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The door to the lobby flew open and slammed against the wall. In rushed Lovino, his face paler than usual.
‘Feli, I came as soon as I could. Rome was bombed by﹣’
He saw the others and then he saw the bandage. Eyes wide, his gaze darted between each of them, his mouth agape.
‘Lovi, don’t worry. They both know, but﹣’
‘I thought I told you to be more careful! What have you done?’
‘There wasn’t much I could do! I was starving!’
Lovino grabbed Ludwig by the collar while Feliciano spoke and shook him violently, accusing him of baiting Feli into revealing himself. Japan watched with a neutral expression to hide his panic.
‘I’ll kill you, you potato-eating, beer-guzzling, incubus bastard!’
Feliciano wrapped his arms around Lovino to restrain him, but Lovino’s grip didn’t loosen as he was pulled away.
‘Not now, Feli. Let me go.’
‘Calm down! Just listen to me!’
After a short scuffle, Feliciano was able to get Lovino to sit down and listen, reluctantly, to what had happened. Lovino pinched the bridge of his nose.
‘All the damage done to my country, and now this. I’m tired of your shit.’
He glared at Ludwig with tired, defeated eyes.
‘Do you have any idea how hard I worked to keep this a secret? Now the doors have been blown wide open for the Allies to come in and﹣’
‘Your secrets are both safe with me,’ Ludwig interrupted.
‘Easy for you to say in the comfort of your own base.’
Ludwig picked at his bandage and looked away, his face a mixture of embarrassment and exasperation.
‘I don’t want anybody to find out, either,’ he began, licking his lips nervously. ‘Japan and I have both offered to be donors. We’d be happy to supply you too if it means keeping this a secret.’
Japan blanched at the prospect of supplying blood to two vampires.
‘Tch. Like I’d put my mouth anywhere near your filthy neck.’
Lovino wrinkled his nose with disgust, but Feliciano could sense that he was touched, deep down, and smiled.
‘Then it’s settled. See, fratello ? This works perfectly.’
Lovino crossed his arms with a huff.
‘You better take care of my brother. You almost killed him.’
‘Not on purpose…’ Japan murmured.
‘I’ll be checking in,’ Lovino jeered. He stood up and made his way to the door.
‘Where are you going? You just got here,’ Feliciano called.
Lovino dismissed him without looking back. When he was gone, Feliciano turned back to Ludwig and Japan and fixed his smile.
‘He’s a little paranoid. You get that way after a few centuries.’
‘Yeah…’ Ludwig said. In spite of his offer, his eyes still darted away from Feliciano’s, and his hand hovered over the bite. He flinched when Feliciano brushed a bead of sweat off his temple.
‘I didn’t know you had a brother,’ he said.
‘He’s been negotiating with Spain while I’ve been with you.’
‘I wondered how you were keeping that up so well.’
Feliciano pushed a twinge of annoyance down.
‘He’s spent a lot of time there throughout our lives, so he’s very experienced.’
***
An hour later, Feliciano resumed his work without any hassle. Ludwig explained to the staff that he had been away on business and no further questions were asked, but the nurse he bit transferred to a different facility, and he caught other nurses watching him out of the corner of his eye. Even the doctor he worked with seemed to look at him differently.
The blood bags became an inside joke between Feliciano and Ludwig, causing Japan to apologise profusely and remove the freezer locks to show trust. In the following weeks, the Axis resumed its hectic defenses, and the whole incident was forgotten. Japan vanished and reappeared throughout the base as he split his time between anticipating an attack from America and devising better strategies, while Ludwig remained to handle the conflicts in Europe. Feliciano caught Lovino leaving Ludwig’s office many times, always with a sour look on his face, and the papers he held always crumpled by his grip.
Feliciano, meanwhile, had been working emotional support in addition to medicine as the effects of war began to show on Ludwig’s body. Ludwig’s muscles shook with stress and fatigue, the veins in his temples betraying the fear he kept hidden beneath his militant attitude, and the paperwork on his desk was stacked high enough to block him from view. He became a pet project to Feliciano, who was still determined to make Ludwig his. The kiss in the basement went totally disregarded. No matter how many times Feliciano mentioned it, Ludwig only blushed and dismissed him without revealing what he had intended to say before it. Ludwig’s feelings were a treasure reserved for only the most persistent hunters. Feliciano was determined to work him slowly, until everything about him was his to cherish. It restored some of the power he had lost after Ludwig discovered his secret ahead of time. These dark thoughts of possession couldn’t be suppressed no matter how hard Feliciano tried. He wanted to care for Ludwig without an ulterior motive - he really did - but everything was warped by insatiable lust for Ludwig’s mind, body, and heart. He instead tried to ignore them in the hopes they would pass on their own. He wasn’t a monster, after all.
