Ch. 14:

They cleaned themselves off in the pond before drying off and heading back home.

Feliciano was being carried on Ludwig's back (the Italian's back had never felt so sore), as the German carried a picnic basket in each hand.

Feliciano was humming a peppy song as Ludwig walked; an aura of content had settled around them and warmed their hearts.

"I wish everyday could be like this…" Feliciano breathed.

"I do too," Ludwig answered just as quietly, as if speaking loudly would break some spell they hadn't realized was cast.

Feliciano took a deep breath, "Maybe…maybe it's time we tell everyone."

"Maybe…" Ludwig replied.

But before a decision could be made a figure suddenly appeared behind them and all the happiness Feliciano had felt instantly burned away.

Grandpa Roma.

He was staring at them with disbelief; Feliciano had never thought he'd be so terrified at seeing his grandfather.

Feliciano slipped off Ludwig's back, his legs wobbly a bit, he grabbed Ludwig's arm for support. "Ciao, grandpa," he murmured quietly.

Roma's disbelief switched to anger and Feliciano thought he'd turn to ash under that glare. "Ciao, Feliciano Vargas, what is going on here?"

"This-this is Ludwig," Feliciano introduced.

"I know who he is," Roma barked, "What I want to know is why you're with him!?"

Feliciano flinched, "He-He…"

"We're friends," Ludwig answered for him, taking a step to block Feliciano from his grandfather. Feliciano could tell by the look on Roma's face that barricading him from his own grandson was the last thing Ludwig should've done.

"Leave," Roma growled at him, "I'm taking Feliciano home now."

Ludwig looked like he would protest, which Feliciano knew it was a terrible idea, so he quickly grabbed the German's arm, silencing him.

"It's okay, Ludwig," Feliciano told him, begging with his eyes to yield. "I'll see you later, okay?"

Ludwig knew how much of a long shot that was as well but he still nodded and gave Feliciano his picnic basket. With one last heart-broken look at his German beloved Feliciano followed his grandfather home, all the while trying not to let his grandfather see how his legs still wobbled.

By the look on Lovino's face when Roma and Feliciano entered the kitchen, he knew exactly what happened.

"You told him," he asked his brother who kept his eyes on the ground.

Roma once again glared at Feliciano, "Tell me what?"

This was all wrong, this was all wrong. This was not how his grandpa was supposed to find out.

"Feliciano," Roma snapped, making both his grandsons flinch.

"I-I," there was no point hiding it anymore, he swallowed. "I've been seeing Ludwig, for weeks now. We-we've been hanging out, talking and stuff."

Roma sat down at the table, looking like he needed something stronger than wine. "And when were you planning on telling me you were running off with a Beilschmidt and betraying your family?"

"Grandpa," Lovino stood up while Feliciano stared at their grandfather in dismay. "You're being ridiculous, this isn't some silly Romeo and Juliet situation, there's nothing wrong with Feliciano making friends with people who also own a vineyard."

"That's not what I'm angry about," Roma growled, "I'm angry because Alaric is a bastard and no doubt raised his grandsons to be as charming as him. I'm angry because Feliciano would spend his time with people like that. I'm angry because my grandson went behind my back."

"I'm sorry," Feliciano practically wailed, "I didn't want to make anyone angry, but I…I love him, Grandpa."

"No, you don't," Roma waved off the declaration immediately. "You're just a boy."

"That doesn't mean he doesn't know what love is," Lovino went to Feliciano's defense.

"I do," Feliciano insisted.

Roma hit him with a hard glare, "No, you don't. You don't know what it's like to crave a certain person's attention above all else. To kiss and to touch them, I know you didn't do any of that with the Beilschmidt boy."

The silence in the kitchen was palpable. Feliciano didn't want to tell his grandfather what happened, but he also didn't want to lie.

But the silence was enough for his grandfather. Roma stared at him like he had never seen him before. "What did he do to you, Feliciano?"

