Maybe I'll continue this after all
Gilbert left the station as soon as he was finished. Unlike on other days, he took his paperwork home with him. Usually, he would also gather all new information about Vargas, who had lain unusually low during the last couple of days. His colleagues had even mused that Vargas was on edge because they had taken out one of his hide-outs and even got hold of a witness against him. Gilbert didn't believe that for a second.
In Gilbert's opinion, Vargas was planning something big enough to consume most of his time. He was pretty sure that brat was mad at him and wanted revenge. He just didn't know yet what Vargas planned for that. But it sure would be bloody.
As he drove home, he listened to the radio. Nothing special on the news, same songs as always, a perfectly normal afternoon.
His house was all quiet when he arrived. That didn't surprise him. He hadn't expected to see or hear anything of Roderich. In fact, him staying out of his sight was just what he had assumed the other would do. Still, thinking that the boy might hate him made his chest hurt a little.
After putting his things away - Ludwig was always such a pest about the tidiness of his house - he thought about going upstairs. He wanted to see Roderich but he was also afraid of the answer the other had promised him.
I'm home," he yelled upstairs. "Mind if I come up?" Taking the following silence as a no, Gilbert slowly climbed up the stairs. He knocked at the door to the guestroom, suddenly alarmed. He hadn't expected it to be open.
"Roderich? Are you there?" he asked. "Has anything happened?"
Gilbert didn't wait for an answer before he slowly pushed the door further open. The inside of the room was dim and there was no one lying on the floor. For a moment, Gilbert thought about turning on the lights. He looked around the room. There was a figure in the bed, so inconspicuous he hadn't noticed it at first.
"Roderich," Gilbert whispered as he walked over to the bed. "Are you asleep?"
"I was," the other answered. He slowly sat up, touching his head as if he was afraid it might not be there anymore. "I was before you woke me up."
"Sorry," Gilbert smiled.
Roderich shook his head. "I can tell you're not. So don't lie."
"Sorry," Gilbert repeated. "I'm just relieved you seem to be alright. I was worried about the open door. Or did you ...?" He couldn't bring himself to ask whether he had changed his opinion about him or not.
"I wanted to see if you had Elisabeta's number somewhere," Roderich said after some hesitation. He looked Gilbert right in the eye but somehow, Gilbert could tell he was being lied at. "I miss her," Roderich went on with a sigh. "A lot. I need someone to talk to. ...And that has always been her."
Gilbert could be imagining things but had the other added a "I'm sorry, Gilbert" to this? He forced himself to put up smile.
"It's alright," he said. Don't be jealous of a chick, he told himself to calm him down. "You have known her for a long time, haven't you?"
Roderich nodded. "Ever since the first day at school. But we have only been friends for about ten or something years. After she decided that I was going to be her boyfriend to calm her parents down."
"You have dated her?!" Gilbert gasped.
Leaning against him, Roderich answered. "We were still kids and there was just one little kiss we both didn't enjoy too much." Gilbert turned his head to see that Roderich was smiling. "But officially, we dated for about 5 years."
Gilbert didn't answer to that. He had still trouble to calm himself. They had been a couple. Okay, only for show and they had only kissed once but still... It didn't sound like they'd ever really broken up. More like Elisabeta was the only woman ever to be part in Roderich's life. But since she was the manliest woman he could imagine and Roderich seemed to be gay he couldn't tell whether this was good or bad.
"Gilbert, do you listen to me?" Roderich interrupted his chaotic thoughts. "I asked you if I could call her. Or see her anytime soon."
Gilbert only shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe tomorrow."
"Promise?"
"Okay, I promise you may call her tomorrow," Gilbert sighed.
"Thanks.”
It took Gilbert some moments to start thinking again after he had seen that smile.
He cleared his throat. "I wonder how you met my brother. If you're the same age as that wit... I mean Elisabeta, how come you know him?" Gilbert asked. Seeing Roderich seemed to be in a good mood for the first time since he woke up in the hospital, he didn't want to spoil that mood. And Ludwig seemed a save, not too much Elisabeta-related topic to let him talk about.
Roderich chuckled. "I met him at a party when I was 22. He didn't look like the kid he still was back then. So when Elisabeta and I were talking about the men at the party, she sent me over to him to try and flirt with him." Roderich shook his head. "We liked each other from the start but after talking a bit I was - as well as him - sure I was not interested enough to date him. He's not my type, much to Elisabeta's frustration. But after that we met some times more and became friends. And I still don't consider it wise to have introduced him to Elisabeta. On the other hand, it's never wise to introduce any man to her, so ..." He shrugged.
“So, my brother’s not your type, eh?” Gilbert asked. Damn, why was this so important to him? The two brothers sure were anything but alike. So it shouldn’t have mattered why Ludwig was not Roderich’s type. But still, he wanted to know. “How’s your type like, then? Don’t tell me you like stupid as hell guys.”
