Hello again! ^^

First of all: Thanks to everybody, who has read "At least once" - especially the ones, who have reviewed and faved! You can't imagine how much it means to me. Actually, it means so much to me that it inspired me to write a sequel as you can see. =P This part is ... more intense than the first one.

Rated M for delicate themes and very graphic sex.

I own nothing.

About the war and concentration camp in my fanfiction: Yes, there are many references to WW2, but it clearly isn't. And the concentration camp in my fanfiction isn't nearly as bad as the German concentration camps during WW2. They are kept prisoners and put to work, but treated badly only when not cooperating.

I apologize for any mistakes.

At least twice

[Ludwig x Feliciano]

He was done for. He had not one bit strength left. Feliciano slowly got on his knees and bent over; his fingers burying themselves in the dry earth he was lying on. He was tired, sore and unable to keep going. The sun was burning his nape. He tasted blood in his mouth and realized that he had bitten his lower lip hard enough to split the already chapped skin, while trying to keep a desperate scream in. The prisoners around him just continued to work, looking at him with sympathy. Everybody of them knew what he was going through. They couldn't help him. And the guards were on every corner, waiting like vultures to pick at the fallen ones.

How ironic. One night, they were forgetting about life's injustices and the next, they were being dragged into the nearest concentration camp. And now, he hadn't seen Ludwig for three weeks. As much as he knew, he could already be dead. He himself didn't feel much alive anymore, either.

"Stand up, Italian." a low, demanding voice ordered in French. I can't, Feliciano wanted to answer. I can't, my body doesn't follow. Can't you see that my body doesn't follow? Can't you see that I'm already dead?

"Are you deaf? I said to stand up!"

Two rough hands grabbed him by his armpits and pulled him up to his feet. They staid there until he miraculously stood by himself and then let go of him. He was then held in place by his upper arms instead.

"Are you hungry?" the man asked in a gentler voice. Feliciano didn't react for some seconds, then shook his head weakly. He wasn't hungry. He just wanted to die. The Frenchman's right hand wandered up his arm and carefully cupped his cheek. The Italian slowly raised his eyes and gazed at the man for the first time since he had approached him to get him back to work. His breath caught in his throat. Blond hair. Blue eyes... He looked like Ludwig.

But no – Ludwig was the most handsome person in the world. Nobody could compare with him… even this guard was completely different from him if he watched closely. His hair was longer, wavy. His stubble that of a mature man, not that of a youngster just gotten out of his teens. And he was clean, healthy and well-dressed. Nothing like Ludwig. Nothing.

"I want my Ludwig back." Feliciano sobbed in Italian, not even realizing he was saying that out loud. "I want him back." he repeated, crying harder.

"Ludwig? Is that another prisoner?" the Frenchman asked in almost flawless Italian, stroking the younger man's cheekbone with his thumb. Feliciano just nodded and his legs gave out under him. He would have fallen, had the guard not held him firmly against himself.

"I want him back. We belong together - give him back to me…!" he continued to babble, slowly starting to lose consciousness.

"Ehi – non! Don't pass out. I can bring you to him, oui? Just stop struggling against the guards and eat the food we give you already. Don't you see you're the only one making a fuss here?"

"I… want… my… Ludwig… back…"

And so, Feliciano passed out.

"I don't. Have. Any information! I just kill and risk to get killed for a country which barely bothered to explain to me why I'm doing this! I don't have any fucking information!" Ludwig shouted and tugged at the chains which were keeping him attached to the wall behind him.

"A country… my country…" he spoke softly to himself, feeling a stinging pain welling up in his chest.

The English man in front of him made an annoyed noise and rolled his eyes. He was sitting in a chair, his feet pulled up to rest on top of the table in front of him. His hair was blond; his inpatient eyes green and framed by two rather thick eyebrows which Ludwig would have loved to make fun of, had his situation not already been crappy enough without provoking his enemies.

