Let's Sail the Skies, Mein Bruder! [Gil/Lud/Rod]

[Gilbert Weillschmidt]

A wide grin graced Gilbert's lips as he triumphantly slipped down the entry ramp of Roderich's ship. Crimson eyes glinted happily in the sunlight before being hidden beneath the folds of of the cloak he was currently using to hide his face and body. As much as he adored the country of Germany, it was much too close and far too friendly with their neighbor, Austria, for his liking. While he hadn't taken the time to look around and see if there were wanted posters asking for the heads of himself or Roderich, the means of silent alert that the army use for communication were far too risky to allow. Showing his face meant risking Roderich's safety and, given where he was going, the well-being of another as well.

It had taken him almost a week to convince the Austrian that returning to the Germanic countries wouldn't risk their safety, and he wasn't going to waste the time that he had. While letters were good for communication, there was only so far that Gilbert was willing to allow between himself and his beloved little brother before he took a stand. If he was going to be on the run, then Ludwig deserved to know, and there was a mechanic anywhere the Prussian would be more willing to allow to join the crew aboard his master's ship. Even though letters he could tell the younger had grown up to be brilliant, and it was difficult hiding the small jump to his step as he quickly hurried toward an address he'd been given long ago.

Kesesesesese... He won't be expecting me at all. As he took the final turn around the street that would lead to the mechanical shop Ludwig owned, a wave of nausea suddenly hit him. What if his brother didn't want anything to do with him beyond written letter? What if he blamed him for abandoning the other for leaving when they were children? He'd loved his little brother, he still did, and when they were young, there was nowhere Gilbert would go without the other at his side. But now... now...

Shaking his head, the albino pushed back the doubts. He couldn't afford them now. He was awesome after all, right? Who would reject him? The once confident grin weakened into something meek as he fought the urge to laugh at his own pathetic pep-talk. Still, he couldn't turn back now, and knowing that Ludwig was only a few short feet away worked as the final working factor that allowed him to step through the door and shut it behind him, lowering the cloak's hood. "Guten tag!" he called into the shop, "I'm looking for Ludwig!"

[Ludwig Weillschmidt]

The day had dawned cool and clear, and as he usually did, Ludwig had woken with the sun to get an early start. After his jog around the neighborhood (that always tended to garner a few curious stares, despite the fact that he'd stopped to explain his reasons several times), he returned to his apartment to cook himself a quick breakfast and to get cleaned up. It was a fairly modest existence, and in some ways Ludwig felt a little grateful not to have many friends in the city; his apartment was far too tiny to invite guests over. But word of his business had been slowly spreading around the area, and if things stayed that way, he'd be able to afford a nicer place soon.

By the time Ludwig had cleaned up and started walking to work, the city had finally begun to really wake up: shopkeepers were opening the shutters of their stores, businessmen toting briefcases hurried past him, and above, the first airships had started to cross the sky. It felt good to be part of something busy, and Ludwig opened his own business in a good mood. It proved to be a lucky break, as he'd been working nonstop since that point.

Currently, he was lying under the chassis of a steam-powered car, a fine piece of machinery that its owner had over-used and worn down exceptionally quickly. Ludwig honestly couldn't blame the man - if he'd owned something that nice, he'd probably drive it everywhere too, but it wasn't entirely pleasant to have chunks of dirt and rock falling all over him as he took all of the components apart.

"Where exactly was he driving this thing," Ludwig muttered quietly to himself, wiping some sweat from his forehead and setting yet another filthy conduit aside to be cleaned and fixed up. At the very least, Ludwig reassured himself, this job would mean more business; anyone who could afford such a nice car obviously had connections. So of course, he wanted to do the best and most thorough job that he could - as if he didn't already work that way, but this time, he'd take extra care just to make sure. The clanking and noises from under the machine kept Ludwig from hearing the bell attached to the customer door of his shop ringing, and he didn't realize anyone had actually arrived until the guest spoke.

"Guten tag! I'm looking for Ludwig!"

"Ahh- just a moment!" Ludwig called back, extricating himself from under the car and dusting his clothes off, before heading towards the front of the shop to greet the man. "What can I--" Despite the years that had passed, it took Ludwig no time at all to recognize who had arrived: those red eyes were unmistakable, even now.

