Nippy Night (Ludwig/Feli/Open)

[Deleted]

Wasn't it strange how a place so bleak and dismal was the closest thing Gilbert had to a home? His steps bounced with excitement as he followed his sooner to be former owner back to the Underground. The Underground had his little brother that his missed beyond reason. He really did not want to leave him in the first place but it wasn't like he had much of a say in the matter. And then there were his friends, close enough for him to consider them family. They were all important to him and the only place they were always together was in the Underground.

But to be honest, he couldn't deny being a tad disappointed that this contract had already come to an end. The man ran a small family-run resort in the mountains. They had a rough season last winter, and so were hurting for money the coming peak season. Rather than try to scrap by with underpaid workers, the family took a gamble in buying a mutant with ice powers. It turned out to be a great deal for both parties. Gilbert loved the chance to be creative with his powers and the resort had the best ice creations they ever had while at the same time never had to worry about weather conditions hurting tourists. He had a blast making ice fortresses for the kids to play on. And oh the snowball fights, all of the snowball fights. It really had been a fun couple of months, but Gilbert was ready to be back with his family.

Parting was an easy affair. All of the heartfelt goodbyes had already been said back at the resort. The kids had been sad to see Gilbert go, but with the holiday season coming to a close, so did the contract. With a lopsided smile, Gilbert gave a wave to his former owner and followed the guards to processing. Which meant getting stripped of the nice jeans he was wearing and comfortable t-shirt, only to be placed back in the scratchy and stiff prison-like jumpsuit. The packets of snowcone syrup were examined, but he was allowed to keep them after passing on some spare cash his old owner gave him as well as making some snowcones with it. Nothing beat a snowcone made out of glaciokinesis.

He stuck the packets down his pants and held his tongue about being shoved out of the room to head down the hall to the cells. Head held high and with the hint of a smirk, Gilbert followed the guard through the dark hallways. Not many were awake, since Gilbert arrived in the dead of night. He got a full last day of work in before coming back. Not to mention he could wear a minimal amount of clothing without a fear of facing the sun when traveling at night. It kinda sucked, because Gilbert wanted to see who was where, but it was hard when everyone was in bed. The only cell he knew was Hamish’s, which was closed off in total darkness for the night. The guard pushed him into a cell, locked it up and stalked off.

With a yawn, Gilbert pulled his smuggled goods out of his jumpsuit and went to one of three beds that looked untouched. He stuffed it under the mattress and stretched. He could start yelling out to see if anyone was awake, but then everyone would get mad at him. That wouldn’t be any fun. Everyone should be close to tears with joy that their favorite albino was back in town.

Gilbert’s gaze wandered to the closest bed to him, where a large, muscular frame slept on his side. In the dim light, Gilbert could make out locks of blond hair resting on the pillow, but just that body shape was enough to tell him whom he was sharing a cell with. It seemed there was a God of some sorts and Gilbert was on His good list!

“Luu~uud~wii~iig!” Gilbert sang, no longer giving a shit if he woke anyone up and pissed them off. His little brother was in his cell! With a skip and a jump, Gilbert flopped on top of his ridiculously (and unfairly) large younger brother. He was going to hug and snuggle him to oblivion, but his arm wrapped around not just Ludwig, but another body.

He gasped and rolled off Ludwig, pulling the thin sheet covering the two men with him. Someone else with in the bed with Ludwig, all snuggled up into his chest. “Holy fuck!” Gilbert yelled with a gleeful grin. Hands on his hips, still holding the sheet, he stood over then men. “Ludwig you got a bitch!”

Words: 769

Tags: Feliciano Vargas; Ludwig A. Beilschmidt

made by MISSO on IOF

[Ludwig A. Beilschmidt]

The most recent auction had left Ludwig stinging a little deeper than usual; typically, nobody had bought him, which he'd come to expect, but after all was said and done, the news got back to him that his brother had been snatched up. Some small part of the ache in his chest came from jealousy: Gilbert would get to see the world outside the Underground and live the life that came with that. But mostly, he'd felt worried. All too familiar with his brother's various quirks (to label them pleasantly), he had searched for any and all information about the person that had bought Gilbert, but he'd turned up empty-handed: nobody seemed to know for sure. Ludwig just hoped that wherever he had ended up, Gilbert was being treated well and fed.

