Ch. 15

The next few days were absolutely awful for Feliciano.

His grandpa barely spoke to him, and when he did he sounded so disappointed.

Whatever had happened to Lovino and Antonio had caused the older twin to lock himself into his room. Feliciano left food by his closed door before he went to his own room.

The only thing that could bring a smile to his face was the memory of Ludwig holding him and promising that everything would be okay.

Meanwhile at the Beilschmidt household Ludwig sadly, didn't hold Feliciano's hope.

Alaric was avoiding him. Gilbert had gone to town to tend to his friend, Antonio, and he hadn't returned.

Ludwig wanted to go to Feliciano, and he could, he could go and throw the Italian over his shoulder and run away together.

But he didn't want that. He wanted approval, damnit. He wanted Alaric and Roma to accept that he was in love with Feliciano and wanted to spend the rest of his days with him. And that's exactly what he told Alaric one rainy day over breakfast.

His grandfather looked up from his newspaper, "We don't always get everything we want," was his only reply.

Ludwig gritted his teeth, desperate to hold onto his patience. "I'm not a child anymore. And I need a better reason than because you don't like the Vargas family."

"Because, you may not be a child but you're still young," Alaric began. "You wouldn't know what real love is. And Roma Vargas is a bastard and I don't doubt his grandsons are the same."

"What did he do to you," Ludwig demanded. "What did he do to make you hate him so much that I can't be with his grandson!?"

Alaric looked away, "… He betrayed me. I thought that we were friends. But then he stole the girl I loved away from me."

Upon hearing this news for the first time, Ludwig's first though was how his brother would react. Would he laugh? Or tell his grandfather not to act like a teenaged boy?

"Where are you going," Alaric asked as Ludwig stood up.

"I'm going to see Feliciano," Ludwig answered as he turned to walk out.

"Lud-" Alaric began but was cut off.

"I refuse to listen to a man who behaves like a child." And then he was gone.

He didn't go to Feliciano as he had planned, no doubt Roma wouldn't welcome him and he didn't want to cause the Italian any grief. So instead he marched through the rain, past the vineyards, and to the place he had been happiest: the silo.

Feliciano had been staring out of his bedroom window, watching the rain, when he saw a familiar figure.

Seeing Ludwig walk out into the trees instantly worried Feliciano and he dashed out, knowing exactly where the German was going. Sure enough, there was Ludwig sitting in the silo. Seeing Feliciano he looked both surprised and relieved.

"What are you doing," Feliciano asked, his cloths dripping.

"I had meant to go to you," he muttered, "But I instead hid."

"I know the feeling," Feliciano replied, "That's exactly what I've been doing."

Ludwig exhaled, "I found out why my grandfather hates your family so much." He quickly told the story to Feliciano whose jaw dropped.

"But that's just silly."

"I know," Ludwig growled loudly, making the Italian start. "They don't want us to be together over the most ridiculous thing!"

He looked so sad, so defeated, Feliciano wanted to cry. But he had cried enough, and Ludwig had been there to comfort him.

Now it was his turn.

Feliciano dropped to his knees, grabbing Ludwig's face between his hands, "Look at me, Ludwig."

Those sad, beautiful blue eyes met his and Feliciano smiled, "Everything's going to be okay."

Ludwig furrowed his brow, "You sound so sure."

"I am," Feliciano confessed, remembering the first day he met Ludwig, his words that hadn't seemed so important until now.

"I heard it through the grapevine."

When the rain had passed the two returned home to see a sigh that made them both halt.

Roma and Alaric stood together, waiting for them. Stepping closer they realized Roma had a black eye, Alaric a busted lip.

"I told you they'd come back," Alaric told Roma who rolled his eyes.

"You're…talking…to each other," Feliciano said dumbly.

"I went looking for you," Roma said, "Thought you'd ran over to the boy's house but Alaric was the only one there."

"Finding ourselves alone together we naturally fought," Alaric added.

"And after that we did what I suppose we should've done years ago," Roma admitted, "We talked."

Feliciano exchanged a look with Ludwig. "And…" the German ventured.

"And considering the girl we fought over left us both… we decided we're too old to be keeping up this feud," Roma explained.

"So, if you really do want to be in a relationship," Alaric cut in, "We won't stop you."

By the look on Ludwig's face he couldn't believe what he had just heard. Feliciano, however, broke into a grin and grabbed both of the men into a hug, "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!"

"You shouldn't thank us," Roma said soberly. "It was wrong of us to let our anger try and keep you apart."

"Your brother just returned," Alaric told Ludwig when Feliciano released him. "He came back with his Spanish friend."

"Antonio," Feliciano asked.

Roma let out a pained sigh, "Yes and I imagine he's kissing my other grandson at this very moment."

Feliciano grinned at the words, glad his brother's love life had improved as well.

"Roma, let's leave our grandsons to celebrate the good news," Alaric spoke up. "I have no doubt Gilbert has already opened a bottle of wine."

Roma grinned, "I suppose I can try some second rate wine."

The two disappeared into the Beilschmidt house, arguing good-naturedly.

"I guess some things don't change," Feliciano laughed. He turned around to suddenly have his lips tackled.

With a moan the two wrapped their arms around each other.

This was a different kiss, it wasn't stolen or hidden. It was out in the open. Feliciano was in love and everyone knew and he couldn't be happier.

And it think it all started with a voice through the grapevines.