They met several times a week at different times, but the evening meetings were Feliciano’s favourites. Sometimes they were in empty hospital rooms, sometimes they were in Ludwig’s office, but they were always full of budding intimacy, lit softly by a gaslamp that exaggerated Ludwig’s sharp features with shadow. Feliciano placed kisses over the areas he wanted to bite, and never bit the same one twice. He had become something of an epicure after years of feeding from half-dead soldiers and plastic bags. The spice of consent and sympathy was one he had craved since the first day of his eternity, and its absence from his palate almost made him forget the richness of fresh blood.
***
The day after one of these evening meetings, Feliciano was called to the lobby by a doctor who sounded reluctant to deal with him. He could hear some scraps of conversation as he approached the room.
‘Are you sure you want him?’
‘I asked, didn’t I?’
‘But he’s the least experienced.’
‘I assigned him here, I know what he’s capable of.’
‘Germany?’ Feliciano called. Ludwig looked up when he entered, and the glare he’d been giving the nurse at his side melted into something more pleasant. Immediately the smell of blood washed over Feliciano, and he saw the gashes and bruises polluting Ludwig’s skin.
‘Is anything broken? Are you okay?’ Feliciano asked. He placed one of Ludwig’s arms over his shoulders for support and felt Ludwig’s muscles twitch in protest before he remembered that Feliciano was actually the stronger of the two.
‘Ja, I’m fine. Just a field accident.’
A nurse helped him guide Ludwig into one of the nearest rooms, holding the door open for both of them.
‘What happened?’ she asked.
‘We were doing mine tests. Somebody placed one too close to a fence and I was hit with the shrapnel.’
I ought to kill them .
‘Ha. Even I know better than that,’ Feliciano said.
‘Italy, you held a grenade in your mouth and threw the﹣’
‘That was for comic relief. I turned out fine.’
Ludwig smiled weakly before placing a hand over his stomach. There was a laceration from his hip to his ribs that wasn’t very deep, but blood had soaked his tank top and sweat had probably made it sting. He was pale, and his skin was clammy, and his voice had shaken a little when he spoke. Feliciano sat him down on the bed.
He felt guilty for drinking from Ludwig the previous evening, but he felt worse for wanting to take even more. He and the nurse worked together to sanitise the cuts. Without realising how disturbing the reaction was, it made him smile to see Ludwig wince like a kid at the alcohol’s sting. Then the nurse retrieved a few rolls of gauze from the cabinet by the bed.
‘He’s stable, and nothing seems broken. Will you be fine on your own?’ she asked. Feliciano nodded before she continued: ‘I need to get back to the emergency ward. Remember, wrap snugly﹣’
‘But not too tight, and remember to clip it,’ Feliciano finished.
The nurse lowered her head respectfully to Ludwig on her way out.
Feliciano turned back to Ludwig and rolled his eyes. Ludwig gave him a weird look, but didn’t say anything, and the room took on a stiff, awkward air. Feliciano listened to Ludwig take deep breaths as he worked. The pain bothered him even if he wouldn’t admit it.
‘Will you take your shirt off?’ Feliciano asked. Ludwig’s eyes widened.
‘What? Why?’
‘I need to take care of that cut.’
‘Oh.’
Ludwig rolled off his shirt and set it on the bed beside him. Feliciano sanitised the cut and began to wrap it with gauze, noticing with a mixture of hurt and amusement that Ludwig squirmed a little under his touch. Just how did he feel? How did either of them feel? The scars Feliciano had looked at with so much reverence the evening before now looked tragic against cuts which would also become scars in time. Ludwig didn’t have to be so fragile. He could give him skin that would be smooth and beautiful forever…
He shook his head. Instead of meditating over his dark thoughts, he began to count to one hundred in his head and focus on how much he was helping. He was being useful.
‘I like these bandages,’ Ludwig said suddenly. ‘They’re durable, and the fabric can be used for a variety of purposes. It’s a very practical cloth.’
Feliciano paused mid-wrap to fix him a confused smile.
‘I guess you’re right.’
He clipped the bandage around Ludwig’s torso and moved to his arms.
‘Say, Ludwig…Why’d you pick me?’
‘For what?’
‘To take care of you. I’m the least experienced, after all.’
