwig, but sadly, it didn't.

His heart was still thumping.

And his face was still red.

Once everything was perfect, Alfred cursed inwardly because there was nothing else to fix.

He looked back at Ludwig, who was still eyeing him suspiciously, and smiled nervously before walking next to him.

"What was that for?" Ludwig asked.

"U-Um, y-you know…I didn't want to leave the food out in the open like that. P-Plus if that man comes back, it'll be easier for him since he doesn't have to clean up." Alfred said, knowing how poorly worded his excuse was.

Ludwig eyed Alfred for a short while and then he chuckled. "Don't worry about it. It's his job to clean up."

"Y-Yeah…" Alfred said, lowly.

And with that, Ludwig led Alfred out of the room and closed the door behind him.

The walk down the hallway had to be the longest walked Alfred had ever taken.

Even seeming longer than when he and Ludwig had arrived at the army base and they had to walk down that aisle of Wehrmacht.

It was just he and Ludwig walking down that silent hallway.

Alfred looking down at the floor and Ludwig looking straight ahead.

When they finally reached the elevator, it was with great relief when the door finally opened.

When they got in and the doors finally closed, Alfred was relieved when the elevator finally buzzed to life and they began their descent because the noise was the only welcoming sound to fill up the awkward silence between them.

On the last 'ding', the door slowly opened.

Ludwig smiled at Alfred and motioned for him to go first.

Alfred smiled back softly and took the invitation.

When Alfred got out, Ludwig took the lead and Alfred followed mechanically at Ludwig's side.

"If you ever get cold, let me know und I'll let you wear mein coat." Ludwig said.

"O-Ok." Alfred said, softly.

When they got to the entrance, Ludwig held the door open for Alfred and smiled.

Alfred nodded and walked through.

As soon as he stepped outside, the cold air was instantly upon him and he shivered instantly.

Alfred blushed, growling in annoyance.

Of course it wasn't as cold as last night, but he was sure that it would indeed get colder.

Great, yet another thing what would put him in an embarrassing situation later.

"Come on, the car is waiting." Ludwig said, looking back at Alfred.

"R-Right." Alfred said, trying to hide the shivering in his voice.

Once at the car, Ludwig held the door open again, as expected, and Alfred got in.

Alfred sighed in relief at the warm interior as Ludwig slid in next to him.

Ludwig closed the door, said something up to the driver and they were off.

"So, where do you want to go first?" Ludwig asked.

Alfred giggled, coyly. "Funny. You know I've never been here before. If I recall, you're the one showing me around, remember? So, why don't you take me where you want to go?"

Ludwig chuckled. "I see. Well then, I'll take you to see the best sights, ja?"

Alfred smiled. "You're the tour guide."

Ludwig smiled back and said something up to the driver.

The driver nodded and Ludwig rolled the small window back up again.

They spent the next few hours just driving around, Ludwig explaining to Alfred the things that they were passing by.

"You see that right there? That's called the Arc de Triomphe." Ludwig said, pointing out the window in Alfred's side.

Alfred sat, wide-eyed at the sheer size of the monument.

He pressed his face up against the window to get a better appreciation of the marvel.

A short while later, Ludwig pointed to another structure.

"That there is a cathedral called Notre-Dame de just Notre-Dame for short." Ludwig said.

"It's so pretty!" Alfred exclaimed.

Ludwig smiled. "Ja, it is."

And Alfred couldn't keep the smile off his face as Ludwig told Alfred all about the landmarks that they visited.

Alfred's attention was brought to another landmark, this time out Ludwig's side.

His eyes widened as he scooted closer, this time being aware of where he was.

Lest he cause more awkward embarrassment by leaning over Ludwig again.

"Whoa, what is that?!" Alfred asked, incredulously.

"It's a royal medieval Gothic chapel, und it's called the Sainte-Chapelle." Ludwig said, pointing to a giant building with multicolored glass.

Alfred looked at Ludwig.

Ludwig blushed and smiled, rubbing the back of his head bashfully. "Sorry, I can't really pronounce the French accents."

Alfred smiled. "No, it's ok. You're doing good."

Ludwig smiled. "Thanks."

"Ooh, it's so pretty! Can we stop and go inside?" Alfred asked, eagerly.

"Nein, I'm sorry. It's closed right now, so we can't." Ludwig said.

Alfred sighed, sadly. "Aww, I want to go in."

"Don't worry, I've never been inside either. Mostly because I don't have the time. But I have seen it before." Ludwig said.

Alfred watched, sadly, as the building got smaller and smaller.

"There's still much more to see." Ludwig said, trying to cheer Alfred up.

But Alfred just simply sighed.

Ludwig then pointed to another structure.

This time, a large white building.

"Frieda, look over there." Ludwig said, pointing out another landmark.

