Feliciano couldn't sleep. Ludwig had left two hours ago and he was still curled up in bed, eyes wide open. He still had a headache, but he wasn't as dizzy. He also had stomach pains, but somehow he knew it wasn't related to his concussion. He didn't feel nauseous; it was a feeling of…longing. Feliciano wasn't sure exactly what he was feeling, something that was becoming a common occurrence. Whatever he felt then was something new, and he had never been so confused.

All he knew was he wanted Ludwig to come back. He wanted to feel the touch of his hand, to hear the sound of his voice. He would be happy just to know he was close.

Feliciano shook his head as if to shake the thoughts from his mind. This wasn't acceptable. Deep down, he felt that Ludwig wouldn't be here, with him, for much longer. After all, wouldn't any decent person stop someone from being attacked, get them out of a locker or take them to the hospital when they got a concussion?

But he keeps coming back… Feliciano shook his head again. He simply couldn't afford to get attached. It never ended well for him the past. He thought back to the boy from his childhood. Feliciano had allowed himself to get attached to him in the short time that they spent together, so attached he might as well have been family. When he left, Feliciano felt as though the earth had shattered around him. His heart had been ripped from his chest, filling him with an overwhelming grief no child should have to feel. He cursed the universe, he cursed God, and he cursed himself for allowing it to happen. To this day, Feliciano wasn't over it. The last thing he needed was another broken friendship to grieve.

Then, he was struck with inspiration. He certainly couldn't tell Ludwig about his feelings and he definitely wouldn't tell Lovino, so why not write it all down? He leapt out of bed and began searching his room for a notebook. He eventually found an old elementary school one; ripped out the few notes he had in it and started writing, not stopping to think about what he was putting down.

Dear Journal, he wrote.

A couple of weeks ago, I met an amazing person. His name is Ludwig. He's from Germany. He's really strong, and has blonde hair and the bluest eyes I've ever seen. We met when I was being beat up, and he saved me. He managed to get a bunch of people away from me, and he even bandaged me up and drove me home. Since then, he's saved me again and again. Even though it's only been a short time, I can't imagine life without him. But, I don't know what to feel anymore. I'm worried he's only here to protect me and he's going to leave. Whenever he's away, I feel sick-

Feliciano threw the notebook under his bed. He'd done this to sort out his feelings, and this had successfully accomplished the opposite. How embarrassing. He felt like a middle-school girl writing a love letter. Having given up on sorting out his feelings, he settled on ignoring them and crawled back into bed. He drifted in and out of sleep throughout the day. It seemed like sleep was the only time he wasn't thinking of Ludwig, provided his image wasn't intruding on his dreams.

He woke up only when he heard a knock at the door, then barreled down the stairs like his life depended on it. When he saw Ludwig standing there, his blue eyes looking back at him, all the inexplicable new feelings he spent the entire day trying to suppress came flooding back.
"Is everything okay, Feliciano? Are you feeling better?" He asked as he walked into the house.

"I'm fine!" Feliciano said, and then realized how eager he sounded.

He nodded. "Good. I'll be getting my belongings then." Ludwig set his bag by the door and headed upstairs. Feliciano couldn't stop himself from following him.

"Was school okay?" He asked.

Ludwig didn't turn around. "It was…fine."

Feliciano frowned. He seemed different somehow, distant. "Are you sure? You don't sound fine. You sound upset! I really hope you aren't upset." He was rambling, but at least it filled the silence.

Ludwig paused. "It was a bit lonely, that's all."

Feliciano felt butterflies in his stomach. Ludwig had missed him- the thought made his pulse accelerate. This wasn't helping his confusion at all. "It was lonely here too." He said.

A deep silence fell between them as Ludwig gathered up his few things. The silence was maddening, like there were a million unspoken words hanging in the air. Feliciano felt the urge to say something, anything, but no words came to him. There was something that needed to be said, he was sure of it.

"Feliciano, I would like you to visit this weekend." Ludwig said suddenly.

Feliciano's jaw nearly dropped. "You mean I get to see your house and meet your brother?" He asked, resisting the urge to bounce with excitement like a small child.

