Boys Don't Wear Dresses

by keisan

Notes: Oh god Ludwig and Feliciano, they're like the ultimate cheesy couple but srsly, I can't write them any other way. That's how I see them lol. Thank you to ALL readers, those who left reviews, follows, and favourites, you guys are amazing! I look forward to reading more of your feedback.

Angelique Laroche = Seychelles

Also, to my reader: Annie_R_Key on AO3, thank you for bringing clarity to me regarding Ludwig's disorder, not OCD but OCPD (obsessive compulsive personality disorder which according to my research: may include rigid adherence to rules and regulations, an overwhelming need for order, unwillingness to yield or give responsibilities to others, and a sense of righteousness about the way things "should be done"; a diagnosis of this disorder is made when some of the symptoms start to negatively affect a person's interpersonal relationships be it social, work and/or family. Not all symptoms of this diagnosis will necessarily show themselves, a person doesn't need to have all of them to have this disorder. So it's a little different than OCD and definitely fits Ludwig's tendencies much more accurately.

Lastly, Feli's dress! (I've linked it on my homepage)

p.s. There's a little PruCan in this chapter.

Enjoy over 6,000 words of fic!

Part 3

I awoke to the scent of something delicious cooking. I wasn't quite sure what it was, but it smelt amazing. I blinked and sat up carefully, groaning at the stiffness and soreness of my lower regions. Ludwig was always gentle but it had been a while since we'd done it like that so I kind of expected it. Even so, I hissed as I stood and pulled on a large long-sleeved button-up shirt that was sitting folded up on the clothing chest at the end of my bed. The shirt was big enough that it hung low brushing my mid-thighs. It was probably one of Ludwig's—he had a few of his outfits here. I put on a pair of boxers anyway just in case someone else was visiting.

I turned to look out the window. Dark. The street lights shimmered over the wet pavement below. At least the rain had stopped. I shuffled out of my bedroom and into the hallway. The smell that was making me salivate-was that chicken?—got a little more potent. My stomach chose that moment to growl. I smiled and walked into the kitchen to see Ludwig wearing my Italian flag apron that read "baci il cuoco" (kiss the cook). He was bent over the stove flipping the poultry at the moment so I took that chance to creep up behind him and wrap my arms around his waist.

"Feli!" his blue eyes widened in surprise and he smiled lightly. "Did you sleep well?"

I stood on my tip toes and kissed him before settling against his back and resting my face against his muscular shoulder. "Si, I always do with you. Did you sleep well?"

He nodded. "Are you hungry?"

"Oh yes, my stomach was growling at me so loudly!" I told him pointing at my stomach.

He huffed out a chuckle, "Well gute. I was going to make a salad with this; I noticed you had some new lettuce in the fridge."

"Si, I bought it this morning. Dios, what time is it anyway?"

"Half past eight."

"No wonder. Well, I'll make the salad. Is balsamic and vinegar okay?" I asked.

"Ja, sounds good. Will one piece of chicken be enough for you?"

I nodded and turned to the fridge to take out the other vegetables I planned to add. Dinner didn't take much time to finish after that. We sat next to each other and ate quietly. It did feel a little awkward since now he knew about my secret and I wasn't sure if it would be okay to talk about it. When he comforted me earlier about it, I felt okay, but it seemed like there was a lot more to be said.

"Feli? You got quiet, is everything okay?"

I nodded. "Um… about earlier. Are you sure it's okay? Is it going to be weird?"

Ludwig looked up and reached his hand across the table; he looked at me very seriously, "Listen to me closely Feliciano. Nothing will make me stop loving you. And nothing is going to be weird. You can talk about it whenever you want and dress how you like… I'm completely fine with it. You always look so stylish to me anyway; I don't think this would be that much different. But if you need to talk about it or if I say something that bothers you about it, please let me know."

I bit my lip. "It's just. You're always very…proper, Luddy. And I know you prefer it when I look proper too. I mean, I'm just wearing a pair of boxers and a shirt right now… Normally, that wouldn't be…okay."

