n.b. Hungry when i wrote this. Couldnt be bothered to get up to find food. Also wahey, longest chapter yet.

Lovino's Italian restaurant is one of those hole-in-the-wall type places that any vaguely food-interested human could detect as a 'good' restaurant, just by the faded but authentic Italian decor and dried tomatoes hanging from the ceiling. And then there's the constant, eyes-shut-in-pleasure sort of smell that pervades the place; cloaking it like its own, personal climate. It's warm inside from the roasting fires of a proper, stone pizza oven, in a way that can only be described as toasty. Here dwell true Italian food connoisseurs.

These are the sorts of things Ludwig would never notice; an out-of-the-way restaurant like this one. He's not of the habit of wandering the streets, just to find these sorts of places. And again, he's nowhere near 'artsy' enough to appreciate places of this sort of feel. Neither, is he that interested in food recently, other than a substance he should consume to have enough energy to exercise or function.

Somehow, the very thought of Feli's imminent arrival has him really seeing this place. Feli clearly likes it, and as a good cook (he assumes Feli is anyway, he seems like the type) that must mean something. Looking at Lovino's from a more Feli perspective, he can see the appeal. (Since when can he look at things with a 'Feli' perspective?)

After a few minutes, he spies the Italian approaching the little restaurant. He's embarrassed and surprised by how pleasing it is to see the man again.

'Ludwig! Bonjourno. Actually, no, wait, I promise not to start speaking Italian at you. Apparently I have a tendency to switch to it completely once I've had some proper Italian wine, and what would be the fun in that? Best keep with the English from here on out, don't you think?'

He can't help but grin at the outburst. It's certainly true what they say about chatty Italians.

It's like he's hit a switch - Feli shuts up and just stares at him all of a sudden. Did he do something wrong? He hasn't even said anything yet! Why is he staring so intently? Seriously, it looks like Feli's just found alien life, except Ludwig doubts he has alien life on his face. Is there something in his teeth? Oh god, he can feel himself flushing hotly. His face must be bright red.

'Feli would you…' He manages to say, a little desperately.

This cuts out the staring (finally).

'Oh my! I'm sorry I…' and Feli just trails away and bursts out laughing. Ludwig is extremely confused. Will he ever understand this bizarre Italian? Probably not. He's not sure he wants to.

Feli's laugh is addictive and glorious. It's open and easy and gorgeous in all the ways that Ludwig's laugh…well, he's not even sure what his laugh is like, really. He can feel himself smiling wider with every fresh wave of Feli's laughter (which, at this point, has escalated to something more like a hysterical hiccuping fit).

After Feli finally calms down, he clasps a hand on Ludwig's shoulder and just sort of looks at him again.

'Wow. That was great. Shall we head inside? Lovino does this amazing tagliatelle, but his pizzas aren't too bad. I generally disapprove of pizza because so few places do it right, you know. Don't get me started on that disgusting American shit. They shouldn't even be allowed to call that pizza…' and so Feli continues, and they head inside as he suggested.

It is of course, just as 'toasty' inside as he had guessed. There are several other customers chatting and enjoying the ambience. Honestly, it's far more romantic than he's used to really. It makes him a little uncomfortable.

'Isn't it lovely? I shall have to show you this little cafe close to my apartment actually. Possibly not your thing, but the coffee is amazing there…anyway, Lovino!' He calls suddenly. And loudly, ouch. The other diners look startled, but unsurprised. Italians.

'Is that the idiot Feliciano, again? It is, isn't it, you bastard, you're just here to take more of my lovely wine and bully me into giving you some discount, huh? Well, I say to you, you can't just take my food like that and not even offer up words of thanks or something? Or at least some notice -'

A (considerably grumpier) Italian comes out of the kitchen, loudly assaulting Feli (verbally), which startles Ludwig quite a bit. Are they even welcome here? Feli seems to be smiling rather a lot so it's probably fine, right? The rude Italian is followed closely by a smiling, taller man (who is rather handsome in an obvious, generic sort of way.)

