Summary: Ludwig comes out to his mother (sort of) and Feli shows up on the veranda to return something special.
I'm sorry it's been so long since my last update! I've been feeling a little overwhelmed lately and felt like I needed to take a step back and recharge my batteries. I hope you enjoy this chapter and that it was worth the wait! It is a bit of a shorter chapter but lays down the groundwork for some bigger revelations...
Chapter 7
It was the sound of his mother calling his name which roused Ludwig from his slumber. She stood in the doorway of the bedroom, holding a glass of water and what appeared to be a strip of painkillers.
"How are you feeling?", she asked. Ludwig attempted to answer her, but his voice emerged as nothing more than a scratchy groan.
His lips were dry and crusted, his throat burning from the excessive vomiting he had endured the night before. His mother's stern expression faltered, with a gentle quirk at the edge of her lips. She set the water and pills on the table, before sitting herself at the edge of Ludwig's bed. He felt her hand reach out and smooth back his matted hair. The skin of his forehead was clammy and greasy, but she didn't seem to mind.
"Do you remember anything?"
Ludwig furrowed his brow. The last thing he recalled with certainty was sitting with his face submerged in a toilet bowl. Other than that, the memories were hazy.
"Not a lot", he admitted, sitting up to drink his water with his mother's support "I don't remember how I got back"
"...Well...You'll have to thank Julius for that", she informed, "It was around 2 am when he came knocking. We had no idea what he wanted until his grandsons explained what they had seen... You and Gilbert, drunk off your asses, wandering off with a group of strangers"
Sabrine let out a weak chuckle, which seemed in odds with the way her body shook and tensed.
"I didn't know what to think...I tried to call, but you didn't pick up. I started to panic -
- We were just about to call the police when you rang me back. Except it wasn't you. I had no idea who it was, but they sounded very drunk...and Irish"
Patrick, Ludwig thought to himself.
"He was quite helpful actually. He gave us the address, but it was miles away, so Julius told us not to worry and offered to pick you up...God, you were in such a state when they brought you in"
Ludwig could tell that his mother wanted to finish by telling him how embarrassed she'd been, but was grateful when she relented.
He allowed himself a moment to process everything she had said, as memories of the journey back to the resort started to ease back. He remembered stumbling into the car, having to be buckled in by someone, his muscles relaxing to the point he could no longer sit up...
...and Feliciano holding him close as they drove away into the night.
His heart began to pound with such fierce intensity that it rivalled his headache. He couldn't believe that he'd allowed himself to get into such a state – and allowed Feliciano, of all people, to see him in that state.
"...Did anything else happen?", Ludwig asked, half-terrified of the answer.
Sabrine faltered slightly, as began to fumble with the hem of her dressing gown. This did nothing to qualm Ludwig's rising anxiety, but he pressed on regardless:
"Mum, just tell me - I can handle it"
"Well, uh...you were a bit...affectionate with one of Julius' grandsons", she admitted, "You kept holding on to him, begging for him to stay the night. It was quite sweet actually, you almost dragged him into the bed with you!"
Shame and regret assaulted Ludwig like a swarm of angry bees. He hid his face in his hands, thinking about how he had successfully obliterated any chance he had with Feli.
After a few silent minutes, Sabrine wrapped a comforting arm around his shoulder. He didn't know if it was the delicate state that his hangover had left him in, but the gesture proved enough to break him entirely. He began to sob – loud and unfiltered.
"Oh Ludwig", Sabrine whispered, pulling her son into a tight and comforting embrace.
He knew he couldn't explain to her what he was feeling, until making a much larger confession.
"...Mum, I...I'm-", the word was poised at the edge of his lips, but he choked before he could say it. He clung to his mother with the desperation of a small child, willing himself to try again. He didn't have to, as she clung back, understanding without words what her son was trying to tell her.
"I know darling, it's okay", she whispered, rubbing circles on his back "Please don't cry"
Ludwig took a deep breath, as he attempted to compose himself
"I...I like him...I really like him -
I've never felt this way before"
Sabrine hummed calmly but said nothing in return. She pulled away from the embrace to look at her son. He felt apprehensive, but despite his fears, there was no hint of contempt or disgust in her eyes. Behind the film of tears, her gaze was filled unconditional love and pride.
"He's an extremely lucky boy", she assured. Ludwig knew she was trying to comfort him, but the statement hurt immensely.
"...I don't think he feels the same"
Sabrine appeared sceptical "What makes you say that?"
