Memory's.... (Germany and N.Italy only)

Ludwig didn't go here often. It was slightly dusty and the smell of old storage stuff filled the attic. Although the dim room was neatly ordered like the rest of Ludwig's house, Ludwig avoided to be here whenever it was feasible. All the stuff that Ludwig thought he should keep in memory was piled up neatly in closets and shelves. This attic direct under the roof was filled with all of Ludwig's past.

Paintings of airplanes and war tanks leaned against a wall and old flags where lying neatly folded on a pile. Old fashionable uniforms from long ended wars were kept in the wooden closets. Everything Ludwig ever got as hornor for his work was saved in a glass cabinet, visible for everyone who might come here. Not that a lot of people ever had been in this room. It was kind of private since Ludwig also kept stuff from his darker past here.

"If I still have stuff from the very old days, we will find it here." Ludwig turned to a very antic looking huge wooden closet. A name was written on it with white chalk. 'LOTHAR'
"I never took attention to this since I thought this closet would belong to someone else." Ludwig got hold on the knob of the closetdoor but hesitated a moment, turning to the Italian on his side. "All my forgotten past might be in here... Shall we really open it and take a look?"

His eyes roamed all over the room, taking in the many antiqutes that Ludwig has collected over the years. It smelled musty and faintly of cleaning products, causing the smaller man to sneeze a few times as they walked into the dusty room, rocking back onto his heels.

Feliciano had remembered trying to sneak into this room a few times, only to be chased out by the other man, but he could never really understand why. The place did feel like it was a part of another time, untouched by the current world around them.

They came across and intimidating looking wardrob, towering above them with the name all too familiar to the Italian staring down at him. He hugged himself to Ludwig's arm, entertwining there fingers together as he contintued to stare. "...Ve, well it seems like a good place to start, right?" For some reason his mouth was dry; he swallowed roughly before letting out a sigh. It hadn't been very long since Ludwig had begun to remember his past, his past that he had spent as Lothar, the Holy Roman Empire. And as Ludwig began to remember, all the memories Feliciano had been trying to repress had assulted his mind, as vivid as if they had just happened yesterday.

He looked up at the taller man, meeting his blue eyes. "...Well, we'll never know unless we open it up, right?"

Turning the doorknob slowly Ludwig held his breath in expectancy. There was still so much he didn't remember. Well, actually he had forgotten mostly everything of his past as Lothar, the leader of the Holy Roma Empire. It was like one big empty spot in Ludwig's mind and he wanted to get it filled. Yes, Ludwig really wanted to know and remember all these things he had forgotten.

Then he threw open the door of the wardrobe with one fast, smooth move.

Exhaling the breath he had hold, Ludwig looked into the now open wardrobe. It was mostly filled with old cardboard boxes, some of them with symbols on them. A few big packets were also there. And something that looked like paintings wrapped in white fabric to keep them save from the dirt of time.

".... Everything looks quite well sorted." Ludwig tilted his head, thinking for a moment where to start. "I think we should look through all of these boxes and try to find something that feels familiar to me." He reached into the wardrobe and pulled a random box out of it. "Tell me whatever you know about the things that might be in here." Ludwig put the box down onto the floor between him and Feliciano, opening in carefully hoping to find a bit of himself in there.

Feliciano inspected the neat closet, everything completely organized and structured, labeled and wrapped. "...It's very Ludwig."

He watched as Ludwig pulled out the first box, opening it slowly. Gingerly, the Italian reached inside, pulling out something all too familiar, making his throat constrict and choke off his breath. He balanced the old, worn out hat on his fingertips as if would crumble and blow away any second.

"...ah." He couldn't find any other words, a tear rolling down his cheek. He turned the hat around in his hands, inspecting every inch of it like it was a piece of fine art. It was so surreal; he never expected to see the thing again.


"--Italia!" The boy blushed furiously, patting at his hair like he was naked.

The girl only giggled, placing the hat on the ground next to her as she replaced it with a chain of flowers.


