A/N: Here it is… the first chapter of my new story. It is Gwendal and… well… just who is his secret admirer? You will just have to wait and find out. Read and Review please. I welcome any and all pointers but flames will be used to toast marshmallows.
Disclaimer: I do not own KKM or its characters… the poem, however is MINE and is not to be used without permission.
Chapter one: the poem and the gift
Gwendal von Voltaire was a very reserved person. His near permanent scowl and even temper was not one that he believed to inspire anything resembling romantic notions. So it was with true surprise that he found a short note on his desk after lunch written in flowing calligraphy:
I don't know how to say this really.
I don't know what to do.
The only thing that I'm sure of,
Is that I'm in love with you.
I can't tell what's on your mind,
I can not read your heart.
But I'd like for you to know,
That if I had my way we would never part.
All my love,
Your secret admirer
As he read these lines his eyes went wide in surprise and he sat down heavily. Who in Shinou's name could be writing to him? He didn't believe that it would be Gunter. His oldest friend could be annoyingly romantic when he wanted to be, but he would have signed his own name to the note. Not to mention the fact that Gwendal knew that the heart of his friend belonged irrevocably to another. So who could it be? He didn't recognize the handwriting so it could be almost anyone. He was so preoccupied with his poem that he didn't even notice that the door opened. "What do you have there Gwen?" the amused voice of Gunter knocked him out of his reverie and nearly made him fall out of the chair. "I… I… here, read for yourself." Gwendal held the note out, not even bothering to hide his embarrassment. Gunter merely raised an eyebrow and took the note from him and as he read it his eyes widened in surprise and amusement. "So, someone likes you Gwen, and they are not comfortable enough to come out and say it. Any ideas at all as to who?" "No, and it bothers me more then I would like to admit. I do not recognize the handwriting either. Now I need to get back to revising these proposals before Yuuri-heika comes back from sword practice." Gwendal took back the poem, folded it, put it in his breast pocket and started on his paperwork.
Later that night Gwendal entered his room just to see another envelope on his bed, along with a small package. Opening the package with shaking fingers he found it to be a new hair tie. Frowning, he turned to the envelope, opening it and extracting the letter inside, written in the same flowing calligraphy as the poem.
My dearest Gwendal, I hope you enjoyed my little poem. I really do have feelings for you and I would like nothing more then to tell you in person but circumstances make that difficult. If you are interested in finding out more please wear the hair tie I included with this letter. If you do you will receive another letter sometime this week. If not, I will know that your heart is already spoken for and you will never hear from me again.
All my love,
Your secret admirer
Now Gwendal really didn't know what to do. Leaving a love poem in his office was one thing. Leaving a letter and a gift in his private quarters was a more difficult feat. However, he decided to ponder all the ramifications of this in the morning.
After a night spent tossing and turning with little sleep, Gwendal rose before dawn as he always did and made his way to his study. He brought both the letter and the new hair tie intending to ask Gunter his opinion on the matter. The normally stoic general did not know what to do in this situation. It was truly unfamiliar territory. He had indulged in affairs over the years but they were mutually pursued for the sake of pleasure. Never before had anyone attempted to look beneath the surface to his heart. He was well aware of the fact that many of the soldiers and nobles believed that he did not even possess a heart. This fact made the current situation even more confusing. Who knew him enough to look beneath the surface and yet was uncertain enough not to reveal their feelings directly? It was a maddening problem that did not get any better when Gunter merely chuckled and suggested that if he wished to know, he'd simply have to wear the new hair tie and be patient. It occurred to Gwendal that his old friend might actually know more then he let on but he decided to wait it out. Against his better judgment his curiosity had been aroused. There was always the chance that these letters could prove to be the end of his loneliness…