Work Text:
As Ludwig watches Feliciano move around the kitchen, he wonders how so much energy can fit into one small body. The heat and humidity has had Ludwig feeling sluggish all day, but Feliciano seems unaffected, his movements as light and energetic as those of a butterfly’s wings. He hums to himself as he stands over the stove, stirring a pot with a large wooden spoon.
Eager to sit down to another home-cooked meal from his lover, Ludwig busies himself wiping down the countertop. As he scrubs at a particularly stubborn stain, Feliciano calls him over.
“Come here, amore.” Feliciano holds out a spoonful of pasta sauce. “You can’t forget about your job as my personal taste tester.”
Ludwig can’t help but chuckle as he walks over to Feli, who then nudges the end of the spoon against Ludwig’s lips. Ludwig opens his mouth, letting the warm, flavorful sauce spread over his tongue. After a few seconds, he swallows and begins to speak. “It’s very good.”
“You don’t think it needs more garlic?”
“I think it’s perfect.” The corners of his lips start to tilt upwards in a grin. “Feli, you’ve been making pasta your entire life. Do you really need reassurance that your cooking is good, or do you just like the act of feeding me?”
Feliciano giggles. “Maybe a little bit of both. Now will you set the table please?”
“Of course, Liebling.” He gives Feliciano a quick kiss on the head before retrieving two plates from the cabinet and two forks from the drawer. Once he lays them out on the table, Feliciano spoons a generous portion of pasta onto each plate. The smell of tomato and spices floods Ludwig’s nostrils, causing his stomach to grumble. He’s eaten more dinners with Feliciano than he can count, but it’s something he’ll never get tired of. Chatting about their days, cracking jokes, kicking each other’s feet beneath the table- it never fails to make his heart soften.
Ludwig sits down and begins to eat his meal. It’s delicious, of course, but the sight of Feli sitting in front of him is far more pleasing. The sun has just begun to drop lower in the sky, its rays slanting through the window and bathing Feliciano in a golden glow. The summer sun has left his skin a deep, brilliant tan, and the humidity has his hair more voluminous than usual. He’s snapped out of his trance by the sight of Feliciano’s pasta-loaded fork mere inches from his face.
Feliciano’s head is cocked, golden-brown eyes sparkling with adoration. “Say ‘ah’.”
Ludwig allows Feli to feed him the bite of pasta, two pleasant spots of heat forming on his cheeks. He knows damn well he’s a grown man fully capable of feeding himself, but there’s just something so sweet about allowing Feliciano to do simple tasks for him.
“So cute,” Feliciano says, then returns to his own meal.
They eat in comfortable silence for a few moments before Feliciano begins to speak. “I think we should do something after dinner.”
Ludwig looks up from his plate. “Like what?”
Feliciano takes a bite of pasta. “It’s too nice out to stay inside all evening. We should go for a walk on the beach. We can watch the sunset.”
Ludwig’s heart skips a beat. “Sounds romantic.”
Feliciano’s eyes light up. “So do you want to go?”
“Of course, Liebling,” Ludwig says. “Of course I do.”
~~~
Clinging to Ludwig’s hand, Feliciano practically skips down the beach, cheerfully pointing out birds and seashells and oddly shaped clouds.
Though his heart is repeatedly slamming against the walls of his chest, Ludwig’s body feels loose and relaxed, unable to stifle the laughter bubbling from his throat.
Feliciano eventually stops to catch his breath, panting as he tilts his head up towards the sky. Ludwig does the same, and the sunset is enough to make his eyes widen with awe. The sky is a mix of soft blues and oranges, and the sun blazes amber as it dips below the horizon. A few wispy clouds float, cotton-candy pink.
“So pretty,” Ludwig murmurs.
Feliciano stands on his tiptoes to whisper in Ludwig’s ear. “And it’s even prettier because I get to see it with you.”
Ludwig opens his mouth to respond, but his attention is captured by some noise coming from roughly a hundred feet away. His brow furrows. “Do you hear that?”
Feliciano nods. It’s grown much darker, but with some squinting, he’s able to make out a group of people some distance away. They’re cheering, grabbing drinks from a cooler, and dancing to loud music pulsing from a speaker.
“Looks like they’re having a party,” Feliciano remarks. Grinning, Feliciano takes both Ludwig’s hands and starts to bounce up and down. “If they’re gonna play their music so loud, we should dance to it.”
“Dance?” Ludwig chews on his lower lip. “What if they see us?”
Feliciano watches as one of the partygoers staggers, then falls flat on their ass in the sand. He can’t help but giggle at this. “I think they’re a bit too drunk to care. Either way, it’s getting dark. C’mon, Luddy.” He loops his arms around Ludwig’s shoulders and gazes up at him with a pout. “Dance with me. Please?”
A laugh rumbles in Ludwig’s throat. “How could I ever say no to you?” He plants both his hands on Feliciano’s hips, and the two of them begin to dance, moving in slow circles across the sand. Ludwig draws Feliciano into him, closing any space between their bodies. The end of his nose is tickled by Feliciano’s hair, which smells of shampoo and the salty ocean air. The temperature has dropped several degrees, and a pleasantly cool breeze travels over the back of Ludwig’s neck. The sound of the music is slightly muffled, but they dance nonetheless, leaving footprints in the sand as they sway together.
Ludwig lifts Feliciano’s hand above his head and twirls him, earning a delighted gasp from the smaller man. When the song finally ends, Ludwig feels slightly breathless and dizzy, an uncontrollable grin.
“Ludwig, I…” The moonlight causes Feliciano’s eyes to sparkle. “I love you.”
A lump of emotion rises in Ludwig’s throat. He swallows. “I love you too.” Overcome with a rush of love for his Feli, he places his hands on the backs of Feliciano’s thighs and lifts the Italian up, smothering his mouth with a kiss.
Feliciano is taken aback by being scooped up so suddenly, but his shock melts away, and he leans into the kiss, draping his arms around Ludwig’s broad shoulders.
No longer caring about being watched, Ludwig kisses Feli until his legs and lungs feel like they’re about to give out. Afterwards, he gently sets Feli down in the sand, and they wrap their arms around each other, kissing again and again beneath the star-studded sky.