That night, Feliciano was greeted once again by the strong smell of alcohol and sweaty party-goers. Tonight was different, seeing that his brother did not accompany him tonight. Slowly scanning the room, he quickly found Ludwig and his brother in that left corner of the bar. His brother talking loudly, he wasn't exactly hard to miss, but in a room full of nearly ninety-five people, he wasn't the easiest to find, either. Feliciano made his way over to them, Gilbert's smile brightening upon his presence. Ludwig greeted Feliciano, smiling slightly as the Italian sat down next to him.
Again, Gilbert took his cue to leave, getting up to find another friend of his. Feliciano talked up the conversation in his usual way, a way that was truly comforting, Ludwig thought, a way that spoke, 'I'm going to talk a lot, but don't feel like you have to.' They spoke for ten minutes before Feliciano asked an abrupt question, straying from the conversation's topic. "Will you come with me back to my apartment?" Feliciano quickly questioned. There was a two second gap while Ludwig processed his words.
"Uh- Yes, I'll go with you, but we have to tell Gilbert so he can get a ride home from someone." Ludwig replied afterward. Feliciano smiled, bubbling from excitement. He wasn't expecting anything extra from the invitation, not to say that it wouldn't be nice if it were offered. Ludwig stood from his seat, informing Feliciano that he would return shortly, so he could tell his sibling about his plans.
Gilbert snickered as Ludwig told him. "So soon? Oh, boy, you sure are somethin'!" Gilbert exclaimed, pretending to wipe away a tear of pride from his eye. Ludwig looked confused for a moment, his face transforming to that of embarrassment and perhaps a bit of anger.
"N-No, not like that! He's only inviting me over to see his apartment, nothing more, I swear!" Ludwig sputtered quickly.
"Alright, alright, Luddy, just be back by morning, you know I'll be too hungover to make myself breakfast." Gilbert said, meaning that Ludwig would be the one making it for him. With a sigh, Ludwig nodded, thanking him, and started back over to Feliciano. As Ludwig turned away, walking off, Gilbert gave his friends his signature 'knowing smirk'. His friends returned the gesture, raising their eyebrows accordingly. He giggled once more, heading over to the bar for another round of beer.
When Ludwig returned, Feliciano asked with his eyes, his eyebrows quirking up in question, as if to say, 'It's a yes?'. Ludwig nodded, reading Feliciano's facial expression. Feli's eyebrows relaxed, his mouth breaking into a smile. "Great! We should get going, I'm not sure when my brother will be home."
"That won't be too much of a problem anyway, will it?" Ludwig asked, curious as to why Feliciano looked a bit troubled.
"U-Um, it won't be, it's just that..." Feliciano's voice became considerably quieter, mumbling the last bit, "He doesn't exactly like you..." He finished.
"Sorry, I didn't quite catch that last part." Ludwig replied.
"I said he isn't that social, especially around new people. He doesn't really trust people easily, see." Feliciano said again, hoping his words didn't hurt the German too much.
"Oh, yes, I understand. I suppose I can arrange to be on my way by the time he arrives." Ludwig answered. Feliciano nodded, thanking him. "Alright, well, I guess we should get going." Ludwig continued. Feliciano nodded, rising from his seat.
"Yes, we should." He said shortly after.
Walking with Ludwig across the bar, they neared the door shortly. Gilbert caught his brother's eye as Feliciano opened the door to exit. Ludwig's brother winked at him, grinning, suggesting something more. Ludwig blushed at the action, frowning at his brother. Gilbert snickered once more, waving him on, mouthing, 'Go on, go.' Ludwig quickly exited the bar, cursing his brother quietly. Feliciano walked down the sidewalk with Ludwig, looking for a taxi.
"You don't have a car?" Ludwig questioned.
"Oh, no, I do, I share it with my brother." Feliciano answered.
"Ah, yes. Okay." Ludwig said in an understanding tone, nodding.
"So, does your brother live with you?" Feliciano asked.
"Yes, he has a room in my house. I don't mind having him there, it's honestly good to have something like him to distract you now and again. Better than living alone." Ludwig admitted.
"I think having a strong relationship with your siblings is important." Feliciano said, smiling.
"I couldn't agree more." Ludwig agreed. Feliciano looked up at Ludwig, beaming beautifully. Ludwig looked back at him, a smile tugging on his lips.
Just then, something caught Ludwig's eye, breaking their eye contact. Feliciano turned to see what Ludwig was looking at. "Taxi!" Feliciano called, spotting the yellow vehicle. He waved his hand up, stepping slightly off of the curb's edge. The taxi came to a stop next to him. The driver gestured for the two to enter the car. Once they had climbed in, Feliciano told the driver his destination. The taxi driver nodded, as he put the car into motion once more.
After about ten minutes of riding in the vehicle that smelled of cheap perfume, sweat and alcohol, the taxi stopped. Much to Ludwig's relief, he quickly stepped out of the car. Feliciano following close behind, he stopped to pay the driver. "Thank you. Have a good night!" Feliciano said cheerfully.
"You too." The taxi driver nodded, waiting a few moments before starting off again.
Feliciano trotted up the steps to his apartment, stopping to unlock the door. Ludwig patiently waited as the Italian tried to twist the key right. "Just...give a minute.." Feliciano muttered nervously. "You know how reliable these things are!" He laughed, clearly on edge with the lock.
"Here, let me try." Ludwig offered. Feliciano stepped back, letting Ludwig give it a try. Ludwig wiggled the key for a short moment, hearing the clicking noise as a confirmation that the attempt had been a success. Feliciano laughed, amazed and exasperated at how quickly the German was able to get the door open. Sensing the Italian's questioning on the matter, Ludwig stated simply, "Technique." Feliciano was unsatisfied with that answer, but decided it wasn't important enough to ponder too much on.
Stepping inside, Feliciano realized how much of a mess his apartment really was. This only added to his nerves, seeing from his observations that Ludwig was an unnaturally clean type of person. Relocking the door, Feliciano seemed almost panicked. Ludwig looked around, taking note of every out-of-place item, not that it mattered to him too much. After about thirty seconds of Feliciano feeling terrible about his messy apartment and Ludwig looking about the room, Feliciano finally spoke. "Do you want any coffee? I can make some really quick if you'd like." Feliciano spoke fast, a side effect of his all-too-detectable nervousness.
"No, I'm fine, thank you." Ludwig answered. Feliciano nodded, settling into a chair. He fidgeted with his fingers for a moment, chewing his lip slightly. "Is something bothering you, Feliciano?" Ludwig asked, worried.
"Um, n-no, I'm okay. I just..I have to tell you..er, I have to tell you something." Feliciano stammered. Ludwig became more worried by his statement. A few seconds passed, the tension in the room growing.
"Well, tell me, then." Ludwig said, puzzled.
"O-Okay. Here goes nothing. Um, that night when I saw you the first time, I kind of...fell in love with you?" Feliciano continued, nervous. "Ludwig Beilschmidt, I have become terribly infatuated with you. This may be a bit shocking, odd, even, and I can understand if-" Feliciano was interrupted by Ludwig's finger pressed to his lips.
"Stop. Stop talking, please." Ludwig pressed. Panic spread all throughout Feli's body, his eyes pricking with tears. "W-What?" He asked, only to be answered by Ludwig's lips being pressed against his own, Ludwig's hands on Feliciano's waist. Feliciano quickly melted into the kiss, all his past worries disappearing.
Just then, the door clicked, signaling its unlock. "Feli, I'm ho-" Lovino's voice was interrupted by the scene in front of him.