Feliciano stared for a moment longer before placing it on top of the German's head. It was a bit too small for him now. "...I always thought you looked good in this hat." He gave the other a soft smile before reaching inside the box again, finding the daisy chain under it. "...It was one of the few days when Austria was away and I was able to play in the flowers when I made this. You seemed terribly embarrassed when I stole your hat to place this on your head...I guess it wasn't manly enough?"

Ludwig looked at the head and tilted his head. Glibert had a hat like that in his younger days, but this one didn't seem familiar to Ludwig at all. But considering to Feliciano's reaction this item was very familiar to the Italian. "This was my hat?" Ludwig cupped Feliciano's cheek and wiped away the tear with his thumb while the other man placed the hat on his head.

Also the old daisy chain and the little story Feliciano told didn't get Ludwig into memory's. He turned his head, looking for a mirror. He tugged a white fabric off a very large antic mirror and strained his shoulders as he took a look at himself with the hat on his head.

The dark blue fabric covered his blonde hair nearly completely, only a little bit of his sideburns were still visible. Ludwig reached up and brushed his fingertips over the rim and stopped at the metallic button on the fore-side. He took a breath and closed his eyes while he took one of Feliciano's hands in his free hand.

Blond... Why was he blond...? It was such a boring hair colour. All the others around him were brown haired. And Gilbert's hair was nearly white, his eyes in a fierce red colour. The little one one admired his older brother for his special, natural born appearance as an albino. But Lothar was just plain blonde with blue eyes. Like France, that bastard.

The boy narrowed his eyes and growled at this thought. He didn't want to be anything like the Frenchman he always fought with so much. Shaking his head he put his hat back onto his head. Nobody should see his boring blonde hair. Especially not she...

But she took Lothar's hat off like she didn't cared about his hair. And replaced it with the beautiful flower-chain that her cute little hands had just made. Lothar blushed bright red at her actions. Did she really not mind? Would she like him even with this boring appearance?

Lothar gave an very embarrassed smile to the little maid on his side. "Thank you... Italia..." He buried the memory of their special moment deep inside of his heart to remember it when he needed to. Maybe this warm memory would keep him alive on a cold day in a blood drunken battlefield.

Feliciano's head turned when he heard Ludwig gasp, the German closing his eyes and grasping his hand. He opened his mouth to say something but immediately shut it, not making a peep. This was just like the first time Ludwig's memories had resurfaced, when he finally remembered that he was once Lothar. Feliciano didn't want to pressure Ludwig; the man always seemed to get terrible headaches when he began to remember his past.

Instead, he settled for bringing their clasped hands to his lips, kissing Ludwig's pale knuckles as the man stood completely still, lost in his memories. Feliciano watched him carefully, his brow furrowed with worry until Ludwig opened his eyes once again.

He chose not to pester Ludwig about what he remembered; instead, he turned back to the box, keeping his fingers intertwined with Ludwig's as he rummaged through the other contents. Most of the rest of this box seemed to be filled with books; Feliciano picked one up gingerly, blowing dust off the cover. He didn't have to understand German to see that this was probably a book that he would never understand, even in his own language.


She peered over his shoulder, standing on her tippy-toes to see what the boy was doing. "Roma~ Hey, what are you reading?"

For a second, she didn't think he would answer, but he mumbled out "...a book on philosophy," so quickly that she barely understood what he had said. A small smile spread across her cheeks; her friend was so smart!


"You would always be reading, too...I think you said once that Austria made you study a lot, but you would always look so focused...I think you enjoyed it." He smiled, letting out a small laugh. "But I would always be really bored! You would never play with me at all when you were studying! But, you knew about so much stuff...I didn't think there was anything that you didn't know!"

Feliciano tilted his head as he thought, wistful. "You had a lot of books...I could never understand understand any of them, even when I asked you to read them out loud to me. I was good at painting and singing and things like that, but I was never as smart as you!"

Ludwig opened his eyes and thought a moment about taking the hat off, but seeing that Feliciano liked it when he had it on, Ludwig just kept it on his head. He also didn't let go of Feliciano's hand, the warmth of were their skins touched gave the German a slight kind of strength in his search for long forgotten memory's.

