"Feliciano!" The small Italian turned toward the sound of his name being called. The brunette smiled when he saw who had actually called him. Ludwig always made him smile. Said German sighed and walked closer to Feliciano, "It's getting late. Do you want me to drive you home?"

Feliciano nodded eagerly in response with his bright smile forever on his face. At that moment, nothing looked better than that worn-down passenger seat of the German's car. The car itself had no appeal to Feliciano whatsoever. It was old and in serious need of a new coat of paint. There was a mysterious stain on the backseat along with a few tears in the upholstery. The windows sometimes jammed when being rolled down, and starting the car was iffy when it rained. The appeal had nothing to do with physical appearance. It was only Ludwig that made him want to be in that car. Nothing brightened Feliciano's day more than hearing Ludwig's strong voice, though it was scary at times, but as they were talking on the ride home, it was only sweet and gentle.

Feliciano was near positive that Ludwig was only talking about the party they had just left, so he wasn't paying much attention. The party wasn't his favorite topic at the moment anyway. Many people, if asked, would say that the Italian thrived off social events, but those who really knew him would say that he didn't. What he really loved was his friends. Anywhere his friends were, he would always go. Party or not. Even one of Gilbert Beilschmidt's notorious parties, or as the police called them, uprisings. There was beer, music, puke, sex, typical party things, except with Gil, something usually ended up on fire.

None of that interested him at the time. The only thing that interested him was the blue in Ludwig's eyes. Scratch that. Blue is wrong. It seems wrong to simply call them blue. There was so much more to those eyes than a simple color. They were like the ocean, changing colors with the motion of the waves or with a flick of light, or the new sky at sunrise, fading from one bright new aqua back to the color of midnight.

Before he knew it, Feliciano was so lost in thought about the color of Ludwig's eyes that he failed to notice Ludwig's tapping his arm. Finally, when he did notice, he looked up at the blonde in a bit of a daze. Ludwig sighed heavily, "Feliciano are you even listening?" Feli nodded enthusiastically. "All right. What was I saying then?"

Feliciano paused for a moment to think, then with an idea, he said, "You were obviously saying how you had a really great Italian friend who you think is the most wonderful in the whole world." He smiled waiting for a reaction.

Ludwig rolled his eyes, turning back to the road ahead, and ran a hand through his hair, which had been disturbed from its usual slicked-back style. Everyone thought it looked better that way and that Ludwig looked more his age and very attractive for that matter. "Nevermind. It doesn't matter."

The brunette poured, unhappy as a stiff silence fell over the two. After a short while, Feliciano spoke up with somewhat of an odd question, simply to spark a conversation, "So, Luddy? Did you meet any cute girls or boys tonight? Maybe you could ask them on a date." He watched the German eagerly, eating for an answer.

Ludwig heaved an irritated sigh. "Feliciano, I've told you countless times I'm not interested in a relationship. I won't ever fall in love like you keep saying. Love has no place in my life. Love is just a silly little dream for silly little girls. Even if I did date someone, I wouldn't be able to love them. They'd be better off elsewhere with someone other than me." Ludwig said firmly, his eyes never leaving the road ahead of him.

Feliciano gave a quiet laugh to hide the pain that answer gave him. "Right. I must have forgotten when you said that." He only wished that Ludwig was lying. Ludwig turned to look at Feliciano, concerned by that response. Feliciano avoided that look by turning the radio up in volume, immediately recognizing the current song as one of Ludwig's favorites. Feliciano knew all of them.

In fact, he knew a lot of things about Ludwig. His favorite color was green, not the bright, obnoxious neon one that young girls liked, but dark and rich like the pine trees in the winter. He loved to argue, or as he preferred to say, 'debate', and he would argue about anything that he knew even the slightest bit about, and that was a lot. He was even captain of the debate team in high school. He has a beautiful older sister, though she's in prison, nevertheless, he's still proud to show her picture to anyone. Ludwig has eyes just like his father's, a light, beautiful, watery blue. Most people could never see how beautiful and lively they were. They're so much like the ocean with the constant motion of the waves, lapping against the shore against a cloudless sky. One look was like being transported to paradise.

Feliciano always spoke of Ludwig this way so much so that even his older brother, who hated the blond, could see that Feliciano was in love as much as he detested the idea. However, when the question was brought up, whether it was by his brother, his friends, or anyone else, he'd lie with a laugh and a shake of his head. He could never say yes. If Ludwig knew, what would he say? What if their relationship was lost forever? So he lied every time.

Again, Feliciano was snapped out of his daydreams by Ludwig snapping his fingers in Feliciano's face. Startled, Feliciano flinched and leaned against the car door on his right. It was then that he noticed they were outside his house. "Do you ever stop daydreaming? I can never get your attention." Ludwig shook his head. Feliciano knew that wasn't true. His attention was always on Ludwig, just somewhere else where Ludwig actually did fall in love with him. "I'll walk you inside. I'm afraid you'll get lost while daydreaming again." He stepped out of the car along with Feliciano.

"I'm not always daydreaming. Sometimes I just like to watch the scenery for the details of things. See, that plant has forty-two leaves in three shades of green. I like to draw them, but sitting outside and drawing isn't fun, so I memorize them, just like your eyes are four different types of blue." After Feliciano said that last part, Ludwig paused, looking at Feliciano under furrowed brows.

"That's why you're always watching me." Ludwig said matter-of-factly, putting Feliciano at a loss for words as they entered the house.

"Can you stay for a while, Luddy?" Feliciano looked up at him with wide eyes as Ludwig looked around the room. "Lovino isn't home, so I promise he won't be able to yell at you, and I'm almost sure that Grandpa is sleeping," he continued, but Ludwig only looked at the walls and the various paintings or pictures hung on them. How could he not notice that Feliciano liked him?

Ludwig only shook his head again as he looked at his watch on his right wrist, which he always wore not only for practicality, but to cover a tattoo he had there. Feliciano heard from Gilbert that it was two simple circles, one shaded, one empty, that never touched. Gilbert said he didn't know why Ludwig got a tattoo like that, but Feliciano thought it was just like Ludwig always saw problems in black and white.

"I actually have to get home and make sure that Gilbert didn't destroy anything. Another time maybe." With that, Ludwig left, and Feliciano was left wishing for more. He sat on the couch, thinking to himself again about all of the things he wished he had said, and "goodbye" certainly wasn't one of them.