Roderich shook his head. “Of course not,” he said. Then he paused to think. “Uhm, I guess, I like guys I feel happy with. And save. Like-“
Gilbert never got to hear who Roderich’s ideal boyfriend was, since in that moment, the door flew open and Ludwig stormed in.
“Brother, you need to see this!” he panted. “It’s all over the news!” Ludwig looked like he had run straight up to this room. Gilbert hadn’t even noticed him coming home. Judging by the briefcase in his hand, Ludwig hadn’t wasted any time to inform him about whatever it was.
Roderich wrinkled his brows. “What’s wrong?”
Instinctively, Gilbert placed his hand on the arm of the man next to him. “Ludwig, is it about what I think it is?” he whispered. His brother glimpsed at Roderich, than back at him, than hinted a nod.
“I’ll come, just a moment, okay?” Gilbert said. He briefly hugged Roderich. “I’ll be right back, okay? As soon as Ludwig showed me what’s so damn important,” he whispered into the other’s ear.
“No!” Roderich pushed himself away from him. “I don’t want to stay behind! I want to know what’s going on as well.”
Gilbert sighed. “Okay, fine. But at your own risk, understood?”
Roderich nodded. He took Gilbert’s hand as they walked down to the living room which made Gilbert almost think, that he couldn’t care less what was wrong in this town. But just almost. The moment he entered the room and heard the news anchor talking about a terrorist attack, he forgot about anything else.
“VARGAS!”
~~~
Lovino was sitting the TV room of the mansion his grandfather had left him together with the whole organization. Of course, Feliciano was allowed to live there as well, but Lovino was somewhat proud that his brother was oblivious to most of the family’s traditions.
He watched his achievement of the day on television. It was obvious enough that he was behind the attack. He didn’t need to give the police a reason to lock him up. They had nothing so far. He had been very careful. He had seen to it that he was filmed by several CCTV cameras as the bomb went up. He had seen to it that no traces were left anywhere. He had even had the house cleaned before he blew it up. One of his best men had pressed the button in the right moment. Only a handful of people had known about this plan and half of them were dead by now.
They had been showing the charred ruins of the former building for hours now. And still, they had not much of a clue what that had been about. One news speaker even had said they assumed this to be some religiously motivated terrorist attack and another had said that it had just been a gas leak. The only thing all the channels agreed on was that they had no idea whatsoever of the writing on the front lawn. Lovino himself had seen to it that there would be writing, this noon, all on his own. With some cans of gas he had written the words: “I’ll get back at you and your bitch”. They had looked really beautifully all aflame. He’d even made one of his men take a picture of it.
Too bad, he hadn’t been able to see damn Beilschmidt’s face when he heard of this.
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Previous chapter: Link
In Gilbert's opinion, Vargas was planning something big enough to consume most of his time. He was pretty sure that brat was mad at him and wanted revenge. He just didn't know yet what Vargas planned for that. But it sure would be bloody.
As he drove home, he listened to the radio. Nothing special on the news, same songs as always, a perfectly normal afternoon.
His house was all quiet when he arrived. That didn't surprise him. He hadn't expected to see or hear anything of Roderich. In fact, him staying out of his sight was just what he had assumed the other would do. Still, thinking that the boy might hate him made his chest hurt a little.
After putting his things away - Ludwig was always such a pest about the tidiness of his house - he thought about going upstairs. He wanted to see Roderich but he was also afraid of the answer the other had promised him.
I'm home," he yelled upstairs. "Mind if I come up?" Taking the following silence as a no, Gilbert slowly climbed up the stairs. He knocked at the door to the guestroom, suddenly alarmed. He hadn't expected it to be open.
"Roderich? Are you there?" he asked. "Has anything happened?"
Gilbert didn't wait for an answer before he slowly pushed the door further open. The inside of the room was dim and there was no one lying on the floor. For a moment, Gilbert thought about turning on the lights. He looked around the room. There was a figure in the bed, so inconspicuous he hadn't noticed it at first.
"Roderich," Gilbert whispered as he walked over to the bed. "Are you asleep?"
"I was," the other answered. He slowly sat up, touching his head as if he was afraid it might not be there anymore. "I was before you woke me up."
"Sorry," Gilbert smiled.
Roderich shook his head. "I can tell you're not. So don't lie."
"Sorry," Gilbert repeated. "I'm just relieved you seem to be alright. I was worried about the open door. Or did you ...?" He couldn't bring himself to ask whether he had changed his opinion about him or not.
"I wanted to see if you had Elisabeta's number somewhere," Roderich said after some hesitation. He looked Gilbert right in the eye but somehow, Gilbert could tell he was being lied at. "I miss her," Roderich went on with a sigh. "A lot. I need someone to talk to. ...And that has always been her."
Gilbert could be imagining things but had the other added a "I'm sorry, Gilbert" to this? He forced himself to put up smile.
"It's alright," he said. Don't be jealous of a chick, he told himself to calm him down. "You have known her for a long time, haven't you?"