He tilted his head as he took a look at the book that the Italian had in his hand. He couldn't remember reading it, but despite this fact he knew what was written in it. Ludwig moved his free hand up and spread it over the old dusty paper. It felt like every other antic book, nothing really familiar.

Couldn't she see that he was reading? How was he supposed to focus on his study when she kept coming and distract him with her adorable smile and the thoughtless naivety of her questions?

Lothar let out a slight sigh as he decided to give up reading for today. There was no way to learn anything as long as she was still lurking over his shoulder, trying to understand the things he did.

~~~~~

"You are so smart.~" Her bright smile made his heart beat frantically as always when he saw her. Holding a cat in her arms she just asked in her never-ending cheerfulness. "What is this cat saying?"

Lothar's stuttering wasn't compared to anything. He actually didn't know how to answer her question. The thoughts in his mind blurred away. How was he supposed to know? He couldn't talk to animals. But maybe this was a chance to show a little bit affection to his beloved maid.

Turning his brightly blushed face away from her view Lothar muttered his words in a embarrassed whisper. "It... It's saying 'You're really cute'..."

Turning his brightly blushed face away from his view Ludwig muttered his words in a embarrassed whisper. "It... It's saying 'You're really cute'..."

Once again the German's face became unreadable, a small crinkle forming on his forehead. Feliciano wanted to kiss the scowl, and to kiss the life back into his lover's blue eyes, and to kiss all the headaches away...but his feet stayed planted on the ground, standing completely still as Ludwig stood, his mind somewhere else.

Of course, this left him alone to let his own mind wander back to the times in that house. He really did think Lothar knew everything, even how to talk to--

The statement took him by surprise, Ludwig's low voice breaking the thick silence that had permeated the room. Feliciano had to kick-start his heart and force his lungs to take a ragged intake of breath before the small smile broke through his disbelief. "...I swear Ludwig can read my mind sometimes..." Even if the compliment had been "spoken" by the cat, to even hear the small blond boy say those words to him had made him so happy that day. "Maybe not talk to cats though, ve...That was silly of me to think, I guess."

He rummaged a bit more through the box in front of him, finding mostly books and the occasional flower pressed and preserved between them. He picked up one gingerly, twisting it between his fingers. "...ve, I wonder how many of these I gave to you and how many of these you planned to give to me?"


"--AH! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please don't hit me, I'm cleaning just like I'm supposed too!"

The blond looked taken aback by her frightened outburst at his appearance. He ran off as soon as he appeared, dropping something in his wake. The girl cautiously walked over, picking up the delicate flower. She stared at it for a second before looking up at the now empty doorway, tilting her head curiously.

"Considering how much flowers I kept in these books you might've given me a lot of them." Seeing that there won't be more interesting things in this box Ludwig closed it and put it back into the wardrobe. Then he stepped back and observed the other boxes in the huge closet. Which one should he pick next? There was still a lot more to look through.

Taking a sigh he decided to pull one of the paintings out of it. He unwrapped the old paper which kept the the huge painting save from dust. What he saw was some kind of a surprise. This was not much what he expected to see.


Roderich's office was always clean and well sorted. Lothar came here often to talk to the older nation and study with him. But now he tilted his head and glanced at the painting that leaned at the desk. Obviously someone tried to make fun of the Austrian by painting a moustache on the face on the drawing. "What happened to this?"

Roderich looked up and rolled his eyes. "Italia got bored and disfigured the painting. I'm going to throw it away."

Lothar blushed by the thought of Italia's small fingers with the ink-feather in her hand working on this funny moustache. "I'll... I'll throw it away for you." With this words he grabbed the painting and rushed out of the office.

Ludwig couldn't help but smile at this. "Seems I didn't throw it away..."

Feliciano took a last look through the box before folding it shut, gently placing it back into the wardrobe while Ludwig began to look through the paintings, giving the box one last look before turning his attention back onto the German, his hands going to his hips.

