A-Z German Brothers

R: Remember

R: Remember

Ludwig and Gil were in the midst of a heated argument. Ludwig was screaming loud enough that the vein in his forehead was popping. Gil had a less deep voice but he was equally as angry, yelling back at his younger brother.

Ludwig had grown sick of Gil, sick of his brother freeloading. While normally he would not say anything, he had just snapped. He really did love his brother and never would turn him away. A long day of his boss screaming, then coming home to a mess and no dinner, at seven at night had just snapped his temper.

Gil could very well have cooked dinner. Though, whenever he did he made a grand mess and Ludwig scolded him about it all through their meal. So he just did not cook, the blonde was too fastidious. A simple thank you would not kill him would it? Gil was pissed about being underappreciated. Freeloading? He did a lot Ludwig never knew about. He walked the dogs, groomed them, made sure both the dogs and himself had food. He made sure they had cold beer, he often did the bills too, because Ludwig often forgot them under the other piles of work. He might make it seem like he did nothing all day long but he really did a lot.

"YOU ARE A LAZY OLD FOOL. YOU DI NOTHING IN THIS HOUSE WHILE I GO AND WORK ALL DAMN DAY. YOU ARE MY BROTHER GILBERT NOT ANOTHER DOG. DO SOMETHING USEFUL!"

On any other day Ludwig would have known better than to call Gilbert useless. He knew that was a low blow to his brother. His brother that he loved very much.

Gil glared back, words stinging his pride and heart.

"LAZY? YOU THINK THESE BILL JUST PAY THEMSELVES? MAKING MONEY DOES END THE PROBOLEM. YOU THINK THE DOGS ARE HAPPY AND CONTENT TO JUST Lie HERE ALL DAY? I WALK THEM! YOU THINK FOOD AND BEER JUST MAGICALLY APPER IN THE FRIDGE? LUDWIG WHAT THE HELL DO YOU ACTUALLY DO AROUND THE HOUSE?"

That was how their argument went. Finally the two had screamed themselves hoarse and had nothing more to say. But a lot had already been said, many things that perhaps should never have been uttered.

The two stood in the room, backs to each other, arms cross. After the yelling it was deathly silent in the room. Uncomfortable, stifling silence. The quiet began to suffocate the, but neither would leave.

Finally Gil spoke up and muttered "Remember when you were little...and you were afraid to even talk? It took me forever to get you to speak to anyone, and even then you told most things only to me."

"I do..." Ludwig said quietly, his tense shoulders slumping a bit "I remember you leaving to. You always left to go fight wars...I was so lonely without you there you know."

Gil sighed, the silence slowly melting away, the rage slipping away "I had to go...you know I hated doing it."

Ludwig nodded "You would tell me these fantastic stories too...ones I could not find anywhere. The library did not have a better action story. The awesome knight was my favorite."

Gil chuckled softly "You would not go to sleep unless I told you a story. You were a stubborn little boy."

Ludwig smirked just a bit "Now where do you think I go that trait from?"

Gil turned and looked at him, faint smile on his lips "Are you implying that I am stubborn?"

Ludwig looked at him "Not at all."

Gil rolled his eyes, looking up at his younger brother "I remember when you were smaller...just a little runt with weak spindly arms. You barely could swing a sword. Now look, a good few inches taller than me...and much stronger too."

Ludwig shrugged "It happens....but hey I remember you telling me this would happen."

Gil raised his eyebrow

"You told me that one day I would to be a big and powerful country. You told me that I would be somebody important. You told me I would win wars; I would live on forever in a blaze of glory. I would too one day help people and protect my family, even in combat...though I fucked that part up pretty good."

Gil shifted a little closer "Only partly Ludwig, only partly. Otherwise you have lived up to your expectations and gone beyond them. I am proud of you. Proud of the little lost boy I found wandering around in a field. You were so needy...and you had those big begging blue eyes, harder to turn away than a puppy."

Ludwig blushed a little bit "I was not a puppy and I rarely begged."

Gil laughed "Rarely begged? I was begged not to leave for war, I was begged to come back quickly, I was begged to teach your horseback riding and sword fighting. I was begged to tell you bed time stories, and to let you sleep in my bed too. First for thunderstorms, then just because you wanted too."

Ludwig blushed darker and huffed "Pretty sure my room was drafty..."

Gil rolled his eyes but smiled fondly remembering the memories of his little brother. They had grown so close...and they were still close.

Ludwig then did something that surprised Gil. He blushed and looked down and muttered "I am sorry Gil."

He nodded "I am too."

After a brief silence Ludwig muttered even quieter "Just one last time...could I sleep in bed with you?" he pointed to the window. It had begun to rain, and lightening flickered in the darkness.

Gil had never known when he left for war if he would come back, or if he would come back to Ludwig. One day he did come back and his little brother had grown into a young man, who was independent, who did not want bedtime stories or to share a bed. He never really had a 'last time'

So he nodded and agreed. Ludwig felt about the same. He had wanted to share his bed with Gil but then Gil was gone, and by the time he came back he was out of that phase. So this was nice. A final time.

Both changed for bed and soon both lay in darkness, curled up into Gil's thick comforter. Neither thought it was awkward. And no one else would ever know about this.

It was unspoken, but Gilbert knew very well in the morning Ludwig would act like it never happened. Both would remember it, and remember it happily. But it might as well have been a dream, for matters of age and pride rendered it unspeakable.

Yet Gil found as he fell asleep, he really did not mind. He would remember it, and that was good enough.

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