Alfred looked to where Ludwig was pointing.

He sat there, wide-eyed as the building came into view.

"That's called the Sacred Heart of Paris. That's the short way of saying, anyway." Ludwig said.

"What's the long way?" Alfred asked.

Ludwig chuckled. "I knew you would ask that."

Alfred blushed. "S-Sorry."

"Nein, I wanted you to ask. To answer your question you could also refer to it as The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris." Ludwig said.

Alfred's eyes widened. "Wow, thatis long."

"Ja, und the French pronunciation is too hard, so let's just leave it at the Sacred Heart." Ludwig said.

Alfred chuckled. "Yes, let's."

"Und, believe it or not, that's actually the highest point in all of Paris." Ludwig said.

"Really?" Alfred asked.

Ludwig nodded. "Ja."

"Wow, how do you know all of this?" Alfred asked.

"Well, when I was younger, I was quite into historical monuments around the world. I was always really interested in history." Ludwig said.

"That's so interesting." Alfred said.

Ludwig blushed, bashfully. "N-Not really."

"No, it is!" Alfred said, defensively. "Now, I know why people wouldn't understand your feelings. Because they just might think you're boring when you're really not."

Ludwig looked at Alfred. "D-Do you really think so?"

Alfred smiled. "Of course I do! This is the best time I've ever had with somebody!"

"Th-Thanks." Ludwig said, still blushing.

Alfred just kept smiling.

And he wasn't lying, either.

This really was the best time he'd ever had with somebody.

Even if that "somebody" was the supposed "enemy".

But still, even so, nobody had ever taken him out and just went sightseeing before.

"Of course, there's a lot more to see, but there's no way we can see it all in one night." Ludwig said.

Alfred giggled. "Of course, that would just be crazy!"

They both fell silent as they rode together.

It was a comfortable silence.

The first in what seemed like a very long time.

Ludwig was the first one to speak up and break the silence.

He said something to the driver and the man nodded.

"We're going back closer to the hotel." Ludwig said.

Alfred's shoulders lowered. "Oh."

Ludwig noticed this and instantly spoke up to cheer Alfred up.

"H-Hey, don't be sad. We're not going back directly to the hotel! We're just going to take a short walk, that's all." Ludwig said.

Alfred smiled softly. "Oh…that's good. I thought we were going back."

Ludwig smiled. "Nein. I'm having too much fun to end it this early."

Alfred sighed. "Although I wish it didn't have to end. It just feels like it's too soon."

"Ja." Ludwig said, agreeing.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to dampen the mood." Alfred said.

N-Nein, it's ok. It's not your fault. It just happens when you're having fun, that's all." Ludwig said.

Alfred smiled. "You know, you're really good at cheering me up. Thank you."

Ludwig smiled back. "I try."

They fell into a comfortable silence again, and a short while later, they came to a stop.

Alfred looked up and out the window and he saw the Eiffel tower out his window.

He looked over at Ludwig, who was smiling, and got a confused look on his face.

"Well? Come on, let's go. I told you we were going to a walk, remember?" Ludwig asked.

"O-Oh…r-right." Alfred said.

"Wait here." Ludwig said.

And with that, Ludwig got out and closed the door.

A few seconds later, Alfred heard the door open on his side.

Alfred looked up at Ludwig and watched as Ludwig held out his hand.

Smiling, Alfred took it and Ludwig helped him out of the car.

Ludwig closed the door behind him and smiled.

"Well then. Shall we go?" Ludwig said.

Alfred smiled back. "Ok."

They walked together, side by side, in comfortable silence for a short while.

Alfred was the first to speak up.

"So, are those buildings really that old?" Alfred asked, walking with his hands behind his back.

Ludwig nodded. "Ja, they're all well over 100 years old. Though the Arc de Triomphe is the youngest of them all I believe, but it's still over 100 years old."

"Wow, they must really take care of them for them to be able to keep standing for that long." Alfred said.

"Ja, maintenance is important for monuments to keep standing." Ludwig said.

"That's true." Alfred said.

"You know, I'm really having a wonderful time with you, Frieda. Thank you again for agreeing to come to France with me." Ludwig said, smiling warmly.

"O-Oh, d-don't worry about it." Alfred said, blushing. "If anything, I should be the one thanking you."

Ludwig chuckled. "Well, you're welcome."

Alfred sighed, wistfully. "This really is a nice place."

"Ja. If I had come by myself, I wouldn't have had nearly this much fun. It would have been boring here by myself. It's much better having someone to see the sights with rather than doing it alone." Ludwig said.

Alfred smiled. "Well, I'm glad I could get you from being bored and lonely."

They both shared a light-hearted laugh as they walked before they fell into a comfortable silence.

"Hey, du!" came a sudden voice.

