Chapter 4

The Prussian nation had been running about for a week, even just a week and Ludwig was proving to be a handful! Crying all night and oh God! The mountain of diapers that were piling up! He chuckled to himself as he stared at the sleeping baby. He would need a babysitter before he could go out and buy more stuff. He still needed a crib, a car seat, a highchair, more toys; his Ludwig could never have enough toys! Gilbert jumped up as the doorbell rang and he bolted towards the door.

"SH!"

He hissed at the persons there, Antonio and Francis had come to visit.

"Wh- what?"

Antonio mumbled confused. Gilbert pulled his two friends inside, pushing them to the kitchen.

"Mon ami, what's going on?"

"I found Ludwig again! Now wash your hands!"

The albino growled. The Spaniard and the Frenchman both washed their hands thoroughly before joining their friend in the living room.

"Aw! He's so cute~ Can I hold him?"

Antonio cooed, wanting to pick up the baby blonde but he knew how possessive their friend was over a baby Ludwig; both Francis and Antonio knew from a previous experience. Gilbert looked at his friends before nodding.

"Just watch his head!"

"I know how to hold a baby, Gilbert."

The Spaniard whispered and carefully picked up the small blonde.

"Hey, can you guys babysit? I need to-"

"Whatever it is, you can trust us. We'll watch him."

Francis interrupted, wanting to grab baby Ludwig and hold him as well, but he would have to wait his turn.

- Two hours later -

Once Gilbert stepped inside, he could hear Ludwig crying. He almost dropped the bags he held.

"What's going on?"

He called and Ludwig stopped crying.

"Apparently, he wasn't hungry, we did change his diaper and we tried everything! Then you come home and you just have to speak to silence him!"

Francis looked exhausted.

"Kesesese! Of course! I am his awesome big brother after all! Now one of you please come help me put the crib and highchair together."

- Forty minutes later -

The crib and highchair had been put up in what once was a guestroom; the toys were placed all around the room.

"Wow, you spared no expense on this room."

"Of course not! I have to baby-proof this room! Even if Ludwig is still just an infant we all know he's going to grow up fast and be big and strong again!"

Gilbert spoke proudly. Francis and Antonio looked at each other with a smile and looked at the sleeping infant in Francis' arms.

"Gilbert, I'm handing you your brother and I'll cook for us, you deserve a break. I mean will you look around yourself! Look at what you've bought and done for him."

Francis chuckled, handing the sleeping bundle to Gilbert.

- An hour later -

The three men sat at the table and ate, all of them occasionally casting a glance to the infant in his baby seat, strapped into the extra chair at the table.

"You can't have any of this food. Not until you grow some teeth."

Antonio spoke and poked Ludwig's nose.

Gilbert pushed his meal aside and got out the baby formula, preparing it and taking a pause in his own eating to feed his little brother.

"How is the food?"

Francis asked, it had been a while since he cooked for just the three of them.

"It's magnificent!"

"Just wonderful, like always."

Gilbert and Antonio said with smiles on their faces.

- Six months later -

The albino had dreaded the moment when Ludwig began to crawl; he had placed child protective gates up at the stairs, down by the stairs and in front of all doors! Not to mention he had had to buy so many more things to protect the small learning blonde who was eating his paperwork, so cute! Wait what?

"LUDWIG! NEIN!"

Gilbert huffed and took the soaked papers away.

"Ugh, I have to start all over again."

Ludwig's lower lip started quivering and his eyes turned big and sad.

"Oh, no, don't cry!"

The blonde sniffled and before the elder could even get the pacifier on the floor; he held his ears as Ludwig started bawling. Maybe he would have to spoil Ludwig less from now on. He picked up the crying blonde and put the pacifier in his mouth.

"Oh ew, snot bubbles. Haha!"

Gilbert laughed and wiped his brother's nose and walked with him to his playroom and placed the boy down and surrounded him with teddy bears and toy plushies. The little blonde stopped crying and looked around himself, grabbing onto a teddy bear and banging it excitedly on the floor with a small giggle.

"Now you play here and behave. I have to fix the papers you ate."

The older said and gave the younger a kiss on the forehead, exiting the room and closing the gate behind him, making sure it was sturdy and closed before going downstairs.

- Another six months later -

Ludwig was walking and that meant Gilbert was following the boy everywhere! No door could be unlocked and the albino was hardly getting any work done. He could hear mumbles here and there coming from his brother, obviously the little tyke was talking to himself; then he heard a scream and he chuckled.

"You can't get in there, Ludwig. It's not allowed."

He said and patted his little brother on the head who tried to open a gate to the kitchen.

"How about we go into the backyard? You want to play outside?"

Gilbert asked and got a nod from Ludwig.

"What do we say?"

"…Jah!"

Ludwig let out and took Gilbert's hand, walking with his brother outside. When outside the small blonde tried running, of course he tripped a few times but always pushed himself up. The albino sat there on the grass just watching his brother play; he sighed and smiled.

"No! Don't ruin the flowers!"

Gilbert huffed and ran over to Ludwig before the boy could ruin the flowers he was after.