"Gilbert!!" In a split-second, he'd crossed the room and tackled the other man in a tight hug. After a moment, he released the other and stood back to have a better look at him. The albino man was still as lanky as ever, and Ludwig realized with some surprise that he'd grown a little taller than his elder brother. But Gilbert looked healthy and in good spirits, and that made Ludwig flash a rare, relieved smile. The knowledge Gilbert had imparted in his "disappearance letter" still stung Ludwig's heart whenever he recalled it, and it made him happier than anything to see that Gilbert was obviously doing well. After a moment, he gave in and hugged Gilbert tightly again. "Where have you been all this time? How've you been doing? Are you going to stay here for a while?"

[Gilbert Weillschmidt]

A small cry of surprised tumbled from Gilbert's lips as he felt a large force slam into his front. His first instinct had been to shrink back, to get out of the position as quickly as possible and run. Since his time in imprisonment with the Russians, the albino had never taken well to human contact. Roderich, oddly enough, had been the one exception and given where their relationship currently was, he was grateful for that. Still, the fight or flight instinct brought Gilbert's hands to his brother's shoulders and, for a brief moment, he truly though he was going to shove the other away... but the older brother within him won the internal struggle and his arms wound themselves around Ludwig's broad shoulders. He had missed his younger brother dearly, and, like with Roderich, affection had pushed back the mental walls he'd created.

"Ludo..." he muttered quietly, beaming as the German pulled back. The younger looked strong and healthy, which was already more than the Prussian could have asked for. "You look awesome, Ludo," he said with a grin, ruffling the others hair. "And damn, it looks like you finally beat me. You've gotten pretty damn tall--and damn. Your arms are thicker than my hand. But the awesome me could still beat you in arm wrestling. Don't let the twigs fool you." A hand lingered on the blond's cheek for a moment as he looked his brother up and down, relief shooting through him as he realised that, despite his fears, Ludwig was perfectly alright. He had a life here, and for the most part, he looked happy. Did he really have any right to take that away? To even ask for him to give it up?

"I've been pretty awesome myself. Things have been better, but we've been managing... and I've been with Roddy, you dork." Another wide grin split across Gilbert's features, "Haven't you been paying attention to my letters? He's the young noble I work for and recently..." he blushed, clearing his throat. "Ah... you... got the last letter... I'm sure."

Sighing, the Prussian moved further into the shop and sat down in a nearby chair. The rush of joy upon seeing the other had started to fade and the seriousness of his situation set in. He had come here for a reason, and he knew it. Still, Ludwig looked happy. He didn't want to ruin that or make the German make a choice between the things he cared about. But the lingering question of if he'd be staying or not was forcing him to confront the reason faster than he'd wanted to. "Well..." Biting his lip, Gilbert sighed again and shut his eyes. He'd just have to say it.

"I need you to listen..." Without allowing himself time to stall or change his mind, Gilbert launched into an explanation of everything that had happened in the past few weeks from the attack on Roderich's mansion to the ship itself and why they were being chased to brunette's injuries and treatments from the doctor and finally to where he sat now in the shop. "...So I can't stay here long. We're gathering a crew slowly and so far we've got two doctors and a few normal crew members. There's a few cooks and I play captain's aid and weapons master... but we need to find a navigator and..." he paused, "...a good mechanic. The idiots on the ship don't know what they're doing alone and they need someone to lead them."

Leaning back in the chair, the albino regarded Ludwig with a tired look. "I... came to invite you on the ship as head mechanic. I'm not so unawesome or obsessed that I'd make you do this. You... have a life here, and I'd never make you give it all up for me. Just... after I leave--we're gone by Friday, two days--I don't... know if I'll ever be able to come back. So I wanted... to let you choose. I didn't think it was fair to say a farewell in a letter without coming here to ask you face to face. I... your my brother, Ludwig. I love you... more than I can explain... and I'd want you to come, but... ja. You choose."

[Ludwig Weillschmidt]

For a moment, when it felt like Gilbert tried to pull away from him, Ludwig briefly panicked, wondering if he'd upset his brother or, more stupidly and fearfully, if this wasn't actually his brother at all, just another albino man that happened to look a whole lot like Gilbert. But then the other raised his arms and hugged him back, and Ludwig shut his eyes happily. It wasn't a dream, it wasn't a mistake -- Gilbert was actually here. He gave the other a slightly awkward grin as he got looked over, unconsciously reaching up to coax his hair back into place after the fluffing Gilbert had given it.

"You look good too, Bruder," he returned encouragingly. "I always get worried - especially when you talk about how awesome you are in your letters and not about whether or not you're staying healthy." He gave the other a very dry look, but couldn't hold it for long, and made a mental note to hold his brother to that arm wrestling challenge. And of course, he knew Gilbert had been with Roderich; the letters he'd received had been full of discussion about him, especially recently. Ludwig had been hoping for a more physical answer - maybe a place that he could visit, specifically.