"I know you do – I've found the envelopes in your baggage after all. Bloody hell, why don't you just cooperate, damn kraut?" he said in English, knowing that the German understood him well enough, just like he himself understood more or less everything the other said.

"I never knew what those fucking envelopes contained! I was just given the order to bring them to Paris, GODDAMMIT!"

"Argh – such a difficult boy! You will be the death of me." the officer moaned, then made a sign to a couple of French soldiers, who were standing in a corner of the room. "Unchain him and bring him back to his cell."

Ludwig was freed from the chains and didn't oppose at all, when he was dragged back to his cell. He collapsed onto the bed in there and fisted the relatively clean sheets. He felt an all too familiar burning sensation in his eyes and didn't bother to stop the tears which started to flow down his face. How long was this going to last? Why couldn't he be outside like the other prisoners and work? Working was better than to be kept there in that freaking hole. And there was Feliciano – Feliciano was working somewhere out there. Was he alright? Had they hurt him? … Was he even still alive?

If only he could see him again… he missed him so incredibly much.

"Your dinner, sir." a young boy's voice resounded in his ears. Ludwig struggled to get up, rubbed his eyes dry and spotted the little blond boy, who was standing on the other side of the room with a tablet in his hands. He, too, had rather thick eyebrows.

"I don't want it." Ludwig growled, even though the kid could hardly be blamed for his misery.

"Please, sir. My big brother will get angry if you don't eat again." the boy pleaded.

"Well – tell your brother he can go fuck himself!" the German spat, thinking about the English officer and his crappy food.

The blond boy sighed defeated and just laid the tablet down on a small table on the side of the cell. He then left and Ludwig was alone again. He wondered when it was going to be the next time his enemies lost their patience because of his bad attitude and sent that huge, fair-haired guy to beat him up with his cane again. He still had the bruises and bloodied scrapes all over his back of the last time and he wasn't too eager to get a few new ones.

The worst thing about the situation was that he really didn't have any information. He had not looked at the documents he had been carrying around ever since the German officer had sent him off with them. Had he known those envelopes were going to put him into a concentration camp, he obviously wouldn't have accepted the task.

But it didn't matter now. He just wanted to be back by Feliciano's side, where he had been through the whole war, up until now. His place was there, they just belonged together. If only he could see him again, hold him in his arms again like on that blissful night, before the real nightmare had started.

If only he could love him again – just like promised. "At least twice, thrice or more." What a pitiful joke… they were not going to be together ever again. As far as he knew, the Italian could as well already be dead. He wasn't very useful when it came to physical work and in the concentration camp it sometimes meant the death of people. Ludwig sobbed and started crying again. No, he didn't want to think about it. Just don't think about it, he repeated in his head, over and over again.

Feliciano woke up in the medical shack of the camp. He had already been there a few times, since he tended to pass out often of late, due to lack of food and sleep. He knew the situation wouldn't be as bad if only he did what he was told, actually ate the food he was given and slept when it was sleeping time. But he couldn't. He couldn't stop thinking about Ludwig. The German had always been there for him during all the difficult months they had passed on the battlefield together. He was his best friend – his most important person. He was his… love. And they had just taken him away from him… not even told him what they were going to do to him.

"Ehi – you're awake. I've spoken with my boss and he gave you the permission to meet Ludwig for a night. He knows the both of you are faggots."

Feliciano grumbled, not having realized that somebody was standing at the side of his bed. He had not understood one thing of what the Frenchman had said, being still too befuddled from passing out earlier. He slowly sat upright and groaned as his head throbbed terribly.

"We can go now if you want." the guard said, helping him up to his feet. Feliciano just followed his lead without resisting, feeling too tired and generally drained to oppose.

They left the shack and the Frenchman kept him upright by holding him firmly under one armpit as they walked through the camp for what seemed hours and hours in Feliciano's mind, while it actually was a matter of minutes. It had already become dark outside and Feliciano wondered for how long he had been unconscious. Very long – it seemed. The prisoners had all retired to their barracks for the night and there were only a few guards walking around with loaded rifles in their arms.

