Request from Aly2840~! Hope you like it!!

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"______! Didn't I tell you? Isn't Gauken wonderful?"

You stumbled behind your longtime best friend, Feliciano Vargas. He was introducing you to your new school, Gauken high. Man, it was HUGE! You never could afford upscale schools like this, but on some miraculous turn of events, your grades and Feli's help convinced the principal, Aldrich Beilschmidt to grant you admission to Gauken high. So far, you went through all the hallways Feli dragged you through, not complaining one bit at his adorable enthusiasm.

"And here is the shooting range..." Feli stated, gesturing toward the field with all the rifles stacked in one open shed, where a man with shoulder-length blonde hair was standing, loading one of them.

"That's Vash... he's a little scary, but he's nice to women. He's very protective."

You nodded, and then felt your little Italian friend jerk your arm in another direction. He started laughing as he ran towards two people. One was small and black-haired. His eyes were a soulless brown, but they managed to stay kind. He was accompanied by a man of large stature and build. He seemed scary at first, but you couldn't help but notice the gorgeous shade of blue his eyes were. He had slicked back blonde hair and held a backpack in his hands. Feli cheered.

"Ah! Ludwig! Thank you so much for getting my bag! I forgot it in science... But I had to show _________ here the school! By order of the principal."

Ludwig, the one with the bag, handed it over to Feli, all the while keeping his eyes on you. You started to feel a little self-conscious, but finally Ludwig broke the silence.

"Guten Tag, ________. I've been hearing lots of unnecessary comments from Feli about you."

You didn't know whether or not to take that as an insult or a compliment.

"U-Uhh... thank you." you muttered softly.

The black-haired man spoke up this time and flashed a small smile at you. "Finally we meet the famed _______. It's nice to meet you. I am Kiku Honda." You smiled in his direction.

"What do you mean 'finally'?"

-----Flashback------

Feliciano came home from school with Ludwig and Kiku following for a study session. Feli was ecstatic. ________ was finally enrolled in Gauken! He worked so hard to get his shy friend in a good school. Her parents weren't the wealthiest, and Feli thought she deserved more than she had, being such the adorable sweet girl she was.

"_________ is finally joining Gauken! Hopefully I can show her around! She's so smart and kind and sweet, I can't even put into words how great of a friend she is!" Feli gushed.

"Feliciano! Quit it with your mushy talk! You've been going on about this girl the entire walk home!" Ludwig snapped, getting tired of Feli's shit.

"Oh, but Ludwig! ________ is so wonderful! You'd like her! She's really dedicated and tenacious, ready to work at whatever it takes to get where she needs to! You always complain about how useless I am, so she'll be a change of pace. Plus, she'll have most classes with us as well, so it's all good! Let's eat some pasta, shall we?"

"Feliciano-san, we need to study." Kiki reminded him.

Ludwig sighed. "I hope you're right, Feli. It'll be nice to get away from your constant complications. Tell me more about her. Does she live in this neighborhood?"

Feli choked on the newly poured milk he got for himself. "U-Uh.... I'm not really supposed to tell...." He stuttered, afraid of what Ludwig will say.

"Just tell me."

"It's not my story to tell...!"

Kiku exhaled. "Well, Mister Ludwig, you cannot argue with Feli when he's making a wise decision."

The blonde German nodded. "You have a point, Kiku."

Feli rubbed the back of his neck. You asked him specifically not to tell anyone about your family's predicament, and he was set on keeping that promise. "S-so... pasta, shall we?"

"Yes." Ludwig and Kiku said in unison.

----Back to present-----

Ludwig was most certainly intrigued in your story. Feli actually stood up to tell him no to something, so your past was an object of interest. He eyed you. You were wearing the uniform, red checkered jumper, white shirt underneath with a black bow tie, and a khaki cardigan draped across your arms. You had an old, outdated backpack like the ones you saw in old shojo animes. It was your father's old leather breifcase that he owned seven years ago. It was fraying at the edges and some patches were fading away with time. Your knee-high socks were an old eggshell color, and your shoes looked painfully small. Today, your (h/c) (h/l) locks were braided down your shoulders, and your wispy bangs hung over your (e/c) orbs. You peered back at Ludwig. For some reason, he wouldn't look away, which made you sweat a little. Feli took your slightly sore arm and brought you over to the two.