"Of course I've been paying attention to your letters," he returned, "and I did get the last one, I think." It felt so unusual to see the other blushing; even though he'd rarely met Gilbert face-to-face, Ludwig knew that embarrassment wasn't a feeling that often came naturally to the silver-haired man. Gilbert had done Ludwig a favor by being so blunt about what had happened between him and the Austrian, because Ludwig was convinced he wouldn't have understood otherwise. "He seems like a decent man, he always has, from the way you wrote about him," he commented, hoping to get the other to feel less bashful about the whole thing. After everything he'd been through, Gilbert deserved to be happy.

In a way, his plan worked: the pink tint disappeared from his brother's cheeks, but what replaced it was instead a more uncomfortably serious look. Confused, Ludwig flipped the sign on the door to "Closed" before following Gilbert, perching himself on a stool in front of his workbench. He didn't even need to ask "What is it?"; his brother launched into an explanation immediately and soon, Ludwig felt as though he were listening to one of the fairy tales he'd read so often as a child. A secret left by a dead parent; a fantastic piece of new technology; a frantic chase from authorities on both sides; daring escapes and close calls at every turn. Ludwig listened raptly, completely missing the information Gilbert dropped about gathering a crew until he addressed him directly. His eyes quickly widened in surprise.

"Me? But..." Ludwig didn't know what to say. I'm not good enough, maybe? But even though he didn't like to brag, he knew he could handle an airship. I'm already settled here? It was kind of true... but Ludwig didn't honestly feel at home, even with his own apartment and shop. What you're doing is illegal? That struck a bit of a chord; Gilbert and his employer were technically on the run - did that mean if Ludwig joined them, he'd be some kind of criminal too? And the questions just kept coming. Ludwig didn't realize he'd been staring at the ground until his brother's next words jerked his gaze back up.

"Farewell? You're not--" But he had to - Gilbert had already spoken about how dangerous this whole trip had been. Feeling despair settling in his chest, Ludwig put a hand over his eyes, now hunched over on his stool. One the one hand, he'd be giving up the stability he'd built here - the business he'd been running, the people he'd been meeting, everything, to join the crew of a ship on the run from both the underworld and the military. On the other, though, he might never see his brother again, and although Gilbert hadn't mentioned the letters, the way he'd spoken the word "farewell" had a foreboding kind of finality to it - this was, possibly, the end of it all. For a while, Ludwig sat quietly in thought and then slowly, deliberately, straightened up; the hand drifted away from his eyes and he cleared his throat.

"I need to finish that," he indicated the car he'd been working on, in a quiet bur firm voice, "and I'll need all of my tools and some of the machines moved, as well as the things from my apartment. Another technician in the area made me an offer on the shop a while ago; I'll see if he's still interested." Ludwig paused, collecting his thoughts just to be sure he knew what he was doing. "I think all of that can be done in two days." After a moment, he gave a weak but sincere smile, "I've always wanted to see new places. And... I can always open another shop later."

[Gilbert Weillschmidt]

It had taken almost five minutes for Ludwig's proposal to sink in properly. His eyes widened slowly in shock as he stared blankly at his brother, mouth handing open slightly. Of all the answers he'd expected to receive, acceptance was the last. Part of him had been waiting for his brother to give him a hug goodbye and wish him luck; to tell him that he couldn't leave his life behind on such short notice and that he hoped everything went alright. But this... this...

"Are you sure?" Gilbert asked quietly, eying the other uneasily. "Ludo, you've got so much built up here. Are you... willing to just give all that up to follow me on a goose-chase? For all I know we'll be caught and killed." Despite the surprise in his voice, it was nearly impossible for the silverette to hide the thrill in his eyes. Traveling with Ludwig, regardless of circumstances, was something he never imagined he'd get the chance to do--let alone with Roderich as well. It was almost like a bizarre dream. One he really didn't want to wake up from if he was asleep.

Glancing at the car Ludwig had gestured to, Gilbert tossed his cloak back on the chair and moved to the car. "Nice ride, gotta say." He glanced back at his brother before kneeling down with interest. He couldn't claim to have had his brother's natural talent for all things mechanical, but he had watched the other closely as a child and took interest in almost anything he did. After all, Ludwig was his beloved younger brother. "You need help with this thing?" Gilbert grinned, "Need some help? I bet you could get it done quickly with the awesome me helping out."

