"Well, see, it's because sometimes you look kind of nervous when we make love, and I thought maybe if we do it like this you'll have a little more control so you'll be less nervous, so what do you think?" Feliciano grins up at Ludwig expectantly- it makes sense, because he does get nervous, Feliciano knows, and it's never as fun when he's nervous, so maybe if he tried it like this he'd feel better and besides Feliciano did this for Ludwig a week ago so it's really only fair anyway.

"I…" Ludwig ducks his head a little, the way he always does when they talk about things like this. "Ah— okay."

Feliciano wiggles excitedly and grabs Ludwig's hands, giving him a peck on the cheek. "Great!" he chirps, and means it. "How about tonight?"

Ludwig nods, and his ears have turned pink, and Feliciano slides off the couch and says "Help me with dinner?"

He does.

After dinner is over, and the cleanup is done, and their work is… well, not done, to be honest, but this is way better, Feliciano tries his absolute best to kiss some of that nervous reticence out of Ludwig. It's working- Ludwig returns his kisses quietly, hands resting solid and warm on Feliciano's bare waist, and Feliciano's own ruffling through his light hair until some of it hangs messy over his forehead. He tugs Ludwig a little closer until they're flush against each other and leans up into his broad chest and tugs just a little more, and Ludwig settles a bit awkwardly into Feliciano's lap.

Feliciano huffs out a short breath- Ludwig's kind of heavy- and runs his fingers from Ludwig's hair down across his shoulders and sides to rest on his hips, and then Ludwig squeaks, actually squeaks when Feliciano sneaks his hands back a little onto Ludwig's butt and squeezes. He chuckles into Ludwig's mouth and pulls back enough to catch Ludwig's ears turning pink and, when he sees the almost-smile on his lips and the way his eyes flick to Feliciano's face and back away, Feliciano cranes up for another kiss and pulls Ludwig closer, lets his fingertips slide further down- just a little-

-Ludwig gives a surprised gasp and his hands tense at Feliciano's sides, and though Feliciano is loath to stop touching even for a second, they kind of really need lube to continue this. He grabs for it on the nightstand and squeezes a goodly amount onto his fingers.

"Okay?" He half-whispers, and Ludwig nods with very little hesitation at all, and Feliciano presses a finger inside.

It's warm, so warm, and tight and Ludwig tenses up until Feliciano rubs at the small of his back with his other hand and murmurs comforting noises. Ludwig's hands are braced on Feliciano's shoulders and he leans forward against Feliciano's chest and pants in his ear and then his mouth when Feliciano's free hand takes Ludwig by the chin and guides their mouths together, and Feliciano slides his finger deeper until he wins a trembling "ah!" and a twitch of the hips, and Ludwig's legs slide a little further apart. Pulling away from the kiss, Feliciano watches Ludwig's blue eyes widen and close as he pushes a second and a third finger in, watches the arch of his pale back and the shaking of his strong legs, watches the flush of arousal and embarrassment make its way down his neck and towards his shoulders, and he thinks I am probably the luckiest person ever ever ever in the whole world because there is nobody else who can draw that self-conscious baritone "ohh" from Ludwig's throat, nobody at all.

"Ready?"

"Yes." Ludwig's eyes dart away from Feliciano's face, but there's that almost-smile again, and less of the shaky nervousness that shows up sometimes when Feliciano's on top (and when he's not), and it's good, it's so, so good that Ludwig's beginning to trust him more like this, that he can relax enough to let another person touch him, and Feliciano can't wipe a silly grin off his face as he slides down the bed, as Ludwig haltingly takes the condom from Feliciano before he can put it on and rolls it on for him, as Feliciano guides Ludwig down, telling him to go just as slowly as he wants to, that's it, you're doing great.

Definitely the luckiest, Feliciano thinks when Ludwig's settling on top of him, so warm and tight and lovely and biting his lip a little, and Feliciano pulls him close and kisses the teeth away and strokes his shoulders and back and thighs, letting Ludwig get ready in his own time. And finally he is ready, and he begins moving, eyes wide and mouth open and forearms on either side of Feliciano's shoulders and legs folded on either side of Feliciano's pelvis, and Feliciano wants to say you're beautiful and he wants to say I love you, but his words fall away beneath the clumsy rolling of Ludwig's hips and the clutch of his hands in Feliciano's hair and he just moans instead. Grabbing for Ludwig's waist, Feliciano tries to slow down and even out their movements, and when he does, Ludwig lets out a small noise that sounds like a moan trying to hide and Feliciano smiles up at him.

