Monika - Chapter 5

As it turns out, Feliciano was able to see Monika much sooner than expected. Monika made contact with the Italians as promised, and was able to set up a time to meet about the things her boss wished for her and Ludwig to discuss with them. Two weeks after leaving Berlin, Feliciano and Daisy were meeting them at the airport.

“I’m so excited to see them again,” Feliciano mentioned to Daisy. He bounced up and down as he watched for them, knowing their plane would be landing any moment. “I’ve talked to both of them almost every day, at least by text, but it’s not the same as seeing them in person, you know?”

“Si,” Daisy agreed. “We’re lucky we get to see them as often as we do, even though it’s usually on business.”

“Yeah; I hope I get to see Monika now as much as I see Ludwig. It was really fun when the four of us hung out together.”

Daisy watched her counterpart in mild amusement for a moment as he continued to bounce. In one hand he clutched his house keys, from which hung the good luck charm Monika had given him on his last day in Germany. He had a habit of holding onto whatever happened to be in his pocket when he was anxious, though Daisy knew he would never actually admit to feeling that way. If only she could devise a way to get them alone together…

“Maybe the four of us can go out to dinner or something while they’re here,” she suggested. No, it wouldn’t get the two alone—and it would be too obvious and cliché if she made up some reason to not be able to go at the last minute—but it would at least get them together long enough to socialize.

“That sounds nice, I would like that!” Feli beamed. He then noticed a pair of tall blondes walking towards them. “Oh look, there they are!”

Without hesitation, he hurried over to greet them. Daisy stuck close behind him, eager to hug Monika. Feliciano did the same with Ludwig, absolutely beaming to see them both. He then looked to Monika, and after a brief moment of awkwardness, offered her a hug as well, which she gladly accepted. Meanwhile, Ludwig glanced over at Daisy, knowing her inner fangirl was screaming and trying not to escape. He knew there was something between the two and that Daisy could sense it as well; he just hoped that she would keep quiet about it and let the relationship take its own course at its own pace.

“How was the flight? Are you guys hungry?” Feliciano asked, barely giving them any time to answer between questions. “Daisy and I were thinking of doing dinner at some point while you were here, but I’m starving and I’m free for the afternoon if you want to do that now. There’s this restaurant not far from my house that serves really good pasta.” Ludwig and Monika exchanged glances and shrugged.

“I don’t see why not,” Monika said. “Neither of us has eaten since early this morning.”

“Oh, I know which one you mean, Feli! Yes, let’s go there,” Daisy agreed.

“That does sound like a good idea. If I know which restaurant they are talking about, they’re right, it is quite nice,” Ludwig mentioned.

“Yay!” Feliciano exclaimed. “And then we can all go back to my place; Fratello is gone for the afternoon so we don’t even have to worry about him being mad at me for having extra people around. Come on, we should go get your bags so we can get going!”

Monika cracked a smile at the Italian’s excitement, watching as he and Daisy hurried off to the baggage claim area.

“So how long until he wears himself out?” she asked.

“I’d give it until about 3 o’clock,” Ludwig replied, smiling a bit as well. “Until then, we had better do what we can to keep up with him.”

~~~

“You’re right, Feli, this is probably some of the best pasta I’ve ever had,” Monika said.

“I’m glad you like it!” the Italian replied, smiling at her from across the table. She blushed slightly and averted her gaze. Ludwig could feel her become uncomfortable, even from his position diagonally across from her. With every moment like this that passed, he became increasingly confident that she was developing feelings for his long-time friend. It was rather out of character for her, really. He wondered whether she had even recognized these emotions herself.

“It’s cool that this place is so close to Feli’s house, too. Did you know he lives right on the canal, Monika?” Daisy asked.

“Really?” she asked. She looked slightly surprised, as well as interested.

“Si, si, it’s so pretty, especially at sunset. You’ll have to see it around that time before you leave.”

“That does sound pretty. Imagine taking a gondola ride at sunset? That would be an experience. I’ve always wanted to ride in a gondola… I’m not sure why I haven’t yet.”

Feliciano slowly picked up his head in interest as he listened to Monika speak. Both Ludwig and Daisy realized this, although Monika’s mind seemed to be elsewhere for that moment. Daisy watched her counterpart intently, thinking, You had better be taking a mental note of that, Feliciano.

Silence fell upon the group for just a moment, until it was broken with a change in subject by Ludwig.

“So,” he said, “When would be the best time for us to meet? We’re only here for a few days after all, so we can’t just sit around forever.”

“Oh come on, Ludwig, you’re no fun!” Daisy complained. “You spent the morning travelling, so why not take the afternoon off? You deserve it! You both do.”

“Yeah, you both work so hard. You deserve some rest,” Feliciano said.

“Alright, fine,” Ludwig reluctantly agreed, poking at the last of his food with his fork. “But that doesn’t change the fact that Monika and I are only here for a short time, so we should at least decide when we’re going to meet, even if it isn’t today. What do you say, Monika? When would be best for you?”

“Hmm? Oh, the business meeting, right. I apologize, I was lost in thought there for a minute. I am willing to meet any time that works for Feliciano and Daisy, since it is my only real obligation here.”

Well, that was very unlike her, Feliciano thought, curious about Monika’s slow reaction to Ludwig’s question. Even having known her for less than a month, he was sure she wasn’t someone to become easily distracted. She must still be thinking about that gondola ride. Don’t worry, Monika, you’ll get your chance.