My boyfriend pressed his lips together and frowned thoughtfully, "I suppose I haven't really given you any reason why I'd be comfortable with you dressing outside the norm in the past… It's true I'm not really big on PDA or dressing indecently in public, especially when we have guests or anything, but if you're willing to be open and honest about yourself, then I'm ready to support you how ever you need it. I know how much it's taken for you to get to this point and I won't be the one to stand in your way. I don't want to be another obstacle for you to have to overcome."

I nodded pushed a lock of auburn hair of out my eyes, tucking it behind my ear. I blinked and thought about what I really wanted to do. Did I want to walk around on a day to day basis wearing dresses? Or did I just want to wear dresses and makeup and everything if I was just going out to a gay club or a private party? Of course, more than likely I wasn't going to wear some of the formal wear I designed out on everyday errands but did that mean I'd wear sundresses? I wasn't sure. And what would other people in public say? It seemed the world was dangerous enough if you were gay, lesbian or trans, but to walk around as someone who identified as a man who just liked to wear dresses? It was a little intimidating. Would I be harassed?

"I'm not sure. I hadn't really thought about it that in-depth and how the general public would react or if people would bother me about it," I said finally.

Ludwig looked at me considering, "I want you to be happy and be who you are. I admit that I am a little concerned for your safety though. But if what you said before says anything to me, it says you're somewhat used to living a little fearfully, maybe it's time to be brave and be yourself. Maybe start little by little and see what makes you feel okay," he suggested. "I'll be here and I want to go out with you as much as I can to spend time and make sure you're okay."

I nodded staring at my fork, a piece of slightly wilted lettuce clinging to the tangs. I could understand where Ludwig was coming from, but I was just so tired of being afraid. I wanted to face this new reality, the one I really wanted and pretty much had hid from for years, head on.

He squeezed my hand gently and brought it to his lips, laying a kiss on my knuckles.

"Do you have any outfits you want to model now?"

I shook my head, "No, I'm working on a few but they're for the models I'll be using. Maybe I'll ask Eliza to help me re-size one I made for school. There's one that I really like. It's a shimmery dark blue with a scarf. I really like how silky it feels."

Ludwig smiled thoughtfully, "I can't wait to see it."

I squeezed his hand back. We'd figure it out, one step at a time.

The next day I met Ludwig after work.

…

He'd taken a psychology program at university to better understand his own issues a little better (he didn't see OCPD as an issue initially, but eventually it was pointed out and became somewhat apparent) and was now working with youths at the local high school. I was so proud of him. He'd been working at the grocery store and volunteering at a clinic and going to school when I'd met him. He told me that he didn't want to be in too much debt when he graduated and he refused to let Gilbert pay all their household bills. Gilbert had a good job at a bar—actually the one up the street from O'Reilly's (where we had our first date)—and was really good at selling. He rarely touched his (admittedly terrible) wages, and lived off of his tips. That said, he didn't mind taking care of the household bills but Ludwig always paid for as much as he could with his own wages.

Ludwig had said with a shrug like it wasn't really that important anyway (I think he was right), "We didn't have much growing up. We're used to saving."

I felt like every time I learned something new about my boyfriend, I couldn't have been more amazed. He told me that a lot of people in his life had found his OCPD really unbearable, but I just saw it as one of his quirks. To me, it seemed like it was part of who he was.

"So does anything make it better?" I asked when he told me.

"Uh I used to take anti-depressants that were prescribed by my doctor but the effects are terrible. They made me sick and drowsy. I tried a few different brands but none of them quite fit, so now I talk to a therapist."

"Do you think hugs and kisses would help?" I asked, wanting nothing more than for him to be healthy and happy—he was always so serious!

His cheeks reddened and he looked down, shrugging lightly. I grinned and took that as my cue to hug him and kiss his cheek. He turned even redder and pushed me back slightly, muttering, "We're in public."

That had been our third date. That night when we parted at my door saying goodnight, I stood on my tip toes and kissed him hard. Eventually he closed his eyes and kissed me back, cupping my face with those big, warm hands and leaning his head down a little once my feet started to get a little tired. I really liked him and we had pretty much just met; I knew he was a special one for me.

A few seconds later the sky had opened up and dumped a downpour on us. We scrambled into my apartment and though Ludwig said he could just run to his car with the red umbrella sitting next to my door, I protested.

