Feliciano returned back to the medic tent in no less than a month and the doctors said that the Italian will return to the battlefield in a weeks time under their attention in case his condition worsens. To Ludwig's surprise when he went to visit Lovino with Kiku, he didn't know that he had been brought back and shock just flashed through Ludwig's body when he saw his love sitting there in the hospital bed.
"Feli, my love." He stared at the person who called his name and a wide grin broke out on his face and a small blush surrounded his cheeks.
"Hey dear, hello Sargent." Feli greeted, still with the wide grin, he seemed in good spirits, but Ludwig still had that pit inside him he didn't want to upset Feliciano, not when he is like this.
"How are you holding up?" Kiku asked.
"Better, thanks." Ludwig just fixed his eyes on the floor, his heart pounding in his throat and refused to look him in his eyes.
"Ludwig?" He launched his head up to his lover calling his name in a worried tone, revealing his tired and bloodshot eyes, he had not slept a wink since yesterday. The German took a sharp inhale of breath and started to shake a little bit, Kiku left them alone so they could chat privately.
"Feli, I have to tell you something." Ludwig whispered, gripping onto his hand. Ludwig hid the emotions which was clouding his eyes, a deep pit formed inside his stomach and he slumped sadly. He sensed that Feliciano was staring at him and the overwhelming feeling of the pit in his stomach twisting alerted him that his love was very concerned.
"Look at me, what's the matter?" Feliciano asked, a hint of worry in his voice. Ludwig forced his head up to obey the order that he had given, his bloodshot eyes flooded with tears desperately wanting to get out.
"It's about your brother, Feli." Ludwig explained, the words that escaped his lips were no more than a whisper. "He's not in a good state at all." The news hit the Italian man with full force, his eyes wondered around the room trying to process everything. His brain couldn't think of a suitable thing to reply back and was trying to find the right words for it, his brother, Lovino he was dying?
"The doctors say he is unlikely to live. I'm sorry my love." Ludwig gripped on the stiffened Feliciano's hand, his whole body turned cold and pale in the shock and his eyes
"I could have saved him, I tried to."
"Show me where he is, please." Feliciano choked out through his sobbing.
"I'm not so su-"
"Please" Feliciano looked at Ludwig with pleading eyes.
"Ok, I'll show you." He sighed, giving in, it may be his only chance to see his brother again.
The German supported the Italian and led him towards his brother's bed. This brought back painful memories for Ludwig, seeing his brother dying right in front of him he knew exactly how Feliciano felt. Feliciano's eyes widened at the man laying peacefully in the bed, it seemed like he was sleeping.
"Lovino." Feliciano called his name, sprinting towards him, almost stumbling because of his injuries.
"Hey, be careful." Ludwig shouted, chasing after the careless Italian. Feliciano clenched onto his older brother's hand, tears flowing down his cheeks which fell on the floor.
"Lovino, can you hear me? Wake up please." Feliciano sobbed, running a thumb down his cheek.
"I need to get back to duties." Ludwig finally said, the memories flooding back into his head of Gilbert's last breath, watching the life disappear out of his red eyes was just too painful and to think Feliciano was going through the exact same thing, so heartbreaking to watch. Ludwig sprinted off without even thinking.
"Please, get back to your bed and rest." Ludwig heard the familiar voice softly order when he returned to the tent, a commanding yet soothing tone to it. He shifted himself towards the opening, seeing two figures in the orangey glow from the lantern, which the man who spoke was holding.
"No, my brother needs me."
"Feli? Why are you still here?" Ludwig said, stepping towards the figures. Feliciano turned to see his lover standing behind him, he fixed his brown eyes on him the orange glow illuminating them.
"He's been here all day." Antonio stated, lifting up the lantern.
"I want to be there for my brother." Feliciano said with a lot of anger built up in his voice, balling up his fists and gritting his teeth. He loves Ludwig and he doesn't like being mad at him nor Antonio, but at this moment, he wished that everyone would just leave him be to spend time with his brother.
"I know that, but you need rest most of all."
"I'm staying here, that's final!" Feliciano exclaimed, folding his arms in a dominant pose. Ludwig just stared at him, realising that all he needed was to stay with his brother, but at the same time he had to take care of himself.
"Very well then, do what you want." Ludwig sighed and exited the tent.
The sunrise painted the whole area in light, and the birds awakened, singing their tunes of the morning. The fresh dew of the grass hit Ludwig's nose , reminding him of home. He sighed, thinking back at what happened last night whilst in the trenches, guilt gnawed at his insides and he thumped his fist into the soft mud.
Ludwig came back to the tent that following night, this time, Kiku was there with him.
"Sargeant." Ludwig stood to attention and saluted. His eyes then peered down to the upset Italian beside him, his head fixed on the floor and slumped in his chair with a blank stare.
