Note: I am switching between Human and Nation AU, I'm sorry I haven't mentioned it before.

Have fun~

Und als sie dann nach Hause kam...

Illness

"But you promised!"

Gilbert guilty smiled down at Ludwig. He knew he had promised, since weeks, but playing today would be sheer impossible. His head hurt with every little movement and he couldn't breathe through his nose while heavy coughs wrecked his body every so often and his body ached as if his age had finally caught up to him.

"I know. ''m really so'y, Lud…" he muttered and dragged the blankets up a little higher.

Ludwig seemed angry and disappointed for a second longer, then resignation crossed his face. Gilbert didn't know which one was worse. Shoulders sagging the boy looked away.

Then all of a sudden, he jerked up, face alight with a grin. "I have an idea!"

And gone he was.

Gilbert was left to wonder in silence, frowning his brows at the door to his room left ajar. The boy better not had anything naughty planned!

He wasn't left to wait for too long. Ludwig came running back, excitement radiating off of his entire being, a wooden suitcase hitting against his thigh with every rushing step.

"I'll nurse you back to health and then we can play!" He panted, cheeks flushed after the short sprint to his room and back.

Gilbert recognised the suitcase with mild amusement as the one he had given Ludwig for his last birthday, a replica of the medic's kit, full with wooden instruments. He had been inspired by the mere amazement his brother had shown towards the medic's equipment. It appeared as it if would serve a good cause now.

"If you thi'khis you can do tha'."

Ludwig pushed his chest out proudly.

"Of course I can! You'll see! And then you'll have to be thankful and we'll play tag and hide and seek all day."

The boy clambered onto the bed, rocking Gilbert's body in the process which in return prodded a moan from the elder's lips. Ludwig appeared to be guilty enough to look sheepish for a moment, then his face became determined again. And then the worst torture of Gilbert's entire life began.

The actual medic saved him an hour later with his arrival.

His knee was bruised from the wooden tendon hammer being repeatedly smashed against it, his lungs which had been screaming for air the entire time Ludwig had spent kneeling atop them were even rawer now, his headache was close to killing him and thanks to Ludwig's brilliant idea of 'the patient has to be bare so I can see every reaction to my examination' had left him a shivering mess.

"I think we should let your brother sleep now, Ludwig." The medic had the nerve to look amused at the sight of the state Gilbert was in and it was only the fact that the albino was currently buried underneath a 50-pound boy lying spread out across his body because 'body heat will help you'll see!' that he didn't attack the poor man.

"But he needs me! I need to nurse him! And he's already feeling better, right? And afterwards we can play, right?" Excited blue eyes looked down at him.

"I'm sure, Ludwig. But for Gilbert to become all better again he needs to sleep now."

A pout flickered across the blonde's lips.

"Does that mean we can play after the nap?"

"Sure you can."

A grin replaced the pout and Ludwig climbed down from the bed, gathering his wooden toys, chest still pushed out proudly. If it weren't for the pains currently killing him, Gilbert might have thought it cute. At the door, Ludwig stopped again to look at him.

"Wewill play after your nap, ja? I made you feel better, ja?"

Gilbert used whatever strength was left to sit up and grin.

"Of course! I'm feeling as good as new!"

"Great!" The door closed with a little click and Gilbert flopped back down, face pulled into a grimace and glaring helplessly at the ceiling.

"Kill me now…!"

Jealousy

"And then she and me, we went home, though she had to leave early. But you could see she was impressed by those muscles," Gilbert bragged and laughed in his own crackled way, slamming his empty beer mug on the oak table.

"Ah, mon ami, that was mostly because she was even drunker than you were. And you could barely walk."

"Now you are confusing me with yourself, Francis. I'm awesome, I don't get drunk from a little beer!"

"A little? Amigo, you had eight!"

"Same difference."

The three men at the table were too engrossed in their friendly bickering to notice the small boy approaching them shyly, glancing over his shoulder at the other patrons in the bar. It acquired the tugging of small hands on a red cape and a good kick against the chair's leg to gain their attention. Gilbert almost dropped his mug.

"Ludwig? What the-… What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to not come to places like this? It's dangerous!" Gilbert made an apologetic gesture into his friends' direction as he regarded his brother sternly while slipping off his seat, crouching down to the boy's eye level. An unintelligible mumble followed.

"Pardon?"

Big blue eyes met his own.

"I lost Fleckie*. I-I cannot find him anyway. You have to help me find him!"

