This all came about after talking to tumblr user purplepantsandpradaglasses, so thanks to her for chatting, and for listening to me babble about this.


The evening was beautiful, the sunset reflected on the sea, the sand coarse but warm between their toes; it would have been perfect if it wasn't their last night together.
Roderich entwined his fingers in Gilbert's and squeezed them tightly, not because he was scared and needed reassurance, but because he was heading back to Austria soon and he'd never get the chance to hold onto Gilbert like this again.
He kept his head down facing his feet, for he knew that if he looked into those remarkable eyes, or if he caught a glimpse of that cheeky grin, there would be the distinct possibility that he'd burst into tears.

"I doubt we'll see each other again." he remarked bitterly, mentally cursing life, responsibilities, and everything that kept him away from love.

Gilbert gently placed his hand beneath Roderich's chin and raised it slightly, locking eyes with his Summer fling. "Sure we will." He replied with such confidence that Roderich almost deluded himself into believing him. Gilbert slowly leaned in close, pressing his forehead to Roderich's, and gave him one last parting kiss.


"Francis !" Antonio exclaimed rushing up to one of his closest friends, a classmate he hadn't seen all Summer. "So where have you been these past months, did you go back to France ?"

A man with a flair for the dramatic, Francis put a hand to his chest and sighed, "Sadly not, I've been worked like a dog this season, but it'll be worth it when I finally buy a car." Antonio chuckled softly and shook his head, it was good to be back - even if an ungodly amount of stress awaited them in this, their final year of high school. Their reunion was interrupted by unmistakeable laughter of Gilbert Beilschmidt coming from across the courtyard. Gilbert stood at the centre of a semicircle of girls who laughed along with him as he spoke. Typical Gilbert, flirting before the school year had even began.

Eager to hear how his vacation had been, the duo beckoned Gilbert over with a whistle from Antonio. "Who are the lucky girls ?" Francis asked with a suggestive lift of a brow.

Gilbert scoffed at the thought, he wasn't flirting, he couldn't help it if he was just naturally charming. It's not like he had the slightest bit of interest in any of them, he just liked their attention, "Nobody, they're just the same classmates we've had every year."

Francis wasn't quite buying Gilbert's explanation, the man would attempt to seduce the Queen simply because he fancied the challenge, but he was far too interested in catching up with his friends to press the matter. "So what did you do all Summer ?"

"You know, just hung out at the beach. I met this one guy there, he was cool I suppose." Thought he succeeded in acting so very calm and aloof, it was unexpected for Gilbert to praise someone immediately off the bat.

Francis and Antonio shared a look, was it possible that Gilbert was smitten ? But before they got a chance to question him, the bell for class rang and he was off.


Roderich fidgeted with the end of his coat as walked to class with Elizabeta. He wasn't sure what to wear for his first day of American high school, back in Austria his private school had required a uniform and thus eliminated all the needless worry over fashion.
How he wished he could be back home in Vienna, The City of Music, The City of Dreams; not little Rydell that seemed painfully empty now that the tourists had departed. Granted he did have an amazing Summer, but it was the company he loved so much, not the setting.
Why his parents had decided on staying he'd never understand. He felt completely out of his depth, what if hazing was a thing here ? What if he found classes too difficult through English ?
Roderich thanked god for his neighbour Elizabeta, here was someone to ease his fears and perhaps make his school days bearable, but the sooner the year was over the better.
Once he'd received his diploma he'd be on the first flight back home.


Antonio, Francis, and Gilbert sat on the bleachers eating their lunch and observing the football players out on the field, mocking occasionally when someone dropped the ball, and bursting into laughter when Mathias stumbled over a misplaced helmet. But the athletes antics could not hold their attention for long, and soon enough Francis and Antonio were pushing Gilbert to expand on his Summer adventures.

"So tell us what really went on at the beach." Antonio teased, elbowing Gilbert in the arm and earning himself a scowl in return.

"Nothing happened." Gilbert insisted, perhaps a bit too harshly because his friends rolled their eyes in reply. Of course something had happened at the beach, he'd fallen for Roderich. But he wasn't about to start gushing about it like some lovesick puppy.

Francis, sitting on the bench behind Gilbert, grasped him by the shoulders and whispered into his ear, just loud enough for Antonio to hear as well. "Stop denying your feelings Gilbert, we heard how you spoke this morning. You're infatuated with this man."

Gilbert had no idea how to answer Francis, he was used to him claiming to be in head over heels in love every couple of weeks, but Francis pinning that emotion on him was new. Was he supposed to come right out and agree? Say 'Yes I think I might be in love, but it doesn't matter now because he's half way across the globe.' No no no, that was far too sappy for him. He decided to tell the story from the beginning, but omit all mentions of how Roderich had made him feel.
"So there I was, walking along the beach when I spot this guy having trouble in the water. Naturally I swam out and saved him. He was so grateful that he took me out for a bite to eat, and you know. . . one thing lead to another."

