Locked Away (GerIta)

Chapter 7

"What's wrong with it?" He asked.

"Nothing. Are uhh..." He stuttered. "Are you alright?"

He looked taken back by the question. To be honest Ludwig was too because he never actually cared how people felt.

"I think I should be asking you that." Feliciano glanced at the wound on his jaw. "I can patch it up for you."

"No it-"

"It's going to get infected if you don't do something about it soon." He interrupted. "I'll get Chris to cover my shift, I'm supposed to be heading home anyway."

The Italian went to the back and negotiated with his friend Chris who gladly took over his shift and he went back to Ludwig who'd finished his beer already.

"Come on." Feliciano led him to the door and was about to walk out when someone grabbed him from the side and pulled him towards their body.

He was wide-eyed when this man slid his hand down his torso and tugged on his belt buckle. Feliciano felt tears sliding down his face and he tried to push away but the man didn't let go. He felt his hand forcefully rub against his crotch and he shrieked, fists beating at the man's chest.

Ludwig watched in horror, his mind reeling at the sight. He never thought this happened to this poor boy; his own customers trying to molest him. The German felt a flame of jealousy and anger flare inside of him and he shoved the man away, grabbing the collar of his shirt.

"Sich verpissen.*" He hissed, pushing him away.

The man backed off and Ludwig gave him one final glare before leading the crying Italian out of the pub.

~

Feliciano swatted tears away as Ludwig followed him to his apartment. He couldn't stop shivering, feeling very violated. He could sense the tension in the air while the tall German soldier who walked beside him stayed silent but looked like he wanted to say something.

He opened the door and was grateful Romano wasn't home at the moment. His brother would've murdered him for bringing in a soldier, let alone a German. The Italian brought Ludwig into the bathroom and took the first-aid kit out of the cabinet. He sat on the counter so he was level with Ludwig's face as he stood in front of him.

Feliciano opened up the small box and took out some rubbing alcohol. Unscrewing the lid, he put some on a cotton ball and reached forward, gently dabbing it onto the open cut.

Ludwig flinched and grunted as the substance stung tremendously. He grabbed Feliciano's wrist, stopping his subtle movements. He gripped his wrist tightly as he tried to do it again and the Italian winced.

"O-ow.... You're hurting me." He whimpered.

Ludwig let go and shook his head. He was always hurting people. "I'm sorry."

Feliciano finished cleaning the cut and then cut some gauze before putting some ointment around the wound and taping the gauze down with a little bit of medical tape.

"T-there." He stuttered, blushing as he caught the German staring at him.

Ludwig drew his eyebrows together and continued to look at the man sitting on the counter. His eyes, like that little girls; light brown and warm. His hair the same shade of that red-brown. Ludwig could hear the gunshot ringing through his head, Klaus' finger pressing the trigger and the body falling limp as the bullet went through her head.

He could just see the little girls features in Feliciano's face. Both beautiful and scared. The German trembled and stumbled back, pressing his hands to his head. He slumped against the wall and grit his teeth as he screamed, the images rushing through his head.

Feliciano hurried over to him and knelt down in front of him. He was speechless. In those brief moments of their introductions he could tell Ludwig was not very emotional, his heart was locked away in chains.

"Ludwig." Feliciano reached out to him and hesitated before caressing his cheek. "You're hurting and you're sad. But you keep your emotions bottled up and one day you're going to blow up. Lash out, hurt more people than you can imagine. I want to help you. I want to be your friend."

"I don't have friends." Ludwig hissed. "I don't care about anyone. They're all the same to me, someone that I could easily just shoot in the head like those Jews."

"Well, I want to be more. If you could just shoot me then do it now." Feliciano took the gun out of the German's holster, pressing it into his hand before leaning forward so the muzzle of the gun was against his forehead. "I'm just one of those other people. One that you could easily shoot. Do it."

The German stared wide-eyed at him and his finger trembled over the trigger. He couldn't do it. This beautiful man was telling him he actually wanted to give him company, be his friend. Someone who looked past his cold personality and saw the most inner parts of him; lonely and craving love.

"You crazy Italian." Ludwig lowered the pistol and put it back.

"That's what I thought." He said. "I already mean something or you would've shot me. What am I to you?"

Ludwig growled and suddenly grabbed his wrists, pinning him to the wall, their faces mere centimeters apart as ragged breaths filled the space between them. He stared deep into his eyes. The German couldn't stop the first word that tumbled out of his mouth;

"Beautiful."

~

Translations

Sich verpissen - Fuck off (German)

~

To be continued...