When they arrived back at Feliciano's house, Ludwig placed his bag by the door and began to fuss over him. "You need to lay down." He said; pointing to the couch they had sat on the other day.

Before he had said that, Feliciano had completely forgot about his diagnoses. He was hit with a sudden wave of fear. "Ludwig, what's going to happen to me?" He asked, retreating to the couch with his friend not far behind.

"Stop worrying, you will be fine." He sat on the opposite end of the sofa. "I personally have had a concussion. Look at me, I am healthy." He said. He gestured to himself.

Feliciano was intrigued. "How did you get a concussion?"

Ludwig shook his head. "I would rather not discuss that. The point is, you will recover."

Satisfied with the answer, Feliciano lied down and curled his knees up to his chest. He closed his eyes, but soon opened them when he felt a blanket being draped over him. He looked up and saw Ludwig standing over him, adjusting the blanket so it covered his feet. Feliciano's cheeks flushed. No one had done that for him besides his grandfather, and that was when he was very young.

"Rest." He said. "I'm going to do some homework. Call if you need anything."

Feliciano grabbed the bottom of his shirt before he could leave. "When are we going to paint?"

Ludwig froze in place. "Later. I promise." He said slowly, deliberately. He left the room without another word.

Feliciano allowed himself to close his eyes. It was only a little after noon, but it already felt like an excruciatingly long day. Making sure to stay quiet, he listened in to what Ludwig was doing in the other room. He wasn't used to someone being in his house anymore. He heard papers being rustled, a chair being moved and a clatter of footsteps. It reminded him of when Lovino lived there; his last year at the house spent furiously filling out college applications and studying for entrance exams. Most of the time Feliciano tried to talk to him after a particularly bad day at school, he was pushed away because of his brother's busyness.

Feliciano listened to the white noise until he felt more comfortable with its presence. Eventually, he was able to fall asleep. He slept dreamlessly, like a television stuck on a static channel. He woke when he felt himself being jostled.

"Feliciano! Wake up!" The voice called.

He opened his eyes, confused when he saw Ludwig. For a moment, he didn't know where he was. He spoke after he recognized his living room. "How long was I asleep?" He asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Four hours." Ludwig said, seeming panicked. "I forgot to check on you. Are you alright?"

Feliciano had a lot of trouble believing he had slept for four hours. He could have sworn he had only rested his eyes for a couple of minutes. Even though he had gone over the recommended two hours, he felt okay besides his persistent headache.

"I'm fine." He said, sitting up.

Ludwig handed him a bottle of water Feliciano had not noticed he was holding until then. "Alright." He said, sitting beside him. "I suppose I overreacted."

If that was what he considered overreacting, Feliciano had to wonder what he considered to be underreacting. More than that, he wondered how he dealt with his flamboyant displays of his own feelings.

"Let's paint now!" He said, tossing his blanket to the side. He was beginning to feel like a parrot that could only say that one thing.

Ludwig looked away. "You should probably get some more rest."

"I've been resting forever!" He protested. After saying this, he began to study Ludwig. He was surprised to see that his cheeks housed the faintest trace of pink. Then, he realized what was going on. The same way Feliciano was nervous to lift weights, his friend was nervous to paint. He squeezed his arm, letting his hand loiter. An electric surge unlike anything he had ever felt went through his hand. He pulled away, confused by the sensation.

He continued after he pushed the feeling to the back of his mind. "Just try it?" He asked, his eyes pleading.

Ludwig hesitated. "I suppose it couldn't hurt."

"Yay!" Filled with excitement, Feliciano forgot about the odd sensation, took Ludwig by the hand and led him to the basement. He handed him a paintbrush, and Ludwig studied it like he'd never seen one before. When Feliciano set up the paint, he continued to sit there looking lost.

"What am I supposed to do?" He said finally.

"Putting paint on the brush would be a good start." Feliciano said, smiling.

"Which color?"

"Whichever you'd like!"

After staring intently at the paint, Ludwig dipped his brush into the blue. He glanced up at Feliciano as if he was waiting for his approval. "What do I paint?"

Feliciano started giggling. "I think you're overthinking it. Art isn't about formulas or having the right form. You get to do anything you want!" He dipped his own brush into the green and began to paint blades of grass rather sporadically. "See? I'm not even thinking about it!"

