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winedad16 · 3 years

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14. *Before the World Begins Again

Masterlist

Previous Part

Warnings for...

Implied Sexual Content Explicit Sexual Content (Talked about) Underage Sex (Talked about) Pornography Verbal Fighting (Mention of) The Gestapo Use of the Word ‘Cripple’

Translation(s): Hauptmann: Captain Oma: Grandma

Meaning(s): The O5 (O-5): The Austrian Resistance

AN: This is THE most sex-filled thing I’ve ever written I will never do this again- On that note: shoutout to my boyfriend who proofread this every time I rewrote a part. This is 78 pages on google docs and 25,000+ words. My longest chapter yet. Strap in.

Month One: End of March 1944

Klaus was going through a spell of pain in the last two weeks of March in their new home. He assured Freddy it was just because he was getting older and that it would pass, but the sub-officer insisted on taking care of him like he always did. Whether that was preparing a hot compress for the captain’s shoulder or making sure he was consistently taking his pain medication on time, Freddy was on top of it for him.

One evening, less than one week before they were set to head home for a visit, Klaus’ aches were at a peak. So, Freddy set a knee behind Klaus on the couch, his other foot set on the floor as the captain sat in front of him. He placed his hands on the brunette’s shoulder, eliciting a hiss from Klaus.

“I’m sorry,” Freddy said in a hushed tone.

“It’s okay,” Klaus assured through his clenched teeth.

“Tell me if you want me to stop,” Freddy said, his hands slowly beginning to massage the brunette’s shoulder.

Klaus groaned out again at the touch. He couldn’t tell if the pressure was aggravating the pain or easing it. Maybe both.

“I’m sorry,” Freddy apologized again, softening his touches.

“It’s fine,” Klaus replied as he closed his eyes, taking the time to listen to the soft music he had managed to pick up on a hidden airway that flowed through the small portable radio.

Freddy soon found a comfortable rhythm and Klaus relaxed over the next half hour. Occasionally, there was a rise in volume from the radio, making Freddy think that he was hearing things.

“Is the radio on?” He asked after a few minutes of trying to figure it out.

“Yes,” Klaus replied. “It’s been on since dinner.”

“Oh,” Freddy frowned. “I didn’t know it was. Could you turn it up?”

Klaus hummed and removed himself from the sub-officer’s touch as he stood slowly up, his back cracking as he did. He turned the volume knob up two notches and turned back to Freddy as if to ask, ‘Is this loud enough?’ The sub-officer sighed when it wasn’t, it still sounded like a muffled hum.

“Just a bit more,” Freddy instructed.

Klaus nodded and turned the volume up more and went back to the couch without checking if it was a good volume, which it wasn’t. Freddy could now make out some words but not all of them, but he didn’t bother mentioning it.

When he returned to the couch, Klaus’ head eventually found itself in Freddy’s lap, his feet hanging off the side of the couch as they relaxed.

“Sometimes I wish the Reich didn’t ban music like this. It’s so lovely,” Klaus sighed as he looked up at Freddy, only getting a good view of the underside of the younger’s jaw.

Freddy hummed and tried to pick up on what was playing. There were a few English words he knew so it was probably a British broadcast, but he couldn’t deduce anything else from it.

“I… What’s playing?” He asked.

Klaus laughed at Freddy’s question, thinking he was joking.

“K, I’m serious. What’s playing?” Freddy asked again, realizing that his partner wasn’t going to answer his question.

“Fred Astaire,” Klaus raised his hand and gently placed it on the side of the sub-officer’s face. “I think you’re losing it, mein schätzchen.”

Freddy only frowned and moved around a bit, the hand in Klaus’s hair stilling.

“What, is your age finally catching up to you?” The captain playfully asked.

“Goddamnit, Klaus,” Freddy frustratedly whined as he stood up, moving the other man’s head off his lap as he did so. “Why don’t you get it? I’ve been so damn busy trying to make sure that you’re okay that I haven’t been able to fucking figure anything out with myself. My hearing is royally fucked!”

“Finkie, I-” Klaus immediately sat up and extended his hand and placed it on Freddy’s arm as he stood.

“Don’t touch me,” Freddy hissed as he shrugged the captain’s hand off of him. “I have been so focused on trying to make sure you’re okay and trying to get you to talk to me and-”

Freddy wiped his eyes in a failed attempt to collect himself.

“Never once have you asked me if I’m okay. I’m fucking deaf in one ear now and you have no clue how this affects me- How irritating it is to constantly ask you to repeat yourself or speak up.”

He once again wiped his face and sniffled before gesturing to the radio on the windowsill.

“Even listening to the damn radio is a hassle,” He sighed and dropped his hand. “I haven’t heard a thing.”

Klaus’ heart dropped, he hadn’t realized he wasn’t tending to Freddy’s emotional needs.

“Freddy, why didn’t you tell me?” Klaus asked, now much more aware of how loud he was speaking.

The sub-officer’s stance completely changed at that.

“God, how fucking daft are you?” He exclaimed, exasperated. “I asked you to increase the volume twice and I even said that I couldn’t hear what you were talking about, and that was just today!”

“I didn’t realize that’s what you meant, Finkie. I’m sorry that-”

“What did you think I meant?” Freddy asked. “I’m fucking deaf in one ear, Klaus.”

“I…” Klaus exhaled through his nose as he contemplated what he wanted to say. “I don’t think I do know what I thought you meant.”

The sub-officer let out a frustrated sigh and crossed his arms as he side-eyed Klaus. The two stood there in the thick silence, waiting for the other to say something. The more time that went on, the more tense Freddy felt. Before he knew it, he took Klaus’ face in his hands and smashed his lips to the other man’s, mentally cursing at himself for being like this. The captain’s eyes widened and he pulled out of the kiss.

“Freddy I don’t think-”

“Just kiss me,” The sub-officer breathed.

“ ‘Don’t touch me’ my ass,” Klaus mumbled.

“Oh shut up,” Freddy whispered before pulling himself and Klaus down onto the couch.

***

“So,” Klaus began as he looped his belt back through his pants. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I think we just did,” Freddy replied as he tucked his shirt in. “Didn’t we?”

“If- If you think so,” The other man replied.

If Freddy felt satisfied with what had just happened, Klaus was willing to let it slide.

In no time, Freddy had gotten himself put-together and grabbed his jacket off the coat rack.

“What are you doing?” Klaus asked as he stood.

“I’m going for a walk,” Freddy replied as he pulled on his uniform jacket.

“You can’t.”

“Why not?” Freddy snapped.

“Curfew, Freddy,” The captain clarified. “It’s far past seven, now.”

Freddy huffed and paused for a moment before slowly removing his jacket and placing it back on the coat rack. His next move was towards the kitchen in which he poured himself a glass of beer, opened the window, and began smoking a cigarette.

Realizing that Freddy wasn’t coming back into the sitting room and that he should probably say something, Klaus got up and off the couch and followed his lover’s steps into the kitchen. When he entered, Freddy was leaning on the windowsill, glass in one hand and a cigarette in the other as he took a long drag from it, slightly coughing when he did. Klaus quietly poured himself a drink and then made his way over to the scorned sub-officer.

As Freddy blew a puff of smoke out and over the windowsill, Klaus leaned against the wall as he spoke up.

“I don’t like it when we argue,” He said, making sure he was loud enough for Freddy to hear.

Freddy nodded and took a sip of his beer.

“I don’t either. But you’ve got to understand where I’m coming from with this one.”

“I know, I just wish you told me sooner,” Klaus explained. “If we want to get along, we’ve got to talk to one another.”

Freddy scoffed.

“You’re one to talk. You’ve become a shut-in,” He retorted.

Klaus pressed his lips together and nodded before placing his hand on the small of Freddy’s back, one finger wrapping itself around the belt loop of the sub-officer’s pants.

“I’ll work on it if you work on it,” He softly promised.

Freddy glanced over and placed his glass down next to Klaus’ on the counter next to him.

“Promise?” He asked.

“I promise.”

With one hand, Klaus pushed the window closed and the curtains shut as he pulled Freddy close with the other.

“How about we go and make up in the bedroom?” He suggested as he leaned in.

“You’re a bastard,” Freddy said with a sigh as he kissed the captain.

Klaus chuckled and kissed back. As they kissed, he pulled the back of Freddy’s shirt from out of his pants before dipping his hand beneath the fabric and rubbing up against his back.

“You better keep your promise,” The sub-officer said before tilting his head and taking a drag from his still-lit cig.

“I will,” Klaus said as he removed his hand from his partner’s back. “As long as you do.”

Freddy nodded with a small smile before pulling the cigarette out of his mouth. Klaus mirrored the smile and picked his glass back up before heading towards the tall bottle of beer. He picked it up and continued out of the room.

“The alcohol and I will be waiting upstairs,” He announced as he waved the bottle in the air.

Freddy chuckled to himself but was quick to lean back onto the windowsill, open the curtain, and slide the window back open.

Month Two: April 1944

Going home was more nerve-wracking for Freddy than he thought it would be. The fear of the city being bombed or raided while they were away frightened him, but Klaus did his best to soothe him during the day-long journey home on the train. Meanwhile, for Klaus, he kept his anxieties to himself. Facing his sister and nephews, if the two boys were home, was a terrifying concept. He adamantly avoided them for years and didn’t know how they would react to his eye, especially his brother-in-law, who he hoped wouldn’t be home during his stay. Obviously, they knew he was still alive because a portion of his military pay was still going through to his sister and his brother who presumably still lived out of town.

All both men could do was hope for the best.

***

Walking back from the train station, Freddy realized that walking far distances on hard stone streets was not something he could do anymore. Klaus was facing some pain, but it wasn’t as nearly as bad as the younger man’s aches. They took a few breaks, which Freddy didn’t allow to last long out of guilt but ultimately resulted in more breaks, which ultimately slowed down the process. The sub-officer profusely apologized every time they had to stop, in which Klaus insisted that it was fine and even offered to carry his suitcase, but Freddy refused and insisted he would still carry it.

After around an hour, they arrived at Freddy’s flat which was, much to his relief, still intact. The two said their goodbyes and Klaus headed off to his place, which was still only a few blocks away.

Before Klaus was even inside his apartment, he was met with a handful of letters stuffed into the small mailbox at his door. He then faced a dust-filled space and piles of unopened mail ranging from old bills, letters, pamphlets, and missent mail. Klaus sighed. It didn’t seem like his sister had checked in in ages. The first thing he did was grab a duster and broom. While rummaging around in a closet, he came across an old set of headphones for his record player and set them aside, thinking it would be a good gift for Freddy.

***

A few days had passed since both men had seen one another until Klaus popped by one afternoon. Freddy greeted him with a small kiss and smile and pulled out a slightly-fresh and small Baumkuchen that had a less than impressive sugar coating on it he managed to get his hands on.

“I visited Minna the other day,” Freddy said as he handed Klaus a fork. “You remember her, right?”

“She has a young boy, right? Lives upstairs?” Klaus checked as he accepted the fork.

Freddy hummed and sat down.

“He’s nine now. But-” He pressed his fork down into the Baumkuchen. “I don’t know why but she… She just seemed fidgety. Especially when I asked about her husband. God, I felt horrible after bringing him up. She looked like she was about to cry. Do you think I said or did something that-”

He paused when a possibility dawned on him. The sub-officer leaned in over the pastry, suddenly feeling very aware of his volume.

“Do you think her husband is in the O5?” He asked in a hushed time tone.

“I-” Klaus looked up from the dessert. “I wouldn’t speculate.”

Freddy nodded and cleared his throat.

“Anyways... How’s everything at home?” Freddy asked as he picked at the pastry with his fork.

“Oh, it’s fine, I guess. Dusty. Stacks of mail for miles on end.”

Freddy chuckled.

“And that’s why I sorted out my mail before I left.”

Klaus pointed his fork at him.

“You worked at the post-office. You could filter it.”

Freddy looked up.

“I would’ve sorted yours out if you had asked,” He replied with a smile.

Klaus smiled back and dipped his fork into the dry pastry.

“Any sign of Katherine and the boys?” Freddy asked.

The captain hummed and nodded, giving himself some time to chew.

“Yeah,” He swallowed. “Just Kathi, though. Toni is in Poland and Josef is in France. She’s not sure where Edmund is at the moment.”

“Wow. They were kids the last time I saw them,” Freddy remarked as he broke another piece of pastry off with his fork.

“They still are,” Klaus sighed. “I mean, they’re adults now, but… Nineteen and twenty-one are too young to fight a war.”

Freddy hummed in agreeance as he chewed.

“Speaking of kids- You should come back to my mom’s with me,” He suggested. “I’m sure she’d love to see you again. Everyone would.”

“Oh, I don’t think-” Klaus paused. “Not with my eye, Freddy.”

The blond shook his head.

“K, my father was crippled with health issues because of the war. They’d understand. And if you want to wear your patch you can,” Freddy insisted as he scraped the dish. “But if you don’t want to I completely understand.”

Klaus hummed in response and took some time to think about it.

***

Later on, that day, when they were both enjoying a cigarette at the kitchen window, Klaus had made up his mind.

“I’ll go with you this weekend,” He said after taking his cigarette out of his mouth.

Freddy turned to him with a smile.

“Really?”

“I’ll get the ticket on Thursday. I can’t imagine many people are traveling these days,” Klaus explained.

“I’ll buy it.”

“Hm?” Klaus hummed as he processed what Freddy was saying. “Oh. No, Finkie. You don’t have to. I can handle it.”

Freddy shook his head no.

“I’ve got it. You’re my plus one. I’ve got enough money stashed away to afford it.”

“Freddy, I- No.”

“Freddy, yes, ” He replied with a smile.

“I won’t allow it,” Klaus insisted. “I’ll leave right now if I have to.”

The sub-officer pouted.

“I don’t know why I can’t buy it for you. You know I can afford-” Freddy let out a squeak of surprise as Klaus pulled him into a rough kiss.

Both men were quick to toss their cigs into the sink as the kiss deepened.

“I am going to get it,” Klaus asserted before dipping back into the kiss, pulling on the edge of Freddy’s sleeve.

Freddy moaned into it and held onto the other’s collar when he pulled away.

“No, you are not,” The sub-officer replied.

The captain yanked on Freddy’s belt, pulling him in.

“I think I can change your mind.”

Freddy chuckled and began to move in the direction of his bedroom, his lover close behind. Hitting the mattress, Klaus was oddly more vocal than usual, but Freddy shushed him a few times with the reminder of ‘The walls are thinner here.’

Five minutes later, they were both lying flat on their backs, heavily panting. Before Klaus could say anything, Freddy had rolled off his back and mounted himself on Klaus’ lap. With one hand planted on the captain’s left shoulder and another just above his right to not harm him, Freddy slowly exhaled.

“I’m paying.”

The two stayed in a locked gaze for a moment before Klaus sighed.

“We’ll talk about this tomorrow.”

“No, we aren’t,” Freddy insisted. “Because then we won’t talk about it.”

“That’s not how that works,” Klaus argued. “How about we split it?”

Freddy sighed and leaned down.

“I get seventy-five percent,” He murmured as their lips brushed.

“How about forty-five?” Klaus asked as he leaned up to capture Freddy’s lips in a kiss.

Freddy pulled back.

“Ninety-five.”

The captain sat up, following the other man’s motion.

“Fifteen.”

Freddy leaned in and sweetly kissed his partner, pulling back with a smile.

“One hundred.”

“Fine,” Klaus sighed as his shoulders dropped. “But that means you aren’t doing anything for my birthday.”

Freddy rolled his eyes and gently pushed Klaus onto his back.

“I guess I should do it all now, then."

Arriving at nine in the evening was not a part of Freddy’s travel plan, not one bit. But, neither Freddy nor Klaus could control an apparent blockage on the railway that lasted over two hours. After getting lucky enough to hail a ride out, Klaus checked his broken, yet miraculously still working watch, and stated how late it was, making Freddy groan. Getting out of the relatively cramped car, both men’s bodies ached as they stretched and approached the door of the sub-officer’s childhood home.

Freddy sighed and knocked on the wooden door, which was looking far worse than it did the last time he visited. As they waited, Freddy looked to Klaus, and when their eyes met, they shared a small smile. Their gaze was interrupted when they heard the rattle of the doorknob.

They were met with the sight of Anita’s sweet and welcoming face.