"I...", Ludwig paused for a moment, unsure for a moment if he could muster the courage to continue "...I saw him with someone else...a girl"
"Yes, and?", his mother asked, waiting for him to elaborate.
"She kissed him...on the cheek...and he kissed her back"
With this, the doting comfort and patience Sabrine had shown to her son came to an abrupt end. She huffed and flicked Ludwig across the nose, causing him to reel back in surprise.
"Ow, what the f-"
"Ludwig Beilschmidt, don't be an idiot", she snapped back before he could finish "This boy is Italian, a kiss on the cheek means absolutely nothing. It's no more romantic than a handshake"
"But -"
Another flick, harder this time.
"No, you listen. You will never know how this boy feels about you unless you ask him – and if he doesn't feel the same, who cares? There's plenty more fish in the sea - lots of them sexy Italians. Just pick up your rod and try again"
Ludwig felt himself flush all the way up to his ears at the filthy double-entendre. He gaped in mortification, causing his mother to break into a fit of laughter.
"MUM CAN YOU NOT"
Sabrine continued to laugh "Oh I'm only teasing, mein schnuckiputzi"
Ludwig was vehemently reminded where Gilbert inherited his sense of humour. He let out a loud groan, pulling what he could of the covers out from under his mum and flinging them over his head. Resembling a tall (and extremely flustered) bed-sheet ghost, he pointed blindly in the direction of the door.
"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE TO DIE"
Sabrine did just that – albeit still snickering when she emerged into the hallway. Ludwig could hear her speaking to his father from behind the door, insisting to know what was so funny. She told him a highly embellished story of Ludwig and Gilbert drunken escapades, which Ludwig did appreciate.
He knew he would have to tell his father sooner or later, as well as Gilbert...although he had suspicions that Gilbert had already figured it out. His brother could be oblivious at times, but he wasn't stupid. The way he blushed and floundered hopelessly whenever Feliciano was mentioned kind of spoke for itself.
Ludwig leant back in his bed, closing his eyes. He thought back to what his mother had said (before the conversation had derailed into childish teasing):
You won't know unless you ask him...
As he lay down, an image of Feliciano begun to take form in his mind. He was smiling at him, his auburn locks framing his face with angelic perfection. He was wearing the same black t-shirt he worn on their day at the cliff. He stood with his hand extended towards him, the key chain he had given him balanced on his palm.
Ludwig's eyes shot open, breaking the illusion instantly.
The key chain
Panic.
Where is the key chain?
He all-but catapulted himself out of the bed, as he began an erratic search for the clothes he had been wearing the night before. A familiar pair of tan ¾ lengths peered their way out of the wash basket, which Ludwig lunged for immediately. After searching each of the pockets, he was left empty-handed. He fell to the floor and crawled his way around the room, ensuring every tile was closely examined...
Nothing.
It was astonishing to Ludwig how the thought of losing something so small and insignificant was enough to do this to him. He felt as though he was going insane.
It was at that moment that he released. Feliciano Vargas, in the two-and-a-half weeks that he had known him, had driven him completely insane.
He was so engrossed by his one-man search-and-rescue that he had failed to notice the figure standing on his veranda. It was only when the figure landed a deft tap against the door that he was alerted to their presence.
With a strange mix of horror and nervous elation, Ludwig came face-to-face with Feliciano himself. He was wearing his work clothes, complete with stained apron, smiling shyly at him. He offered a small wave, before motioning to the door, as if asking to be let inside.
As he began to return to his senses, it became obvious to Ludwig that he was still kneeling on the floor. He stood up immediately, brushing himself off, before making his way towards the door. As he did, he noticed Feli was holding something in his available hand. When the two were mere inches apart, he pressed the object gently to the glass, so that Ludwig could see what it was.
The cheap hunk of plastic, which had become so insanely and irreplaceably precious to him, was immediately recognisable.
Okay, okay, so Ludwig was a little OOC during that scene with his mum, but I found it too funny to cut out. Sabrine being a massive troll (Gil definitely takes after her) and Ludwig as a flustered ghost boi was hilarious to me.
Things got a little heavy in this one, hence why I wanted to balance things out with some humour. As much as I want this story to feel somewhat realistic, I'm also pretty damn determined to retain the light-hearted and fluffy tone I initially planned for it. There can be feels, but warm happy feels.
For the record, 'Schnuckiputzi' is a German term of endearment comparable to 'cutie-pie'. Not important, but just the sort of embarrassing pet-name that I can imagine Sabrine having for Luddy.
