Dear Alice of Stars,

Remember when I said I'd get this up like, right before midnight? Yes, well… I totally meant 4:30 a.m.

Yeah. xD

I'm so sorry~! T^T


Ludwig led Feliciano to the door and opened it, letting his friend inside first so he could close the door. The foyer was dimly lit, like the rest of the house, yet a warm glow emanated from down the hall and beyond the kitchen. Muffled voices traveled through to the foyer, where the two stood, trying to figure out who was in the house with them. The first voice sounded deep and loud, and paused for the next voice, which was much higher and softer. Neither sounded like Gilbert…

Ludwig motioned for Feliciano to follow him. They snuck down the hall, towards the light. The kitchen door was ajar and so was the fridge. Ludwig walked in briefly to shut it and then continue walking. Passed the kitchen was the living room, which was large and spacious. Gilbert should feel lucky that mom and dad had enough money to afford a place like this for him, Ludwig thought. The voices became clear when they entered the room.

Feliciano and Ludwig were greeted by a hearty, "You're a wizard, Harry!" coming from the television.

And there was Gilbert, clad in baby blue boxers and a tight tee-shirt, slumped on the leather couch and eating ice cream out of the tub. Ludwig sighed and walked over to the couch while Feliciano followed.

"I'm…a what?" the TV shouted. Gilbert had the volume up much too high.

"Gilbert, why is it so loud?" Ludwig said over the TV, or he tried to, at least.

"If it's too loud then you're too old." Gilbert responded and shoved a spoonful of vanilla ice cream into his mouth. He further slumped down the couch and looked over at Feliciano. "Why's he here?"

"Why are you in a bad mood? Anyway, he has to spend the night because of some…unfavorable circumstances." Ludwig sat on the couch and his friend shuffled over to sit next to him.

"I'm not in a bad mood; I'm just trying to relax. Damn."

"Ve, Mr. Gilbert, what're you watching?" he asked a little too quietly. He stared at the screen with a puzzled expression. Gilbert paused the movie immediately and leaned over his brother to stare at the Italian.

"What the hell, can't you tell?" he asked and fiddled with the controls to zoom in on one of the boys on the screen. "It's fucking Harry Potter, look at his face."

"Oh, uh…ve, I've never seen it…" Feliciano replied.

Gilbert's eye twitched.

Before something disastrous happened, Ludwig pulled Gilbert away from Feliciano and suggested they go upstairs. His brother obviously had some kind of unresolved issue, and Ludwig didn't want to stick around for when he did resolve it. Feliciano agreed and followed Ludwig up the stairs and into his room. Feliciano hopped on his bed and scooted over when Ludwig did the same. The German boy noticed that Feli's hair had grown curlier since getting wet. It wasn't extremely curly, but flipped up at the ends and in silly places, much like Antonio's hair. It looked nice and made that strange outward curl look slightly more fitting.

Feliciano smiled at him with sleepy eyes. "Your room smells like cologne."

"Oh…um, thanks." He said and leaned back on his elbows.

"Hey, Ludwig?"

"What?"

"Do you mind if I take a shower? My hair feels gross." Feli gave a sheepish smile and ruffled his own hair.

Ludwig's face heated, much to his dismay. "O-oh, sure. It's across the hall, the first door on the right."

"Okay~! Thanks!" Feliciano bounced up off the bed and skipped out the door. Ludwig buried his face in his bed sheets, faintly smelling his own cologne in them. Well, that was new.

He stayed for a moment. His face gradually cooled down and the sheets became warm, making it a little uncomfortable. He heard his own name being called from the bathroom, so he reluctantly pushed off the bed and followed the sound. The door was already open, revealing Feli bending over the side of the tub and trying to turn the faucet on. He looked over with a sad face.

"It doesn't work! The water doesn't come on when I twist the thingy!" he cried and furiously twisted the handle of the bath faucet.

"Whoa, don't do that! You have to pull it up and then twist it." Ludwig said and leaned over as well, shooing Feli's hands away to do it himself.

"Ohhh. Thanks!" he smiled and put a hand under the heavy stream.

"Yeah. Just holler if you need anything." Ludwig said while leaving the room.

As soon as he closed the bathroom door, the blond leaned against the wall and pressed a hand to his forehead. Something was seriously wrong. His face felt hot and his heart was racing, and it always occurred when he came into contact with Feliciano.