The small lull in the buzz of the Underground following an auction gave him ample time to fret, but when life began to slide back towards its usual pace, Ludwig tried to let the worry slide out of his mind. He had other things to preoccupy himself with, like trying to win the fights in the arena, or making sure that his spindly Italian cellmate was actually eating, or plying the guards for luxuries like books or pencils and paper. With Feliciano as his cellmate, actually, life had gotten a lot less dull: he was a bit more chatty than the others Ludwig had been stuck with, at the very least. And for the most part, the smaller man's manner was friendly and gentle save for when disagreements about food arose.

Ludwig still counted himself lucky that he'd been transferred to this cell. Winter had bitten down especially hard on the Underground this year, and Feli probably would have lost a few digits to frostbite with the usual poor treatment he tended to get. Ludwig had tackled the cold head-on: he kept the temperature in the cell relatively mild when he was awake, although it was frustrating that the warmth tended to leak through the bars so quickly. At night, the two of them shared a bed: the narrow cots issued by the Underground made it a bit cramped, but Feli stayed warm, and Ludwig eventually got used to his presence. It felt comfortable and cozy, but most importantly it erased the sense of isolation that Ludwig had suffered before with his other roommates. There wasn't any kind of incentive for you to make friends with other mutants, of course. But a little conversation had never killed anyone, and Ludwig had mostly been stuck with mutants who might as well have been living on their own, they reacted so little with their cellmates, the guards, the world around them. It was upsetting and disturbing to share a room with someone and to never learn their name.

This, on the other hand, was worlds better.

The day had been a normal one. No arena fights, nothing exciting, just hour after hour in the cell, talking with each other, talking with the men and women in the cells across from them or shouting to those down the hallway. Taunting the guards who showed up with food or warnings. Ludwig had tidied up the cell as best he could, then practiced with his abilities by trying to make shapes or figures in the flames cupped between his palms. He'd done push-ups on the floor and tried to fix a rusty bolt on one of the cots. Eventually, the lights had gone out and he'd climbed into bed -- followed shortly by Feliciano -- pulled the scratchy blankets over both of their forms, and daydreamed thoughtfully until sleep overtook him. The even marching of boots in the hallway didn't wake him, nor did the quiet click of the key or the gentle squeak of the cell door. Ludwig gave a quiet snore.

“Luu~uud~wii~iig!”

Something hard smashed onto him and the blond woke with a choking gasp, staring around wildly in the darkness. Someone had punched him, someone was trying to smother him, he needed to fight back, and he put his fists up--

His knuckles connected weakly with someone's ribcage right before Ludwig remembered he was sharing the bed, but the person currently squeezing him had much, much lighter hair…

"Gilbert?" he asked, his voice half a groan. "What's going on, what're you doing here…" Sleepily, he tried to shake himself awake, just as Gilbert yanked the blankets off and uncovered Feli. "Wait," he mumbled, "are you going to be in here with--"

“Ludwig you got a bitch!”

"I what?" Ludwig asked, glancing between Gilbert and Feli. His thoughts were assembling as he recovered from being so deeply asleep, and a look of realization dawned on his face. Gilbert was going to be their third roommate, that was fantastic! He'd get to see his brother so much more now, this was better than he could have ever hoped for, his brother and his friend… his friend…

Ludwig glanced at Feli and then back to Gilbert, and his cheeks turned pink in the darkness.

"What-- no, Gilbert he's not -- we're friends! He's just freezing cold, anyone… almost anyone would be freezing in here!" Trust Gilbert to assume the worst right off the bat. Yes, Ludwig realized, sleeping this way would give anyone suspicions but for heaven's sake, only Gilbert would go around screaming them at midnight in such an excited voice. He was torn between irritation and inexplicable fondness for his older brother: trust Gilbert to jump to the most insane assumption but with entirely genuine enthusiasm.