“Oh, welcome home, Friedrich,” The woman warmly greeted, a sense of relief hidden within her words as she embraced her youngest son.

Freddy smiled and hugged back as best as he could before placing down his case. Anita’s frail hands tightly grasped at the back of Freddy’s shoulders, bunching the fabric of his shirt beneath her fingers. Both men could tell she was trying her best not to cry.

“Hi, Momma,” Freddy soothed. “Sorry for our tardiness. There was a hold-up.”

“Oh, it’s okay. You’re here now, that’s what matters,” Anita reassured as she looked over. “Klaus, lieb, you’re a sight for sore eyes. How are you? It’s been so long.”

Five years, to be exact.

“I’m well, Anita. I’m well. How are you?”

“I’m so much better, now,” Anita replied.

Klaus knew that she was referring to her emotions, but he thought she looked far healthier than she did the last time he was over, despite the presence of the cane.

“Come in, both of you. Come in. Anna is in the sitting room.”

The two men tiredly shuffled into the home, taking in the smells of the old home.

“Hi, boys,” Anna, who was swaddled in a thick blanket on the couch, tiredly greeted.

“Hi, Anne.”

“Hi, Anna.”

“Annie has been waiting all night with me. She’s a trooper.”

Klaus smiled and looked over to Freddy’s sister, who had now removed the thick blanket off of her and stood, making the captain's eyes go wide at the sight of her very pregnant belly.

“When you stopped writing to me I thought I’d end up in a hospital, Freddy,” Anita began. “There wasn’t a single day where I didn’t pray to the Lord that you would be safe and okay.”

“I know, Momma. Our transfer was just very sudden and you know how hard it was to get letters out in the first place,” Freddy sighed. “And I-”

The sub-officer went to say that he wouldn’t want to reflect on what went on in the front, but that was until he got a good look at Anna.

“Oh my lord , Anna,” He exclaimed, a bit louder than he realized as he placed down his case and took a few steps towards her.

He squatted down in front of his sister and gently placed one hand on her stomach.

“How far in are you?”

“Eight months,” The blonde replied with a smile. “I’m due soon.”

“Wow, congratulations, Annie,” Freddy breathed, making a mental note that he’d have to make a trip back to visit when the time came. “When was Bruno home? Does he know?”

“He does, he came back in August. He was home for only two weeks so we got to it-” Anna laughed.

“Nope, nope,” Freddy interrupted, standing up as he did so. “Too much information. The moment has been ruined. I’m too tired for this.”

The group of adults shared a soft laugh before Klaus gave the woman a small ‘Congratulations’ before Anna bid them goodnight and waddled down the hall to the guest room.

“Now how are you both feeling? Are you resting enough?” Anita asked.

“We have. I have, at least,” Freddy replied before gesturing to his lover. “This one is just too pent up.”

Klaus awkwardly chuckled.

“Klaus, please take care of yourself. Especially with that eye of yours. You have to be more careful- Whether there’s a risk of an explosion or not.”

The captain nodded as if he wanted to say ‘I know, I know.’

“Thank you, Anita, but please tell your son to stop tending to me so much. We’re not captain and sub-officer in that home.”

Freddy glared at Klaus while Anita told them that they both needed to take a break before remarking that Freddy was like his father, ‘hard of hearing, literally and figuratively.’ The sub-officer discreetly rolled his eyes as his mother sighed and leaned into her cane, fatigue hitting her.

“Now, can I get you boys something to drink?” She asked. “There’s not much to drink but there’s always water.”

“Oh, no thank you, Anita-” Klaus replied before jokingly adding, “I only drink alcohol now. I don’t know if you know this, but, I’m trying to become an alcoholic.”

Freddy awkwardly forced out a laugh before discreetly jabbing the captain in his side at the raised brow of his mother. Klaus had to refrain from winking in return.

“I think we’re going to retire, Momma,” Freddy quickly said, trying to cover his partner’s comment. “Where are we sleeping tonight? Klaus upstairs in the girl’s old room?”

“Oh, no,” Anita replied. “Marta and the kids are in there.”

“Marta is here?” Freddy asked with a small smile.

Anita nodded.

“I told her you were coming and she just had to be here- But, you boys would be sharing the other room upstairs.”

“Oh,” Freddy had to repress his smile as he turned to Klaus. “We can handle it. Right, K?”

“We can just add a wall of pillows between us,” Klaus replied with a playful smile.

Anita laughed, seemingly not understanding the meaning behind their exchange.

After a few words were exchanged about how Anita received their things from Czechoslovakia, the two men said their goodnights. Freddy gave his mother a gentle kiss on her cheek and told her to rest before following Klaus up the stairs. After turning down the upstairs hall as quietly as possible, they reached the small bedroom. Freddy locked the door behind him and dropped his case at the foot of the bureau with a tired sigh. They began undressing in silence.

“I almost didn’t recognize Anna,” Klaus suddenly said as he pulled on his pajama bottoms. “Besides it being years, she’s just got that pretty pregnancy glow women always talk about. It suits her.”

Freddy leaned over and lightly tapped the captain’s behind.

“Keep it in your pants,” He tiredly teased. “This is my sister who we’re talking about.”

Klaus chuckled and grabbed his shirt.

“Do you think it’ll be a boy or a girl?” Klaus asked.

Freddy shrugged and pulled his pajama pants on.

“It doesn’t matter to me.”

“If it’s a girl we’ll both have the same amount of nieces and nephews,” Klaus commented.

Freddy looked over to him with a furrowed brow

“You never told me that you had nieces.”

Klaus shrugged.

“Twin girls. They were born two or three years before we saw one another again.”

Freddy nodded and pulled on his nightshirt.

“What are their names?”

The captain stopped buttoning his shirt and paused in thought.

“Liesl and Lina. After my mother and their other grandmother,” He replied as he reconvened his action from before.

“Cute.”

Freddy softly hummed to himself and finished getting dressed as Klaus pulled down the bed’s duvet. Before climbing into the bed, Freddy contemplated going to brush his teeth for a moment but decided against it. He was far too tired.

Once he was beneath the covers, he rolled onto his left side and faced Klaus. The two shared a tired, yet intimate, gaze as the captain took Freddy’s hand in his.

“I love you,” Klaus whispered.

Despite not clearly hearing what Klaus had said, Freddy knew what those three words looked like when Klaus spoke them. He had committed it to memory.

“I love you more.”

Klaus smiled and squeezed Freddy’s hand, adjusting their hands, just a bit. As their eyes slowly lulled shut, the captain shifted forward and slipped his foot between Freddy’s ankles.

“Goodnight,” The sub-officer mumbled before drifting off.

Klaus kissed Freddy’s knuckles and closed his eyes.

“Sleep well.”

When Freddy woke, the overwhelming feeling of sharp rheum by the corners of his eyes made him rapidly blink and tiredly wipe it out of his bleary eyes as he stirred.

“Good morning,” Klaus softly greeted.

Freddy groggily smiled.

“Morning.”

Klaus laughed at the sub-officer’s scratchy voice and he began to take off his pajama shirt.

“The kids are up.”

Freddy closed his eyes and stretched, his legs taking over the left side of the bed.

“Already?” He asked with a yawn.

“Well, it is ten a.m. We’re the late risers,” Klaus replied as he took off his bottoms.

The sub-officer laughed and slowly sat up, running a hand over his eyes as he did so. Watching as Klaus pulled on a pair of fresh trousers, recently grabbed from his apartment, Freddy sighed.

“Come back to bed,” He quietly cooed. “Just for a moment. Please.”

Klaus smiled and shook his head no, making Freddy frown.

“If I get back in bed I’ll fall asleep again.”

Freddy pursed his lips in a small pout and pushed himself out of bed, flinching when he suddenly put too much pressure on his leg. After making a small recovery from the pain that shot through his body, he stood and made his way over to Klaus. He glanced over to the door, checking that the latch was still closed, and then wrapped his arms around the captain’s waist from behind. Klaus smiled to himself as he felt Freddy’s slightly calloused fingers on his skin, shivering when the sub-officer's lips touched him.

Freddy slowly traced the outline of Klaus’ scars with his lips before placing a firm kiss right at the center of his shoulder. He tucked his nose behind Klaus’ left ear and ran his hands up his chest, his wrists crossing at the center.

“I think I’m falling in love with the aspect of waking up next to you every morning,” He sweetly whispered.

Klaus smiled and leaned his head to the side a bit.

“It is nice.”

Freddy grinned and leaned his face forward, capturing Klaus’ lips in a few pecks as his fingertips played with the soft espresso-colored hair on the captain’s chest.

With the soft embrace of the sub-officer warming him up, Klaus’ dressing process slowed, appreciating the physical warmth over the comfort of clothing.

Eventually, the two left the room and headed down the stairs, being greeted by the delicate chatter of children. The moment Freddy set foot into the sitting room, the attention of his oldest nephew and only niece was directed towards him, their faces lighting up in surprise.

“Uncle Freddy!” Johannes called out as he scrambled out of his chair, dropping his colored pencils onto the table.

“Hey!” Freddy greeted, his personality changing almost as if he flipped a switch.

Johannes ran into the sub-officer’s legs the moment he stepped into the kitchen, making the blond slightly stumble back with a huff. Klaus watched from the bottom of the stairs with a fond smile.

“Good God, you’ve gotten big! Both of you have!” Freddy exclaimed as he picked up his nephew with a small grunt. “How old are you now? Eight?”

“No, seven!” Johannes exclaimed.

“Ah,” Freddy playfully hit his own forehead. “I forgot. You know, my friend has a son named Johannes, he’s just a bit older than you.”

“Really?” The small child gasped, watching as his uncle nodded.

“Hi Uncle Freddy,” His only niece, Mathilde, greeted with a shy smile.

“Hey, Tilly,” He greeted, carefully placing his free hand on the back of the eleven-year old’s head before giving her a gentle kiss on her forehead. “How are you? Are you in the Jugend yet? You’re old enough for that now- right?”

The girl nodded.

“I started last year. I’m not too sure I like it, though,” She said before quickly and quietly adding, “But don’t tell mom!”

Freddy smiled and lovingly patted the back of her head.

“I won’t, I promise.”

The girl smiled and wrapped her arms around her uncle’s waist

“Now,” Freddy began as he looked around. “Where are Aunt Marta and your cousins?”

“Auntie Mar is outside with Oma and Peter and Oskar is-”

As if on cue, the blond six-year-old burst through the doors, his mother and younger brother in tow, interrupting Mathilde.

“Uncle Freddy!”

Freddy grunted in pain a bit when Oskar slammed himself into his legs, just like Johannes, tightly hugging him.

“Hi, Oskar,” He awkwardly lifted his arm over Mathilde’s head and ruffled the child’s hair.

“Hi, Friedrich,” Marta greeted with a small smile, shifting the one-and-a-half-year-old in her arms as she did so.

“Auntie Mar, help! I’m drowning in children!” Freddy dramatically cried with a wide smile and bright eyes.

Marta laughed while Klaus chuckled and leaned onto the banister, enjoying this different side of his partner.

“God,” Freddy breathed when he caught sight of Peter’s face, raising his hand up to cup the child’s face. “He looks a lot like you, Mar.”

“He does, doesn't he?” Marta proudly replied before pressing her lips to the side of her wide-eyed child’s face.

Freddy sighed and dropped his hand, moving it to Mathilde’s back.

“I can’t believe he’s not a baby anymore. Where’d the time go?”

He couldn’t believe all of them had grown up so much in half a year… Or that his baby sisters, who he could’ve sworn we’re kids yesterday, were all grown up and now had families of their own.

“I know,” Marta sighed, brushing a thin wisp of her youngest’s hair back. “Especially with Anna having another on the way… It’s…”

The mother didn’t finish her sentence and looked to and from both of her sons while Freddy caught Klaus in the corner of his eye.

“Hey- Kids,” Freddy said as he put Johannes back down, grabbing the children’s attention. “I’m not too sure how well you remember- Oskar, you won’t but-”

He gestured over to where Klaus was standing at the bottom of the stairs.

“This is Klaus. He’s a Hauptmann and a very good friend of mine.”

While Mathilde and Johannes greeted Klaus and pulled away from Freddy, Oskar’s eyes lit up at his uncle’s words as he turned to his mother. As if Marta read her son’s thoughts, she nodded with a warm smile, prompting the little boy to run over to Klaus and latch himself onto his leg.

Klaus froze for a moment as he looked down at the small child, who was now rubbing his cheek into his leg. He smiled and placed his hand atop the child’s head with a smile.

“Hi, Oskar. How are you, buddy?”

As Klaus listened to the child’s response, Freddy was being pulled outside by the other two children. The captain took notice and met the sub-officer’s gaze. Klaus cocked his head to say ‘Go ahead.’ Freddy nodded, turned, and stepped outside

“Oskar, lieb, come outside with us!” Marta called out as she left.

The blond child pouted and reluctantly let go.

“Bye-bye Uncle Klaus,” Oskar said before wobbling over to the patio door.

“Bye, kid-” He paused for a moment. “Uncle?”

There was a soft feminine laugh to his right. It was Anna, who was resting on the couch.

“Marta and I have defaulted to that with the kids. It’s easier than saying ‘Uncle Freddy’s friend,’ you know?” She explained before adding with a laugh, “God knows that they need male presence while their fathers are away.”

Anna glanced at Klaus.

“You don’t mind, do you?”

“Oh, no. I don’t mind at all. I…” Klaus smiled. “That’s sweet, thank you. I actually have a few nephews and nieces from my brother and sister.”

He paused for a moment when he realized something.

“I haven’t actually… I haven’t met my nieces. I haven’t been home since ‘40 so I never got the chance to meet them. They’re twins, actually. The first in the family.”

Anna looked at him with soft eyes.

“Will you be seeing them while you’re back home?”

Klaus sighed.

“It’s more than a day’s trip out there from where we’ve been stationed. But, if there’s time I’d… I’d like to visit.”

The woman smiled but before she could reply, she hissed out in pain.

“Ooo,” Anna cooed, placing her hand on her belly as she did so. “She’s kickin’.”

“She? How do you know?” Klaus asked as he sat down next to her on the couch.

“Well, Johannes was never a kicker, but Mathilde was,” She laughed. “Besides that… Mother’s intuition.”

“Oh,” Klaus replied as he looked down at her stomach.

“She’s probably kicking because she hears you. She likes it when people talk.”

That made Klaus look back up to her.

“Really?” Anna nodded and Klaus gestured towards her abdomen. “May I?”

Anna nodded again.

“Of course.”

With a smile, she flattened out her shirt, letting her swollen belly tightly press against the fabric. Klaus kneeled down, slowly raised his hand, and placed his hand right by her navel; his touch being tender and careful.

“Hey kid, can you hear me?”

He felt a bit silly talking to a belly, but Anna’s smile helped him feel more comfortable.

“Hey, little one,” Anna cooed as she rubbed her stomach. “Uncle Klaus is talking to you.”

Klaus smiled at that.

Anna soon stilled her hand movement and looked back to Klaus.

“Keep talking,” She encouraged.

Klaus nodded and paused to think of what to say.

“You’ve got a really nice family out here waiting for you,” He began. “I’m sure they’ll love you.”

Klaus’ eyes lit up when he felt a small pressure against his hand.

“She kicked!” He exclaimed before moving his hand the smallest amount, wanting to feel it again, before whispering, “She kicked.”

Anna smiled at the warmth in Klaus’ voice. The mother then let out a small breath, feeling a sharp pain from the baby kicking her. Klaus frowned when he didn’t feel the kick. Noticing this, Anna took Klaus’ hand and gently moved it to the right where the baby had last kicked, watching as his face lit up more when the baby kicked again.

“Wow,” He breathed. “God, that’s beautiful.”

The blond’s smile only deepened at Klaus’s attentiveness to the baby within her.

“You don’t have any children, do you?” Anna softly asked.

Klaus shook his head no.

“Have you ever considered it?” She asked.

“I… I have. Unfortunately, that was a reason why my engagement didn’t work out,” Klaus explained. “Now...”

Children are out of the question because of who I am.

“Now it’s not my focus. I haven’t had much of a social life outside of talking with the men I command.”

Anna nodded, showing that she understood.

“From what I know about you I think you’d make a lovely father.”

Klaus looked up at her.

“Do you think so?”

He was afraid that he’d be like his father, absent and cold.

