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Flakes of snow trickled down from the sky. The fluffy crystals crunched beneath their feet with every step. It was peaceful at night. There were not many people out. Only silence existed in the night, aside from the occasional chatter among citizens and the quiet soar of vehicles. After all, it had been freezing outside. Winters were never this harsh, but this year was different. A pearly coat had sprayed across the once green lands, covering everything in sight with a layer of white. Being bundled up wasn’t enough in such harsh, unforgiving weather.
A shaken breath escaped Feliciano’s lips, forming a cloud in the frigid environment. “Luddy—amore, caro mio—It’s freezing outside.” The words were quick to escape his lips, coming out as a pathetic plea to bring their adventure to an end. Yet, Ludwig did not bother to respond to his beloved friend’s whining. Here the Italian was, his lips chattering as he further pulled up his scarf. “Luddy, can we please go home…” Feliciano begged once again, his brown eyes staring up at the larger man as they continued to walk.
Ludwig didn’t want to give Feliciano’s whining any more attention; he had been doing this since they first left the house, but god, he sounded so vulnerable. With a great sigh, Ludwig placed a hand on Feliciano’s shoulder. “We have been out for only 20 minutes, Feliciano.” The usually stern voice had softened, just for the Italian. “We aren’t even halfway finished with Christmas shopping.” Despite the softer tone, such a blunt explanation made it clear that Ludwig was not willing to budge just yet.
Even Ludwig could admit it was cold outside. His usually pale cheeks had been stained pink by the frigid air. Both of the men had bundled up for such extreme temperatures, but they remained chilly. Feliciano’s attire was stylish and sleek; his slim fitting coat was a deep maroon color. Along the wide collar was thick fur, containing a cocktail of rich browns. The same soft faux-fur lined the rims of his coat. A thick, black knitted scarf was hooded, tousling his curls as he wore it. Ludwig had bundled up as well, but instead, he wore a long trench coat, with a matching belt; sets of black buttons traveled down the navy blue fabric. Similar to Felicano, his scarf was made from a thick beige material, wrapping around his neck.
A wave of cold air blew in, causing a small whistle between the long, gnarled branches. Feliciano’s body reacted once again, causing his teeth to chatter. “Dio mio,” he muttered underneath his breath. “Why did you decide to shop on such a cold night?” His tone remained just as whineful as before. “There’s two weeks left before Christmas, meaning there’s plenty of other days to buy presents!”
Ludwig glanced over at Feliciano. Originally, he had planned to scold the Italian for his constant whining, but then he realized how intense the winter truly was. After all, Feliciano never experienced such harsh coldness in his homeland. Even during the winter months, Feliciano never had to bundle up like this. Before he could say anything, Feliciano gasped and spun around.
Confusion surged around Ludwig; his eyebrows furrowed together before finally speaking. “Feliciano..?” The tension in his body seemed to linger, even with the Italian right beside him and well. “Look inside, Luddy~!” Feliciano’s cheerful voice came back and, as always, he ran off to the thing that had caught his interest. This time, it was the window nearby.
Feliciano stared into the glass, only for a quiet “awe” to escape his lips. He seemed entranced by whatever was at the window; quickly, Ludwig’s confusion turned into curiosity. “Feliciano—“ the taller man began, but he could not finish. Something had caught his eye.
Inside was a small pet shop. There were not many animals, but inside lay a small puppy, fast asleep on its fluffy bed. It’s fur was darker than the sky now, a deep black, with a drop of white on it’s forehead. Ludwig was a sucker for dogs, especially puppies, and it was apparent by the way he paused and watched the small dog snore through the glass. His usually stiff expression softened up.
“The puppy is so cute!” Feliciano was in awe of the small animal. Quickly, he turned his head to look over at Ludwig. A big, cheerful smile was on his face. “Luddy—“ he said before pausing. As quickly as the big grin appeared, it softened just as fast. Feliciano could notice the way Ludwig’s eyes lit up as he saw the raven colored puppy snore. God, Feliciano could feel his own cheeks warming up, a stark contrast to the air outside. This time, his newfound warmth had nothing to do with the clothes he had on.
