Summary: For street urchin Feliciano Vargas, it seems Christmas for him will be the same as usual. By some stroke of fate, Feliciano stumbles upon a kind stranger, Ludwig Beilschmidt, who delivers a miracle to the Italian's life- and strange feelings he's never felt before...
Pairing: Ludwig x Feliciano (Germany x N. Italy, AU)
Ludwig walked over to the Italian and crouched down next to the sofa.
Everything is not perfectly okay with that reaction, he thought to himself.
"I can do my best to try and help you if you would like, I am not sure if I can though," he said. "If you would like to figure them out first on your own, though it's okay." Ludwig usually found the second a bit more helpful when he had some emotional troubles. He found it easier to step back and think.
"These feelings are hard to describe... whenever I'm around you, my heart races, and I start getting strange thoughts about you," Feliciano explained. "Sometimes I want to ask you to hold me, or cuddle with me... or press your lips against mine..." he admitted, sweating madly and blushing heavily.
"I don't know why I'm feeling this way... I know they're my personal thoughts, but I thought you might be able to help me make sense of it all."
Ludwig blushed a little and covered his mouth with his hand. He had to ponder this a bit. He just met the Italian, and already Feliciano was basically saying he was in love with him.
"...g-going by what you are saying, you..." he closed his eyes a minute to calm down. "You seem.. to have fallen in love with me..." he opened his eyes and looked at Feliciano.
Ludwig had to admit the Italian was rather... cute in the way he acted and how he responded to helping him.
Feliciano's eyes opened wide in surprise. "L-love...?" he asked nervously, his face becoming even redder. "I-is that what it feels like...?" he asked nervously, as his strange hair curl on the side of his head formed into a heart.
"I-I may be wrong," Ludwig said to try to calm Feliciano down, "I am not to familiar with the subject personally.."
"I-I'm sorry... f-for causing you so much trouble..." Feliciano said, tears quickly forming in his eyes. "Y-you should probably j-just send me b-back to where I came from... I-I'll only worry you more...!" he added, on the brink of tears, hiding his red face from Ludwig in shame and embarrassment.
When Ludwig noticed Feliciano's emotional state, he moved to sit next to Feliciano. Ludwig hugged the smaller Italian, not sure whether this would aid or worsen the situation, and said softly, "It is too late to take you back. Besides, after meeting you I couldn't let you freeze to death."
Feliciano's cries were reduced to mere sniffles as he felt Ludwig's warm embrace. "E-even if... I-I'm...in love with you... y-you don't mind...?" he asked nervously.
Ludwig kept the Italian close. "Nein, I'm okay with it. Just make sure that you won't be distracted with your tasks."
Feliciano's lips quickly curved into a smile. "D-don't worry-! I'll try my best, Ludwig- I mean sir~!" he declared obediently.
"I just want to ask one thing, though..." he told Ludwig honestly, looking up at the German with innocent eyes. "Will I still be able to sing...? I want to sing for you..." he asked, a hint of worry in his voice.
"You can still sing. I never said you couldn't," Ludwig said calmly. "I was hoping you still would, your singing is very beautiful." He smiled a little shyly.
Feliciano hugged Ludwig tightly, happy he could still sing. "Oh, Ludwig~! Grazie~! Can I sing something for you now~? Per favore~?" he requested. "I have something very important to tell you.~"
Ludwig jumped a bit and nodded. "Uh, sure. I guess, but afterwards I would like you to get some rest. I'm sure you are tired."
"Vee~! I've got a wonderful song for you~!" Feliciano said cheerfully, before breathing in gently and beginning to sing in his angelic, clear, soothing voice.
"The lovely lights are glowing bright
Upon the Christmas tree.~
But it doesn't mean anything
Unless you're next to me...
In the cold, harsh winter wind
You hear the church bells ring.~
And when I see your smiling face
My heart begins to sing..."
Feliciano took a soft breath, as he moved into the chorus of the song, singing with more energy this time.
Ludwig closed his eyes when Feliciano started singing. He took in each note carefully, nodding a little to the tune.
"You are my Christmas spirit
You're my star atop the tree,~
You're everything I've ever wanted
And all I want to be~.
You are my Christmas spirit
The gift wrap torn apart...
And even when you're not with me
You will stay in my heart~..."
He took a pause, before ending the song with a much softer and gentle voice.
"You are my Christmas spirit
The gift wrap torn apart...~
And even when you're not with me
You will stay in my heart,~
Stay with me... in my heart..."
When the song ended Ludwig opened his eyes.
"That was beautiful, Feliciano," he said softly, "but now you should go to sleep. Why don't you go upstairs and take a shower and go to bed. I set out some pajamas for you on the bed."
Feliciano stared at Ludwig with a confused look. He had never experienced the amenities of living in a real house before, so all of this was fairly new to him.
"S-so I go in the shower and... wash the dirt off... right...?" he asked, confirming his limited knowledge. "A-and what are pajamas for...~? S-sorry for asking so many questions...!"
Ludwig smiled a bit and just went along with it.
"Ja, you use the shower to clean yourself off," he said, "and pajamas are just a change of clothes to sleep in. They tend to be more comfortable than everyday clothes. Now don't be afraid to ask questions. I'm sure you are unsure about many things in here. Now, would you like me to show you where everything is?"
"T-that would be wonderful~! G-grazie-!" Feliciano exclaimed, jumping up and down excitedly before tightly hugging Ludwig. "Oh, this day couldn't possibly get any better~!"
Ludwig chuckled and led him around, showing where the kitchen, his room, the bathroom, his office, and where Feliciano's room is; leaving one room untouched.
Feliciano's room was a little cluttered around the edges, obviously having become a storage room over a bit of time, but has enough space for a person to move about in.
"If you have any problems that cannot wait until morning, you can come in and wake me up. By the morning, I will most likely be downstairs in the kitchen or in my office," he said.
"Any questions?" he asked.
Feliciano thought for a moment. He had so many questions he wanted to ask, but he knew all of them would make Ludwig uncomfortable. Embarrassing questions like "Can I sleep with you" or "Can you cuddle with me" would really make the situation awkward. No matter how much he wanted to cuddle up with Ludwig that night, he knew he'd never be allowed the chance.
"Erm... no. I-I don't have any questions. N-nothing really embarrassing or anything..." he added, to try and cover for the huge blush forming on his face. "I'll just go get ready now~" he said cheerfully, skipping off to the shower. Luckily, he figured out how to use that without asking any questions. After finishing in the shower, Feliciano changed into the pajamas set out for him. Since he was a bit thin and frail, the clothing was a bit loose on him, but it still managed to fit. He climbed into bed with a smile, saying a small prayer of thanks before falling asleep.
Author's Notes: Why yes, I wrote the song myself. *smiles proudly* Sorry if it's too cheezy. I didn't spend that much time on writing it.