He looked up at Ludwig's face as he stared at the painting, a smile tugging at the man's lips. Feliciano was curious; he walked up to the man, standing on his tip-toes to peer at the painting. "...Ve? I remember that." He tilted his head, slightly confused. "I was really sad that I didn't have anything to paint with, so I used what I could find...Austria was really mad though..."

The Italian rocked back onto his heels, bringing his hand to his lips as he thought. "...ve, but you know...A little while after Austria took that picture down, I started to get art supplies...I wonder why Austria started to be so nice?" He gave a little smile to the man before going through the other paintings. He sat on the ground next to the giant wardrobe, grabbing each picture with care. There were a lot of pictures of scenery and animals, many of which he remembered painting with the boy. But the last one he found made his brow furrow in confusion.

"...Ve. I don't remember this one..." It was a picture of a small maid--himself--sleeping peacefully, perched on a chair. Compared to the other pictures, the quality was much better; it seemed as if every line was painstakingly stroked with care. He held it out in front of him, trying to get a better look.

Ludwig titled his head and looked over to Feliciano, the painting of Roderich with moustache still in his hands. "What are you looking at?" He leaned the painting against the wardrobe and walked around the Italian to look over his shoulder and get a view of the painting in the other's hands. The little maid was peacefully asleep like her daily duty's had been to much for her.

"Is this you...?" The memory's of Italy from this time were as blurred as everything else from this period. And even if Ludwig knew that his lover was working as a maid and also dressed this way, seeing it now makes something inside of him melt away. The memory's including the one he loved back then got a face now. And it was cute, adorable and loving.

Ludwig wrapped his arms around Feliciano's waits from behind and rested his chin on the other's shoulder while he still observed the picture. "You were a really cute maid." A slight blush coloured his cheeks. "No wonder I fell in love with you." He reached out to the picture with one hand and carefully brushed his fingertips over the old paint. "Do you know who made this painting?"

"Heh, was I?" He shrugged against his lover's warmth around him, turning his face to give him a peck on the check. "Ve, I'm glad you still approve!" He turned his attention back to the picture, watching Ludwig's fingers gently brush over the cracking paint. "Ve, I have no idea who painted this." He frowned unable to come up with any recollection of having the picture painted. "I can remember maybe one time that I had to pose to have a painting down in that mansion..." He huffed, curiosity eating away at him.

"It doesn't make sense...most people ignored me! Why would they paint a picture of the maid? The only time I remember getting my picture painted was with Roderich, Elizaveta...and you." Feliciano gave the picture one long, last look before groaning, upset that he didn't know. "I'm sorry, Ludwig, I'm supposed to be helping you remember things, not forgetting stuff myself!"


"Roma~ Where are you, Roma~?" The little maid walked down the hallway, hugging her broom close to her. Done with her chores for the day, she was eager to find her friend and maybe play a game with him! But...he was no where in sight.

"...hmm." She leaned the broom against the wall, looking down both ends of the hall before climbing into the chair resting in the hallway. She kicked her legs, humming a tune to herself. "Maybe if I sit here for a bit, he'll come down this way!" Satisfied with her plan, she waited diligently, starting to hum to herself.

...but as the minutes dragged on, she found herself becoming very, very tired...she had been working all day... Curling up on the cushion, she let out a small sigh. She was just going to close her eyes for a second...she would wake up as soon as he walked down the hall....

Ludwig tilted his head. Feliciano didn't know himself who made this painting. Well, seeing the content of it, it was obvious that the little Italian was asleep when this piece of art was made. Immediately some kind of subconscious jealousy nagged on his guts and he had to find out who made a drawing about his beloved little maid during her peaceful sleep.

The German let go of his lover and gently took the painting out of Feliciano's hands to observe it. He frowned and turned the old pic around to look at the backside. In the left corner half hidden under the frame Ludwig found a few letters written on the old wooden back that held the picture in place. It was his own name. The name he had when he was ruling his own little empire. Lothar.

