The characters are finally coming together.

0o0o0o

'Feliciano?'

Feliciano nearly fell off his bed out of fear, but he recognized the voice.

'Ludwig?' he whispered. 'Are you out there?'

'I am. What happened? Are you okay? I heard shouting.'

'I'm fine,' Feliciano assured him, crawling out of bed with the blanket wrapped around him. He jumped up on the ledge and immediately slid off to stop Ludwig from fiddling with his hair. 'Lovino...Lovino's in love with Antonio.' The sentiment was familiar, but the shock of hearing it was new. 'And Nonno found out.'

'Oh.' Ludwig squeezed his hand. Feliciano didn't even think he knew he did it. His face was bloodless and his eyes were distant. 'What...what did your grandfather do to him?'

'Nothing. Lovi stormed off and he's crying now. I'm really worried about him, but if I go check on him he'll probably throw something at me.' Feliciano was about to ask if Ludwig had a helmet anywhere when he noticed his quick, short breathing. 'Ludwig, what's wrong?'

'The church,' he said. He was staring blindly at his hands, and Feliciano managed to nudge them both back into his room so at least the height wouldn't be so bad. Ludwig grabbed at his arm, looking faintly surprised that they were both on his bed again. 'They said-they said that if people were like that, you...turned them out.'

Feliciano had not been paying attention in church, and this made him feel sick. Would he always have to hide the way he wanted to look at Ludwig until they could be alone? But even on the roof, Feliciano felt too exposed now. Their rooms seemed the only safe place, and even then, if someone opened the door...

'Nonno wouldn't do that,' he said, to reassure himself. 'Right? I don't think he would turn m-turn Lovi out just for Antonio. Do you?'

'I don't think your grandfather would do it,' Ludwig agreed with a half-smile. 'I think Vati would.'

'What?' Feliciano grabbed him, sour fear flooding through him for Ludwig and for what they could be. 'No, he wouldn't.'

'Gilbert...if Gilbert did that. He'd tell him to run away like he's always threatening. At least. That's what I think.' Ludwig took a shuddering breath and leaned subtly towards him. Feliciano wrapped his arms around him, and Ludwig's shoulders went slack. 'I don't want him to run away. I...I would almost rather he be kicked out, as terrible as it sounds, because at least he wouldn't have left me willingly.' Ludwig grimaced. 'I feel horrible.'

'It's not your fault,' Feliciano said emptily. There was no real comforting words for Ludwig's situation. 'It's...it's okay. If not now, one day.'

'I think Gilbert is going to be kicked out,' Ludwig said quietly.

'What?'

Ludwig didn't say anything more. He was gazing blankly at the felt flower on his desk. Feliciano shook his shoulder gently, and Ludwig instantly clapped a hand over his, pupils dilating in fear.

'Ludwig?' Feliciano was horrified with himself and with whatever had happened that he hadn't been noticing. 'Ludwig, I'm sorry.'

'It's-it's nothing, how many times have I told you not to apologize-' Ludwig shook his head sharply and took a deep breath. 'No. Gilbert does that sometimes. I'm...sorry.'

'How much have they been fighting?' Feliciano asked. 'Were they-when you came home?'

'Vati told me to go upstairs and that he'd deal with me later.' Ludwig closed his eyes, hands curling in the sheets. 'They're fighting every night now. Maybe I should make my wish for them to stop.'

'I'm going to go talk to them,' Feliciano decided. Ludwig grabbed his arm, hard enough to sting. 'No!' Feliciano flinched, and he immediately loosened his grip, guilt obvious in his eyes. 'No, Feliciano. It's not worth it.'

'You're worth it,' Feliciano said emphatically, desperate to fix something of what he feared was already breaking, the thing making Ludwig's shoulders always stiff and his eyes harder. He was looking more like his grandfather now, but Aldrich was coldly intimidating and Ludwig…

Feliciano thought he was wonderful, and still really wanted to kiss him. It would be easy just to lean over and untangle his hair and tell him exactly what ti amo meant before he kissed him. The only thing that was stopping him was that he was beyond terrified of how Ludwig would react.