"And are you going to see this man again ?" Francis asked, his blue eyes bright with hope and enthusiasm.

"No, he's gone back to Austria." Gilbert answered through gritted teeth, partly out of loathing for the entire situation, but mostly out of frustration with Francis' incessant badgering. Francis' obsession with his love life was sickening, couldn't he focus on his own ? It's not as if it was lacking in excitement.

Francis sighed, giving Gilbert a sympathetic smile. "How tragic, you're a modern day Odysseus and Penelope."

"Who ? You better not be putting me in the role of the chick. And never mind that, it was just a Summer thing, it's not like I care." Gilbert grumbled, crossing his arms like a spoiled child. We're they really doing this, were his friends really putting him on the spot like this ? He should just bring up one of Francis' many failed relationships before they started singing 'Gilbert and Roderich sitting in a tree.' Come to think of it, he hadn't told them his mystery man's name, but it was probably best that he didn't. Giving him a name would just legitimize this whole thing in their minds.

"Hey Gil, did you get his address, maybe you could be penpals ?" Antonio asked with such wide eyes and a large smile, that Gilbert couldn't be certain if he was teasing or if he was just that hopelessly optimistic. He reckoned that it was probably a bit of both.
Worn out by his friends behaviour, Gilbert skulked off back towards class without even granting the men a simple goodbye, wondering why the hell he continued to be friends with such people.


Alfred, Vash, and Natalya were eating lunch and complaining about teachers who insisted on assigning essays on the first day of the school year when Elizabeta showed up with Roderich in tow. Elizabeta took a seat next to Vash, while Roderich sat flanked by Alfred and Natalya, who then preceded to ask him all sorts of "getting to know you" questions.
The four friends of made up 'The Pink Ladies.' An odd choice for a group that was half male, but they had dubbed themselves after the cocktail, a drink which they all shared a mutual love for. This however, didn't explain the matching pink embroidered jackets.

"Who's the stray ?" Vash mumbled, only loud enough for Elizabeta to hear.

"Roderich Edelstein, he just moved here from Austria." Elizabeta's expression turned stern as she raised he finger towards him, "I'm warning you Vash, be nice to him. We both know that it's no fun to be the new kid"

Vash paid her warning no heed, he was still entirely focused on the first half of her answer. "Austrian hmm, I suppose this means I can't curse at you all in German anymore without being caught."

Elizabeta glared at him, trying to remember when Vash last spoke the language around her. Unable to recall any instances, she decided that he was just being his usual snarky self. She turned away from him and faced Roderich, listening in on his conversation with Alfred and Natalya.

"My Summer ? It was wonderful thank you, I spent the majority of it at the beach."

"I was the same when I first moved from Hungary. Coming from a landlocked country the beach was such a novelty, don't you think ?" Elizabeta interjected. Vash and Natalya, from Switzerland and Belarus respectively; both of which were also landlocked countries, nodded in agreement. They could all remember when they first moved to Rydell and found themselves captivated by the sea. Except Alfred of course, he'd been born in Rydell and in his group he was the only natural born citizen.
Roderich reddened in embarrassment, after his first visit to the beach he no longer felt awed by it's beauty. In truth he felt apathetic towards the seaside as the thought of crabs creeping through the sand left him feeling uneasy.

"You're blushing, something you want to share with us ?" Natalya asked. Roderich felt a little intimated, and bit ashamed of that feeling. Natalya had a serious face, with eyes that seemed to stare into his soul, but in their brief conversation she had been distant but kind enough.

"Um well, I don't care for the beach much. I only continued going in order to meet up with . . . he's, well he's . . ." Roderich struggled to find the right words to define Gilbert, he wasn't a boyfriend, he was more than just a friend, lover sounded far to vulgar.

"Why don't you just tell us what happened." Vash groaned, growing impatient.

"The first time I went to the beach I met a man. At first I thought him a show off, but after we chatted I saw a softer side to him, and I grew to care about him very much. " Roderich smiled as he spoke of happier times, but his eyes seemed pained. "But then I was set to go back to Austria and we parted ways." Alfred and Elizabeta wore sympathetic frowns, Natalya's face was unreadable, and Vash didn't really seem to care.

"Awh cheer up. Now that you're staying maybe you'll see him again." Alfred smiled hopefully. "Say, what was this guy's name anyway ?"

"Gilbert Beilschmidt."

A wicked smile grew across Vash's face. "You know what Roderich, something tells me you'll meet this man again."