"Kiku and Ludwig are my best friends! They are super nice, and I know you'll get along with them well too, ______!" He smiled. You grinned back. Far off back by the corridors, a faint ring of a bell sounded.

"Looks like its time for lunch! You can sit with us!" Feli beamed, dragging you and the rest to the large cafeteria.

----Timeskip to lunch-------

You were settled on a rectangular table where Ludwig sat across from you, Kiku sat next to Ludwig, and Feli sat next to you. They had already paid for their food and ate their own individual foods from their home countries. Japan had pickled plum riceballs, Ludwig had sausage and schnitzel, and Feli had- yep, you guessed it- pasta with meatballs.

Seeing their luxurious dishes, you felt almost guilty when you pulled a brown paper bag from your backpack. It was torn a little, no doubt from Feliciano dragging you this way and that. All three of the men watched as you pulled out a ham sandwich, apple and a small bottle of water. You hated it. Being just a notch above the poverty line. It sickened you.

You said nothing as you bit into the stale bread and the warm meat. The apple was bruised, but all your apples were. The water was okay, though you wished there was a nearby water fountain that would let you refill it. The entire lunch period was spent sitting through an awkward silence as Kiku and Ludwig came to light that you weren't the richest of people. You were about to excuse yourself when you felt a hand on your shoulder.

"Kesesesese~ Hallo, liebe. Why are you sitting with mien bruder when you can be sitting with me und mien freunds?"

You turned in your seat to see captivating red eyes staring into your soul. Behind this albino man were two others. One with long blonde hair and slight stubble, and another tan man with chocolate brown hair and a happy expression.

"U-Um... They're my friends!" You stuttered at this guy's closeness. You could feel his breath on your nose.

"Why? Luddie is so boring, and Feli is adorable but dumber than a sack of potatoes. Kiku's pretty smart, I'll give him that, but they pale in comparison to our awesomeness!" the white-haired man announced.

"Gilbert, leave her alone. She doesn't want to be bothered by your idiotic rants." Ludwig snapped, firmly telling his brother to fuck off.

"Aw, Luddie is defending her! Antonio, doesn't that make your heart flutter?" He drawled sarcastically.

Antonio nodded vigorously, obviously not getting the hint of fake concern. "Si! The chica is very pretty, so I don't blame him~!"

Ludwig scoffed. "Just go away! You're not wanted here!"

Feli was cowering under the blonde-headed man's ominous touch. "Francis... why are you looking at me like that...?" the small Italian squeaked.

"Ohonhonhon, no reason whatsoever, Feli~" Francis answered.

Gilbert casually slung his arms over your shoulders, snuggling his cheekbone into yours. "Is that a brown paper bag? Surely a person as beautiful as you doesn't /bring/ their lunch to school! Pah! Liebe... you're a cute one!" He laughed. Antonio, the man with the curly brown hair patted your hair and Francis decided it would be nice to take the end of your braid and lift it to his lips while he displayed a smug, blissful smile on his face.

Kiku sensed the mood and refrained from speaking, while Feli tried to make them go away, but to no avail. "Guys! I-I don't think _____ wants you guys smothering her like that!" He tried, but when Gilbert shot him a dirty look, he cringed and cowered under his chair.

You attempted to wave them off with a flick of your wrists, but Gilbert's hold on you wasn't letting that happen. You started struggling under his grip, until you heard a screech from the chair in front of you. Ludwig got up and plucked Gilbert from you with his index finger and his thumb. Instantly, Antonio and Francis backed away.

"Bruder, I suggest you leave miss _______ alone, or you'll have to deal with me later." He threatened darkly.

Gilbert pouted. "Aw, you're no fun! Fine then, c'mon guys lets go sit and eat somewhere else where mien bruder won't be a killjoy."

And with that, they walked off.

Ludwig turned to face you. "Sorry about that. He gets rather impulsive sometimes. I think it's his ego going to his head. But he is my bruder and I have to deal with him."

You looked up admirably into  Ludwig's ocean eyes. "Wow! T-Thanks so much! You were fantastic!" You smiled and thanked him by giving Ludwig a big embrace. He seemed hesitant at first, but he couldn't resist and wrapped his arms around you.