[Ludwig Weillschmidt]

For a while, Ludwig didn't get a response from Gilbert, which worried him. Perhaps Gilbert hadn't heard him correctly? But just as he decided to repeat himself, his brother intervened. A wry look crossed his face, and he shook his head in response.

"I've been here for less than a year," he reminded the older man. "And my shop's doing tolerably well, but I wouldn't exactly say I've established myself. I doubt some of my neighbors would notice I'd left, actually." Ludwig had put thought into how dangerous (and illegal, he couldn't forget that part) this whole venture seemed. But therein lay the catch: from what Ludwig could tell, the only people Roderich owed anything to (the men after reimbursement for his father's debts) had been running an illegal business anyways. And while Ludwig respected the authority of the Military, killing a man over an airship without any pretense seemed pretty bold. If he was going to get himself involved in this kind of dangerous venture, he at least knew it was a worthy one.

"Of course I'm worried about getting caught and killed, things like that," Ludwig explained, looking anxious for a moment. "But do you really think that if something like that happened, that the Military wouldn't follow up on the leads - like whether or not this Gilbert character's got any family?" Ludwig scowled briefly, then gave a shrug, "If I'm going to get in trouble I might as well be spending time with you and seeing other places while I do it." Satisfied with that line of reasoning, Ludwig followed Gilbert's path to the car, and nodded in agreement. Folding his arms, he watched the silver-haired man examine the vehicle.

"Don't scratch it, I want to leave here on a high note," he warned, although hardly serious. As for Gilbert's offer of help... well, it was certainly tempting. After thinking for a moment, Ludwig slid back under the chassis and began moving some of the dirty pieces of machinery from where he'd left them. "You can help me by washing these in that blue drum in the corner - and wear those rubber gloves, too," Ludwig announced, reappearing briefly, his clothes and face already dirty again. "I'll put the new parts in, and that should save us at least an hour of time." For a moment, Ludwig paused, and realized his heart was still fluttering excitedly in his chest. He couldn't deny that some part of him was looking forward to this sudden change in venue.

"Ach--" he quickly slid back under the car, wrench in hand, in order to hide the nervous grin that had crept over his face, "Vater und Mutter are going to kill us both now, you know."

[Gilbert Weillschmidt]

With a small nod, Gilbert carefully moved the parts Ludwig had indicated toward the basin and began washing them one by one. The corners of his mouth quirked upward into a faint smile as he listened to his brother speak, snorting quietly at the mention of their parents. "I'm sure," he muttered somewhat skeptically. "It wouldn't matter if you became the most well-known criminal in the world, Ludo; they'd still think you were perfect."

As he spoke, the albino's smile turned slightly bitter and his hands paused halfway through scrapping the dirt of one of the machine bits. It always seemed that, no matter what he did, his parents had always (and would always) favour Ludwig simply because the younger was born "normal." Still, despite the Weillschmidt's preference toward his younger brother, it had been he who bonded with the small blond, not them. It was him Ludwig had trailed around like a duckling and him that would receive letters in the mail. The thought made him happy. While logically, he should have hated his little brother for getting all the loving attention, he was more than pleased with the bond that they shared. "Besides, I'd like to see them try to follow us. I'll bet you anything the two of them could barely navigate a ship, and even if they managed that, they wouldn't have a chance in hell of fixing something if it broken." He snorted at the idea, "That's why I came to get you. I can't name a single person who I'd trust with the repairs more or someone more awesome to be a member of the crew."

When he finished washing the parts, each was dried carefully with a rag he could sitting near the drum before being placed on a sheet of tarp nearby to avoid more dirt. The parts sparkled dully under the shops lights and the albino couldn't help but congratulate himself on a job well done. While he wasn't bad at cleaning, it wasn't something he often indulged in. It was a boring activity and the Prussian was far happier leaving such duties to the maids who seemed all to happy to get it done (though the pay likely had something to do with their positive attitudes about the subject.)

"What next, bruder?" Gilbert asked as he tossed the rubber gloves he'd been wearing back onto the edge of the drum and approached the car, kneeling down to peer in the general direction of Ludwig's face. "Everything is all cleaned up out here."