'Oi, Lovino, no need to be so rude to our lovely guests, eh? It's lovely to see you, as always, Feli. And with a new, handsome man! Wow, you've really outdone yourself this time, Feli, this one's extremely lovely…' And he runs an appreciative eye over Ludwig. Which makes the German squirm.

'Antonio! I already got you a boyfriend, back off. And besides - '

Antonio laughs (a good, warm laugh that practically sounds like the Mediterranean.)

'Oh don't worry, Feli, maybe I'm just jealous because,' he leans forward in a mock whisper, 'I'm stuck with this one.' He points with mock disgust at the still raging Italian just behind him.

This makes said Italian flush a dark red shade and hit Antonio across the back of his head. In response he just smiles warmly and affectionately and rests a placating arm around Lovino's shoulders. He receives a growl, but somehow, it's an affectionate growl, if that is even possible.

'Aw, you two are so cute. Aren't you glad I got you two together? Glad enough to …give me and Ludwig here some lovely food? Which I know you two do so well and all, amongst other things.' and Feli ends with a suggestive eyebrow waggle. (What is that all about?)

'Oh yes, amongst other things…' Antonio laughs warmly again. (This guy laughs so much. Doesn't his face hurt?) He then drags them over to a staircase tucked away behind the kitchen.

'Don't worry, Feli, your favourite table is always available, hm? Let's go upstairs and chat! I'll send Lovino back to work, we have other customers besides you, you know.' And Ludwig is pulled upstairs by Feli's insistent grip on his arm whilst the Шtalian and Antonio (who is, apparently, spanish) chatter away.

The two men talk very quickly at each other, the level of familiarity indicates that they are clearly very good friends. Ludwig feels left out, in a way. He know's he's not capable of being this talkative. But as soon as the thought crosses his mind, they reach a small room above the restaurant which is clearly part of an apartment. More like a small, cosy dining room than any extension of the restaurant below them. It's obvious from the battered sofa and TV squashed into the corner.

'Ludwig, here we have the special VIP table, which, as you can see, is extremely luxurious and out of the way. Permanently reserved for only the best guests. Five star dining right here.' Feli rolls his eyes. 'Not only that, but this out-of-the-way table is much more private. And I know how much you and your dates love a little…privacy, yes Feli?' Ludwig is surprised to see a faint flush on the Italian's cheeks.

Feli's dates? Plural? Does he bring many men here?

'So…you've had other men here?' He inquires.

'Oh yes, he has!' the Spaniard chimes happily, 'I think I've lost count at this point. Always happy to take advantage of free food, this one. Isn't that right, Feli?' But Antonio's playful smile isn't returned in full by the Italian.

'Yes um…how about we sit down, Ludwig? Much to talk about.'

'Of course, of course. I'll leave you two to your… talking.' He exits with a wink.

'He lost count, did he?' This makes Feli squirm a little.

'I used to date quite a lot. Um. Yeah.' He scratches the back of his neck awkwardly. 'Anyway, what do you think of this place? Nice, right? We have our own little balcony right here, and look! A view of the street below. Shame a view of the city is obscured by the opposite building. I love those, you know? High vantage points, people watching, daydreaming…'

'It's a nice place, yes.' (Talk about grateful for a conversation change. ) 'But I never liked high vantage points or people watching, really.'

'What? But it's so much fun, Ludwig! People are absolutely fascinating, and you can try and guess all sorts of things about them. The most obvious one being their relation to whoever it is they're walking with, and then there's where they're headed or where they've just been. The reason they're there, at the particular spot. Sometimes they're waiting for someone. Sometimes they're tourist-ing. Lots to see, lots to watch. You're telling me you've never enjoyed people watching, even a little?'

He can't exactly say that he used to. But back then he was watching people through the lens of a long range sniper rifle. Or watching people to understand motives. Or tailing people to discover the location of secret bases. (He did enjoy it. Which is why he hates it so much now.)

'Can't say I have. I've done it occasionally. Accidentally. But I didn't exactly enjoy it much.'

Feli gets up to open the doors leading onto the balcony, keeping an ear open.

'Ludwig, are you a particular eater? If you don't mind, I'll go ahead and just order for the both of us. I know the menu inside and out! Even the off-menu dishes and house specials.' He walks across the room to the top of the staircase.