They reached the "forbidden" area of the camp which the prisoners weren't allowed to approach and the guard leaded him into a building. They walked down a long, dimly lit corridor, at both sides of them doors over doors to what Feliciano assumed were cells for the "special" prisoners. He wondered if he had done something wrong, if they were going to keep him inside a cell from then on, but then again – the French guy had been really nice to him in contrast to some other guards, showing sympathy and all. Would he really be that nice to him if he had pissed him off? They stopped in front one of the doors and the man used a key of his bundle to open it up.

"One night. No more, no less – and afterwards, the two of you will cooperate or it will have serious consequences. Is that clear, Italian?"

Feliciano frowned, not understanding what the French guard was saying and just stumbled into the cell, when he was pushed forward, the door behind him closing up again. He collapsed and fell to the floor, stars dancing around in front of his eyes, as everything turned black again.

Ludwig stood up of his bed, after the guard had shoved the boy into the cell and closed the door again. Was this a new prisoner? Was he going to be his new cell mate because there weren't any free cells left? … Was he... dead?

He approached him slowly, crouched down and carefully turned him around. It was dark – but the moonlight which passed through the ridiculously narrow window on the wall behind him was enough to make him recognize the young man in front of him. He inhaled sharply and his eyes widened in shock. With trembling hands he pulled the frightening thin body onto his lap and wrapped his arms protectively around it, his eyes welling up with tears. He caressed Feliciano's slightly hollow cheek with his knuckles and thought back at the times in which they used to be full and round. The Italian's eyes were slightly open, but he seemed to look right through him. A couple of tears fell down onto his pale and bruised face and Ludwig squeezed the abused body against himself, crying softly. There he was, finally holding his little one in his arms again – and he was nothing but a lifeless doll and a broken one at that.

Why had they brought him to him? Just to mock him? To make him suffer even more than he already did? Was this the final punition for the upstanding behavior he had kept up ever since the very first day in the camp?

"Feliciano…" he sobbed. "… what have they done to you?"

He buried his face in the fabric of the Italian's white and red striped prisoner uniform and cried harder, barely breathing at this point. A soft touch on his cheek made him pull back in surprise, but the tears didn't stop even when he saw that Feliciano was looking at him with tears in his eyes himself, very alive.

"Ve, Ludwig… I'm glad. I thought I would never see you again." he spoke softly, his arm falling down to rest limply at his side.

"I'm here. I've got you." the German said, squeezing him against himself again. Feliciano was so thin. He was almost like a living skeleton. He was so thin that Ludwig was afraid he would break him if he held him too tightly. Feliciano started to struggle in his arms to sit upright and leaned heavily against his chest once he had made it, panting from the effort.

"It's my fault, Ludwig. They didn't do anything to me." the Italian croaked out, gripping Ludwig's shoulders to steady himself. "I wanted to see you so badly. I was so scared that they had killed you." he continued, sobbing softly. "Please, don't let them take us apart again!"

"I won't let them, I promise!" Ludwig hastily answered, kissing Feliciano's lips to prove how much he meant it. They wouldn't separate them ever again. He would tell them everything he knew – lies, if it would give them the possibility to stay together. Deep inside, they both knew very well they would indeed be taken apart again. But for a moment, it felt alright to act as if they could do something against it.

The Italian kissed back desperately and Ludwig shifted on the floor, slipped his arm underneath the brunette's legs and carried him along as he stood up. He laid him gently onto his bed and lay down next to him, continuing to kiss him deeply, caressing his hair with a still trembling hand.

"Ludwig… at least twice – remember?" the Italian whispered and grinned lightly when their lips separated.

"No, Feliciano. No." Ludwig reproved him harshly, shaking his head. "Look at you – you're nothing but skin and bones! I can't. I won't."

"But…"

"No… I can't. I don't want to hurt you."

Feliciano raised his hand and cupped Ludwig's cheek. He smiled softly again.