"Well, yes, but that isn't the point. I have something to show you."

Feliciano's mind raced with possibilities. "What do you want to show me?"

"You'll see. How about I pick you up on Sunday?"

He nodded eagerly. Tomorrow was Friday, so it was only two days away. He could wait two days. He wouldn't be happy about it, but it was doable all the same.

"It would be a good idea for you to stay home tomorrow as well." Ludwig continued.

Feliciano's heart sunk. He didn't want to stay home again; he didn't want to be alone with his thoughts like he was today. He was certain he would drive himself crazy. "I feel fine!" He protested.

"Well, if you are sure." Ludwig said. He paused before continuing. "I wouldn't complain."

Feliciano smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow then!"

When Ludwig reached forward and placed his hand on Feliciano's cheek, he swore the rest of the world melted away. "Are you sure you'll be alright?"

Feliciano's heartbeat was so fast he could feel it in his entire chest. The area of his cheek that he touched felt as though it was coursing with electricity. He didn't want this moment to end. Quivering, he brought his own hand up to Ludwig's. He nodded, eyes glued to him. He wanted to do something, something…but he couldn't think of what he wanted. Arms trembling, Feliciano slowly hugged Ludwig before he left, as it had become a ritual. Still, he felt like he was missing something.

"Goodbye, Feliciano. Take care of yourself." He said, breaking away from the embrace. His arms lingered around him Feliciano's torso for just a second too long before he finally dropped his hands. Feliciano only nodded again, all of his words having left him. At that moment he knew only two things. One, he couldn't avoid becoming attached because he already was. Two, it was becoming painful.

Friday was uneventful. Ludwig walked Feliciano to his classes and sat with him at lunch, his presence guarding him from harassment. It was almost too normal, like flurry of events during the previous two days hadn't happened. Feliciano's feelings ate away at him, crashing into him like a truck whenever he so much as glanced into his blue eyes. It was the elephant in the room, resting squarely on his shoulders. Ludwig seemed distant, distracted, even more so than usual. Despite Feliciano's interrogations, he refused to admit that anything was wrong.

On Saturday, Feliciano was just waking up when Ludwig called. He picked up on the first ring. "Hello!" He exclaimed. "I mean, hi. What's wrong? I mean why- why are you calling?"

"I was just confirming that you are still coming tomorrow," said Ludwig. No greeting, just that statement.

"Of course I'm coming, Ludwig! Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know. I was a bit nervous, I suppose." Ludwig quickly stopped himself. "I apologize for bothering you."

"You could never bother me," said Feliciano. "Ever! I worry about the same thing though; I usually think I'm bothering you. Lovino always says I talk too much. I'm talking too much right now!" He bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself, feeling his stomach flip as he waited for Ludwig's response.

He heard him chuckle on the other line. "I don't talk enough, so I suppose we make a good pair. Either way, I wouldn't say you talk excessively."

"I'm glad at least someone thinks that. It's amazing that we're so different, but we get along so well! Isn't it?"

"It sure is." Ludwig hesitated. "Actually Feliciano, I was not telling the complete truth. I didn't call to confirm you're coming Sunday. I really wanted to ask if you would like to come today instead."

Feliciano nearly dropped the phone. "Yes! Of course, but why?"

He heard Ludwig sigh on the other line. "I…miss you." He said, slowly and awkwardly. "I'm used to seeing you quite often."

Feliciano was used to the same thing, the only difference was he hadn't had the courage to admit it. It was something about Ludwig's voice, the gleam in his eyes, the way he put up a tough front despite his inner shyness and something he couldn't quite describe that made him impossible for Feliciano to forget. He felt dizzy under the weight of his own confusion and nerves. "Me too!" He said, giddy with nervous anticipation. "When can you pick me up?"

"I can be there in an hour."

That was definitely sooner than he had imagined. He thought he would at least have time to prepare himself mentally. The thought of being in Ludwig's house, meeting his family- it made his head spin. What if his brother didn't like him? What if he made a fool out of himself? It certainly wouldn't be the first time. But he needed to see Ludwig again. His growing loneliness was killing him, and his own house was beginning to feel like more of a prison.