…Feliciano…

He couldn't possibly have feelings for the Italian. …Could he?

As soon as his heart calmed, Ludwig trudged down the stairs to find his brother. Gilbert could tell him why he was feeling so strange.

Gilbert was in the same position as before, only he had slid even further down the couch and his neck was bent at a strange angle. His shirt had risen up passed his chest and bunched at his chin. His crimson eyes were glazed over and a dab of vanilla ice cream smeared the corner of his mouth.

"Gil? You okay?" Ludwig asked from afar. Gilbert's eyes flicked from the TV to his brother and back at the screen. He shrugged.

Ludwig walked over cautiously and then sat beside him. "I can tell something's wrong."

Gilbert sighed and sat up, pulling his shirt down over his cool stomach. "Well yeah, something's fucking wrong. Elizaveta's engaged to that fucking prick now and they're gonna get married and have tons of beautiful aristocratic babies who can play the piano!"

Ludwig blinked. "So you do like her?"

"Why are you so fucking dense? Of course I like her! I'm pretty sure I love her!" Gilbert yelled. He looked like he was about to cry. "But now I can't have her. Because she loves someone else…"

"…Gilbert, if you really love her, then you should be happy for her. She's found someone who makes her happy, and as long as she's happy, then you should be, too."

"That's a fucking stupid answer. Like hell I'm happy for her. That douche Roderich doesn't deserve her."

"Have you even talked to him before?" Ludwig inquired, leaning back on his hand that was perched on the top of the couch.

"Yeah. …Well, not really. I was getting the mail once and he shouted 'watch the lilacs' at me. What the hell does that even mean?"

Ludwig closed his eyes and let out a frustrated breath. "Gilbert, if I'm the dense one, then you must be a pile of bricks. We planted lilacs by the mailbox a while ago. They must've been growing that day and he wanted to be sure that you wouldn't step on them."

Gilbert's anger subsided quickly, his eyes growing a bit wide. "Oh. Oh, well that was nice of him."

"…so you didn't like him because he gave you a warning about the flowers?"

"Well I didn't get it! I didn't know what he meant! I guess he's an alright guy if he wasn't trying to insult me or whatever."

"So stop calling him a douche. I'm getting sick of hearing that."

"Oh, well, excuuuuse me, princess." Gilbert sneered and leaned back on the couch.

Ludwig then remembered why he had even gone downstairs. He suddenly felt nervous and his heart thumped loudly. "Um…Gilbert, I've been meaning to talk to you about something…"

"Yeah? Well go ahead, the almighty Gilbo is listening."

"Okay… well…I've been feeling really weird lately." Gilbert's head perked up. "And I'm not sure why. I start feeling really hot-"

"Well that's natural. If you're related to me, then you've got to be pretty damn attractive."

"Shut up, I'm talking! Anyway, I start feeling really warm, and my heart beats fast. My chest gets tight, I get nervous for no reason and I feel sick all at the same time."

A slow smile started growing on Gilbert's face as he listened.

"…and it only happens when I'm around Feliciano."

Gilbert's smirk faltered for just a moment. "What?"

"I…I don't know, maybe I'm just going insane…"

"No, no, you aren't insane. Wait, haven't you been in love before?"

"…no…not in love."

"Well you are now, buddy." Gilbert flashed a smile and turned the volume up on the TV, as if it wasn't loud enough already.

"…what?" Ludwig asked, feeling his heart beat even faster.

"You're in love with Feliciano. Which is fine by me, because then Antonio gets to be my brother-in-law."

"That's ridiculous!"

Gilbert was about to make a stupid retort when a sudden scream from upstairs interrupted him.

"Hey, go get your man." The older said and switched the channel.

Ludwig glared at Gilbert before rushing upstairs. He opened the door to the bathroom and a sudden rush of steam billowed around him. He winced at the moist cloud of heat and spotted Feli standing on top of the toilet seat, clinging to a towel he was using to cover himself. Ludwig looked around the room but didn't see any sort of threat to his safety.

"What's wrong? What happened?" He asked, stepping closer to the other.

"Ve! T-there's a sp-spider in the shower!" Feli yelled and shook.

Ludwig sighed, frustrated, and started looking for the spider. He found the tiny little thing sitting in the corner, as terrified as Feli, and picked it up with a square of toilet paper. He threw the paper in the trash and helped Feliciano off his perch.

