** 😭 thank you Diamondlongfur for the prompt... **

It was April. April first, to be exact. Feliciano was around skmewhere; he, Lovino, and Antonio had gotten it into their heads to have a prank war. Ludwig had too much work to do, to be involved in some silly prank war with them. But he let them have their fun.

Someone grabbed his shoulder and he was a little embarrassed to admit he jumped. "Feli, for the last time I have--"

"Aw, West, it's just me. Relax." Ludwig's older brother grinned, sweat running down the side of his face. Ludwig resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"Hm." He adjusted his bifocals and looked back down at his paperwork. Gott, there was a lot... "Can I help you with something?" He added, not looking up, when it became clear he wasn't going away.

"C'mon, it's April Fools Day!" Gilbert whined. "It's a totally awesome holiday!"

"I don't care." He deadpanned.

"You have to get in get in the spirit, bruder!"

"No I don't."

Gilbert sighed dramatically. Lud knew that sigh. Brothers know each other after all. But that didn't mean he was happy about it. "Just one and then I'll go back to bothering Feli and the others."

"Fine." Ludwig turned around in his seat, sliding off his bifocals and rubbing the mark that they left behind. "I love you. Just kidding. April fools, bruder."

"Ha, ha." Gilbert said sarcastically. "That's not how you do it, man."

"I don't care."

"You want to hear mine?" Gilbert asked. His smile looked different. Ludwig didn't think too much of it at first.

"Will you leave af--"

"I'm fading."

Ludwig didn't make a huge deal about it at first. He calmly set down his pen and turned around in his chair.

"You know." His big brother said in the same weird dead voice. "I know you do, West, so don't act like this is some unawesome surprise or something."

"Gilbert--"

"And it's okay," he continued. "Trust me. I'll be okay."

Gilbert had always been there for him. Ludwig didn't remember his very early childhood, and both him and his grandfather would give him weird looks if he asked. But his first memories were of his brother. He was his protector. He was the one he came to if he got scared. He was the first person Ludwig had admitted to being in love with Feli to. He had even bought him his first dog.

"It'll still be awesome, West," Gilbert whispered, tears gathering in dying ruby eyes, and that was when he cracked.