'That would make sense. Sounds like you've been here many times.' Ludwig tries to put lightly. He can't understand why the Italian's colourful past love life makes him so uncomfortable. He regrets mentioning it the second the words leave his mouth. And they had almost succeeded in changing the conversation topic!

Feli flushes a little again. And then he turns so his back is to Ludwig and -

'OI ANTONIO. GET US A PROCUITTO PIZZA AND THE AUBERGINE TAGLIATELLE!' he yells down the stairs. Ludwig nearly has a fucking heart attack.

'NO NEED TO YELL, BASTARD.' Is the reply he gets. (Probably Lovino.)

'AND A BOTTLE OF CUSTOZA*.'

'FINE, BUT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO PAY IF YOU WANT THE USUAL. THAT SHIT'S EXPENSIVE.'

'HALF PRICE?'

'THREE QUARTERS.'

'DONE. SEND SOME UP.'

'I'M NOT YOUR MAID!"

('Why are you two shouting so loudly, you realise that staircase isn't very high. He could probably hear you if you spoke normally.' he hears a quieter, Spanish voice say.) Ludwig can feel himself smiling.

('Shut up bastard. I know you like it when I shout…') There's an odd bubbling in his gut. It's a happy bubbling. He realises it's laughter.

Suddenly, Ludwig finds himself laughing. It starts in fits of giggling and escalates to full on, booming chortles that wrack his whole body. He completely loses track of everything because the world is so fucking strange and here he is, and he's just gonna laugh and laugh and laugh. The further the fit goes on, the harder it is to stop.

Feli is staring at him. He was about to sit down at the table again but instead he's just stuck there, watching Ludwig laugh. He can feel the italian's gaze on him, from where the man is frozen halfway between standing and sitting. He looks rather ridiculous. It only brings about a fresh bout of laughter.

His kidneys have decided to squeeze his stomach and it actually hurts like a muscle he's completely forgotten to stretch. Not just for a few weeks like he sometimes does, but for years and years. Feli keeps staring. He's ridiculous. Everything is ridiculous.

Even when he finally calms down and Feli has managed to manoeuvre himself into his seat and is grinning broadly - he keeps staring.

They chat until the food arrives. (Well, Ludwig doesn't have to say all that much, Feli is more than capable of upholding the large part of the conversation by himself. But still, it's more than Ludwig has spoken in years. Certainly in one stretch of time.)

Ludwig's face hurts, as does his stomach, and Feli still can't stop staring. He finds, with fascination, that he can't stop staring either.

LUDWIG LAUGHED.

Full on. Laughter. Actual, hysterical, laughter.

He just. Feels so proud. And awed. Because he has never, in his life seen a sight more beautiful than this (formerly) grumpy German, opening up like this.

With the gentle streetlights filtering through the open balcony doors, Ludwig quite literally glows. And Feli can't tear his eyes away. Suddenly the (formerly assumed permanent) stress lines disappear from the German's face, and instead his eyes crinkle and mouth stretches lovely and wide over his teeth as the sobs (of laughter, not pain or grief or whatever caused those stress lines) wrack his body. Feli can practically feel Ludwig's stomach clenching and hiccuping. He's infinitely more gorgeous than when he flushes (and the Italian did not think that was even possible.)

He's drinking in a delicious artwork more beautiful than any he's ever witnessed before. This surpasses Monet or Turner and their lovely, romantic masterpieces.

It takes him forever to remember to restart the conversation, which is easy: he just talks (unafraid of judgement, which is also lovely) continuing to watch the (still smiling) German. By the time Antonio rudely interrupts his little private show, the image of the Ludwig smiling is etched into his mind. Why doesn't he smile like this all the time?

'Here you go Feli and company: One prosciutto pizza with Feli's favourite parmesan and we decided to add a few red peppers for extra flavour - hope you don't mind Ludwig, I know Feli also loves those - and one aubergine tagliatelle.' The Spaniard puts both dishes down on the centre of the table with a flourish. 'You know Feli, you could always just ask us where we get our aubergines, because I know you've been dying to know.'

