Roderich hated his job. It was noisy, the people were rude and boisterous, people always shoved into him then expected him to apologize, he got horrible tips, people on the phone treated him like he was stupid and he was so lucky they were so patient with him, and his co-workers . . . Don't even get him started on his co-workers. They were more animal than man. More beast than animal with their cruel jokes that were disgustingly immature and crass. The worst one? Gilbert Beilschmidt. Arrogant, rude, loud, obnoxious. "Hey, Roderich, can you take my shift tonight? I've got a hot date." Gilbert asked, walking over to the Austrian.

"No." Roderich raised an eyebrow. "I'm busy."

"Aw, come on, Specs. I don't wanna spend all night washing dishes." Gilbert slung an arm around Roderich's shoulders. "Please?"

Roderich took Gilbert's arm off of his shoulder. "No. Not my problem."

Gilbert scoffed. "What do you even have going on after work?"

"None of your business." Roderich huffed.

"Oh, is it a date? Are you going to fuck some chick?"

Roderich flushed darkly. "No! You're disgusting!"

Gilbert scoffed. "Oh, I'm so sorry."

"No need to be so crass." Roderich huffed again.

"Whatever. I'll find someone cool to take my shift." Gilbert walked off and Roderich flinched but shook it off.

A few hours passed and Gilbert still hadn't found someone to take his shift. "Shit. What am I gonna do now?" He groaned.

"You could just work." Roderich huffed dryly as he raised an eyebrow.

"What are you still doing here?" Gilbert glared at the brunette.

"I'm not off yet."

"Cool, so you can help me with the dishes?" Gilbert asked with a smile.

Roderich sighed. "Fine."

"Thanks." Gilbert smiled. "I really can't be late for this date. So I'll wash and you dry, sound good?"

"Fine." Roderich mumbled.

They worked in silence for a few minutes before Gilbert spoke. "So . . . How do you like working here?"

"Honestly? I hate it." Roderich said truthfully.

"Yeah, it sucks, but at least you get to meet some interesting people." Gilbert replied, scrubbing the inside of a pot.

Roderich shrugged as he dried a plate. "I meet more intriguing people at my concerts."

"Concerts?" There was a hint of genuine curiosity in the albino's voice.

"Yes." Roderich nodded. "I play piano."

"That's actually pretty cool. I've always liked the piano." Gilbert gave a small shrug.

"Really?" Roderich looked at him in surprise.

"Y-yeah! You don't have to look so surprised!" Gilbert blushed, splashing some water at Roderich playfully.

Roderich flinched away from the water. "Don't be so immature. I need to leave soon, so if you want my help then stop wasting time." He huffed.

Gilbert grumbled. "Why are you in such a rush?"

"I have a concert tonight."

"Oh . . ." Gilbert mumbled. "Maybe I'll come see you play."

Roderich blinked before digging in his pocket and getting out two tickets. "Here. For you and your companion. I believe my concert is a good choice for an impressive date." He paused. "They were for my parents, but . . . they can't come." He said that it was like no big deal.

Gilbert looked at the tickets in his hands. "Really? Are you sure? I mean, what if your parents change their mind?"

"They won't." Roderich's tone had a bitter edge.

"Oh . . ." Gilbert frowned. "Well, we better hurry. I don't wanna make you late!" Gilbert began working with intense vigor and Roderich gave a soft chuckle as he continued his relaxed pace.

Gilbert let out a sigh. "Finally done. Let's get to your concert -" He stopped, hearing the buzzing of his phone and flipped it open. "Hey, babe . . . What? Why not? . . . Are you serious?! . . . Well, fuck you too, bitch!"

Once the albino snapped his phone shut, Roderich looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "That was charming." He said dryly.

"She just blew me off to hook up with her ex. I swear, women are the worst!"

Roderich snorted. "No comment."

"Let's just go to your concert. Maybe some music will take my mind off of her." He tugged on the brunette's hand.

Roderich flushed gently took his hand away as he cleared his throat. "Right."

"Wanna take my car?"

Roderich paused. "Sure."

Gilbert smirked. "Hope you like fast rides."

~G+R~

Roderich wobbled out of the car. "Never again." He groaned.

"It wasn't that bad." Gilbert rolled his eyes.

"I feel faint." Roderich swayed.

Gilbert helped steady him. "Hey, don't go fainting before I get to hear you play."

Roderich blushed. "Y-yeah . . ."

When Gilbert walked inside the building, his eyes widened in awe. "This place is so cool looking!"

Roderich chuckled. "This is merely the entry. Wait until you reach the actual theatre."

"Yeah, I wanna see it now!" Gilbert's eyes shined like a child's on Christmas. "What are you playing? Beethoven?"