[Ludwig Weillschmidt]

From underneath the car, Ludwig gave a rather humorless laugh, "I'm sure even they'd find something to say about that." Their parents had always been a difficult subject, and even as a boy, Ludwig had found it infuriating that they refused to talk about Gilbert, skirting firmly around his name and existence as a dirty little secret. He knew for a fact that Gilbert had felt sore about it; why else would he have fled the house at only five years old? Ludwig despised them for treating Gilbert so poorly, but he couldn't help feeling unhappily grateful as well: they had paid his school fees and taken care of him, and he owed them a debt for it. In some ways, this break from security (and rationality) felt like a relief: for the first time in his life, Ludwig was doing something he wanted to do in complete and utter defiance against what his parents wanted for him.

"They'd get lost right away," he agreed, "and you know how long it took me to convince them about the engineering degree, I wrote about it to you." Blushing slightly at the flattery, Ludwig felt pride well up in his chest with the knowledge that Gilbert trusted him above everyone else to work on this mysterious new ship. "I won't give you anything less than the best I can do," he announced quietly. "Although... I might have to take some things apart first. The cloaking technology is one thing you don't want breaking suddenly." Just the idea of learning how a new kind of machinery worked had him excited; he certainly wouldn't overstep his boundaries, but there wasn't anything stopping him from conducting his own little experiments in his spare time. The sudden shadow over his workspace startled him, and he nearly dropped his wrench; adjusting his grip with a deep breath, he fixed in the last of the new parts before scooting back out into the light to meet his brother's gaze properly.

"Danke. The coating on those," Ludwig indicated the pieces Gilbert had cleaned, "will take a few hours to dry completely, but once it's done I can finish putting everything in and send the car out. Until then..." He gave a small shrug, looking around the shop. "I can get my tools together... or pack up my clothes. There's not much to do, honestly." Of course, Ludwig already kept things so obsessively tidy that any packing that had to be done wouldn't take much time at all. He flashed the other a brief happy look. "Is there anything you'd like to do while you're in town?"

[Gilbert Weillschmidt]

Pursing his lips, Gilbert huffed quietly and shook his heads. From the way Ludwig spoke about them, it seemed that their parents expectations hadn't lowered in the slightest. The thought was aggravating at best, and knowing that his brother was put through his own miniature hell was enough to surface the hate for the two Weillschmidt's he'd worked so hard to bury. Pathetic, he thought bitterly. They need to get over it.

"Ignore them," the albino muttered in a dark tone. "They don't matter. They need to learn the world isn't perfect and that you're a damn human, not a damn robot." Shaking his head, Gilbert sighed and glanced around the shop, taking in it's appearance. It was nice compared to others he'd seen before, but at the same time it seemed somewhat... empty. No pictures, no signs, it lacked most forms of personal taste or settling. At least that much was comforting in the sense that not as much would be lost that he thought.

"I could help you pack, if you want..." the Prussian offered as he settled himself on the floor, playing with one of the nearby tools on the floor absently. "I told Roddy that I was coming to get you and that I might not be back until late at night or sometime tomorrow. It'd be faster if the two of us did it together, and I've got nothing to do or anywhere to go. So, I'm here to be awesome and help. Just give me an order."
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A/N: DX Sorry this reply was so short... I'm tired and my brain is derping right now. It kinda sucks. Beh... T__T My next one will be better.

[Ludwig Weillschmidt]

A slightly apologetic look appeared on Ludwig's face; he knew the subject of their parents wasn't a pleasant one for Gilbert, and he really should have dropped the subject when he had the chance. But Gilbert had a good point: he was a human being, and no matter what his parents wanted for him, his was the ultimate decision. And in this case, he'd made up his mind. Nodding assuredly in response to Gilbert's idea, he offered, "I'm not changing my mind for them... so you don't have to worry." He remained standing as his brother settled nearby on the floor, though he did made a half-hearted swipe at the tool Gilbert had decided to toy with.

"I don't want to order you around!" Ludwig protested, crossing his arms. "But if you still want to help me, I guess we could go to my apartment and pack everything there. Then, when we come back here to put the car back together, we can get everything here together as well. It saves time that way, ja?" After a moment, he uncrossed his arms and shoved his hands in the pockets of his trousers instead, rocking a little awkwardly back and forth on the balls of his feet. "If we've got a little time to spare, maybe I could make us some dinner, too," Ludwig offered. "You're way too skinny." A thought occurred to Ludwig; as soon as he got aboard this airship, he probably wouldn't be able to return to Germany for a long time. Maybe he could stop at a grocer's and get a few of his favorite foods to take with him on the journey.

"Is Herr Roderich going to be alright with you gone that long?" he asked curiously, finally managing to snag the tool from his brother's grasp. "I know you're his body guard--" at the very least, certainly, "so it's probably best if we get this all done as quickly as possible." Saying that, he couldn't help glancing over his shoulder, as though military officers would be standing there waiting to arrest him the moment he left the shop. Now that the full weight of his decision had started to slowly sink in, Ludwig knew that the faster the lot of them left the area, the safer they would be... even if it meant rushing the entire process.

