A/N: So many old people were looking over my shoulder at the end of this chapter while I was writing it! It was sooooo awkward! They were like, "What are you writing there, sonny boy?" Please enjoy and review if you can!
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Feliciano walked around the base the next day as if he were someone important, but really, he felt more homesick than anything after talking to Antonio. If anything, all he wanted was to get that Spaniard away from him so he wouldn't be tempted to talk about his family any longer and just get back to what was now his normal life in the military. Though he hated that that was how he now viewed the hateful thing he did every day, what else was there to call it?
There was nothing Feliciano could do to change the actions of the things that he did to those people before he saw the light of what his military was doing, and there was no way he could escape the military now. They could easily hunt him down and do to him what they did to everyone they had imprisoned so far. It wasn't fair, but it was what life was at that point in time for Feliciano.
The young Major sighed and continued walking toward the cafeteria. Things seemed different those days. He wasn't really as brave as he used to be. It was as if his mind did a complete 180 degree flip. Feliciano was finding it harder and harder to stand up to Ludwig and his suggestions and even harder to look people like General Roeder in the eye. He found himself becoming more and more timid, and he didn't like it. What was going on?
Feliciano shook those thoughts from his head. He couldn't afford to be thinking that way. There were so many more important matters, like how he was going to fix that limp of his. If he couldn't fix that limp, he might not be able to go on missions anymore, which meant that he wouldn't be able to spend as much time with Ludwig. Just the thought of that broke Feliciano's heart and built up a raging fire inside of him to get better.
Ludwig was waiting for him at their usual table. "Guten morgen, Feliciano," he greeted with a nod.
The young Italian knew enough German to know what that meant. "And a good morning to you as well, Ludwig," he greeted back. He sat down across from the Lieutenant, feeling his heart pounding madly in his chest. Why did he always get this way around Ludwig? Couldn't his emotions just give him at least a tiny break around his handsome superior officer?
"How are you feeling today?" Ludwig asked. "You seem to be recovering well from what I can tell."
"I do?" Feliciano asked, blinking his eyes in surprise. Had Ludwig really been noting his recovery? Did that mean Ludwig was noticing little things about him. "I mean, I feel as if I'm recovering well, but you've noticed, too?"
"Of course I have noticed," Ludwig answered. "Our whole squadron has noticed. We all want you to get better so you can come back and join us. They miss you on mission, Feliciano."
He blinked in surprise once more. "They do?"
"I wouldn't lie to you," the German told him. His mouth twisted into a small smirk, which was the closest to a smile that Feliciano had ever seen on Ludwig's mouth other than in his dreams. "You are a strong leader, Feliciano. We need you back."
Feliciano bowed his head in shame. He didn't feel so strong anymore, and he felt that if Ludwig knew how he felt, he would consider the young Italian useless and kick him from the squadron. There was no way he could acknowledge his true feelings on his strength. He needed to stay with Ludwig at all costs, no matter how much it terrified him.
"Then I will come back stronger than ever," Feliciano answered. He looked up and saw the proud smile of triumph on Ludwig's face, and in that moment, he knew that he couldn't back down from his words.
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That night, Feliciano crept back to the cells where the prisoners were kept, desperate to speak to Antonio once more. He knew that he had to get the Spaniard out of there, but he needed a plan and maybe Antonio could help him with one. After all, Lovino was the mastermind when Feliciano was growing up. Feliciano just followed his brother's orders.
"Hey, Antonio, are you awake?" he asked, grabbing the bars of his cell. He prayed deep down that Antonio would be awake so they could talk. All he wanted was to get Antonio out of there so his life would go back to the way it was without someone to report it to his family. His stomach churned as he thought of Antonio reporting everything so far to Lovino and Roma. It was something that he couldn't take, making his legs shake.
"Si," Antonio yawned from inside the cell. "I'm awake. It's you, isn't it, Feliciano?" He walked over to the bars and peered through them at the young Italian with his blazing, green eyes. "What can I do for you? Or did you come to talk more about Lovino?"
"Do you think we look alike?" Feliciano asked him. "Lovi and me, I mean. We were told all our lives that we look nearly identical. Do you think that as well?"
Antonio seemed to be thinking for a moment before answering. "You two look similar, but you give off completely different auras. Lovino gives off the aura that makes you want to stay away, but you give off a more positive and cheerful aura. It's a little complicated to explain."