There was no reason Ludwig wouldn't push him away, Feliciano thought. He'd said it himself that Vati would throw him out if he was like that. And beyond that-he was thinking of 'what if's when Ludwig was breaking inside.

'Are you okay?' Ludwig asked, and Feliciano berated himself again.

'I'm worried. About you and Gilbert.'

Ludwig scoffed slightly. Feliciano saw the shadows under his eyes and his stomach twisted. 'Let's...let's not talk about me right now.'

'Ludwig-'

'Please,' he said. 'Tell me about you.'

'You already know a lot about me.'

'Tell me about Venice, then.'

Feliciano closed his eyes and dug into his furthest memories for sunlight and flower boxes in windowsills, and it was easier to let himself talk about canals at sunset and echoing museums with delicate carvings than to tell Ludwig what he wanted to do. He hoped that if he poured out his feelings into memories of his old city, they wouldn't burst out of him right now into all the wrong words.

He was shocked out of his reverie when Ludwig gently cupped his face.

'You're smiling,' he said quietly, blue eyes searching, piercing into him and pulling out his secrets. Feliciano was breathless, mind empty of words except ti amo. Ludwig's eyes seemed brighter blue, and suddenly he reddened and started to pull his hands away. 'Sorry-'

'It's fine,' Feliciano interrupted, taking his hands in his. Ludwig stilled, the hesitancy of a wild animal settling over him, before he slowly touched his face again, then his hair.

'The way you describe Venice is beautiful.'

'I'm going to take you there when we're older,' Feliciano promised. The soft touch of hands pushing through his hair was sending shivers up and down his spine. Ludwig's fingertips brushed his cap, and Feliciano took it off. His whole body was tingling and bursting with feeling and alive.

'You're beautiful,' Ludwig said quietly, and even though they'd said it before, it felt new and electric when Feliciano was more aware of his accented English-and Ludwig had called him beautiful. His heart was going to stop with the wonderful feeling.

'You too,' he said. Ludwig shook his head, eyes still fixed on different angles of his face. Feliciano knew the look. Ludwig wanted to draw him, and was realizing that his face had changed.

'It's not about me right now.'

Feliciano would interrupt that it should be, or that he wanted Ludwig to tell him about Berlin and reassure him there wouldn't be a war, and that some day nobody would ever hear the word fag or queer so he could believe it himself. But Ludwig curled forwards against him and rested his head against his shoulder, his soft breathing echoing through his body and Feliciano's where their skin touched.

He felt what might have been the slightest press of a kiss to the back of his neck, soft as moonlight, and it felt like his whole soul shuddered in longing.

'It's the third tomorrow,' Feliciano said, hearing his voice as if from far away.

'It is.'

'I'll tell you what ti amo means.'

Ludwig hummed, a note of drowsiness evident in it under the happiness. 'I'm glad you're here, Feliciano.'

'Me too.' Feliciano tucked his blanket further around him. 'But I should go.'

'I know.' Ludwig untangled himself. The back of Feliciano's neck was cold in the absence of his kiss. He shivered.

'Thank you,' he murmured again. Feliciano looked down at him, his heart aching. Ludwig's lashes were silvered by the moonlight, and his eyes were hazy.

'You can...it's okay to do this,' he said. 'Just not in public, right? Because people might think, and-'

'I don't care what people think,' Ludwig said, more than half-sleepily.

'We can't not, though.' Feliciano said. 'You saw it yourself, that people do terrible things sometimes to people they think are…'

'Homosexual?'

This conversation was straying too close to Feliciano's sudden burst of feelings, but he wanted to keep going. Maybe, if Ludwig was really like him and this wasn't just friends, then they could have something.