[Feliciano Vargas]

Feliciano could only thank his lucky stars that things had taken a turn for the better after the disastrous first few days with Ludwig as his cellmate. His near black-out was bad enough, but a loud argument had arisen once dinner came and the Italian was bereft a meal. Ludwig insisted on sharing; Feliciano insisted that he was fine. It had been unexpected, considering how happy he was, and still is, with sharing his cell with his old friend from school. Considering how badly the afternoon had begun, though, it was only fitting the night ended with a tense, silence and restless sleep (at least on Feliciano's end. It was hard enough to sleep when he was so in-tune with the world that every shift could catch his attention, let alone when it was so cold he spent most of the time trying not to freeze to death. Sour emotions make everything worse).

It's like they say, though. "It can only go uphill from here." And it did. The morning after helped clear the air out between them; Feliciano's normally irritated mood come sunrise and lack of sleep easily tempered by the lack of chills. Ludwig noticed, of course he did, and so worked even harder to keep the cell at least a few degrees warmer, for the Italian's sake. How could Feliciano stay upset with that kind of consideration? It wasn't just the warmth that made him lose his ire; though that was certainly nice, not waking up alone and with his feet, hands, and ears throbbing from the cold. Rather, it was the fact that Ludwig cared enough to try and keep Feliciano warm and comfortable, even after an argument. It was only fair, then, that he reciprocated that kindness in turn; when Ludwig offered to split his breakfast between them, the brunette accepted without a single word edgewise.

As the days passed on and it grew evident that Ludwig was staying longer than a few days, Feliciano couldn't help but be even more cheerful than usual. Even when Ludwig came back worse for wear after an Arena match, worry didn't plague him badly enough that he couldn't help clean the blonde up before the guards took him to the infirmary. After all, the blonde could easily take care of himself out in battle, and Feliciano could easily ice the bruises or clear away blood, dirt, and sweat from the other where he couldn't reach himself. The two kept each other entertained the rest of the time. Ludwig played with fire for both practice and Feliciano's amusement, cleaned, exercised; anything he could think of to keep himself moving and preoccupied. The smaller mutant couldn't be quite so flashy, but eavesdropping on the guards and relaying their conversations to the blonde was easy enough for him (though he hasn't yet heard anything 'scandalous' enough to blackmail any of them into bringing Ludwig a book, or even a pencil), even though he honestly could've sat in complete silence and still greatly enjoyed the blonde's presence. They caught up as well, Feliciano content to sprawl over Ludwig's lap and tell him about some of the ridiculous ploys the auctioneers came up with to try and get the Italian sold, Ludwig sharing some details about his arena matches and his old cellmates over the years; anything and everything they could think of to share from the two years they'd been separated. There was so many stories to share, he wasn't sure if there'd be enough time for them all (though he made sure to keep the bad ones, the painful stories, to himself; no need to upset Ludwig again, especially over something that happened months ago).

Even Lights Out couldn't keep them quiet for too long. A habit he'd picked up back in school, Feliciano quickly took to sneaking into Ludwig's cot once the promised warmth there grew too tempting to resist. (Honestly, he should be celebrated for the fact he lasted two days in the first place) It wasn't difficult to convince the German that it was okay; it was both heartening and a bit saddening, in a strange bittersweet way. Feliciano was happy that Ludwig felt comfortable enough, when in the Academy it had taken at least a few months, maybe even a year, to convince the German that they weren't doing anything bad or silly by sharing a bed; they were roommates, after all. What should it matter? On the other hand, though, the fact that Ludwig was so willing to give into the idea painted a picture of loneliness that Feliciano didn't dare want to contemplate. To think he'd be so starved for companionship that he'd give up his normally enforced ideas of personal space to let the two of them cuddle beneath their shared blankets. (Of course, the brunette never really cared to listen to the blonde about leaving a foot of space between the two of them; latching onto his arm or his hand or even scramble up for a piggy-back ride. Ludwig resisted, but never really pushed him away) More often than not, the two of them would chatter aimlessly to one another long after night fell, at least until one of them drifted off. So long as they were quiet when the patrol marched by, they never got caught, let alone in trouble. It was nice.