You felt his gentle, yet crushing muscle under his blue blazer. You felt your face heat up, but did the best to hide your embarrassment. From that point on, you knew you were going to have more flushed cheeks around Ludwig.

----Timeskip (Fabulous, right~?)----

Your first week at Gauken was most incredible. In science, you and Feli "accidentally" blew up a few concoctions, to only get reprimanded by Ludwig afterwards. Friday rolled around and you were walking home. Feli, Kiku, and Ludwig all lived in the same neighborhood just outside of school, and you had to take the bus home. Feli offered to give you a ride, but you knew that wasn't going to work out. You just made friends and although Feli knew about your family's financial problems, Ludwig did not, and you couldn't risk your friendship for anything. Ludwig was growing on you. He frightened some, but you could tell he was only doing it for the greater good. If everyone fooled around, nothing would get done, and if nothing would get done, there would be absolute chaos. He was so adorable sometimes, especially when he had little slip-ups in his wording and Feli would giggle and he'd get angry about it.

Which is precisely why you didn't want anyone to know why you were in a rich school but you were a poor person. They wouldn't understand. Your parents worked overtime each day to try and make ends meet, and you'd come home to an empty house (more like a shack) and eat alone and never see your parents unless they were running late in the morning.

You were dropped off at the last bus stop that was about a mile away from your real house, and the location was outside an esteemed high-end gated community called 'Everwoods'. You looked at the shiny marble sign that was positioned at the entrance. As you walked by, you caught a glimpse of a cherry-red ferrari heading into the neighborhood. You started walking home on the sidewalk.

---Timeskip to house (Sheezus I have a lot of timeskips, don't I?)---

You approached your small, brick house and inserted the key into the lock. Sun was about to set, and you were exhausted from walking for a solid thirty minutes. You slumped down on the small, rickety old cloth couch and refused to turn on your 30" T.V. The lights were flickering, which meant that the light bill hadn't been paid yet. You sighed. You tried to convince your parents to let you get a job to help pay for everything, but you did have a job once, and your grades started to slip with every hour that was added onto your schedule. Now, you were helpless, and often alone. You closed off you heart so that when you realize when you /do/ eventually get evicted, you'd at least not feel anything from it.

*BRIIIINGGGG!!! BRINNNNGGGGG!!!*

You jumped at the sudden noise. It was the house phone. Huh. Nobody ever called, well unless if you count the bill-collectors and the landlord. You hesitantly picked up the receiver before curling the waxy wire in your finger.

"Hello...? (l/n) residence, _______ speaking."

"______? Hi... Um... It's Ludwig-"

Your heart skipped a beat.

"-So, Feliciano was having this party later on tomorrow night, and he wanted to know if you wanted to attend. He had to do something, so he made me call you. I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

You froze. The silence echoed eerily around your abandoned house. Suddenly, you felt the urge to break down and cry, but Ludwig's voice at the other end of the phone forbade you to do so. Nothing, absolutely nothing, should be given away about your state. Nothing.

"_-______? Are you still there...?"

You gulped before saying, "Umm... tell... tell Feli that I'll be there."

"Alright... _______? Is there... is there anything wrong?"

You felt the tears revolting up into your eyes. You started to choke up, and barely made out "Yeah, fine."

"Um... If you don't mind me asking, in what neighborhood do you live in? Because Feli was driving his car to Alfred's house earlier and I swear I saw you walking... by Everwoods. Do you know what I'm talking about?"

Your breath caught in your throat. You stuttered out, "N-NO!" before slamming the receiver violently against the dock. The hot tears started to overflow. No. You couldn't cry now. You've already endured this your entire life. You only had (how many years it is until you turn 18) years until you could move out and try to start anew. But even so, you prepared for the worst. Without dinner, you miserably stalked off to turn in early.

----Next morning----

A sharp hiss of the house phone woke you from your rickety old iron bed. Thrusting the sheets aside, you feared for the landlords or someone to that extent, but to your relief, it wasn't.

"Ve~! _________! Hey, I'm going to pick you up, is that alright? I don't want you sitting in the house alone before my party!"

You gulped at Feli's happy voice. "Eh, Feli, you woke me up... Fine, I'll get dressed. But please, don't bring anyone with you, okay?"

