Author's Note: Even though this chapter has nothing to do with him, I'd like to dedicate it to one of my favorite Hetalia characters: Alfred F. Jones! It's his birthday today. :)

It was the end of the day, and Feliciano was at his locker. He unlocked it and put away the books he didn't need, making sure to line them up neatly. He hummed the song he had listened to the previous night. "Today was pretty good." He thought. Feeling particularly happy about the lack of incident, he began to tap his foot to the rhythm in his head.

As though the simple thought had jinxed him, he heard the too-familiar sound of footsteps approaching him. Gripping the locker door for dear life, Feliciano looked down the hall. Just his luck, it was empty aside from him and whoever was behind him. He didn't think to run, and it wasn't as if he was fast enough to get away. Before he had time to check behind him, his inner monologue was cut off when someone grabbed him by the hair and yanked him backwards. The fear rising in his chest make it difficult to breathe. The nameless boy seemed to be inspecting Feliciano as he pulled him by the scalp, glaring into his eyes with a pleasure-filled smirk plastered on his face.

"Where's your boyfriend now, huh?" He asked. Feliciano assumed he must have been referring to Ludwig.

"He's not…" He muttered almost pathetically. Before he had time to even finish his sentence, the boy rammed Feliciano's head forward, thus slamming his face into the locker's shelf. He felt the cut on his lip reopen and begin bleeding again. The boy held him to that spot for a brief moment before repeating the same action, only with more force. He pulled him back again and forced him to look at him again.

"What's that on your face?" Without warning, he pressed his thumb to the bruise and rubbed violently, removing the cover-up. Feliciano winced and attempted to squirm away, only prompting the boy to tighten his grip.

"Ludwig." He thought. His mind was numb and his body refused to obey his commands. All he could do now was brace himself for whatever was to come. "Wherever you are, I think I need you again."

"I can't say I'm surprised, you fucking fairy. You're wearing makeup."

"Please stop…" He whimpered, his voice just barely audible.

"Shut up." The boy kicked Feliciano in shin. When he reflexively bent forward, the much larger boy released his hair and kicked him in the stomach. He gasped, the wind knocked out of him. Using his foot still, he pushed Feliciano into the locker. His head slammed against the back wall with a clang.

Since the school had a small population, the lockers could be bigger. This made them the perfect size to fit a smaller person. The boy kicked both his legs until Feliciano gave in and pulled them towards his chest. He didn't make an attempt to get out. He couldn't see any good coming out of it.

"I don't have time for a pathetic thing like you. You won't even fight back." He slammed the door and spun the dial, trapping him in the little metal box. A moment later, Feliciano heard his footsteps grow quieter before finally disappearing.

It was a tight fit. Feliciano's neck was bent at a bizarre angel against the top of the shelf. His legs were already beginning to cramp. His feet were pressed up against the door at nearly a ninety-degree angle with his shins. His arms where parallel to his sides leaving absolutely no room between them, his torso and the walls. If anything, this was new. Feliciano had honestly thought that this sort of thing only happened in bad movies. His eyes brimmed with tears. If Lovino were there to see this, he would be embarrassed to call him his brother. That guy was right; he didn't even so much as struggle.

Then he remembered; his phone was in his pocket. The problem, however, was getting to it. If he was going to get out of here, he needed to get creative. Using his position to his advantage he managed to press his arm against his leg, which allowed the phone to fall into his lap. Using nothing but force he pried his arm away from the wall, scraping it against the screws in the process. It was painful, but he'd take it over being trapped here all night. His arm was then more or less free which allowed him to pick up the phone.

Before he dialed the number, he paused. For a good thirty seconds he did nothing but stare at the screen in front of him. Even though Ludwig had given him his number for his exact purpose, he felt like a burden. But really, what choice did he have? Feliciano swallowed his pride and dialed the number, putting the phone on speaker since he couldn't quite get it to his ear. To his surprise, Ludwig picked up on the first ring.

He didn't even say hello. It was like he already knew. "Feliciano? Is something wrong?" He asked. There was a sense of urgency to his usually monotone voice.

Feliciano swallowed, faked a smile and attempted to sound like he was just fine. "Hi, Ludwig! Not to bother you or anything, but I'm at my locker and-"

"What's wrong?" He asked, cutting him off. It's not that Ludwig sounded angry, but he spoke as if time was running out.

Feliciano felt a pang of shame before he continued. "Well, this is kind of funny but I'm actually inside of it." He tried to force a laugh but it came out as more of a cry.