'It's not safe,' he said instead.

'And Vati would…' Ludwig was cut off by a yawn. 'I want you to keep safe. Gilbert keeps fighting people, but maybe he has a point. I would do the same.'

'Don't get into any fights,' Feliciano worried. 'Especially If Gilbert isn't around. And especially if he is. You'll get hurt. Francis said that sometimes you could only save yourself when things like that happen.' But he didn't want to have to only save himself. He wanted to save some other world as well. He didn't want to think about leaving someone like Ludwig.

'I can't not want to save you.' Ludwig smiled, eyes sliding closed. 'Because we're friends.'

Friends. Just friends, not what Feliciano wanted. That was...it had to be okay.

'Ti amo,' Feliciano said, choking off all his other words. He left.

0o0o0o

The crying had stopped. Feliciano crept into Lovino's room. He was staring dully at the ceiling, eyes blank.

'Lovino?' Feliciano tried. 'Lovino, are you okay? I heard...I heard shouting, and now that you're better, even a little bit, I was thinking that maybe you should tell him.'

'Get out,' Lovino said flatly.

'Nonno would want to know that it's Antonio,' Feliciano insisted.

'Get out of my room.'

'If he knows it's him, and not someone else, maybe he'll accept it-'

'If you tell Nonno about Antonio, I'll tell him about Ludwig.' Lovino's voice was deadly calm. 'Don't lie to me, Feliciano. I know the way you look at him when you think you're alone.'

'I don't look at him strangely,' Feliciano protested, knowing full well it was a lie. Lovino laughed, sharp and rough.

'You look at him like he can solve every problem that ever brought us to America.'

'I don't even know what those problems are!' Feliciano cried, eyes brimming with furious tears. 'We just moved here one day and all I know is that I don't know anyone and that America is huge and loud and kind of scary and Ludwig does fix those problems. Because we're friends.'

Friends, however, did not seem at all a strong enough word for what they were. Feliciano could admit that now.

'I swear to God, Feliciano, if I tell Nonno what you really think of him, he will never let you see Ludwig again.'

Feliciano stumbled out and buried himself in his remaining blanket and dreamed of scraped palms and raw hearts.

0o0o0o

The previous day seemed to have wrung every emotion out of him last night, but the nervous, sparkling excitement was buzzing through him again, because it was Ludwig's birthday, and Feliciano could tell him ti amo and after that-

He would see. Everything was before and after now, and all Feliciano knew was his own feelings, which were still twisted and confusing, but honest and right. Even more so after last night.

Feliciano didn't know if Ludwig hadn't known what he was doing or not. He didn't want to think about if he hadn't, and if he had…

His thoughts were interrupted by Lovino stumbling downstairs past him.

'Lovi!' Feliciano rushed after him. 'Lovi, I'm sorry, please don't tell Nonno.'

Lovino didn't acknowledge him. His eyes were rimmed in red and the shadows around his eyes were so dark they almost looked like bruises. He looked hungover.

Had Lovino drank last night? Feliciano racked his memory but couldn't recall. If Nonno didn't already know, a glance now would tell him everything.

But when they got down to the kitchen, Nonno looked them over like nothing was out of the ordinary. In fact, he seemed almost too cheerful.

'How has everything been in America, Feli?' His grandfather affectionately ruffled his hair.

'It's been good, except-' Feliciano was interrupted by his grandfather coughing. 'Nonno, are you okay?'

'I'm fine, just a little under the weather.'

'You've been saying that ever since you announced moving. Is it because you didn't want to leave Venice? I didn't want to leave Venice either, but you're the one who moved us, and now that I'm here, I really don't mind it, and-you aren't moving us back, are you? I don't want to leave.'

Feliciano barely caught the sad shadow in his grandfather's eyes. 'I won't move back,' he said. 'Now, go on about your time. I want to hear everything about my grandsons.'