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[[ooc:: It's okay! Mine's rather short too, sorry]]

[Gilbert Weillschmidt]

"It's just an expression, West..." Gilbert said with a faint smile. "I didn't mean that I was going to start following your orders like a trained dog. Just because I'm a body guard doesn't make me everyone's servant. I don't follow orders for kicks, you know that." The albino stood quickly, brushing his pants off as he walked over to Ludwig and ruffled his hair again with a grin. It always amused him when the younger would get worked up over something small and simple, but the fact that he did was flattering on it's own. At least it showed that the other cared. "But that all sounds good."

Walking over to the chair, Gilbert retrieved his cloak and tossed it back over himself and tugged up the hood. If they were going to leave, he wanted to be covered. It wouldn't do anyone any good if any of the soldiers here knew who he was and captured him. It would only put a set back on their plans that they couldn't afford. "As long as we get it all packed up, we can send a group from the crew to come and pick the boxes up. They're not the brightest, but a trustworthy lot, so don't worry about the shipment of your stuff."

As he started for the door, the Prussian paused, feeling the sense of joy from his moment of arrival bubbling back up in his stomach. Ludwig was coming with him. They were finally getting the chance to live and grow together that they'd never had before. They could finally be brothers, and not just little more than pen-pals... and the thought brought Gilbert more joy than he could ever remember feeling in past years. "Ludo..." he turned, smiling faintly as he approached the blond and paused. "I really... missed you. It's gonna be awesome to finally be able to see you everyday. I can't wait."

Placing a hand on each of his brother's shoulders for balance, the silverette pushed himself higher and placed a light kiss on Ludwig's forehead. The touch ended only seconds after it started, and Gilbert quickly made his way toward the door. "Well then, what are you waiting for? We're wasting awesome time! Let's go!"

[Ludwig Weillschmidt]

Ludwig shifted awkwardly at the slight reprimand; he'd always had trouble telling whether or not people were joking, but the fact that Gilbert didn't seem to mind the mistake put him more at ease, and he soon calmed back down. Satisfied that his brother agreed with his plans, he gave a nod, once again reaching up to straighten his mussed hair. "Alright, then," Ludwig said, watching with guarded curiosity as Gilbert fetched his cloak from where he'd dropped it. Wondering whether or not he was going to have to start doing something similar, for the time being, the blond shrugged on his jacket. As he tidied up the place and picked up his keys, Gilbert's voice once again broke through Ludwig's thoughts.

"Ludo..."

"Hmm?" Ludwig looked up from his workbench, and found himself face-to-face with the silver-haired man. Gilbert's words brought a small but genuinely happy smile to his face; he couldn't have agreed with Gilbert more. Even if they were going to be on the run and probably in constant trouble or danger, he realized that now, he wouldn't have given up this chance for the world: Gilbert was the one member of Ludwig's family that he was closest to, and the only one he'd so rarely seen. They had a lot of catching up to do, but the prospect of actually seeing Gilbert every day - and being able to talk with him, and get to know him even more - brought a happy warmth to Ludwig's heart. "I missed you too," he replied quietly, and then added, with a small laugh, "I'm going to be able to bother you a lot more now." A light blush colored his cheeks as the other man kissed his forehead, but to receive such a sweet gesture touched him deeply, and Ludwig found it difficult to stop smiling as he followed Gilbert's path to the door.

After locking up his shop, Ludwig led the way through the narrow streets, making small talk about the neighborhood, the shops, some of the more interesting customers he'd met. Luckily, he'd developed a reputation for being unobtrusive, and even now, tailed by a suspicious cloak-wearing figure, nobody paid Ludwig too much attention. Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the apartment building Ludwig lived in; the blond man lived on the very top floor, where the rooms were smallest and cheapest. "Make yourself at home," he offered as he held the door open for his brother.

The place was quite small and very sparsely furnished: a small table and chairs rested by the window, next to a tiny coal-powered stove; nearby, two narrow doors led to a bathroom and a small bedroom respectively. In the remaining space, a homemade bookshelf (filled full with books) sat; sketches, drawings, and other plans, along with some smaller tools, had been organized tidily on top, next to what appeared to be Ludwig's only attempt to make the place look truly lived in, a small vase of slightly-wilted asters. Seemingly realizing how plain his apartment looked, Ludwig shoved his hands in his pockets nervously, "It won't take long to pack up, anyways."

