GerUk/GerEng Collection

A Very Self Indulgent GerEng Fic Because I'm Done Exams

It was exam season once more, meaning a lot of stress, coffee, and sleepless nights for Ludwig. Arthur never understood why Ludwig seemed to get so worked up about it. Of course, Arthur had his own stresses when it came to exams, but Ludwig seemed to take it to a whole new level. Whenever exam season rolled around, you could never find Ludwig without his nose in a textbook or his notes, and that wasn't an exaggeration. From early in the morning to late at night, Ludwig would spend his whole time studying whenever he wasn't in class. It exhausted Arthur just watching him. As expected, it took a great toll on him to keep up with such a demanding schedule. He became snappier, he would shut himself up in his room for hours to the point Arthur had started bringing him food and water, or else he wouldn't eat or drink. The few times he would take a break, he would fight to stay awake.

After about a week of this poor behaviour, Arthur couldn't let his roommate go on like this for two more weeks. Studying was important, but this was too much. Arthur made it his duty to make sure Ludwig took breaks, ate properly, and got somewhat of a consistent sleep schedule.

However, as their exams inched closer, Arthur had to turn to his own studies, and thus he had to trust Ludwig to keep up with the breaks while occasionally providing a reminder.

On the day of his final exam, Arthur had asked Ludwig to break just before he set off. Ludwig had promised to do so after finishing the chapter he was on. Arthur had wanted to argue and hide all of Ludwig's books until he came back, knowing Ludwig was already well prepared for his next exam, but he didn't. Instead, he took Ludwig's word for it and left with a final reminder to take a break soon.

He returned hours later with lunch. Arthur let out a relieved sigh as he placed his bag down next to the couch. Finally done with his second year; only two more to go. His happiness was short-lived however when he spotted Ludwig at the kitchen table. Hadn't he told Ludwig to take a break before he left? But there his roommate lay, appearing not to have moved from that spot for two hours. Arthur wasn't surprised though. Someone would have to be breathing down Ludwig's neck to get him to stop working so hard.

"Ludwig," Arthur whispered, placing a hand on Ludwig's shoulder. He shook it slightly. "Hey... I can't have you sleeping at the kitchen table."

Ludwig grunted in his sleep. With another sigh, Arthur seated himself next to Ludwig, admiring the sleeping man. Ludwig's hair had long been undone from its usual slicked back style, and his normally creased brows were finally at rest, giving him a more disheveled and youthful appearance. It made Arthur's heart skip a beat. For a moment, he just rested his head against the table and watched as Ludwig breathed slowly in and out. Who knew the next time Ludwig would be this at ease. Without thinking, Arthur reached out and brushed back Ludwig's bangs to get a better look at his face.

"Arthur," Ludwig mumbled, eyes cracking open ever so slightly.

The Brit quickly pulled his hand back. "Good you're up," Arthur said calmly, though the faint pink on his cheeks would have surely given him away if Ludwig wasn't half asleep. "Let's get you to bed."

Ludwig got up from the table and blinked slowly, still not fully awake. It was adorable really, and Arthur used all his will not to laugh. He followed Ludwig towards their rooms, a steady hand on his back, ready at a moment's notice to catch Ludwig if he stumbled.

"I thought I told you to rest," Arthur chastised.

"Sorry..." Ludwig mumbled.

"Exhausting yourself like this won't help, and you know it."

"I know...I guess I'm just nervous."

Arthur guided Ludwig onto the bed and tucked him in, desperately trying to ignore how intimate this was and his the feeling of his heart pounding against his ribs. "You don't need to be. When are you going to realize just how amazing you are?"

Ludwig's eyes widened, his cheeks flushing a dark shade of red. Arthur felt his own cheeks heat up when he realized how honest he had just been.

"You think I'm amazing?" Ludwig breathed.

"Y-Yes. Of course."

"Oh..."

Then it became quiet. Though Arthur really wanted to look away, get up and leave, so Ludwig could rest and so he himself wouldn't feel awkward anymore. But Ludwig's light blue eyes seemed to shine despite the dimness of the room, and Arthur became trapped staring into them. It would be so easy to just lean in and...

"Arthur?" Ludwig called, snapping the Brit out of his daze.

"Hmm?"

"Would you like to go out to dinner tonight? Maybe that would be a good distraction for me, and we can celebrate your last exam."

Arthur gave him a small smile. "That sounds lovely. But for right now, try to rest a bit more."

Ludwig sighed but nodded. "Thank you," he murmured, "For looking out for me."

"Anytime," Arthur replied before quietly closing the door and heading back into the kitchen.