"But Luddy! You'll get sick! At least dry off with a towel," I pleaded. Secretly I liked having him in my apartment. He was so awkward and big filling up the space of the front door, looking like he felt really out of place. It was different than what I'd seen of him before—he seemed confident whenever we were out. I wondered if he was uncomfortable being in my home for some reason, I mean, besides his OCD. My place had seen cleaner days.

I ran to the bathroom and pulled out a fluffy, clean bath towel and wrapped it around Ludwig who was still standing at the door. His shoes were squelching but he looked like he was trying to ignore it.

"Why don't you sleep here tonight?" I offered.

He blinked in surprise. "What? No, I can't. I have to walk my dogs early tomorrow. Gilbert walked them this morning and tonight."

I pouted making eyes at him begging him to stay. "You can always leave extra early tomorrow. I'll set an alarm."

He pressed his lips firmly together and sighed, "Fine."

I grinned, "Yay! We'll have a slumber party!"

He arched a brow, "Seriously?"

I pursed my lips together thoughtfully, "Well okay maybe not, but you have to sleep next to me. I love cuddles."

His cheeks burst into flames and he looked about two seconds from bolting out the door.

"Fine fine! You can have my bed; I'll sleep on the couch!"

"No, I'll take the couch. It's your bed after all."

"No no, you're my guest so you get the comfier spot," I told him, stubbornly.

That night after he'd gone to sleep, I crept back into my room and under the covers next to Ludwig. I really did want to cuddle with him. He shifted a little behind me and paused. I heard him swallow but I kept my eyes closed and breathing steady, pretending to sleep. Slowly he exhaled and shifted closer to me wrapping one of his beefy arms around me, breathing against my neck. I swore he smelt my hair. For all his denials, he certainly liked cuddling. I smiled victoriously and relaxed finally feeling at peace.

…

I smiled at the memory.

"Feli? Feliciano!" called Ludwig's familiar voice, he sounded a little frustrated.

"Huh? Cosa?" I blinked and saw Ludwig standing there looking so professional in his grey-blue suit. I eyed the tie and nodded to myself, 'Good choice'. I usually picked out his ties and he was wearing one of the new ones I'd bought him for his last birthday.

"You've been standing there staring into space for the last couple of minutes. Ready to go, Liebling?" he asked.

"Oh! Si. I am. I was just thinking about our third date," I grinned.

He sighed and shook his head, "If I'd only known then what I was getting myself into…"

I pouted.

His lips twitched into a small smile, "You were awake that night, weren't you?"

I opened my mouth; I honestly thought I'd played it so cool. "You knew?"

He huffed out a chuckle, "I suspected."

"You didn't do anything about it," I pointed out thinking back that he hadn't left the bed.

"Sure I did."

I blinked and smiled slowly remembering the cuddling. "You're right, you did."

He smiled at me wryly, "Shall we go then?"

I nodded. We walked over to his car and he opened the passenger door for me. I gave him a little curtsey and sat down carefully mindful of my outfit. I was wearing a grey fitted trench coat, black leotards, and small-heeled grey wedges. The outfit underneath was a surprise. I was wearing some very faint makeup, a bit of foundation, bronzer, and lip balm but that was about it. I didn't want to freak anyone out too badly.

"So what are you wearing tonight? It is after all your graduation celebration party."

I winked at him, "I'll show you when we get there."

It was going to be surprise for Ludwig, Lovi, Antonio, and Eliza. And probably Roderich too, I would think. I hadn't really shared that much with the Austrian man but he seemed friendly enough, if not a little particular personality-wise. He was a talented musician (Eliza had given me some of his classical music albums as gifts in the past) and he was good to Eliza so there was that. Eliza and I tended to go out to fancy new spots for our BFF lunch dates and dinners rather than eat at either of our places.

The dinner tonight was just meant to be a double date with Eliza, Roderich, Ludwig, and myself but after Ludwig and I talked, I decided to come out about my cross-dressing to everyone I cared about so I invited my brother and Toni. (Gilbert had been invited too but he regretfully had to work.) I felt a wave of bitter sadness wash over me when I realised that Nonno was no longer one of those people I could say mutually cared for me. I had the feeling that I would always carry this pain inside. After Mama and Papa had passed away in the car accident, Nonno had taken Lovi and I with him back to Italy and pretty much raised us. We came back here as teenagers with him and that's when everything went to hell in a hand basket.