[Gilbert Weillschmidt]

"You? Bother me? Kesesesesese~ Good luck with that, Ludo. You're gonna have a hard time annoying the awesome me. That's my job." Grinning, Gilbert followed after Ludwig happily, a wide smile concealed beneath the hood of his cloak as he listened to the other speak. It wasn't fair that the two of them had to wait so long to talk like this, and in such risky circumstances... But it was better than nothing and the Prussian was glad to have it.

When they finally reached the apartment, the albino couldn't help but glance around the apartment with slight distaste. It wasn't so much the size as the complete lack of homeliness. Of course, he had become quite accustomed to the large and generous rooms of the Edelstein manor, but the room before him was far worse than he imagined. He cared about his little brother, and the depressing setting the room offered did nothing to impress. Though it gave him another reason to believe he was offering his brother a better life; even if it was on the run.

"...It's cozy," he offered with a small grin, walking over to the desk to peer at the items on it's surface. The grin twisted into a pained grimace before the smile was forced back into place. Showing he was upset would do little now. Ludwig had already agreed to come with him, and that was reason enough for the silverette to be pleased. "Well then, no use wasting time, ja? Let's make awesome use of what we've got. Grab whatever suitcases you need and let's get everything packed. If we make it to the shop, we can send the crew to pick the rest up. We still need to come back and visit that guy who you might sell it to."

He felt bad for rushing the younger, but the sooner they were able to get back to the ship, the better. As much as he loved having a few moments of being a normal person, just standing there with his brother, he knew the risks that came with stalling. While the ship could conceal itself and, more or less, turn invisible, that didn't mean it was impossible to track. With both the military and complete underground on their tail, it was only a matter of time before they were caught if they stood still for too long. "Just tell me what to put where and we'll get this done awesomely fast."

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BRUDER! 8DDD YOU'RE ALIVE! *smothers with affection*

[Ludwig Weillschmidt]

Ludwig doubted Gilbert would be able to annoy him that easily... after all, he'd seen the pale man so seldom throughout his life that he doubted Gilbert's company, even if he were purposefully trying to irritate him, would be annoying. "Danke," he replied quietly, unable to tell what the slightly unhappy look on the other's face meant. His apartment certainly wasn't the nicest place, that much he knew, but it wasn't a hole in the wall by any means. The blond snapped to attention when Gilbert mentioned not wasting any time.

"Right!" And Ludwig was off; in no time, he'd produced three well-worn but sturdy suitcases from a closet, setting them open and ready in the kitchen space. As he kept his clothes tidily folded and packed away regardless, the first suitcase-and-a-half of space filled quickly and easily. The books came next, followed by the notes and plans and supplies from Ludwig's desk; the kitchen cabinets were already mostly empty, but those utensils also got quickly stored away. Ludwig worked efficiently, having deigned to only give Gilbert some basic instructions on which items went where, and he worked without much chattering; the focus in his gaze was quite easy to see, and although he certainly wanted to speak more with Gilbert, he knew that the both of them were running against the clock. There would be plenty of time to catch up more thoroughly when everything and everybody was safely on that mysterious airship.

The last items to get placed in the row of luggage (now standing ready by the door) were two wooden boxes. The first one, the smaller of the two, could almost be described as fancy in comparison to Ludwig's other possessions: the outside was decorated with inlaid designs of bronze at the corners, while the sides sported wood inlay pictures of forest scenes; on the face opposite the hinges rested a solid bronze clasp, held securely shut by a small lock. The second wooden trunk was much larger, squatter, and heavier, and bore no designs or lock. Inside, Ludwig had stowed the multitudes and multitudes of letters he'd received from Gilbert, all carefully organized by date. Only one single letter wasn't with its partners; that particular note resided in the smaller chest, along with various other secrets.

For a moment, it crossed the blond's mind to get rid of the entire heavy thing: he'd be joining Gilbert for good, what did he need this old trunk full of correspondence for? But then his confidence wavered slightly: what if something happened to his brother, and he got left alone again? The letters would again be his only connection. Biting his lip, Ludwig shook his head and scooted the trunk a little more conclusively close to the suitcases.