"So which do you like more?" Feliciano asked Antonio, making eyes at him through the bars. "Me or Lovi?" He knew he had to do this to test Antonio's loyalty to Lovino. If Antonio wasn't loyal to Lovino, it wasn't even going to be worth busting him out.
"Feliciano, why are you doing this?" Antonio calmly asked him, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "This isn't fair to your brother, and you know it. There is no way I would answer with you. My heart belongs to Lovino, and you know that. Why test it? Why do you have to test my love for Lovino? Are you trying to prove my worth or something? Go ahead then. I'm not going to fall in love with you, Feli. It's not going to happen. My heart belongs to another, and you're never going to change that."
The young Italian smiled and leaned back, holding onto the bars for support like a child. "Ah, that's exactly what I wanted to hear, Antonio," he chuckled. "I wanted to know that you love Lovino and that I couldn't change that. Not even if I seduce you?" he asked for good measure.
"Not even if you were naked before me and begging me to fuck you," Antonio confirmed with a nod. "I just wouldn't be able to do it."
Feliciano was glad that Antonio couldn't see how red his face was at what he had just said. "That's good to know," he answered quietly. "I'm glad to hear that." He looked down at the lock on the cell. "Hey, you're not a bad guy, are you?"
"I'm not," Antonio answered. "I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"That's what I thought," the Italian sighed. "How about I do something for you?"
"Like what?" Antonio asked.
"Tomorrow night, I'll let you go," Feliciano quietly said, speaking slowly as he decided it. "I will sneak you out of here as best as I can. But please, don't ever tell anyone that it was me, not even my family. This is treason, but you did nothing wrong." He thought back to Feliks, and how he should have done it for the poor Polish man, but everyone would have known it was him. Considering no one knew he spoke to Antonio, this would be simpler. "Return to my family since I can't."
"I don't want you putting yourself at risk for me," Antonio argued.
"My mind is already made up," Feliciano told him. "Just let me do it." His stomach was in knots. He knew there was no way he would be able to eat tomorrow, knowing that he would be betraying the military, betraying Ludwig, tomorrow night. "You need to go back to them. You need to get out of here before they get you."
"Before who gets me?" The Spaniard's eyes widened.
"Them," the Italian emphasized. "The SS!"
Antonio's eyes widened at the sudden severity of the situation. "They're coming here?"
"They think you're with the resistance," Feliciano quickly explained. "And they will do anything to get the information that they want from you." He looked down at his feet. "Don't tell them anything, especially about my family. If you do, I will never forgive you." His eyes held a dark aura about them as he glared at the Spaniard. "Do I make myself clear?"
Antonio nodded. "Perfectly." He was silent for a moment, and Feliciano could tell he was obviously terrified. "When do you think they'll come?"
"Unfortunately, I have no idea," the Italian admitted. "They may come tomorrow or another day. I'm hoping the latter." He bit his lip, not wanting to see Antonio after being tortured by the SS.
"Yeah," Antonio softly answered. "So am I." It was obvious that the Spaniard was terrified of the fact that the SS was coming at some point, but even more terrified that no one knew when. It was one of those feelings that chilled you deep into your core, making your bones feel like ice. "The SS are a terrifying force."
"You've got that right," Feliciano sighed. Personally, he didn't like them either. They gave off a weird aura about them that made him antsy and uncomfortable. He avoided them whenever possible. In fact, he didn't really know many people who felt comfortable around them, other than superior officers like Ludwig and Roeder.
"So tomorrow night then?" Antonio asked.
Feliciano nodded. "Tomorrow night," he stated, and then he left without another word. Although he was dying to talk about his family, he still needed to formulate a strategy. And who knew? If all went well tomorrow night, Feliciano may have a chance to speak with Antonio again on better terms, and possibly even with his family present.
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That night, Feliciano walked the halls and found every exit he could, monitoring how many people walked past him and the like, noting who was up at what times and where they were. He was studying everything around him to make sure that he could guarantee a safe escape for Antonio. It was the least he could do for the Spaniard, who seemed to be the only person who had ever truly loved Lovino so much.