Ludwig avoided eye contact.
‘I don’t really believe that,’ he said. ‘You aren’t good at hiding what you are, even the staff is suspicious. It wouldn’t surprise me if you were involved in most of Italy’s medical breakthroughs.’
God he loved how smart Ludwig was. He avoided showing any emotion to see if he would keep going.
‘Besides…’ Ludwig sighed. ‘You’re the only one I feel comfortable being vulnerable around.’
He couldn’t hold his neutrality for any longer.
‘Really?’ he beamed.
‘Yeah. Don’t wear me out.’
‘It means so much to hear that.’
He placed the last bandage over Ludwig’s bicep and gave him a hug, careful not to hurt him. Ludwig didn’t squirm or resist at all. When Feliciano pulled away, he did one last check to make sure every cut was properly bandaged.
‘Be careful not to reopen the wounds. I’ll come by to rewrap you later, and don’t hesitate to come back here if you need anything,’ he doted. Ludwig shook his head with a barely-suppressed, bashful smile.
‘Thanks. I’d better get back to work.’
‘Don’t work too hard!’
Ludwig stood up, put his shirt back on, and stopped in the doorway. Feliciano gave him a small salute which he returned, and then he was gone. It took a second for Feliciano to knock himself out of his daze and get moving again, putting the gauze and antiseptic back in their cabinet through daydreams. He felt so content. His goal was in sight, and the secrecy he had been forced to commit to for so long was becoming unnecessary. He forgot all about his plans to spread the Roman Empire through Germany in favour of how happy he would be able to make Ludwig if only he opened himself up a little more.
***
Ludwig wasn’t the only one who visited. Lovino also made frequent trips to the hospital, though it was never for any medical attention, and he seemed to annoy the staff with his presence. He would talk to Feliciano whenever work was slow and follow him around, looking over his shoulder to make sure he was doing his job right and berating him when he didn’t.
‘Boric acid is on the third shelf. You should know this.’
‘You should’ve amputated, now the wound is infected.’
‘I know what I’m doing, Lovi,’ he’d say gently, and Lovino would huff and relent for a few minutes before starting up again. His nagging was still irritating after hundreds of years.
Lovino’s presence was also stressful for Feliciano. Whenever Ludwig needed care, he requested Feliciano, and Lovino made his disdain for this arrangement obvious . Feliciano didn’t know what he would do if his brother ever found out about the increasingly unprofessional quality of their meetings.
He meditated over his situation while cleaning. Soldiers left the hospital quickly, but whether it was from death or recovery, he didn’t know, and the hospital was silent. All the doctors and nurses would be working in the emergency ward, so he would have to join them soon. He had just finished when he heard movement behind him.
‘How can I help﹣’
He startled when he saw it was Lovino in the doorway, propped against the frame like a dealer in an alley. His hair was messy and his lips were a thin line as he pulled the door shut.
‘Lovi!’ He paused, looking his brother up and down. ‘You look a little rough.’
Lovino nodded.
‘Been busy. You need to do more on the warfront, fratello. Italy has been left vulnerable to Allied attacks and our supplies have dropped even lower. You should organise another submarine battalion to defend Sicily. You’ve always been good with the navy.’
‘But Ludwig put me on the medical team,’ Feliciano protested.
‘That doesn’t mean you can leave me to do all the work.’
‘I don’t do that, though..?’
This time, Lovino’s harsh, cynical laugh made his smile drop
‘What have you been up to then?’ Lovino asked.
‘I’ve been helping! I take care of the injured soldiers.’
‘And your boyfriend on the side.’
Did he know about the meetings? Cazzo .
‘It’s not like that yet. Ludwig’s not comfortable with﹣’
‘ Yet. You’re a fool, Feli. Why can’t you stop playing games and focus on the war?’
‘Why are you so mean to me all the time?’
Lovino tensed as if he’d been slapped.
‘I’m only doing what’s best for you,’ he said, but his voice hinted that he was unsure.
‘But all you do is yell at me. You’re always telling me what to do and calling me stupid. I’m not a little kid, Lovi.’
‘Well, somebody has to clean up your messes.’
‘Not all of them are messes.’ A lump formed in Feliciano’s throat at the thought of Lovino killing Ludwig next. ‘I’m never able to get close to anyone because of you,’ he squeaked.
‘And you shouldn’t! I tell you over and over again to be careful, but you never listen. We’re not like them, Feli. What you’re feeling isn’t love.’
‘How do you know? You never even give them a chance.’