"I think that's it," he remarked with a nod, standing back to admire the job he'd done. "The furniture I can leave; the bookcase is the only thing that's mine, and I can make another one if I need it." A thought struck him and he opened one of the suitcases again, rifling through it until he found a pen, ink, and some letter paper. "Just a moment," he instructed his brother, and sat at the kitchen table to jot off a quick letter. A few minutes into writing, he paused, looking concerned, but scowled in a determined way and set back to work. Soon enough, he'd finished, and paused to let his message dry. In tidy, small letters, the letter explained to his parents a rather careful half-lie about his sudden departure: he'd accepted a lucrative job as a private airship mechanic for a wealthy nobleman and would be free to pursue his engineering projects there without having to worry about the day-to-day running of the shop (which was going to be sold). The message also advised them not to dash to the city and try to get him to change his mind, as he'd made it up and was going to be long gone by the time the letter arrived. Ludwig carefully made no mention of Gilbert or the exact nature of the nobleman's airship venture.

"There." He folded the paper carefully and stowed it in an envelope. "Now I won't have to worry about them chasing after me." Lying in writing proved to be easier than lying in speech, Ludwig had learned, although he still felt a touch guilty about it. But more than that, the letter marked a conclusion. Something about writing what honestly amounted to a good-bye note felt like the final seal on the agreement he'd made with Gilbert: from here on out, there wasn't going to be any turning back. "Sorry to keep you waiting," he added, standing and shooting Gilbert a somewhat apologetic look. "We can go now."

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AGHPFA *smothered* Yep, sorry for going missing on you for a bit. I got sick and couldn't write much...

[Gilbert Weillschmidt]

To say Gilbert was impressed with his brother's quick means of following orders would be an understatement. He could easily tell from all their letters that Ludwig was a hard and serious worker, but seeing it in moving action (not simply legs from under a car) was more than amazing. By the time they were finished the albino had a momentary flash of confusion as he glanced around, curious to see if there was something that bad been missed and he'd simply not realised it. The fact that there was not was both comforting and concerning. It meant less to carry, and less to seem suspicious, but at the same time it reminded him of how much he'd been given over the course of his life when it seemed he'd barely worked at all, yet the German had thrown all his efforts into everything.

As he moved to examine the suitcases to see what could be moved with them now, his eyes lingered on the more plain of the two trunks. Living with a noble, he was used to seeing flashy things and it was always the more simple ones that caught his eye. Curiosity poked at the corner of his mind, and the lack of a lock gave him the reassurance that, whatever was in there, couldn't have been that private. Still, the lid was shut, not open, though if it were open it would have been awkward, admittedly, and he wasn't going to intrude on Ludwig's privacy without permission. He'd simply ask about it later when they were on the ship. It could wait.

"All ready, then?" he asked with a small smile, reaching out to brush something that looked like dust off his brother's shirt. The bizarre need to touch the other kept bubbling up in the silverette's mind. Of course, it wasn't that his goal was to be creepy, though the thought did make him feel slightly as such, but more the need to know it was real. For all he knew, he was still asleep at Roderich's bedside, carefully watching over the Austrian noble and had simply fallen asleep. It wouldn't be the first time he dreamed of returning to his brother, but normally, the blurred image of his brother's face would always be difficult to make out in the dream. This time it was so clear, it simply had to be real. "We can take a few things with us. If we carry most of it now, it'll look like we're traveling at best. I'll send someone back for whatever can't get and the bookcase."

Hefting two of the suitcases, one in each hand, Gilbert struggled for a moment as he managed to pick up the third before tucking it under his arm. They were lighter than he'd expected, given all that went into them, but combined the load held a decent weight. That much was reassuring, but he knew that, even with his admirable strength, he wouldn't be able to hold them forever and moved out the door once he'd managed to awkwardly maneuver it open. "I'm going to take these," he nodded to the suitcases, back to the ship. Then I'll come back to the shop and help you finish up whatever needs to be doing there. I'll help carry whatever you're taking now when we return, and I'll send the crew to come get the rest here. It'll save us some time."

In truth, the last thing the Prussian wanted to do at the moment was leave, but knowing that they'd be traveling together soon was reassuring. Leaving would allow him the lingering pain of sorrow to remind him that he was, in fact, awake, and this was happening. His crimson gaze lingered on his brother's sapphire one for a few moments, allowing a wide grin to spread across his face. "I'll see you soon, bruder... Back in an hour or two at most. I won't stall."

With that, he forced himself to turn away and quickly started down the road, determined to get to and from the ship as quickly as possible.
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It's okay~ Don't apologize for that, silly. I'm just glad you're feeling better. I was worried for a bit, but it's good to know everything is alright. I'm sure Roddy is happy to see you back, too. XD We're almost to the ship so the two of you can actually "meet."