Francis has the kitchen for himself today. And while he is ecstatic to try a new dish for Ludwig, he is also nervous. Or more cautious.
Practised, he has already most of his ingredients on the big table, has placed two pots - on with water and the other with a bit oil - on the stove and is currently taking a pan out of a drawer… but still, he can not stop himself from trying to be as quiet as possible.
Carefully, he grips the handle of the pan, more watching the closed kitchen door than anything else. That is his doom, just as he turns back and wants to place the pan on the stove next to the pots, the pan connects with the drawer and an audible ‘Klong’ can be heard.
Francis freezes, not daring to lift the pan, not even a tiny bit. His eyes are back on the door. In a moment… In a moment he will surely be here. How could he not have heard that sound?
And yes, it takes only some minutes and he can hear steps walking up to the door. “Francis? Is everything alright?”
Francis sighs; exhales exhaustedly and lifts the pan up to close the drawer. “Everything is alright, cheri! I only had a bit trouble getting the pan out of its usual place.”
He doesn’t need to see Ludwig to know that the other is still not satisfied, definitely knitting his eyebrows together in worry. For the kitchen, not him.
“Please don’t worry! I’m not cooking for the first time neither am I a newbie to this kitchen.”
Feet shuffle - slowly, with breaks between the next steps - and his inner cooking master is celebrating in joy.
“…Okay. Call me when you need anything, ja?”
Francis nods enthusiastically, more at the pan than in Ludwig’s direction, and can finally put it on the stove. “Sure honey!”
How long it has taken him to break Ludwig’s habit of rushing into the kitchen - armed with cleaning rags and a bucket full of detergent - to wipe at every little splotch he sees with a vigour Francis wishes he would have at other matters too, he may never know!
Humming to himself - it will get better and better with each time and surely one day he doesn’t have to lock Ludwig out anymore - Francis starts to cook.
Ah, with these delicious looking fruits he has bought today, he could make something nice for dessert. As a reward for Ludwig. Francis grins at the ingredients, a warm powerful feeling rushing through his body.
‘Cause seriously, how could the German show his love any better than conquering his cleaning urge and trusting him with the kitchen?
They’re late again. Late, because Francis couldn’t decide which suit to wear. For Ludwig.
Now they are running side by side through the building they are supposed to have a meeting in - which has started since half an hour ago. Ludwig swears inwardly (slipping in dialects he usually doesn’t use very often) and takes even larger steps, more than just embarrassed that he of all nations is not punctual. Francis next to him raises his eyebrows but doesn’t comment, too much occupied with keeping his own speed up to Ludwig’s.
As they finally stop, both exhausted and taking deep breaths, Ludwig throws one short assuring look at Francis and then lifts his hand to knock on the big wooden door. Before his knuckles can even contact with the wood, Francis has his hand over Ludwig’s and pulls it down.
“Wha-?”
“Turn around.” Is all Francis says, not demandingly but not up to take a ‘no’ as an answer either Ludwig can tell from that tone. “Look, whatever it is can’t it wait till after the conference?,” he asks impatiently.
“Not if you want to make a good appearance.”
Still not sure what this is about, Ludwig is not up for a fight and so he turns away from the door, trusting Francis that he knows what he is doing.
“Good boy ~”
The brilliant smile doesn’t keep Ludwig from groaning softly but the slight blush is apparently enough for Francis to ignore his behaviour in favour of reaching up and adjusting his tie.
Finally it dawns on Ludwig what Francis has in mind. In the hurry of leaving their house and driving here he has tried - without much success - to knot his tie orderly. And has forgotten about it, leaving it half hanging down his shirt and somehow tied to his neck. It’s a wonder he hasn’t lost it yet.
With natural ease, Francis only needs seconds to loosen Ludwig’s misshaped imitation of a knot and has it fixed faster than Ludwig can look at his watch. “There you go.”
Ludwig smiles at him - despite his urge to finally knock on the door and his inner clock which is screaming at him that it’s getting later and later - and since they are late anyway, steps closer and boldly gives Francis a quick kiss on the lips. That one minute he can afford to vast.
“Danke.”
And the smile he gets in return is more than worthy their belatedness.
Ludwig likes to have a whole zoo at home, Francis learns over the years.
He always heard of the German having dogs but nobody had ever told him that next to three dogs Ludwig also loves cats, horses, rabbits and birds. Or more animals in general.
So it comes as a surprise when they move together and Ludwig brings up the question of pets. His three dogs - all well-educated and very devoted (even to Francis after some time) - already have a firm place in their house, but before Francis can grasp what’s going on, they have four rabbits (‘cause Ludwig said they liked to live in groups), two parrots (an old pair from an animal shelter), three small turtles (which Ludwig had found in a carton next to a street), two horses (an very old breeding that Francis knows back from his Revolution days; they both love to go for a ride at weekends), an aquarium (which was Francis’s wish Ludwig fulfilled with building the basin himself) and storks in the neighbourhood on a tree.
As if that isn’t enough already, Ludwig has a special gift for him on his birthday.
“I read this article about French either having fishes or cats as pets… Well, since we already have fishes, I thought you perhaps would like these two since I am the one who is always getting his way… I - I mean, since most of our pets were my wish to keep -“
While Ludwig’s voice is fading more and more with each word, Francis can only stand there, in his arms two little kittens (big innocent eyes, soft fur and the most delicate things he has ever hold), totally speechless.
Ludwig can’t know of the cats he has had in his younger years, way before the wars and even after them, but then there hadn’t been much time to keep a cat anymore, no room in his apartment in Paris.
He tunes out Ludwig’s babbling, a bright smile growing on his lips and cuddles the two new family members closer. Then he shuts Ludwig up with a kiss.