"Okay, I'll get ready." He said. They said their goodbyes, and Feliciano got dressed with butterflies in his stomach.

Ludwig pulled up to his driveway almost exactly one hour later. Instead of honking to let Feliciano know he was there, he walked up to the door and knocked. Feliciano made a beeline for the door, but had to take a second before he opened it.

"Hello, Feliciano. Are you ready to go?" asked Ludwig.

Feliciano nodded quickly. "Yes." He said confidently. He thought he might as well fake confidence until it somehow became natural.

"Ludwig, why did you ask me to come Sunday if I could come today?" asked Feliciano as Ludwig pulled away from his house.

"I wasn't sure that I was ready to show you what I plan to show you."

Feliciano began to wonder what he could possibly have to show him. It must be something significant if the thought made someone as strong as Ludwig nervous. "Are you ready now?" He asked, tilting his head to the side.

Ludwig shook his head. "I don't think I'd be ready if I waited a year, but there's no time like the present." He said. "This morning when I was going about my business, I noticed that something was wrong. I couldn't put my finger on it, but then I realized something. It was one of the first times since we've met that I would go a full day without seeing you."

Feliciano's chest tightened. Ludwig had never been so open with him before, and he wasn't sure how to react. "Did you really miss me that much?" He asked. He needed to know if Ludwig had the same confusing feelings that he did, he just had to.

"Something like that. You're like glue, Feliciano. You just have a tendency to stick in my thoughts." He chuckled, amused by his own metaphor. "That's another thing, I don't think I've laughed this much in a very long time."

Funny, Feliciano thought that Ludwig didn't laugh much at all. He chose to ignore the fact, far too awestruck by Ludwig admitting he missed him to care. "I missed you too!" He said.

Ludwig quickly changed the subject. "And another thing. I have to warn you, my brother is…quite eccentric." He said. "We are opposites."

That piqued Feliciano's interest. "How so?"

"Believe me, you will see."

Ten minutes later, they pulled up to Ludwig's driveway. Nothing had changed since he had seen the outside of his house days before. Ludwig opened the door to get out of the car right away, but Feliciano paused. "What if Gilbert doesn't like me?" He asked.

"You don't need to worry about that," said Ludwig. Reassured, Feliciano followed him into the house.

When he opened the door, the first thing he heard was some kind of loud German metal music. "Gilbert!" Ludwig hollered. "Turn that down please, I have a guest!" The music stopped entirely, and what immerged from the other room was probably the most bizarre looking person Feliciano had ever seen.

It was hard to believe this guy was Ludwig's older brother, considering he was at least a head shorter than him. Instead of golden blonde, his hair was stark white like snow. His eyes were an inhuman shade of scarlet, and he wore a perpetual smirk. Oddly enough, he had a small yellow bird perched on his shoulder.

"Oh Luddy, are you telling me you finally brought someone home?" Gilbert said, his voice fast and shrill. "Let me guess, he wanted proof that you were related to the awesome me?"

"This is Feliciano." Ludwig said, ignoring his brother's mocking. "Feliciano, you know this is Gilbert-"

His red eyes widened. "THIS is Feliciano?" He exclaimed. He turned to Feliciano in one jerking movement. "Oh my God, kid, this loser hasn't shut up about you for a good few weeks!"

"Gilbert."

"You know it's true, Ludwig! Whenever you talk to me it's always Feliciano this, Feliciano that." He said, mocking his brother's deep voice while using his right hand as a puppet.

Feliciano felt a rush of excitement flood through his veins. The simple fact that Ludwig spoke about him made him feel like he was being shot to another planet. He turned to Ludwig, who had turned bright red.

"I can't believe I'm finally getting to meet you! So tell me, how do you put up with this one?" He continued, pointing his thumb at Ludwig. Ludwig could only stand there looking like he had given up on trying to stop him.

"I don't put up with him!" He laughed. "I think Ludwig is great!"

Then, Gilbert laughed. It was nothing compared to Ludwig's deep, pleasant chuckle. Gilbert laughed with a high picked cackle. "But he's so boring! I'm the awesome one in this family!" He said.