Roderich nodded. "Ever since the first day at school. But we have only been friends for about ten or something years. After she decided that I was going to be her boyfriend to calm her parents down."
"You have dated her?!" Gilbert gasped.
Leaning against him, Roderich answered. "We were still kids and there was just one little kiss we both didn't enjoy too much." Gilbert turned his head to see that Roderich was smiling. "But officially, we dated for about 5 years."
Gilbert didn't answer to that. He had still trouble to calm himself. They had been a couple. Okay, only for show and they had only kissed once but still... It didn't sound like they'd ever really broken up. More like Elisabeta was the only woman ever to be part in Roderich's life. But since she was the manliest woman he could imagine and Roderich seemed to be gay he couldn't tell whether this was good or bad.
"Gilbert, do you listen to me?" Roderich interrupted his chaotic thoughts. "I asked you if I could call her. Or see her anytime soon."
Gilbert only shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe tomorrow."
"Promise?"
"Okay, I promise you may call her tomorrow," Gilbert sighed.
"Thanks.”
It took Gilbert some moments to start thinking again after he had seen that smile.
He cleared his throat. "I wonder how you met my brother. If you're the same age as that wit... I mean Elisabeta, how come you know him?" Gilbert asked. Seeing Roderich seemed to be in a good mood for the first time since he woke up in the hospital, he didn't want to spoil that mood. And Ludwig seemed a save, not too much Elisabeta-related topic to let him talk about.
Roderich chuckled. "I met him at a party when I was 22. He didn't look like the kid he still was back then. So when Elisabeta and I were talking about the men at the party, she sent me over to him to try and flirt with him." Roderich shook his head. "We liked each other from the start but after talking a bit I was - as well as him - sure I was not interested enough to date him. He's not my type, much to Elisabeta's frustration. But after that we met some times more and became friends. And I still don't consider it wise to have introduced him to Elisabeta. On the other hand, it's never wise to introduce any man to her, so ..." He shrugged.
“So, my brother’s not your type, eh?” Gilbert asked. Damn, why was this so important to him? The two brothers sure were anything but alike. So it shouldn’t have mattered why Ludwig was not Roderich’s type. But still, he wanted to know. “How’s your type like, then? Don’t tell me you like stupid as hell guys.”
Roderich shook his head. “Of course not,” he said. Then he paused to think. “Uhm, I guess, I like guys I feel happy with. And save. Like-“
Gilbert never got to hear who Roderich’s ideal boyfriend was, since in that moment, the door flew open and Ludwig stormed in.
“Brother, you need to see this!” he panted. “It’s all over the news!” Ludwig looked like he had run straight up to this room. Gilbert hadn’t even noticed him coming home. Judging by the briefcase in his hand, Ludwig hadn’t wasted any time to inform him about whatever it was.
Roderich wrinkled his brows. “What’s wrong?”
Instinctively, Gilbert placed his hand on the arm of the man next to him. “Ludwig, is it about what I think it is?” he whispered. His brother glimpsed at Roderich, than back at him, than hinted a nod.
“I’ll come, just a moment, okay?” Gilbert said. He briefly hugged Roderich. “I’ll be right back, okay? As soon as Ludwig showed me what’s so damn important,” he whispered into the other’s ear.
“No!” Roderich pushed himself away from him. “I don’t want to stay behind! I want to know what’s going on as well.”
Gilbert sighed. “Okay, fine. But at your own risk, understood?”
Roderich nodded. He took Gilbert’s hand as they walked down to the living room which made Gilbert almost think, that he couldn’t care less what was wrong in this town. But just almost. The moment he entered the room and heard the news anchor talking about a terrorist attack, he forgot about anything else.
“VARGAS!”
~~~
Lovino was sitting the TV room of the mansion his grandfather had left him together with the whole organization. Of course, Feliciano was allowed to live there as well, but Lovino was somewhat proud that his brother was oblivious to most of the family’s traditions.
He watched his achievement of the day on television. It was obvious enough that he was behind the attack. He didn’t need to give the police a reason to lock him up. They had nothing so far. He had been very careful. He had seen to it that he was filmed by several CCTV cameras as the bomb went up. He had seen to it that no traces were left anywhere. He had even had the house cleaned before he blew it up. One of his best men had pressed the button in the right moment. Only a handful of people had known about this plan and half of them were dead by now.
They had been showing the charred ruins of the former building for hours now. And still, they had not much of a clue what that had been about. One news speaker even had said they assumed this to be some religiously motivated terrorist attack and another had said that it had just been a gas leak. The only thing all the channels agreed on was that they had no idea whatsoever of the writing on the front lawn. Lovino himself had seen to it that there would be writing, this noon, all on his own. With some cans of gas he had written the words: “I’ll get back at you and your bitch”. They had looked really beautifully all aflame. He’d even made one of his men take a picture of it.
Too bad, he hadn’t been able to see damn Beilschmidt’s face when he heard of this.
First chapter: Link
Next chapter: Link
Previous chapter: Link