Tonight, however, was a little different.

Even with Ludwig nearby, sleeping soundly and silently, Feliciano had difficulties drifting off. The downside to sharing the tiny cots was the fact it was hard to shift around without waking the other up; usually because someone was getting squished. A few weeks had made it easier to stay still when in dreamland, but Feliciano couldn't properly toss and turn in attempts to get comfortable. He dozed fitfully a half hour at a time, the rest of it tucked against the blonde's chest and trying to concentrate on him rather than the sounds of breathing every cell over on either side of their own, or the night guards as they pass by.

The quiet creak of the cell door scratched irritably against Feliciano's ear, dragging him from another restless slumber. Probably just the guards making sure they were still in their cell, he'd told himself as he burrowed further beneath the blankets. Nothing to pay attention to. They'd left as quickly as they'd come, too, so there was no reason to suspect otherwise.

At least, not until a loud, foreign shout assaulted him instead.

"Luu~uud~wii~iig!"

Feliciano had to bite his tongue to not scream in surprise. He didn't want to attract the attention of the other mutants or, god forbid, the guards. His heart raced in his ears a mile a minute, beating so loudly that, despite himself, he couldn't help but wonder how Ludwig or this stranger couldn't hear it, too. As Ludwig struggled to get free, tired mumbles escaping him in the process, Feliciano jerkily shoved the mystery man's arm away as it tried to wrap around him. It was cold. "D-Don't touch me, ve--" he whined even as the other pulled away, stealing Feliciano and Ludwig's blankets with him. The blonde next to him was already shifting upright, and as much as he would've liked to try and sleep again, there was a stranger here and he wouldn't be able to sleep anyway. With another displeased grumble, the messy-haired Italian forced himself into a sitting position. "Luddi, who--"

"Ludwig, you got a bitch!"

Feliciano's words died on his tongue. He seemed to be more coherent than his sleep-addled friend, so while Ludwig stumbled out, "I what?", the brunette could only blink, staring up at the other man in shock. To see pale skin--even paler than his and Ludwig's--and red eyes wasn't as startling as it probably should've been, but with a brother who had cat ears and a tail, it was hard to be too shocked by other peoples' appearances. What bothered him, though, was the ghostly stranger's words and that wide grin accompanying them. A...bitch? Part of him wanted to laugh at the very idea; as if Ludwig would ever force somebody beneath him like that if they didn't want it. During those awkward teenage phases they'd both gone through during school, Feliciano knew a bit more about Ludwig's...tastes, than was really normal (not that he knew a lot, or even had anything more than awkward half-admittances in the privacy of night with too much time spent in close quarters as roommates) but he knew without a doubt that the blonde wouldn't really do something like "get a bitch".

At the same time, though...the Italian's face flushed almost as dark as those piercing ruby eyes, and he shook his head rapidly. "N-No!" He spluttered in time with Ludwig's own flustered denials, thankful that it was Light's Out--only those with sensitive eyes like himself, or those with night-vision capabilities, could see even remotely well in this darkness. Hopefully his own embarrassment would go mostly unnoticed. "It's just cold, too cold for me to sleep! A-And it's nicer to share a bed with a friend than sleep by yourself, si? It's not as lonely!"