"You can— nnh— make noise, it's okay," he says breathlessly, because Ludwig does need to know that it's not something he has to be embarrassed about and besides he's heard Ludwig really moan a few times before and oh God if that wasn't the hottest thing in the universe then Feliciano would only ever eat Arthur's scones for the rest of his life, and he rocks his hips up again and trails his hands from Ludwig's waist down across the jut and dip of his hipbones and further-

-"Ohh!"-

-and Feliciano doesn't know if it's the sound or the way Ludwig's thin, bitten lips shape around it or the blazing red of his cheeks or the curve in his spine or the sudden tightening or everything at once, but whatever it is runs up and down his spine and makes his toes curl and his head a little light. He hauls Ludwig down into a nearly-bruising kiss by one hand on the back of his neck, and lets the other hand keep doing what it's doing, and drinks in the sight and sound and feel of Ludwig, strong beautiful smart amazing Ludwig, hot around his waist and in his palm and against his lips and letting out hesitant, trembling gasps, and he can feel Ludwig's pulse in his neck and how fast his heart is going, and Feliciano arches up a little.

Ludwig's noises become more insistent, and if Feliciano listens just right he can hear ah Gott, Feli, oh mein Gott and if he thrusts up again and twists his wrist just so then probably-

Ludwig comes, shaking hands still in Feliciano's hair, open mouth and closed eyes and tensed legs and ohgodFeli, and Feliciano sighs gladly and follows him. He slips out of Ludwig, who slides off him and to the side, and manages to lift his heavy arms enough to take off the condom. Ludwig has rolled onto his back, blond hair disheveled, and he slowly reaches out an arm and rubs at Feliciano's cheek with his long, strong fingers. Pushing into the touch, Feliciano scoots as close as he can and lies on his side next to Ludwig, rubbing small circles into his hipbones. He yawns.

"Did you like that?"

Ludwig, still gently flushed, nods.

"Good. Did you feel less nervous?"

Ludwig pauses before answering. "I… yes."

"That's good!" Feliciano squeaks. "Uh- which parts made you feel less nervous? So I can do them again?"

"Um. I think— I think the position helped some, and the- the waiting for me to get used to things, and, uh." The next part comes out mumbled and in a rush. "You kind of m-make me feel safer anyway."

There's something warm and soft growing in Feliciano's chest and curling in the back of his throat, and he smiles so widely his cheeks hurt and pets through Ludwig's hair, propped up on one elbow. "Really?"

"Y-yes." Ludwig coughs a little and shifts. "Do you think we should wash off?"

"Ew, getting up," grumbles Feliciano, but they both get out of bed anyway and stumble into the shower, where Ludwig lets Feliciano wash his hair, and then dry off and fall back into bed, Ludwig's head on Feliciano's chest and their legs tangled and knotted together.

Feliciano absently toes at the back of Ludwig's upper calf and pets his hair again, and Ludwig might still be blushing a little but he's so calm right now, and he feels Ludwig's small smile and sighs again. If he cranes his neck, he can see down the gentle swoop of Ludwig's spine and the small dimples on either side of it at the small of his back, and he pulls the sheets and the comforter over their bodies and digs the heel of his hand into Ludwig's back between his shoulderblades, eliciting a shudder and a pleased breath.

Ludwig opens his eyes and meets Feliciano's, and says "Thank you" quietly.

"Thank you," and Feliciano cuddles as close as possible and whispers "I love you, Ludwig" into the top of Ludwig's head.

A hand makes its way to the side of Feliciano's stomach, warm and solid, and Ludwig rests his head right over Feliciano's heart and keeps their bodies intertwined and whispers back "I love you, Feli," and that's the last thing Feliciano hears before he drifts to sleep, both of them warm and safe and content.