Ludwig paid no attention to Feliciano until a small hand appeared on his shoulder. A surprised noise came from his throat before looking over at the smaller man—then he saw it. Feliciano had an amused look on his face. Finally, Ludwig realized how delighted he had gotten over the small puppy. Immediately his eyebrows stiffened as he cleared his throat. “Yes, Feliciano?” Ludwig regained his composure and returned his attention to the man next to him.
“Do you miss it whenever your dogs were puppies?” Feliciano’s tone was gentle, going along with the tender expression on his face. Ludwig’s eyebrows furrowed as he tried to think of an answer, almost hesitantly. Silence began to stretch between them before something finally broke it.
Feliciano gently used a single digit to pull down his scarf, revealing his face completely. “Luddy, you’re so cute whenever you’re like this!” His giggle was as clear as day. The Italian had a small smile on his face, his eyes crinkling at the edges as his cheeks turned to a coral color.
Immediately, Ludwig froze in place upon hearing the sugary-sweet compliment
How could Feliciano say this to him, of all people?
The pink in his cheeks rushed to cover his entire face, exposing his flustered state. “Ja, ja, Feli.” Ludwig quickly brushed off the compliment, unable to accept the obvious effect it had on him. Instead, he brought the conversation back to his beloved dogs back home. ”I have to admit, I do miss their puppy stage, despite how chaotic it could get.” His expression was now one of fondness. Ludwig could recall the younger days of his dogs. Each one of them had been a joy to raise, even with all the troubles they encountered.
Feliciano stared up at Ludwig, waiting for his friend to do something. He didn’t know what, but Ludwig just stood there, reminiscing about the past. The blue eyes darted towards the puppy inside and Feliciano, before finally settling on the path they had ventured off of.
Finally, Ludwig turned around with a sigh—only to find the smaller man staring up at him. Feliciano’s warm eyes remained tender.
Ludwig’s body stiffened up at the intense eye contact. He had never gotten used to Feliciano’s loving gaze—even with the many years they had been friends. It was the type of gaze that he had only heard of in romance novels. Yearning, affectionate, a welcoming warmth… Those were the words used to describe a scene similar to this, but truly experiencing it felt different. The pink in his cheeks were no longer because of the frigid weather. Staring at Feliciano made Ludwig feel something he had never experienced before.
It was an odd sensation, but it wasn’t unwelcomed.
Feliciano interrupted the sweet moment with his cheerful voice.
“Ve~ why don’t you tell me about their puppy days?”
Feliciano knew of a few stories including Ludwig’s dogs, but he never heard Ludwig mention it himself. Maybe this would be the chance to see Ludwig soft and loving again. The larger man was hesitant to speak. He had gotten too soft already; it was out of his comfort zone. Ludwig was used to remaining stoic—especially with how often he had been working. He had remained serious to keep focus—at least in his office. Now he was with Feliciano, his friend.
Before Ludwig could answer, Feliciano placed a gloved hand on his shoulder. “Come on, Luddy.” His voice remained soft. “It’s getting late and we have presents to buy.”
Ludwig snapped out of the daze he had been in.
Finally, a small smile formed. “Ah, ja… Ja, let’s continue.”
Feliciano’s hand gently pats Ludwig’s back before pulling away. “Can you tell me some stories while we’re on our way?” he requested cheerfully. Of course, Feliciano knew of Ludwig’s dogs. He’s played with them many times, joined Ludwig and Gilbert for their walks, fed the animals, but he couldn’t recall any stories.
Then, he saw it.
He saw Ludwig’s joyful expression, and Feliciano knew who he wanted to spend his Christmas with.
Once again, the two men began to walk. There were still gifts to be bought, and Christmas was coming right around the corner.