Work Text:
Ludwig wasn’t certain how his brother convinced him to take this job. Even if it was only for one night, he had better things to do and quieter places to be; he did not want to be serving drinks at his brother’s bar for extra cash. Yet, here he was standing along a wall filled with alcohol and trying to remember the steps to making all of the drinks.
It wasn’t as if Lud didn’t drink, and he was nothing if not observant. Regardless, the fact that he could barely remember what official training he had and that his brother wasn’t there to help was making him somewhat nervous. He had a list of drinks and instructions to make them and there was nothing stopping him from declining a customer’s request but it was still making him anxious.
Gil had always said that Lud overthought things.
He doubted the night would even be that busy. Honestly, who came into a bar in the middle of nowhere, Germany on a Tuesday night? Actually, scratch that. There might be more people than he thought. After all, most of his coworkers drank multiple times a week. Then again, maybe that was just them…
He was glad he didn’t have work the next day.
Maybe he could fix himself a drink after the night was over. It’d be like a reward for helping his brother out. Of course, he’d have to add some money to the cash register because he wasn’t going to steal from his own family but it’d be worth it.
The first customer came nearly an entire hour after the bar opened (just when Lud had started to wonder if his brother ran some sort of secret drug cartel to pay their bills but that was a different story). Despite the momentary shock he had at their arrival, he found immediately after that it wasn’t as stressful as he thought to bartend. The young woman that had come inside had simply ordered and walked to the opposite side of the bar.
Music was playing over the speakers but it was nothing Ludwig didn’t hear lasting from his brother’s room on the daily. Basically, he was much more relaxed than he thought he would be once the night got started. Or he was until he came in.
Ludwig had been entirely unprepared to have the bronze-skinned, grinning, blue-eyed man saunter up to the bar. Almost immediately after locking eyes with the other, he felt his composure draining out of his body. It wasn’t like he couldn’t speak to people he found attractive; it was just that he sometimes had trouble articulating words when he was distracted. And he hadn’t seen eyes that pretty since, well--had he ever seen eyes like that?
The other man was speaking. Oh no, what was he saying? Ludwig only caught the last part of the sentence.
“...help me out?”
It took him an additional five or so seconds to process that the man was speaking English with an American accent. Ludwig didn’t live in a tourist town. Why was there an American standing in his brother’s backwater bar staring at him with sky blue eyes? Ah, yes, that’s where Lud had last seen that color…
Wait, he should ask for him to repeat his last sentence. What if he seriously needed help? The foreigner misinterpreted his silence for a lack of understanding and started repeating himself in German before he even got a chance to open his mouth.
“Ah, no English? Wondered when I’d run into that. Anyway, I’m looking to have some fun and make some memories while in the country and someone told me that this is the best bar south of Berlin. So, how about a beer?”
Ludwig instinctively reached for the alcohol, expecting the other man to take the drink and go to the opposite side of the bar like the rest of the patrons had. Instead, he settled himself onto a barstool in front of Lud, “So, how come everybody crowded to the other side? Is this typical or did you spook them?”
He was speaking English again; it seemed that he was not used to having to speak another language. Odd, Ludwig thought, since he seemed to be proficient in German. He had stalled too long again, blue eyes were staring almost self-consciously back at him as the man started to repeat himself again.
Ludwig interrupted him, “I am unsure if it is always like this. I don’t work here on a normal basis.”
The American looked shocked for a brief second before smiling from ear to ear, “So you do speak English! And that’s interesting! Where do you work normally, then?”
Ludwig shook his head, “Nowhere interesting.”
His companion stuck out his bottom lip in some sort of pouting attempt, “Aw, no fun, buddy.”
He would have protested the absurdity of the statement if it had not been immediately followed by a hand thrusting towards him for a handshake, “My name’s Alfred! What’s yours?”
Ludwig set the beer he was still holding in front of the other tentatively but didn’t reach for his hand, “It’s Ludwig.”
Alfred snorted, “Very German. Most German one I’ve heard so far, actually.”
He didn’t know whether he should be offended or not. To be fair, Alfred wasn’t exactly wrong but…
“Your name doesn’t sound very American. It’s an old name, right? Passed down in your family maybe?”
Alfred shrugged, “Nah, my older brother named me when he was like seven and he thought it sounded cool. Hey, wait, how’d you know I was American?”