"I don't think he's boring." Feliciano insisted, still smiling out of amusement.

Gilbert suddenly changed the subject. "Hey, you want to meet my bird?" He asked, shifting his position so that the yellow bird was closer to Feliciano.

Feliciano beamed. "What's his name?"

"This," said Gilbert triumphantly, "is Gilbird!"

Feliciano laughed out loud. Of course a character like Gilbert would name his pet after himself. He reached out to pet its little head. The bird barely reacted. "He's adorable." He said, smiling at the tiny creature.

"Isn't he? He's awesome. That's because he takes after me!" Gilbert clapped a hand on his chest and closed his eyes as if he were in a play.

Feliciano giggled. "He's pretty awesome! I love animals!"

"You picked a good one, Ludwig! Gilbird likes him, which means he's okay with me!" Gilbert flashed his trademark smirk. "Can this one stay for lunch?"

Ludwig grimaced. "Gilbert, I doubt he wants to do that."

"Yes I do!" Feliciano said. He wasn't lying.

Ludwig glared at his brother. "Don't let him pressure you." He muttered. "If you don't want to stay, I understand."

Feliciano was confused. Did Ludwig not want him to stay? "But I want to stay, if you want me to!"

Ludwig blinked. "Well, of course, I-"

Gilbert cut him off. "See? You should let him speak for himself. Don't be such a stick in the mud, Ludwig." With that, he playfully punched Ludwig in the arm.

Ludwig rubbed his arm. "One of these days, I will figure out what I ever did to you. We will be going upstairs now." He said.

"Keep it PG, you two!" Gilbert called as they retreated up the steps.

"Gilbert!" Ludwig hollered. His outburst only prompted his brother to laugh again and the sound filled the downstairs. When they reached the upstairs hallway he turned to Feliciano, his face still red. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I am so sorry about him."

Feliciano smiled. "Sorry? I think he's hilarious!"

"Yes, well, try living with him everyday." He muttered.

Feliciano glanced down the steps, where Gilbert was singing and dancing to himself in another room. "Ludwig, how come your brother looks so different from you?"

"Gilbert has albinism." He explained. "That's never held him back though, he has always been very popular."

Albinism. Feliciano knew he'd read about that somewhere. It caused someone to be born without pigment. This made their skin pale, their hair white and their eyes red. That still didn't explain everything. "Why is he so much smaller? He looks like he could be your younger brother!"

Ludwig shrugged. "I've heard this before. He takes after our mother more. That, and he's never been one to exercise much." He ran a hand through his hair and stared into space. "Let's go to my room, yes?"

Feliciano suddenly remembered what he was there for. He had something to show him, something that apparently made him nervous. Thinking about being in Ludwig's room alone with him caused his head to spin for reasons he wasn't sure of. Forgetting how to speak, he nodded and allowed him to lead him to his bedroom.

As expected, Ludwig's bedroom was spotless and simple. The walls were pale blue. There was a bookshelf against one wall, filled up with books completely. His bed was made-up neatly, the covers plain white. There was a desk next to it, a few papers scattered across the surface. On the back of the door was a German flag, identical to the one outside. When Feliciano noticed the painting he had given him when they first met hanging on the wall, he felt his heart skip a beat.

"Please, sit down." Ludwig said, pointing to the bed. Feliciano's chest jumped. He did as he was told. He couldn't help but feel dizzy, knowing that Ludwig slept where he was sitting. He watched as Ludwig opened the desk drawer and rooted through the contents. "This is hard for me, Feliciano. Please realize that."

Feliciano was so nervous he felt faint. What on earth was he going to show him? How bad could it possibly be? "I understand." He said quietly, balling up part of the covers in his hand. Within a minute Ludwig was sitting next to him, clutching something in his hand. He noticed that his hand was trembling.

Feliciano felt his breath catch at the strange sight. "Ludwig." Instinctively, he reached out and grabbed his free hand. "Whatever it is, it's not going to change anything! Okay?"

Ludwig nodded. "Thank you. I needed to hear that." He took a deep breath then shoved the item in Feliciano's hand. "This, Feliciano," said Ludwig, "is a picture of me from three years ago."