Anna nodded with a warm smile and before Klaus could thank her for saying that, Mathilde came running inside, whining about something her younger brother had done.

***

Later that night, when Klaus and Freddy were in bed, Klaus began to absent-mindlessly trace the outline of Freddy’s stomach.

***

The following night, Klaus woke up in the middle of the night from a nightmare.

It was one similar to the ones he used to have before the war began, the ones where he never knew where he was and Freddy would always be hurt, but this time, the dream was foggy and hazed.

With heavy and labored breaths, he blinked his eyes a few times, trying to adjust to the dark room as he looked next to him. A small spark of nerves went through him when he realized Freddy wasn’t there, but he took a deep breath and tried to relax.

After a few minutes of waiting to see if Freddy was in the bathroom, Klaus decided to get up and grab a glass of water. He tiredly padded down the hallway and the spiral staircase as quietly as he could and tip-toed into the sitting room and towards the kitchen. He tripped when he walked into the corner of the coffee table to his right. He quietly cursed and then turned the sitting room’s lamp on, stepped up into the kitchen, and grabbed himself a glass of water. Leaving the kitchen, he spotted someone on the couch in the corner of his eye. Turning to his left, he saw Freddy, who was fast asleep on the couch with his youngest nephew resting on his chest.

The captain felt his heart melt at the sight, the thought of his nightmare long gone now. He quietly made his way over as quietly as possible and gently brushed Freddy’s hair with his hand, bent over, placing a gentle kiss to the man’s temple. Looking at the young child on his lover’s chest, he smiled and cupped the back of the child’s head. The captain looked from Peter to Freddy and then back down to Peter. A faint and pleasant warmth filled his body as he did so. Klaus softly sighed and looked at the two a final time before standing up and stepping back towards the patio door for a smoke.

***

The next morning, while Matilde was at school and everyone else was outside playing or enjoying their tea on the patio, Freddy was in the kitchen packing food. Distracted by the task before him and the soft breeze from the opened window, the sub-officer didn’t notice Klaus fondly looking at him from the doorframe. Freddy softly hummed to himself as he folded some less-than-impressive sandwiches over on themselves.

“Are you making lunch for the kids?” Klaus asked, making Freddy jump and turn around.

“I-” He laughed, trying to hide his embarrassment. “Yes. I also made lunch for us.”

He gestured to a basket on the counter.

“I was thinking we could get out and go hunting. I packed lunch for later,” Freddy lowered his voice. “And dinner, too.”

He gave his lover a small smile.

“I thought that we could have a date night,” He softly expressed.

Klaus smiled and gave him a wink, now picking up that he has to close his dead eye for it to feel more natural.

“Hunting sounds good.”

“I’m glad,” Freddy sighed as he turned back to the sandwiches. “I thought it would be nice to use a gun for something other than killing people.”

“So we’re killing animals?”

If looks could kill, Klaus would’ve immediately dropped to the floor.

“At least it’s not people,” Freddy mumbled. “It would be nice to also get some meat for everyone. Give them a good meal for once.”

Klaus hummed in response as his finger traced a crack in the wall.

“Last night you were really cute with Peter,” He remarked, making sure to curve his voice away from the possibility of eavesdroppers.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Freddy replied as he plated the sandwiches. “Please go tell the kids food is ready.”

Klaus nodded and turned on his heel, smiling to himself.

***

After two hours of no animals showing, Freddy and Klaus retreated back to the blanket that they set up by the lake, feeling a bit disappointed, Freddy more than Klaus. They ate the lunch Freddy had packed and talked about what records they wanted to bring back to listen to while Klaus pulled out one of three thermoses of beer.

“It’s never too early to start drinking,” Klaus remarked.

The afternoon quickly melted into the evening and the two men settled down onto the blanket Freddy had packed. Klaus had lit a fire, mainly to provide warmth in the cool April-air, but the younger man insisted it added to the ambiance.

Deciding to take advantage of the alone time and privacy of the forested landscape, the two retreated beneath a willow tree, softly giggling and kissing like teens as they stripped down. As Klaus snugly wrapped the blanket around Freddy’s shoulders, the sub-officer lowered himself down, muffling his moans with his hand.

“You know, we can be louder out here,” Klaus laughed. “Unlike our apartments.”

Freddy chuckled.

“God, why have we even bothered to keep pay… ay… ing,” Freddy trailed off when Klaus fully entered him.

“For our places?” Klaus asked, filling in the blank.

“Mhm,” Freddy hummed as he began to slowly move up and down. “I mean, we’re never there. When Edgar… Edgar left for England I-”

He sharply inhaled and recollected himself.

“I barely used his car so I just got rid of it before I left,” He explained before moaning out, “God you feel good.”

“Where did that car ever go?” Klaus asked, his voice strained as he too began moving.

“I donated it,” Freddy replied. “To the- Oh-”

He tightened his grip on Klaus’ shoulder and side.

“To the office.”

The captain’s brow quirked upward at that.

“The post office? What the hell are they doing with it?” He asked as he secured the blanket on Freddy’s shoulders a bit more.

“No,” Freddy gasped out. “The other one.”

It wasn’t exactly easy for Klaus to try to figure out what Freddy meant as the grip on his cock tightened on and off. When it clicked, his eyes widened a bit.

“Freddy, don’t tell me you gave it to the fucking Gestapo . Jesus Christ.”

The sub-officer groaned, wishing he never brought it up. Talking about the Gestapo was the last thing he wanted to talk about during sex.

“Did you at least try to get a monetary value out of it?”

“I’ve got plenty of money in my savings just from my father’s business alone,” Freddy breathed.

“You could have at least made the bastards lose something. Why did you give it to them of all people?” Klaus asked as he began thrusting harder.

Freddy just kept matching Klaus’s pace with a strangled moan each time his prostate was hit. Klaus removed his hand from the blanket and pinched the tip of Freddy’s prick, making the sub-officer lurch forward; the blanket falling off his shoulders as he did.

“You’re not coming until you tell me why you thought it was a good idea.”

Freddy bit his bottom lip and let out a small whine as he slammed himself down as equally as hard as Klaus’ was thrusting, making the captain moan.

“I don’t think that’s fair.”

“Oh I think it’s plenty fair,” Klaus retorted as he thrust back. “I mean, what the hell were you thinking?”

“I don’t know I just…” Freddy let out a sigh and rocked his hips, still matching Klaus’s pace.

There was a moment of silence before he cleared his throat.

“I didn’t want to deal with trying to sell it,” He sighed again. “I mean, who can afford a car these days? Everyone walks or bikes anyways.”

Klaus hummed in response, agreeing with Freddy’s last statement.

“Can I… Can I-”

“Come?” Klaus asked, watching as Freddy nodded. “No.”

The sub-officer groaned with a small smile before mumbling out a playful ‘You bastard . ’ His cock twitched before he placed his head in the crook of Klaus’ neck for a moment. When he collected himself, he sat back up and made direct eye contact with Klaus. He then slipped his heels beneath Klaus’ knee joints and tightened his thigh’s grip on the captain’s legs, preventing any efficient hip movement. He leaned in close to his lover’s ear, the movement shrouded in silence other than the soft chirp of crickets around them.

“Two can play this game, Klaus,” Freddy purred; a hint of snark in his words. “If I can't come then you can go soft.”

Klaus scoffed.

“I could do this all night.”

“Good thing we have it, then.”

Their banter continued until Freddy got an idea. The sub-officer smirked and moved his hands off of Klaus’ shoulders.

“You see, I have two hands,” Freddy said as he moved his hand down, but Klaus grabbed his wrist.

“So do I.”

Freddy tried to suppress a smug smile as his other hand slipped down and removed the hand that was keeping him from coming. Klaus was quick to grab that wrist too.

“I don’t know what you’re planning but I think I have the upper hand.”

In response, Freddy began rocking his hips, sending a sharp chill up Klaus’ spine.

“Do you? I don’t think so,” He teased.

“God you’re insufferable,” Klaus moaned in a laugh.

Freddy’s smile faltered for a moment, not reading the playfulness behind the other man’s words.

Did Klaus find him annoying?

Before he could ask about it, Klaus was already moving him onto his back and smoothing out the blanket below them. Klaus then collected his shirt and balled it up, creating a pillow for Freddy. He sweetly kissed him before they both resumed what they had been doing only moments before.

When they finished, both men realized that they didn’t have anything to clean up with besides the blanket. Not wanting to sully the cloth, Freddy was quick to retreat to the lake while Klaus grabbed his handkerchief out of his shirt’s pocket. Freddy was already waist-deep in the dark water by the time he retrieved it.

“It’s not bad!” Freddy insisted, just loud enough for Klaus to hear. “Especially for April.”

Klaus turned toward the lake, but couldn’t see Freddy. He squinted and looked around a bit, just barely being able to make out Freddy’s figure.

“Come in, Liebling,” Freddy exclaimed when he didn’t get a response.

“I’m not washing off in the lake,” Klaus called back. “It’s unsanitary.”

Freddy rolled his eyes, thinking about how they’ve faced worse conditions, and ducked beneath the water. Klaus chuckled at the sound of the splash and grabbed the water canister they had brought with them, wet his hanky, and wiped himself down. The sub-officer was quick to emerge from the water, shivering in the evening’s cool air.

“God damn it’s cold,” Freddy murmured as he approached the blanket.

Klaus chuckled as he pulled his pants up.

“Another reason why I didn’t go in.”

Freddy grumbled under his breath as he collected his clothes, water dripping off of his body as he did so.

“Hey, hey- Watch it, lake boy,” Klaus said as he moved stuff away from the water droplets. “You’re going to have to dry off unless you want to freeze in wet clothes.”

“I know, I know,” The nude male replied as he slicked back his hair.

Klaus smiled and slapped Freddy’s bare ass, giving it a small squeeze as the sub-officer turned and gave him a smile, enjoying the attention.

Before sitting down at the edge of the towel, Freddy shook his hands off and wiped himself down a bit with the back of them as Klaus tended to the fire. As he watched the captain toss kindling into the flames, Freddy pulled his jacket up and over his knees, giving himself some coverage. In less than half an hour, he had dried off enough to redress and to rest his head in Klaus’ lap.

As Klaus nursed his cheap beer, his hand eventually found its way into Freddy’s caramel locks as he gazed into the fire, making him relax. As his hair was softly massaged and weaved through, Freddy looked up to Klaus in thought. The light molded itself around his captain’s face, making his complexion look softer. The orange flames reflected in Klaus’ dead eye made it look a sickly green, a large contrast to the honey-colored hue of his brown eye, but Freddy didn’t mention it.

Freddy couldn’t help but smile at the sight. His thoughts were calm and innocent at first until he remembered what Klaus had said about him.

Feeling his partner’s gaze on him, Klaus looked down at the man in his lap.

“What is it?” Klaus asked.

Freddy waited for a moment, taking a long drag from his cigarette, his throat burning as he thought about his response.

“I was just thinking about earlier,” He finally replied as he tossed his cig into the fire.

“A good or bad thought about earlier?” Klaus softly asked.

“It’s…” Freddy hesitated for a moment. “It’s a bad one I guess.”

The captain frowned and paused his hand movement.

“Would you… Would you like to talk about it?” He asked, attempting to show that he was listening.

“Do you really think I’m insufferable?”

Klaus’s brow furrowed as he blinked in surprise.

“What?”

“Earlier you said that I was insufferable and I was just- I mean, did you not like what I was doing? I thought we were just doing something different so I played along…”

“No- No, Finkie. You’re not annoying at all,” Klaus insisted. “I thought we were playing around, too. I would never say that with malice.”

Freddy quietly nodded in response.

“Next time if we do something like that do you want to discuss it?” Klaus asked before adding, “I don’t want you to feel like I’m not listening.”

The blond nodded again, but this time with a subtle smile.

“Yes. Talking works.”

“Okay,” Klaus softly replied. “Did I do anything else?”

“Do you really think it was a bad idea to give the car away?”

Klaus rolled his lips together in thought and leaned back a bit.

“Kind of. But I guess you were right. Who else would have taken it?”

“Some bigwig,” Freddy replied.

The captain laughed and ran his fingers back through his lover’s hair.

“Maybe,” He whispered as he thumbed through Freddy’s mostly-dry hair. “Now, is that all?”

Freddy nodded and silence slowly settled in but was interrupted when the sub-officer asked Klaus a question of his own.

“Did I do anything?”

Klaus shook his head, allowing the silence to continue as nighttime deepened. Thirty minutes had passed before Freddy spoke up again. When he did, he was gazing up at Klaus.

“Hey,” Freddy whispered.

“Mm?”

“You’re really handsome.”

Klaus’s facial expression softened and twisted a piece of Freddy’s hair around one of his fingers.

“So are you.”

Freddy smiled and slowly sat up before meeting the captain’s lips with his own. Klaus melted into it, like chocolate on a hot summer’s day, and the two men softly talked into the late hours of the night.

Month Three: May 1944

After going back and picking up a few oddities and clothing, the new place started to feel homier. Of course, their clothing didn’t exactly fit anymore from lack of proper nourishment and facing wartime, but with a few small pin-stitches Freddy was able to bring some of his and Klaus’ shirts in. Freddy made sure that they had grabbed some records too since the home had been far too quiet if they weren’t fighting or listening to the radio. Klaus had also given Freddy the headphones, which he had been using a lot more when reading in the sitting room. He loved them, he loved how intimate the music felt when they were on, and of course, he loved Klaus for being so thoughtful.

By now, they had settled into a relatively consistent routine, Freddy spoke up about his feelings and needs more, and Klaus had mostly followed up on his promise about not spending all of his time in the study. But, today was one of the days that Klaus didn't keep the promise. Luckily, Freddy didn’t mind because it gave him plenty of time to focus on cooking that night. As soon as he deemed everything ready, he made his way to the small room.

“K?” Freddy called as he ducked around the corner of the doorframe. “Dinner is ready.”

He gave Klaus a moment to respond as he patiently waited in the doorway, but the response never came. He cleared his throat and decided to speak louder.

Maybe he was speaking softer than he thought he was.

“K? Dinner is ready,” He paused. “I managed to get my hands on some whiskey for you.”

Klaus once again didn’t respond and Freddy frowned. He rolled his shoulders back a bit and walked over. He gently tapped Klaus’ shoulder and wrapped his arms around his lover’s neck.

“You okay?” He murmured against his skin.

Klaus let out a small hum in response but continued writing. Freddy looked up and over his lover’s shoulder to see a drafted letter to their Sergeant-Major and sighed.

“It’s time to get away from this desk,” The sub-officer cooed, pulling back on the captain’s shoulders as he did so.

“Hang on, hang on,” Klaus mumbled as he stood, still looking at his letters as he did so.

Freddy hummed, getting an idea as he gently kissed from Klaus’ cheekbone down to his Adam's apple, barely sucking on the latter. The captain exhaled through his nose and turned to the sub-officer.

“What is it?” He asked.

“I wanted to tell you something,” Freddy purred as he placed his hand on the other’s stomach.

He then ran one hand up Klaus’s torso with a small smile. His fingers gently tugged on the captain’s open collar when it reached it. Freddy’s lips hovered over Klaus’, his eyes going from towards their lips up to the older man’s eyes. His thumb softly caressed the side of the brunette’s face. Freddy leaned in just a bit more, just enough for their top lips to brush. The blond could feel Klaus’ breath hitch on his mouth as his other hand gently pulled on the older’s belt.

“Dinner is ready,” He whispered with a smirk, immediately pulling away and turning on his heel, and heading out of the room.

Klaus looked on with his mouth agape. Sometimes he wished that he wasn’t so easily charmed by the blond, but right now he was swooning.

The captain soon found himself entering the kitchen, being greeted by a set table for two, the smell of soup, and a sturdy glass of whiskey on the table.

“What’s for dinner?” He asked as he sat down. “It smells good. And better than usual.”

Freddy smiled to himself, feeling a sense of satisfaction as he sat down with a glass of water.

“Rabbit soup with a few veggies.”

Klaus raised a brow.

“You’re pulling my leg. Where did you-”

“While you were asleep I went on a small hunting trip. I borrowed the man who lives across the street’s gun.”

“You… Huh. Even with your leg? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I was fine, I took breaks. Plus, I wanted it to be a surprise. Now eat up.”