Ludwig, with a very concentrated look on his face, slowly brought the brush down and began to move it horizontally. He worked using controlled strokes, seemingly contemplating every move before he made it. Feliciano gazed at the paper and came to the conclusion that he was going for a sky.

"Good!" He said, continuing to work on his own piece. Then, he allowed himself to get lost in his own work. He didn't stop for about twenty minutes. When he finally paused, he looked at his own painting first. He had ended up with somewhat of a generic landscape, complete with a field of grass in the foreground and a lake in the background.

He looked at Ludwig's painting, and it took all he had to keep for giggling. It looked like an art project made by a grade-schooler. He had painted a completely blue sky with a solid green area of grass below it. On the side was a tree, a simple brown line with thick branches and spotty leaves. The piece was completed with a yellow sun in the corner and black silhouettes of what were supposed to be birds. Feliciano felt a rush of guilt for being judgmental, but that feeling was soon replaced by a sense of endearment. He felt conceited for thinking this, but Feliciano thought his attempt was adorable.

When Ludwig noticed he was looking, his cheeks turned a deep scarlet in seconds. "I told you, I can't paint." He muttered, putting the brush down.

Feliciano felt a pang of endearment. "Don't say that, Ludwig! Come on, this is good!"

Ludwig flipped over his paper so neither of them could look any more. "Please, do not patronize me." His ears were also red, and he had begun to run his hand repeatedly through his hair.

Feliciano began to feel guilty. The last thing he had wanted to do was upset or embarrass him, he had only wanted to share his hobby with him. "Ludwig…" he started. Then, without thinking, he dipped his brush into the red paint and dabbed it on his friend's nose.

"Feliciano? What are you doing?"

"Look! You're Rudolph!" He giggled, unable to contain himself. Ludwig attempted to look at his own nose, which only left him cross-eyed. This prompted Feliciano to laugh even harder.

Ludwig visibly realized how ridiculous he looked and smirked. "Well, if you want to have it that way." He then picked his brush up again, dipped it in the black and drew three lines on each of his friend's cheeks. "You are a cat."

Feliciano dipped his brush in the paint again and dotted Ludwig's cheeks with freckles, smiling like a fool. Ludwig's stoic expression was still there, but he could see a trace of a grin on his lips. Seeing him like his, letting his guard down- it was simply, amazing.

One thing led to another, and five minutes later they were both covered in paint. Feliciano was laughing like there was no tomorrow, while Ludwig only uttered the occasional chuckle. Even though it hadn't lasted long, Feliciano hadn't felt this kind of childish whimsy in years. If anything, the smaller boy was amazed that his friend had gone along with it. In the midst of his giggling, he felt a need to hold onto this moment forever.

"Hold on, Ludwig!" He exclaimed. He ran upstairs and returned moments later with an old camera. "Smile!" He said as soon as he sat down again. Without any warning, he grinned from ear to ear as he extended his arm in front of them and took the picture.

This took Ludwig off-guard. "Feli-" But he couldn't finish his thought, the damage had already been done. The photo shot out of the bottom, and Feliciano brought it down and held it between them, allowing the pair to look.

They gave off an appearance of rags that one would use to wipe off their brush, only personified. Feliciano was smiling wide, his honey-colored eyes glistening in the flash. The original cat whiskers Ludwig has painted showed through all the other colors. Ludwig's mouth was partially open, having been in the middle of speaking. Even so, it somehow looked intentional. His blue eyes still met the camera.

After gazing at the photo, Feliciano looked at Ludwig. "You have paint on your lip! You don't want to accidentally eat that." He giggled, bringing his thumb his mouth.

He was surprised when Ludwig shot backwards. "I will get it." He said. He furiously rubbed his lip. Even through the multitude of colors splattered across his cheeks, Feliciano swore he saw them turn red again.

After going back upstairs and cleaning the paint off their faces, Ludwig realized the time and looked towards the kitchen. "Go rest. I will make dinner."

Feliciano ignored his instructions. "I want to help!"

"You have a head injury, don't you think you should lie down?" Ludwig said, crossing his arms.

"Cooking is resting!"

In the end, Feliciano won the battle. He even convinced Ludwig to let him make pasta, despite his lecturing about proper nutrition and the food pyramid. Feliciano took over, bustling around the kitchen like a professional while Ludwig could only watch in awe. Once he finished, they sat facing each other at the dining room table.