"Feli?" Ludwig was frowning at me and held out a tissue. "You're crying."

I frowned, "No, I'm not."

He reached forward and thumbed away a tear on my cheek. We were stopped in the parking lot and the romantic light of the French style restaurant shone in on us. I sniffled and brushed away the remaining tears with the tissue, "I'm okay. I was thinking about Nonno."

Ludwig pursed his lips like he wanted to say something but had thought better of it.

"What is it?"

"I'm happy to be here with you, and so is every single person you invited to that dinner. There's nothing about you that needs fixing and anyone who says otherwise has no idea what they're talking about," he said finally. He glanced out the window to see if anyone was looking in before placing both hands on either side of my face and leaning forward. He kissed my eyes, my nose, and my lips. "I love these eyes." Kiss. "I love this nose." Kiss. "I love these lips." He pulled away and said, "And I love you most of all." Kiss.

I smiled and squeezed his hand, "Ti amo, Luddy."

"Ready to go?" he asked as he slipped out of his seat.

"Si, it's a celebration night!" I swallowed back the ache in me and made a show of hopping out of the car excitedly. I grabbed a small mirror from my pocket to make sure my makeup hadn't smudged too much. As soon as I was satisfied, Ludwig took my elbow and steered me to the entrance of the restaurant. It was a new one and I'd read good reviews online about it. Supposedly the chef was from France, had studied at Cordon Bleu in Paris, and had won several prestigious awards.

We walked in and took in the beautiful restaurant. The modern-looking light fixtures were dimmed casting mood lighting over the deep wine-coloured table clothed tables which gave the whole place an intimate feeling. There was a young host standing at the host table dressed impeccably. He was tall, slender, had curly light blond hair that hung around his ears stylishly, slim glasses, and an errant curl hanging over one of his violet-coloured eyes. He wasn't that remarkable to me but seemed friendly enough.

"Salut, I'm Matthieu. Table for two?" he asked in a very soft-spoken French accented voice. I had to strain to hear him.

Ludwig corrected him, "Actually we're here with a party under the name Vargas."

He nodded and led us over toward a nice private spot, "Please come this way."

We walked through the restaurant, the carpet was dark and Ludwig held my elbow. I walked carefully but expertly in my heeled shoes and barely noticed a curly-haired man in one of the booth seats sitting alone with a glass of wine and a bottle next to it. He was bent over the glass and shrouded in darkness, his face covered. I frowned and turned my head to look at him, he seemed familiar.

"Feli?" Ludwig's voice brought me back.

"I'm ready, Luddy. Andiamo!"

I saw Toni sitting at the table sipping some ice water, his bright green eyes twinkling as he caught sight of us. Roderich looked up as we approached and nodded.

"Feli! Ludwig! How are you?" the Spaniard asked happily, jumping up to kiss my cheeks which I returned.

"Si, Toni! We're well," I said with a smile.

Toni tried to kiss Ludwig's cheeks but he awkwardly stuck his hand out to shake Toni's instead. Toni wasn't bothered and shook the proffered hand and clapped his back.

Roderich nodded to Ludwig and I hugged him and kissed his cheeks. His cheeks reddened and he looked impossibly awkward but he patted my back. It was a good thing Ludwig was immune to my affectionate gestures by now, well mostly he was.

"Can I take your coats?" asked that quiet voice. I jumped when I realised that host was still there, I thought he'd disappeared. What was his name again? I wondered.

I blinked. "Um, actually not me. I'm more comfortable with it on right now."

Ludwig handed his jacket to the slight man and he nodded, "Your waitress will be with you in a moment to take your orders."

I sat down beside Ludwig, Roderich sat next to Ludwig's left, and Toni sat across from Roderich.

"So where are Eliza and Lovi?" I asked.

"Lovi's picking out the wine. He was friendly enough to the waitress, but when he asked to see the 'other' wine menu, she had to go ask her manager. Her manager is the chef! You should have seen the argument he had with him!" Toni said fondly.

I huffed out a laugh, Lovi would never change. I was just glad he'd found someone as kind, sweet and patient as Toni.

"Eliza's in the ladies' room," Roderich said.