"I'll be right there."

After telling him where his locker was, they hung up. After dropping the phone and assessing his situation again, Feliciano felt the urge to cry yet again. However, he didn't allow himself to. He couldn't let Ludwig see him that way. That would effectively make the situation even more pitiful. He was already dreading him seeing him all crumpled up in a locker like something out of a bad teenage comedy. Feliciano couldn't help but wonder why he was sacrificing his time to do this.

He was starting to wonder if Ludwig really was an angel.

Within ten minutes, there was a voice in the hallway that might as well have been music. "Feliciano? Where are you?" The voice called out in that unmistakable German brogue.

He used his one free hand to knock at his locker's door. "Over here."

He heard him running over until he was directly in front of the metal prison. He rambled off his combination to him, and then finally heard the satisfying click before the door swung open.

Ludwig looked at him for a moment with a blank expression. "How..." he whispered under his breath, but didn't finish. He kneeled down in front of him, and Feliciano extended his legs. His legs stung, having fallen asleep. Ludwig helped him free his other arm before grasping both his hands and gently pulling him out. Feliciano's hands felt dwarfed compared to Ludwig's, which felt callused yet gentle. He held them for a brief moment after standing in an attempt to commit the feeling to memory before letting go. He couldn't remember the last time he had physical contact with another person that wasn't out of violence. Throughout the entire process, he didn't look into his blue eyes once.

"I'm…I'm sorry to inconvenience you, Ludwig." He said, staring at his feet.

"Nonsense." He said. "What was I going to do, allow you to rot here all evening?"

Feliciano's eyes stayed locked to the floor. "Where were you when I called?"

"I had just left the school. As soon as you called, I immediately turned around."

"You're a saint." Feliciano joked. He managed to smile, albeit weakly. "You barely even know me."

Ludwig simply shrugged. "I did what any friend would do."

The word hit Feliciano like a bullet. He finally looked away from the floor and stared at him in bewilderment. "Huh?"

"Do you not consider me a friend?"

Feliciano forgot that he was embarrassed. He forgot that anyone had ever shown animosity towards him; in fact he forgot anyone else existed. All that mattered was what Ludwig was saying, and how he finally giving what he'd longed for all these years. "Of course I do!" He said.

Feliciano was beaming, not even bothering to hold back his emotions. He could hardly contain himself. He felt childish getting excited for something that would be mundane for many people. However at this moment, he didn't care. He could remember only a couple times in his life when he truly had someone to call his friend, aside from his own intermediate family. Once had been during early grade school, before the young boy's social life had flipped like a switch and school became a living hell. They'd played together nearly everyday, and went together like peas in a pod. But, one day he told Feliciano he was moving away. After one final hug goodbye, he'd left. He hasn't seen him since.

"Would you like a ride home?" Ludwig asked. The words pulled Feliciano away from his reminiscing.

"Sure!" He responded. His smile was as bright as the sun.

They retreated to Ludwig's car, Feliciano with a huge smile on his face. His new friend kept staring at him. God only knows why he would be so happy after what had just occurred. It wasn't until they were in the car that Ludwig spoke. "I believe you know what I'm going to ask." He said as he put the key in the ignition.

"Hm?" Feliciano had barely heard him. He was too busy gazing out the window and smiling like a madman.

Ludwig sighed. "How did this happen?"

"Oh. Well…" Feliciano's smile faded, his trance broken into pieces. He didn't want to tell him what happened, he wanted to forget that it had happened at all. More than anything, he just wanted to have a normal conversation like the one they'd had at lunch.

Ludwig's eyes softened. "I am not here to judge you, Feliciano."

Feeling slightly more comfortable, Feliciano proceeded. "Some guy just came up to me and attacked me." He made a conscious decision to leave out the details. "He pushed me in the locker and left."

Feliciano noticed Ludwig was clutching the wheel so tightly his knuckles had turned white. "Was this one of the boys from yesterday?" Asked Ludwig.

"I think so, maybe…" He trailed off, staring at the floor yet again. Why did this have to be what their friendship was about? Why couldn't they just be friends without all of these pity strings attached?

Feliciano felt tears brimming his eyes and immediately bit down on his lip in an attempt to hold it back. But in the end, he couldn't. Tears fell down his cheeks helplessly. He turned towards the window and hoped if he were quiet enough Ludwig wouldn't notice. He hated himself for needing to be saved. He hated himself for crying in front of his only friend. Most of all, in that moment he hated himself for what he'd become, someone his brother would be ashamed of.