The small Italian looked away, "I love him, Grandfather. He can do whatever he wants with me."

The chair fell to the ground as Roma jumped up and grabbed Feliciano's shoulders, making him look him in the eye. "What did he do?"

Feliciano bit his lip, his grandfather had never been so mad before. It scared him. But not as much as the thought of what Roma would do to Ludwig if he told his grandfather he was no longer a virgin.

Roma's eyes were dark as he released Feliciano and headed to the door. Feliciano's heart went to his throat. "Where are you going?"

Roma didn't answer, but before he could exit the kitchen Lovino was suddenly in front of him, blocking his path. "Don't do something stupid, Grandpa! Feli didn't do anything wrong!"

"Get out of the way, Lovino," Roma snapped.

"If you want to be disappointed in one of your grandsons be disappointed in me!" Lovino snapped, he then took a deep breath as if the next thing he was going to say was difficult. "I lost my virginity the night I arrived on my first day of school!"

Both Roma and Feliciano stared at the fuming Lovino, utter and complete disbelief matching on their faces.

"You're lying," Roma murmured, still shocked, Feliciano couldn't speak.

"No, I'm not," Lovino declared waspishly, his shoulders were shaking but his eyes were the fiercest Feliciano had ever seen. "Just ask your new employee."

Feliciano felt a catch in his throat, suddenly incredibly fond of his twin who'd willingly turn their grandfather's wrath on himself.

"You're wrong," a voice suddenly said that wasn't any of them.

In unison the three turned their heads to see Antonio Carriedo standing at the kitchen door, looking awkward and out of place.

There was a long pause, and then Lovino spoke, his voice tight: "What?"

"I actually came over to tell you… I lied, about that night…"

Suddenly Lovino stomped over to the Spaniard and dragged him outside, his face a mask of fury. Whatever happened next was not for Feliciano and Roma to witness.

"I'm going to bed," Roma said tiredly, heading for the stairs. But before he left he turned to fix one last glare on Feliciano. "Don't think I've forgotten. You leave this vineyard and you'll never be allowed out of your room again."

He then abruptly turned and walked upstairs. Once he heard the bedroom door slam shut Feliciano let the tears fall.

Feliciano stood at the fence he always passed through on the way to the silo. As much as he longed to see Ludwig he knew disobeying his grandfather's orders would not help him.

But it would appear luck was on his side when a bulky blond figure suddenly stood before him.

"Ludwig," he breathed delightfully, leaning his arms over the fence to wrap the German into a hug. Ludwig quickly returned the embrace.

"Are you alright," his deep voice murmured, kissing Feliciano below his eye, "I wanted to come check on you sooner."

The small Italian shook his head, "No, that would've made Grandpa angrier." Feliciano's shoulders drooped, "He doesn't want me to see you."

"I told my grandfather about us," Ludwig informed soberly, "He was less than thrilled."

Feliciano tightened his hands into fists, he had thought about moving in with Ludwig but that wasn't going to happen now. Both of their grandfathers were being ridiculous. And Feliciano was angrier than he had ever been.

"Feliciano," Ludwig began uneasily as the Italian suddenly tore off a grape from the vines that covered the fence. No longer caring about Roma's orders he crawled over the fence and marched toward the Beilschmidt vineyard, a worried Ludwig trailing him.

Feliciano tore a grape off one of the Beilschmidt vines and looked at it, then at the Vargas grape in his other hand. He bit off a piece of each grape then stared at their centers, silent.

After a few moments of thick silence Ludwig spoke, "Feliciano, what are you doing?"

Feliciano angrily threw the grapes to the ground, tears welling in his eyes: "They look exactly the same! Neither one has anything better than the other…grapes are grapes and people are people! So I don't know why everyone has to fight all the time! There's nothing different or wrong about this vine except that it's on the other side of the wall…"

All Ludwig could do was pull his Italian into his arms as he sobbed.