Feliciano looked at the picture and his anxiety was replaced with confusion. For a minute, he did not believe it was actually Ludwig. The boy in the photograph was small, scrawny even. Instead of straining to fit over his chest, his shirt seemed to hang off of him. His blonde hair was longer and hung loosely in his face, which carried a look of fear. Even though it was surprising Ludwig was so different, Feliciano didn't understand what the big deal was.

"Why does this make you nervous?" He asked. "It's just an old picture! I have plenty of old pictures. They don't make me nervous!"

"It's more than just the picture, Feliciano."

"What is it then?"

Ludwig tightened his jaw. "When I was in middle school" he said, "I was in a very similar position as you are now."

I was once in your position. I have not always looked like this. I never got used to it. Suddenly, all the things Ludwig had said that didn't quite make sense before made perfect sense now. Feliciano's heart felt like it had physically ripped in half. He couldn't wrap his head around something so terrible. "You mean, you were…" He trailed off, unable to even form the word. What word was even appropriate? Bullied? Tortured?

It was as if Ludwig read his mind. "On a daily basis." He clutched Feliciano's hand between his as he spoke. Feliciano had forgotten his hand was still there. A shock went through his entire body and chills shot down his spine. Even so, the overpowering sensation didn't stop him for hanging onto Ludwig's every word.

"They beat me, yelled at me, took my things, anything you can think of they probably did at least once. It got to the point where they would threaten my life." He finally looked up into Feliciano's eyes, which were becoming bleary. "When I finally graduated, I decided I needed to make a change. I needed to be stronger. So I devoted all of my time to fitness and exercised to the point of exhaustion. In time, I did get stronger."

"Oh my god, Ludwig…" Feliciano couldn't believe it. He didn't want to.

"And when I saw you at the mercy of those boys, it all came flooding back. How lonely I felt, that sense of hopelessness, I couldn't bear to see it happening to someone else. When I saw that look of pure fear in your eyes when I came to help, I felt absolutely ill." He said.

Feliciano's mind spun; nauseating sadness tightened around his chest like a vice. He couldn't even bring himself to think of Ludwig being as miserable and scared as he was, he just couldn't. But somehow, that wasn't all that upset him. Doubt crashed into him like a truck. "Is that the only reason we're friends, Ludwig?" He nearly whispered. "Is it just because you feel bad for me?"

"No." Ludwig said firmly, immediately. Relief washed over Feliciano like a bucket of ice water. "It's true that that's how this started, because I needed to help you. But then I got to know you, Feliciano. I saw how kind you are. It's still amazing to me how you can get the living scheiße beaten out of you, yet you still smile afterwards." He smiled slightly, but it didn't show in his eyes. "You've taught me a few things, Feliciano. You've taught me how to forgive, how to see the bright side in everything. You have managed to completely change my life in only a few weeks."

Ludwig ran his thumb over Feliciano's palm and his hand burned under his touch. Feliciano felt tears threatening to spill from his eyes. The similarities in their lives stunned him. Really, they were not as different as you would think just by looking at them. They had the same struggles, the same insecurities, and even similar pasts. They were just packaged differently. Feliciano felt his chest seize.

Finally, he found the right words to say. "You've changed my life too. I'm not lonely anymore, I've never had someone to talk to or hang out with or anything." Feliciano said. His lips twitched into a slight smile.

"Neither have I, Feliciano." Ludwig said. Then he smiled, a soft look in his eyes. Feliciano felt his heartbeat speed up and his cheeks flush. What was this feeling? A simple smile from a friend shouldn't be doing this to him. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

Ludwig's eyes were occupied with what could best be described as confusion. He was no longer smiling when he broke the silence. "I've never felt quite like this. It's as if I need you around, or else I just feel off."

Hearing Ludwig put what he had been thinking for so long into words made Feliciano feel like he had lightning running through his veins. He was wrong about his feelings being confusing before. Now it was worse. He was ecstatic to hear Ludwig say these beautiful things, but at the same time, he felt helpless. He couldn't control these feelings and they were getting stronger by the day. They overtook him, threatened to swallow him whole. Feliciano felt as if his world was collapsing whenever Ludwig was away, a world that only truly felt complete when he was with him. It had been less than a week, why did it feel like he had never existed without him?

