Today was a crispy day, announcing the soft ending to a peaceful autumn. The serenity of this years Autumn had brought much suspicion around the town; allowing it for small talk in local Inns. It would mean a brutal winter would disturb the tranquillity of Lowestoft – which meant little work could be achieved during the time and no work meant no money, which meant little food. The town itself was pretty small, the odd Inn here and there for travellers; since the town itself was situated nearing in the middle of nowhere. Though not many residents were sociable with them, it was primary to befriend each one to lessen the risk of destruction – considering many passers were Mages and high class Warriors, making everyone retreat to safety.

Ludwig on the other hand, as though he was not sociable, he was not intimidated by any. He reached out his gloved hand, crooking his fingers to grip onto another scorching blade. Though his head snapped toward the rack when he found he grasped the abnormally glacial air, feeling it numb his digits quickly. He sighed, the tone mixed with relief and stress. A normal days work took everything he had and with little food to go on, it was quite a fulfilling achievement to motivate him to work through another day. Yet once he found no more blades needed to be tended to, his ripped his gloved off; hauling them across the store.

Once locking and securing the building, he slugged down the steps, a cocked eyebrow accompanied by a frown was met when he saw his elder brother.

"Gilbert, should I even ask what you're doing?" A hand ran down his face, trying to establish through his weary mind what his Brother was even attempting to do.

"Well, we're not going to be open in Winter are we Bro?" A small laugh escaped him while a paint brush stained in red paint was perched behind his ear. Ludwig turned to look at what he was painting, the sign reading 'Glasshopper' with red paint smeared over it with 'Closed' however this only deepened the frown on his face.

"I can work during Winter, Brother. I'm not that useless." He locked his arms across his chest, huffing a little which allowed a small puff of air to be visible, which Gilbert pointed out.

"No you can't! Hell, even your breath is starting to freeze so I'm not letting my little Bro work during Winter, not again!" His usual cocky grin that held whatever ego he had together had been quickly switched to a sulk, making Ludwig sigh.

"Fine. But this time we're salvaging any money we have and someone needs to have a budget. Along with formal training on how to handle the income I make." Gilbert scoffed at his words, simply dismissing it and waving his hand.

"Francis and Antonio had invited me for drinks later, I'm sure they wouldn't mind you coming!" Gilbert knew perfectly well Ludwig experienced apathy toward drinking in public, his head tilting down and raising both eyebrows in a sceptical expression.

"What?" He said, this only deepened the expression on the German's face, "Okay fine, we do need a sober friend...but come on it'll be fun!" Ludwig's face relaxed, his eyes rolling as they drifted over to meet his Brother's desperate face. Truthfully, he'd much rather stay at home and read than stay at the Inn until midnight watching three irresponsible men handle their adult hood poorly – though he cared for his Brother and even though it required some thorough thought, he decided it'd be best to stay with him just in case he did anything stupid he'd regret the next day.

"Fine. Let's just go so I can numb the pain by getting the best beer." He wasn't planning to get drunk, though he needed a distraction from the living hell he was going to experience.

.

"Luuuuuuud! Come jooooooin!"

Gilbert thrust his tankard forward, allowing a splatter of beer to spill from it. His Brother's response was just to walk away, leaving the elder German to whine and extend his arm further and further until he inevitably fell off his stool – His neighbouring friends bursting out into fits of laughter. A quiet groan from Ludwig that was only intended to be internal left him in an irritated state, pacing the bar and glancing at familiar faces; greeting a few. Everyone here was fairly built and tall, even the Women could be classed as such and honestly that could get scary at times. Though while his eyes drifted through the Inn, they met with a man of a different build and posture – a rather large guitar strapped to his back as he flipped through the thin sheets of a warn book. Although the situation had made his lapis orbs blend in with everyone else, they did not go unnoticed by the figure he had his gaze set on. The man turned his head, shooting him a small smile. This was not a Local. He was slender and significantly smaller than many others who inhabited the Inn at the current time, his beaming grin seeming to somewhat starting to irritate him. He walked toward him, the grin soon fading as he realized just how extraordinarily tall this man was compared to himself. His face twisted into a look of fear, seeing the static face of man – he cleared his throat through his fist.

"Can I help you?" His laugh that followed after it had almost sounded awkward, trailing off and breaking his lingering eye contact with him. To him, he was much intimidating than anyone who stepped foot in here, from his slicked back flaxen hair to his bulky build and posture written with confidence.

