Ludwig wants to tell you two things about himself. He has even made a nifty little list for convenience.
1. Ludwig is a good person.
2. Sometimes, people make that good person hide in the very farthest reaches of Ludwig's mind.
As mentioned, people often make Ludwig a little angry. These people will be explained to you throughout Ludwig's day at college.
Ludwig began his day by waking up and thinking his brother set the dorm on fire. He jumped out of bed, hair in disarray, and ran into the kitchen, yelling in German. However, his good-for-nothing brother had accidentally let his good-for-nothing-except-gardening friend try to use the toaster.
The toaster, you see, didn't have a timer. So, even when a piece of bread was cooked to golden perfection on the '3' setting, the toaster didn't allow the bread to pop up. Ludwig's brother's friend didn't know this, so the last slice of bread he had put into the toaster was cooked to a piece of coal.
"Oh, hey, Ludwig," Antonio, the good-for-nothing-except-gardening friend, waved happily at Ludwig. "I seem to have let the toaster on for too long. I, ah, ruined your last piece of bread." He shrugged in a 'what can you do?' sort of way, and went off in search of more food.
Ludwig stared at the toaster, processing.
Finally, his brain clicked into gear, and he marched two yards into the living room, where his brother lay. Gilbert, an albino who was all too happy to relish inside out of the sun, was passed out on the couch. Gilbert had invited Antonio over to spend the night, and their evening spent drinking was evident. All over the living room. And couch. Just, really, empty alcohol bottles everywhere.
Gilbert was one of those people who made happy Ludwig go scuttling into the darkest parts of Ludwig's mind, hissing at the light.
"Get up you lazy ass!" Ludwig shouted in German, kicking the couch.
"Five more minutes," Came the reply, muffled under an alcohol infused blanket.
"I've been at my college for a month and you still haven't found an apartment—or job—like you promised!" Ludwig pulled off the blanket, finding a half-naked Gilbert.
Gilbert cracked open one eye and looked at Ludwig. "Your point?"
Ludwig put his hands on his hips. "Instead of getting drunk with Antonio," he kicked the couch, "—get—" kick "—a—" kick "—job."
The door on the other side of the living room opened, and Roderich stepped out. He readjusted his glasses and looked slowly around the living room. His eyes swept right over Gilbert in his blue boxers with yellow polka-dots, barely registered Ludwig in his black boxers and tank-top, and instead fell on a small feathered patch on the carpet.
"Is that a bird?"
Ludwig whirled on Gilbert. "You let in a bird?"
"I let in a bird? Oh, shit," Gilbert laughed, "I did."
"Why would you let in a bird?" Roderich muttered, shaking his head.
"I didn't mean to," Gilbert held his hands up defensively. "Hell, maybe the bird let himself in."
Roderich hefted his book bag, firmly shut his bedroom door behind him, and strode across the living room. "I don't care what happened, but this mess better be cleaned out. It's practically a barn in this place." He then waltzed out of the dorm room, gently shutting the door behind him.
Antonio, still rummaging, called belatedly, "Hi, Roderich!"
Ludwig checked the clock and cursed, heading toward the bathroom. "Gilbert, clean!"
"I'm not a dog you k—" Ludwig slammed the bathroom door, massaging his temples.
Damn his free-loading brother. He didn't even think it was legal to have Gilbert in his dorm, but Ludwig had tried everything short of a pesticide treatment to rid himself of the albino. So, Gilbert stayed. (Gilbert actually didn't annoy Ludwig that much; he was helpful keeping the apartment clean when Ludwig was busy studying.) Ludwig only nagged Gilbert when he drank with his friends. Alcohol wasn't allowed on campus, and every time his older brother drank, he jeopardized Ludwig's enrollment at Hetalia.
Ludwig showered, shaved, dressed, gelled back his hair, and grabbed his reading glasses. When he stepped out of the bathroom, Antonio had left, but Gilbert was still on the couch. It had been half an hour.
"Clean!"
"Shut up, mom!"
Ludwig grabbed his backpack and left his dorm. His bad mood could practically be seen floating above him, a little storm cloud. Ludwig stomped down the stairs, left his building, and took a hard left.
It took five minutes of walking for Ludwig to realize he was being followed. He turned his head slightly and was surprised to see a dirty golden retriever trotting behind him, tail wagging. Ludwig sighed and turned around to face the dog.
"They don't allow dogs on campus," Ludwig muttered, looking around for a campus security guard among the throngs of students on their way to class. "You shouldn't be here."
The dog barked.
Ludwig sighed and tried to wave the dog away. "Go away, before you get caught and sent to the pound."
The dog barked, and its tongue lolled out of its mouth. Ludwig sighed and turned on his heel, continuing on his way to class. The golden retriever continued to follow him. Ludwig sighed and let the dog stop next to him.
"Are you going to come live with me too? Hm?" Ludwig murmured in German, wiggling his fingers at the dog, "Are you going to try and set the toaster on fire?"
Ludwig realized he was talking to a dog, blushed slightly, and moved on to class.
Ludwig reached his Foreign Affairs class, fifteen minutes early he was pleased to see, and took his seat third row from the front. The professor hadn't arrived yet, but a few students were milling around. Ludwig took out his homework and gazed down at it, worrying.
Ludwig was majoring in Pre-Law, but it just wasn't clicking. Ludwig could study all he wanted, but none of the subjects related to Law would make sense to Ludwig. Biology, Calculus, and Writing Seminar came like swimming to a fish, but Foreign Affairs, Law, and World History caused only migraines. But that wouldn't really bug Ludwig except…
"Everyone!"
Ludwig's eyes snapped toward the front of the class, along with the rest of the class.