~~~

About an hour after their conversation at the restaurant, the four nations were making their way towards Feliciano’s front door. Monika looked up at the tall building, admiring the architecture and location. She couldn’t imagine how wonderful it must have been living in a place like that.

When Feliciano took out his key, she noticed the keychain that hung from it.

“I see you made good use of that good luck charm I gave you,” she stated.

“Hmm?” Feliciano said, and glanced down at the object in his hand. “Oh, yeah! It’s so fun to have around. It has really come in handy lately.”

“How so?”

“Well, it brought you here today, didn’t it?” he asked, opening the door and stepping into the house. Monika blushed once again as she and the other two followed him inside. “And Daisy and Ludwig, also. I was mentioning to Daisy earlier how fun it was when all four of us just relaxed together when we were in Berlin. I feel very lucky that we all got to be in one place again so soon. And in my house!”

“It’s quite the lovely place,” she told him, her eyes wandering around the room they had just entered.

“Would you like a quick tour? I wouldn’t mind showing you around.”

“Oh, um… Ja, that would be nice.”

“Yay! Ludwig and Daisy, you guys can come too if you want, but I know you already know your way around.”

“I think I’ll just have a seat in the living room,” Ludwig replied.

“Me too, we’ll meet you guys there,” Daisy added.

“Okie dokie! C’mon, let’s go this way.” The Italian gently took the female German by the wrist and led her off into another room, eager to show off his home to someone new. Meanwhile, Ludwig and Daisy found their way to the couch.

Ludwig sighed heavily as he sat down. He knew it wouldn’t last long, but at least this would give him a few minutes of peace and quiet—or at least he hoped so. Of course, Daisy sometimes had almost as much energy as her male counterpart, but it only seemed to be amplified to that level when they were together. On her own, she was surprisingly calm. She quietly took a seat beside him.

“It’s quite funny to see the two of them together,” she noted.

“How do you mean?” Ludwig asked.

“They’re really no different from you and me... watching Feli with Monika is almost exactly like watching him with you.”

“I see… Ja, I can understand why you would say that.”

“Okay, now the stairs are this way…” came Feliciano’s voice from down the hall. Daisy and Ludwig watched as the pair crossed through the living room. Neither one said anything, but instead thought about how this was a perfect example of what Daisy had just said about them. They remained quiet until the sound of Feliciano’s chattering faded into the far reaches of the house. Then, Daisy spoke up again.

“Hey, Ludwig? Could I ask you something?”

“Hm?”

“Does Monika ever tell you anything?”

Ludwig’s expression furrowed.

“What kind of things?”

“Like… personal things. I don’t need to know what they are, I’m just wondering if she does at all.”

“No, not often. If anyone I would think she would tell you; she seems to be closer to you than to me.”

“That is true… I was just curious, that’s all. I may be closer to her but the two of you have that connection that no one else can have to either of you—just like me and Feli. We know things about each other simply because, well… we’re almost the same person.”

“Well, it is true that I can usually sense how she is feeling, but that being said, I am not her. Unless she tells me exactly what is going on, I don’t know anything beyond that. I cannot always say for certain why she feels the way she does.”

“I see… yeah, I suppose Feli and I are much the same way. He just usually tells me what’s going on, so I’ve never really thought about it in that way before. Um…”

Ludwig looked at her and cocked his head very slightly to the side. He wondered what else was on her mind. She definitely sounded like she was about to ask another question.

“Ja?”

“If you don’t mind me asking… do you think Monika has feelings for Feliciano?”