Alfred and Ludwig both looked behind then to see an angry man walking up behind them.

Alfred looked at the man in confusion as he stomped over to them.

When the man came up to them, he reached out and grabbed Alfred's arm in a painful vice-like grip.

Alfred winced in pain as the man gripped harder.

"What are you doing out here, girl?! Don't you know its past curfew?! Get back to your house right now! Get going!" The man yelled angrily in German.

Alfred looked at the man in horror. 'W-What's this asshole's problem?!' Alfred thought.

The man looked at Alfred incredulously.

And then his look turned into a scowl of disdain.

"What are you, stupid?! Can you not understand me?! That's it, I'm taking you back! Stay in your house or else I'll throw you in jail!" The man screamed.

Alfred yelped in surprise as he was yanked suddenly in the direction the man was walking.

The man's grip was so tight, Alfred thought that he was going to cut off all circulation in his arm.

Or, at the very least, get a very nasty bruise.

The man only got about three to four steps forward when all of a sudden, with great speed, Ludwig strode forward and appeared in front of them and grabbed the man's arm forcefully.

The man grunted in pain and looked up at Ludwig.

Ludwig reined the man in and brought him in close.

And Alfred couldn't help the tremble that wracked his frame as he got a look at Ludwig.

There was a raging tempest in Ludwig's icy-blue eyes and his jaw was straight and set.

The man grunted in pain as Ludwig held his arm in a death-grip.

Alfred could hear the fabric ruffle under Ludwig's grip.

"Let. Go. Of. Her. Right. Now!" Ludwig growled, threateningly, bringing their faces closer with each word.

Ludwig stared daggers at the man, their noses barely touching.

The man scoffed and snatched his arm away from Ludwig after prying his hand off with the other, letting go of Alfred's arm.

"What are you, stupid? You know that people aren't supposed to be out at night! It's past curfew!You're one of those stupid low-level idiots, aren't you? The ones that don't know how things work around here? I should report you for not following the law!" The man screamed directly into Ludwig's face.

Alfred gasped and covered his mouth.

He couldn't understand what they were saying, but he was pretty damn sure that that man had just shown the ultimate disrespect to Ludwig.

General Ludwig.

A look of utter incredulousness crossed Ludwig's face.

The man just stood these with an arrogant sneer on his face.

And suddenly the looks of incredulousness faded into intense fury.

Fury unlike Alfred had ever seen before.

And suddenly, with incredible speed, Ludwig twisted the man's arm behind his back painfully, causing the man to grunt, before pulling out a pistol and shoving the barrel forcefully under the man's chin.

The man's eyes widened as the cold steel pressed into his chin and pain in his arm caused him to groan.

"I don't think you know who you're talking to, you little piece of shit!" Ludwig growled, menacingly, pressing the gun harder into the man's chin.

And to Alfred's surprise, the man chuckled.

Chuckled!

Even when Ludwig was pressing a goddamn gun into his chin!

And Alfred could only think that this guy was either really brave or reallyfuckin' stupid.

"Heh, really?You think that's going to scare me? You're bluffing. I can wave my gun around too, you know! Go ahead, shoot. You won't do it." The man sneered.

Alfred gasped when he heard Ludwig cock his gun.

"Try me." Ludwig hissed, lowly.

The man chuckled again.

Alfred's eyes widened even more.

Was there no end this man's stupidity?!

"Heh, do you know how many times I've pulled that on people? You're stupider than you look if you think that's going to scare me!" The man sneered, cockily.

Alfred watched as Ludwig's brow lowered even more and another tremble wracked his frame.

And Alfred could only think one thing.

Ludwig was scary as shit when he was pissed the fuck off.

Check that off as to never do that.

"Why don't you look at my uniform and try that again." Ludwig said, staring the man directly in his eyes.

The man cast a half-hearted glance down at Ludwig's immaculate uniform.

He eyed it for a short while, eyes narrowed suspiciously, almost as if he recognized it.

And then, a short while later, his eyes widened in absolute horror.

He looked back up at Ludwig.

And Ludwig looked back with that fear-inducing icy cold stare, not even once looking away.

The man was reduced to body-shaking trembles and began stuttering like an idiot.

"R-Reichsführer L-Ludwig!" The man stammered.

He tried to pull away, but Ludwig held fast, tightening his grip.

Alfred flinched as he heard Ludwig cock the hammer of the gun all the way back.

"Ah, so it looks like you do finally remember me?" Ludwig asked, with smug air in his voice.

"R-Reichsführer L-Ludwig, I-I di-didn't kn-know y-you w-were h-here!" The man stuttered before gulping.

"Yes, well, I am. Do you have anything to say for yourself?" Ludwig asked.