Ludwig shrugged back at him and leaned against the counter, “You sound American.”
“Oh! That’s cool, I guess. So, uh, Ludwig, if you don’t normally work here why are you here now?”
He started to clean some of the glasses that were sitting behind the counter, “My brother owns this place. He wasn’t available tonight.”
Alfred looked like he understood and nodded enthusiastically, “Ah! My brother works...well, actually that depends on which brother. Um, well, the brother that named me...he works at a publishing company. My other brother is a professional hockey player. Anyway! I was gonna ask if you think it’s cool to have a brother that owns a bar.”
Ludwig was watching another group of people come through the door when he answered, “It certainly makes drinking easier.”
“Do you dr--”
“Hi, can we get--”
“I’d like--”
He sighed and waved a hand at the American before quickly making the orders that had just been shoved at him. This group of people, at least, looked a little less confused and annoyed when talking at least. Perhaps they weren’t regular customers. Regardless, they gave quite complicated orders and he was starting to be glad that he had taken that mixology course a few years back. At the time it had been annoying but Gilbert had wanted him to do it and he had just graduated school and hadn’t found a job yet so it had made sense. He wondered if any of the people the came in on a regular basis remembered him from the month he had worked there before.
Probably not.
He hoped not.
Alfred waited until the group had vacated the bar, laughing as they went, to start talking again, “So, now that you aren’t busy again, do you drink often?”
He shook his head before crossing his arms over his chest, “No. I used to but still not to an excessive amount.”
Alfred nodded, “Hey, I feel that. College, you know?”
Ludwig smiled, “Ah, yes, I know. What did you study?”
“Computer science and animation. I was hoping to program some video games; I haven’t gotten there yet but I’m on the road! What about you? What did you study?”
He seemed nervous giving an answer but Ludwig ignored it, “Oh, um, law. I’m not done yet. Which is why my actual job isn’t going to interest you.”
Alfred perked up, “Internship? You help out at a law firm or something?”
“Exactly.”
The American hummed, concentration floating into his blue eyes as he stared up at him, “Yep, sounds pretty boring.”
He couldn’t help the choked laugh that erupted from the back of his throat; he did, however, make his best effort to stop the sound as soon as it started which was embarrassing by itself, “I thought you were going to say something serious.”
Alfred was grinning and rolled his eyes, obviously joking around, “Well, I was serious, Ludwig. That sounds seriously boring.”
He was smiling and he wasn’t sure he could stop honestly; at least this American was an interesting patron. And he seemed to know it too if that proud smirk slowly making its way onto his face said anything. Ludwig shook his head and continued cleaning glasses; when he spoke his words were dripping in amusement, “Awfully rude to call my profession boring, don’t you think?”
Alfred leaned forward on the bar but shifted his eyes to the side, “Hey, so I have a joke to tell you.”
“Really? And how’s it go?”
“So, a computer scientist and a lawyer walk into a bar…”
Ludwig rolled his eyes, “That’s terrible.”
Alfred chuckled and looked back at Ludwig, “No, anyway, what were we talking about? Oh, yeah, anyway, do you have any other siblings?”
He shook his head, “Unless, you’re counting my brother’s girlfriend, no. You?”
He shrugged, “I have the publisher and the hockey player.”
“I see.”
There was an awkward silence between the two of them then and Ludwig caught himself staring straight into deep blue eyes and not being able to turn away. He didn’t know how he felt about the prolonged eye contact, to be honest, but he knew that he was probably being weird and he wouldn’t blame the American for deciding that he was indeed boring before moving to the other side of the bar. He was about to open his mouth to say something--he didn’t actually know what he wanted to say just that the silence was uncomfortable-- when Alfred blurted out, “So, unfortunately, I need to get going soon because I have an early flight back to the states, you know? And I still need to pay you for this beer? And I don’t know how much I owe you?”
Ludwig found himself shrugging and setting his clean glass down, “If you go now, I won’t tell my brother.”
By which he might’ve meant: You made me laugh and you’ve got pretty eyes and I’ll pay for your drink if you’ll let me and not tell my brother about this entire situation.
“What? No! I have to pay for it! I can’t just steal--”
“No, I mean it’s covered. As in my brother doesn’t need to know where the money came from.”
