Gunshots echoed through the distance, it all happened so slow, a piercing sound thumped his ears. Feliciano's gut felt as though it had been yanked out, the colour drained from his face and his body just went cold and petrified in shock.
"My love, get out of here." A weak voice whispered from beside his head. Feliciano took his hands off Ludwig, violently shaking. The fresh colour of blood painted his hands, staring back at him, his heart pumped in his throat as his brain tried to process everything that just happened.
"No! No!" Feliciano choked out, as his confusion slowly turned to panic. The men standing with weapons were shouting at him, but he was too shocked and stunned to even notice. Drops of blood splattered on Feliciano's face whilst Ludwig coughed violently, he didn't even want to look at Ludwig's condition. Suddenly, Feliciano snapped his head around, focusing on the men who shot him with a murderous glare.
"I'll ask one more time, what are you doing with that traitor?!" Feliciano's body froze as Ludwig's body started to get limp and his laboured breathing ceased.
"Ludwig, LUDWIG." Feliciano screamed, begging him to answer back, but no reply.
'shit, they found us!' He thought, mentally screaming and panicking, one thing that he remembered his Grandpa and Lovi telling him is to keep calm no matter what.
"He wanted to show me something." He choked out to the soldiers in his best German accent. The soldiers exchanged looks to each other curiously.
"But, I heard him say, 'only a couple of miles more'"
'Come on, I need to get to him quickly.' Feliciano's pent up emotions were just overwhelming, a mixture of them were all intertwining inside him, clouding up his eyes.
"Very well, there is nothing more we can do here, this traitor scum is as good as dead anyway." The soldiers spat, marching off. Those words shot through him, how dare they talk about Ludwig like that. Feliciano tore off a part of his uniform and put pressure on his wounds.
"Don't die, please." Feliciano sobbed, shouting for help. The medics in the tent came to the aid along with Antonio and Kiku. "You're my everything, who will protect me if you go, we promised to protect each other, right?"
"What happened?" Antonio gasped in shock, as Kiku's brown eyes widened.
Feliciano was too distraught to even speak, all that came out was stuttered words that made no sense whatsoever.
The medics brought him into the tent and dealt with the bullet wounds, as Feliciano put his feet on the chair,keeping his head down. He was absolutely livid with himself.
'it's all my god damn fault.' He wrapped his arms around his legs and balled up his fists until, digging his nails in, he didn't care if it was painful it was what he deserved anyway.
"Feli?" A voice called out his name, but he didn't respond. "It's not your fault." He felt an arm go around his shoulder, making him wince, he pulled his head out of his arms and stared at the person who was hugging him through his tearful eyes. Green met brown and a small smile appeared on his face.
"It is my fault." He muttered back. "If he hadn't had come outside with me, Antonio."
"It would have happened anyway, they would have infiltrated the whole tent."
"What?!"
"He's stable, so if you want to see him." The doctor informed, as Feliciano sprinted towards the direction of his bed.
"Ludwig!" Feliciano called and Antonio caught up with him.
"Hey my love, I'm so sorry." He hoarsely whispered, raising a shaky hand to his cheek and Feliciano grabbed it, feeling his heart thumping in his throat. A lone tear rolled onto Ludwig's finger.
"Don't cry for me."
"But it's all my fault." Feliciano said, his voice breaking.
"Please, don't blame yourself, it's not." Ludwig whispered back at the stressed Italian. "I'm alright now." The Italian nodded, as Ludwig stroked his cheek to comfort him a little, the heaviness of the anxiety seemed to lift off his shoulders.
"You need to rest."
"I don't care about that now."
"I'll stay here by your side, just please rest."
Ludwig gave in to his heavy, sore eyes and let his body fall into a deep rest, he's been so exhausted since this war began. He felt so secure with his lover next to him, gripping firmly at his hand, feeling Feliciano's soft hand carress at his forehead and gently at his hair. Then, Feliciano put his lips on Ludwig's, he pulled back and whispered a goodnight and laid on the bed next to him.
Morning came and he was awoken by the sunlight peeking through his eyelids, he opened them and a piercing pain shot through his cheek, launching himself up, he investigated the tent, yawning. He awoke not next to his love where he fell asleep, but in one of the beds. He scanned the tent, hoping to gain some clues, he pressed his finger against his aching cheek and winced in pain. Ludwig's and Lovino's beds were empty, his heart pounded in his chest and his throat knotted up.
'Were they... No I can't think that way' Feliciano shook his head of those stupid thoughts and continued seeking answers. He went straight up to one of the doctors to ask what happened to them.
"I'm sorry, we were only able to save a few." The doctor replied.
"Save a few?" He repeated, a deep hole appearing in his stomach, sinking even further as every second the pause was between the doctor's replies felt like a lifetime.
"Yes, there was an ambush and the soldiers took most of the patients, we had to move." His stomach sunk and suddenly, it all occured to him, it flashbacked to him trying to save his love and brother from those soldiers, but all to no avail and he got knocked out in the process. He thought his just had a horrible dream, but he confirmed that it wasn't a dream and he sighed, looking at his feet.