The two ate in comfortable silence, only exchanging a few words about the meal before the conversation dissolved. By the end of the meal, Freddy kept stealing glances at his lover. After their trip out to the country, the sub-officer was craving something more than soft or argument-fueled sex.

He had riled Klaus up so much already, so why not keep it up?

As discreetly as he could, he sneaked his hand onto and up Klaus’ thigh, giving it a small squeeze to steal his attention away from the meal. When Klaus looked over, Freddy was licking his spoon clean, pretending to not know what he was doing. Noticing the captain's gaze on him, he pulled the spoon out of his mouth.

“What?” He asked with a smirk.

Klaus shook his head as if to say ‘nothing’ and Freddy pulled his hand away. The sub-officer collected his flatware and bowl before heading over to the sink. Klaus followed less than a minute later, placing his dishes into the sink. Just as Freddy wanted, the captain initiated contact by wrapping his arms around his waist.

“That was quite the move you pulled earlier, Friedrich,” Klaus murmured as he kissed down the younger’s neck.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Freddy hummed as he continued to scrub the bowl.

“Really?”

Klaus’s hands landed on the younger’s belt and began to undo it.

“Mhm,” Freddy hummed as he put the bowl aside before picking up another. “Do tell.”

The younger man could feel a smirk form against his skin.

“Well, I was working at my desk and you came in, saying something. What you were saying, I’ll never know, and I don’t particularly care,” Klaus finished unbuckling the belt and moved to remove Freddy’s suspenders. “But once you got your hands on me…”

Freddy could have sworn Klaus growled.

“You had my attention. And you did it while looking ridiculously sexy, too.”

He moved his lips right next to Freddy’s right ear, his good one, as the suspenders dropped.

“It can drive a man wild, Friedrich,” The captain huskily purred as his fingers undid the button to Freddy’s pants.

Freddy felt a sharp chill run down his spine at the sound of his name leaving the other's lips.

“You’ve got me all excited, now,” Klaus cooed.

The sub-officer could feel the slightest bit of bulging on his ass and smirked to himself. He placed down the bowl and sponge he had been holding and partially wiped his hand down on a dishtowel.

“Are you going to do something about it?” Freddy asked, his voice breaking a bit.

Klaus grazed his teeth over Freddy’s earlobe as his hand just barely dipped beneath his boxers. Freddy held his breath as Klaus’s fingers gently played with the small wisps of hair on his pubic bone.

“I don’t think I will,” Klaus quickly responded as he almost immediately removed himself from the other man’s body.

Freddy let go of a breath that he hadn’t realized that he had been holding and looked over his shoulder. Klaus scooped up his glass of whiskey and leaned back over the other’s shoulder, his lips hovering over Freddy’s.

“Thanks for dinner,” He quipped before pulling back and heading out of the kitchen.

Freddy looked back at the brunette with a mischievous sparkle in his eyes, wanting more.

Only an hour later, Freddy had taken a quick shower while Klaus was still tucked away in the study. As the sub-officer went to pull on a pair of pajama pants, he paused. He carefully tucked his top and trousers back into his bureau and looked into the mirror. After fussing with his hair, making it look just how Klaus liked it, he made his way back downstairs. He quickly made his way into the study and placed his hands over Klaus’ eyes.

“Guess who,” He cheerfully whispered in the captain’s ear.

“Hm. The Red Army?” Klaus answered, almost feeling the roll of Freddy’s eyes.

“No. Guess again.”

“Damn. I wouldn’t know who else it would be, then,” He pretended to think for a moment. “Freddy?”

The sub-officer smiled, dropped his hands, and kissed Klaus’s jaw.

“Correct.”

The other man smiled and looked back at his lover as Freddy walked around the chair and leaned against the desk. Klaus felt an excited chill run up his spine at the sight of Freddy clad in only his boxers, still feeling riled up from the early evening’s events. His eye scanned up and down Freddy’s body, a small smirk forming as he did so.

“What’s this all about?” He asked.

Freddy leaned forward and placed his hands on the arms of the desk chair before placing himself in Klaus’s lap. He placed his hands at the beginning of his partner’s neck and leaned in close.

“I want you to pin me down and fuck me,” He purred as he squeezed the base of the captain’s neck. “Hard.”

Klaus shuddered and chuckled, welcoming the idea of experimentation.

“Are you trying to seduce me, Friedrich?”

Freddy traced down Klaus’ collarbone, looking up through his lashes as he did so.

“Is it working?”

In response, Klaus captured Freddy’s lips in a deep kiss, pulling him closer by his hips. After a quick few minutes of grinding and moaning, Freddy crawled off Klaus’ lap, giving him sloppy kisses as he did so.

“Are you sure about this?” Klaus mumbled in between kisses.

Freddy moaned out a breathy ‘Yes’ before pulling the captain in by his collar for another hungry kiss. Klaus smiled and tugged on the sub-officer’s arm.

Before they knew it, they were heading up the staircase, giggling like a couple of schoolgirls. Klaus playfully smacked Freddy’s ass, making him squeak and somewhat carelessly turn around.

“Ohoho,” The sub-officer chuckled and lightly swatted Klaus' chest as he backed up the stairs.

In no time Freddy was on his back in the middle of his bed, naked, and impatiently waiting as his lover undressed. Klaus quickly stripped himself of his pants and boxers, leaving him in only his shirt. The captain got through two buttons before Freddy grabbed his wrists, preventing him from taking off his shirt.

“Just fuck me .”

Klaus chuckled and pulled Freddy closer by his thighs. He spat into his palm and used it to lubricate himself. Freddy scrunched his nose.

“That’s gross,” He teased.

Klaus chuckled and held Freddy’s thighs as he positioned himself.

“My cock is going up your ass and you’re going to complain that doing that is gross?”

Freddy rolled his eyes.

“You know what I- Ah,” Klaus cut him off with a firm thrust into him.

The captain didn’t wait long before he kept moving his hips, unevenly increasing his pace the more he pushed in.

“Do you want more?”

“Yes I- Mm,” Freddy curled his toes. “Mhm.”

Klaus began to move his hips in an upward circular motion, making Freddy loudly gasp and tightly grab the sheets below him.

“You like that?” Klaus asked, a small sense of softness in his voice. “You like getting fucked like this?”

Freddy only continued to let out moans and mewls. Klaus smirked and picked up his pace, further pushing back Freddy’s legs as he did so. With every thrust, the captain’s grip moved from his lover to the headboard of the bed, which was now rocking in tandem with him. By now, they had learned to move the bed away from the wall the slightest amount to avoid making more noise during moments like this. Using the headboard as leverage, Klaus pushed himself in more efficiently. Freddy’s eyes shot open and he let out a moan.

“Klaus- Klaus, Klaus,” Freddy rasped out. “Fuck.”

Klaus felt Freddy tense around him and roughly thrusted, letting it slowly drag out before going back in harder. Freddy gasped each time, his hand now covering his mouth.

Only a minute later, Freddy’s climax suddenly washed over him. His body shook as he orgasmed, his chest heavily rising as he took deep breaths. Klaus pulled out and then deeply kissed Freddy as he stroked himself, bringing himself down.

Freddy untensed and Klaus moved away and off the bed. As Klaus redressed, Freddy continued to lie on the bed and process what had just happened. Buttoning up his shirt with one hand, Klaus leaned over and draped a blanket over Freddy before kissing his forehead.

“Are you okay?” He asked.

Freddy nodded as he caught his breath.

“Okay,” Klaus whispered. “I’ll be in the study.”

Freddy hummed and Klaus exited the bedroom, the echo of his footsteps softening the further he went down the stairs. The sub-officer laid there, hands on his stomach, his breaths slowing as he gently squeezed the blanket beneath his fingers. Freddy let out a few breathy chortles as a large smile formed on his face.

After getting out of bed and cleaning up, Freddy padded down the stairs and down the hallway. He quietly entered the small study with a robe loosely wrapped around him, his footsteps alerting Klaus of his presence.

“Hey. Are you okay?” Klaus asked after he turned around.

“Yes, of course,” Freddy answered before breathily adding, “That was… That was really nice. We should do that more.”

He nuzzled his face into the side of Klaus’ head.

“I didn’t know you still had it in you, K,” Freddy purred into the other’s hair. “Fucking sexy.”

“I can be surprising,” Klaus replied as he briefly stroked the side of Freddy’s face.

The sub-officer smiled and pressed his lips to the captain’s cheek before moving around the chair a bit.

“I am a bit weak in the knees so I can only imagine how I’m going to feel tomorrow,” Freddy breathily laughed as he leaned against the desk, slightly flinching and letting out a small hiss at the contact. “My back is getting there.”

Klaus slightly smiled, leaned over, ran a hand beneath the bottom of Freddy’s robe, and gave his thigh a small squeeze. His hand barely lingered before he removed it.

“Maybe tomorrow I’ll just take the time to be lazy while I recover,” Freddy dramatically sighed. “You can make me tea with honey and then we can snuggle all day.”

He knew that there was no chance of them getting honey from the market, definitely not in the times they were living in, but he could dream.

“How does that sound?”

When Klaus didn't give him a response, Freddy’s eyes scanned his face for a moment.

“Is something wrong?” He asked, his tone softening as he did.

Klaus briefly looked up from the paper in his hand, pressed his lips together, and shook his head no. Freddy frowned and ran his hands back through Klaus’s hair.

“Come to bed,” He whispered before placing a small kiss on Klaus’ temple. “This will still be here in the morning.”

“I’ll be there in five minutes,” Klaus insisted. “I promise.”

Freddy hummed and kissed the corner of his lips before giving the captain’s arm a small squeeze and walking off.

When Freddy was out of earshot, Klaus sighed and looked down at the paper before him. He had already written three letters back-and-forth with his Sergeant-Major, trying to get a better picture of what his and Freddy’s future as soldiers would look like. He could only hope that he’d be placed back in action, but would never ask the same of Freddy. As much as he didn’t want them to be separated, Klaus wouldn’t be able to handle knowing Freddy was in danger again. He’d rather know that the younger man got discharged and was safe at home with a normal and simple job instead of out on the front with him. But, as much as he wanted some action, home-life continued to call to him. The temptation of domesticity with Freddy was getting harder to ignore with every day that passed.

But he knew their living situation would never last.

Month Four: June 1944

Summer started off with a heatwave, one that was incredibly unbearable in or out of the home. The sweltering heat and aspect of being stuck at home with one another were the perfect ingredients for spurring an argument between the two lovers. The fight was trivial from an outsider’s perspective, but neither man would drop it all day. By the time they were both naked in Freddy’s bed and out of breath, neither could agree what the fight was about.

‘It was about how you fold my shirts, ’ Freddy insisted.

‘No, it was about how you put the utensils away, ’ Klaus rebutted.

Despite feeling sticky and hot from the fight and fuck, Freddy and Klaus still made room for further sexual escapades after their argument.

The sub-officer was lying flat, other than his head being propped up on a pillow, while the captain was on his stomach and forearms, carefully placed around his lover’s legs. Freddy hummed as Klaus’ mouth enveloped him, allowing himself to lean back and close his eyes. He began playing with the captain’s soft brown hair and felt Klaus smile around him.

This wasn’t the first time Klaus had given Freddy a blowie since 1938, having brought it back up in late April in an attempt to feel more normal during sex. Freddy most definitely was not opposed to the suggestion but was a bit wary about what he was supposed to do with his hands.

“Play with my hair, twist it around your fingers, run your hands through it, just don’t pull it or hold my head down,” Klaus had instructed him.

Freddy thought that it was fair and easy enough to do and seemed to be able to avoid pulling Klaus’ hair the handful of times he blew him. That was until he felt Klaus’ teeth slightly grazed up against him. He gasped and grabbed the back of Klaus’s head, pulling his hair and pushing him down.

Klaus panicked at the action, gasping and choking before he shot up, frantically wiping his mouth as he did so. Freddy immediately sat up when he realized what he had done.

“Oh my God, Klaus I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to-”

“You know not to do that,” Klaus rasped out, a hand on his chest as he tried to catch his breath. “Right?”

Freddy nodded.

“Of course I do.”

“Then why ,” He raised his voice, making Freddy flinch. “Did you do it?”

“I… I didn’t mean to,” Freddy whispered.

The two sat in a thick silence before Klaus closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths and turned back to Freddy.

“I’m sorry, Finkie. I shouldn’t have... I shouldn’t have yelled.”

“No, no- I’m sorry,” Freddy moved closer before softly placing his hand on Klaus’s bicep. “Are you okay?”

Klaus let out a heavy sigh.

“Yes- Yes . But I’m not-” He ran his hands over his face before turning to Freddy. “I’m just tired.”

Freddy nodded and cupped the other’s face as he carefully ran a hand through the front of Klaus’s hairline.

“I’m sorry, Liebling. I’m sorry. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I know,” Klaus whispered, just loud enough for the other to hear. “I know you don’t.”

Freddy sadly smiled and placed his forehead to Klaus’ for a short moment before pulling away.

“Do you want me to run the bath for you?” He softly asked as he rubbed Klaus’s cheek with his thumb.

Klaus nodded and Freddy mirrored it with his own before getting off the bed and loosely redressing. Not wanting to aimlessly wait around, Klaus got up and threw on his boxers and swept the floor of their clothing before placing it in the laundry basket.

Only minutes later, Freddy returned and told him that he had run a cold bath for him to cool down in before sweetly adding that he ‘added bubbles too.’

Klaus tiredly smiled and thanked him, placing a small kiss on the sub-officer’s cheek before they both headed in separate directions.

Entering the bathroom, he was met with the soft smell of the bubble wash and melting wax. Freddy had lit a candle and placed it on the countertop, which made Klaus smile. His lover seemed to have a knack for these things.

While Klaus was in the bathroom, Freddy was downstairs fussing and anxiously running his hand through his hair. He knew he had fucked up and felt horribly guilty about it, despite his lover saying that it was fine. Leaning against the counter, Freddy sighed before he got an idea.

In no time, he returned to the bathroom, bottle, and glass in hand. When he arrived, Klaus was already undressed and soaking in the tub. The captain looked over when he heard the pop of a cork and glug of a liquid being poured.

“What’s that?” He asked, propping his right arm up onto the side of the tub.

“Try it,” Freddy replied as he grabbed the glass over, making sure the captain had a firm grip on it before letting go.

Klaus raised a glass to his nose and allowed the overwhelming aroma of alcohol to enter his nose.

“Red wine, huh?”

“I wanted to save it for your birthday but I thought it would be appropriate for a nice summer’s day bath,” Freddy said as he picked up the cork. “As in right now.”

“Where’d you even get this?” The captain asked as he turned the glass in his hands.

“That’s a secret,” Freddy replied as he recorked the bottle.

Klaus smiled and sipped from the tall glass, sinking back into the tub more as he did so.

“Now, I’ll be in my room if you need me,” Freddy said as he made his way out of the room, not wanting to hassle Klaus any more than he already had that day.

Though, he did pop his head back in with a quick ‘I love you’ before ducking back out, leaving Klaus to relax.

Now as the room went silent, the captain placed his feet up at the end of the tub and began to enjoy the glass of wine, allowing his disturbing thoughts from earlier slip away. When he finished, he carefully placed the glass onto the tiled floor and leaned back into the tub, soaking in the cool and soapy water.

His mind wandered down the hall and to the other man’s bedroom. As much as he appreciated the alone time after their fight and the mishap, he wished the sub-officer would have stayed in the bathroom with him, even if he just stayed at the sink.

“Freddy?” He called out.

There was no response, so he cleared his throat.

“Freddy?” He called out again, louder this time.

“Yeah?” Freddy called back.

“Can you come here?” Klaus asked.

The soft padding of Freddy’s bare feet against the hallway’s carpet and wood flooring became more prominent in a matter of seconds.

“What is it?” Freddy asked as he popped his head into the bathroom. “Do you want more wine? A towel?”

The captain shook his head in response.

“Come join me,”

“Oh, K, I’d love to but I don’t think I’d fit,” The taller man said with a soft laugh.

Klaus extended his arms out and made grabby hands at Freddy as if he were a child asking to be picked up by his mother. Freddy chuckled and stepped onto the tiled floor as he began to undo the buttons of his boxers.

Dropping his underwear to the floor, he carefully stepped into the tub in between Klaus’ legs and shimmied around a bit. With one of Klaus’ hands supporting him, he slowly sank down into the water and rested on top of the captain.

