Another story for English. Based off of a lovely comic I saw on tumblr a while back. Sadly, I can't find it again... :(

Disclaimer: Do not really own much of it. All rights to the artist and Himaruya.

"You will come back won't you, bruder?" His blue eyes stared hopefully. The older man grinned. "Of course I will. Your big bruder Gilbert wouldn't leave you here on your own, would he?" Ludwig's head shook slowly in response.

"Now," Gilbert said. He kneeled down to face the child and put a strong, and supportive hand on his shoulder. As their eyes locked, he spoke in a soft and low tone so that no one but them would be able to hear it.

"Your big brother is going to fight very hard in this war, okay? And when it is over, he will come home right to this very spot and see you. But you have to promise me, you have to grow up and become strong. Don't spend all of your time thinking about me. Move on and become stronger, alright?" His voice got lower. "And you are going to do this even if I don't come back."

Tears welled up in Ludwig's eyes. "Shh.." Gilbert told him. He pulled him into a warm embrace as the younger blonde sobbed into his shoulder, gripping the fabric on his back tightly like he never wanted to let go. In return, he comfortingly rubbed Ludwig's back in small circles. "Don't cry…"

They stayed in each other's arms for a short while before Gilbert took the whimpering boy at arms length apart, holding him by the shoulders. Ludwig's hands rubbed at eyes that were red from crying. The older male reached into his pocket, pulling something out and thrusting it into his little brother's grasp. Gilbert clamped his hands over Ludwig's pair.

"This is yours to keep now, " he said. "I feel horrible for saying this but I most likely won't be here for your birthday. So think of it as an early gift."

Ludwig took some time to gaze at the thing that was placed in his possession. It was his brother's favorite necklace. He had never went anywhere without it. He wiped a finger across the smooth black stone cross. Ludwig's head shot up.

"But bruder-," he paused. His brother was already standing at the door, starting to leave. Gilbert cast a last glance at his brother with a wink.

"I proud of you, Luddy," He said with a small smile. He stepped out of the door and into the world outside.

That was the last memory that he could recall of his brother.

It has been almost a year since he had last seen his brother's smiling face. And everyday since then, he had always kept that necklace with him.

Until he lost it.

He did not mean to lose his most prized possession. One day it just sort of happened though.

He had been at the dock. He found that being there, next to the calming sound of the waves, was a good place to be alone. He came there almost every single day since his brother had left.

He had been lonely. He needed someone to talk to. Like a friend of some sort. One day that wish was granted.

She was some kind of water spirit. A beautiful one with amber eyes and light orange hair, which she weaved colorful flowers into. She could not leave the ocean that she called home. She came up every time Ludwig would sit down and start conversation with her. But even if they had come to trust each other as friends, he kept having to remind himself that even though she was there talking to him, she was nothing but a mere illusion.

One particular day, he had been waiting at the docks for his friend to come up. He whispered words to her but she still would not emerge from the depths. So he took out the necklace.

It still gleamed with pride whenever he looked at it. As he stared, a twinge of sadness wound up and into his throat as he forced some tears back. His fingers rubbed the top of it, smearing a fingerprint on it.

Carefully, as if it would break on contact with the dock, he set it down on the old but sturdy wood next to him. Ludwig swiveled around to fetch his bag behind him. He rummaged through it, looking for a handkerchief or napkin to wipe the mark off the shiny black stone and make it flawless again.

Once he found what he needed, he turned again.

It was gone.

Frantically, he searched everywhere for a trace of it.

With no luck, a sick feeling plummeted in his stomach. Ludwig crawled to the edge of the dock and peered over, his heart snaking into his mouth. The boy clapped one hand to his mouth in horror. It was merely a black shape now. Sinking into the dark waters, never to be seen again.

He did not know what else to do so he pulled his body away from the edge of the dock and pulled his knees to his chest. He started to sob.

The last present from his only brother was gone. He had been so careless when he placed it down. Now it could never be retrieved again.

It felt like minutes, hours, and days even before he decided to leave. Slowly he turned away and waked back to his house, not even bothering to watch the sunset going down on the horizon or the confused face on his friend starting to shimmer into existence.

That had been a few months ago and by now, Ludwig had already given up hope on even attempting to find it again.

But everyday, he still waited at the docks to talk to his friend. He still never dared to tell her what makes him so sad nowadays despite her persistent asking.

He kneeled down as he had done for what seemed like the millionth time now on the scratchy wood. "I'm back," he murmured. Right on cue, the same smiling face appeared to greet him once again.

Silence floated in the air as Ludwig bent his head down. Her eyes wandered to different places before she spoke in that sparkling voice of hers that brought her friend out of his own little world.

"Look what I found lying in the sand today!" she exclaimed, holding up a small object. "Shiny, right?"

Ludwig tilted his head upwards to catch a glimpse of the said object. A glimpse was a little bit of an understatement though. His eyes widened in shock as she saw the necklace hanging from her hands. He could not bring his gaze away from it.

"Felicia-…. What… -How!" He stuttered trying to find words in his mouth. Felicia took a glance at it and then back at Ludwig. "What's wrong?" she questioned, puzzled by the reaction she got. "Is something wrong?"