Lothar was sitting on his the floor next to the chair were the young maid was sleeping. His cheeks were blushed in a slight shade of pink as the pencil in his hand brushed over the texture of the canvas. The boy was never been really artistic. He had asked the girl for drawing lessons just to have an excuse to spend more time with her. But the way she was sleeping peacefully in front of him made something inside of himself craving to save this image for the eternity. The hands that normally were just able of holding either a book or a sword left a beautiful piece of art to be seen for the rest of the whole world.

Ludwig lifted both eyebrows in surprise. "It seems I made this drawing." He gave a little smile at the thought. "I never knew I was able to paint like this..." Then he looked over to Feliciano. "Shall we take it with us when we go back down? We could put it in the hallway or the living room. It would be a shame to leave this pretty little maid all alone in this dusty place."

It was Feliciano's turn for his eyes to widen, both eyebrows shooting up. "You painted this? While I was sleeping?" The Italian stood by his lover, gently tracing a finger over the old canvas. "...Ve, it's beautiful...And you always said you couldn't paint! Why did you hide your skill from me? You should paint more often you know."

He lifted the paint out of Ludwig's hands, walking over to set it by the door. "I think it would look wonderful in the living room!" He turned back to Ludwig, a small blush on his cheeks. "I think that "pretty maid" would enjoy seeing the sun again, ve." He trotted back to the man, grabbing his hands and turning them in his fingers, a small smile on his face. "So these fingers were keeping secrets from me? Who knew they were that skillful?" He kissed both of his hands before looking back up at Ludwig, giving him a small peck on his lips. Feliciano giggled, smile becoming brighter. "Should we see what other secrets you've been hiding from me?

He tugged Ludwig by the hand back to the wardrobe, tugging another box from it's depths. He opened it, peering inside. Laying on top was a small pink pillow. "...Ve? A pillow?" He tilted his head, picking it up. "...that seems like a strange thing to keep." He thought for a second. "I think you had pillows like this on your bed, though...."

A pink pillow? Ludwig frowned at the thought he would have this kind of frilly and girly plush stuff on his bed back then. But who knows what this pillow might've shared with him? All the dreams he had at night and all the rest he took on his bed... Ludwig took the pillow out of Feliciano's hands and hugged it against his chest with both his arms wrapped around it. "It is so small..." He looked at his lover a slight blush spread over his cheeks. "It must've felt way bigger when I was small myself."

Enough... No really, he had to stop crying. He was the Holy Roman Empire. A leader like him was not allowed to cry like a baby or a wimp. But how could he keep smiling when his little heart was broken. So long was Lothar struggling with to find the right words. To bring up the courage to ask her. Holding his hand out he stood there, his little heart threatening to jump out of his chest as he waited for her answer.

But she said no... Just no... Lothar let out an other shaky sob as he nuzzled his head into the pillow. "Why, Ita-chan...?" Her rejection burned painfully in his heart and tears still peeking in the corners of his eyes. "I am not Rome..." Frustrated he boy punched his little fist into the soft fabric of the pillow. "We can be strong together, Ita-chan." He shook his head and punched the pillow again. "Do you really want to spend the rest of your life like this?" Then he let his shoulders hang down. It doesn't matter any more. She didn't want him. "I would've protected you... And given you all you need..." Lothar buried his head into the pillow letting out a shaky sigh.

"I would've given you all I have... My love..."

Ludwig sighed with a sad expression on his face. "This pillow will stay here in the wardrobe." He put it back into the box. "I don't want pink girl stuff on my bed." Then he looked into the box and his eyes lightened as he reached into it and pulled a beautiful adorned antic sword out of it. It was not as big as a normal sword. Just the right size for little hands.

"Wow..." Ludwig pulled the sword out of its sheath in one smooth move and held it over his head to let the light of the ceiling lamp shine over the silvery blade. "This is beautiful."

Feliciano shot Ludwig a puzzled look when he tossed the pillow back into the wardrobe, tilting his head a bit. He didn't think too much about it, watching the man pull out the small antique sword.

It was a beautiful sword; he may not have any appreciation for the death dealing it was made for, but it was truly a work of art. Even after all these years the blade seemed to glow, a small ruby winking at him from the golden hilt. He reached out to touch it, but immediately flinched his hand backward.