All Feliciano could think was that this was going to be a more difficult process than he thought it was going to be. How the hell was he supposed to sneak a grown man out of this dungeon? His mind began to spin in circles as he sighed, sitting against a wall. There were so many possibilities of what to do tomorrow night. He needed to make sure that he wouldn't get caught at all while taking Antonio through there. Mostly, he just needed Antonio to cooperate with him. That way, everything would go smoothly.
"Feliciano, what are you doing out here?" Ludwig asked. He sat against the wall next to the young Italian. "Do you even know how late it is?" Ludwig chuckled to himself and smiled over at his Italian friend. "What brings you to this hallway? It's so far from the bunks."
The Italian shrugged. "There is so much going on in my head tonight," he answered indifferently. "I just needed some time to think, so I started to wander. My mind can be a difficult place to be at times." Feliciano sighed and leaned over heavily onto his friend. "Save me, Ludwig. There are too many things going on at once."
Ludwig half-smiled down at Feliciano. "What kinds of things are going on in your head?" he kindly asked. "Let me into that strange, little head of yours for once."
"You really want into my head?" Feliciano asked him. "How badly?"
He heart began to race from being so close to Ludwig. Maybe this moment would be a perfect time to test the waters with the man he loved. His hand slowly found its way to Ludwig's knee, knowing that no one was going to walk into this hallway and find them.
"How badly?" Ludwig echoed back. He thought for a moment. "Why not let me in? Maybe if you told me some of the things going on in your head, I could help you."
"Oh, you think so?" Feliciano asked, grinning up at Ludwig. A light blush dusted his cheeks. He wanted to feel those soft-looking, pink lips on his and wondered what he would have to do in order to experience it. His eyes wouldn't tear away from Ludwig's lips, no matter what he tried to think of other than those thoughts.
"What makes you think I couldn't?" Ludwig asked. He switched positions to make himself more comfortable, slipping an arm around his Italian friend, thinking nothing of it. All he hoped was that Feliciano would open up to him, knowing that the young Major didn't open up to anyone else.
Feliciano thought for a moment. "You make a valid point," he finally stated. "Okay, so I'm thinking about that prisoner, Feliks, once again."
"You tend to think about him a lot," the German mused. "Why do you do that?" He couldn't understand why Feliciano thought about Feliks so much. What made him think of Feliks anyway? What was so special about that weird, Polish man anyway? The man dressed like a woman! "It's not like he was anyone special."
"But he was," Feliciano answered, voice quiet. "You see, Feliks taught me a lot about life in just the short amount of time that I knew him." He fell silent for a moment. "Ludwig?"
"Ja?"
"What happened to him?" the Italian dared to ask. He feared the answer, expecting only the worst. Feliks was dead, he just knew it.
"He's just doing some heavy labor," Ludwig answered with a sigh. "Do not worry, Feliciano. He isn't dead as far as I know."
Feliciano's eyes widened. "Really?" he asked, struggling to keep the hope from his voice. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"
"I think it's because of how passionate you got about him getting medical treatment during that one meeting where I was forced to cover for you, in case you forgot about it," Ludwig sighed. He glanced over at Feliciano. "But yes, as far as I know, he is still alive and doing rather well. I do, in fact, check on him every now and then for your sake."
The Italian squeezed his knee without realizing it. "You really do?" he asked, bronze eyes shining. "That's amazing! No one has ever done something so kind for me!"
"Though I will never understand why he means so much to you, I have taken it upon myself to make sure nothing too bad will happen to him," Ludwig sighed. He then looked back down at the Major. "Oh, please. Don't look at me like that, Feliciano. It's making me feel strange."
"What kind of strange?" Feliciano cautiously asked him.
"I don't know," the German answered after a moment. His voice came out slowly. "It's making me feel some kind of floating feeling in my abdomen. It's hard to explain." He was quiet for a moment. "Do you understand that feeling? Have you ever had it?"
All Feliciano could do was nod up at his superior officer. "Do you know what you need to do to get rid of it?" he asked the Lieutenant, never breaking eye contact. He made sure to keep his tone perfectly clear and serious as well.
"What do I need to do?" Ludwig asked him, eyebrows rising in concern.
"You need to experiment with it," Feliciano answered. "Do you like the strange feeling?"