Ludwig took a deep breath. "It's mine," he breathed out quietly. "Actually, it was my brother's before he went off to war." He brushed away some blonde hair that was hanging in front of his eyes as he felt something drop into his hands. Ludwig mouthed a soft 'thank you'.

"Hey," Felicia said, resting a gentle hand onto his shoulder as she felt him start to cry. "Don't cry. Your brother will come back someday right? He's bound to. After all, he has something to get back to. He has something worth fighting for."

Ludwig faced his friend as he cracked her a sad smile. "Maybe," he said.

"Maybe he will come back one day. I won't leave. I'll be waiting here for you bruder. I'm not going anywhere."

Almost two years now. Not one day has he ever gotten any kind of update on his brother's status.

But despite that, he still remembered his brother's words from long ago. They would not go and disappear off the face of the earth just because it almost seemed like his brother had. He would stay strong even if he did not come back. He lived every single day of his life trying to fulfill his brother's expectations.

Ludwig wipes the sweat off his brow, sheathing the sword into his belt.

Sword training was a pretty easy task to learn. He was reluctant at first but he knew that his brother would want him to learn how to defend and fight for himself so he took his time to add the lessons into his weekly schedule.

Panting, he proceeded back to his house, sitting down on the couch. The house held an eerie silence when no one was home. After his 11th birthday, he was deemed responsible enough to be left in the house alone by the workers there. They had already left for the day as it was already sundown. They were to come back in the morning and Ludwig was definitely sure of it but he still felt a twang of lowliness whenever the slight babble of voices ceased to appear.

Exhaling slowly, he jumped slightly when he heard the sudden sound of the unmistakable knocking on the door. "Who could that be?" he muttered quietly under his breath. "Everyone has already gone home. Perhaps one of them forgot something?" He stood up and paused, cocking his head to the side in deep thought.

When the knocking came again, he knew that, one: It was not a worker. They were much too polite to knock loudly again. Once was enough. Twice was beginning to be rude. Two: Whoever it was, they obviously wanted something if they did not already leave when someone did not answer the door the first time.

Ludwig's breath hitched as he paced towards the door. Trying to not let his footsteps give off so much noise.

He was ready for anything. It could be an attacker. He told himself holding one hand on the hilt of his sword so he would be ready to unsheathe it if there was an attack.

Cautiously, as if the doorknob would explode on contact, he reaches his hand out to turn it. He cracked it open about half a centimeter to see who it was.

Ludwig froze right on the spot. He lost his grip on the brass knob, which was unfortunately the only thing holding his up after his legs turned to jelly, and stumbled back, hitting the floor in the process.

He could not decide what to feel at the moment. He was filled with mixed emotions of shock, anger, happiness, and relief.

The door opened more, revealing a face that Ludwig thought he would never live to see again. "Hello?" its voice said.

His brother stood in the open doorway, taking in everything around him.

Silence erupted in the room before the older man found use of his limbs again.

He ran towards his little brother, tears threatening to come out, as he fell to his knees next to the smaller figure and wrapped him in a bone-crushing embrace.

"Bruder!" Ludwig cried into the fabric of Gilbert's shirt, over and over again as if it was the only word that he knew. He never wanted to move. He felt was too comfortable, too safe to be ever taken away from this grasp but he needed to see that face again. That smile that always greeted him with happiness. The smile that he almost forgot.

Reluctantly prying himself away. He brought himself to examine his brother's face. He looked slightly different. He looked a little bit more mature. A fading scar drifted across his neck and there were bruises and scratches littering his face but he was still Gilbert. Still the brother he loved and grew up with.

He's really here. He said to himself. He couldn't believe it. After two years they were reunited again.

"Hey, Luddy." His brother choked out through tears and laughter. "How have you been?"

"I'm fine," was the response he got that Ludwig only managed to get out. "Have they been treating you well?" he questioned.

A nod.

"Good," they would be fired if they did not treat you well while I was gone." They both laughed a little bit, releasing a sense of warmness into the air.

The moment was short lived for Ludwig though. A slight, harmless laugh turned into heart wrenching tears in an instant as he collapsed into his brother's arms again. At this point though, Gilbert could not tell if they were out of relief or despair.

His long, pale fingers dragged a steady hand through the boy's neat blonde hair that got slightly messy during the past few minutes. "Hey," he whispered into the crook of his shoulder. "Why are you crying? I'm here."

At first, no words came out of Ludwig's mouth no matter how hard he tried. They were captured by the choked sobs he let out and were never to come out.

When he regained a little bit of control over himself, he let out a small voice, barely audible. Something that seemed like it didn't belong to a strong young boy like him.

"I'm not sad," he said. "It's just…. You were gone for so long that I didn't know if you were ever to come back home again. Now that you are here though and I am assured that you are safe, I am just overflowed with relief and joy."

Gilbert smiled, holding out the weeping boy at arms length, just like he had done those two years ago. "I'm still proud to be your brother, you know. You have and are still growing into a wonderful young man."

A pause.

"And so, I'm grateful for that."

"Thank you, bruder," Ludwig said, quietly.

Gilbert chuckled. "Your welcome, Luddy," he replied. "I'm not leaving you ever again."

"And that…-" he pulled Ludwig into another tight hug, pushing aside his hair and whispering into his ear.

"…Is a promise."