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Feliciano couldn't take it anymore. He turned, and turned around, again and again... For at least 10 minutes, he had been counting sheep. Yet he could not sleep.
He wanted so badly to fall asleep. The darkness of his room frightened him so much, who could hide in that thick coat of black that surrounded him? Even though Lovino kept telling him that no one came to see someone who was sleeping, unless they were really stupid, fear always made a place in his mind, preventing him from falling gently into the arms of Morpheus.
Maybe he had too much imagination? As soon as he closed his eyes, he saw creatures. At first, fuzzy creatures. But as soon as he began to think that, fortunately, he had not seen a doll with a sadistic look, it arrived. He had to open his eyes to look at the darkness around him and forget what he had just seen.
Usually, when he had this kind of trouble, he would rush to his brother's room. He would always lecture him a little, then end up singing him a little lullaby.
But today, his brother was not there. He left to go to his Spanish friend. For a moment, Feliciano had the idea to go to Antonio's house, to find his brother. After all, he lived only two floors away from Italians. It was a great idea that they all had to move into the same apartment! In the mornings, Feliciano could see all his friends, they had lunch and laughed with them. He loved to see the brilliant Gilbert bumping into all the tables, still half asleep. And Kiku who sometimes fell asleep on his table, and woke up with a start, terribly uncomfortable. Especially when Wang was busy bringing him back with them! Or Francis who amused himself by manhandling poor Arthur still drowsy. And of course, Ludwig who did his best to be straight and proud, but who nosedived after a few minutes.
The thought of his whole small group made him smile. He loved them all so much. As if, by their mere presence in his mind, they managed to hunt all the monsters in his head.
Confident, he closed his eyes gently. He saw wonderful things there. A large field, as he found so often in Italy. A small hut, with his brother waiting for him inside. And in the garden, Ludwig looked at him with a gentle look, filled with tenderness, as he sometimes did. Feliciano loved this look so much. Then as he approached, he also saw Antonio, talking with Lovino. The two seemed so happy together, it warmed the heart of the little one. He moved slowly, his little boots caressing the fresh grass. He looked at the flowers freshly watered by the German, they were so beautiful. Like Ludwig. He walked into the hut and looked at the table. A tomato was placed there, probably a gift from Antonio. He turned to Feliciano and offered a warm smile, before throwing another tomato into his hands.
Feliciano looked at the beautiful red tomato. The light reflected so well. The red colour was so mesmerizing. A brilliant red. Then, the red faded a little, to approach a darker colour. Darker and darker. So dark. A colour of blood. Before Feliciano knew it, the tomato had turned black. It melted in his hand, in a sickening noise. Feliciano let out a small cry, before quickly looking up. The wooden cabin was gone. The walls were such a dull grey. Lovino and Antonio were gone. Feliciano ran in search of them, through corridors that were not there before. On the ground, he saw red traces. Tomatoes? Still, tomatoes are red, not brown. Suddenly, he heard a scream, coming from an adjacent room. Fear immobilized him for a moment. But when he recognized Lovino's voice, he took it upon himself and went to the door in question. With a trembling hand, he opened the door, which made a dull creak. No sooner had he opened the door than he regretted it.
Coming out of a thick layer of black, a laugh. A child's laugh. A terrifying laugh. Then, his heart almost stopped.
A doll.
A doll looked at him, with a wide smile and one eye less. Feliciano screamed so loudly that it attracted more dolls. Soon he was surrounded by dolls, all with one eye missing, or an arm, or an ear, a missing hand... Only one place was not overrun with dolls. A green door. As green as dead grass. This door wasn't there before, but it didn't matter. Feliciano ran to it. He opened it, tears in his eyes. These dolls wanted to play with him, and kill him. Without hesitating for a moment, he opened the door.
He found himself outside. It didn't take him long to recognize the garden Ludwig had maintained a few moments before. Only, all the flowers, herbs, trees... Everything was dead. Bland colours were king here. He, who was dressed so cheerfully, was their enemy here.
Feliciano stepped forward, his legs trembling. He could collapse at the slightest gust of wind.
Then, another cry sounded. A deeper voice than the previous one. It could only be one person.
Holding his chest tightly, perhaps in case his heart fled, Feliciano took a few steps forward. A shadow appeared. He saw a colour he knew. A blond colour, but much darker than the blond he knew. A flower. A huge flower. A flower with teeth. No, not teeth. Fangs. Fangs holding something. Feliciano came a little closer, to see what it was holding. Then he distinctly saw it. The flower, which was well two meters, had it few bright colours replaced by blood red. The fangs of the flower held... Ludwig. Ludwig's inert body.