Lovino muttered something about school, bolted down his food, and left. Feliciano watched him go.

'I know you were listening last night,' his grandfather said quietly. 'Do you know anything?'

A while ago, Feliciano didn't know if he could keep a secret that would make things better if shared. He now knew that threatening his own feelings for Ludwig would silence him.

'No,' he said.

0o0o0o

The school day passed in a crawl, but finally Feliciano practically sprinted home and found Gilbert working on the car again.

'I need to go downtown,' he said breathlessly. Gilbert chuckled affectionately.

'I always need to go downtown. What do you need?'

'Something for Ludwig.'

Gilbert grinned. For the first time in a long time, light seemed to spark in his eyes. 'What are you thinking of?'

Feliciano thought of Ludwig's half-serious wish for them to stop fighting, and knew that was the only thing that would matter.

'I'll find something,' Feliciano said. Gilbert seemed to think this was a worthy answer, because he wiped off his hands and gunned the car.

'You told your old man you're going?'

'Yes,' Feliciano said guiltily. Gilbert laughed and pulled onto the larger road.

'I heard all about your little adventure with baby brother last night,' he said conversationally, turning around to addrsss him better. Feliciano was pretty sure he was also over the speed limit, but if his warning distracted Gilbert, who seemed to be driving fine looking into the back seat, he would almost definitely die, which would be especially bad today.

'Sorry.'

'Are you kidding me? It was the most awesome thing ever!' Gilbert casually checked the speedometer and did nothing to change his speed. 'He needs some adventure sometimes. I promise, you're doing good.'

Feliciano wanted to ask why everyone knew him in the place, but had a feeling Gilbert wouldn't like it if he did.

'What did you get him?' Feliciano asked, changing the subject.

'A book on drawing. He's always drawing now. And a bird encyclopedia. Can I give a suggestion?'

It was actually very impressive how well Gilbert could drive with just his knee and a foot on the pedal. 'Sure.'

'Music.' Gilbert winked and turned back around in time to wave to a passing police car.

0o0o0o

Gilbert knew exactly where the music shop was. He led Feliciano to the records and told him he'd be by the sheet music.

It has been so long since Feliciano had heard music the way he did sometimes in Italy-spilling out the windows and doors and inviting him to dance. The names and colours of bands spilled through his fingers. Wondering which music Ludwig liked let his mind wander into bluer-than-sky eyes and the soft curl of heat from his kiss and what kissing him for real would feel like-

'Hey, Feliciano!'

Feliciano jumped and nearly dropped the records. He put them back, hoping his face wasn't red. 'Hey, Alfred!'

'You looking for music?' He shuffled through the stacks with impressive speed, adding one more record to his own pile. 'I come here all the time,' he explained. 'What's your taste?'

'I...it's not for me.' Feliciano knew he blushed then. 'It's for Ludwig.'

'Cool!' Alfred's brow creased in concentration as he flicked through the records. 'Does he like rock? No, he doesn't seem like the rock kind of guy. Classical? Doesn't his brother know that classical musician?'

'Something with lyrics,' Feliciano insisted. 'Maybe something old? Something played in Europe?' Alfred paused, and then pulled out an older-looking album.

'Here,' he said with surprising sombreity. 'Maybe.'

Feliciano read the labels-Lola, People Take Pictures Of Each Other, This Time Tomorrow, and Dandy, all by The Kinks.

'Do you know this band?' he asked. Alfred looked suddenly self-conscious.

'I like their Arthur album,' he said. 'Come on, if you like it, let's go pay.'

The whole drive home, Feliciano tried to convince himself to tell Gilbert about Ludwig's wish. He tried to envision himself also telling Gilbert about his feelings for Ludwig, but the image was ridiculous.

Gilbert stalled in front of the house, taking as long as possible, and Feliciano shoved aside all his worry because this was for Ludwig.

'He wants you to stop fighting.'