Fleckie going missing, Ludwig's most prized possession in the form of a white stuffed dog dotted with black spots and his companion to every and all places, was damn close to the worst thing that could happen to the blond, Gilbert knew that much. It had happened once before and had ended in a two-hour long search including the guards, servants and maids while he tried to calm down a hysteric Ludwig. Gilbert paled.

"Guys? I gotta go. Emergency. See you next week?" Gilbert didn't wait for a reply as he tossed some coins on the table, lifted Ludwig onto his shoulders and hurried out of the bar.

Fleckie wasn't to be found. Not in the garden, not in the kitchen, not in the basement, dinner room, living room, bathroom or entrance hall. Not even in the damn attic. Sure, Ludwig wasn't even allowed in the attic, but it was worth a try.

Gilbert crawled back out from underneath the boiler and shook his head.

"Not here either. Are you sure you didn't leave him outside? While you went to the market with Lise in the morning?" A mute shake of a blond head. Ludwig had stayed surprisingly tear-free throughout the hunt, even after several hours during which he had been glued to his side, either demanding to be carried or to hold his hand. Gilbert blamed it on the loss of his stuffed animal.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, pulling a face at the cobwebs tangled in it.

"I'm sorry, Ludwig. We looked everywhere, but he can't seem to be found." He crouched down again, messing up the carefully combed blond locks in a pathetic try to appease his brother.

"It's late. We'll continue tomorrow and if we don't find him I'll take you to the store and you can choose a new one, alright?"

A brave nod. And no tears, still. Ah, maybe Ludwig was beginning to grown out of the cry-baby-age? Somehow, Gilbert thought that was a sad thing. He thought it was pretty adorable. Especially since Ludwig always became all clingy when he was crying.

The walk back to their bedrooms was filled with an awful lot of shifting around on his little brother's side though, and the idea that something was amiss slowly began to rise. But he kept quiet, poor boy had just lost his favourite toy, no wonder that he was behaving oddly.

He helped him change and brush his teeth, then tucked him in and because he felt bad that he hadn't managed to find Fleckie he read him a story. All the while Ludwig was silent.

Then when he finally stood to leave he felt a meek little tug on his sleeve.

"Gil?" Ludwig's eyes were far too guilty for a boy who had lost his favourite toy. The nagging suspicion returned, though paired with slight amusement.

"Ja?"

Ludwig bit into his lower lip and looked away, mumbling something into the collar of his sleeping gown. Gilbert didn't have to ask for a repeating of the words though as his little brother crawled out from under the blanket and reached under his pillow. Gilbert leaned back and raised both brows at the sight of a worn white stuffed dog with black spots being pulled out from underneath.

"I… I didn't lose him." Ludwig clutched the toy tightly to his chest and drew his legs up, shying away from eye contact.

"Then why make me search?" Gilbert couldn't find it within him to be angry at the bundle sitting in front of his, lower lip stuck out and trembling. There, that was his cry-baby.

"I d-don't like it w-when you co-come home drunk and… and you are always together with Francis and Antonio a-and I miss you!"

The albino sighed and gathered his brother into his arms, stroking his back up and down until he had calmed down enough for him to speak again without hiccupping.

"You aren't mad?", came the small whisper from within the hollow at his throat where Ludwig had buried his face.

"Nah, you are too cute. But you know, next time you are jealous just come to me and tell me you want to have some of my awesome time. And I'll come to your rescue immediately." He bumped his nose against his and kissed his forehead, stroking some strands of his hair out of his forehead.

"Now, off to bed you and Fleckie go, ja?"

"Ja…"

"Gut."

"…big brother?"

"Ja?"

"I wasn't jealous!"

"Sure you weren't."

Kindness

"Can I have a thaler*?" Gilbert set the fabric he had been holding in his hands back down and looked at his brother, who shifted around underneath the tailor's scrutinizing eyes. The boy could sit still for hours when reading, but when it came to having his measurements taken he couldn't stand in the same spot for even a minute.

"An entire thaler? That's a lot, Lud, what would you need that for?" It wasn't that much but Ludwig usually wasn't a child that asked for money, and Gilbert found the request a bit odd. Especially since his brother knew not to buy himself anything this close to Christmas.

"I need it."

"But what for?"

"I need it!" Ludwig climbed down from the tailor's stool when the man was done and stared up at his brother, big blue eyes round and begging.