"R-Reichsführer, I-I'm s-so sorry! I-I d-didn't see your uniform! I-I was just f-following orders. P-Please, f-forgive me!" The man begged.

"Hm, you know, I don't know if I should. Given that you blatantly disrespected me and, might I add, insulted and harmed a woman. And to top it off, you even called me stupid, what, twice, I believe? And plus, you doubted my power and my authority? You tell me if I should forgive you." Ludwig said. "Or let you live." he added, putting his finger on the trigger.

"P-Please! I-I'm sorry! D-Don't kill me. I-I'm begging you!" The man screamed.

But Ludwig just stood there, holding the man by his arm and pressing the barrel of the gun under his chin.

Icy blue eyes still boring holes through the man's skull.

"P-Please! I-I'll do anything! A-Anything, I swear! The man pleaded.

Ludwig's cold hard face then slowly morphed into a smile.

Thought it was a crooked smile.

Almost sadistic in nature.

Alfred felt an ice-cold tingle shoot up his spine at the sight.

"Anything?" Ludwig asked.

The man nodded, frantically. "Y-Yes, yes! Anything!"

Ludwig's crooked smile grew even more.

And then he brought his mouth to the man's ear.

"Then run!" Ludwig hissed into the man's ear."Run, and do not look back!"

Ludwig then pulled away.

The man gulped. "R-Run?Wh-Wh-Why?"

"I wouldn't waste time talking if I were you. Here, I'll give you a head start. One, two, three, four." Ludwig said, looking at his wrist as if he has a watch.

The man took a few steps back, before he turned tail.

And just as he was about to sprint back the way he came, Ludwig grabbed him up again.

"Wait a minute! Hold it!" Ludwig yelled.

The man looked back, fear evident in his eyes. "Y-Yes?"

Ludwig then pointed to Alfred.

Alfred gulped.

"Apologize to her." Ludwig said.

The man just looked at Ludwig.

Ludwig gripped the man harder.

"Did I stutter? I said apologize to her! Now!" Ludwig bellowed.

Alfred then froze as both of their gazes fell upon him.

"I-I'm s-sorry, miss. I-It was rude of me to treat you in such a way. I'm s-sorry, please forgive me!" The man said.

Alfred looked at Ludwig, who nodded back.

Alfred just nodded at the man and said nothing.

Ludwig then looked back at the man. "Now, you can run. Oh, and by the way, I was still counting. So, if I were you, then I'd hurry up and get the fuck out of here! Oh and, by the way, next time you want to talk about the law, remember this, I am the law!"

And with that, Ludwig let the man go with an utterly disgusted look on his face.

The man stumbled backwards a little before he turned tail and ran.

"Faster!" Ludwig screamed. "FASTER!"

The man was all but sprinting down the walkway.

And the crooked smile that Ludwig wore earlier came back with full force.

And Alfred was all but trembling now.

God, since when was Ludwig this scary?!

Had he always been this way and it never showed until this moment?

And Alfred thought he was going to pass out right then because a glint in the light caught his eye.

Alfred gasped when he saw what it was.

It was Ludwig's gun.

Wait.

Was he going to…

'O-Oh, God. I-Is he going to shoot him?!' Alfred thought.

Alfred was completely frozen.

He had to do something!

Lest he have someone's blood on his hands.

He had to be the hero.

Because if anyone needed a hero, it was that man.

Even if he was the enemy.

And even if he did hurt him.

'Goddammit! Move, goddammit! MOVE!' Alfred screamed mentally at himself.

Ludwig took a stance and held the gun in one hand and took aim.

Fighting with all of his might against the trembling in his body, Alfred was fueled with a sickening explosion of energy.

And he finally shot forth with a burst of adrenaline.

And then, a split second later, he was upon Ludwig, pulling on his arm.

Ludwig's eyes widened and he seemed to come out of a trance as he looked down at Alfred whose face was buried in his shoulder as he tried to pull down Ludwig's arm.

"P-Please. D-Don't kill him." Alfred begged, quietly.

Ludwig's expression softened and he finally lowered his arm.

He un-cocked his gun and put it back in the holster under his coat.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause so much trouble. I knew we shouldn't have gone out tonight!" Alfred said.

"Nein, it's not your fault." Ludwig said, cupping Alfred's face with both hands and making him look up at him. "It was his fault for ruining out time together." he added, glaring over at the man's direction.

Alfred gasped again at the warmth and softness of Ludwig's hands.

From the feel of them, it was hard to tell that they were just holding a gun a few seconds earlier.

And unless they were actually seen holding a gun, it would be impossible to tell.

Ludwig scanned the area and his eyes finally caught the retreating form of the officer.

Ludwig scoffed.

Alfred looked into Ludwig's eyes and to, his surprise; they no longer had that blinding fury they had once held earlier.