"First off, I'd like you to sit properly." The smaller male looked back at his legs, there were crossed and rested on a table which he promptly untangled and lowered to the floor, "Second off, who are you?" That laid the man's awkward face to rest, his usual vibe of happiness returning with ease.

"Feliciano Vargas!"

"No sorry I meant, what are you?"

"Uh..."

That confused him a little, tilting his head with a quizzical look passing by his face, though it was soon cleared up with some clarification.

"You don't look like a warrior of any sort or bear the clothes of a mage, those are the only classes we get frequently in this town." As stated, the man looked like no warrior, he was a lanky male with bristle auburn hair and a peculiar curl that jutted from the side of his head – he also seemed friendly. That kind of thing either leaves you lonely and/or dead, and he very much doubted through first impressions he was either.

Feliciano noted the monotone piercing in Ludwig's deep voice, reaching an arm out to grab the booklet and wave it in his hand, "I'm a Bard, I usually stay in my home town to play – but I felt like I wanted a change of scenery, y'know?" Ludwig nodded in understanding, his eyes drifting to his smile that seemed to run off happiness.

"Why aren't you playing anything? Isn't that what a Bards job is? And why are you smiling so much?" The sudden questions took Feliciano back a little, securing his smile and raking a hand through his soft locks.

"Well...It's too loud and yes it is but I might as well take a break from a day's work. Also, because look around you! Everyone is having such a good time together and smiling and laughing, surely that's enough to make you smile, isn't it?" A small sigh left his lips, a breathy chuckle afterwards as he looked back to the stranger. He looked doubtful at the idea, scoffing somewhat after. A small frown found it's way to Feliciano's face, "So...what's your name?"

"Just call me Lud."

Feliciano nodded, Lud was a pretty name to him but he kept It to himself – not wanting to make the situation anymore awkward than it needed to be at this point in time. He reached a hand back to haul his guitar slinging it over his back to his front, removing its tattered cover and fiddling with a few turning pegs. When Ludwig caught him, he watched in awe as he strummed a few strings. He'd never really gotten the chance to listen to proper stringed instruments; the only music he ever got to experience was the Flute from his elder. Though he was snapped back from his trance when he came to the realization that that same bouncy voice from the Italian had spoke to him,

"Lud? I asked if you had any requests!" Ludwig only shook his head, watching the Bard lean back in his chair and think for a minute before strumming at it, playing a soft intro that had quite a bounce to it rather than a normal folk song.

"Piero dice che l'altr'anno è stato sulla luna," The German propped an elbow on the table, resting his head on his hand as he listened, the sweet singing voice somewhat comforting to his ears – it was a nice substitute to the harsh clangour of metal he heard nearing everyday.

"Piero dice c'ha piantato funghi e marijuana." He raised an eyebrow at the words (Most definitely toward the last word), finding he could not establish what he was speaking. Though the words made no sense, they still numbed the hard workings of the day that he found to be such a drag.

"La penisola italiana è un suo stivale.

Piero è stato assolto dalla corte costituzionale.

Piero con il suo gommone sbarca clandestini.

Piero è stato battezzato insieme a Ceccherini."

A blissful grin somewhere along the course of the song had found it's way onto the Bard's face, lighting up his features under the murky scenery. His fluent speaking had latched onto the attention of nearing everyone in there, people catching on and pointing it out to others while watching and seeming to be in the same daze as Ludwig.

"Piero ha pubblicato un libro par la Mondadori.

Piero è amico siao delle veline che dei calciatori."

Ludwig noted how his hands and lips moved with passion, feeling a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He was switfly snapped out of his daydreaming again when seeing a rather lanky arm similar to Feliciano's own find it's way around his neck as he played. He looked up at the newcomer, finding him to be of similar appearance and physique to Feliciano. His eyebrows felt exhausted at how surprised he was during this night, both raised at the Bard's counterpart. He had a dark, drunk fluster across his cheeks as he sang sloppily along with him,

"Come ogni politico lui sta vicino agli elettori..." The drunk one seemed to have very little distinguished features to Feliciano, though the most obvious being his significantly deeper voice.

"Ma non vota Prodi e nemmeno Berlusconi!" The two sang together in harmony, though Ludwig furrowed his brow at the Bard's perfectly angelic-like voice being disturbed by a not-so-majestic accomplice. Rolling his eyes and releasing a pent up sigh he slid a few coins over the table toward Feliciano, watching him trap them under his hand quickly before returning to strum his guitar.