As if she'd heard her name, Elizaveta appeared looking stunning in her little black dress with capped sleeves and an exposed back. Her hair was long and she'd curled it a little.

"Feli!" she cried out happily and hurried over to me.

"Eliza!" I responded. I grinned and kissed her cheeks and she returned the gesture.

"Congratulations!"

I grinned broadly, "Grazie!"

She narrowed her eyes as she looked me up and down. Then she smiled victoriously when she saw my shoes.

"Feli? Aren't you warm? You should probably take off that very long trench coat. Let's see you," she said as though she was about to rip the thing off.

I bit my lip, "Um in a few minutes."

She raised an eyebrow and nodded a grin practically breaking her face in half.

Roderich scrunched up his face in confusion and Toni tilted his head.

Then before I had to say anything, my big brother Lovino Vargas burst in, wearing a very crisp, dark Armani suit and well-suited tie. He walked quickly from the entrance to the restaurant holding a paper bag with a wine bottle that looked suspiciously like the ones we used to have in our old wine cellar. He placed the bottle down on the table muttering curses about how fucking stupid this French bastard was for not having good Italian wine. He looked up and spotted me and smiled a little.

"Feli, glad you and the potato bastard made it," he said eyes shifting over to Ludwig and giving him a scathing look.

"Loviiiiiiii," Antonio gripped his hand and pouted. "Come on," he muttered quietly.

Lovi shook his boyfriend's hand off and crossed his arms and sighed, "Fine. But just for tonight. And only if he doesn't say something fucking stupid."

Ludwig stiffened next to me, he was sort of used to this behaviour from Lovino but he still wasn't sure exactly what he'd done to merit his hatred. I'm pretty sure Lovino just didn't like the idea of anyone dating me who, according to him, always needed to be looked after.

I greeted him with cheek kisses which he returned and glared at anyone smiling at us ready to cuss them out.

"Congratulazioni," he said.

"Grazie, fratello."

Ludwig pulled out my chair for me to sit and everyone else sat down. Soon the waitress showed up, "Bonsoir mademoiselle et monsieurs. Welcome to Palais Sophistiqué. My name is Angelique and I will be your waitress for tonight. Our soup du jour is the French onion soup and our main entrée is le poulet bonne maman which is our juicy fresh cut chicken breast with vegetables. Is everyone ready to order drinks?"

She was a pretty enough girl with dark mocha skin, light brown eyes, and dark chestnut hair tied into a bun at the base of her skull with a red ribbon. She looked a little nervous as Lovino rolled his eyes, she must have heard the argument between him and the boss. I felt a little bad for her. Lovi could be intimidating if you didn't know him well but he was a giant flirt when it came to girls.

"Bubbly water and flat water for the table, per favore?" Lovino broke out and challenged anyone to correct him or suggest anything else.

Everyone shrugged and murmured, "Sounds good."

"Bon. I'll give you all a few minutes to decide what you'd like to eat this evening," she said with a small bow of her head.

"Feli!" Eliza stage whispered across from me.

I looked up and she pointed at my coat. I bit my lip nervously and breathed deeply. I felt Ludwig take my hand from under the table squeezing it reassuringly.

"Ah first of all, thank you all for coming tonight. I really appreciate you all taking time out of your lives to celebrate with me. Um well some of you already know about what else I have to say but I wanted to do it with everyone here," I took a deep breath and figured if I said it fast then it wouldn't be as big of a deal. Most of them knew already, I was being stupid but I was out in public and it was just different.

Lovino narrowed his eyes and scowled at Ludwig and looked down at my hands. He seemed to relax after a moment though.

"Since I was little, I was always a little different," I swallowed. "But not just in the way people think. You see…I've always liked to dress up. And uh it's not that socially acceptable in public to dress how I like to in private. It's nothing bad, I swear!"

Lovino rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to tell me to hurry the fuck up. His words, not mine. Ludwig gave him a look and my brother sat back arms crossed.

"Um so it's better if I just show you, I think," I stammered and stood slowly undoing the buttons of my coat and the belt. I pushed the trench off to reveal the new outfit I was wearing and loved so much. It was a grey and black frock made with tweed and leather (only at the waist) with capped sleeves and a bodice that cinched at the waist and flared out only stopping a few inches above my knees. I also wore a thin silver bracelet on my left wrist which accented the look.