When Ludwig pulled up to his house a few moments later, Feliciano tried to unbuckle his seatbelt and get out as fast as he could manage. He was stopped when he felt Ludwig's hand wrap around his arm. He was so surprised that he turned to him without thinking, forgetting for a moment that he was still crying. A twinge of shock flashed on Ludwig's face. Feliciano turned away from his sight the moment he realized what he was in fact still crying, but he made no effort to pull away. Just by simply touching his arm, Ludwig had managed to bring him some of the comfort he desperately needed.

Ludwig hesitated like he hadn't planned on saying anything. He spoke slowly, as though he was choosing each word with extreme care. "I would like to come in."

Feliciano's eyes shot open, still out of Ludwig's sight. Even though he didn't want anyone seeing him like this, he craved company like nothing else. He always did. "Why?" He asked finally.

For a moment, there was silence. "I would like to see your house." At this point, Feliciano was sure Ludwig was making this up as he went along.

Well, why not? Feliciano nodded slowly without saying a word. Before getting out of his car, he wiped his eyes and tried to clear his head. The last thing he wanted was to look like a mess. He watched as Ludwig got out and shut the door behind him. After taking a final deep breath, Feliciano joined him before they walked into the house.

The second he shut the door behind him, he froze. What was the protocol for something like this? It wasn't as if he had visitors in and out of his house all the time, in fact he couldn't remember the last time he had a guest. Ludwig was simply looking around and acting as if he was suddenly intrigued by the paint on the walls.

"Where is your family?" He asked.

"I'm actually living alone right now." Feliciano began to look around. "Let me get you something to drink." Not knowing what else to do, he scurried off to the kitchen before returning with two glasses filled with ice water.

Ludwig stared at the glass like it was the most interesting thing in the world. "Aren't you a little young to be living alone?"

"Oh, my grandpa still supports me. He just has to be in Italy right now." Feliciano realized they were both still standing by the front door. "Let's go over here!" He exclaimed, leading Ludwig to the living room.

Ludwig sat down on the couch, his back rigid. He placed his drink on the table in front of him, balled his hands into fists and rested them on his knees. Feliciano instead kicked off his shoes and pulled his knees to his chest.

"Who do you live with, Ludwig?" He asked.

"It's just me and my older brother, Gilbert. Next year I will be alone, since he is going to college. My parents are in Germany."

Feliciano gaped at him. Somewhere along the line, he forgot he had ever been upset. "Wow! We have a lot in common!" He exclaimed, bringing his hands together. "Gilbert is around my brother Lovino's age!"

"I see."

Feliciano pondered what else to say. He wanted to know more about this mysterious boy. Surely, there had to be more than what meets the eye. He wanted to get inside his head and figure him out, like Ludwig was a puzzle he was piecing together.

"What's your favorite color?" He asked.

Ludwig raised his eyebrows. "My favorite color? I do not have one."

Feliciano looked at him expressionlessly. How was it possible to not have a favorite color? "Mine is blue." He said. "Like…" He stopped himself. He had almost said 'like your eyes'.

"Like the sky." He said finally.

"Blue is a lovely color." Ludwig paused. "Do you have any hobbies?"

Finally. At last, he was getting Ludwig to continue the conversation! "I paint." He replied eagerly. "I've loved art since I was a little boy."

Ludwig nodded. "Seems appropriate." What does that mean?

"What about you?" Feliciano asked. He could only imagine the kind of things he did with his free time. Certainly he must do something besides saving weak boys from their tormentors.

"I lift weights." He replied, folding his hands in his lap. Well, Feliciano couldn't say he expected anything less of him. Ludwig hesitated before completely changing the topic. "Can I see them?" He asked.

Having drifted off into a daydream instigated but Ludwig's eyes, Feliciano came back down to earth upon hearing the sudden request. "Huh?"

"Your paintings."

"Oh!" He exclaimed. "I mean, if you want to. They're nothing special. I hope you're not expecting any masterpieces."

Ludwig's expression remained unchanged. "If they are coming for you, I'm sure they are special."

Feliciano felt his face grow hot. He couldn't remember the last time someone had complimented him like that. He smiled as he collected himself. "Well, thanks!"

Going off the little burst of confidence, he stood up and walked towards the basement door. Before opening it, he paused. From the time it took him to get from the sofa to the door, his burst of confidence had fizzled and his heart had begun to beat in his throat. Not even Lovino had seen the majority of his paintings, much less someone he had just met a day ago.