"Nngh..U-uwah..." The girl sobbed and hiccuped, huddled on the ground next to the sword, cradling her hand in her lap. A small part in the back of her mind said that Austria would be terribly upset with the stains of blood on her smock, but the majority of it was panicking as she grasped her wrist, beginning to rock back and forth as her sobs increased.

"Italia! W-what happened?" She sniffed, looking up at the boy through her tears.

"Hnn...R-Roma..." The sobs began to shake her body, struggle to speak through her tears. "Uwah...I-I w-was going t-to...c-c-c-clean your sword f-for you, b-b-b-but..."

With a blush on his cheeks, the boy grabbed her hand, inspecting the wound. He looked around for a second before taking off his cravat, wrapping it around the girl's hand. His voice was mumbled with embarrassment as he spoke. "D-don't worry about the sword...I'll protect you, so you don't have to ever touch one..."


He looked down at his hand, flexing his fingers. "...Ve, it is beautiful..." Feliciano looked up at him with a sad smile. "But it just reminds me of you going off and leaving me for war, you know? Swords are such scary things..."

"This sword is not scary, it is really decorative." Ludwig shove the blade back into its sheath and walked over to the door to lean the sword against the wall next to the painting of the little maid. "I want to take it with me. Maybe we can put it at the wall next to the doorway hall?" He turned back to Feliciano and gave him a gently smile. "And it is not like I'm going to kill anyone with this sword. Not any more."

Ludwig turned his attention back to the still open box. It seemed like no more interesting things were in there. Only more books. He just wanted to close it as his glance fell on a very unspectacular leathery notebook. Tilting his head Ludwig took it out of the box and observed the old cover. Carefully he opened the notebook just to see all the pages empty and unwritten. Expect of the last one. A little pencil sketch was drawn on it. Ludwig flushed at the sight of it since it showed two little stick figures holding hands. One of them had a hat like he was currently still wearing and the other one had a curly strain of hair swaying away from its head. The two figures were surrounded with little creepy drawn hearts.

"Ehehehe..." Ludwig let out an embarrassed laugh and struggled for words since he noticed that Feliciano also took a look at the sketch. "Seems I was a little bit very in love with you back then."

"Ve?" Feliciano peered over Ludwig's arm, craning his head to see the little doodle scrawled on the corner of the paper. He couldn't help but to crack a wide smile, unable to contain the little giggles that bubbled in the back of his throat. "Eh heh! That's so cute!" He looked up at Ludwig, hugging his arm. "I might like this one more than the painting actually! Because it has both of us together!" He rubbed his face into the man's shirt, still giggling. "Do you doodle things at work like this too, ve?"

The Italian gave the arm one last squeeze before skipping back over to the closet, pulling out another box. "Ve, I wonder what's in this one?" He opened it quickly, excited. This one was more interesting than the last, filled with assorted toys and various other trinkets from that time.


"Holy Roma~ Hey Roma~" The girl titled her head at the other boy, bringing her hand up to her mouth, curling it like a paw. "Nyaah~ Look, look! I'm a kitty cat today! Nyaao~" She leapt at the boy, causing him to blush furiously as she rubbed her face against his cheek, still meowing.


Feliciano put the cat ears on his head, turning to Ludwig with a smile. "Look! I'm a cat!" He laughed again, curling one hand in the air like a paw. "Meow! Eh heh heh!"

Ludwig took a look into the new box that Feliciano had opened. There were mostly toys and other little things like small wooden statues of horses and other animals. Things that might be treasures for the little boy he once was. He looked up as Feliciano put on the cat ears, a shy smile forming on his face.

That was pretty much the cutest thing Lothar could imagine at all. She was standing there clawing her little hand against his small chest and made these cute, purring noises like she would really be a cat.

The boy couldn't help but get into her little game and cuddled her gently. It felt like a chance to come close to her. Closer then ever before. Lothar's cheeks burned into the hottest red he had ever felt as he held his arm around her small waits his free hand patting her brown curls. So cute... "Italia"

Ludwig caught Feliciano's hand and brushed a kiss onto the palm. "You are still as cute as back then. When you had theses ears the first time..."