It was almost like they were an entirely different set of eyes!

Ludwig looked back at Alfred.

"Please don't think it's your fault. If anything it's my fault." Ludwig said. "I-I don't know, when I saw him grab you like that und when he yanked you away, I-I just lost it. I just got so angry."

They both fell in to a dreadful silence.

Alfred just didn't know what to say.

"Please don't think that I'm really like that. I'm not, I promise. I hope that whole ordeal doesn't change your view of me. I should have had more control. Please don't be mad at me." Ludwig said, lowly.

Alfred couldn't help but feel terrible.

Here Ludwig was, blaming himself for all of this shit, when, really, it was none of their faults.

It was that man's fault for disrespecting him.

And so, Alfred really couldn't blame Ludwig.

Because it really wasn't his fault.

He just got mad.

Hell, anyone would get pissed off if they were disrespected like that.

And Alfred couldn't just stand there and let Ludwig just berate himself like that.

Because it just wasn't fair to him.

And so, Alfred did what was necessary.

If only to keep Ludwig from cursing himself.

Alfred reached up and rested his hand on Ludwig's.

"Hey. Relax, I'm not mad at you. I could never be. How could I be? How could I be mad at a person who was just trying to protect me?" Alfred asked.

Ludwig looked up at Alfred and gave a great smile of relief.

And Alfred smiled back.

"You've been nothing but good to me, and I like that. I don't care that you got angry; it doesn't change my view of you because I know how you really act and I know you were just trying to defend me." Alfred said. "So, don't beat yourself up over it…ok? Don't blame yourself."

Ludwig smiled and rubbed Alfred's cheek with a thumb.

And Alfred smiled, just happy to see that worried look gone from Ludwig's face.

He really did look better with a smile on his face.

"So, shall we go and just forget this never happened?" Alfred asked.

"Ja, I'd like that." Ludwig said.

And with that, they continued their walk.

That whole ordeal slowly becoming a distant memory.

They had a few moments of light-hearted laughter and chuckling which made their walk a little easier.

Their walk ended with Ludwig leading Alfred back to that same bench in front of the Eiffel Tower where they were the night before.

"Let's sit down here." Ludwig said, sitting down.

Alfred smiled and settled down next to him.

Alfred sighed happily. "You know this is the best night I've ever had."

"Really?" Ludwig asked.

Alfred nodded. "Yes, of course! This is the most fun I've ever had in a single night. You know, aside from that whole interruption earlier."

Ludwig smiled. "Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"I did." Alfred said.

And again, they fell into a comfortable silence and they stayed like that for a short while until Ludwig spoke up.

"I hate it." Ludwig muttered lowly.

"Hm? What did you say?" Alfred asked.

"I said, I hate it!" Ludwig said.

Alfred flinched. "Hate what? What do you hate?"

"All of this! The patrolling, the oppression of people, the war, I hate it!" Ludwig said, holding his head in his hands.

Alfred slowly placed a hand of Ludwig's shoulder. "Ludwig, I-"

"Don't you see?! Don't you see what we're doing?! I-It's not right! It's not right und I just can't take it anymore!" Ludwig yelled, interrupting Alfred.

Alfred flinched and his throat closed up again.

Ludwig sighed. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. I-It's just that I've been holding in mein feelings for so long, I just had to let it out. I'm sorry it was on you."

"No, it's ok. It's not good to bottle up your emotions like that." Alfred supplied.

"I'm sorry. This has just been going on for so long. Too long und I just don't care anymore. I just needed someone to talk to. It's hard when you don't have anyone willing to listen." Ludwig said.

"I-I'll listen!" Alfred said, eagerly, realizing that this could be his chance to hear Ludwig relay important information.

But Ludwig only shook his head. "Nein, I don't want you to worry about me und mein problems."

"N-No, please, I'll listen! Wh-Who knows? M-Maybe I can help! O-Or if I can't, then maybe I can just offer support. You said it yourself, that it's hard to find someone willing to listen to you. But I'm willing!Please, Ludwig! Maybe I won't be able to understand, but I can at least try!" Alfred said, trying to convince Ludwig.

"You're a good, woman, Frieda." Ludwig said, smiling.

Alfred gulped.

'Please, don't let this moment slip away, please!' Alfred thought, desperately.

"But I don't blame you. You're just trying to help und I appreciate that." Ludwig said.

Alfred smiled. "Please just know that I'm here for you and I'm willing to listen if you let me."

Ludwig laughed and snorted humorlessly. "You probably already know what I am, don't you?"

Alfred's face paled before Ludwig turned and looked Alfred directly in his eyes.

"Don't you?" Ludwig repeated. "It's ok. I knew it was stupid und pointless to hide such an obvious fact."

"I-I…u-um…" Alfred said, trailing off.