"Then you just have to be gentle, silly."

Ludwig shook his head, disapprovingly. The Italian's eyes lost their cheerful glimmer, the smile disappeared and it broke the blonde's heart to see this. He wanted to be together with the brunette, he really did. But he looked so frail. He himself had also lost weight and gotten beaten up over and over again, but Feliciano looked like he had just come out of hell itself.

"V-ve… Ludwig… p-please." Feliciano started sobbing again. "This is the o-only chance we have. The l-last time we can see e-each other!"

"You are crazy." Ludwig muttered, swallowing back his own tears. He slowly sat upright and observed the crying young man beside him in silence, for a long time.

"I will love you. Gently... But it won't be the last time." he finally whispered.

Buttons were undone with trembling fingers, one by one, and the two prisoners' eyes met, as a pale, thin and badly bruised upper body was revealed. Ludwig turned his head and closed his eyes tightly. I can't, he thought. I really can't. But a small hand enclosed around his wrist and encouraged him to go on.

"Please…" Feliciano pleaded softly. "Pl-please. I love you Ludwig, d-don't be disgusted with me. I-it hurts me."

That finished the German off. Disgusted? How could Feliciano even think that he was disgusted with him? Had he really given him that impression? Suddenly, Ludwig felt worse than before. He wasn't disgusted at all. Feliciano was still the most beautiful person he had ever met, in his eyes. It didn't matter how thin he was – or how pale, how bruised, how bloodied and dirty. He would make him feel alright again. He would make him feel loved. They would cooperate with the enemies. They would survive. The both of them. And then they would be freed someday. Move in together, live together, and make love - every night.

He gently caressed the Italian's chest, letting his hand wander over his rips and rather hollow abdomen. He bit his lip, letting the shaky breath he had been holding in out of his nose instead and stayed strong for Feliciano. He would make him feel loved, beautiful. He would make it all better. He leaned down and spread butterfly kisses all over the exposed skin, rubbing Feliciano's curved side soothingly while doing it. The brunette's hands slowly reached for Ludwig's head and entangled themselves in his hair, stroking it weakly. Ludwig's mouth hovered over the Italian's nipple and kissed it tenderly, rubbing it with his tongue. A gasp caught his attention and Ludwig looked up while lightly sucking the tender nub. Feliciano had closed his eyes and his lips were slightly parted, inviting the blonde to kiss them. He released the nipple and pressed his mouth against Feliciano's instead. Gently. He caressed his face and hair lovingly while they kissed and the Italian's arms sank to entwine around Ludwig's neck. The German let his tongue slip into the other prisoner's mouth and rolled it slowly against Feliciano's, while starting to caress his upper body again, playing with his nipples every time his hands moved over them. It was alright. Feliciano was alright. He wasn't nearly as bad as he had initially thought. Right? Right? The brunette himself didn't seem nearly as bothered by his health as he was. Was it alright? Was it alright to touch him like this? Would he hurt him? Would he break him? Feliciano let go of his neck and slightly sat upright to shrug the shirt off his shoulders. He pulled back and looked down at himself, self-consciously.

"Is it… is it really that b-bad?" he asked, sniffling a little. The German stared at his body. He was too thin. There were bruises all over his skin. But he was starting to get used to the sight... Sadly.

"N-no. You are beautiful... as always."

Feliciano's eyes rose slowly, meeting Ludwig's and he smiled sheepishly. He pushed himself off the bed and kissed Ludwig again, more demanding than before. His hands worked to unbutton the German's prisoner vest as well, but his fingers failed him. Ludwig grabbed both of his hands with one of his own and used the other one to open up his shirt. As soon as he was done, he released Feliciano's hands which immediately started to caress his torso, abdomen and back. He was a little concerned when he felt all the bumps, scrapes and cuts on Ludwig's back, so he pulled back, but before he could ask him about them, the blonde had already captured his lips in a needy kiss again. He caressed Feliciano's thighs and pulled one of them carefully over his pelvis, the way their lower parts could rub against each other when he buckled against the brunette. They were both already half-erect and Ludwig continued to slowly and gently move his hips into Feliciano's, careful not to put too much force into his movements. The Italian drew back to catch his breath and panted loudly, his arms tightening around Ludwig's upper body and forcing him to push harder against himself.