Klaus wrapped his arms around Freddy’s torso and Freddy snuggled back, placing his hands atop of Klaus’. Freddy deeply inhaled and softly exhaled, taking in the cool touch of the water enveloping him.

“This is so nice,” Freddy breathed.

Klaus hummed and kissed behind his partner’s good ear.

“I’m sorry for earlier,” The sub-officer apologized as he shifted his legs around to fit into the tub.

The captain gently tightened his hold on Freddy and kissed the same spot again.

“It’s okay. I forgive you,” He replied. “We just need to work on it.”

Freddy silently nodded in agreement as he sank deeper into the tub as Klaus rubbed circles into his lover’s stomach.

“You’re too good to me,” Freddy sighed. “I don’t know how I’ll ever catch up to you.”

“You do every day, Finkie,” Klaus murmured. “Everyday.”

A small smile donned the younger’s face as he closed his eyes, before drifting off with Klaus until the early evening.

Month Five: July 1944

The week before Klaus’ birthday, Freddy headed back out to his mother’s home, Klaus arriving a few days later to say hello. While they were there, they worked on the old farming truck, which probably should have been scrapped years ago, and worked in the garden. When they weren’t working around the house, Klaus was playing with Marta’s kids, which she had dropped off at Anita’s for the weekend. Freddy tended to their more personal needs and listened to them talk about their new baby cousin (who was a girl), who was taking up all of Auntie Ann’s time.

***

When Klaus woke up on his last day at the Finkel-household, he woke up to the feeling of Freddy’s lips on his face. His eyes fluttered open and his good eye slowly adjusted to the morning sunshine.

“Good morning,” Freddy greeted, his smile showing through his voice before he pecked Klaus’s lips.

“Mm, good morning,” The groggy-feeling man replied before craning his neck up to kiss Freddy but hissed when he felt a sharp pain down his neck.

“You okay?” The sub-officer asked with a concerned frown as he sat to the side of the other man.

“Yeah, it’s just that more people need to sleep in this room,” Klaus grumbled as he wriggled around. “This mattress is hard as hell on this site. It needs to be broken in, Christ.”

Freddy eyed Klaus.

“You think so?” He asked.

The captain nodded with a small grunt.

“Do you want to break it in?” The sub-officer asked as he bit his lip.

Klaus looked at Freddy as if he said something incredibly scandalous.

“Are you kidding me? You know we can’t. Not here.”

“No one’s home,” Freddy said as he walked two fingers up Klaus’ chest. “I was downstairs before you woke up. They’re all out at the market.”

“Really?” Klaus asked.

Freddy hummed and crawled on top of the captain.

“They’re out and I want to give you the most delicious orgasm. One so good that you won’t want to leave later or be able to walk.”

“Really?” Klaus asked with a cocked brow, suddenly feeling much more awake. “You’ve piqued my interest.”

“Good,” Freddy murmured before kissing Klaus’s jaw as his hands dipped beneath the other’s nightshirt.

“This was one way to wake up,” Klaus softly laughed as his hands grabbed the back of Freddy’s thighs.

Freddy hummed, his mouth focused on the underside of the captain’s jaw, the stubble brushing his nose. Klaus closed his eyes, taking in the feeling of Freddy’s mouth and body on him.

“As nice as this is, your-” The captain softly moaned; Freddy had sneaked his hands beneath his shirt. “Your family could come home at any minute. We are not having sex here.”

“The note said noon,” Freddy replied. “It’s ten, now.”

Klaus chuckled.

“Well in that case,” He leaned up to Freddy’s right ear and whispered, “Take it away.”

***

Klaus collapsed onto his stomach with a huff while Freddy rolled onto his back to the side of him.

“Having sex in my childhood bedroom is something I never thought would happen,” Freddy breathed.

Klaus laughed. Feeling a bit dizzy, he waited a moment before rolling onto his back.

“I don’t know where you get all that energy from.”

“Mm,” Freddy hummed as he kissed Klaus’s collarbone.

“Sometimes I wonder why you don’t go for a younger guy because of that,” Klaus quietly said.

Freddy frowned and lifted his head so his eyes could meet Klaus’.

“What do you mean?” He softly asked as he brushed Klaus’s hair out of his face. "Talk to me, Liebling.”

“Well,” Klaus paused to think about his wording. “You’ve always… Made me feel younger yet at the same time simultaneously older. I don’t… Sometimes I don’t think I can match you.”

“Oh, Klaus… You don’t ever have to worry about your age or my age for that matter. I’m not that young, anymore,” Freddy softly chuckled. “Besides, I like older men.”

Freddy playfully nudged Klaus with his foot.

“You know that.”

Klaus breathily chuckled at that.

“Do I?”

“You don’t know much about my dating life before I met you, do you?”

The captain shook his head.

“They were always older,” Freddy explained as he played with the hair on Klaus’ chest. “But never like you. No one ever just wanted to talk or get to know me... That’s why I liked you so much.”

“Like?” Klaus asked with a quirked brow as he shifted closer. “I thought I’d be higher than ‘like’ by now.”

Freddy smiled.

“You sound like a mopey teen,” He teased, but still added, “Of course you are. You are very much loved by me.”

The other man smiled and began playing with his lover’s hair.

“Why have we never talked about this before? The past relationship thing?”

“I guess it was never important past the significant ones. You never asked and I never cared to share, before,” Freddy replied before placing a small kiss on Klaus’s jaw before sitting up.

The sub-officer got off the bed and collected his clothes, the captain following as they both got back into their pajamas before lying back down. Both men laid there as they gazed at the ceiling in silence, taking in one another’s company.

“Finkie, can I ask you something?” Klaus asked.

“Hit me.”

“When was the first time you had sex with a man?” Klaus asked.

Freddy opened his eyes and looked up to the ceiling, thinking for a moment.

“On my seventeenth birthday. 1927.”

Klaus looked over.

“On your birthday ?” He rolled onto his side. “You got birthday sex for your first time?”

Freddy looked over and nodded with a smile, the slightest hint of mischief in his eyes.

“God, my first time was in a dark back alley,” Klaus laughed. “I hope it was at least a little bad to cancel out how great of a gift that is.”

Freddy laughed which made his head press into the mattress below them.

“No, it was good. A little awkward but good,” The sub-officer replied before adding, “Not as good as you, though.”

“Was it with Hans?” Klaus softly asked.

Freddy nodded.

“It was the first time I- It was the first time I ever had sex. Not just with a man. We got together that night; under the stars. It was sweet, you know? He was sweet.”

Klaus hummed and intently listened.

“I… I think that’s why I reconnected with Hans. He was one of the kindest guys I had met- That I had slept with before you,” Freddy explained. “So when I didn’t have you I… He was there for me; made me feel safe.”

Klaus smiled to himself.

“I’m glad he could do that for you.”

Freddy’s brow furrowed as he rolled onto his side, propping himself up on his forearm. Klaus looked up at him.

“What?”

The sub-officer smiled, feeling some sense of closure between them.

“It’s nothing,” He whispered before leaning down and pecked Klaus on the lips before snuggling into his chest.

Klaus smiled and wrapped his arms around Freddy, one hand gently playing with his hair as they both drifted off into the afternoon.

***

Freddy and Klaus woke to a shrill shriek. The sub-officer shot up to see his mom standing there in the doorway. In a panic, he quickly shuffled off of Klaus, who was still confused.

“Mom, I- I can-”

Klaus’ heart dropped at those words

“Friedrich, I- I- There is a mouse!” Anita exclaimed.

Neither man could begin to explain the relief they both felt at that statement.

“Oh- Okay, Mama. Just close the door and I’ll get it,” Freddy said, prompting the woman to close the door. “Be careful on the stairs!”

“Oh my God,” Klaus mumbled as he ran his hands over his face.

Freddy leaned off the bed and spotted the small, grey, vermin. He sighed and scooped the mouse up by its tail. The sub-officer walked over to the window, unlatched it, pushed it open, and gently placed the mouse in the gutter before closing the window again.

“Go on, little guy,” He murmured before turning back to Klaus. “Is she gone? I… I didn’t hear her go.”

Klaus, who was sitting up now, nodded and looked over.

“Thank God for that little shit.”

Freddy let out a tense laugh and flopped down into the wing chair behind him.

“I can’t believe I forgot to lock the door,” He mumbled, running a hand over his face as he tried to calm down.

“Do you think she noticed?” Klaus quietly asked.

“Hm?” Freddy hummed, leaning forward.

Klaus nervously shifted forward.

“Do you think your mother noticed us?” Klaus said, a bit louder.

A moment passed before Freddy looked up from his hands.

“I don’t think so.”

Klaus nodded and turned to the door before looking back at Freddy.

“I should… Probably pack.”

Freddy hummed in agreement and began to change into his day-clothes in silence as Klaus made the bed. They continued throughout the day as calmly as possible, both side-eying one another and Anita, who didn’t seem to suspect anything.

When they got into the newly fixed truck, Freddy sighed and placed his head on the steering wheel.

“I feel like I’m going to have a heart attack waiting around like this.”

Klaus tensely laughed.

“Tell me about it.”

The captain leaned over and placed his hand atop of Freddy’s, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

Freddy picked his head up from the steering wheel and gave his lover a small smile.

“I hope so.”

The two shared an understanding look before Klaus sat back and Freddy turned back to the steering wheel.

“Now, let’s see if our work paid off.”

One day had passed since Klaus had left and Freddy hadn’t picked up on any signs of his mother being suspicious, making him relax a bit more.

On the last night that Freddy was there, which was only two days later, he was plating the table when his mother cleared her throat.

“So,” Anita softly began.

“So?” Freddy echoed with a cocked brow.

The white-haired woman took a moment to spoon soup into their bowls before choosing to continue her words when they both sat down.

“I didn’t know that you… That you and Klaus were- Were… Pansies.”

Freddy froze and put down his spoon.

“Wh- What?” He stammered.

His mother sighed and turned to him.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you were a queer , Friedrich?” Anita asked. “I could have gotten you help. I know a preacher who has done plenty of conversions”

“I- I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Freddy nervously replied.

“I’m not daft, Fred. There’s always been something… Different about you.”

The sub-officer thickly swallowed as his mother continued.

“Have you ever considered getting help for this?” Anita asked, watching as her youngest son shook his head no. “I mean… You’re forty when the decade is out and I’m only getting older. I’d like for you to give me some grandkids before I pass.”

“You- You already have five,” Freddy replied. “Five seems like plenty of grandchildren. Besides, Edgar doesn’t have children, as far as we know, and that was never a problem.”

Anita ran her hand over her pale and worn face.

“That’s different. This is different. Darling, you know that your father wouldn’t-”

“Please don’t mention him,” Freddy interrupted before whispering, “Not for this.”

The frail woman nodded and went silent, her brittle hand gently holding her son’s hand.

“Now, I… I believe that you are perfect husband material for any woman and I know that the war has been a large distraction and you’ve just been surrounded by men - Lord, that must be it, right?” She turned and grasped his other hand. “You’ve just needed to project on those around you because there haven’t been any women around. Besides, I’ve never pegged Klaus as a queer. You must have done something for him to-”

“No. No . I’m not- I’ve always been like this,” Freddy insisted, his tone becoming more assertive. “And Klaus- Klaus and I are in love and we have always-”

The sub-officer froze when he realized what he had just said as his mother looked on with equal horror. Never in his life had he been so afraid of his mother until now. He felt like he was going to throw up.

“No, you’re right. Klaus isn’t- We’re not…” Freddy glanced around the room as he tried to correct himself. “It’s just me. He’s not like me.”

Despite his attempt to override what he had just said, the look in his mother’s eyes told him that he was too late.

“Are you sure you aren’t just confused?” Anita asked, her jaw firmly clenched.

Freddy thickly swallowed and nodded.

“I’m sure.”

His mother nodded and let go of his hand before she reconvened eating.

“Please don’t tell anyone,” Freddy quietly pleaded. “I don’t know what I’d do if it got out.”

“Of course not, Friedrich,“ Freddy let out a sigh of relief. “Why would I tell anyone that my son was a queer?”

Freddy felt like he had been punched in the gut as he let out a weak ‘Thank you.’ The two sat in a thick and uncomfortable silence as Anita finished eating, Freddy having lost his appetite. After he had collected and washed their plates, a thought dawned on the sub-officer. His hands shaking, he turned and walked to the kitchen’s slider window, which opened to the dining room.

“If you say anything about Klaus you won’t ever hear from me again,” Freddy lightly threatened. “I’ll make sure of that.”

He looked over to his mother, a look of fear and guilt in his eyes.

“ They’ll make sure of that.”

Anita frowned and nodded, providing some comfort to Freddy, but not much. He sighed and stepped down from the kitchen.

“I’m going to retire."

***

Freddy couldn’t get out of his mother’s house fast enough. Their goodbye was short and awkward and then Freddy was gone. He walked for about an hour, taking a few breaks before someone who drove by was willing to drive him out to the station. The wait for the train was arduous while the two-hour ride was agonizing. He just needed to get back to Klaus, to unload all of his emotions and fears that had been eating at him for more than twenty-four hours now. So, when he arrived back in town, his first stop was Klaus’ apartment.

Worn from the amount of walking he had done and his emotions, he weakly knocked on the door, slightly leaning on the wall as he did. He thought to knock again, just to check if Klaus was actually home or hadn’t heard him, but the door swung open. His appearance greatly surprised the captain.

“Oh, hey. What are you-” Klaus glanced back into his apartment. “What are you doing here?”

“You’re on the way home from the station so I thought I’d stop by,” Freddy explained as he tiredly rubbed his eyes. “I’d like to talk about something.”

“Oh,” Klaus stepped out and partially closed the door behind him before he lowered his voice. “Can it wait?”

“Maybe?” Freddy replied, suddenly feeling the weight of his exhaustion. “Why? Is someone here?”

Klaus nodded.

“Katherine and Toni are over. Toni is- He’s uh… Hang on.”

He stepped back into his apartment and closed the door. Freddy sighed and shifted his weight onto his right leg as he listened to the muffled talking on the other side of the door. Less than a minute later, the door opened again.

“You can come in but you just- Brace yourself,” Klaus warned.

A bit confused, Freddy stepped into the old apartment, being welcomed by the shocking sight of Klaus’ second-oldest nephew. The nineteen-year-old was resting on the loveseat of the sitting room, with more than half of his left leg missing. Katherine, who looked more worn than he’d ever seen her, sat to the right of her son, her side pressed into the arm of the couch. Freddy swallowed back his shock and did his best to calmly greet the young man.

“Hi, Toni. How are you?” He mentally kicked himself for that and quickly added, “I’m sorry, you don’t have to answer that.”

“I’m okay,” Klaus’ nephew replied. “How are you?”

“I’m well, I’m well,” Freddy answered, trying to hide his tiredness.

Before he could say anything to greet Katherine, the woman was already quickly approaching him and gave him a tight hug, catching the sub-officer by surprise.

“Hi, Katherine,” Freddy choked out. “How are you?”

“Splendid! One of my brothers and one of my sons are both cripples so I’m glad to see a man that’s in-tact,” Katherine said with a forced smile as her nails dug into the sides of Freddy’s arm.

“It’s good to see that you’re doing well yourself, Katherine,” Freddy replied, feeling guilty when he caught a glimpse of Toni’s hurt expression.

“Kath,” Klaus firmly said as he crossed his arms. “How about we go talk in the hall.”

Katherine released her grip on Freddy’s arms and looked to her brother.

“What is it?” She asked.

“Let’s talk in the hall.”

“Anything you have to say to me you can say in front of Toni and Friedrich.”

Klaus clenched his jaw as he went into a staring contest with house sister as Freddy and Toni uncomfortably watched on. The captain’s stern state was intense, his icy dead eye viciously striking through anyone who glanced over at him.

A chill went down Freddy’s spine, feeling like the room was about to burst from the building tension.

Eventually, Katherine broke the stare, a hint of disgust on her face.

“Fine,” She huffed.

The woman looked over to Freddy with a sickly smile and a scrunched nose.

“This won’t last long.”

As the brother and sister left the apartment, Freddy turned to Toni and sat down next to him, much closer than Katherine had been earlier.

“I’m sorry for what happened to you,” He carefully apologized. “You don’t deserve this.”

Toni forced a smile.

“Thank you.”