When he looked into Ludwig's sparking eyes again, the swell of emotions hit him harder than it ever had. He felt as if someone had punched him in the stomach. He felt himself breaking, every fiber of his being tearing at the seams. It was too much now, too much…

Feliciano snapped.

He ripped his hand out of Ludwig's grasp with incredible speed. "I can't take this anymore!" He cried. The air around them seemed to grow colder. Feliciano suddenly felt as if the walls were closing in around him. He continued speaking before he realized it one disjointed, frantic sentence. "I don't know what's happening and I don't like it!"

"Feliciano? What's wrong?" Ludwig's eyes were widened in horrified shock. "Did I upset you?"

"No, yes, I don't know!" Feliciano felt as if his body was refusing to let him communicate. When he opened his mouth to speak, his throat felt like it would close. He might as well have been drowning. He curled away from Ludwig, not wanting to even be close to him. It hurt too much to be so close. "I don't know what I'm feeling! I've never been this confused, I-"

Everything turned to slow motion as Feliciano remembered every love song he'd ever heard. All those romantic movies, the times he'd seen couples holding hands as they walked down the street- all of those feelings that he had assumed they were having, these were them. All of it suddenly made sense. But there was one thing that was very, very different. Ludwig is another boy. He thought. Ludwig is another boy.

Feliciano cupped his head in his hands and began to shake like a leaf. He felt an overwhelming panic wrap around him like a snake. No, this wasn't happening. It couldn't be happening, not to him. This was too fast. It didn't make sense. For a split second, he was sure he was mistaken. But when he looked into Ludwig's worried eyes- his beautiful, kind, amazing eyes- and lost his will to deny what was happening.

In all of those movies someone eventually had to confess their feelings, so Feliciano knew what he had to do. Either way, he was sure he would combust if he kept this to himself. "Ludwig." Feliciano noticed his voice was shaking. Ludwig stared at him with wild eyes, not blinking, probably not breathing.

This wasn't as easy as it was in the movies; it was as if he was teetering off the edge of a cliff. Everything could either completely fall apart or fall perfectly into place within the next ten seconds. Good lord, what was he doing? Feliciano tried to continue through his swirling emotions and his words came out in a whisper. "I think-"

Before he could finish, the feelings that had clouded his vision gave way to reality. This was not a movie. There was no way Ludwig would feel the same crazy feelings. He'd always been so emotionless, surely if he returned these feelings he would show it. This wasn't right, it was too strange; it wasn't how it was supposed to be. Even if such a horrible thing was true, Feliciano felt like a balloon about to pop. He couldn't hold back anymore, no matter how hard he tried.

The sound of Ludwig's voice sent him plummeting back to earth. "Feliciano, you need to answer me!" Somewhere along the line, Ludwig had taken both of his hands in a death grip. Feliciano could barely hear him over his heartbeat, which was now residing in his ears. "Please tell me why you're so upset!"

Feliciano slowly lowered his face to Ludwig's shoulder and wrapped his arms around his strong upper body. It hurt to be close, but it hurt even more to not be. His heartbeat was faster than it had ever been. It pounded in his ears, his stomach, his throat. He was so nauseous, so dizzy, it was much worse than when he had a concussion. This felt like life or death, and he couldn't go back now.

"Ludwig…" he said again. He closed his eyes in an attempt to ward off his vertigo. It was now or never. "I think…I…"

"Yes, Feliciano?" Ludwig said desperately. "Tell me. It's okay. Everything is okay."

Feliciano gave up. He surrendered to his feelings and allowed his mind to go numb. That was the only way he was going to get through this. When he finally said the words rattling around mercilessly in his head, he barely heard himself. "I think… I'm in love with you."

