Beta'd by the lovely Issy. Another Chapter, this is a lot of fun. I've already got the next two chapters, just awaiting beta-ing so stay tuned for more, very soon.

And suddenly, Friday.

Feli almost skips to work that day. (He is guilty of actually skipping to work once…or twice. But he was perfectly deserving of those lovely, stare-inducing skips). This Friday is not just a Friday, which is of itself a beautiful thing to behold, but this is another day of guard-flustering.

The 11 o'clock tour passes far too slowly for his liking. The tourists seem to be the actually-interested-in-art-kind today, which means they take forever observing each individual piece in every single room. They're probably discussing representations and deeper meanings too, which Feli would enjoy most days if they were in a language he understood. What is it this time - Swedish? He speaks several languages and doesn't even recognise this tongue. The discussions also slow them down, as do the intricate questions about style and period and background. He doesn't even get space to spare a thought for the fun he has prepared for today!

Between Rembrandt and Turner and Matisse he can't turn his mind to the German. It's frustrating.

The hour long tour (that, naturally, turns into an hour and a half long tour) wears his morning brightness down so that he's not so much skipping around as walking with a tiny bit of bounce to his step.

Somehow, his lunch break comes and goes and he is finally free.

Free to waltz his way through the high ceilinged, 19th century museum to the statue room, where a certain blond is trying very hard not to look at him as he dances through the doors.

He wastes no time, and sashays straight over with a large grin all over his face. (He's a happy soul so he's usually grinning anyway.)

"Hello, Mr Guard!" He says directly into the German's personal space.

"It's you again." He grimaces in frustration. "I do have a name you know."

"Oh yes, please tell! I'm sure it's something nice and German, right?"

The guard huffs in a sort of equivalent of an eye roll. "I suppose, although irrelevant to anything. It's Ludwig. Look, are you going to just stand there like yesterday?"

Feli just beams at him, and skips straight over that last part. "Ludwig is a lovely name! Now I can stop calling you 'The Guard' in my head!"

Although the returning stare is steady, he can see a muscle near Ludwig's eye twitch. That must be something his face does a lot, since this is the second time he's witnessing it. He wonders idly if the blond is even conscious of the twitching…

"I…I am on my shift. I am supposed to be watching the artwork, not conversing with…with…"

"Italians? Co-workers?"

He looks surprised. "You're Italian? And you mean to say you actually work here?"

Feli frowns at him and replies: "Well, of course! Can't you tell I'm Italian? Why would it surprise you that I work here anyway, I'm an art historian, and it's a very important job."

…Is that? The guard's - no, Ludwig's - face twitches minutely, almost like he thought something was amusing and his brain tried to tell his face to smile but it refused the order. Feli knows that he's already chipping away that armour and a smile can't be too far away.

Ludwig appraises him: "I'm sure it is an important job, for you to roam around for several hours most of your day doing practically nothing except wander past the Main Chamber."

"How would you know that? Unless you've been watching me! You've noticed me haven't you?!" He's ecstatic at the thought, and practically jumps up and down in front of the German while shoving his broad grin into the blond's airspace.

"W-what? No! No, not at all, it's just…just…" He colours that same beautiful shade he turned yesterday. He is completely gorgeous all flustered like this.

So Feli just smiles at him sweetly and soaks in his floundering. It's a perfect moment. Second only to that time he slept for 20 whole hours and woke up to a three course meal. (Or that time he pretended to be a cat in bed, not that he ever talks about that.)

"I think you have noticed me Mr Guard, just like I've noticed you. You know, you should try being happier, it's better for your skin!" With those words of wisdom, he beams at the German and wanders away, content that the world is a fun and exciting place containing beautifully flustered Germans…

Hope you enjoyed it! Reviews are love, more to come very soon. :D