"Sweet. I prefer Mozart, but to each their own." Gilbert continued looking around. "Do you think I'm underdressed? Everyone here's so fancy."

"Mozart is wunderbar." Roderich hummed. "I've got a suit in my dressing room you can borrow."

"Really? Thanks, Roddy!" Gilbert grinned. "I may have misjudged you. You're actually pretty cool."

Roderich flushed while giving a shy smile. "Danke." He mumbled.

"Willkommen." Gilbert tugged on Roderich's hand. "Let's go to your dressing room." The brunette flushed even darker before nodding and leading the albino to the room. Once they were in the room, Gilbert let go of Roderich's hand. "You get this whole place just to get ready?"

"Mhm."

"Nice!" Gilbert beamed and Roderich returned it with a shy smile before walking over to the closet and opening it, picking out two suits and handing one to Gilbert. "Thanks!" Gilbert stripped off his jacket and shirt then started to unbuckle his pants, only stopping when he saw Roderich staring. "What?"

Roderich flushed and looked away. "N-nothing." He turned so his back was facing Gilbert before he slipped his shirt off.

Gilbert stared at him for a few seconds before looking away. "S-so, why didn't you give the tickets to your girlfriend or someone?"

"I don't have one." Roderich shrugged.

"Why not?" Gilbert walked over to him. "You're attractive, cool, and smart. By all means, you should have a girlfriend."

Roderich raised an eyebrow, still shirtless as he got his outfit put together. "I may be knowledgeable in culture, but I am none of those things despite how well I speak."

Gilbert scoffed. "How can you not believe that?" He put a hand on Roderich's bare back. "You're thin, toned, you're funny . . . You're almost as good as me."

Roderich blushed and shivered slightly. "Um . . ."

"O-oh, sorry." Gilbert took his hand off Roderich's back.

"I-it's okay." Roderich bit his bottom lip as he blushed.

"You'd better get ready. I'm gonna find my seat." Gilbert walked out of the room.

Roderich swallowed and nodded. "Okay."

Gilbert closed the door, leaning against it for support as he held his chest, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart. "W- what the hell?" He whispered to himself.

On the other side of the door, Roderich took a deep breath. "Oh dear." He mumbled.

Gilbert sat in the third row and looked up at the stage, eagerly awaiting Roderich's performance. Soon, Roderich arrived on the stage, bowed, and took his place at the piano. Gilbert leaned forward in his seat, gazing intensely at the brunette. Roderich took a deep breath, seeming to relax before beginning to play, but rather than playing Beethoven, he began playing Mozart. Gilbert listened, enraptured by his beautiful playing. With every note, it became obvious that Roderich became even more relaxed and even swayed to the music as he went along. When he hit the final note, he stood and bowed, everyone standing to their feet and erupting into cheers and claps. But no one cheered as loud as Gilbert. He whistled and nearly screamed his joy for Roderich's music and when the Austrian spotted the albino, he blushed before waltzing back to his room, giving a soft smile at the Gilbert so . . . He shook his head. He could never. Gilbert would never like him like that. But if he knew that, then why did he play Mozart? Meanwhile, Gilbert began to run back to Roderich's dressing room. The music had been so lovely and heartfelt, Gilbert felt like hugging the brunette. He slowed to a jog, then a walk, then stopped altogether. 'Why did hearing him play make me feel like this?' He asked himself.

In the dressing room, Roderich bit his lip before beginning to change out of his suit. 'Why am I so happy that Gilbert go to hear me play?'

Outside the door now, said albino hesitated before walking in. "Hey, you sounded great."

Roderich turned around in surprise, shirtless, before giving a shy smile. "Danke."

Gilbert flushed. "Willkommen. Sorry about barging in. I should have knocked."

Roderich blinked before blushing. "It's okay." He turned back around. "We're both men." He said, half of the statement almost seeming to be a reminder to himself.

"Yeah, we are . . ." Gilbert muttered, taking off his own shirt. Roderich blushed as he glanced at Gilbert before biting his lip when he about said something. "I'd love to come see you play again, if you're okay with that." Gilbert slipped off his pants, turning to look directly at Roderich.

"O- of course." Roderich stuttered.

Gilbert pulled his work pants back on. "S- so . . . I guess I'll see you at work?"

Roderich paused. "Gilbert, wait . . ."

"Jah?"

Roderich bit his lip. "Ah . . . Would you like to go to dinner with me?"

Gilbert blinked. "S- sure, I'd love to."

Roderich bit his lip with a shy smile. "Where?"

"I know this great Italian place. We could go there if you'd like." Gilbert stuck his hands in his pockets.

Roderich beamed. "Sounds perfect."