The young man began to subconsciously play with his fingers, which attracted Freddy’s attention. His eyes slightly widened when he realized that Toni’s left hand no longer had a pinky or ring finger. Trying not to look rude, Freddy tore his eyes away from the teen’s hand.

“I- When I was in Russia with your Uncle, he and I faced a lot of shit. A lot,” Freddy began, Toni quietly listening as he spoke. “When we were out there we faced exhaustion, the threat of frostbite, and the fear of being caught and killed every day. I’m sure you’ve faced that too.”

Toni hummed in response.

“Out there we faced hell,” Freddy lifted his leg up and rested his ankle on his thigh.

He pulled up his pant leg, revealing the large dip in the bottom of his leg.

“And I got shot into the leg and lost my hearing in one ear. I know that I got lucky. But, I understand where you’re coming from and I’m sure your uncle does too,” Freddy assured. “I want you to know that just because you’ve lost your leg doesn’t mean you’re any less of a man.”

“You know, Mom says I’ll never marry because of it,” Toni commented, Freddy’s words going over his head a bit.

“In all due respect to your mother, that’s a really stupid thing to say.”

That made Toni smile a bit.

“You’ll find someone who will love you no matter what your flaws are, Toni. I promise you will.”

Toni nodded and muttered out a small ‘thank you.’

“What about you? Did you find someone?” Toni asked. “I remember Uncle Klaus saying you’re a player.”

Freddy chuckled, faintly remembering that Klaus did say something along those lines.

“I settled down. I stopped chasing skirts and settled down.”

Toni gave him a small smile before looking down at the older man’s hands.

“You don’t have a ring?” He asked.

Freddy’s brow furrowed for a second before realizing what Toni was talking about.

“Oh, no. I-” He paused. “I didn’t want her to wait for me while I was away.”

Before the nineteen-year-old could comment, Katherine stormed back into the apartment, her older brother in tow.

“You will not tell me how to mother my child, Klaus!” She exclaimed. “You’re not a woman- You don’t have children-”

She suddenly turned around, her tightly curled hair whipping around her face as she did so. She then poked Klaus in the chest, her well-manicured nail digging through the thin fabric of his shirt.

“You don’t have a crippled son!” She yelled before yanking her coat off of the coat rack and turning to her son. “Toni, we’re leaving.”

“But Mom, Uncle Klaus was going to-”

“I don’t want to hear it. We’re leaving,” Katherine huffed as she ducked her head in front of a reflective vase and ran a finger under her eyes.

Realizing that Katherine was not about to help her son up, Freddy stood and helped the young man up before handing him his crutch.

Katherine gave Freddy a small goodbye before turning on her heel and leaving the home, Toni slowly following with his own goodbyes. As Toni went to step out, Klaus placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t let her get to you,” Klaus murmured to him.

Toni gave him a weak smile and nodded before leaving the apartment. Klaus watched them leave from the doorway with a disappointed smile.

“Be careful on the stairs!” He called out.

“I will!” Toni called back.

The captain watched his nephew and sister descend down the staircase at the end of the hallway before ducking back into his apartment.

“That poor kid,” Freddy murmured as Klaus adjusted the coat rack.

“Things will get better,” Klaus replied. “Kathi will come around.”

Freddy’s stomach dropped at those words. For a moment he had almost forgotten about what he came here for. As the sub-officer re-assessed what he wanted to say Klaus made his way over to him. He placed his hands on Freddy’s hips and gave him a soft kiss before tiredly sighing.

“How are you?”

Freddy took a deep breath, trying to find the words to break the news to Klaus.

“What’s wrong?” The captain softly asked, seeing how uncomfortable Freddy seemed.

The sub-officer rolled his lips together and took another breath.

“My mother knows about us,” Freddy quickly got out.

Klaus blinked and looked at Freddy, mouth slightly agape. This felt vaguely familiar.

“Are you sure?”

Freddy nodded, his vision going blurry from nerves.

“She- She saw us the day there was a mouse in the bedroom.”

“Oh- How… How did she take it?”

“Not well but not horribly,” Freddy mumbled.

“Do- Do you think she’ll say something?

Freddy shook his head no, placing his hand over his mouth in thought.

“I think she’s too ashamed to even out me,” Freddy admitted, letting out a pained laugh. “And with you, I… I said that I’d turn myself in if she said anything.”

“Oh, Freddy,” Klaus could feel his heart tighten. “Don’t do that. Not for me.”

Freddy sighed softly and wrapped his arms around Klaus’ before resting his head on his shoulder. Klaus frowned, feeling guilty- Wondering that if he decided to not visit with Freddy as much as he did, that maybe the sub-officer wouldn't have been outed. The captain sighed and ran a hand up Freddy’s back.

Whether it was about their safety or not, Klaus had a feeling that something was on the horizon. But he didn’t know what.

Month Six: August 1944

The next two weeks Freddy and Klaus were on alert, far much more than usual. But, as each day passed, they slowly settled back into their calmer routine.

It was late morning and Klaus was in the sitting room, tossing small rolled up balls of paper at small targets he had put up across the room. He had been doing this for around two months and had quickly gotten the hang of it. Once he figured out how far he had to turn his head and angle his throw, he began to hit the targets almost every time. He was keeping a successful streak until his bladder called to his attention. Klaus groaned. He knew Freddy was taking a shower. He told himself he could wait, crossed his legs, and went back to tossing crumpled paper in an attempt to distract himself. Unfortunately, he only had a few left and went through them quite quickly; the urge came back almost immediately. He groaned again and softly cursed himself out for getting old and headed out of the sitting room, beginning the quick journey upstairs.

Reaching the bathroom, he knocked on the door to announce his presence before stepping in.

“Just on a bathroom run.”

Freddy softly laughed out an ‘Okay’ and went back to softly humming a military tune. As Klaus wrapped up, the buzz of the showerhead softened and eventually came to a halt. When the captain began washing his hands, Freddy pulled the shower curtain open. Klaus’ good eye glanced over at the sound of the sliding shower rings, taking in his lover’s appearance for a moment before turning away.

“Liebling, can you hand me my towel?” Freddy asked.

Klaus hummed and slipped the towel off the track before handing it over. As the sub-officer took the towel from him, the brunette took in Freddy’s appearance again, his eye drinking in the pale and shapely form before him, like he was a tall glass of wine. Klaus always thought that Freddy was the most charmingly adorable man he’s ever met, but god damn, he was sexy too. Everything about the taller man he found perfectly proportionally correct. Despite his long legs and thicker thighs, the mass of freckles upon his shoulders that contrasted his pale skin, and even the small dips by the corners of his eyes, Klaus just knew he was perfect.

“God, look at you,” Klaus awed. “You’re walking pornography.”

“Really?” Freddy asked as he blushed, a smile forming on his face. “I’ve never seen any before.”

“You’re fucking kidding me,” Klaus exclaimed with a disbelieving laugh.

“I’m not,” Freddy replied as he patted himself down with his towel. “I never really had the privacy to have any until I was twenty-two. And then I had you there to satisfy me.”

Klaus smiled to himself and looked over before looking away. He chose to ignore the small spring of Freddy’s prick as the towel brushed it and continued the conversation.

“I used to have a collection, ” Klaus said with a slightly forced laugh as he dried his hands. “Though I did burn it all at the beginning of ‘33.”

He looked over to Freddy.

“For political reasons.”

Freddy laughed and wrapped his bottom half with a towel, stepping out of the tub as he did so.

“I’m amazed I never found it. I must have cleaned your room at least fifty times,” He remarked, approaching the sink’s countertop as he did so.

“Only a real man knows how to hide his porn collection and do it well,” Klaus replied as he snaked an arm around Freddy’s waist, his fingers gently playing with the towel. “Of course, I haven’t hidden you too well.”

Freddy chuckled and began combing his hair.

“I would like to keep the towel on.”

“Mhm. You don’t have to take it off,” Klaus said with a smirk as he traced Freddy’s v-line. “It’s not a problem with me. I can work around it.”

Freddy reached back and grabbed Klaus’s ass, making the other let out the smallest moan.

“It’s only nine in the morning and you’re so fucking horny,” The sub-officer laughed

Klaus nipped at Freddy’s ear and chuckled.

“You’re just too handsome,” Klaus purred as he moved his hand up his lover’s stomach.

Freddy sucked in a sharp breath at the touch before relaxing.

“Can I be ‘too handsome’ and fully clothed today?” The sub-officer asked as he put his comb down.

Klaus smiled against Freddy’s skin and pressed a firm kiss to the side of his head.

“Of course,” The Captain hummed as he squeezed Freddy’s waist, meeting the other's gaze in the mirror.

Freddy smiled and turned to actually look at Klaus.

“Maybe we’ll do something later,” He said as he slightly snapped Klaus’s suspenders.

“Later?” Klaus echoed with a quirked brow.

“Maybe, and you’ll have to promise to be quiet,” Freddy gently hip-checked Klaus. “Now get out, I’m going to get dressed.”

“Later?” The captain asked through the door, wanting to confirm it.

Freddy laughed.

“Later!”

‘Later’ arrived quite quickly and a fight arose over cleaning dishes just as quickly. As usual, they ended up in Freddy’s bed; stark naked, sore, and exhausted after the fight.

This was starting to get old.

Month Seven: September 1944

Autumn quickly settled in that year and so did Freddy with his sweaters. Klaus admired Freddy’s taste in clothing, he always had, but there was something about the sub-officer’s choice in autumn clothing that he loved. Freddy seemed calmer and more comfortable in his autumn-wear. Klaus could’ve sworn the softness of the colors of the sweaters brought out Freddy’s eyes and made his face look more chiseled, too. It made the captain feel warm and fuzzy.

That’s exactly how Klaus felt when he entered the sitting room of their home. Klaus leaned against the doorframe with a soft smile, shifting the pile of mail he had just collected to beneath his arm.

The younger man, who was in an orange sweater, was in the sitting room’s armchair, legs crossed, head resting against one hand while the other held a book. The soft hum of opera swirled around Freddy, creating the perfect atmosphere to sit back, relax, and read.

The captain knocked on the doorframe to announce his presence, Freddy not having heard him when he entered the home. Upon hearing the knock, Freddy looked up from his book, and warmly smiled.

“Welcome home,” He greeted.

Klaus only smiled and kept looking at his lover.

“What- Is something on my face?” Freddy asked as he wiped his mouth and up to his cheek.

“No, no. You’re fine,” Klaus replied before adding, “I’m just… Looking at you.”

Freddy’s face flushed a bit before looking back at his book.

“Rilke again?” The captain asked, referring to the poetry in his partner’s hands.

Freddy hummed with a small nod.

“Listen to this one,” The sub-officer said as he motioned for Klaus to come closer.

“Time and again, however, well we know the landscape of love,” Freddy began as Klaus walked over. “And the little churchyard there, with its sorrowing names, and the frighteningly silent abyss into which the others fall: again and again the two of us walk out together under the ancient trees, lie down again and again among the flowers, face to face with the sky.”

Freddy looked up to Klaus, who was now leaning over his shoulder, his head tilted to read the text clearly.

“Isn't it beautiful?”

Klaus looked at him with a quirked brow.

“It sounds morbid.”

“No, it’s beautiful,” Freddy repeated. “He somehow manages to perfectly capture the circle of life and make it unique all in one.”

Klaus could only smile at Freddy’s words.

“Sometimes I don’t know why you became a postman and didn’t go to school to be a teacher.”

Freddy snorted.

“You know I don’t like kids.”

The captain slightly rolled his eyes, knowing that wasn’t necessarily true.

“You could have been a professor,” Klaus argued.

“I’m definitely not smart enough for it either way,” Freddy argued back.

“Nonsense,” Klaus replied before leaning down for a kiss.

His head accidentally bumped Freddy’s but the sub-officer only smiled and met Klaus’ lips with his own.

“Who’re those from?” Freddy asked when he pulled away, having noticed the letters in Klaus’ hands.

“Oh, just ration cards and what I think is a response from our Sergeant-Major,” He flipped said envelope around in his hand as he spoke. “I’m hoping it will be good news but…”

Klaus sighed as he looked down at the letter.

“I don’t know if I want to read it. What if it’s… What if it isn’t what I’m hoping for?”

Freddy side-eyed the letter, knowing that Klaus and he had different definitions of bad and good news.

“Well, you won’t know if you until you open it, right?” He said as he forced a smile.

Klaus nodded in agreeance before looking back down at the letter. He sighed and put down the ration cards before retreating to the study for a letter opener. When he returned, he was already pulling the slips of paper out of the envelope.

Freddy didn’t pay much mind to it, not wanting to know the results of the letter himself.

When Klaus thumbed open the first page of the letter, he almost immediately closed it.

“Do you want to read it for me?” He asked, looking over to his sub-officer.

Freddy laughed.

“You’re a big boy, you can read it,” He teased, trying to cover his nerves.

Klaus sighed and slowly opened the letter again, his eyes carefully scanning the paper. Freddy looked over the moment his partner’s face fell.

“What is it?” He asked.

The captain quickly held up his pointer finger as he continued to read, eventually flipping to the next page.

“K, what is it?” He asked again

“We uh-” He licked his lips. “We’ve been assigned to run a Jungfolk camp.”

Freddy’s jaw dropped.

“You’re kidding me.”

“I guess you’ll be teaching kids, anyways,” Klaus remarked, failing to make light of the situation.

Freddy inwardly groaned.

“Where are we headed? Will we have to move?”

“I… I don’t think so,” Klaus scanned the first page again with his good eye. “Starting November in… Falkenheim.”

Freddy cocked his head to the side with a raised brow.

“Really? That’s where Paul’s family is,” He said before getting up and heading over to the small bookshelf by the record player. “Do you think we’ll see his boy there? I think he’s ten or eleven this year.”

Klaus let out a considerate hum.

“God, I can’t believe we’ve gotten assigned this.”

“At least we’re aren’t being given guns and being shipped back out,” Freddy quietly reasoned as he shuffled through the almanacs and atlases.

“Yeah…” Klaus replied as he mindlessly flipped the envelope in his hand as his eye scanned the letter.

Eventually, the sub-officer found the page he was looking for and brought it back to the couch and coffee table. He unrolled it and placed a coaster on two separate corners to hold it down so he could look through it more efficiently. His eyes carefully scanned the map, placing his finger on the town they were in and then on Falkenheim, doing some quick math in his head.

“Are you sure we won't have to move? Falkenheim is at least twenty-five miles away.” Freddy asked as his finger traced the map.

“No. It says they’ll send an office car somewhere at the end,” Klaus answered, handing the letter over before pressing a small kiss to the side of the other man’s head. “Eight a.m. for sign-ups and then six a.m. for every weekend the camp is running.”

“Hm,” Freddy hummed as he read the letter before sighing. “I wish we knew Falkenheim was so close earlier. “I would’ve liked to go and see if I could visit Paul’s family; check in on them. Talk with his wife about a few things.”

Klaus raised a brow.

“What do you have to talk with her about?”

Freddy looked at Klaus for a moment. He knew Klaus wouldn’t say anything about Paul if he told him, having experienced his Anti-Party sentiments for years in private, but he didn’t feel like it was his place to share. Not yet, anyway.

“Things,” He simply replied before turning his attention back to the letter.

Klaus nodded and tried to pretend that he didn’t notice that Freddy was hiding something from him.

“Well, this isn’t exactly what I wanted when I said to give me a gun and a job but it’s… something.”

Freddy sighed and looked at him.

“Why are you so desperate to leave me?”

Klaus’ brow furrowed as he looked up, perplexed by Freddy’s words.

“What do you mean?”

“Ever since we’ve moved in you’ve been itching to go put yourself out where you can get shot or blown up,” Freddy explained, his gaze full of hurt. “Don’t think that I haven’t noticed.”

“Freddy it’s-”

“You almost died last time and that was because you wanted to fight. We don’t need another Operation Screw Up.”

“Screw up?” Klaus scoffed. “Is that what you think of me?”

Freddy rolled his eyes and put the letter down.

“I’m not doing this today,” He huffed. “I’ve said what I’ve said. Interpret as you will, I don’t care anymore.”

“Well in that case- Care to tell me what you’re hiding from me?” Klaus asked as he crossed his arms. “About Paul? I can interpret that in a few ways.”

Freddy’s scowl softened at that.

“That’s- Klaus that’s different. I’m close to Paul, you know that. I- I’d… I’d just like to get to know his family.”