"I guess so," the other man answered with a shrug. "I don't know. I've never had it before." His heart began to pound as Feliciano's hand slipped from his knee and began to slowly drift up his leg. "Major Vargas, what are you doing?"
Feliciano put a finger to his Lieutenant's lips. "Ludwig, don't ask questions. Just tell me to stop when it starts to bother you." He smiled when Ludwig nodded and traced his hand further up the superior officer's leg.
The young Italian's hand wandered to Ludwig's upper thigh before resting firmly just next to his crotch, which was surprisingly more bulged than normal. It caused Feliciano to smirk to himself, knowing that he had aroused Ludwig on his own. He then looked up into those beautiful, clear blue eyes of Ludwig's.
Ludwig felt his heart pounding as his insides felt as if they were on fire. What was going on? Feliciano was a man! He needed to tell him to stop! Why wasn't he telling him to stop? Why did this feel so good? Why was Feliciano doing this stuff in the first place? His chest felt as if it were about to burst. What was going to happen next?
His head moved closer to Feliciano's and moments later, their lips connected in a soft, yet passionate way. Though he had never kissed anyone before, he never imagined that his first kiss would ever be with a man, especially one like Major Vargas! That was something that just seemed ridiculous to him, yet here they were, kissing in an abandoned hallway in the middle of the night.
Feliciano felt his heart pick up at a rapid speed when Ludwig's lips touched his. He didn't want just a soft, gentle kiss from the man he had been lusting after for so long. There was no way he would let that opportunity pass. Keeping his one hand on Ludwig's leg, he used the other to grab the Lieutenant's collar and position himself so he was straddling Ludwig's hips, facing him. He then pulled his superior officer closer for a deeper kiss.
Ludwig's eyes flew when Feliciano moved, but he didn't stop what he was doing. Instead, his heart picked up even more in speed. It was as if the two were playing a dangerous game where they couldn't be caught. He was pretty sure this was okay, since he was certain Feliciano wasn't a homosexual anyway. His hands gripped at the young Italian's hips as they kissed, drawing him closer.
When Feliciano felt Ludwig's hands on his hips, he nearly moaned but bit it back. He couldn't just do that. That would be too embarrassing. But what if Ludwig was trying to make him moan? Well, then he would have to try harder.
Feliciano opened his eyes to find Ludwig gazing into them. He kind of liked the intensity in them, so he kept his eyes open as well as his hand wandered over to Ludwig's groin. The German was definitely highly aroused by that point. That much was for certain. The young Italian smiled to himself. This would make his job so much easier.
The German man gasped out against Feliciano's lips when his member was brushed against. Even if it there was a cloth between Feliciano's hand and his length, he was still sensitive to the touch. All he could do was hope that what was coming would be just as wonderful as what was going on so far.
"May I?" Feliciano huskily asked Ludwig, gesturing to the buttons on the Lieutenant's pants.
Ludwig's eyes widened. "You mean…?" His eyes got even bigger when the Major nodded. "Well, of course you may, if you really want to," he slowly said. He bit back a moan as Feliciano's hands attacked the buttons of his pants. Everything he was experiencing at the moment was just so wonderful. Everything about it was just so breathtaking that Ludwig's breath hitched and began to come out in pants as he felt Feliciano's warm breath and then mouth around his member.
But everything went by too fast, and before he knew it, Ludwig was exhausted and sitting in the hallways with Feliciano in his lap, grinning. There was no more kissing, no more sexual antics, just Feliciano sitting in his lap. Something felt oddly right about that moment. There was no awkwardness or tension or anything, just perfection.
Feliciano looked up at Ludwig. "You never told me to stop," was all he could think of to say.
"I didn't, did I?" Ludwig finally asked him. He shrugged his shoulders lamely. "Oh well. Maybe another time."
The young Italian's eyes widened. "Another time?" he asked. "You would want to do something like this again?" He couldn't believe his ears. Ludwig actually enjoyed what they did enough to want to do it again?!
"Perhaps," the Lieutenant answered. "It's almost like a game where we can't be caught. That's what makes it so fun."
Feliciano's heart slightly fell at that, but he kept his smile going. Was that really what Ludwig thought of their relationship? "I agree," he laughed. "Let's do this again sometime."
At least Feliciano had somewhat moved to the next level in his relationship with Ludwig, even if his superior officer was a little blind as to what the next level really was.