[Deleted]

Now that he could observe Ludwig's bed buddy in the dim light, Gilbert's couldn't dream of fighting the gleeful grin still stuck on his face. This kid was cute! He had pretty, big amber eyes, though they were widened in surprise and discomfort. His body looked ridiculously tiny next to Ludwig's large, muscular frame. This kid was obviously bait material and was way too skinny. Did he even eat? Honestly, he expected Ludwig to take better care of his bitches. He's have to have a chat with him about that. Although…

They both seemed a bit confused about the whole 'bitch' thing. Ludwig stuttered, "I what?" While the kid just stared at Gilbert with his big eyes, his expression mostly of shock. Ludwig looked from Gilbert to his bed companion and back again. It was too dark to see any color on his cheeks, but Gilbert had no doubt his little brother was blushing. Call it big brother intuition or that fact that Ludwig had the tendency to avoid direct eye contact and scowled slightly when embarrassed enough to blush. Ah his little brother so cute… So cute and apparently getting some! How the hell was that fair when-

"What-- no, Gilbert he's not -- we're friends! He's just freezing cold, anyone… almost anyone would be freezing in here," Ludwig explained almost frantically. His friend also stammered protests to Gilbert's assumption and agreed with Ludwig's story. "It's just cold, si! A-And it's nicer to share a bed with a friend than sleep by yourself, si? It's not as lonely!"

Well, it was believable… As much as Gilbert liked the idea of his baby bro finally getting some, he liked the idea of him getting as much action as Gilbert (i.e. none) even better. It would be a cruel world if the little brother surpassed the elder in more ways than just physique. Yeah, it was easier to accept Ludwig was still his innocent blushing baby brother, especially considering both men seemed extremely uncomfortable with Gilbert's suggestion and not in the embarrassed of being caught way.

So he laughed and jumped into Ludwig's lap and hugged him tight. Ah when was the last time he got to hold Ludwig in a hug? Too long, honestly, so now he needed his fill of Ludwig lovings before they got separated again. The warmth Ludwig gave off was one of the few sources of heat Gilbert could say he enjoyed. He rubbed their cheeks together as he ran his hands over Ludwig's hair and other side of his face. "Kidding, kidding! I highly doubt Luddy would ever be able to handle the embarrassment of having sex in a cell for everyone to hear!" He snickered and smacked an obnoxiously wet and loud kiss on Ludwig's cheek. "Still, though, it's surprising for a loving big brother to pounce on his precious baby brother and find someone else in bed with him! Gilbert is saddened, Luddy! Now you gotta put up with my love because I've missed you~"

Gilbert put his aggressive manhandling of his little brother to a more restrained face petting and turned to the kid with a raised a brow with his biggest shit eating grin. "So kid, lemme figure this out. Tiny and cute, affectionate and Luds is comfortable enough with you to allow you snuggle with him in bed. He doesn't have many friends so I'm going to guess…" It really wasn't much of a guess at all. Ludwig only ever talked about one friend in school that was close enough to him to fit all these requirements. "You're that Feliciano kid!"

Words: 599

Tags: Feliciano Vargas, Ludwig A. Beilschmidt

made by MISSO on IOF

[Ludwig A. Beilschmidt]

Rubbing whatever sleep remained from his eyes, Ludwig watched his brother anxiously, waiting to see whether or not Gilbert believed the broken story that he and Feliciano had both told. It was entirely true: although their relationship crossed well past what most people would consider close friendship, at the moment, that was exactly what he considered it to be. Perhaps their lives before Weeds or the way they’d met had affected that, but Ludwig had never presumed to investigate it too deeply. Feliciano was his closest friend, and he wasn’t about to dissect that relationship to see how it worked.

Said friend now sat bolt-upright next to him and looked equally as shocked, if not more. Ludwig hastily remembered that while he’d mentioned Gilbert several times, his friend had never met his older brother face-to-face. If a stranger had been let into his cell in the middle of the night only to jump on him and tear away his blankets, Ludwig probably would have started a fight. He could certainly understand why Feliciano looked torn between terror, confusion, and humiliation. The blond opened his mouth to explain the situation, only to be interrupted as his older brother leapt into his lap to hug him. Ludwig couldn’t help but return the hug: this was Gilbert, and he hadn’t seen him in ages. He should have even been happier, although he still felt half-asleep and disgruntled at being woken up so rudely.  But as Gilbert nuzzled their cheeks together and began petting his hair, the joy he felt quickly turned to embarrassment. He’d never been good with sudden physical affection, and the two years he’d spent in the Underground locked away from anyone who’d want to hug him hadn’t helped that.  He still hadn't overcome grumbling automatically when Feliciano crawled into his bed every night, even if he didn't mind it one bit.