“Bullshit! You’re a horrible liar,” Klaus hissed.

“I’m not a liar,” Freddy argued. Just protecting a secret.

“Sure you are. I’m a one-eyed screw-up and you’re a half-deaf liar. We fit like a glove, Friedrich.”

“Why are you being such an asshole?” Freddy groaned.

“You’re the one who started this,” Klaus said as he stepped forward.

Freddy pressed his lips together as he thought of a response, now painfully aware of how close they were to one another. Both knew what was about to happen, but neither man took action to avoid it as their bodies and mouths clashed together. They argued in circles, just as they had been doing in the most recent months. Except that this time the argument carried out right until the end, loosely apologizing when they climaxed.

After checking that the couch was clean, which had become a learned skill they picked up quickly, Freddy relaxed onto the couch with a huff. Meanwhile, Klaus dropped his head to his partner’s shoulder with a few heavy and deep breaths.

“We can’t keep doing this,” Freddy breathed.

“I know,” Klaus replied as he caught his breath. “I know.”

Freddy took a deep breath and wrapped his arms up and around his lover’s back, allowing Klaus to lie down on top of him. The captain slipped his arms beneath Freddy’s as the sub-officer rubbed small circles into his back. Klaus smiled when he felt Freddy’s finger trace up the deep pink scar that ran across his skin.

“I don’t think you’re a screw-up, K,” The sub-officer whispered. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

“And I don’t think you’re a liar,” Klaus whispered as his lips intimately touched Freddy’s neck. “I don’t want to leave you, either. This is just… It’s hard.”

Freddy hummed and a moment passed before the captain spoke up again.

“Operation Screw Up,” He mumbled before softly laughing. “That’s kind of witty.”

The corners of Freddy's mouth briefly quirked upwards.

“Feel free to use it with the children.”

Klaus groaned and placed his forehead to his lover’s collarbone.

“I can't believe we’re becoming camp counselors.”

“It’s better than fighting Russians,” Freddy reminded, his tone careful and soft.

Klaus simply hummed in response, not wanting to stir the pot again. Both laid there in silence, thinking about what was to come.

This would be interesting.

Month Eight: Late October 1944

It was the last day of Freddy and Klaus’ time off from work and the war. The two had spent the day together getting everything they’d need for the next day. Overall, it was bland and a bit stressful. It wasn’t a pleasant day when it came to the weather, either. It was cold and rainy, the perfect weather to catch a cold.

By the time the evening arrived, Freddy was upstairs getting ready to retire while Klaus was nursing the beer in a flask he had picked up earlier from the market.

When the captain finished his drink, he sat in the silence of the sitting room, his thumb tracing the mouth of his flask. He crossed his legs, trying to repress the small amount of warmth between his legs. He thought of lighting a cigarette to distract himself until he realized that the hum of the pipes in the walls wasn’t there.

Freddy hadn’t gotten into the shower yet.

Klaus stood up from the couch, leaving his flask behind as he headed upstairs. He ducked into Freddy’s bedroom and the bathroom, but he wasn’t there, which only left his bedroom. He quickly made his way down the hall, but not desperately. Looking into his room, he saw Freddy pulling his shirt out from his pants and unbuttoning it. Klaus smiled and loudly knocked on the doorframe to make his presence known before walking in. Freddy glanced over and continued to unbutton his shirt.

“Hey,” The blond simply greeted.

“Hey handsome,” The brunette cooed as he gently wrapped his arms around Freddy's waist from behind, nuzzling his nose beneath his ear. “What’re you doing?”

“I was going to get in the shower but I got distracted. I’m getting in now, though. Would you like to join me?”

“Mm, no thank you,” Klaus hummed and kissed behind the other’s ear, his good one.

“Why? Do you have a hot date that you’ve got to get to?” Freddy asked with a laugh as he finished unbuttoning his top.

“Yes, I do,” Klaus replied as he helped Freddy shrug off his shirt. “With you, in bed. Preferably in a few minutes.”

He kissed the other’s neck.

“Or less.”

“Oh, how you tempt me,” Freddy chuckled as he turned around, placing his hands on the older’s chest. “I’m still going to take shower, but…”

He pecked Klaus’ lips.

“I’ll be back.”

Freddy took his sweet time in the bathroom, but when he exited he was clad in a pair of trousers and was gently towel-drying his hair.

“I’m surprised you’re still dressed,” He said with a chuckle as he placed the hand towel down on the now unmade bed.

“I‘m surprised you bothered to get dressed,” Klaus replied as he picked up the towel.

“It’s too cold to be walking around naked,” Freddy explained before he turned to the mirror behind him, beginning to comb his hair.

Klaus smiled and snapped the towel at Freddy’s butt. Freddy squeaked out a surprised noise and looked over his shoulder with a smirk before going back to fluffing his hair up. The captain chuckled and tossed the towel back on the bed and stood. He stepped behind the half-naked man and wrapped his arms around Freddy’s waist.

“I don’t like these,” Klaus mumbled as he thumbed at the brim of Freddy’s trousers, kissing his shoulder too.

Freddy smirked as he turned around to face the other man. He ran his hands up Klaus’ torso.

“Mhm. I know,” He teased as he pulled Klaus in by the collar, pressing his lips to the older’s lips.

Klaus smiled and held Freddy closer, his hands roaming all over the blond’s naked torso. The brunette pushed the younger man up against the bureau and ducked his head to the blond’s collarbone, beginning to slowly suck on it.

“Oh my God,” Freddy moaned as his head rolled back.

Klaus smirked and pressed his lips to the blond’s collarbone more as his hands trailed around the blond’s torso. Freddy raised his hands to the brunette’s face and brought their lips together in a few sloppy kisses.

“Remember when this was a common occurrence?” Klaus purred in Freddy’s good ear.

“Oh to be in 1932 again,” Freddy said with a laugh as he rolled his hips, turning them both around. “I’d trade the world to go back to then.”

“I think many would,” The brunette hummed as he began unbuttoning his shirt. “So many.”

“Let’s not talk of misery, just for now… Please?” Freddy said as he sat down on the bed, pushing himself up to the pillows.

“I’ll try to not ruin the mood,” Klaus replied with a smile as he shrugged off his shirt.

Freddy playfully rolled his eyes and propped himself up a bit on his elbows.

“Get over here, handsome,” Freddy cooed.

Klaus’ face slightly flushed at the pet name, appreciating the compliment. Freddy smiled as the brunette crawled onto the bed. They met halfway when their lips softly connected. Freddy lowered himself back down onto the sheets

Freddy smiled and ran his fingers into Klaus’ hair, his thumbs lightly rubbing the sides of the brunette’s head. The two lovingly gazed into the other’s eyes with a soft smile. Klaus lowered his forehead to gently meet the blond’s and nuzzled his nose. Freddy’s eyes fluttered shut at the new contact and moved his lips to meet Klaus’.

“I love you,” Freddy whispered on Klaus’ lips.

Freddy could feel Klaus’ lips form a smile on his.

“I love you too,” The brunette replied, kissing the blond again.

Freddy leaned up into the kiss, his arms briefly wrapping themselves behind the brunette’s neck before traveling down his torso. Klaus slowly pulled away, carefully straddling Freddy’s lap as he scanned the blond’s features. His face was slightly flushed and his hair was sprawled out on his forehead.

“I’ve always loved your hair like this, all soft and plush looking,” Klaus said in a hushed tone, leaning down a bit to run his fingers through the man’s soft caramel blond hair. “It makes you look even more handsome.”

“Thank you,” Freddy whispered with a smile, resting his hands on Klaus’ thighs. “I did it just for you.”

Klaus smiled and continued to run his fingers through the blond hair while Freddy rubbed small circles into the other’s thighs.

“You’re so amazing,” Freddy sighed with a content smile as he gazed up at the brunette.

“So are you,” Klaus replied, mirroring the younger’s smile.

Freddy’s eyes sparkled as he gently pulled the captain back down to meet his lips, relishing every second they spent at that moment. Klaus’ rough hands softly cupped the blond’s face as Freddy’s hands found their way onto his biceps, his fingers rubbing the small pink dips in his arms. Their lips found their way together in soft pecks, both of their hands slowly traveling down the other’s body. Freddy’s fingers reached the edge of Klaus’ trousers before the other male’s reached his, making the brunette pull away and look down.

“Looks like we both had the same idea,” Klaus commented with a chuckle, resting his hands by Freddy’s waist.

Freddy breathily laughed.

“I guess so.”

Klaus smiled and kissed the blond’s nose before rolling onto his back, which prompted Freddy to crawl over him. The blond softly kissed down the brunette’s chest as his fingers worked on the fly of Klaus’s pants.

“What do you want to do?” Klaus asked; his hands now on the sides of Freddy’s arms.

“I’d love to just…” The blond placed a few sucking kisses around Klaus’ chest, the hair there tickling him as he did before leaving a final kiss on his nipple. “Take it slow tonight… To have one last long and hard fuck before life begins again.”

Klaus chuckled but it dissolved into a moan when Freddy slowly sucked again and rubbed the brunette’s other nipple with his thumb and index finger. Freddy smirked and swapped sides, his left hand now unzipping the older’s trousers. Freddy slightly pushed the older’s pants down before slipping his hand downwards and palming at Klaus’ erection through his boxers. Klaus let out a pleased hum and rolled his hips. Freddy smiled and slipped down the bed to shift the older’s pants off. The brunette lifted his hips to aid the other man in removing the piece of clothing. While he was at it, Freddy took off his pants and tossed them aside.

Once both of their trousers were off, Freddy positioned himself between Klaus’ thighs, undid the button of the captain’s boxers, and began placing wet kisses alongside the inside of his thighs. When he reached the bottom of Klaus’ underwear, Freddy moved up and placed an open-mouthed kiss on his partner’s clothed erection, watching as the tip of the captain's cock slipped out of the top of his boxers. Klaus let out a pleased noise and rolled his hips.

“How’re you doing up there, Hauptmann?” Freddy asked as he pulled down Klaus’ boxers.

“Fine, Schatzie. Just fine,” Klaus breathily replied.

“Good, because I’m going down…” Freddy playfully cooed before murmuring, “Down, down, down.”

Klaus chuckled but it was cut short when he felt Freddy’s lips touch the base of his cock. He could feel the sub-officer smile as he kissed around the spot.

Freddy looked up through his eyelashes before licking his lips and looking back down. He trailed his pointer finger up the center of Klaus’s dick before placing his thumb beneath the skin of the tip. He began slowly rubbing small circles into the sensitive spot. Klaus breathily exhaled as he moaned, his breaths deepening as he felt his cock twitch.

“You know, I think that next time we go back to the countryside we can go backpacking,” Freddy casually began as he continued the motion. “It would be nice. Just you, me, and nature… In a tent… All secluded… What do you think?”

Klaus cleared his throat as he shifted a bit.

“I- I think we can- Oh, ” The sub-officer had pressed his thumb into Klaus’ slit, distracting the older man.

“We can what?” Freddy asked with a sly smile as he smeared precum around Klaus’ tip.

“Maybe we can,” Klaus got out.

Freddy smiled. He wasn’t sure if it was Klaus’ libido speaking or his heart, but Freddy would take ‘maybe’ over a no any day.

“Maybe we could stay by a lake,” The sub-officer continued as he stroked Klaus’ shaft.

“We’d ha- have to move back at night,” Klaus replied before swallowing back a moan. “Insects.”

Freddy nodded.

“We could build a fire and snuggle close together as we watched the flames fizzle out,” He added in response as he played with the slick liquid that covered Klaus’ cock.

“I think you mean I’d build the fire,” Klaus retorted. “You’d build the tent and I’d build the fire.”

The man between Klaus’ legs smiled.

“You’ve got a point but I…” Freddy trailed off when he realized that Klaus was going soft.

With a focused gaze, Freddy rolled his lips together and briefly ran his tongue over his bottom lip. He pushed Klaus’ cock back towards him, as if it were flaccid, making Klaus’ breath hitch at the pressure on his balls. Freddy smirked and began licking the top, now underside , of the tip as if he were a cat lapping up water.

“Fuck, Freddy,” Klaus gasped in surprise, his prick hardening again. “That’s good. That’s really good.”

The sub-officer smiled and continued to flick his tongue upwards, the movement becoming slower as time went by.

“Finkie , you've got to-” Klaus swallowed back a moan. “I’m almost there.”

Freddy smiled and slapped Klaus’ cock against his tongue a few times before deepthroating it and taking the man’s balls in one hand. Klaus moaned and carefully placed his hands on the sides of Freddy’s head. The sub-officer took the hint and went lower, hollowing out his cheeks as he did so. Klaus moaned and thrusted upwards at the feeling. Freddy gagged but only pressed back down, hollowing out his cheeks again. Klaus orgasmed soon after and closed his eyes, savoring the wet and warm feeling of his lover’s throat. Freddy pulled off, wiped his mouth with a smile, and straddled the other man’s thighs. After collecting himself, Klaus sat up with a satisfied look. The captain pulled the sub-officer in for a deep kiss.

It didn’t take long until he had flipped Freddy onto his back, the sub-officer landing with a small laugh. Klaus smiled to himself. That was the first time he hadn’t overshot the maneuver because of his skewed depth perception.

Klaus dipped his head to Freddy’s collar bone, slowly and wetly kissing the spot. Freddy moaned as his hands gently grasped the sides of the brunette's head and pulled him upwards. The blond smiled and Klaus mirrored it. Freddy brought Klaus’ face down and kissed his nose, and then his lips. At some point, his hand began guiding the other man’s hand downwards.

“Oh, you want me to touch you?” Klaus smugly asked, watching as Freddy nodded in response.

With a smirk, he trailed his hand down Freddy’s stomach, his fingers barely brushing the other’s skin. He dragged his fingers down his lover’s thighs, looking up at Freddy as he did so. The sub-officer shifted over to the side with a small grunt, making Klaus’s smirk deepen.

“I’m touching you, Finkie,” Klaus cooed as he moved his hand back up Freddy’s thigh, just barely going beneath his underwear. “Just as you wanted.”

“Don’t be a dick,” Freddy playfully retorted, once again moving his pelvis towards the hand that rested on his thigh.

Klaus chuckled and quickly removed the thin piece of clothing, tossing it off to the side as he did so. He grazed the top side of Freddy’s dick with the end of his middle finger, softly blowing on the tip of the other’s prick before moving his hand lower. His finger began to gently circle Freddy’s entrance and occasionally pushed in, just the smallest bit. The sub-officer quietly whimpered at the temporary pressure each time, desperate to be touched.

“Pick a number between zero and four,” Klaus told Freddy before kissing and sucking the inside of the other’s thighs, leaving a few dark spots behind.

Freddy smiled. He knew what this would determine.

“Two,” He replied.

His suspicions were proven correct when he felt Klaus’ wetted fingers enter him. The width was big enough to stretch him but just enough to do it pleasurably. Freddy’s toes curled as his shoulders tensed when Klaus curled his fingers and found his prostate. Klaus smiled and began rubbing the spot, making Freddy let out a mewl.

“Does that feel good?” Klaus asked as he gave Freddy’s thigh a comforting squeeze.

“Yes, but… Is it too late to change my number to three?” Freddy asked with a laugh.

“I don’t know,” Klaus shifted his ring finger forwards and slowly pushed it in. “What’s so great about the number three compared to two?”

“It’s, um,” Freddy’s breath hitched when the captain twisted his fingers.

He took a moment to try to come up with a witty answer as his fingers grasped the sheets below him.

“It’s a bigger number?” He bashfully replied as he opened his legs more.

Klaus laughed at his lover’s answer and took Freddy’s prick in his hand as he curled his fingers and once again found his prostate. He pressed, rubbed, and stroked the younger man, listening to Freddy’s soft noises until his fingers began to cramp.

When Klaus pulled his fingers out, Freddy let go of a deep exhale that he hadn’t realized that he had been holding back and relaxed. He slowed his breathing as Klaus lifted his thighs and pulled him forward. By the time his fingers let the sheets below him go, Klaus’ tongue had entered him, catching him by surprise.

“Oh!” Freddy exclaimed before melting into it. “That’s- That’s… That’s…”

The sub-officer trailed off, his only sounds being pleased hums and soft moans. Meanwhile, Klaus kept mouthing at the spot, on and off tracing the outside of the muscle with his tongue.