"You know, don't you?" Ludwig asked, lowly.

Alfred's mouth opened but his voice died in his throat.

Ludwig smiled, albeit a bit sadly.

"Don't you?" Ludwig repeated once again.

And it was with a great pain in his chest and all of his willpower that Alfred finally forced himself to nod.

"Y-Yes…I-I do. I-I know." Alfred said, softly.

"Ah…I knew it. It was bound to happen sooner or later. It was fun while it lasted." Ludwig said.

"No, Ludwig, I don't care about that! I don't care if you're one of them! I like you!" Alfred said.

Ludwig just simply smiled and turned forward to stare at the ground. "Why? I'm a monster. Don't you see? I'm a part of something that oppresses people just for being different."

"No, Ludwig, you're not a monster! I've known you for almost a week now and you're not like the others.A-And I know that's to enough time to really get to know somebody, but I've seen enough! You're polite, kind, interesting, and a very caring person! The way you described your family and how you wish to be together again! That's the farthestthingfrom a monster!" Alfred cried, trying to just make Ludwig see.

Ludwig sighed. "Ja, you say that, but I just don't know. I-I first joined because I actually thought I was doing something good. The way mein brother said it, made it sound like the greatest thing in the world. So, I joined to make him proud of me. We joined with the promise that we'd be great again und that we would all come together as one. Mein Gott, we thought we were joining good cause! But by the time I saw what we were really doing; i-it was too late. We joined und we were already in too deep, that we just couldn't get out. So we were stuck. There was nothing left to do but rise up in the ranks. I-I don't know how I let myself get brainwashed like that. I feel so stupid!"

"But Ludwig, it wasn't your fault! You had no control over what you were told!" Alfred said.

"But I still should have seen the signs." Ludwig said, grabbing fistfuls of his hair. "I swear, if I have to say 'Heil Hitler'or do that gottverdammt salute one more time, I'm going to go crazy!"

Alfred fell silent.

"Well…h-have you ever…y-you know…k-killed anyone?" Alfred asked.

Ludwig looked at Alfred then.

"I-I'm sorry. I-I shouldn't have asked." Alfred said.

"It's ok. Und to answer your question, nein. I haven't. Und thank Gott I've haven't had to." Ludwig said.

"But if you don't want to kill people then were you really bluffing when you pointed your gun at that man?" Alfred asked.

"Nein, I was actually serious. I was just done with everything that I just didn't care anymore." Ludwig said.

"W-Wait, so if you've never killed anybody then that guy…w-would he have been the first?" Alfred asked.

Ludwig nodded. "Ja."

"Ludwig, I don't know what you've been through and I know that there's no way that I can fully understand, but just know that you're not alone." Alfred said.

"You really do care, don't you?" Ludwig asked.

Alfred nodded. "Of course I do. And it hurts to see you beat yourself up over something you had no control over. Nothing that's happened is your fault, Ludwig. So, please stop blaming yourself for everything. It's not good for you."

Ludwig smiled. "You're the only one who's ever said anything like that to me."

"Maybe because I'm probably the only one you've ever opened up to." Alfred said.

"Ja, that's true." Ludwig said.

"Wait, you mean you've never opened up to anyone before." Alfred asked.

"Nein." Ludwig said.

Alfred's eyes widened. "N-Not even to your own brother?"

Ludwig shook his head. "I've been afraid to. If I told him how I really felt, I'm afraid he might get mad at me for disagreeing with what we're doing und think I'm a traitor. He might think that I'm turning mein back on him. I don't want him to think I'm a failure. I don't want to lose him und be alone because he's the only family I have left."

Alfred couldn't help but feel sorry for Ludwig because, in the end, he was just someone who just wants to make his brother proud and afraid to be called a traitor by his only family and afraid to lose him.

It was such a sad and lonely position to be in.

"Well, what if your brother is feeling the same way?" Alfred supplied.

Ludwig looked at Alfred in confusion.

"I-I don't understand." Ludwig said.

"Well." Alfred began. "What if he's feeling the same way as you are? You both want to make each other proud, but are afraid of what each other will say once you tell each other what you're truly feeling. You can't ever rule out the possibility that the feeling could be mutual. You shouldn't ignore that possibility because it could be the answer you're looking for."

"I-I've never thought of that." Ludwig said.

Alfred smiled. "Well, think of it like this. If you're afraid of losing him as family, then don't you think that he feels the same way too?"

"I-wow…I-I can't believe that I've never thought of that before. I guess I was just so worried about mein own feelings that I've never given it any thought." Ludwig said.

"I'm glad I could make you understand." Alfred said.

"Wow, believe it or not, you've actually made me feel a lot better. Thank you." Ludwig said.

"You're very welcome." Alfred said, smiling.