"Yes ma'am! I know!" He replied cheerfully. "I just don't want you to be bored. It must be so lonely in your house. Eh? Oh sorry Ludwig is calling me. I'll be over in a few!"

You hung up and decided to get dressed. You had to wash your clothes out by the creek behind your backyard, since the water was cut off in some rooms. But you dug out a relatively clean violet t-shirt with "I Believe In Sherlock Holmes" written on it. You were a fan of the BBC show. Then, you pulled on some jeans and your old, tight sneakers and brushed your hair. Halfway through, you gave up and put it in a messy ponytail, saying rather dully, "What's the point? It'll just get messy again."

A feeble knock on your door alerted you that Feli was already there. With a look at the kitchen, you disregarded food. You weren't in the mood. After crying all night, you felt tired and bloated. You'd eat at Feli's place.

You proceeded to the chipping, wooden door and opened it. You saw a guilty-looking Feli standing with an irritated-looking Ludwig behind him.

You and Ludwig made eye contact. He was here. /HERE/ of all places.

Why...?

The tears started coming up again.

God, why?

You shot a look of betrayal to Feli. He opened his mouth to explain. "Bella! Please, wait!"

But no, you were already bustling down your hallway to your room. You tried to lock it, but the tiny, wobbly lock didn't work. Hearing Feli's chocked sobs and Ludwig's calls from your living room, you started stacking furniture against your door.

The one dresser you had, your small chair, and trunk full of oddities that your grandmother gave you before she passed away. It was pretty heavy, but you doubted it would hold Ludwig and Feli off. Tears already cascading down your face, you stumbled into your closet and closed the door. Huddling behind some coats and a small stationary holder, you hugged your knees and silently wept.

"Bella! Bella, please! I'm sorry! Ludwig, he... he wanted to come see your house! I told him no, but he didn't take no for an answer! He said you weren't feeling well last night, so I let him come, but! It was because he was worried about you! I was worried about you too! Please! Please open up!" Feli pleaded, tormented. You didn't hear Ludwig say anything.

God. Did he hate you now? His grandfather was the principal, so he probably didn't want to mix with poor peasants like yourself.

Suddenly, your door pushed open slightly, then inched a little more. You froze. Of course. Nothing would yield them into getting you.

The closet doors opened, and Ludwig brashly took you out and embraced you. You didn't know why, but you burst into tears again and hugged back. Maybe the reason for this was because it might be the last time you actually could get to hug him. Feli started bawling and came up and hugged you from behind you, sandwich-hugged you in between Ludwig and himself.

"_________... Please don't run off. What's wrong?" Ludwig asked.

Huh?

"... You still want to be my friend...?" You asked, wiping the tears from your eyes.

He trailed his thumb down your cheek and nodded, "Well, yes. Why would you ask such a ridiculous question? I... I like you. A lot."

Your heart melted. Were you hearing him right? After seeing your shithole of a house, your gross clothes, he still wanted to be friends? This rich demigod still wanted to be your acquaintance? You didn't know what you were hearing.

"B-But, my house... and clothes... I'm not worthy of a person like you." You muttered depressedly.

"Actually, I think your house and clothes have some character to it."

Your eyes snapped open. Did Ludwig really say this? Yes... he did! You had to be in a coma. It was impossible.

Ludwig held one of your hands, intertwining them, while Feli grabbed your other hand and led you out of the house.

When you arrived at Feli's house, Gilbert, Antonio, and Francis were sitting in the lavish kitchen and when they saw you, they grinned ear-to-ear.

"_________!"

----Afterward----

The night consisted everyone watching dumb movies and eating as much junk food as their bodies permitted. At the end of it all, Feli fell asleep first, then Francis, Antonio, Gilbert, then you. Ludwig stayed wide awake.

He gazed down at you. You were slumbering on his chest on the couch and the serene look you had made him grin that soft way only some rarely got to see.

"Shiesse, ________... You're so troublesome." He leaned down slightly and gave you a soft, yet sweet kiss on the forehead.

In your sleep, you stirred and smiled, cuddling closer to Ludwig's warm, rumbling chest, sleeping to the sound of his heartbeat.

"You're troublesome, but I have to say..." He continued, "I love you. So much."