[Fanfic] Swiss Love and Confessions

[herr-aristokrat.livejournal.com]

Title: Swiss Love and Confessions
Characters: Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Carli (Austria's Maid)
Rating: K +9
Summary: In an attempt to crack open Swiss' bank-locked heart, Austria invites Liechtenstein over for a dinner date.
Warning: Mild violence and language.

~*~

Roderich: *bends his torso, extending a hand to Lili* And how are you doing this day, Miss?

Lili: *gives a small girlish laugh, as she takes his hand* I'm doing well. *gives a curtsey* How are you, Herr Edelstein?

Roderich: I'm very well myself, thank you. *kisses her knuckles*

Lili: Thank you ever so much for the dinner invitation, this evening.

Roderich: Of course, my dear. *sweeps his arm out* May I show you to your seat?


Lili: *does another bow, before taking his arm*

Roderich: *guides her to the table and pulls out her chair* If it pleases you, you may sit here.

Lili: Oh, th-thank you, Herr Edelstein. *sits and straightens as Roderich pushes the seat closer to the table*

Roderich: Now, if you have any questions about the silverware, feel free to ask Carli, or any of the other help. *straightens, offering a gentile smile* Or, should you feel so inclined, you may grace me with your questions. *bows and walks to his seat at the head of the table*

Lili: *blinks, and glances down at all of the different spoons and forks* Uhm, Herr Edelstein, what is this for? *holds up a tiny, almost pitch-fork-like fork*

Roderich: That is the dessert fork. *unfolds his cloth napkin*

Lili: Oh. *sets it back down, before setting her hands on her lap, unsure what to do next*

Carli: *lifts the silver covering off a steaming roast dressed in cherries* After the invocation, tell me which slice you prefer, and it's yours. *smiles sweetly* (< Was told to treat Lili like a queen.)

Roderich: *bows his head, intertwining his fingers* O Lord of the Ever-Present Heavens...

Lili: *also bows her head in reverence*

Roderich: ...Bless this here, our humble meal. Amen.

Carli: *slides a slice of pork onto her Master's plate before turning to the small girl* Which cut would you like, madam?

Lili: Amen. *crosses herself and keeps her eyes closed, before being interrupted by Carli* Oh! Uhm ... *looks the roast over carefully* H-how about a middle slice?

(Once, when Liechtenstein was very young, she used to eat meat dishes all the time, when she lived in Austria's home. However, after being taken in by Switzerland, she eats more cheese and chocolate than anything, and doesn't know much about roasts and like, these days.)

Carli: *cuts into the middle, serving the succulent portion to Lili before bowing and stepping away*

Roderich: Tell me how it tastes, please. *smiles* I cannot help but wonder if it's satisfactory or not.

Lili: Of course it is! Your cooks do a wonderful job.

Roderich: *beams, his eyes closing* That is wonderful news, indeed. *takes a careful bite, chewing slowly, before swallowing quietly* If I may be so permitted to ask, how are affairs with your older brother?

Lili: *puts a hand in front of her mouth as she finishes chewing her bite* Ah, they're well!

Roderich: Indeed? Has he kept you satisfied with your education?

Lili: He teaches me all kinds of things! Economics, Finance, Banking, Farming, Agriculture ...

Roderich: *dabs a spot from his lips* No etiquette? Or music? Or reading? *sets the napkin down, turning a worried smile on the small girl* Are these not things a young lady should learn?

Lili: *blinks, her large green eyes reflecting the candlelight in the room* Well, I do know how to sew, and I compose letters ... (< Would rather be like Basch and carry around guns.)

Roderich: *sighs* I suppose that it something. Here. *rises from his seat, pulling out her chair* Forgive me, but I must see how you fair with music. Come. *offers the crook of his arm to her*

Lili: *stands, confused, but takes his arm, nonetheless*

Roderich: *guides her to the grand piano in the music room, folding back the lip and rolling away the velvet protection* Please, sit. *pulls the bench closer to the piano*

Lili: *folds under her dress and takes a seat, a small sigh escaping her*

Roderich: Can you read? *spreads an array of sheet music on the stand* Or do you play by ear?

Lili: *glances at the sheet music, before looking over at Roderich* I play by ear, but ... I don't know any famous songs, I'm afraid.

Roderich: That is perfectly fine. *bows slightly before seating himself beside her* Please, show me what you know.

Lili: *places her small fingers on the keys, hesitantly, before starting to play a song from her youth and singing in German*

Roderich: *his violet eyes blink in surprise before relaxing, a smile growing on his face*

Lili: *works her way through the song, her fingers occasionally fumbling, but manages to get to the end and sing her last verse* How sweet does the edelweiss smell~ ? *pulls her fingers off of the ivory keys* I'm afraid I'm not as experienced as you, Herr Edelstein.