"Ah, hi!" Feliciano smiled around the classroom from in front of the chalkboard, the brightest thing in the room. "Before Professor shows up, I wanted to let you all know that I'm starting a model UN! Since we're all in Foreign Affairs—here are the fliers!" Feliciano hefted the stack of papers in his arms.
... Except for Feliciano.
Feliciano excelled with such a frustrating ease at all the classes Ludwig struggled with. And it drove Ludwig crazy. He would bounce into class, take a couple of notes, hum to himself, then ask a question that flew over Ludwig's head and left him scrambling for his notes to reference. It seemed unfair, but Feliciano didn't even know he was one of the top students.
Feliciano was one of the other people that made happy Ludwig dig a hole, crawl in it, and cover himself with dirt. In… in Ludwig's head. These metaphors are getting confusing, sorry.
"Are you coming?"
Ludwig started, looking up at Feliciano, who had appeared in front of him.
"Excuse me?"
"To my club?" Feliciano smiled and handed Ludwig a flier. "I'm trying to get as many international students as I can, so we have a good mixing of opinions. You're the only German I know!"
Ludwig frowned down at the flier.
Model UN!
Run by: Feliciano Vargas!
Come gain experience and mix opinions on International Issues!
Bring your foreign friends!
! SNACKS ARE PROVIDED !
First meeting this Friday in the library!
Starts at 7!
Please come!
:)
"Uh…" Ludwig looked back up at Feliciano. How did anyone in their right mind allow Feliciano to run a club?
"Please? At least come to the first meeting! It'll be really fun, and I'll order pizza and I'm baking this really yummy cake with homemade frosting, and we'll have a whole table of the library all to ourselves." Feliciano was staring at Ludwig, fists clenched and face determined. "And each person gets to pick their own Nation the first meeting, so…"
Ludwig held up his hand, grimacing. The prospect of meeting new people and discussing opinions seemed like a recipe for disaster. "Ah, I don't know. I'll have to study, and I think a paper is due—"
"The Foreign Affairs professor is giving extra credit for those who go~"
Ludwig felt his eye twitch and his face heat up slightly.
D… Did Feliciano know that Ludwig was struggling in his Pre-Law classes?
The little storm cloud over Ludwig's head got a shade darker.
Feliciano leaned over and tapped the flier, smiling innocently. "Think about it, okay? I'll save you a seat!" He sauntered away, calling happily to his loud friend and batting away a paper airplane that almost flew into his eyes.
Ludwig's eyes were glued to the back of Feliciano's head, studying him as the class progressed. How did the man do it? He hardly even seemed to pay attention in class, but he was adept enough to head a model UN. Ludwig wondered how he compared. No, Feliciano must study with someone. Maybe it was that Asian man that Ludwig saw meet Feliciano last week after class…? Feliciano raised his hand.
"Why exactly does the Chinese trading policy include us when it would be more help to go to Ecuador for the…" And the question ascended in complexity from there. By the time Ludwig's brain checked back in, Feliciano finished, "… and make an embargo?"
Ludwig gritted his teeth, rifling through his notes till he found his outline on the Chinese Trade policy.
Now, it should be noted, Feliciano had absolutely no idea of Ludwig's Grade Point Average when it came to Foreign Affairs. It was honestly his last ditch attempt to attract Ludwig to his club. Feliciano had that same conversation with just about everyone he gave the flier to.
By the time class was over, Ludwig had calmed down, his mind forced to focus on taking notes instead of his frustrations. Finally, the Professor glanced up at the clock and released the class, hurrying up the center isle for his smoke break. Ludwig leaned back in his chair and stretched, happy the two-hour class was over.
Ludwig gathered his things and stood, nodding to a few of the students he recognized from ROTC. He walked out of the seminar room and was surprised to see the same Golden Retriever from earlier sleeping by the door. Ludwig looked around quickly, checking that none of the campus security guards were around and that the dog was safe, before heading back to his dorm room. He had a half hour break before Biology and he had to exchange his books.
Ludwig pulled his coat tighter around himself, dreading the rapidly approaching time when it became too cold for his outdoor runs, and he would have to move indoors to the treadmills on campus. Ludwig unlocked his dorm door and was pleased to see a dressed Gilbert picking up the mess from last night.
"Did you catch the bird?" Ludwig asked in German as he strode into his room, looking for his Biology text book and binder.
"I opened the window," Gilbert called. "It's a canary," he continued, "I don't think it'll do any harm. And you wanted me to clean!" He reminded, letting out an obnoxious laugh. There was a beat of silence, "And Mom's boyfriend called looking for you."
Ludwig and Gilbert shared a phone. Well, it was more like Gilbert shared Ludwig's phone, though it was Ludwig who couldn't remember the last time he had actually used his phone for anything other than calling his Mom. The last time Ludwig had commandeered his phone had been two weeks ago, and he had declined calls all class, messaging back that no, he wasn't Gilbert, please stop calling. It was always painfully awkward whenever Gilbert picked up a call intended for Ludwig, instead.
"What did he want?" Ludwig asked, keeping his voice carefully neutral as he exited his room.
Gilbert laughed again, louder and harsher than before. "I don't know. He flipped when he heard it was me."
"He's doing his best, you know that," Ludwig defended half-heartedly as he searched their small pantry for a snack. "You haven't exactly made it easy for him."
Gilbert didn't respond, but the sound of breaking glass as he threw a beer bottle into his trash bag was enough.
Thanks for the first reviews! Fleursdemoncoeur, Alya Spruce, Guest, mille, and queenofthefandms thank you! Thanks to all the Followers, and the one Favorite. You guys rock.
As always, please mention any mistakes you see, and critiques are welcome!
EDIT: Beta'd by the amazing kheelwithit.