Practised, he has already most of his ingredients on the big table, has placed two pots - on with water and the other with a bit oil - on the stove and is currently taking a pan out of a drawer… but still, he can not stop himself from trying to be as quiet as possible.
Carefully, he grips the handle of the pan, more watching the closed kitchen door than anything else. That is his doom, just as he turns back and wants to place the pan on the stove next to the pots, the pan connects with the drawer and an audible ‘Klong’ can be heard.
Francis freezes, not daring to lift the pan, not even a tiny bit. His eyes are back on the door.
In a moment… In a moment he will surely be here. How could he not have heard that sound?
And yes, it takes only some minutes and he can hear steps walking up to the door.
“Francis? Is everything alright?”
Francis sighs; exhales exhaustedly and lifts the pan up to close the drawer.
“Everything is alright, cheri! I only had a bit trouble getting the pan out of its usual place.”
He doesn’t need to see Ludwig to know that the other is still not satisfied, definitely knitting his eyebrows together in worry.
For the kitchen, not him.
“Please don’t worry! I’m not cooking for the first time neither am I a newbie to this kitchen.”
Feet shuffle - slowly, with breaks between the next steps - and his inner cooking master is celebrating in joy.
“…Okay. Call me when you need anything, ja?”
Francis nods enthusiastically, more at the pan than in Ludwig’s direction, and can finally put it on the stove. “Sure honey!”
How long it has taken him to break Ludwig’s habit of rushing into the kitchen - armed with cleaning rags and a bucket full of detergent - to wipe at every little splotch he sees with a vigour Francis wishes he would have at other matters too, he may never know!
Humming to himself - it will get better and better with each time and surely one day he doesn’t have to lock Ludwig out anymore - Francis starts to cook.
Ah, with these delicious looking fruits he has bought today, he could make something nice for dessert. As a reward for Ludwig.
Francis grins at the ingredients, a warm powerful feeling rushing through his body.
‘Cause seriously, how could the German show his love any better than conquering his cleaning urge and trusting him with the kitchen?
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They’re late again. Late, because Francis couldn’t decide which suit to wear. For Ludwig.
Now they are running side by side through the building they are supposed to have a meeting in - which has started since half an hour ago.
Ludwig swears inwardly (slipping in dialects he usually doesn’t use very often) and takes even larger steps, more than just embarrassed that he of all nations is not punctual.
Francis next to him raises his eyebrows but doesn’t comment, too much occupied with keeping his own speed up to Ludwig’s.
As they finally stop, both exhausted and taking deep breaths, Ludwig throws one short assuring look at Francis and then lifts his hand to knock on the big wooden door.
Before his knuckles can even contact with the wood, Francis has his hand over Ludwig’s and pulls it down.
“Wha-?”
“Turn around.” Is all Francis says, not demandingly but not up to take a ‘no’ as an answer either Ludwig can tell from that tone.
“Look, whatever it is can’t it wait till after the conference?,” he asks impatiently.
“Not if you want to make a good appearance.”
Still not sure what this is about, Ludwig is not up for a fight and so he turns away from the door, trusting Francis that he knows what he is doing.
“Good boy ~”
The brilliant smile doesn’t keep Ludwig from groaning softly but the slight blush is apparently enough for Francis to ignore his behaviour in favour of reaching up and adjusting his tie.
Finally it dawns on Ludwig what Francis has in mind.
In the hurry of leaving their house and driving here he has tried - without much success - to knot his tie orderly. And has forgotten about it, leaving it half hanging down his shirt and somehow tied to his neck. It’s a wonder he hasn’t lost it yet.
With natural ease, Francis only needs seconds to loosen Ludwig’s misshaped imitation of a knot and has it fixed faster than Ludwig can look at his watch.
“There you go.”
Ludwig smiles at him - despite his urge to finally knock on the door and his inner clock which is screaming at him that it’s getting later and later - and since they are late anyway, steps closer and boldly gives Francis a quick kiss on the lips.
That one minute he can afford to vast.
“Danke.”
And the smile he gets in return is more than worthy their belatedness.
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Ludwig likes to have a whole zoo at home, Francis learns over the years.
He always heard of the German having dogs but nobody had ever told him that next to three dogs Ludwig also loves cats, horses, rabbits and birds. Or more animals in general.
So it comes as a surprise when they move together and Ludwig brings up the question of pets.
His three dogs - all well-educated and very devoted (even to Francis after some time) - already have a firm place in their house, but before Francis can grasp what’s going on, they have four rabbits (‘cause Ludwig said they liked to live in groups), two parrots (an old pair from an animal shelter), three small turtles (which Ludwig had found in a carton next to a street), two horses (an very old breeding that Francis knows back from his Revolution days; they both love to go for a ride at weekends), an aquarium (which was Francis’s wish Ludwig fulfilled with building the basin himself) and storks in the neighbourhood on a tree.
As if that isn’t enough already, Ludwig has a special gift for him on his birthday.
“I read this article about French either having fishes or cats as pets… Well, since we already have fishes, I thought you perhaps would like these two since I am the one who is always getting his way… I - I mean, since most of our pets were my wish to keep -“
While Ludwig’s voice is fading more and more with each word, Francis can only stand there, in his arms two little kittens (big innocent eyes, soft fur and the most delicate things he has ever hold), totally speechless.
Ludwig can’t know of the cats he has had in his younger years, way before the wars and even after them, but then there hadn’t been much time to keep a cat anymore, no room in his apartment in Paris.
He tunes out Ludwig’s babbling, a bright smile growing on his lips and cuddles the two new family members closer.
Then he shuts Ludwig up with a kiss.
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*takes notes*
WHAT? Oh, yes. AWWW.
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