No surprise, no shock, because they both knew this was coming. Gilbert nodded. 'I know.'

'He told you?'

'No, but...Feli, it wasn't hard to guess. So we haven't. Today.'

'Can you keep not fighting?'

'I'm trying.' Gilbert sighed and stopped the car. 'Listen. I'm glad you two are friends, okay?'

'Lovi isn't,' Feliciano burst out. 'He thinks-he'll tell Nonno, but I'm not like that, or at least I can't be in public, and I'm scared that people will hurt us if I am.'

He realized he'd almost admitted too late, and to Ludwig's brother, but he seemed the only person who would understand. Gilbert seemed to be thinking over his declaration, and Feliciano was a twist of worry.

'People will always want to do terrible things for mindless, stupid reasons. All you can do is be happy and prove that they won't change you.' He grinned slightly. 'And in case you're wondering, he looks at you like you hung the stars.'

Feliciano blushed bright red and fumbled his words and opening the car door.

'Thank you,' he finally said, clutching the music. 'For driving me.'

'Any time,' Gilbert said with a grin.

0o0o0o

Ludwig looked happy when he climbed out onto the roof. It was only barely afternoon, lazy and slow and hot, and the light was like gold on his smile.

'Hello,' he said. His black jacket was loosely draped around his shoulders and his shirt showed off his arms, and Feliciano really did not need any more reasons to be distracted right now.

'Happy birthday!'

'Thank you.' Ludwig pointed back inside. 'I think maybe my wish worked.'

'That's really good,' Feliciano said, relieved. Ludwig gave him a sort of secret smile.

'You still are going to tell me ti amo means, right?'

'Of course,' Feliciano said. It came out as a squeak. He'd never really been able to look this closely at Ludwig in broad golden sunlight, and it was like all his colours were saturated and Feliciano would have really liked to stay here forever and tell him everything, but that was impossible. For now, at least, before ti amo. After, maybe it wouldn't be quite so impossible.

'I also got you this,' Feliciano said, trying to stop his thoughts, giving him the records. Ludwig flipped softly though them, amazement glowing on his face.

'These are...they sound really good.'

'Thanks, Alfred recommended the band and I thought these ones looked nice by the labels but I've never listened to them, and if you don't like them I'll go talk to Alfred.'

'I like them,' Ludwig said firmly. 'I...I also got you something.'

'But it's your birthday, which means I give you stuff, and-actually, if everyone exchanged gifts on a birthday, do you think that would work? I think we should try it, but not right now because I'm supposed to give you the prese-Ludwig, is this a drawing of me?'

'Yes.' He looked away. His ears were red.

'This is really good,' Feliciano said, and Ludwig blushed brighter.

'I've been practicing. Not drawing you! I mean, I have been practicing drawing you, but not always.' He took a deep breath and looked Feliciano in the eyes. 'I meant what I said. You're very…' And the stiff, awkward worry melted away suddenly as he reached out, sliding his hand into the short curls at the back of Feliciano's neck with an expression like incredulous amazement, raw and exposed. 'Beautiful,' he finished quietly.

They were back to last night, but this time Ludwig knew what he was doing, and Feliciano was so alight he could barely think, because this was dangerous and wonderful and felt so right.

'You're staring,' Ludwig said, with a soft sort of smile, knowing he'd been doing it too. Feliciano felt that pull he had last night to lean in tenfold, and if he didn't do something just as dangerous and wonderful and right his heart would stop because it was beating so fast.

'Ti amo means-' Oh, he was doing this, and Feliciano didn't know how he'd never said it before because God, those blue eyes-he'd fallen in love a long, long time ago, and he didn't care for once about anything except the way Ludwig looked at him.

'Ti amo means I love you, Ludwig,' Feliciano said, and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek, or would have, if Ludwig hadn't turned and caught him half on the mouth.

0o0o0o

Everything will work out.

:: Flowers covered with dewdrops or hoarfrost