Feliciano couldn't help but blush at the gentle kiss on his hand, unable to contain his giggles of delight. Every time Ludwig would remember something it would make his heart soar, searing away years of aching and longing he had for the love he thought he had lost. He brushed over Ludwig’s lips with his fingertips before leaning in and giving him a quick kiss, face still flushed. “Ve, I’m glad you think so! We should celebrate that holiday with Elizabeta again sometime!” He laughed before skipping away from Ludwig, looking back into the wardrobe. “I’m sure Ludwig would look cute in these too!”

He took of the kitty ears and put them back into the box before closing it up, sliding it into the closet. “Hmm…” Giving the closet a quick scan, he reached deeper inside past the boxes, scrounging for anything he had missed. “I don’t see any other boxes…Eh?” His fingers wrapped around something cloth-like; he pushed and tugged until he managed to wiggle it out from the clutter, holding it in front of him. He froze again, staring. “T-This…”

It was the cloak. The long, deep navy cloak the boy had always worn, the cloak Feliciano had last seen him in before he left to fight, rippling in the wind as he turned his back to the little maid, never to return to the house again. The ends were tattered from age and wear, and Feliciano almost swore he could see the blood speckled on the ends from the battlefields the boy went off to face.

He…didn’t know how to react, his mouth hanging open with unvoiced thoughts. Seeing and feeling the cloak was surreal, almost like having a piece of the young boy he knew in his hands. It brought him back to the days where he would wash it with care, playful hide under it, tug on the ends when he was scared…The cloak that had whipped around him when they shared their first kiss, before he watched him walk off into the distance…

Feliciano took in a ragged breath, closing his eyes for a second to try to regain his composure. “…I-I…” He scrubbed his eyes with the back of a hand, suddenly noticing the tears that had begun streaming down his cheeks. The Italian turned to Ludwig, handing the cloak to him. “…It’s…” He struggled for something to say. “…you would always…wear this…”

Ludwig tilted his head, looking at Feliciano with unspoken questions in his eyes. "I was wearing this...?" He took the cloak out of the other's hands and brushed his fingertips over the silky fabric. This piece of clothes was so old and yet it seemed so precious. Ludwig swirled the cloak around his shoulders and tied the small ends together in front of his collar. Turning around to the huge mirror he observed his appearance on more time.

"You are an empire Lothar." That was what Roderich always used to say. "You need to show off your strength and your noble provenance."

A noble provenance... Lothar had it. Of course. He was an offspring of the Germanic tribe. And yet he wished to be more then that. The boy tugged his cloak closer around his little body, straining his shoulders to look taller and stronger. 'Like the great Roman empire... So I can protect Italia and build up a new, invincible empire just for the two of us.'

Ludwig took a sigh as he looked into the mirror. He looked kind of ridicules in these clothes now. The hat still on his head and the cloak that once reached down to his ankles was now just so long that it reached the place between his shoulder blades and the small of his back. "I'm not sure Feliciano..." Ludwig turned around and glanced over to the Italian. "This kind of does not look like me."

"No..." Ignoring the tears beginning to stain the fabric of his shirt, Feliciano shook his head, walking up to Ludwig before resting his hands on his shoulders. "...trust me...it is...completely you..." He paused for moment before looking up at Ludwig with a small giggle, face alight with full rapture as he smiled at him gently. He reached up, tweaking the hat and pulling it further over his forehead. "...completely!"


Sacro Romano Impero...

Lothar...

I'll wait, okay...? With lots of sweets...!

The young "girl" had long since grown since last seeing the young boy that had stolen "her" heart...It had been, what now? At least a hundred years now? Or was it more? The brunet had long since lost count of the days.

"I hope you are well...right? You're taking good care of yourself like I asked...like you promised..." His charcoal glided over the page, the boy from his memories slowly taking form. The little priest was careful, trying desperately not to get any smudges on his pure white robe, lest be scolded by the Papa once again.

But...it was becoming much harder for him to recall his face...! The memories were still there, fresh in his mind as if they had happened yesterday, but the features of the boy slowly faded away, leaving only a small figure in a dark cloak...

