Damaged - A Hetalia AU (ON HOLD)

Chapter 10: Big Brother

If there was one person Ludwig learned almost everything from, it was Gilbert.

Gilbert always proclaimed himself as the 'Ultimate big brother', for his obvious dedication to Ludwig. Teaching him how to do different skills like playing sports, riding a bike, and helping him with his schoolwork. Gilbert sometimes felt as if he raised him, despite their small age difference of just two years.

And it also wasn't common for Gilbert to embarrass Ludwig, especially when he went on dates with Feliciano, Gilbert loved to pop in and tell an embarrassing story about him. When it happened, Ludwig would get all flustered, and try not to look at Feliciano. But Feliciano never really minded it, still loving Ludwig to the moon and back despite the stories.

Gilbert still smiled when he saw photos of him and Ludwig when they were young, remembering the bond they had - and still have to that very day. They were quite similar to Vash and Lilli when it comes to how they met, with Ludwig being adopted one day, and Gilbert knowing from the first moment he saw him that he would protect him with everything his body had.

But Gilbert still had his regrets, like the time he and a few of his friends were chasing Ludwig around, and the young boy ended up falling and hurting himself. Gilbert never seemed to live that moment down, the thought always staying clearly in his mind when he tried to have a good night's sleep.

Gilbert loved laughing with him, drinking with him, going on walks with him... They were brothers. And nothing was ever going to change that. But Roderich's death was going to test that. Was their grip on each other so strong, that not even something that tragic or sudden could break them?

They didn't know.

And they couldn't answer it.

While Ludwig stored the freshly washed dishes in the cupboards, Gilbert was helping out with some other tasks. Feliciano had to be elsewhere that day, so Gilbert decided to come over and help Ludwig out. Gilbert was quite tired, as he'd been up late drinking with Francis, Antonio, Mathias, and Alfred the night before.

He and Mathias had gotten into an intense drinking competition, which ended with Mathias being dragged home by Lukas, and Gilbert being carried on Lovino's back. Lukas's night didn't get much better, with Mathias immediately trying to start a verbal fight with Berwald as soon as he'd been dragged home.

Just another regular night for the three Scandinavians.

The Germanics weren't much better, with Lovino reluctantly calling Ludwig to ask what he was supposed to do with the drunken Prussian. Ludwig was used to that kind of situation; he and Feliciano showed up at the apartment at three in the morning just to relax Gilbert and keep him from making any regrettable decisions.

Gilbert made a lot more of those decisions than he usually should. Especially when he was drunk.

"Hey, Ludwig, remember that time when you were like, seven, you were scared of the thunder, so you came into my room and slept in my bed with me for the night?" Gilbert recalled, thinking of the night it happened. Ludwig sighed, placing the dishes down and turning to face his older brother.

"Yes. Yes, I do." Ludwig responded, standing with his hand holding his chin, and his elbow propped up on the table. "You really aren't that much of a Mr. Mc-Tough-Guy you make yourself out to be, huh lil' bro?" Gilbert teased, reaching to ruffle Ludwig's hair, which although it was normally slicked back, was all over the place today.