A change came over Lovino. His eyes flashed green in a way that destroyed Feliciano’s resolve as he pushed off the door and approached. Feliciano had forgotten the minor height difference between them and had to look up to maintain eye contact.
‘I never gave them a chance because I saw the things they did to you. You remember Catrina fondly, but what about Annette? What about Gabriel ?’
‘Don’t﹣’
‘Did he ever come back, fratello? Did he?’
Feliciano stayed silent. In a rare display of vitality, Lovino’s cheeks were flushed.
‘What about all the places we’ve left because of your impulses? Did you ever stop to consider that I liked some of those places, and have only been able to return in the last fifty years?’
‘You could’ve stayed. I was the one that was caught.’
‘Don’t play dumb with me - not now.’
Lovino hesitated. He seemed to steel himself for something, only to shake his head.
‘It’s too late anyway. Most of my existence has been wasted dispelling legends about the “demon twins” and “vampire brothers.”’ Lovino jabbed Feliciano in the chest with his finger, pushing him back a step. ‘All these years, you’ve been chasing a love that can never be. Leave them alone.’
‘But what if one day I find someone who understands?’
‘Stop being so selfish!’
Feliciano winced at this outburst, but Lovino kept going.
‘Our country is being torn apart, and you’re chasing the skirt of the man who initiated this war! Think of all the damage to our people and our history. Parts of Rome cherished by our grandfather have been destroyed, and we will never, ever get them back.’
‘I understand you’re angry, but can we please talk about this later? What if someone hears?’
‘Why should I care about them? I’m stretched in five different directions for a cause I don’t even believe in and I can’t take it anymore.’
‘I’m sorry! I didn’t know about Rome, or I would’ve been there or done something! Please let me make up for this.’
‘You never offer to do anything until it’s too late.’
‘Because you don’t tell me anything!’
‘I tried, but you were so busy blowing our cover you didn’t notice!’
‘You need to tell me about how you’re feeling so it doesn’t come out like this.’
‘You still aren’t listening, and you have the nerve to tell me that I’m the one that never listens. Maybe the things you have to say aren’t that important in the face of invasion, death, unrest and economic collapse! I’m the only real representative between the two of us.’
Feliciano stared. His brother had never directed that much anger towards him before.
‘Two halves of one pathetic asshole. Where’s your hard work gotten Italy? On the losing side of war!’ Lovino spat.
The tears blurring Feliciano’s vision had slipped down his face as Lovino ranted. When Lovino noticed them, his eyes softened, and he slowly backed away. Feliciano feebly wiped away his tears, unable to muster a defense for himself.
‘I… Can we talk later?’
‘No. I have to return to Italy.’
‘When?’
‘As soon as possible.’
Lovino avoided looking at Feliciano, who began to shake as he wiped his eyes, and left the room with his arms folded, his eyes closed and brows furrowed with indignance and something more sensitive, the pink flush still on his face. Feliciano waited until he was gone before he let his tears flow proper.
***
The following days were a blur of doctor’s orders, guilty thoughts, and dropped scalpels. He couldn’t get his brother out of his mind. He was partially annoyed - Lovino had no right to berate him, and there were so many counter-arguments he could’ve defended himself with - but mostly he was confused. Nobody had ever attacked him so personally like that. Austria’s representative hadn’t been the nicest, and neither were the other countries’, but none of them had gone so far as to say everything wrong with his country was all his fault. And besides, he’d gotten used to being adored for centuries. Even Lovino’s nags were a sign that he was cared for in some small way. Was he really useless?
He needed to talk to somebody. Wondering about his problems wouldn’t make them go away, but the only one he went to in times of need was Lovino. Then he remembered what Ludwig had said about only trusting him, a vampire, to see him vulnerable, and thought that maybe he could help. Trust was mutual, after all…
***
He entered Ludwig’s office sheepishly. The assistant was nowhere to be seen, and Ludwig was sitting at his desk with a mound of paperwork at his side and an expression of deep concentration. He looked up when he heard the door close.
‘Ah, Italy. Guten Tag. ’
Feliciano gave him a crooked smile as he sat down.
‘Please, call me “Feliciano.” I want to ask you something personal.’
‘Oh?’
Ludwig raised an eyebrow.
‘Ludwig, do you have any siblings?’
‘Of course. Let’s see…’ He counted off on his fingers. ‘I have at least five older brothers.’
He smiled at the way Feliciano’s eyes widened.
‘I have a big family,’ he explained.
‘It must’ve been exciting growing up.’
Ludwig twirled his pen.