Come back for me...I'm waiting...


Feliciano's arms had wrapped around the man's middle, burying his face into his chest. "Y-you came back...I'm glad..." He breathed a shaky sigh, held back sobs causing him to tremble. "I-I'm so glad, Ludwig...I-I waited so long...s-so long!" Fistfuls of Ludwig's shirt bunched in his hands, hugging himself as tightly to the blond as possible, as if he let go he would disappear again. "I'm so glad...you d-didn't forget me!"

Ludwig was not sure what to do or how to react so he just wrapped his arms around Feliciano, hugging him close. "Maybe... maybe we should stop here and close the closet for now. The memory's seem so painful for you and it gets really confusing for me."

Blood. It smelled like blood and tears like every battlefield the boy had ever fight on. Maybe this battle was different. Harder, his enemy's were stronger then usual. Or was it more that the young empire was weaker then he used to be?

But this battle was about so much more then all the other fights he had until now. There was someone waiting. At home. The little blond had promised to be back. And he actually WANTED to come back home. Into her arms, to protect her and life with her to become a stronger and taller empire.

Though this time luck was not on Lothar's side. He got beaten flat. France's sword was longer and sharper then his own and the fight was long and hard until the Frenchman won.

"I promised it... Italia... Wait for me."

The tall blond tugged the ends of his cloak around Feliciano's back to keep him even closer as he felt something odd pressing against his own back. He reached around himself while he still held his partner with his other arm.
Seems as there was some kind of a secret pocket sewed into the inside of the old black cloak. Ludwig fumbled inside of the pocket and pulled a silky bundle of white fabric out of it.

"Huh? What is this?" He held the piece of clothes between Feliciano and himself to look carefully at it.

"I-I'm sorry, Ludwig...I-I'm...supposed to be helping y-you!" Feliciano didn't think it would be this...taxing when they first started looking through the closet. After all, this was supposed to help Ludwig remember, not him! He had already gotten what he wanted; Ludwig was with him, right? The time that he had been waiting for all these years, all his hopes had finally come true! He didn't need anything else, right?

So, why did those memories of that boy--of the boy Ludwig used to be--hurt so much? Forgetting all those years of heartache and longing was harder than he thought it would be.

He looked up at Ludwig rustled behind his back, pulling out something and holding it between the two. "Ve?" He stared at the fabric in front of him, silent for a moment...before a gasp passed through his lips, slowly turning into giggles, and soon into almost hysterical laughter, drying up all his tears in a instant. "Ah ha ha ha! O-oh, I-I remember! I remember that! Eh heh heh heh!" He buried his face in Ludwig's side, shaking with uncontrollable laughter. "I-I can't believe y-you actually kept them! Eh heh heh! T-the panties I gave you, ah ha ha ha ha ha!"


Oh no...oh no, oh no, oh no...

He was leaving...he was actually leaving right now...

The little maid panicked, looking around her frantically. He...he couldn't just leave! He couldn't just leave right now! She never got to...she never got to tell him how she felt!

No, no! She couldn't let him just leave...she...she need to give him something! A...a good luck charm, a token of her affection, anything! Anything that would remind him of her, anything that would keep her with him, in his thoughts...

But she had nothing to give! Nothing but the clothes on her back--

"What panties?" Ludwig let go of Feliciano and unfolded the soft and frilly fabric in his hands. It were really small, innocent white panties like a girl would wear back then.

Lothar stared at the white panties in her hands, his face flushed bright red. Was she really about to give him this? Her UNDERWEAR!? The boy couldn't believe it. but on other hand... She had possibly nothing else to give.

Giving a fast side glance to his waiting companions he inched closer to the little maid. "T-Thank you." He took the frilly piece of clothes out of her hands and hide it as fast as possible behind his back.

"Oh... Oh god..." The German's face flushed, his eyes wide open as he stared at the bloomers in his hands. "You seriously... gave me THIS?" There were no words to describe this situation. Ludwig didn't know how to react. He was completely stunned. One little part of him wanted to laugh in embarrassment like his partner did. An other part of him wanted to throw the panties away in anger and yell at the Italian. But instead he swallowed against the fierce blush on his cheeks and said two words with a small, almost shy voice.

"Thank you."