The room fell silent. The words shocked Feliciano as he said it and the phrase felt unfamiliar on his lips. Alarms went off in his head when he realized what he'd done. "Please don't hate me, Ludwig!" He cried, gripping him tighter. He felt like if he let go, he would fall off the earth's surface. He closed his eyes and clung desperately to consciousness. "But it hurts so much, I didn't know it would hurt so much…"

His entire life, Feliciano thought love was supposed to make someone happy. It was supposed to make them feel like everything in the universe was in place, it was supposed to make them bother everyone around them with how happy they were. That's what it was like in all the movies and songs. That's how he felt when he was with Ludwig, but he had always wanted something more. He had never been quite satisfied.

And this, this was different. This was a desperate, indescribable longing paired with a crippling confusion that knocked the breath out of his lungs whenever he saw him. He waited for the sun to explode, for his heart to give out, or even worse- for Ludwig to kick him out of his house and never speak to him again.

Only Ludwig didn't yell. He looked calm. Too calm. "Feliciano, look at me." He grabbed his shoulders and held him at an arm's distance. Feliciano refused to make eye contact, still trembling beyond his control. Oh God, what if he'd ruined everything… "I wasn't going to tell you." Ludwig continued in a hushed voice.

Careful to keep his voice from cracking, Feliciano found the courage to begin speaking again. "Tell me what?"

"Listen to me, Feliciano." He said. Before continuing, he took one deep, shaking breath. "I think I return your feelings." He paused and shook his head. Feliciano's stomach dropped to his feet.

"You think you do?" Feliciano asked. His voice caught in the middle of the earth shattering, life-altering question.

Ludwig bit down on his lip. "No." He said. His eyes darted around as though he expected his answer to be written on the walls. His eventual words were quick and disjointed. "I mean, yes, I…I have never been more certain, really…"

Feliciano thought his own anxiety would eat him alive. He had never needed a direct answer more than he did now. "What are you saying?"

Ludwig's face was bright red as he finally met Feliciano's eyes. Time came to a full stop. "I am saying I love you."

Silence fell between them. All they could do was look at each other, watching their entire relationship unravel in front of them. Ludwig's words failed to register with Feliciano. He might as well have said it in Arabic. Was this not what he wanted? Why was the world not flipping on its axis? Feliciano stared expressionlessly as Ludwig looked away.

Feliciano quickly came to the crushing, terrifying realization: He didn't believe him.

"You're lying." He said it about as coldly as his heart felt. His racing thoughts suddenly became words. "You never showed it, you never showed any emotion at all, that doesn't make sense!"

Ludwig looked at him again in an instant with hurt in his eyes. "Do you really think I would lie to you, especially about this?" He didn't breaking eye contact once. "Do you honestly think I'm any less confused than you are?"

It all made sense. The terrifying feeling of not being in his own body finally left him alone and Feliciano suddenly believed him. Everything fell into place, and in that moment they were the only two people in the world. Nothing else mattered. Not school, not Lovino being away, nothing but Ludwig saying these things to him, taking all the pain away.

"I was not going to say anything. I pushed the thought out of my mind for a very long time." Ludwig said. "But I have never felt…quite like this. I stopped denying it."

Feliciano's eyes brimmed with tears. He knew that feeling all too well. He wiped his eyes on his sleeve, nodding. "Me too."

"I'm very glad you told me about these feelings, Feliciano. It was a very brave thing to do." He said and rested his hand on Feliciano's trembling back.

"It wasn't exactly a choice, Ludwig! I felt like if I didn't tell you I was going to explode!" Feliciano still felt like he was going to explode. His heart was absolutely refusing to slow down.

He nodded and gently rubbed Feliciano's back. "Either way, it was brave. Braver than I could ever be."

When Feliciano looked into his eyes, he forgot he had ever been upset. The panic had disappeared, and there was nothing left but a blinding happiness and an even more powerful want. "Ludwig…" Feliciano brought his hand to his cheek and moved closer. Time came to a halt. His stomach flipped on itself when he got close enough to feel his breathing. Feliciano closed his eyes. All he had to do was move a fraction of an inch…

Reality came crashing down on them when there was a pounding at the door. Feliciano was so shocked he nearly fell off the bed.

"Feliciano! Dumb brother!" Gilbert screamed from the other side, all while pounding at the door violently. "It's time to eat!"

To be continued...