"Better?"

"Yes! Grazie! You saved my life!" he hugged Ludwig tightly, making the German's shirt wet and cold. Ludwig coughed awkwardly and Feli let go.

"I'll be going, then."

"No! Wait!" Feli said and gripped his wrist. Ludwig turned, startled.

"Um…can you stay in here with me? I mean, not in the shower, but on the floor or something? Because…another spider might come and attack me! Or, or the faucet could stop working and scorch me! Or I could drop the razor and cut open my thigh!"

"…what? Why would you even shave in the shower?"

Feli's face turned remarkably red. "Oh…oh, no reason. J-just a possibility."

"Uh, yeah I guess." Ludwig replied, finally. He took a seat on the recently stood on toilet and closed his eyes when Feli told him to. Once he was in the shower again, Ludwig opened his eyes and yawned. The running water was soothing, along with Feli humming some unfamiliar tune. It must've been late…it was pitch dark outside the last time he had looked.

He peered over at the wall and noticed little drips of glistening water falling down. He stood and reached over the counter and sink, flipping a switch on the wall to turn on the vent. It started up and buzzed loudly, causing Feli to yelp and drop something, then peek his head out through the curtain.

"What was that?" he asked, eyes wide.

"I turned the vent on."

"…why? It's scary sounding!"

"Well, you see that water on the wall?" He pointed at the wall next to him. Feli nodded a little too enthusiastically. "Well, that's from the condensation. It weakens the paint and makes it chip and peel. That's why I turned the vent on."

"Ohh!" And Feli resumed his shower like normal.

There wasn't much talk after that. They returned to Ludwig's room, where the German let Feli borrow one of his shirts (which was a bit too large for him) and a pair of shorts. Feli was tired as much as Ludwig was, so they both decided it was time for sleep. After convincing Gilbert to turn off the extremely loud television, they climbed into Ludwig's bed. They needed to share because Gilbert didn't have a blow up mattress anywhere and Ludwig didn't want him to sleep on the floor.

Feli fell asleep instantly, but Ludwig was having trouble getting his eyes closed.

Feliciano flipped abruptly, and was pressed against Ludwig, creating a heat between the two of them that nearly made the German kick off the covers. He wiggled a little, pressing backward even more, curling slightly into himself and made his back tight against Ludwig's stomach.

The blond one sucked in a breath and held it, suppressing the urge to actually kick the Italian out of his bed. Never before had he needed to share a bed with anyone, including Gilbert, and this experience was proving to be a challenging one.

"Feli...Feli, move over a little…" he said softly. Feliciano straightened a bit, moving away from the other just a tad.

Ludwig, feeling accomplished, closed his eyes and tried to let the darkness seep in. However, Feliciano flipped again, curling into Ludwig this time. The German took in another large breath through his nose, but not because of the heat. One of Feliciano's legs had brushed against his own and dragged on upward; his bony knee trailing up his thigh and pressed into his hip. …Unintentionally, of course.

Ludwig respired shakily, fully aware of how close his friend really was. Feliciano wriggled a little, softly speaking nonsensical words, and then grabbed a part of Ludwig's tank top. It bunched in his fist as his head drew closer, his forehead touching just under Ludwig's ribcage. He shuddered and whimpered, like he was having a bad dream. Ludwig felt his heart sink. If Feliciano was having a nightmare, then he should wake him up, right?

But he couldn't find it in his heard to shake the Italian awake. Instead, he shimmied downward and brought his pillow with him, so he could be face to face with Feli. Indeed, he was having a bad dream, as his face was scrunched up with distress and he puffed little breaths of anguish. Ludwig put and arm around him and coaxed the other's back to straighten. Feliciano moved closer and draped an arm over Ludwig's side, fitting his head conveniently under the German's chin. He heard Feliciano sigh in content.

Ludwig felt his eyelids grow heavy while watching the moon out the window. Dark clouds were illuminated when they passed by the glowing orb, softening its bright gaze if only for a moment. The crickets and frogs were having a fierce chirping battle outside. Just as Ludwig closed his eyes, Feli started to quiver again.