"Great!" Gilbert pulled on his jacket and chuckled. "You do realize we'll have to take my car again?"

Roderich paled teasingly. "Scheisse."

"Come on, Roddy." Gilbert tugged on his hand, pulling him to the car. "It's just one more ride."

Roderich chuckled. "Okay."

~G+R~

Gilbert pulled the chair out for Roderich, blushing. "Have a seat."

Roderich groaned. "I feel sick."

"Yeah, sorry." Gilbert snickered. "At least we didn't get pulled over. I'm pretty sure I was going twenty over the speed limit."

"I know." Roderich groaned. "I was there." Gilbert chuckled, sitting down across from him.

An Italian waiter walked up to them and, when he saw Gilbert, hugged him. "Ve~, Gilbert!"

Roderich rose an eyebrow. "Gilbert?"

"Oh, this is Feliciano. He's an old friend. Feli, this is Roderich." Gilbert chuckled, having to forcibly remove the Italian from around him.

Roderich raised his eyebrow higher. "Friend?"

"Yeah! Me and Gil knew each other when we were kids and he was such a bully!" Feli smiled warmly at Roderich. "So, Gil, is this your new boyfr -" He was cut off by Gilbert's hand over his mouth.

Roderich blushed. "Ah . . ."

"Feli, Roderich is my friend! Friend! Now take his order before I tape your mouth shut!" Gilbert flushed madly, capturing the Italian in a headlock.

"Sorry, sorry. Wh- what do you want, Roderich?"

Roderich chuckled. "I'll take a glass of water, please."

Gilbert flushed worse, looking away from Roderich as he let go of Feliciano. "Same." With that, the Italian left. "Sorry about him. He's a little dense."

"It's okay."

"He thinks that anytime I hang out with another guy, it's automatically a date." Gilbert chuckled. "He's like a little kid."

Roderich blushed. "Right . . . I . . . Not a date . . ."

"Yeah . . ." Gilbert looked down. "S- so . . . have you ever even . . . considered dating another man?"

"That's just it . . . You asked me why I didn't give the tickets to my girlfriend . . ." Roderich cleared his throat as he blushed, looking away. "It's because I'm gay."

"R- really?" Gilbert asked, eyes widening in surprise and Roderich gave a hesitant nod. Gilbert looked down. "W- well, you know that girl I had a date with? She . . . was a he."

"What was his name?" Roderich asked in genuine curiosity, tilting his head, violet eyes openly accepting.

"Antonio. He wanted to get back together with his ex, Romano."

"You dated Antonio as well?"

"Yeah . . ." Gilbert furrowed his brow. "He was an idiot anyway."

"Indeed." Roderich sniffed.

Gilbert stared at Roderich for a while. "So . . . what's your type?"

Roderich flushed. "Well . . . Ah . . . A person I can have a conversation with, someone I can be the real me in front of, a person who appreciates my music -"

"You're basically describing me, you know." Gilbert blushed.

"What about you then?" Roderich huffed.

"I usually like someone with intelligence, likes classical music, not afraid to speak their mind -"

"And you aren't doing the same?" Roderich teased lightly.

"Yeah, I guess I am." Gilbert smiled, gazing into Roderich's eyes.

Roderich blushed before biting his bottom lip slightly. "Gil . . ."

"Roderich . . ."

"Pasta!" Feli cheered. Gilbert glared daggers at him, looking like he wanted to murder him. "Not really though. I just brought your water."

Roderich cleared his throat, blushing darker than the maroon walls, and bit his lip harder as he looked away. "Thank you, Feli." He mumbled.

"No problem!"

"Feli, give us a minute please." Gilbert's eye twitched as he spoke.

"Okay~"

Roderich gave a soft chuckle. "So . . . where are we -?"

Gilbert blushed, taking Roderich's hand. "Roderich . . . do you want to be my boyfriend?" The brunette blinked in shock then smiled gently at the albino before leaning in and placing his lips upon Gilbert's soft ones, kissing him sweetly with slight shyness. Gilbert smiled. "I'll take that as a yes."

"So it does answer your question." Roderich teased.

"Yes." Gilbert kissed him again.

"Aw, how cute!" Feli cooed.

"Feli, get out of here!" Gilbert snapped and the Italian giggled, walking off again, causing Roderich to chuckle.

"Bruder, I don't appreciate you yelling at my boyfriend." A very tall and muscular man growled from where he was cleaning off a nearby table.

Gilbert scowled. "Fine, fine. Sorry, Ludwig, but he needs to learn to mind his own business.

Ludwig huffed and Roderich chuckled. "Gilbert."

"Yeah?"

"Ich liebe dich." Roderich hummed before leaning in for another kiss.

Gilbert kissed him back eagerly. "Love you too."