I looked down, hands clasped, eyes lowered self-consciously.

Then I heard a whistle, "Feli, I didn't know you had it in you!"

I blinked. Gilbert sauntered into the restaurant cocky attitude as usual with a fitted jeans, an open black sweatshirt, and a loose black graphic t-shirt depicting a very literal comic called "How to Pick Up Chicks". The image was of a pair of hands enticing a baby chick with bird feed which led to the conclusion of a baby chick sitting on the head of the comic character.

Ludwig looked up and scowled at his older brother, "That was rude."

Gilbert shrugged.

"It was a compliment," he said with a grin. "By the way, did you see that hot blond at the host table. How freaking adorable is he?"

"Who?" Ludwig blinked and shook his head. "Never mind, I thought you had to work."

"Totally, but then I told my boss my brother's boyfriend was having an awesome graduation dinner and it would so not be awesome if I didn't show up to crash it!"

"Naturally. Sit down and stop making a nuisance of yourself," Ludwig said dryly.

"Someday that stick up your ass will come out," the albino informed him and pulled a chair up from another table.

Ludwig sighed and said, "You look amazing, Feli."

"I love it, Feli!" Eliza gushed and pulled me into a hug. She looked over at Gilbert and shook her head.

Antonio smiled and took my hand twirling me around. "Magnífico!"

"Why the fuck are you here, potato bastard number two?" Lovino glared at Gilbert. "No one invited you."

"Lovi!" Antonio pouted.

"What? You didn't say I had to be nice to his fucking brother," Lovino said irritably. Antonio closed his eyes and shook his head. "Fine, but you owe me."

"Actually," Gilbert interrupted. "Your little bro did," he grinned and turned to me for a hug. "You didn't think I'd miss your big debut, did you?"

Lovino scowled at the man but nodded to me and said, "Looks good, fratello."

Roderich was a little shocked by the whole display, and little irritated with Gilbert's unexpected presence. He and Eliza had history. He reached over and pulled his girlfriend a little closer. Eliza looked like she wanted to protest but looked at me and sighed exasperated. The Austrian real estate agent looked at me and nodded, "Very brave, Feliciano. Classy outfit."

I was so overwhelmed by the positive reaction my eyes teared up. I grinned widely and wiped away the tears that accumulated.

"So yeah, that's what I wanted to say… Thank you all for coming," I said as I sat down.

The waitress came back, placed a basket of breadsticks and butter, and looked us all over to see what we were going to order. Ludwig had already looked over the menu when he'd first seen it and murmured to me, "I think you'd like the seafood dish. I know you like clams."

I nodded, "Thanks for looking it over for me, I think I'm in the mood for seafood too. I'd like to start with a salad."

The others all placed their orders for appetizers and entrees. She took down the orders and surreptitiously kept glancing at me. I was feeling a little uncomfortable with the stare, suddenly feeling like a circus freak.

"If you like his dress, you can just say so," Lovino looked at her pointedly. I guess he noticed my squirming.

She blinked, "Oui, I do. Tres beau. Who's your designer?"

I looked down and then smiled, "I made it."

"Vrai? It's lovely! Would you consider making one for me?"

"Si, I can. Here's my business card," I said, pulled one out of my coat pocket, and passed it to her when she walked by me.

After she left with everyone's orders, Eliza said, "Oh my god! See? I told you! You're going to be famous!"

I laughed, "I guess I have to have some luck sooner or later!"

"You're talented, Feli. And I'm so helping you!" she said. Everyone broke into their own conversations as we talked.

Besides the few times Ludwig had to remind his brother that he was in a formal restaurant and he should behave like it because there were rules for this sort of thing, the rest of the dinner went off without a hitch. The food was delicious and Lovino forced our wine on everyone, even Gilbert who insisted he just wanted a beer, chill out. The chef came out half way through the meal to see how we were doing.

"Ah mademoiselle et monsieurs, 'ow are we all doing tonight? I trust the food is to your satisfaction?"

I nodded, "Si, it's yummy!"

"Oh bonjour! You must be the one Angelique was talking about. You made that outfit?"

"I did."

"I also 'eard a congratulations is order, oui? For graduation?"

"Si, it's a celebration dinner."