“Fuck, Klaus,” Freddy rasped as his heels pressed into the back of Klaus’ shoulders. “Keep doing that.”

The captain smiled and moved Freddy’s legs further over his shoulders, bringing him closer. He dipped his head again and went back to flexing his tongue in and out of his lover. In a matter of minutes, Klaus pushed his tongue into his partner as far as he could, his hands firmly holding Freddy’s ass.

Freddy gasped in surprise at the welcomed invasion as his leg spasmed. He felt like his legs had turned into jelly as his eyes fluttered open and closed. He could feel every twitch and jolt that went through his body.

“Klaus,” He breathed.

There was a muffled hum in response.

“I don’t want to…” Freddy let out a pleased sigh. “I don’t want to come. Not yet.”

Klaus once again hummed, but this time the vibrations went right to Freddy’s core. The sub-officer dug his heels into the captain’s back and tightly pressed his lips together. Klaus lifted his head and began kissing down the inside of Freddy’s thigh before swapping to the other one as he lowered his lover’s long legs down to the bed. He very briefly wiped beneath his bottom lip before placing his hands next to the sides of Freddy’s torso and sweetly smiled. Freddy smiled back, his eyes lighting up a bit when their gazes met.

Ignoring the ache in his right bicep and shoulder, Klaus shifted his weight to his right side. The captain lifted his left hand cupped the side of Freddy’s face before meeting his lover’s lips in a soft and deep kiss. Freddy smiled and took Klaus’ face in his hands, holding him closer.

“I love you,” Freddy cooed against his lips.

“I love you too,” Klaus hummed back before slowly kissing Freddy, dragging out the display of affection for as long as he could.

As they kissed, their bodies rolled and pressed together as their cocks rubbed up against one another, making the two men softly moan against one another’s lips. When Klaus began to kiss Freddy's neck, Freddy moved his hand in between them, his fingers brushing the sides of both of their pricks. He slowly moved from playing with the both of them to just Klaus- thumbing and tracing his cock.

“God, Finkie,” Klaus moaned after a sharp shudder went through his body.

Freddy leaned up to Klaus’ ear, his lips barely brushing the other’s skin.

“I want you to fuck me,” He breathed. “Right here, right now. Just like this.”

Klaus smiled and they shared another soft kiss before they positioned themselves. The captain positioned himself and placed his palms to Freddy’s.

Their fingers interlaced together as Klaus slowly pushed in. Freddy moaned and tightened his grasp on the captain’s hand as he began to adjust. As he waited for Freddy to signal that he was ready, Klaus leaned down and kissed the blond’s jaw, lightly and carefully nipping at it. Freddy softly smiled and loosened his grip on Klaus’s hand, letting out a breath.

“I’m ready,” Freddy voiced.

Klaus raised his head with a smile and briefly pressed his lips to Freddy’s as he slowly began moving his hips back and forth.

“Oh, K…” Freddy moaned as he partially lifted his pelvis off of the mattress.

“Are you okay?” Klaus quietly asked.

“Oh- I’m more than okay,” Freddy gasped.

The captain smiled and picked up his pace as let go of Freddy’s hand as he placed his hands down onto the bed below them both. Freddy moaned and lifted his pelvis, giving Klaus a better angle to penetrate him. When Klaus thrusted all the way in, right to the hilt of his cock, the sub-officer cried out and covered his mouth.

“K… Oh my God, Klaus,” Freddy moaned as he grabbed the other’s shoulders before panting out, “Harder.”

Klaus almost melted at the way the other man’s tone went low and husky when saying that word. But he was able to keep his composure as he slammed his hips into Freddy, pounding him into the mattress.

The blond cried out every time Klaus hit his prostate and eventually covered his mouth again when he became too loud. He could feel his orgasm coming on as his stomach tightened and his cock throbbed and twitched. Freddy couldn’t help but tense around Klaus’s cock.

Klaus rolled his head forward at the feeling of pressure and let out a low and heavy breath.

“Fuck, you’re tight,” He groaned. “Are you sure I-”

“ Yes. Keep going,” Freddy breathed in response. “I’m almost there.”

Klaus deeply grunted in response and rolled his hips upwards, making the other man yelp and chant, ‘More, more, more’ when his prostate was hit. Freddy came only a handful of moments later, cum spitting out onto his stomach.

Klaus slowed his pace down as he let Freddy come down from his climax. He gently rubbed his sides, listening to Freddy’s breathing as he looked down at his partner. He took a mental image of Freddy, his caramel hair sticking to his forehead from sweat, post-orgasmic bliss on his face, and cum donning his stomach.

“God, Finkie. You look like a Renaissance painting,” Klaus marveled as he stroked Freddy’s softening prick.

The blond let out a small moan at the friction, slightly rolling his hips as he looked up and cupped the older’s face.

“And you look like a Roman god,” Freddy softly replied as his thumb gently rubbed beneath the brunette’s ice-blue eye.

Klaus warmly smiled and ducked down, Freddy meeting him in the middle.

For the first time in a while, everything felt normal. It was like the world had gone back to normal. Like they could be themselves for the first time in more than a decade. Freddy Finkel and Klaus Klenzendorf. Lover and lover, not sub-officer and captain.

When Freddy deemed himself ready, the two slowly picked up the pace again, their bodies shifting up and down the bed again as they kissed, eliciting small moans and grunts from each man.

“Christ, I’m close,” Klaus moaned on the other’s lips.

“Come in me,” Freddy murmured as he pinched Klaus’ nipples. “Don’t you dare pull out.”

That was all the captain needed to be pushed into his climax. Klaus came hard and as he breathed out a string of soft murmurs and expletives. Freddy moaned and pulled him closer, kissing Klaus hard.

When they both came up for air, Freddy dropped his hands and head down onto the bed; heavily panting as Klaus lowered himself down to his forearms, his forehead on Freddy’s. When Klaus calmed down he sat up and looked around. He quickly spotted the sub-officer’s towel and carefully leaned over, pulling out of Freddy a bit as he did so. When the towel was in his grasp, he pulled out of the other male and collected the cum that leaked out of him with it.

“I don’t know why you even bothered to shower,” Klaus laughed as he continued to wipe Freddy down with the shower towel.

“It was to rile you up a bit,” The sub-officer replied with a smirk. “But you were as sweet and soft as ever.”

Klaus chuckled and tossed the towel aside, landing it dead-center into the hamper basket.

“If I remember correctly, you were crying out my name and begging for more a few minutes ago.”

Freddy rolled his eyes and brought Klaus’ face down to his, giving him a soft kiss.

“Because of my encouragement,” Freddy said against the captain’s lips.

“And my dick,” K mumbled back. “You know you love it.”

“Don’t be a smartass,” Freddy murmured, feeling a smirk form against his lips before it was softly pressed into him.

“I love you,” K cooed, gently stroking the side of the other man’s face.

Freddy nuzzled his cheek into it and placed a soft kiss onto the older man’s palm.

“I love you too.”

Klaus smiled and with a soft sigh pressed a kiss to Freddy’s forehead before stepping off the bed. The sub-officer smiled and rolled onto his left side, quietly watching as Klaus opened his closet and pulled on a robe.

“You going commando tonight?” Klaus asked as he tied his robe’s belt.

Freddy laughed and with a small sigh curled his knees up to his chest.

“I probably shouldn’t if this weather plans to carry on tonight,” He reasoned with himself before beginning to shuffle off the bed.

“No, no. Stay there. I’ll grab it for you,” Klaus told him before asking, “Do you want the soft blue set?”

“Please,” Freddy nodded with a low hum.

K smiled and ducked out of the bedroom and in no time, returned with a fresh change of clothing.

“I’m going to clean up a bit,” The brunette whispered into Freddy's good ear as he placed the clothing down onto the bed. “Get comfortable, we’ve got a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”

Freddy smiled and kissed Klaus’ cheek before the captain turned on his heel. Much to Klaus’ surprise, he felt a light tap on his behind. He turned to his left, now being used to his loss of sight, and looked at Freddy, who was struggling to repress a smile.

“What?” Freddy asked, trying to sound innocent.

The captain chuckled and shook his head before turning back around and heading to the bathroom.

Klaus was quick to return, now clad in his own pajamas. He lifted the covers and slipped beneath them before gently taking Freddy in his arms and moving the sub-officer onto his chest. Freddy smiled and kissed the hair-littered skin below him, making Klaus chuckle. As the sub-officer relaxed, he heard the crisp clicking noise of a lighter, the soft hum of a small flame, and the sizzle of a lit cigarette.

“Oh come on. Not in the bedroom,” Freddy mumbled as he lazily waved his hand around. “Not when we can’t have a window open.”

“Yes in the bedroom,” Klaus replied before taking another drag from the cigarette. “If I want to survive the embarrassment of being part of a welcoming committee tomorrow I need to smoke. You can’t get hungover if you smoke.”

“It won’t be that bad. At least we won’t have to worry about being shot or blown up every moment we’re there,” Freddy reasoned as he pushed back the sudden threat of nerves.

Klaus took a long and silent drag from the cigarette before speaking again.

“There will be children though.”

Freddy sighed. Klaus wasn’t getting his point. His fingers played with the blanket that was covering both of them as he thought. He couldn’t understand why the man he loved seemed to have such a big death wish. No man in his right mind would want to put themselves out on the battlefield after facing a near-death experience… So why would Klaus want to? He sighed again and watched as said man’s hand, which was now holding the lit cigarette, lowered itself down. Ge could hear Klaus deeply exhale. Freddy thought for a moment before shifting up a bit, taking the cigarette out of the captain’s hand and placing it into his mouth. He closed his eyes and took a long drag from the stick of tobacco, trying to keep his emotions at bay. He slowly exhaled, letting the smoke out as a small wheeze formed at the end of it.

“I refuse to believe that the idea of working with children is worth changing your mind about smoking in the bedroom,” Klaus chuckled.

Freddy let out a disgruntled noise, wanting to dismiss the topic of the next day entirely.

“Okay, okay. I won’t talk about children, ” Klaus playfully jabbed before carefully moving the blond on top of him more.

The two sat in silence for a moment, listening to the rain hit the pavement and rooftops.

“What do you plan on doing when this is all over?” Klaus asked, breaking the silence as he ran his fingers through the other’s hair.

“Hm,” Freddy took the cigarette out of his mouth and blew out the smoke as he draped his arm over Klaus’s torso. “I’m not too sure, but I’d like to just… Settle down. What about you?”

“Mm,” Klaus hummed, thinking for a moment. “I’m going to take a trip out to Venice if they ever allow Germans in after all of this. Of course, that’s if we lose. Either way, I want to go. You’re welcome to join me if you don’t have plans.”

Freddy smiled and snuggled closer.

“Sounds romantic,” Freddy hummed as he kissed Klaus’ neck, lifting the cig up to the other’s lips.

“A romantic journey for the ages,” Klaus said with a chuckle before putting the cigarette in his mouth.

A romantic journey . Freddy reiterated in his mind.

It then clicked.

“Let’s get married,” Freddy bluntly said.

Klaus turned his head to look down at the blond.

“What?” Klaus asked, not too sure of what he heard as he took the cigarette out of his mouth.

Freddy propped himself up on his elbows and faced Klaus.

“When all of this is over, let’s get married,” Freddy reiterated.

“Finkie-” Klaus began but stopped when he noticed that Freddy wasn’t done.

Freddy sat up and straddled Klaus’ waist, leaning down

“We can run away and buy a small home in the countryside, maybe even stay in Italy after our trip- and you can get a dog, just as used to want. Hell, we can get more than one and I can put together the most beautiful garden-” Freddy rambled.

“Finkie-”

“We don’t need papers and I don’t care who wins this shitty war. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and I want to be your husband and-”

“ Freddy. ”

The sub-officer went silent, allowing Klaus to speak.

“Freddy, I…” Klaus awkwardly shifted up against the pillows and put out the cigarette in the glass on his nightstand.

This prompted Freddy to shift back a bit. After the cig was out, the captain closed his eyes in thought for a second and took a deep breath as he opened his eyes.

“Did… Did you just propose to me?”

Freddy didn’t bother to think for more than a second.

“Yes,” Freddy nervously breathed out. “Do you wan- Will you marry me? When all of this is over?”

Klaus let out a shaky breath.

“Freddy I don’t… I don’t...” He thickly swallowed.

The other man felt his heart drop at Klaus’s hesitation.

“You know it won’t be easy for us after all of this, right? No matter who wins?”

“Of course I do,” Freddy insisted. “But we’ll still be together, right?

Klaus let out a shaky breath as tears threatened to form in both his dead and good eye.

“Freddy I…” He sighed. “No. I can’t.”

“What-” Freddy’s gaze softened in worry. “What do you mean?”

“After the war, we don’t- We don’t know- We won’t get the life we’ve dreamed of. It won’t be the same. We won’t be happy,” Klaus explained.

Freddy sat there as tears welled up in his eyes.

“We won’t be able to live together when this is over, you know that.”

“We could call it a financial choice,” Freddy whispered.

Klaus shook his head.

“Freddy you know what we are. No matter who wins we’ll either be forced to continue what we’ve been doing for years or arrested. And the latter is only if we’re lucky,” Klaus explained. “In the world’s eyes, we’re just Nazis. Being homosexual is just another mark on our records.”

“But we aren’t. We know that. We are two humans that are in love. I love you and you love me, right?”

“God, of course I love you, Freddy. Of course, I do,” Klaus assured him. “But what you want… What you want we can’t have.”

“Don’t you want it too?"

Of course Klaus wanted it. If he could live with Freddy with no interference from the world. To love openly and freely and hold hands in public. But Klaus didn’t reply.

“You want it, right?” Freddy asked, giving Klaus another chance to answer.

Klaus pressed his lips together as he glanced over to Freddy. Guilt had begun to eat him from the inside-out.

“Far too many people already know about us, Finkie,” He finally said, trying to avoid the question. “And I understand that it’s just your family but- We can’t risk any more suspicion.”

“You know that they-”

“Altenbach knew, too. He made it clear that he did and you know what happened to Schmidt, Dambach, and that other cadet because of him.”

Freddy nodded and straightened his posture.

“I know. I get it, but… No one will know if we plan it out. We can and will prevail.”

“Freddy, I…” Klaus sighed, he didn’t want to say it. “I can’t accept your proposal.”

“O- Okay. I…” Freddy batted his eyes in an attempt to fight his tears.

“Marriage is kind of trivial anyway, right?” Klaus added in an attempt at damage control. “We don’t need it to be in love.”

But it didn’t help. Freddy continued to try to collect himself but in the end, failed to. He hiccuped and wiped his eyes as he felt his chest tighten. The sight was killing Klaus. He thought about how he should have just said yes. If he did, this moment could have been a large dose of euphoria in their rather repressed lives. As Klaus went to say something, the other man whimpered.

Freddy felt like everything was collapsing around him. He couldn’t understand why the man he was so in love with didn’t want to be with him in the way he wanted. It hurt so much that he was in not only emotional but physical pain.

“I think you just broke my heart,” Freddy confessed as his gaze met the other man’s.

Klaus’s breath caught in his throat when he saw the look in Freddy’s eyes. The sub-officer’s eyes were brimming with tears and were pouring out heartache.

“Freddy, I shouldn't have-”

“Don’t,” Freddy sniffled and wiped his eyes before stepping off the bed. “Please don’t.”

Klaus got up and made his way around the bed, following his partner to the doorway.

“Freddy, can we please talk about this a bit more? I don’t want to-”

He stopped when Freddy turned the corner and down the hall to his bedroom. Klaus took a deep breath and cursed. He ran his hand back into his hairline, looking at the now-closed door down the hallway. He contemplated going down and trying to talk but went against it. He tightly closed his eyes, turned his face up towards the ceiling, and sighed.

Sex couldn’t fix this one.

AN: Hoo boy okay. This one was a lot to write. I apologize if I hurt any of you haha. If you want a happier proposal result check out my other Finkeldorf piece, “Maybe This is the Morning in Which We Can.” We’ve reached the end of this part! I honestly didn’t plan on this part being so damn long (I mean, I had mapped the entire outline out)- but my writing really just kept going (Ha!). I obviously took some creative liberties with these characters because I wanted to portray Klaus and Freddy in a slightly different light. If I was going to follow their characters in the film and the general consensus, I wanted to give those traits meaning.

To end this: Happy Holidays and thank you for reading!

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