‘Well… Not really. It was just me and my brother Gilbert. The others had already moved out, and my mother wasn’t home much.’
‘Where’d she go?’
‘Work.’
‘Where was your father?’
‘I’m not certain. Gilbert says he was a powerful official, but left after my birth.’
‘Sorry… Lovino and I never knew our parents, so I didn’t know…’
‘Don’t worry about it. It seems we have something in common after all.’
Ludwig continued writing. After a few moments, he rubbed his eyes and put his pen down.
‘Why’d you ask me that question anyway?’
‘Well, I was just wondering… did you and your brother ever fight?’
‘Ja,’ he laughed. ‘That’s what brothers do.’
‘Not Lovi and I…’
‘You never fought in a thousand years?’
‘Not really. Even when he was in Spain, I always did what he said.’
‘Maybe that’s part of your problem,’ Ludwig murmured to himself, but of course Feliciano heard. He chose not to respond. It felt strange to him that in spite of vampires’ heightened emotions, the depth of their relationships never equaled those of humans’. He needed to know how humans were so in-tune.
‘What kind of things did you fight over..?’
‘Where to begin? My brother was fourteen when I was born, but there were still fights.’ Ludwig shook his head with an embarrassed laugh. ‘When I was five, I decided I didn’t want to wear shirts anymore, and he had to hold me down to put one on while I screamed and flailed.’
Feliciano leaned back in his chair, baffled.
‘You… fought over something like that?’
‘I was only a child. Those conflicts are part of growing up.’
Feliciano pushed the memories of his time in Austria to the back of his mind, where he hoped they would stay.
‘Was there anything else?’ he asked.
‘He used to read me bedtime stories, and he always picked the scariest ones he could find because I was afraid of monsters. Sometimes when walking me to the outhouse at night, he’d blow out the lamp and run away so I’d be lost in the dark. When a girl gave me a love note, he embarrassed both of us by reading it out loud in front of our classmates.’
Maybe humans weren’t as sensitive as he’d thought. Human brothers seemed to have an even worse relationship than him and Lovi. But he had to admit, the image of a scared Ludwig was cute, and so unlike Ludwig’s current self.
‘Your brother was a real jerk.’
‘Yeah…’ Ludwig smiled, but his eyes were sad. ‘He used to really hold his power over me, and I hated him for it. But he was always there. He knew he took that stuff too far, and he apologised to me afterwards. He was the one who made me feel better when I was sick. I could always rely on him to cook meals and give advice even though he wasn’t very good at either. He taught me everything I know about taking care of myself.’ He paused again, and his smile deepened. ‘He also insisted that vampires were real - he tricked me into rubbing garlic butter all over myself. He later admitted he was only teasing, but it turns out he was right…’
Feliciano smiled to be polite. He felt sad that he and Lovino had never gotten the chance to grow up together or be normal kids. It seemed they were only close because they didn’t know any other vampires. If any existed at all.
‘How do you think he’ll react?’ he offered. Ludwig furrowed his brows, confused.
‘What?’
‘How do you think your brother will react when he finds out he was right?’
‘I thought that was supposed to be a secret.’
‘You know. If he finds out.’
Ludwig picked his pen back up and fiddled with it, his brows now furrowed with concern.
‘I… Don’t know. We don’t talk much anymore.’
‘Does he not have a phone?’
‘It’s not that…’ Ludwig rubbed the back of his neck. ‘Gilbert was chosen to be Prussia’s representative due to my family’s feudal ties. He was raised for it. But then, on the day he was supposed to assume power, the kingdom of Prussia dissolved. The former officials fled into other branches of the German government, leaving my brother with nothing to work with, and no money. He was only eighteen.’
‘So you were… four?’ Feliciano asked. Ludwig nodded.
‘Things didn’t get bad until later. Gilbert was nothing if not pliant, and he shaped the former kingdom into the State of Prussia, which became a part of eastern Germany. I think he terrorised me so much at the time because he was insecure about his power. He had dreamed of an empire only to become a cog in Germany’s system, and he knew there was pressure from former officials to seize his territory. On my eighteenth birthday, I became representative of Germany, and his Free State of Prussia was de facto dissolved, along with the other German states represented by my brothers. I had nothing to do with the decision, but I think they all suspected me. Gilbert especially. With what little power he had stripped away, he also fled to smaller roles in our government, but could never hold them down.’
‘What does he do now?’ Feliciano’s voice sounded lame in his ears.