Ludwig smiled back gratefully and then, all of a sudden, there was a faint chime of a clock tower.

"Oh, wow, it's getting kind of late. I think we should be heading back now." Ludwig said.

"Oh… 's fine, since I'm getting kind of tired anyway." Alfred said.

And with that, Ludwig stood up and extended a hand towards Alfred and Alfred took the offered hand and helped himself up.

"You know, I've never told you this, but that dress makes you look even more beautiful than the last. Und that necklace really complements your eyes in the light." Ludwig said.

Alfred blushed. "Well…th-thank you. You're very kind."

Ludwig smiled and then blushed slightly. "You're welcome. U-Und there's one thing I want to do before we go. I-I mean…i-if you would let me."

Alfred tilted his head in confusion. "Hm? What is it?

Ludwig smiled. "This."

And with that, Ludwig pulled Alfred close, wrapped his arms around him and finally pressed his lips against his.

Alfred's eyes widened.

Oh-no.

Oh-no.

Oh-no, no, no, no, no!

He did not just do that!

Alfred stood there, frozen, in Ludwig's arms, lips pressed firmly against his.

Alfred's hand flew up to Ludwig's arms to push him away but, for some reason, they couldn't push him off.

Instead, his fingers found themselves clutching Ludwig's coat.

And Alfred felt like he was going into a mild delirium as Ludwig's lips kept pressing against his own.

It felt like an eternity even though it was only a few seconds.

Yet in that short period, Alfred felt everything.

Ludwig's arms wrapping around him.

The fabric of Ludwig's coat.

The warm breath coming from Ludwig's nose.

And, finally, the warmth and softness of Ludwig's lips.

Alfred had to fight the urge his eyes had to close.

And he had to fight the urge his tongue had to initiate the kiss even further.

It took all his willpower just to not give in to the kiss.

So he just stood there, eyes widened in surprise, as he waited for Ludwig to pull away.

After a few more seconds, Ludwig finally pulled away with a soft wet smack and smiled.

Alfred was left red-faced and stuttering like an idiot.

Ludwig then let go of Alfred and rubbed the back of his head blushing bashfully.

"S-Sorry, I didn't mean to catch you off guard. I-I don't know what came over me." Ludwig said, apologizing.

Alfred was just as red-faced as Ludwig and he could barely talk as well.

"N-No, no. D-Don't apologize. I-It's ok." Alfred said.

Ludwig smiled.

And then suddenly a cold gale of wind picked up and Alfred shivered.

"Here, wear mein coat." Ludwig said, taking his coat off.

Alfred blushed even more as he felt Ludwig drape his coat over his shoulders.

Alfred pulled the coat tighter around himself as they walked back to the awaiting car.

He chanced a look at Ludwig from the corner of his eye and saw that he was in great spirits.

For obvious reasons.

On their way back, Alfred was having a mental battle with those strange new emotions again.

They were back with full force and they were stirring up within him.

When they reached the car, Ludwig graciously held the door open for Alfred.

Alfred climbed in and Ludwig settled in beside of him.

Ludwig called up to the driver and they were off again.

The ride back to the hotel seemed shorter.

Which was probably because Alfred's mind was occupied at the moment from the thoughts of his and Ludwig's recent kiss.

"We're here." Ludwig said, breaking Alfred out of his trance.

"O-Ok." Alfred stammered.

Once they were out of the car, they made their way up to the hotel entrance.

They walked through the lobby and to the elevator.

And once in the elevator, Alfred was thankful for the humming of the elevator as it ascended.

If only so it could distract him.

The elevator 'dinged' once it got to the top floor and, like always, Ludwig motioned for Alfred to go first.

Alfred smiled and, of course, went first.

And then there was the long walk down the hallway.

'Please don't say anything, please don't say anything.' Alfred pleaded mentally.

"I had a really good time tonight, Frieda." Ludwig said, smiling.

'Dammit!' Alfred cursed mentally.

"Well, aside from that idiot who ruined out time together. But other than that, it was really nice showing you around." Ludwig said.

"Yes. It was fun, wasn't it?" Alfred asked.

Ludwig smiled.

When they reached the door, Ludwig pulled out his key and opened it.

He motioned for Alfred to go first and Alfred took the gesture and entered the room.

Ludwig came in behind him and closed the door.

"Oh. I guess he hasn't been here yet." Alfred said, eyeing the cart that was still in the same spot.

"I guess not." Ludwig said.

Alfred walked over to the cart, placed a hand on it and sighed.

Ludwig walked passed Alfred and lifted the lid off the platter.

The fruit still looked appealing to the eye even after hours of being left alone.

Ludwig gave Alfred a small smile. "Want to finish them off?"

Alfred blushed, slightly. "O-Ok, sure."