"Kidding, kidding! I highly doubt Luddy would ever be able to handle the embarrassment of having sex in a cell for everyone to hear!"

Oh Gott. “Gilbert!  Be quiet!” Ludwig winced, blushing red, as Gilbert kissed his cheek. He felt like he should be covering his friend’s ears, for some reason. His older brother had never had any kind of filter.

"Still, though, it's surprising for a loving big brother to pounce on his precious baby brother and find someone else in bed with him! Gilbert is saddened, Luddy! Now you gotta put up with my love because I've missed you~"

“I’ve missed you too,” Ludwig replied honestly, “but you didn’t have to bellyflop onto me.” Once again, he felt torn between irritation and fondness. Gilbert could have shaken his shoulder gently and he’d have woken up just the same, and Feliciano wouldn’t have had to get smushed. At the same time, the Gilbert Ludwig knew didn’t shake people awake: that was too subdued. He probably should have been grateful that he hadn’t ended up with a cup of water over his head or a sudden blizzard in their cell to herald his brother’s arrival.

Sorry, Ludwig mouthed to Feliciano as Gilbert correctly identified him. The brunette still looked half-terrified, and wordlessly, the German reached over and tugged the dislodged blankets over the other man’s shoulders. Some of the warmth of sleep still lingered there, and hopefully that would make him feel less exposed, less cold. He’d told Gilbert quite a lot about Feliciano, but he’d never been very thorough about telling his brother what the other man’s ability was. And that Feliciano sometimes struggled with control was a secret that never left his lips. He’d never betray the other’s trust like that.

“I was hoping maybe this would maybe take place at a better time,” he admitted, frowning. “I guess it can’t be helped. Feliciano, this is my older brother, Gilbert. Gilbert, Feliciano Vargas.” He gestured to the brunette with one hand while trying to half-heartedly pry Gilbert’s fingers away from his face with the other. “Gil, I’m really happy to see you too, but you don’t have to pet me.”  Ludwig wondered if his older brother would insist on joining the two of them in one bed.  He wouldn't put it past Gil, but that would be a tight squeeze; someone was likely to get an elbow in their face.

[Feliciano Vargas]

The pale blonde must've accepted Ludwig and Feliciano's claims, because after a few long, disconcerting moments of silence, the man laughed loudly and pounced onto the small cot, sprawled over Ludwig's lap and wrapping the man up in a hug. Feliciano couldn't help his startled squeak as he hurriedly scrambled over a bit to make room, nearly getting whacked in the back of the head as Ludwig easily responded with a hug of his own. There was no space for the three of them, and sharp ears could easily hear the protesting creak of the frame keeping them off the floor. He planned on slipping off the bed entirely when the other German spoke up, loudly. "Kidding, kidding!" he crowed. "I highly doubt Luddy would ever be able to handle the embarrassment of having sex in a cell for everyone to hear!"

Feliciano knew he was flushing as brightly as Ludwig at those words as the man pressed an obnoxiously loud kiss to his friend's red cheek. The blonde's flustered response held enough embarrassment for the both of them, though the smallest mutant didn't want to admit he heard plenty of the other mutants...appeasing themselves once Light's Out came, whether they were moaning unabashed or grunting into their fists as they tried to stay silent. The curse of natural urges while he had the sharpened senses to hear things he'd really rather not. It was beyond humiliating to hear those intimate sounds when it was much, much better not to.