Feliciano made a howl almost tore at his vocal cords.
Feliciano woke up suddenly, with tears in his eyes, trembling, sweating and breathing hard. He couldn't stay there. Without paying attention to whether he was dressed or not, he got out of bed and ran out of his room. Almost by instinct, he went to the room opposite. The door was always open there after all. His bare feet touched the doormat where one could see written "Willkommen". He only wanted to be in one place at that time, and that was here.
Heart pounding, he walked into the apartment in search of Ludwig's room. The window was open, so he could see some areas of the room thanks to his friend the moon.
The little Italian opened the door without embarrassment with a picture of an airplane taped to it. He was in the right place. His heart, always ready to come out of his chest at the slightest suspicious noise, was however entitled to a second of pause when he saw the German asleep. He was so different, eyes closed and hair messy. But Feliciano must not have been very discreet, for Ludwig straightened up and slowly opened his eyes, squinting them to see who was facing him.
Feliciano threw himself on Ludwig's bed, and took the older one in his arms. The German took a moment before he realized what was happening. Feliciano had come to his room, in the middle of the night, and was hugging him in a sudden embrace. As if by reflex, he also placed his hands behind the back of the little one and pressed him a little tighter.
Because he had to, Ludwig asked Feliciano why he was here in the middle of the night. He began to get seriously worried, however, when he felt Feliciano crying hotly and weeping.
"I had a nightmare!"
Ludwig sighed. He didn't expect that, but on the one hand... It didn't really surprise him. If it was for Feliciano, he could sacrifice a night and comfort him.
The German tried to lose his usual rigor, and placed a hand in the Italian's hair to stroke him tenderly. In a voice as soft as he was capable of, he asked Feliciano to tell him about his bad dream.
"T... There were lots of pretty flowers... And then... Sniff... You were there, with Lovino and Antonio and then no one! Antonio's tomato has melted! And then... The dolls they... Were so scary! It lacked eyes, and then hands and everything... Ludwiiiiiiig! I was so scared! »
"Antonio and his damn horror movies... I knew not to let Feliciano watch it..." Ludwig thought. "And then you woke up?"
"No... No... After... THE BIG FLOWER IT ATE YOU !! »
Feliciano hugged Ludwig even tighter, as if to prove to himself that he was there, with him. For his part, Ludwig felt a chill run through him. Feliciano had dreamed of his death? And such a horrible death? How could one have such morbid dreams? In any case, horror movies were over for him, trust Ludwig.
Ludwig raised Feliciano's head, forcing him to look him in the eye. The tears were still falling. Uncertain, the blonde wiped them with his fingers, then caressed his cheek before sticking their foreheads.
"Don't worry. I will always be there, no flower will eat me. A simple flower isn't going to hurt me, is it? »
Feliciano looked at him for a few moments, before smiling. A smile of relief, which was followed by a chuckle.
"Yes! You are the strongest! It's not the flower that eats you, it's you who eats the flower! »
Although Ludwig had the impression that Feliciano saw him as a cow, he did not comment. He simply enjoyed the moment offered. But, all things come to an end. Feliciano had to sleep now. The German laid the italien on the bed, suspecting that he would not be able to return to his room alone.
As Ludwig went to bed too, turning his back on Feliciano, his voice stopped him in action.
"Don't you kiss me to sleep?"
Ludwig almost choked on... With what exactly? Anyway, he almost choked on his own. How was he supposed to react?
Seeing his sudden silence, the Italian continued.
"Lovino always gives me a bedtime kiss"
Feliciano really didn't see the problem? Lovino was his brother, while he... He was only the one who... Welcomed him into his bed, when he had a nightmare. Come to think of it, he understood a little better.
Ludwig sighed, then approached his lips from Feliciano’s forehead. Feli smiled. Without warning, the Italian captured the German in his arms, who let out a small cry of surprise. Without really wanting to, he found himself face to face with him.
"It's better this way!" Feliciano said.
The little light that filtered through could not allow the two to see the redness of their opposite, yet well marked. Glad to see that Ludwig hadn't pushed him away, Feliciano ended the conversation.
"Gute Nacht Ludwig!"
To punctuate his sentence, Feliciano delicately placed his lips on Ludwig's. Surprised, he did not have time to react, Feliciano had already moved away, without adding any distance between them. Finally, Ludwig allowed himself a small smile, and gave Feliciano a tender look, the kind of look the Italian loves so much.
"Buona notte, Feliciano."