'Why didn't I do more to stop them?' Feliciano thought, tearing up, getting really frustrated with himself he decided to vent his anger by standing outside the tent, breathing in the fresh air. He wished so bad that he had some paper and a pencil just to draw to relax him, sighing , he reminisced back to when Ludwig and him were on the train and closed his eyes, a small smile curled on his lips and he calmed down quickly. But he missed Ludwig and his brother more than drawing or anything. That just tore him up inside and messed with his head, feeling like he could just give up and let this war take him.
Feliciano goes each day blanky and with no emotion whatsoever, he became very distant and Kiku and Antonio started worrying about the Italian who locked himself away day by day. He didn't eat much and he started fainting due to high demand of exercise on the battlefield. Luckily, there were always people there willing to carry him to the tent.
'Why couldn't they just leave me?' Feliciano cried in his thoughts, desperately wanting to let the tears out over someone's shoulder.
"Hey Feli." A familiar voice rang in his ear, Antonio came to visit him "How are you holding up?" Feliciano winced a little, they used to call him Feli, the painful memories awoke from the lock and he began to silently let the tears drip down.
"I understand things are hard, but they wouldn't like to see you like this." Antonio explained, trying to be rational
"I've just given up, this stupid war has taken everything I love most." Feliciano stuttered, a monotone to his voice.
"I know, it must be unbearable, but people are losing their loved ones over this war too and we need it ended before anyone else gets hurt."
"We don't even need this war in the first place." Feliciano growled, hurling his fist into the blankets.
"You're right, but it's not up to us." Antonio sighed, shaking his head.
"Hello, is everything ok?" A quiet voice appeared.
"Sargeant?"
"Hello Feliciano, are you better?" Kiku asked. "Hello Antonio."
"No, I've just given up."
"Don't give up, you'll get past this." Kiku sighed sadly. "You should really eat something." Feliciano shook his head to his request, whilst the tears were forming in his eyes making the two feel bad about how they probably can't do a thing to help.
"Listen, we'll tell you if we find anything, ok?" Kiku comforted the Italian
"There's still hope." Antonio grinned, trying to get him to just smile, but he just sat there with blank eyes, staring at the wall.
'I didn't have the strength to stop them, what am I supposed to do? They could be...' Feliciano trailed off in his thoughts, even thinking it was just too much to bare he gritted his teeth, frustrated with himself.
'I'm useless.' He ripped his eyes away from the wall and glanced at the two of his friends who stared back worried about him.
"Be strong, ok?" Antonio said to him softly, patting on his shoulder "I've got to go." He exited the tent with his head down, worried about the whole situation.
"I just wish there was something I could do for him." He muttered under his breath, as he stepped out the tent. He felt guilt growling inside him, he had to lie about leaving because it was just too upseting for him.
"We'll be right here if you need anything." Kiku soothed, holding at his hands. "I'm sorry, I have to return to duty."
Feliciano nodded and soon, he was left alone with nothing but the echoing of the thoughts inside his own head.
"What am I even thinking?" He whispered under his breath. He investigated the area, seeing nobody about, he exited his bed slowly and steadied himself. Feliciano's legs were like rubber bands and a feeling of dizziness hit him hard as he stumbled, trying to regain his balance.
'I don't want to be useless and stuck here, whilst the others are searching, I have to try for them.' The colour of his face drained out and he turned a ghostly pale, breathing got heavy and beads of sweat glistened on his forehead. He sprinted towards a direction, breathing in the fresh air and the cool breeze blowing against his face. The Italian shouted out their names, as he searched, not caring about the burning feeling erupting through his legs and the stars spinning around his vision.
But, he found absolutely nothing, he paced himself as the dizziness crawled upon him yet again and the stars invaded his vision, getting worse.
"Shit, not now, please, just a little further." He murmured, pushing himself to the limit, trying to force himself from slipping into unconsciousness. He approached the main base, where they first came into this hell, where all the peace was shattered. The painful memories came flooding back of when they both promised to protect each other from harm, a sharp pain of guilt lurched at his stomach. He broke a promise to the one he really loved, shaking his head of those painful memories, he launched himself forward as fast as he could.
He begged in his mind to keep going and going until he collapsed on the wet grass, as he wheezed, violently coughing, raising a shaky hand. His sight started blurring as he gulped in the air his lungs hungered for.
"No, I can't sleep here." He begged his body, shaking his head trying to keep himself awake. But he just lost himself completely and his sight fogged up around the edges.
"Now is not the time!" Feliciano growled at his body, forcing himself back up but a stabbing pain spread through his chest.
'Shit.' Feliciano cursed 'I must be dying.'
The darkness slowly ate away at his vision to a point where he could no longer fight it off.
"Goodbye Lovi and Ludwig." He mumbled under his breath, weakly, letting the darkness come and take him.