"Ludwig…" he moaned softly, letting his head fall backwards. The German used this to spread kisses over Feliciano's jaw and neck, licking and sucking gently his throat. He played with the Italian's delicate Adam's apple as it bobbed up and down every time he swallowed, grazing it carefully with his teeth. The brunette's hands had slipped lower and were tugging weakly at Ludwig's pants. The blonde used a moment to discard vest, pants and undergarments, then helped the other prisoner out of his own remaining clothes, before lying down beside him again. Their now naked bodies pressed against each other, making them both shudder at the pleasant feeling of skin against skin. Ludwig reached down between them and grabbed both his and Feliciano's member which were rubbing against each other with one hand; the other arm, he enclosed around his shoulder, holding him tenderly against himself. He started to stroke them slowly and the Italian gasped loudly, clawing the blonde's abused back and pushing up against his hand.

"L-Ludwig…" he repeated, his voice desperate with need.

"Yes." the German whispered. "I'm here. You're safe."

He continued to pump their now fully erect members simultaneously, quickening in pace. After a short while, he was breathing heavily in Feliciano's ear, licking and biting his lower lip to prevent himself from making any noises, as he already felt release approaching. The Italian's face was buried in his shoulder, but he could feel his hot pants against his skin become even heavier, quicker and he could hear his muffled moans become louder. They were both close, so close. He forced himself to slow down his hand and it eventually came to a halt. He crawled out of Feliciano's embrace and sat kneeling beside him, looking at his sweaty, trembling body. He didn't want to hurt him. He was so frail, so delicate. He slowly climbed down of the bed and carefully pulled the brunette by hips until his behind had reached the edge of it. He then kneeled down in front of him and guided his thin legs to rest on his shoulders. Feliciano looked down with half-lidded eyes, seeming puzzled, and when Ludwig carefully spread his buttocks to lick at his entrance, he flinched in shock and tried to sit upright, but the German gently held him in place.

"N-no… this is embarrassing… p-please." Feliciano whimpered, contradicting himself as he buckled against the blonde's mouth all the same.

Ludwig just ignored him and pressed the flat of his tongue against him, moving it slowly, rolling it against him and sometimes also using the tip of it to tease the tight muscle ring. He made sure to make it wet and slippery, before prodding it with his index finger which easily passed through it, being immediately sucked in completely. He started to caress and push against Feliciano's prostrate right away and looked up to see the Italian's reaction. He was furiously turning his head from side to side, his eyes closed tightly. He was biting his wrist to keep from moaning out too loudly, but Ludwig could hear his pleased whimpers all the same. The other hand was clutching his thigh roughly and the German's erection twitched, affected by the, in his eyes, incredibly erotic sight.

A second finger joined the first one, rubbing the little bump inside Feliciano more intensively. With the other hand, he massaged the brunette's lower abdomen in circling motions. The Italian started squirming more and more, making it clear that he was going to come if Ludwig kept this up; so the German slowly pulled his fingers out of him. Feliciano opened his eyes and gazed down at him, removing his wrist from his mouth and startling Ludwig as he saw something dark cover his lips and chin. It looked like blood, so he reached out for the Italian's arm and found the skin of his wrist to be broken and bleeding.

"What have you done?" he scolded him gently. "If you're afraid that the others can hear us, bite me and not yourself."

Feliciano nodded reluctantly and let himself be helped back to the middle of the bed. The German grabbed the pillow before the Italian could place his head on it and pushed it underneath his lower back instead. It would ease the penetration and make it less painful.

"V-ve, Ludwig…" the brunette started softly.

"What is it, Feliciano?" Ludwig asked, then spat into his hand and coaxed his throbbing member with it.