"Good. It'll be almost like we're having dinner together." Ludwig said. "Only, you know, with fruit."

Alfred chuckled. "Yes. But it's close enough."

It didn't really take long to finish of the fruit since it was already half-gone.

But it was still nice to eat and talk to each other.

Once they were done, Alfred licked his lips free of juice and unfortunately for him, Ludwig did as well.

And Alfred could only stare, face scarlet red again being suddenly reminded about the kiss.

Ludwig placed the lid back on the platter and pushed it in the corner so it wouldn't get in the way.

He helped Alfred off the couch, being the gentleman that he was, and walked Alfred to his room.

Alfred opened his door and walked into his room.

"Goodnight, Ludwig. I had a wonderful time tonight. Thank you for taking me out." Alfred said, smiling.

Ludwig smiled back. "I was glad to do it. It was mein pleasure."

"So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow." Alfred said.

"Ja, of course. Goodnight." Ludwig said, warmly.

Alfred smiled back.

And with that, Ludwig set off down the hallway to his room.

Alfred watched as he reached his door.

When Ludwig turned around and caught Alfred's eyes, they both shared one last smile for the night before Ludwig finally disappeared behind his door.

Alfred finally closed his door and locked it before leaning against it.

"O-Oh, my God. I-I can't believe he kissed me!" Alfred said, quietly.

Alfred then began getting undressed.

And as he undressed, Alfred didn't know what scared him more.

Ludwig kissing him.

Or the fact that he didn't hate that Ludwig kissed him.

Alfred, at last, took off the wig and placed it on the dresser before climbing into bed.

Alfred yawned before removing his glasses and placing them on the small dresser on the side of his bed.

As he lay back in the sheets, Alfred couldn't help but feel that, maybe, just maybe, that all this was starting to get out of hand.

Because judging from the way that Ludwig kissed him, it seemed evident that he was catching some feelings.

And it seemed that it was the same way for him too.

Because when Ludwig held him in his arms, he felt so safe and warm.

And the way his eyes threatened to shut was unnerving.

The way his hands were supposed to push the man away, but instead, found themselves clutching his coat.

The soft texture and warmth of Ludwig's lips.

And, perhaps the worst of all, the way his tongue seemed to want to fight its way out of Alfred's mouth just to get a taste of the man.

If this kept up going at the pace it was going, Alfred didn't know what he would do.

It was already moving a bit too fast for his tastes, but that was probably mostly his fault.

Because, sometimes, it was hard to rein in his playful personality.

Sometimes, Alfred just couldn'thelp but turn on the charm.

So, yeah, it probably was most of his fault.

And Matthew did tell him to not act like himself.

Because it really could get him into trouble.

But how could he expect him not to?!

It was hard to reel in a big personality like Alfred's!

He might as well tell Matthew to stop eating pancakes with maple syrup.

Alfred chuckled at that thought.

Matthew would go in to withdrawal if that were to happen.

He remembered one time when they ran out, Matthew cried, acting like it was the end of all existence.

Alfred tried to offer him another kind, but Matthew vehemently shook his head and demanded maple syrup.

If it wasn't maple syrup, Matthew wouldn't eat it.

It had always been like that for as long as Alfred could remember.

But, of course, if Alfred brought it up now, Matthew would violently deny any allegations of him crying over an empty bottle of maple syrup.

And then there was that one time, when Alfred replaced the maple syrup in the bottle with another brand as a joke.

And since they were the same color, Matthew had no what hit him.

A maple syrup bottle with another brand of syrup in it.

Classic.

Alfred went into a giggling fit and he had to cover his mouth with his hands to stifle the noise.

He didn't want wake up Ludwig.

But, hilarious memories aside, Alfred couldn't really ditch his personality completely.

Sure, he could detach himself from it, but he couldn't just abandonit.

So, Alfred concluded that it wasn't really fair for Matthew to tell him not to do something that was a part of him.

Especially since maple syrup seemed to be a part of Matthew.

Matthew wouldn't give that up for anything.

Alfred yawned.

As he drifted off to sleep, he could only hope for one thing.

That this whole ordeal would work itself out soon.

Because he and Ludwig were starting to get dangerously close to each other.

And Alfred would have to do all he could to keep that from happening.

Otherwise, he'd be in for the worst time of his life.

---

FINALLY, another chapter done! This took too long even by my standards. But thank you all for sticking with it, despite my SUPER long absence.

P.S. I'm sorry, again, that it took so long for me to update. I got kind lazy around the holidays, so yeah…that's why it took so long. So, to make up for my laziness, I'm going to try to update a little bit faster. However, don't quote me on that, I said I'd try to. And, like I said before, if there's anything wrong with any German grammar or responses, let me know and I'll fix it. Well, anyways, please read and review and look forward to the next chapter! =).