Alfred looked confused for a couple of seconds before flustered realization washed over his face and he started nodding, “Oh, um, well, okay. I...thank you, then.”
Ludwig watched him look back down at his empty bottle in wonder before hopping off the stool and waving goodbye, “I...thank you, again. Though I think next time I’d prefer the drinks to be on me.”
He didn’t have time to think about it before one of the patrons that had come in earlier sauntered up to the bar and ordered another drink. Already, Lud was grateful that Alfred had been the one to sit at the bar since the man in front of him oozed arrogance and amusement through his every word. He tried not to make too much conversation with him as he fixed the next drink. The man, however, had things to say to him, “You know, that boy was flirting with you kid.”
Ludwig stayed silent.
“It’s not anything I approve of but I’d have to be blind not to notice.”
Ludwig shot him a quick glare and made a mental note to warn his brother about him.
“Mhm. So, you’re gonna be quiet now, then? You must’ve liked him a lot to talk to him for so long. I’m sure there are plenty of girls in the world better looking than him. So, what makes him so special, hmm?”
He couldn’t help but roll his eyes, “Excuse me, sir, but that’s really none of your business.”
He set the drink down on the counter with a little more force than he meant to and the other man raised an eyebrow in response before reaching for the glass, “Maybe not. But the kid left his phone number on his napkin.”
Ludwig grabbed the napkin before he noticed the man’s self-satisfied smirk, but the information was at least true. A phone number was scrawled out across the napkin in an almost illegible script. That didn’t mean he didn’t still want to kick the guy out of the bar but sometimes there was more reward for not acting on his own desires. Like looking up and seeing his brother just inches away from the man, “Yo, get out of my bar. And before you start with the same idiotic speech I get every time. Yes, I can do this; you might have noticed the sign on the door that says I reserve the right to deny service to anyone. No, I will not be physically removing you from the building but I will call the police if you stay and make trouble. Also, maybe don’t be such an ass? Don’t interrupt me. Prying into someone’s romantic and sexual preferences is one of the most asshole-ish things I can think of. It’s none of your damn business and you need to learn that. Now, go, before I call the cops.”
Ludwig couldn’t prevent the smile on his face when the man quickly gathered his stuff and left. Gilbert slid up to the bar, “He wasn’t up here long was he?”
He shook his head, “Only long enough for me to make that drink.”
Gil scoffed, “You shouldn’t have made him a drink at all. Anyway, other than that, the night’s been going well?”
Ludwig looked down at the napkin in his hands, “Ah, yes. I think so. I thought you weren’t supposed to be back until tomorrow?”
His brother shrugged, “I only went up to Berlin yesterday because Antonio is visiting the country and I haven’t seen him in a while. I was going to stay a couple of days to catch up and chill. Antonio, that ass, wanted to know when I’m getting married though. Started rambling about venues and wines and being my best man--as if. So, anyway, I got kinda annoyed with it all and I came back home.”
Lud raised an eyebrow, “You got annoyed with Antonio? I’m not sure I’ve ever seen that happen.”
Gil shrugged and reached into his pocket, “Yeah, well, it’s pretty annoying when he talks about it so much that I had to go buy this.”
He slid a black box onto the counter and Ludwig suddenly understood, “So, the real story is here is that he was stressing you out and you went out and through the power of sheer anxiety bought a ring? Because honestly, that sounds more like you and Antonio than him annoying you so much that you had to leave early.”
Gil put his head down on the counter, “He...he was making sense, dammit! I hate it when he makes sense!”
Ludwig laughed, “Well, you know you have to tell me when you finally give it to her.”
“I know. I will. Now, let me take the bar over; I need to be working.”
He grinned and backed out of the working area ready to go home for the night.
So, I assume you’re back in the U.S. by now.
This is Ludwig, right? I am! But I had to sit next to a crying baby on the plane and it was the worst.
Yes, sorry for not introducing myself. Other than the crying baby was everything okay?
No problem! And yeah I spent most of the flight watching movies
Really? What kind of movies?
Disney mostly. That’s usually my go to on a flight
I see. Do you travel often?
Not really but I know I’m gonna have to fly back to Germany sometime because I still owe you a drink.
You don’t have to fly all the way back here to buy me a drink.
Would it be too bold of me to say that I wanted to?
Ludwig smiled and shook his head before typing a reply.
Maybe, but I won’t be complaining.