"Hey, Francy Pants!" Gilbert called out to the chef. I had a hard time reconciling that they knew each other or may have even been friends but they seemed to know one another.

"Gilbert! Ca va?"

"Aww Francis, missed you!" Gilbert clapped the other man on the shoulder. "So who's your freaking adorable host?"

"Ah, that is my sweet, little cousin, Matthieu and I would thank you not to bother him," he said, voice a little dangerous.

"Sure, I'm too awesome to bother someone so cute," Gilbert said boastfully.

Francis smiled a little viciously and replied lowly, "See that you don't."

Everyone else nodded and complimented Francis's cooking except for Lovi. He crossed his arms, "It's fine. Just be sure to get a larger wine selection."

Francis smiled like he'd been forced to eat broken glass, "Of course, Monsieur Vargas."

"Bonsoir, bon appetit!" he said with a flourish and went back to the kitchen.

Every continued their meals. It was a really great night so far, I thought. Ludwig pointed out the dessert that looked really good, a rich chocolate cheesecake, so we decided to get that to share the cake and have coffee when the waitress returned.

Antonio gently tapped his wineglass with his fork and cleared his throat, "I just wanted to toast Feliciano to his graduation and to his bravery to be honest in a dishonest world. It's not easy to be who you are, but I've seen you become more confident over the last couple of years that I've known you. Felicitaciones!"

Everyone raised their glasses and clinked them together. Soon our pretty waitress, Angelique had come back and took our dessert orders. I ordered the cheesecake and two espressos for Ludwig and I.

Gilbert shook his head and said, "I'm good. I gotta go get cute blondie's phone number before he disappears and grace other people with this level of awesome. Plus Gilbird and the dogs have to eat and I have a six pack of beer in my fridge that needs my attention."

Gilbert was surprising sometimes. One moment he seemed like the most lax and lazy person alive, but he had moments where he showed he could actually be responsible if he wanted to be.

He dropped some cash for his meal in front of his brother and winked at him, "Have fun, little bruder!"

Ludwig coloured and sighed waving his brother off.

"Toni, see ya tomorrow, man. Franny and I are hanging and you're coming with," he said over his shoulder.

Toni smiled, "See you then!"

Lovino elbowed his boyfriend in the ribs and got a pout for his troubles. "You owe me so much," he muttered. "Putting me through having to be nice to two potato bastards tonight…"

Toni winked at him, "Don't worry. I fulfill on my promises."

Roderich looked a little green while Eliza's eyes glazed over, she pulled out a camera and took a picture of the couple. She was such a funny girl, I thought. She was my best friend and that was part of her character. Then she called everyone's attention, "Group picture!" She called the waitress over and asked if she wouldn't mind taking the picture for us. She nodded and snapped it.

Eliza smiled, "Thank you!" She tucked her camera away.

After that, everyone else's desserts arrived and it seemed to go over well.

I clasped Ludwig's hand under the table as we shared the cake.

"I'm glad we did this tonight," I said looking up at him.

Ludwig squeezed my hand, "Me too. I'm glad you're happy."

I didn't say it then, but I honestly thought I'd always be happy with Ludwig around. He did a lot for me but I also was able to do things for him, it was a really good relationship, I thought.

Everyone got up after the meal finished and Lovino threatened anyone who tried to help pay. It wasn't as if money was a problem for him and he insisted that the meal was his treat. It's a party for Feli after all, he said gruffly. I hugged him and kissed his cheeks. He rolled his eyes and patted my arm before he pulled my hands off him.

Ludwig helped me up and helped me put my coat on.

I told Ludwig I needed the men's room before we left and he nodded and waited at the door talking to Roderich. I went into the nice bathroom and closed the door behind me and went to the stall. Then the door locked behind me. I frowned at the noise and looked behind me. The man from earlier when we walked in was standing there. I looked up and my mouth dropped open slowly.

It was Nonno!

His eyes were a little glazed over—he looked a bit drunk-and he was glaring at me.

I backed up clinging to my trench coat, my hands were shaking and my breath was coming faster. What was he going to do?! I thought fearfully. My breathing was coming faster and I knew that if I didn't get my breathing under control I would pass out, my vision was already starting to get spotty. I curled my fingers into my palms as he came closer…

end part 3

tbc.