Roderich: *claps his hands together elegantly, smiling pleasantly* You have a charming voice, my dear. And I am surprisingly pleased with your musical awareness. Very well done. *claps once more*

Carli: (suddenly at Lili's side) Won't you try the gugelhupf? *offers her a small plate, the tiny pitchfork-like utensil resting beside the treat*

Lili: *glances down* Oh! Oh, thank you. *takes the plate gratefully*

Roderich: Do tell me how it tastes. *smiles*

Lili: *takes a smile bite, her eyes lighting up* It's ... *swallows completely and laughs* Ah, it's delicious!

Roderich: I'm so glad. *beams before blinking* Ah... You have a crumb... Just there, Miss Lili... *leans over and dots at her mouth with his hanky*

Lili: *reaches up and touches his hand* Herr Edelstein, thank you again ... this is the first, ahh ... *face becomes pink* ... date I've had ... and, and ...

Roderich: *smiles kindly* No need to thank me, dear, as the pleasure is entirely mine.

Basch: (outside the window) >8OOO! (< He had just come storming up, after finding a fancy invitation on Lili's dresser.)

Roderich: *brushes his lips against the top of her tiny hand* Thank you for accepting my invitation. (< Sounds like a vampire now.)

Basch: Auuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh! *starts ripping out his hair*

Lili: *looks around* Oh, dear. That sounds like brother ...

Roderich: *lifts his head, his glasses gleaming* So, he came, after all.

Basch: *throws the door open behind them, huffing loudly* (< He ran all the way around the house and through the front door, greeted Carli, and then bolted down the hall.)

Roderich: *releases Lili's small hand and offers a smirk* Welcome, Basch. Won't you have some gugelhopf?

Basch: NEIN! I will not have some -- *pauses to catch breath* -- gugelhopf! WHAT IS GOING ON HERE??

Roderich: Your sweet sister was kind enough to come here and dine with me, this evening. *closes his eyes, smiling* She even performed a darling little song for me.

Basch: You know that's not what I meant, Roderich! Why is she here, ALONE, with you!?

Lili: B-brother, please, calm down. Your blood pressure ...

Roderich: Listen to your sister, Basch. *rises from his seat, the corner of his mouth lifting with his eyebrow* She worries so much for you, but is her love reciprocated? I wonder...

Basch: What the hell are you talking about!? Of course I love my sister!!

Roderich: Do you show that, though? Do you show her what's beneath that calloused Swiss mask? *eyes suddenly pinch* Has she seen your smile?

Basch: YOU'RE NOT MAKING ANY SENSE!!

Lili: Big brother! *hands fly immediately to her mouth*

Roderich: Mmm, just as I suspected. *places his hand on Lili's ribboned head, watching the silver-blonde hair move as he smoothes over it* This poor lamb is being trained to peasantry.

Basch: *eyes bulge, before he grabs Austria by his cravat* Get your damned hands off of mein schwester!

Roderich: *breath catches as he tries not to choke* Are you so protective of her, that you would fight me, the one who used to sit in her seat?! *closes one violet eye*

Basch: *tightens his fist, his forest eyes narrowing* I would fight anyone who touched her, without my permission.

Roderich: *stops breathing for a moment, before smacking Basch's hand away and turning to fix his lace* My apologies, Lili, but it seems our evening has ended. Accompany your brother back home at once, please.

Lili: Basch ... ? *moves toward him*

Basch: *looks around, before finding silver candy dish and promptly throwing it at Roderich's head*

Lili: 8O! Basch! *runs to him and yanks on his arm*

Roderich: *shoulders remain tense even as the dish and tiny candies fall to the floor* ...Get out.

Basch: *stands firmly on the spot*

Lili: Brother ... come ... onnn ... *yanks and pulls, to no avail*

Roderich: *turns, lowering his shoulders as his rage-swollen eyes fix on the Swiss* Take your sister and leave.

Basch: Or what?

Roderich: *lifts a candle in his fist* Or I will give you a reason to patch up your uniform.

Lili: Oh, dear ... *releases her brother's arm and runs to get Carli*

Basch: Try it, and I'll break your nose. *folds arms*

Roderich: *fist shakes, causing the flame to dance* I was once on your side, you know. We fought for the same team. But now you've gone and -- *hurls the burning candle* --REPLACED me!

Basch: *ducks, the flaming candle whizzing overhead, before hitting the wall behind him* Well, if I have, it's YOUR fault! YOU'RE the one who started fighting with me!