His own embarrassment died quickly though, at the older blonde's next words, meant moreso for Ludwig's ears than the both of them. "Still though, it's a surprise for a loving big brother to pounce on his precious baby brother and find someone else in bed with him! Gilbert is saddened, Luddy! Now you gotta put up with my love because I've missed you~"

A frown tugged down the corners of his lips and his eyebrows furrowed, watching the two from his seat on the farthest edge of the creaking bed. He was interfering with the brothers' reunion, wasn't he? Stepping his bounds and taking away their ability to share hugs and affection and catch up without outsiders peering in. Was it...really such a bother for the albino to find his younger sibling sharing a bed (for warmth! he reminded himself) with someone else? Feliciano knew Lovino wouldn't really like it, but half the time it didn't seem like Lovino really liked the brunette around in the first place. There were certainly no heart-warming reunions like this, when he'd shared his cell with his fellow Italian, and that certainly wasn't just because the elder had been tossed in bloody and beaten from an Arena match. Most of the time, Lovino chose to keep his cat form around everyone, even Feliciano himself, and when he was human, he kept his distance. Always. The closest he'd gotten to touching his brother was those angry fights between the two of them as children and even young teenagers, the years when they'd mutually disliked one another for undisclosed reasons. Something bitter and cold settled in his chest and the mutant let his eyes slide from the two down to his lap, letting the two of them have their moment uninterrupted. Whatever warmth Ludwig had provided was long since gone, the chill of the older German sucking it away as quickly as it came and letting the icy winter temperatures reach the lone Italian once more--but that wasn't the source of his discomfort, for once.

Feliciano was just getting in the way, again. The fact he was jealous because of it only made it that worse. Was he really that selfish?

He opened his mouth to say something, fully retreat from this situation entirely, when once again his attempts were interrupted by the newest addition to their cell. "So, kid, lemme figure this out," Gilbert drawled, and the brunette was greeted with a raised eyebrow and a sharp grin when he finally looked up. Tension settled in his shoulders at the expression, even as he tried to smother his unpleasant emotions and be happy at the attention settled upon him. Ludwig was glancing at him now too, an apology in pale blue eyes as he mouthed "sorry" as his brother continued. "Tiny and cute, affectionate, and Ludz is comfortable enough with you to let you snuggle with him in bed. He doesn't have many friends so I'm going to guess..."

What do you know about his friends, a meaner voice cajoled from the back of his mind. You spent almost all your time ignoring Ludwig, before he hunted you down himself--

"You're that Feliciano kid!"

Oh. Honest surprise bloomed over his face, and white-knuckled fists relaxed slightly in his lap. He must not've done a good job masking his emotions earlier, either, because Ludwig took the opportunity to try and drape the blankets back over him, trying to wordlessly calm him. It was a well-known fact between the two of them that the Italian preferred being wrapped up in warmth, even during the hot days of summer, because it simply made him feel nice. However, the attempt was for naught; worn blankets laid trapped under Gilbert where he sat on the taller blonde, so once the force of Ludwig's hand released them, the thin fabric crumpled into his lap instead. That vice loosened a bit in his chest, letting a fresh wave of guilt wash over him as he caught the honest interest and amusement behind the oldest mutant's biting grin and the happiness brightening Ludwig's normally stoic expression into something softer.

What the hell was he doing, making this situation all about him, even if only in his mind?

"I was hoping this would maybe take place at a better time," Ludwig murmured, frowning a little but not enough to hide the fact that he hadn't done a thing to shove Gilbert away; simply pry that awkwardly petting hand from his face. "Feliciano, this is my older brother, Gilbert." Feliciano offered a weak, but genuine smile to the albino mutant as the blonde gestured in his direction: "Gilbert, Feliciano Vargas." The smile grew a bit as Ludwig couldn't help but add, "Gil, I'm really happy to see you too, but you don't have to pet me."