Feliciano looked down at his plate. Usually he ate his meals in solitude, either watching something on the old television set or doing schoolwork. Still, the silence ate at him. The sound of forks against plates filled the air, and the more he thought about it the more deafening the mundane sounds became. Becoming uncomfortable, he tapped his fork against his plate.

"You are alone here every day?" Ludwig said suddenly, breaking the silence into a million pieces.

Feliciano shrugged. "It's something you get used to."

Ludwig sighed and put down his fork. "I know what it's like. I never got used to it."

Feliciano looked up at him, his interest peaked. "What do you mean?"

"I spent the majority of my childhood in Germany. Gilbert was always out getting himself into trouble, so I was left to my own devices." He said.

"What about your parents?"

"My father is an engineer, always absorbed in his work. He was never the most affectionate one. I always tried to impress him, but it never seemed to work…" Ludwig shook his head. "As for my mother, she fell ill when I was very small. She passed awhile back."

Feliciano looked at him blankly as the words sunk in. The thought of Ludwig as a child alone all day in a house to fend for himself filled him with sadness. But the fact that he had lost his mother hit him like a ton of bricks. Feliciano was suddenly overwhelmed by grief for someone he had never met. He had never got to grieve for his mother. She had died during his birth. The only means he had of knowing what she was like was the occasional story from Grandpa Roma, which felt like fairy tales more than real stories. Not having a mother had been hard for him; the last thing he wanted was for Ludwig to go through the same thing.

"I'm so sorry, Ludwig." His voice shook beyond his control. "I'm sure she was wonderful…" Unable to continue, he allowed tears to run down his cheeks and fall into his lap.

"I've made peace with the situation, Feliciano," said Ludwig. "You don't need to feel bad for me."

"I know, I know, it's just…" Feliciano imagined losing his Grandpa. It was the worst thing he could ever imagine, and Ludwig had lived through something similar. No matter how bad it might be, he wished he could take all that pain from him and put it on himself. He continued to cry, his shoulders beginning to quiver.

He looked up when he saw Ludwig suddenly next to him. His chair sat unattended, pushed aside haphazardly. In an instant, Ludwig had his arms wrapped around him. Feliciano, still sitting, slowly brought his arms up and returned the embrace, hiding his teary eyes in Ludwig's shoulder. What was it about Ludwig? He seemed so unsure of himself, yet he always knew exactly what to do. Feliciano was surprised when his stomach leapt when they touched. The room felt warmer and his vision grew fuzzy.

"I think you should go to bed." Ludwig said, his hand resting in Feliciano's hair. Feliciano nodded. For once, he wasn't in the mood to eat anymore.

They cleaned up the kitchen, retreated to the upstairs and got into their nightclothes. Feliciano managed to dry his eyes, and soon felt guilty that he put Ludwig in the bizarre situation of comforting him about the death of his own mother.

He walked to his room and was surprised to see him simply standing by the door. "Ludwig, we do have a guest room. Don't you want to sleep?" He asked.

Ludwig shrugged. "Have you forgotten why I'm here? I have to stay up in order to wake you."

Feliciano's eyes widened. "You're going to stay up all night?"

Ludwig only nodded, seeming content in his decision. "I don't want to risk an alarm not going off."

Feliciano looked to him, amazed by his undying generosity. He walked into his room, tossed the covers aside and got under the cool blankets. The aching loneliness returned, even though his friend was barely outside the door. The darkness outside his window suddenly felt more intimidating, haunting him like a ghost. He had always had troubles coping with the dark, especially when he was alone. Ludwig looked so familiar, so comforting in his casual sweatpants and a t-shirt, and he was overcome by an aching urge to keep him close. When his friend began to walk away presumably to go downstairs, he called out to him.

"Can you stay?" He asked.

Ludwig stopped dead in his tracks and turned around. "What do you mean?"

Feliciano hesitated, unsure if he could ask him to do what he was thinking. But the darkness loomed over him and having Ludwig there was better than having a teddy bear. He took a deep breath and continued. "Can you sit with me for a little bit?" He asked, twiddling his thumbs.

"Yes." Ludwig responded surprisingly fast. He looked away. "I mean; it would probably be wise to watch you."

He walked back to his room and sat down on his bed, just past where Feliciano's feet ended. He glanced around the room, outwardly unsure of what to do. "You just want me to sit here?" He asked.