The German boy's blush kicked in when a certain idea passed his mind. He raised a hand to gently stroke the Italian's hair, pulling the somewhat damp locks away from his softly sleeping face and behind his ear. That seemed to calm him a bit, as he squeezed Ludwig in a mini hug. The blond smiled softly. He repeated the action several times, succeeding in soothing the other boy. With every stroke, a whiff of his shampoo wafted towards Ludwig.

Feliciano had used Ludwig's shampoo.

That thought alone was enough to make his heart warm and his face flare up. Something came over him, a sudden urge that he couldn't help. Ludwig tilted his head downward, towards Feliciano's head, and gently pressed his lips to his soft hair. And he hadn't realized, but he stayed there, kissing the other's hair for a long, long time.

Feliciano softly woke from his sleep at the feeling of sudden warmness on his head, along with warm puffs of air blowing against his scalp. He realized he was very, very close to Ludwig at the moment, and felt like he was about to explode. Ludwig must be the one breathing into his hair at the moment...

But it wasn't him just breathing, was it? There was also a certain heat just below where his breathing was coming from…

Oh.

Feli's cheeks warmed and his chest grew tight, painfully tight. Ludwig was kissing him, technically. What was he supposed to do…?

He did what he thought was right, but was mostly out of sudden action.

Feliciano pulled his head away, quickly enough to hear Ludwig's breathing stop, and then moved upward. He quietly and softly kissed the other's lips, just enough to get a feel, and rolled over.

Ludwig swallowed. …what just happened?

He was blushing madly and the pulsing in his hears dominated his hearing. Ludwig stared out the window with a blank mind and concentrated on the small tingling feeling on his mouth.

He had to say something.

"Feliciano…?" he whispered to the curled up person next to him.

Feli was shaking. "Huh?" the Italian tried, his voice shaking.

Was he crying…?

"Feliciano…can we talk for a second? About what just happened?"

"No." Feli sat up. "No, because I know what you're about to say. I'm sorry, I really am. I'll leave now and you don't have to ever talk to me again, because I'm a disgusting, sick person and-"

"Feliciano!" Ludwig said forcefully. Feli paused in his speech and turned to look at him. "Feli, it's okay. It's fine."

Ludwig released himself from the covers to scoot closer to the other. "It's really okay. I don't think you're sick or disgusting at all."

"But I am! B-because I kissed you, and we're both boys, and it's wrong, and-"

"It's fine. Really, it is." He said. His heart was fluttering, thinking he might even get to kiss him again.

"I…I didn't mean to…it just sort of happened, and...I'm sorry…I really didn't mean to." Feliciano blubbered.

Ludwig's heart lost its wings and spiraled downward. "You…it was an accident?"

"Yes! Yes, it was an accident; I don't know what came over me. I'm so sorry."

He felt as if something living in the shadows had gripped him by the scruff of his neck and was dragging him down into the dark. "An…accident…"

"…yeah."

"Oh…oh, well, then…let's just go to sleep, okay?"

"Yeah, okay." Feliciano agreed and huddled under the covers.

Ludwig didn't sleep at all that night.

Feli went home the next morning after breakfast. Nothing was awkward or unusual between them. Ludwig had already accepted the fact that Feliciano didn't want to be anything more than friends with him, and he was going to have to live with that.

Feliciano, however, was regretting everything he had denied. He did like Ludwig, in that way, but he was too afraid to tell him. The fact that he was gay was usually enough to make anyone want to avoid him. If he told Ludwig he had feelings for him, and Ludwig didn't feel the same, would he be disgusted like everyone else? Would he snub Feli and pretend he didn't exist? …but he had said it was okay, hadn't he?

Wasn't that enough?


Ughhh, I'm so sorry, guise. I was going to include their first day back at school, but that'll have to wait 'til next chapter. I'm way too tired to even focus on what I'm typingsdfknvajfbnIAEJNBlsnb.

Okay, so the part where they're all, "oh fuck, we just kissed 'accidentally'…" I totally had that written differently…like, in a way that probably would've changed how this entire fic turned out. It was a lot happier, too….

But I'm glad that I changed it, because now there's MORE DRAMA OMG. And it's less rushed now~

By the way, I'm totes thinking about drawing Feli's sexy curly hair. X3 ...or Gilbert slumped down on the couch with his shirt up. lol.

** Hey guys! I totes drew Gilbert in his depression mode: fav. me/ d41n8l3 (remove the spaces, hurr) :D

...Alright, it's sleepytime for Cassidy.