"I love you."

The blonde froze for a moment, then smiled weakly. He carefully climbed onto the Italian, positioned himself between his legs and stroked the hair back which was sticking to his sweaty brow.

"I love you, too." he answered softly. Their lips met in a tender kiss and Ludwig's free hand caressed Feliciano's thigh soothingly, gently pushing it back the way the brunette was completely open in front of him. He prodded his entrance, testing its resistance. Then he slowly, carefully, let the tip of his manhood push past the tight muscle ring. Feliciano moaned in his mouth and gripped Ludwig's back tightly, sinking his fingernails into the already bruised shoulder blades. The German's hand in the brunette's hair slipped down, cradling his head in the crook of his elbow, pushing further into him until he was fully sheathed. Feliciano's chest was rising and sinking quickly and Ludwig rubbed his thigh again to calm him down. He started to move slowly inside him, breaking the kiss in the process. A loud moan escaped the newly released mouth and Feliciano bit his lower lip, fearfully.

"Stop." Ludwig scolded him, nudging his lips with his nose. The Italian's mouth opened slightly again, releasing raspy pants. He tightened his grip around the German and bit his shoulder, following the blonde's suggestion. Ludwig gasped and automatically started moving faster, digging himself deeper into that hot body. He tried to stay gentle, but he couldn't help himself, when Feliciano's teeth ripped through his skin. He thrust as quick and hard as he could, making the Italian whimper complainingly against his skin.

"L-Ludwig… g-gentle…" he pleaded, after having detached his mouth from the German's now slightly bleeding shoulder. Ludwig immediately came to a halt, feeling guilty for having lost control. He kissed Feliciano apologetically and started to move again only after a while, this time slowly, lovingly. He let go of Feliciano's thigh and enclosed his hand around his member instead, stroking him gently. He made sure to brush against the brunette's prostate every time he pushed back in and even though he was still moving very slowly, Feliciano had already started squirming and buckling against him, moaning into his mouth. He sped up a little and pumped the leaking member a bit faster, but always stayed gentle. Feliciano pulled back from the kiss and buried his face in Ludwig's crook of the neck. Muffled moans and whimpers accompanied the German's thrusts, as he sped up another tad more. Feliciano eventually screamed rather loudly and released himself in his hand. He pushed in another time, deeply, and came himself, hissing softly.

Drained, he collapsed beside the other prisoner and pulled him against himself. They lay in each other's arms, waiting until their heart beats and breathing had calmed down a little. Ludwig kissed Feliciano's brow, eyelids, nose and cheeks, while the Italian reached up to cup his face and caress it tenderly with his thumbs. They kept looking in each other's eyes, not sharing one word, as words could barely express what they felt in that moment. They struggled hard to stay awake and enjoy the last few hours they had left together - hugging, sharing caresses and loving kisses. When the first sun ray broke through the narrow window, they reluctantly separated and pulled on their prisoner uniforms again, Feliciano mostly with the help of Ludwig.

Way too soon, the door of the cell opened, revealing the French guard of the day before. He gestured for Feliciano to come out of the cell and tore the sobbing Italian out of Ludwig's embrace himself when he didn't show any signs of wanting to follow him. He dragged him along as they exited the building and walked across the camp, towards the working area of it.

"I told you: One night. No more, no less. We don't really support faggots here."

Feliciano nodded understandingly, sniffling a little.

"Are you hungry?" the Frenchman asked him, relaxing the grip on his upper arm and reaching out to support him also with the other hand.

The Italian thought about it, then nodded again. The man chuckled, pleased.

"Good boy." he praised him and gently patted his back.

He was hungry. Hungry for life. And he was going to live through this, no matter what. Someday, he was going to be with Ludwig again. And nobody would take them apart, then.

Thank you for reading! As always, let me know what you think about it. Maybe I'll get inspired again and write "At least thrice"... x)

UPDATE: I wrote a sequel =) check out my profile to read "At least thrice or more"