"It's not fair." The Italian whispered in a monotone, his voice breaking.
"What happened?" Panic set inside Ludwig and something squeezed on his stomach.
"I'm allowed back into the battlefield next week." Feliciano stuttered, tears once again returning and dropping down."But I want to be here to look after my brother."
"I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do about that." Ludwig hissed through gritted teeth, a pulse of anger jolted his body. He couldn't tell a lie but he was so livid with himself for not doing anything to save Lovino.
"It's just one of those things, we just have to have hope." Kiku commented, feeling rather upset at Feliciano being so distraught. "Do it for your brother." Feliciano thought about what Kiku had said, he laid next to his brother and held his hand whilst the words echoed through his head.
"Would that really make you happy Lovi?" He muttered to him. "I'm in more danger out there than I am in here."
"I guess I have to." Feliciano sighed, shakily, twitching with nervousness and he broke out in a cold sweat.
"I'll see you as often as I can, I promise."
Feliciano returned to battle, back to sitting in dirty trenches, hearing ear splitting explosions and the gunfire echoing in the distance. But then he spotted a German being surrounded by American troops through his scope, the panic set in. This man's life was in his hands now, his shaking started up again, making his aim wonder off. He hesistated and curled his finger on the trigger, begging the shaking to stop so he could save his ally. He pulled the trigger and the pull back launched against his shoulder and a bang rattled his ears, which temporarily deafened him. One of the Americans surrounding the German flopped on the floor, bleeding, the German twitched his head in different directions, trying to figure out where the shots had come from, at first, Feliciano couldn't believe he had done this. Then he aimed at the others, shooting them one by one.
Their screams bounced through the area, reaching his ears which made him want to mentally scream. Feliciano paused for breath, noticing the familiar broad shoulders and slicked back blond hair he was too pumped on adrenaline and too concentrated on killing those soldiers to even consider that it may had been his love.
"My saviour, I'm so proud of you." Ludwig said, his voice breaking a little with the emotions flowing out. Feliciano stared at Ludwig, something didn't seem right. His eyes weren't as soft before, they had definitely changed, they were almost blank and he seemed extremely distant. But as soon as Feliciano raised his arms up to comfort his love, a voice shouted out making them both snap out of their daydream.
"What do you think you are doing, corporal?!"
They snapped their heads in the direction of the voice to see a German and a Japanese soldier, pointing their weapons at them.
"We're your allies. Why are you raising your weapons against us?" Ludwig asked, puzzled.
"Corporal Beilschmidt. Get away from that traitor." One of them spat at the German.
"Traitor, what?" Ludwig trailed off and stared at the Italian, this couldn't be true, Feliciano seemed just as confused as him, the soldiers before them looked dead serious and weren't messing around with them.
"Get away!"
"Not until you tell us what happened." Feliciano exclaimed, his voice breaking and heart pounding in his throat, but he still managed to choke out those words.
"Shut up, traitor! Seems you weren't at the briefing this morning, Beilschmidt." The Japanese soldier commented. "This man, an Italian soldier is a traitor and must be dealt with. So step aside or we will assume you are a traitor too." Ludwig pushed him behind himself and gritted his teeth, waiting for the moment for them to shoot at them, but he didn't care, all he wanted was to keep his lover safe from this stupid pointless war. His veins were pumped with adrenaline, ready to fight, raising his fists which were so tightly coiled that his knuckles turned white.
"Very well. We can do this the easy way or the hard way."
"Feli, it's best to just let them take us and not to argue, I'll protect you, I promise." Ludwig explained through gritted teeth. They lifted up their arms in surrender and let the soldiers take them, but all they knew is that they were about to be executed shortly.
'What the hell did Feli do?' Ludwig growled in his thoughts, lowering his head. 'What am I even thinking? He did nothing.'
His thoughts were interrupted by Feliciano's coughing, his lungs were still injured and it brought on a stabbing pain which throbbed throughout his chest. He winced in pain and carried on walking, almost stumbling.
'damn it sounds so awful, I hope he is ok' Ludwig thought, worrying about the pain he must have been in.
"Vargas did nothing wrong." Ludwig snarled at the two soldiers.
"None of your concern, Beilschmidt." One of them retorted back. "We can only tell you that our orders were to capture and kill enemy Italians."
"enemy Italians?" Ludwig emphasised in shock, blurting it out immediately.
"Yes, they are traitors, like you."
"Luddy, my brother is in danger." Feliciano whispered.
Ludwig's ears pricked up, that's the very last thing he wanted to hear and his thoughts mumbled on inside his head, he fixed his tired eyes on the floor and just let himself get lost in them. But he couldn't just give up. Gilbert wouldn't want that to happen neither would Feliciano and Lovino. He had to pull himself together and conjure a plan on how to get themselves out of this situation.