‘I’m not sure - his office is so small now. I only get calls from him when he’s drunk, and he isn’t very intelligible aside from calling me a traitor and a bastard.’
‘How often does he do that?’
‘At least once a month.’
‘I’m sorry…’
Ludwig shook his head.
‘I’m sure he’ll recover. A Beilschmidt doesn’t go down that easily.’ Ludwig took a deep breath before adding: ‘It is a shame, though. He could’ve been great. And despite the state he’s in… I’ll never stop seeing him as my strong, confident older brother.’
Ludwig’s words struck a chord in Feliciano’s heartstrings. A strong, confident older brother reduced to ash… What if Lovino ended up that way? Would he ever have the chance to get him back? He stared at his hands as he thought, wringing them in his lap until the knuckles turned white.
Ludwig checked his watch.
‘Sorry to cut this short, Feliciano, but I have some work to do. You should go say goodbye to your brother.’
‘He’s leaving?’ Feliciano cried. Ludwig gave him another incredulous stare.
‘You didn’t know?’
‘Where is he? What time is it?’
‘He’s at the depot. You have five minutes.’
Feliciano raced out of the room without saying anything else. Ludwig stared at the spot he’d been for a few moments, awed by his speed, before resuming his paperwork.
Feliciano didn’t want to hesitate anymore. He needed to apologise in person. The idea of Lovino leaving him and being injured or estranged before he ever got a proper apology was too much to bear - it made his chest constrict strangely. He ran straight to the station and found Lovino on the platform.
‘Lovi!’ he called.
Lovino turned towards him, a strange look of guilt crossing his face.
‘ Ciao …’ he mumbled. A disappointed ‘What do you want?’ was cut off by a hug tight enough to crush a normal person’s bones. Lovino’s arms hung at his sides, his eyes wide.
‘I want to say I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for the trouble I’ve caused,’ Feliciano said. ‘I didn’t know you’d been suffering because of me all this time, and I want you to know how much you mean to me because you’re all I have. The idea of you not wanting to be around me anymore made me realise that. You’re the only one who really, really cares about me, no matter what, and you’re so strong and brave and smart. You’re the best big brother I ever could’ve been given and I’m sorry I never told you so.’
Feliciano’s voice had increased in pitch over the course of his apology, and Lovino’s silence made him more frantic as he heaped more ‘sorry’s’ and compliments onto it. He stopped dead when Lovino started speaking.
‘Feli, that’s… the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me,’ he said simply. His arms raised to return the hug, a hand delivering gentle, if awkward, pats to Feliciano’s shoulder. ‘I… I’m sorry too…’
‘When I found out you were leaving, I was afraid I’d lost you again.’
‘We were never lost, fratello,’ Lovino said with a nervous laugh.
‘But, I was worried about you, and you felt so far away…’ Feliciano pulled back to look Lovino in the eyes. ‘I promise to listen to you better from now on. You telling me to be more responsible made me realise how much I need to change. I know I don’t deserve your immediate forgiveness, but please accept my apology.’
Lovino shook his head. The guilt and shame in his eyes dulled their usual catlike flare.
‘You’re fine, fratello. I never should have come in there and gone off like a powder keg. I’m the older brother, I should’ve acted more mature, but I let stress get the better of me. I’m so sorry…’
Feliciano had never heard Lovino say sorry to anyone.
‘I… don’t deserve you as a younger brother. And I don’t… which is why…’ he sputtered.
‘Don’t say that. I’ll always be here for you.’
‘Even after we fought so badly..?’
‘Ludwig said brothers do it all the time.’
Feliciano expected him to roll his eyes and insult Ludwig, but he didn’t do either.
‘I’m… glad you have him…’ Lovino’s voice cracked a little. Feliciano stared in shock at the way his eyes shimmered in the light. Was he about to cry?
As if on cue, the train pulled into the station, and the moment between brothers was broken.
‘Sorry, fratello, but I really do have to go.’
‘That’s ok. Keep in touch, and get some rest, and maybe once this is all over we can go out and make friends together. We’ll get lunch somewhere and make a day out of it. Ok?’
Lovino hesitated before nodding, slowly, and stepping on board like a sleepwalker. Feliciano waved at him when he reappeared in one of the windows and didn’t stop until a minute later when the train pulled away from the platform and into the evening. He walked back to the hospital as soon as it was out of view, replaying Lovino’s behaviour in his mind, unsure of how to interpret it.
He’d seen a lot of sides of his brother that week that he’d never known existed. It showed that maybe they were still human after all - even callous, bloodsucking Lovino.