"Please, it's important. It's very, very important. I need a thaler." Gilbert furrowed his brows but reached into his coat's inner pocket, letting one golden thaler drop into Ludwig's outstretched hand. If the boy was that insistent it really had to be important.

"Don't you waste it."

"I won't, I promise!"

The albino watched his brother almost stumble over his own two feet as he raced through the stuffed shop to one of the shelves with winter wares, standing on his tip toes to reach up for a pair of gloves. They were big, at least double the size of Ludwig's hands, and filled with soft fur, worth at least five thaler. Gilbert's frown deepened.

"What is that going to be when it's done?"

Ludwig turned with a stubborn pout, clutching the pair of gloves tightly to his chest.

"I need them!" And with that he marched to the counter, pushed them as far over it as he could reach and placed the thaler next to it. The tailor and Gilbert exchanged a look and Gilbert nodded to signal he'd pay the rest. If they were that important to Ludwig…

The rest of their stay proceeded uneventfully, though Ludwig refused to give any more of an explanation regarding the gloves he kept pressed to his body as if scared they would be taken away from him again. Gilbert gave up on the thought of trying to coax the truth from him.

By the time they left it had begun to snow again, big flocks covering the town in a blanket of white silence. Only a few people were out and about, the rest stayed inside to warm themselves in front of their fireplaces.

The two brothers stopped at a bakery after Ludwig insisting that he was hungry and no, it would not wait until they were home, because of reasons. So laden with their bags from the tailor, paper bags from the bakery and Ludwig's gloves which he refused to put into any of the bags and carried in his hands they continued.

They didn't get too far before they had to stop again. Ludwig appeared to be glued to his spot and as much as Gilbert loved his little brother, he was beginning to feel a bit annoyed.

"What is it, now?"

The blond was staring at something and chewing on his lower lip, a nervous habit he had caught up somewhere. Gilbert followed his eyes with his own.

There, sitting against the brick wall of some store, halfway hidden underneath a moth eaten blanket and covered in a layer of snow sat an old man, his hat which he had laid out before himself to beg for some change empty except for snow. Gilbert remembered seeing him on the way to the tailor already.

By his side Ludwig took a tentative step forward. Then another, shyly approaching the man, his knuckles white from the grip he had on the gloves. Gilbert began to understand.

He watched with soft eyes how Ludwig knelt down next to the homeless man and touched his shoulder, holding the gloves and the bag filled with still warm Schinkenbrötchen* out to him.

Gilbert joined him from behind, placed his hands on his slim shoulders and gently moved him away from the man.

"Oh Ludwig…" he mumbled softly. The man hadn't breathed anymore the first time they had passed him by.

He let Ludwig cry on his shoulder as he carried him back to their house, gloves and food tucked away safely in his coat's pocket. He would make sure they brought flowers the next time they passed by that spot.

Language

Gilbert made sure to lock the door behind him this time.

"Alright Ludwig. That's it." He ground out, teeth gritted. He just had to chase his brother through most of the house and all of the garden, had ruined his favourite shirt by toppling and falling chest down into the fresh earth and had banged his head against one of the wooden doors.

Ludwig blinked his eyes ever so innocently.

"You are going to learn French! If you like it or not!"

"But it's stupid!"

"Do you want to become a strong and independent nation?"

"…ja."

"Then you'll have to learn French! It's the language spoken at court!" Ludwig furrowed his brows and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Why can't they speak German at the court? Or English? I like English." He hopped down from his seat and Gilbert made sure to lean against the door. He wouldn't go for another chase.

"International affairs don't work that way, Ludwig. They don't care about what you like."

The blond plopped down on the windowsill and peered down through the window. Too high. He glared unhappily and crossed his arms again.

"But I don't like the French."

"Well I don't care." Ludwig looked at him over his shoulder, a calculating expression on his face before it broke out into a grin.

"Oh I know! We are going to invade France and then we'll forbid French!" Gilbert sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"That's not how things work. You can't simply invade another country because you don't like them."

"But you do that all the time with Cousin Roderich…"

"That's something entirely different!"

To be continued...

Note: 1.* Fleckie literally means Spottie. As in 'spotted dog'.
2.* Thaler were large coins used in Germanic countries during the 15-19th centuries

I don't mean to offend the French or anyone else, but regarding the German-French relationship this was the only reaction I could see Ludwig having to being forced to learn French.

Thank you for reading and Please R&R~