Now that he finally had a moment, the boy was quick to disentangle himself from the blankets sprawled haphazardly over his legs and slip off the bed and its straining frame (Ludwig might think he was too thin, but a hundred pounds can easily make the difference between a functioning bed and a broken one). His smile never left his face even as the icy floor stung the bottoms of his socked feet, frayed, holey fabric doing nothing to protect him from the cold. "Veeeeeeeee, it's nice to meet you properly, Gilbert," he chirped, hands fidgeting a bit in front of him because he wasn't sure whether to wave or offer a handshake or what, exactly. "But you probably want to catch up a bit with Luddi before we all go back to sleep, si? Sooooo... I can go to one of the other cots for the night! It's not that much trouble--a-and if you even want some privacy, since sometimes family just wants to be with family, I can turn my ears off for a bit, so it'll be like I'm not even here!" Feliciano's smile turned a bit sheepish. "I didn't mean to surprise you, or get in the way earlier, so I'm sorry about that, ve."

This was about the two brothers, separated nearly seven years (or maybe less than that, if they'd seen each other in the two years that Ludwig had once more been under the same roof as Gilbert). Feliciano didn't have a part in this, and he had no right to feel bad about that. He should only feel happy that his best friend finally had a chance to talk with his much-loved big brother. He'd already had a few weeks to reconnect with Ludwig; it was only right that he backed off and gave him the time to do the same with Gilbert.

[Deleted]

Jeez did the kid have to look so surprised that Gilbert knew who he was? He did not have that bad a memory, nor process of elimination. He could think intelligently, you know. It was hardly a challenge to figure out the kid was none other than Ludwig's best and only friend he ever talked about to Gilbert in their short times together in the Underground. "I was hoping maybe this would maybe take place at a better time. I guess it can't be helped." Ludwig's exasperation was cute, because honestly was there ever a better time to meet anyone in the Underground. Gilbert shot Feliciano a wink. "Feliciano, this is my older brother, Gilbert. Gilbert, Feliciano Vargas." Gilbert would have cheerfully then continued a conversation with his little brother's cute little friends, but then Ludwig had to go and start trying to pry him off. "Gil, I'm really happy to see you too, but you don't have to pet me."

Gilbert whined and instead retaliated by hugged Ludwig's head tight to his chest. "Yes I dooooo! Don't deny me of my big brother rights Luddy! If I wanna pet your face and smoosh your face I will pet you face and smoosh your face and you're gonna deal with it!" He would have continued harassing Ludwig when Feliciano's quick movement caught his attention. The smothering came to a halt as he turned to stare at Feliciano curiously. Why'd he have to go and get up? Things were just starting to get fun. He was smiling, but there was no way he was pleased with practically bare feet on the floor that was no doubt hella cold.

"Veeeeeeeee, it's nice to meet you properly, Gilbert, but you probably want to catch up a bit with Luddi before we all go back to sleep, si? Sooooo... I can go to one of the other cots for the night! It's not that much trouble--a-and if you even want some privacy, since sometimes family just wants to be with family, I can turn my ears off for a bit, so it'll be like I'm not even here! I didn't mean to surprise you, or get in the way earlier, so I'm sorry about that, ve." What the hell was going on in this kid's head? In the way? Hardly! It was Gilbert that intruded on their little snuggle session. Speaking of which since the kid was using Ludwig as a personal heater, Gilbert highly doubted he was going to be comfortable sleeping on his own in a cot.

He snorted as he finally got of Ludwig, well not before smacking one more disgustingly wet kiss on his cheek. Snickering, Gilbert pranced over to the other cots and snatch up all the bedding still there. The floor was cold enough that he only had to ice the bottom of his feet to skid across the floor and scoop up the thin Italian in the bundle of blankets. "Bah! You're not going anywhere! You're family too now, don't ya know? Ludwig's best friend might as well be my little brother too! 'Sides you look cold! And I'm tired! We can catch up in the morning, you included!" He dropped back down on the cot and fell on Ludwig with Feliciano still in his arms. "Space heater! You get middle position! Keep Italian brother warm! Big brother gets to be the ultimate big spoon! Good plan? I think it's a good plan!"

Words: 576

Tags: Feliciano Vargas, Ludwig A. Beilschmidt

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