Sleeping GerIta one-shots

Sleepy - Germany

It was not often that Ludwig could be caught dozing off.

Feliciano had lived with the man for decades, nearing a century, and the occasions were few and far between that he found the blonde falling asleep on the job. But that just made it all the more heart-melting when it did occur.

It would start with a slowdown.

If Ludwig was doing paperwork, his hand gradually moved smaller distances in longer periods of time, until his normally neat penmanship was reduced to little more than light scribbles.

If he was reading, his eyes drifted closed millimeter by millimeter, until he found himself dazedly blinking them back open, rereading a line he had already seen half a dozen times but still could not comprehend.

If he was speaking, the words came only after great pause, often picking up not where they had left off, but rather several sentences further into the topic, unaware that the missing words had not materialized beyond thoughts.

If he were petting the dogs or stroking Feliciano's hair, eventually he was merely resting his palm against the warmth, fingers lost halfway through the motion and half-slipping out of thick fur or auburn locks.

His head would nod, inching towards his chest with the stealth and decisiveness of a military siege. His face would relax, frown softening and eyes fluttering, rolling. His body shifted, to something finally close to at ease (because even when wound down, Ludwig was in textbook-perfect posturing and positioning, seemingly in competition with himself over the science of putting his feet up – figuratively only, of course).

He would fight it until his very last nerve ending had slipped into sleep, trying his best to stay wakeful and alert, attuned to whatever task he had been trying to complete before exhaustion threatened to overtake him. But in the end, even he could not overcome himself.

Watching a tired Ludwig drift into sleep was one of the most lovely sights Feliciano was rewarded with. It was made all the better by his own ability to reposition his love comfortably, and then curl up into his side, falling asleep himself to the soft sounds of his darling's snores.

He was content in their love.