He watched the swift movement of his hand, the quick rolling of his tongue that formed the beautiful words that were nothing but gibberish to his German tuned ears. His lips were pale and soft, a few wisps of brunette resting over his closed eyes which he had yet to witness seeing.

After a long period of time, the song broke off, the clapping draining from the room and being followed with drunken cheers. Antonio – from Ludwig's understanding – grabbed the strangely alike tipsy man from around the Bard's neck and took him back to his own stool, the drunken man protesting. Ludwig drew his attention back to Feliciano, who had one leg huddled up against his guitar while extending his arm to fiddle with his turning pegs before momentarily pausing and shuffling forward to sling it back across his back.

"So where are you from?"

When Ludwig engaged conversation they talked for what seemed like hours, laughing and Feliciano even commenting on his smile saying 'how handsome it was' and 'that's the brightest I've seen you smile so far' which allowed a crimson blush to dust on his cheeks, the Italian commenting on that too which only furthered it. Though after finding out the time the Bard stood from his chair, stretching his arms upward which made Ludwig snigger; his small frame being no compare for anyone else's build here. The snigger caught Feliciano's attention, playfully letting his eyes roll and stick his tongue out which Ludwig, surprisingly, retuned the gesture.

"I should be going now or Grandpa will get mad most likely," A hearty, breathy chuckle followed that statement; grinning at the stranger, "It was nice speaking and playing for you Lud, maybe I'll come back here one day!" And with that he left, not letting Ludwig even thank him for his job or even question his last words – an extraordinary wave of disappointment shrouding his thoughts. It was suddenly silent for him, excluding all the loud shouting around him he suddenly felt...

Lonely.

That man was something.

.

"Bro? Why are you working...honestly take a break..." A hungover Gilbert dragged his boots across the floor, a clump of hair in his fist pushing into his head.

"Pick your feet up when you walk." Ludwig turned his head making Gilbert the subject to his scorn, returning his attention back to his work. Gilbert only sighed heavily and released his chalky hair from his grip, groaning all the while as he left the room which made the already agitated German leave his brow in a tight knot.

He managed to relax his face to his usual crease in his forehead. Ludwig suppressed a sigh, with the events of the morning so far soon fleeting he was left once more with himself and the harsh grinding of hammer against blade. The hilts of swords tugged at his rough leather gloves; almost even feeling the scorching heat through them. His lips hesitated, but he sighed, not wanting to give in to the boredom his work caused him. His eyes drifted to the window, his ears registering a faint trot. Ludwig isolated his work for a brief moment, grasping onto the numbing windowsill and clearing a circle in the frosty glass. He peered out the window, his eyes widening as he saw a familiar figure happily trotting on a ebony steed – he never forgot the man's name.

"Hey, Feliciano!" He bolted down the steps, almost slipping on their glacial coating. He stood in front of his horse making Feliciano's face bent into panic as he ceased further walking; earning an unamused huff from the horse.

"Oh, Hi Lud! You startled me and Jean it seems." His heart leapt at catching a glance of that huge, delightful grin, turning his attention to the Blacksmith to not mess up speaking. His lips hesitated when voicing a reply, however he managed it.

"Um, ye-yeah...Hi, where are you going?" He said, swallowing the blockage in his throat and connecting their eyes. Even under the misty shimmers of bitter frost, his eyes were still as vibrant as ever, holding their hazel colour and fading to a mousy brown. While Feliciano was stroking his stallions coat, he answered,

"Back home, sometime last night Grandpa and my Brother had already left – surprisingly Lovino left before me..." Ludwig had not a clue who this 'Lovino' was but he was betting a safe guess that it was the man who held his neck hostage for a short while during his performance the night before.

"You're not staying?.." A tint of disappointment showed through his voice, Feliciano noting it.

"I'm always looking for nice places to work, this was one of the best so far! You can expect to see me again, Lud." He tightened his grip on the reins, seeing the town gate not so far he kicked his heels in and let off in a canter.

"Feli!"

"Yeah?" Feliciano twisted back, smiling gratefully at the nickname.

"Call me Ludwig!"

"Alright, I'll be seeing you again, Ludwig!"

One shot for someone special to me who liked this AU, Thanks for reading & Reviews are appreciated!

(This was the song: watch?v=xbZIdoe1GX8&index=37 )