Roderich: You never listen to what I say! Just because you protected me in the past, doesn't mean you're always right! *chucks an ink well at him*

Basch: Ouch! *moves to get behind something, to better protect himself, as the ink well bounces off of him* What are you talking about, Roderich?? I listen to you all the time!

Roderich: Do you? Because I can never tell! *lifts shoulders, teeth bared* You're too stoic!

Basch: Well, I'm so sorry, I don't let you know exactly what I'm thinking, every second of every day! *moves around the couch*

Roderich: It wouldn't kill you to do it for one day, you know!

Basch: What is it that you want to know, so badly? This never bothered you before!

Roderich: I want to know what you... *shoulders slacken as he looks away* ...think of me, exactly.

Basch: *brows draw together, as his head raises over the brocade impolstered sofa* What I think of you? You said my opinions never mattered. (< Austria really did say that about Swiss outcries against Austrian rule.)

Roderich: Well, you said I was worthless at defending myself. *eyes flicker* But I'm not. I just choose to train myself differently.

Basch: You were. *sighs* But, as far as what I think of you now, I ... *closes eyes, head turning away slightly* I envy you.

Roderich: *balks, completely taken off-guard* You... what?

Basch: *lets out a frustrated sigh -- as he didn't want to say it again* I said -- *turns and looks at him, fully* -- I envy you!

Roderich: B-But... why? *hand pats the air before grasping the keys of his piano, a sharp chord filling the room as he falls on the edge of the bench*

Basch: *ruffles slightly* I should think it'd be obvious! Look at what you have, Roderich! Music, art, poetry, delicious food! You had an empire! 

(Until the late eighteen hundreds, Switzerland relied heavily on the help of England -- the only country who regularly lent a hand, by the by -- and was constantly under threat from other countries. Switzerland, in fact, was more often driven into debt by OTHER countries and their wars, then the sole perpetrators themselves. As a result, his cuisine suffered and was not particularly delicious. And all of his "artists" by the by, were either French or German born.)

Roderich: *stares openly at his old friend, mouth slightly agape* But... You must recognize your great accomplishments, Basch. How could you compare them? Your industry and economy, your banks, your nutrition, your health, your... chocolate!

Basch: The point is, Roderich, I don't think badly of you. *suddenly sensing the mood changing* Don't get me wrong! I did loathe you. There were so many nights, where I'd lull myself to sleep with the thought of seeing you totally annihilated, stripped of nothing more than a potato sack around your waist and a spit of land to occupy, where'd you ultimately carve out your wretched living, and live out your poor, uncultured years, succumbing to invasion, starvation or neglect. Or a strange combination of all three. *shrugs* But I don't think badly of you. (< And you never really sat down and thought about this, did you Basch? xD)

Roderich: *cheek twitches slightly from utter shock* So... you don't hate me, despite all those thoughts...

Basch: Nein. Not any more. *unfolds his arms* It was ... too painful to stay mad at you ... *tenses at his confession, and points accusingly* However! I still don't approve of you kidnapping my sister!

Roderich: *gives a small laugh before glancing to the side, the hand resting against the piano stroking a few keys* I wanted to get to know her better... But more importantly, I wanted to provoke you into showing me how you felt about the both of us.

Basch: I -- you -- dlkfslsldks! You could have ASKED, Roderich! *red in the face*

Roderich: But this was true emotion, was it not? *offers a sad smile* You might have been biased or guarded in your answer if I asked you straightly.

Basch: *lips pucker slightly* Do you seriously think that I replaced you? *raises an eyebrow*

Roderich: *glances away sheepishly* ...A little, yes.

Basch: *lets out a sigh, before moving toward the door* You're ridiculous. *glances back at him, before letting his eyes travel to the floor* Even when I disliked you, Roderich, I still thought about you. *gives a small laugh at himself* It was rather pathetic, now that I think about it. *lips turn into a smile, before he opens the door to walk out*

Lili: *glances up from the floor, her ear pressed to wall beside her* Oh, uhm ... *stands quickly, brushing her dress off* I tripped ... *glances away and then back up at her brother*

Basch: *gives a silent nod, before holding out his hand for her to take* C'mon. Let's go home.

Lili: *smiles broadly, placing her small hand in his* Brother, can we make some cheese fondue? I have a sudden craving for it.

Basch: *doesn't answer, but gives her hand a squeeze*

Lili: Oh! Goodbye, Herr Edelstein! *gives him a wave with her free hand, before disappearing down the hall with Basch*

Roderich: *smiles genuinely back before turning towards the long-paned windows and gazing out at the gardens* You still... thought about me. Hmm. *closes eyes, his face serene*

{Lili, Basch played by albino_gil}
{Roderich, Carli played by Me}