He paused for a moment and took the time to collect his thoughts. He knew that question had been coming; he just wasn’t quite sure how he should go about answering it. In the meantime, he listened carefully to the house, making sure that Monika and Feliciano were not going to be coming within earshot right away.

“Well, she does seem to become uncomfortable whenever he compliments her…" he finally said, "so it is a definite possibility. But to be honest, I believe she either doesn’t recognize her feelings for what they are, or she is refusing to act on them. I’m sure you know she isn’t one to fall for people too quickly.”

“She isn’t, you’re right… I wish she would lighten up a little. Feli would be such a good match for her.”

“You think so?”

“Yeah… on the surface, it may not seem that way. But if you think about it, Monika is my best friend, and you and Feli seem to be close—so if we get along, why wouldn’t the two of them be compatible? Plus, he would be so good to her. I know he would.”

“He would… that is, assuming he also has feelings for her.”

“Ludwig,” Daisy laughed, “I really don’t think that’s a big secret anymore. Feliciano’s heart is always on his sleeve. I wish I could just tell him to make a move already, but I know I have to let them work it out for themselves. I just hope that they do, even if it takes a long time. I think Monika would be happier.”

“I agree. But only time will tell for certain.”

~~~

“…And this is my room!” Feliciano said as he opened the door. It was a small space, but sufficient enough for his needs. There was an un-made bed near the window, from which the strong afternoon sunlight shone through thin curtains. There were also an easel and writing desk off to one side, around which miscellaneous art supplies were scattered. What Monika noticed, however, were the drawings and paintings that covered the walls.

“Feliciano, this artwork is amazing! Did you do all this?” she asked. She walked up to a few of the pictures posted above the desk for a closer look at the detail.

“I did—thank you very much! But you know…if you really want to see something beautiful, there are two things you should do. First, come take a look over here.” He motioned for her to come closer, and stand beside the window with him. She found that there was just enough room between the bed and the wall to do so. He pulled back the curtain, revealing a perfect view of the Grand Canal.

“Wow, this view is gorgeous! I guess when Daisy said the canal, she really meant the canal. I didn’t realize we were this close to it.”

“Yep! Actually, I purposely led you guys along a different route than I normally take home so you wouldn’t notice. That way I could surprise you with this—I thought you might like it, and I guess I was right.”

“You certainly were…” she trailed off as she leaned against the window, gazing intently out at the scenery. “Don’t get me wrong, I love Berlin, but… damn, I wish I had a view from my bedroom window like this.”

“When you’re done looking at that, there’s one more thing I want you to see…” he said, sliding past her. He walked over to the other side of his bed and stopped beside his mirror, which hung next to it. Out the corner of her eye, Monika could see him fiddling with his clothes as she took a few more moments to watch the outside world. She then turned her attention to him again.

“Okay, now come stand next to me over here,” he directed her. She obeyed his request, although she didn’t quite understand what he wanted. “Stand… facing this way.” He placed his hands on her shoulders and gently shifted her position; meanwhile, she had to take a few deep breaths, trying hard not to let her nerves make her tense up under his touch. “Okay,” he said. “Here’s the second thing.”

“…You wanted me to look at your mirror? Is it somehow significant to you? I-it’s nice, but it doesn’t quite compare to—”

“No, Monika, you’re missing the point. I don’t want you look at the mirror. I want you to look in the mirror.”

“Oh.. I-I.. Feli…I don’t even know what to say.” Mein gott, what am I even supposed to say to that?! Oh no, I can’t be blushing again, can I?! That has been happening way too much lately…and now it feels worse than ever! My whole face is turning, I know it is.

“Don’t worry about it,” he assured her. “You’re beautiful—just embrace it! And promise me you won’t let anyone make you think otherwise.”

“S-sure…”

The Italian smiled his usual warm smile, and received an awkward sort of half-smile from the German in response. Before either knew what to say next, the sound of Daisy’s voice coming from the bottom of the stairs broke the silence.

“Hey, are you two going to come back and join us any time soon?! Where are you, anyway?”

The two nations laughed a bit and looked towards the open door, expecting Daisy to come bounding in any second. Feliciano let out a contented sigh, and suggested,

“We should go see what they’re up to.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Monika agreed. “Oh, and by the way… thank you for showing me that.”

“You’re welcome,” he replied. He wasn’t sure whether she meant the view of the canal, or the view of herself in the mirror; he didn’t really mind either way, though. The important thing was that he got to show her both.