Chapter 1

            “Bruder?” a tentative young Ludwig called out peering into the dark room

            No reply. Ludwig nudged the door open further and slipped inside. He hated to wake his bruder, but he needed too or else he’d be late.

            Ludwig tip-toed over to the bed where his elder brother’s sleeping form lay. Ludwig shook his shoulder.

            “Hm?” Gilbert grunted waking up

            “Bruder it’s almost eight o’clock.” Ludwig said softly

            Gilbert shot up, his platinum hair plastered to the right side of his head, and his tired red eyes now wide and alert.

            “Oh look, Mr. Incompetent has arisen.” a cold tone drawled from the doorway

            “Eliza why didn’t you wake me an hour ago! My alarm didn’t work!” Gilbert asked a hint of anger in his voice

            “Well if you can’t manage to work an alarm I wasn’t bothering to wake you up.” she said shortly

            Gilbert stood, throwing the bed covers back into a somewhat nice looking position.

            He ruffled his little brothers blonde hair, the ring on his left hand flashing from the light in the hall “Thanks for waking me Luddy” he said

            The young boy smiled and quietly left the room

            Gilbert straightened up and looked back to his wife of five years. “You can’t be mad at me for this.” he said

            She huffed and walked away. He sighed and walked to the bathroom, quickly showering and then dressing in simple clothes before dashing down the stairs

            He looked at a nearby clock, eight thirty. No time for him to eat. He walked up to his wife, slipping an arm around her waist and putting his head on her shoulder. She stiffened.

            “I got to leave now, see you in the morning, love you” he said, pecking her cheek before turning to run out the door, pausing only to jam his feet into shoes and yell a goodbye and goodnight to Ludwig.

            He fumbled with his pockets searching for keys to the black BMW in the driveway.

            The door opened behind him “Looking for these?” Eliza asked, a tried look in her eyes

            He smiled “Ja! Danke.” using his own tongue to try and really get his feelings across

            She sighed and threw the keys at his head before slamming the door.

            He caught the keys, and winced as the door slammed.

            He tore open the driver side door and slammed it closed, before jamming the keys into the ignition, shoving the gear stick into drive and slamming on the accelerator.

            He sighed sadly. Elizia had been getting colder and colder towards him; he could see their marriage was failing. But he had no clue on how to fix that, though he tried, for he did love her. He sped down the streets trying to make up for lost time; he didn’t want to be late. Not that he would get in too much trouble… they were like a family almost…

            He drove to his place of business… the local strip club

            His little brother and his wife did not know what he did, he said he worked for a private business and all information was disclosed on it. It kept his life, well simpler… kind of.

            He shook Elizia from his head, they had been married at a young age, well very young. He was 19 then, now he was 24.

             He… he’d fix them, somehow. He knocked open the door of his car, forced a smile to his face, and closed and locked the door, walking through the back entrance into the club.

            He was of course the last to arrive, as he was late.

            “Hey! You’re late Gil!” his friend Mathias called out

            “Yeah, sorry the alarm didn’t work and Elizia didn’t wake me.” he explained

            “Gilbert! My money making albino! Get ready! And learn to show up on time my cherre! (My French sucks, get over it or help it)

            Gilbert dashed over to his counter, raking a comb through his hair, splashing on just a hint of cologne, and dressing for the first act.

            He carefully got into the group act’s attire, a tux, tear away of course.

            “The Black Eagle, god Gil you need a new name, your pale as a damn sheet.” Alfred said walking up, his hair in its usual yet neat disarray

            “Oh the Hero is here eh?” Gilbert asked shoving him playfully

            “Like you totally need a new name Gil! The White Sheet! The Red Eyed Demon! Like those are totally better names than ‘Black Eagle” Feliks said walking up

            Mathias and Antonio walked up, the group of five men now waiting for their cue to go on stage

            “The Great Dane and the White Eagle and Matador. Like those names are any better than mine?” Gilbert asked smiling

            “Ha well maybe Francis just lost his touch when it came to names. But hey, Black and White Eagle, that act always gets the ladies paying.” Mathias said shrugging

            “And when you start howling like a damn dog the ladies just look at your damned puppy dog eyes and shower you in singles” Alfred said chuckling

            “And like your cowboy act doesn’t get anything?” Antonio asked messing with his hair

            “Oh the Matador speaks. Like, damn Francis really gave you a totally terrible name Tonio.” Feliks added, getting a chuckle from Antonio

            “Yeah if anyone bitches about names it should be me.” The Spaniard said smiling widely

            “Yes true, God Francis mad a bad call when he made names off of nationality.” Mathias said

            “Well considering how big you are the name you have isn’t that bad.” Alfred said

            The four men smirked at the comment “How big? Naughty little Alffie!” Gilbert said cracking up

            Francis looked to his watch. He listened to the guys laughing about their terrible stage names, which he would admit, were rather terrible, but they had no tie to their names, so at least no one would tie the name to the man, as most of his strippers had day time jobs.

            He glanced over to the clock and then the tables, which were filled for the show. He glanced over to his DJ, a quiet and tech savvy kid name Eduard.

            He gave a thumbs up and the DJ switched the music. Francis walked out onto stage

            “You ladies ready out there?” he asked

            A chorus of yells and whistles answered him.

            “Well then I give you, the Poor Boys! But maybe you can make them men eh!” Francis yelled, jumping off the stage

            The music changed again, to an upbeat mix of typical club songs.

            The guys in back heard Francis talking, running out onto stage behind the curtain and turned around so their backs were to the audience.

            Alfred and Feliks were on the far right, then Antonio and Mathias on the left with Gil in the middle, because he was the veteran of them all, even at his young age. And long time friends with Francis, he had been by Francis since he opened. And he was Francis’s first stripper and their friend Antonio came along next, most likely pressured into it by his lovely friends.

            When the music turned into the club mix, the curtain raised and the five men spun around