"Feliciano, is everything ok?" Ludwig stared at Feliciano's hand, which was clutching the handle but not turning it. "I hope I am not overstepping, here."

"No, no! Of course not!" Feliciano shrugged and finally forced himself to turn the knob.

He led Ludwig down the steps and wondered why it felt like he was marching to his death. He took a deep breath before finally switching on the lights. In doing so, he felt like he was naked, exposed and revealing every part of himself and his mind. These paintings were like a diary to him. For a moment after, no one said a word or even moved.

The silence was finally broken. "Wow." Ludwig said, glancing around the room at the dozens of canvases. "This is quite impressive." He walked off the steps and into the basement, gazing at them all like he was in a museum. Feliciano's ears burned. It felt as if his personal space was being invaded. His mind raced with uncertainty. Did he really think they were impressive or was he just trying to be nice? If only he wasn't so impossible to read!

"They're nothing really." He said, running a hand through his hair.

"No need to be modest."

Ludwig walked over to the easel, and Feliciano's heart nearly stopped. "What's this?" He leaned in to examine the work more closely. Feliciano raced over until he was right next to him. He had forgotten about this. His cheeks turned crimson as he starred at the painting, which featured the spitting image of Ludwig as an angel.

"It's, uh, I just…" He stammered. His voice was shaking.

Ludwig raised an eyebrow, but he didn't seem upset. "Is this me?"

"I'm sorry!" Feliciano exclaimed. "I wasn't planning on painting you, it just kind of happened! I did this right after we met and I guess you were still on my mind. I don't really think while I paint!" He brought his hands together and dug his nails into the back of his hand. How could he have been so stupid? He should have gotten rid of it. He could feel his cheeks burning even more, and he could only pray that Ludwig didn't notice.

"Why are you sorry?" Ludwig's eyes had not moved from the painting. "This is nice. I'm…flattered, really."

Feliciano's mouth fell open for a brief moment before it snapped into a smile. In a split second, his embarrassment vanished. "Well, why don't you keep it then?" He picked the painting up off the easel and placed it in Ludwig's hands. "It's the least I can do to repay you for everything you've done."

Ludwig paused as he continued to study the image. It was like he was trying to memorize it. "Are you sure?" He said.

Feliciano didn't hesitate. "Of course!"

"Thank you." He said, smiling slightly. "You have quite a talent, Feliciano."

Feliciano simply shrugged. He had never thought his paintings were better or worse than anyone else's; it was always just something he did. It wasn't like he'd never heard a compliment before; his grandfather never had anything but positive things to say about his art. He wasn't quite sure why hearing these words from Ludwig caused his heart to flutter. He nearly jumped at the new and interesting feeling.

Reality came crashing down when Ludwig glanced at his watch. "Well, I should get going. Gilbert will want me to help with dinner."

Feliciano's heart dropped harder and faster than he had expected it to. "Oh, alright." He was careful not to give away the emotion in his voice.

They walked upstairs, Ludwig with the gift in hand. They stood by the door for a moment, looking at each other like they were both lost in a foreign place. "Thanks for coming today! I had a lot of fun." Feliciano said finally as he smiled up at him.

Ludwig nodded. "Thank you again for the painting."

Feliciano looked at him for a moment. He didn't want him to go. The second he closed the door behind him, he would be alone again, something that he was accustomed to but never particularly enjoyed. He had the urge to do something, anything, to be with him for just another minute.

The second before Ludwig turned towards the door, Feliciano acted on impulse. He took a step forward and wrapped him arms around Ludwig's torso. Ludwig's arms flew from his sides for only a moment like he hadn't expected to be touched, but in one amazing moment, he hugged him back.

Feliciano couldn't remember the last time he'd been hugged. He had forgotten how amazing it was to feel the warmth of another human being and a heartbeat that wasn't his own. He felt his stomach jump and his heartbeat pick up, the same way one would feel seeing a friend that hadn't seen in a decade. He rested his head on Ludwig's shoulder and closed his eyes in an attempt to memorize the feeling. Only God knew when he'd get to experience it again. After a moment that felt much too short, they let go.

"I'll see you at lunch." Feliciano felt his cheeks flush slightly as he smiled. Ludwig nodded, they said their goodbyes, and then he was alone. No matter how hard he tried, Feliciano couldn't seem to slow down his heartbeat.

To be continued...