"You can lay down if you want." After realizing what he let slip, Feliciano's ears began to burn. To his surprise, delight and utter shock, Ludwig did lay down. The bed wasn't small, so there was plenty of room for the two to lay down with a comfortable amount of space between them. Still, he could almost feel his body heat being in such a close proximity. He felt comfortable, safe, like nothing could harm him ever again. Waves of different emotions were washing over him in a way unlike anything he'd ever felt before. If anything, Feliciano was suddenly extremely aware that he had someone in his bed with him. This shouldn't be a big event; it wasn't like he had never shared a bed with his brother before. Still, something about this was very, very different.

"Is this ok?" Ludwig asked, his voice uncertain. "Are you more comfortable now?"

Feliciano smiled and took a deep breath. "Yes. Thank you." He flipped over to face Ludwig, who was lying over the covers. He was resting his head in his hand, propping himself up on his elbow. Still, he wished to be closer. Suddenly he realized he wanted to be held, like a child after a nightmare. He immediately tried to push the bizarre thoughts from his mind.

"I will stay until you fall asleep." Even though he said this with absolute confidence, Ludwig looked like he was already having trouble keeping his eyes open.

Feliciano nodded and closed his eyes, too tired to feel nervous. Although, even if he was wide-awake he doubted he would feel the same uncertainty he did the first time they had spoken. It had only been a few weeks, and his shyness towards Ludwig was slowly beginning to dissipate. His presence felt familiar, comfortable. He fell asleep while breathing in the lingering scent of his cologne, his entire body feeling warm.

Ludwig kept his promise. Feliciano had gone to bed at nine, and at eleven o'clock on the dot he awoke to Ludwig gently nudging him awake. Part of him was disappointed that he hadn't fallen asleep next to him, but he hadn't expected it anyways. He had a bit more trouble getting back to sleep, but it helped that his friend sat on the edge of the bed for a few minutes before disappearing again. The process was repeated at one am and again at three.

Every time he was woken up, Feliciano thought he was dreaming. It was so surreal to see Ludwig, his hair loose and a worried expression on his face, gently waking him up with a soft voice. He didn't want to fall asleep again, he wanted to say up with Ludwig, talking and laughing. He wanted to be closer to him, the urge bordering on overpowering. A soft pain resided in his stomach, keeping him awake for just a few more minutes than it should. He was so confused, having no clue what to make of these feelings, let alone what he was supposed to do with them. His drowsiness eventually won out every time and forced him into reluctant sleep.

At six, Feliciano woke up by himself. The morning sunlight poured through the window and the birds were chirping, signaling that the morning had come. He opened his eyes, still slightly groggy from all the disruptions the previous night. He was about the get out of bed when he felt a weight in his lap. He looked down and nearly gasped when he saw that the weight was in fact Ludwig's head in his lap, his eyes closed in slumber.

Ludwig was in an uncomfortable looking position. He seemed to have been sitting on the edge of the bed when he fell asleep, falling sideways not long after. His feet were still partially on the ground while his upper body was curved. He looked so vulnerable. His usual perfectly slicked back hair was loose and falling around his face. He was still asleep with his lips partially parted.

Feliciano gazed upon this sight, amazed. He went back on his decision to get up and suddenly felt guilty. Ludwig had stayed up solely for his benefit and had ended up collapsing with exhaustion. At the same time, however, the very sight was amazing. The last thing he wanted to do now was wake him up.

Soon, he wanted more than just to look. The more he looked at him, the more he wanted to reach out and touch Ludwig. He was like an exhibit at a museum, laying a hand on him felt taboo and forbidden. Still, Feliciano wanted to play with his blonde hair, to run his hands through it. The more he thought about it, the more unbearable the urge became.

With a trembling hand, he placed his hand on Ludwig's head as lightly as he could manage. When he showed no signs of waking up, Feliciano began to pet his hair. He was surprised by how soft it was, like a kitten. He smiled down at him. For once, it felt like he was doing the protecting instead of being protected.

Feliciano's brief moment of tranquility was cut short when Ludwig suddenly opened his eyes. He pulled his hand back with incredible speed, hoping he hadn't noticed what he was doing.

"Verdammt, I fell asleep." He grumbled, rubbing his eyes. When he realized his position, he shot upright in an instant. "Go back to sleep, Feliciano." He said, standing up groggily.

"We have school!" Feliciano said, beginning to sit up himself.

Ludwig shook his head. "I have school. You need to stay here today."