'How did you know - never mind.' He turns to Ludwig and hisses: 'Antonio's actually a mind reader, it's really creepy.'

'I have my ways...'

'Did you bug this room? Or my house? Is that it?'

'I just know you so well, amigo.'

'Ugh, Antonio take your creepiness away and leave us alone with all this lovely food! Which looks perfect as always.'

Antonio turns to Ludwig and mock whispers: 'He loves me really.'

'Antonio, leave please.'

'Fine, fine. I'm leaving, honestly, no appreciation for our lovely free food, treatment like this...' he trails off as he heads down the stairs.

Feli rolls his eyes and turns his attention to the food. And dammit, he really does want to know where the idiot gets his aubergines.

'So Feli, you and Antonio seem very close?'

'Oh yes. He's practically my brother. I don't have any actual siblings so he'll do. We used to date a while back actually, but it didn't work because, well, we're still not so sure. I think it's because we're too similar. And yeah, as I said, he's more like a brother to me. He's always had my back.' Ludwig nods in response, occupying himself with the food before them.

Feli wonders if he should mention a little more about the shit Antonio got him through. He tries not to mention it at all if he can.

He takes a deep breath. He knows he needs to stop hiding from the past, but time does not make things any easier, and the temptation to never bring it up ever is very strong. On the other hand, Ludwig works at the same fucking club he used to go to all the time, and he doesn't want to start this off by hiding things from the German, because maybe that's what he needs to do to get him to open up in return. He feels torn, but he knows what the right thing to do is.

'I guess the main reason that we're as close as we are is that a while back...' He pauses to think of his next words before he says them: 'Antonio got me out of some of the hardest times I've had. A few years ago I got… pretty wild? I guess you could put it like that. I don't really talk about it, if that's ok, but it was Antonio who pulled me out so, I owe him a lot. And then... yeah, I introduced him to Lovino a while ago, and they've been inseparable ever since.' He fidgets a little, but more than anything he's glad to have gotten that out there.

'He seems like a great friend to have. You're very lucky to have him.'

'I am, yes.' And Feli doesn't say anything for several moments.

He's aware that Ludwig is shifting in his seat a little, and when he says 'So… tell me more about this food.' Feli couldn't feel more grateful.

After they've eaten (Ludwig eats very quickly - you'd have thought he hadn't had any proper food in years or something, can't he cook?) Feli tells Ludwig to wait outside whilst he goes off to say thanks to Antonio and Lovino.

He finds them squabbling over cheeses in the kitchen.

'I'm telling you, you've mislabelled this completely. This is not camembert, it's brie! See it's far too soft, unless you've left it over the stove again. We can't use that, Antonio! The pizza will taste completely different… Oh, it's this bastard again.'

'Nice to see you too, Lovino. I came to pay-' he puts the cash into Lovino's outstretched palm, '-and thank you for the food, which was lovely. Also-'

'We get the aubergines from the organic truck company. They deliver fresh fruits and vegetables that have been grown without fertilizers, all natural and all that blah. They also do home delivery, I hear. Look them up,' Antonio cuts in.

'Stupid mind reader.'

'How's that German? I like him. He's hot as hell too,' he adds with a wink.

Feli raises his eyebrows. 'He's just fine. He loved the food. I'm going to have to start feeding him more Italian food, I have a suspicion he doesn't have enough of it in his life, judging by his eating speed, anyway. On top of that, I don't think he has enough fun, he's one grumpy guy alright. You should have seen him before, such terrible stress lines.'

'You have to tell me everything. But your handsome man awaits, no? Don't keep him waiting. Plus, this guy is… different from your usual Feli. I like this one. He suits you. And more than that, you complement each other. He lights up when he looks at you.'

Feli flushes a little at that. The two men embrace firmly. Feli plants a loud kiss on the Spaniard's cheek.

'Off you go, have a nice evening,' Antonio says, with meaning. 'And Feli, keep a hold of this one?'

The Italian smiles and nods. He'll try anyway.

*Bianco di custoza: An italian wine from north-east italy which, apparently, goes very well with mushroom or aubergine pastas.

Shout out to my amazing beta Issy who I miss :( Also shmexy times next chapter I promise.