Feliciano frowned. He would have jumped for joy any other day he had an excuse to skip school, but now it served as an excuse to see his friend. "But I feel better." He protested. "Plus Lovino isn't here to call me in."

"You may feel better, but it's not recommended you do school work for at least another day or two. I'll have Gilbert call." He said.

"Gilbert isn't related to me, is that allowed?"

He shrugged. "I doubt they will check. I have to get ready now."

Feliciano lunged forward and grabbed his arm. "I wanted to thank you." He said suddenly. "You must be exhausted, and you did it all for me."

Ludwig almost smiled. "I wouldn't abandon you in your time of need."

Feliciano smiled, but remembered he had a question to ask. "After school, are you coming back here?"

He looked at him inquisitively. "I was planning to come gather my things, but I wasn't planning to stay. Why, is there something you need me for?"

Feliciano's heart sunk, but at the same time he felt silly. If he had his way, he would stay with him forever. But his wish wasn't realistic. Of course Ludwig wasn't going to stay, why would he? He had stayed to make sure he was okay and that was it.

"Yes, of course! That's what I was thinking." He said. He covered his hurt feelings with laughter.

Ludwig didn't look so sure. "Are you sure you'll be okay without me?" He asked, resting a hand on Feliciano's shoulder. The contact flooded Feliciano with a sense of comfort, only strengthening his wish that Ludwig would stay.

No. He thought, but he stopped himself. Even though his heart was telling him otherwise, there was no logical reason why Ludwig should have to stay. "I'm sure."

Ludwig nodded and left the room to prepare himself for school. Feliciano pulled the covers back on himself. He didn't want to get up now, what would he do? Sleep seemed like an easy way to kill time.

About ten minutes later when he was getting ready to close his eyes again, Ludwig walked back into the room. He knocked on the open door to alert him, and Feliciano sat up. Ludwig was dressed in his school uniform again, his bag slung over his shoulders.

"I will be leaving now." He said. "If you need anything, please contact me."

"Got it."

"Do you remember the doctor's orders? Get plenty of rest, and make sure to eat well. You really should eat something besides all that pasta. If you start to feel sick, you need to tell me so I can take you back to the hospital. Be very careful, don't-"

Feliciano cut him off, giggling. "I know, Ludwig! Don't worry so much!" Ludwig was so protective; he couldn't help but be amused. At the same time, he was glad that he had someone in his life now that cared about him enough to be protective.

Before he left, he looked Feliciano straight in the eyes. "Have you informed your brother and grandfather what happened?" He asked.

Feliciano's stomach dropped. He hadn't even considered telling Lovino, and he hadn't even spoken to his grandfather in many weeks. "No. I wasn't going to, really."

Ludwig looked at him as if he had grown a second head. "They are your family, would you really keep something like this from them?"

"I…" He stammered, unable to find the correct words to explain himself.

Ludwig visibly recognized his struggle and shrugged. "I suppose it is your choice to make. I won't intervene into your family business."

He checked his watch. By the look on his face, it was easy to infer that he was going to be late soon. He glanced back at Feliciano, who was still staring at him intently. When he noticed him looking he turned away, trying to pretend he hadn't been looking. Then, in one glorious moment, Ludwig extended his hand and ruffled Feliciano's hair. He did it awkwardly and stiffly, but the sentiment was still there, lingering between them.

"By the way, Feliciano" he said, "you didn't have to stop."

Realizing what he was referring to, Feliciano's cheeks lit on fire. So he had noticed. He pulled the covers over his head in embarrassment, muttering a series of apologies. Ludwig laughed in that deep voice of his for a brief moment, filling the room with what was music to Feliciano's ears.

"Your hair is soft like a kitten." Feliciano muttered.

"You're something special." Ludwig said, his laughter dying down.

Feliciano was humiliated. Questions whirred through his mind. What exactly did special mean? Was that a compliment? Was he laughing at him or with him? Then again, Feliciano wasn't laughing.

"It's amazing, how my life has changed…" Ludwig seemed as though he was thinking out loud, like he hadn't meant to vocalize what he was saying. "I'll see you this afternoon." He said quickly. Within thirty seconds, he was out the door.

The embarrassment disappeared in the blink of an eye. Still bright red, Feliciano felt tears well up in his eyes again. But these were not tears of sadness or pain. His life has changed so much in this short time, and he wouldn't change a thing.

To be continued...