APH's not mine.

Conversation in the garden

It wasn't like he had ever wished for it. Ever. But on the other hand there he was, looking in his eyes. He gulped lightly like needing it, but fearing that he would he heard. Roderich had after all, a good ear. Basch mumbled something that made the other smile... He lifted his hand and gently stroke his cheek, asking him to repeat it. The blonde just rolled his eyes while pushing away his hand and mumbled that it was enough with one single time. Roderich chuckled.

"Of course", he sighed and the blonde, shorter one raised an eyebrow.

"You're giving in? That's new..."

"I never said I was giving in" Roderich replied and the hunter had to sigh. Again.

It was always like this. Roderich would never agree to meet outside from the castles walls, so Basch had to find his way in. It didn't bother him really, it was another way to annoy Ludwig and Gilbert by sneaking in without anyone noticing him. It was fun, Basch always liked things like that, like when he used to escape from the old lady that was in charge of looking over him, Roderich and Lili to get into the garden when they should have been in the library. They used to play like that, his baby sister would be the princess and Roderich her father, the king. He himself would be her knight, the one who always saved her from the dragon (aka the Elvira, the old lady) and bring her back home.

"By the way, how's your sister doing?" Roderich asked and Basch shrugged.

"Ran off with some Italian prince, I think this time she really got angry" he said while looking at the count's hands. "Do you ever had to use a sword?"

"You already know that" Roderich snorted and Basch had to chuckle.

"Just had to ask again" he smiled at him.

Roderich used to be good. Their uncle, Gilbert's father, taught them how to use that weapon and they had been both good. But Basch preferred the arc and Roderich Elizabeta's company while he played the piano. An up until now it was a weird situation, Basch being a count like him, having both the same obligations and duties, the same honourable rights, but neither of them liking their roles. Both escaping their obligations… Basch liked being outside in the woods, his real home, and Roderich did not like at all that complicated stuff of being responsible. Yes, that's how the men who rule one's country are like.

Roderich was kind of a princess, much more than Lili. She, now grown up, was like an independent queen. She knew sooner or later she would have to marry, have children and be a good wife, but even though she would bend in to that role, the three where conscious of thefact that there would be always her silent spirit, silent but free. She hadn't been born male, so she had found her way of keeping away the image of a defenceless little girl that they had tried to put on her. It's not like she's a heartless and icy witch, she's simply happy with how she manages things.

Basch sighed and Roderich rose his hand and stroke again his cheek. The blond one just closed his eyes, keeping silence this time. It wasn't a typical thing for men like them, but having grown up together it wasn't unusual for them. It wasn't like they did it all the time, just when they were silent like now. It was their way of speaking without looking at each other and without talking. Basch kept his head down while Roderich took his hand away. They were asking themselves when they would have again the opportunity to see each other.

"Do you really think that there will be a war?" Roderich finally asked.

Basch shrugged with his shoulders.

"Do you think there might be one?"

"It is quite possible… But it's also thinkable that there won't happen a thing, maybe in the end there will be some marriages and treaties and everything will be over in less than three months," he murmured and rolled his eyes.

"Sure."

Basch wasn't that convinced, but what his friend said wasn't just some blabbering, it had happened that way before. He hoped he could managed it somehow to keep his sister and himself out of unnecessary trouble, as well as he wished that the relationship between his country and Ludwig's could stay as it was at that moment. He didn't expect that it would get better as things were at that moment, but he just didn't want them to get worse. It would be even more difficult to see his friend...

"I heard that you have spent some days with Emma and her brother," Roderich said, interrupting his thoughts. Basch smiled, but just a little.

"Oh, yeah… She had invited me a long time ago and I finally accepted."

There was a moment of brief silence before Roderich nodded.

"Will you marry her?"

"I don't know. Sure, it would be convenient, but I can't imagine us as husband and wife. It would be weird, she's just too…"

"Too lovely for someone as grumpy as you?" Roderich chuckled. His friend rolled his eyes.

"Surely too lovely for an idiot like you," he answered but had to laugh. "Yeah, and maybe too lovely for someone like me…"

"I wouldn't say that," Roderich replied, now a tone more serious. "I'm sure you would be the perfect husband for any woman. You know how to treat them."

"Maybe…"

"It's true, after all you had to raise your little sister."

"I'm begging you to remember that she's mad at me right now and that I don't exactly know where she is," Basch mumbled, but his friend just snorted.

"That's because she's a teenager. Teenagers do that sort of things," he argued, but the blonde man just shook his head in disagreement.

"When you talk like that it sounds as if we were already old…"

"I'm not saying that," Roderich snorted. "You're almost twenty-five and she's sixteen, there's a big difference."

"I know that" Basch admitted. "But we used to get along very well..."

"You still do, she just needs some space." Roderich gave him a little smile and Basch had to give in.

"Yeah, I think you're right. Speaking of marriage and women…"

"Oh, no…"

"How are things with Elizabeta?"

"I hate you."

Basch laughed, beaming at his friend. "Oh, come on… How are preparations for your wedding with the gipsy duchess going?"

Roderich raised an eyebrow but then only shook his head. He usually didn't like people calling his fiancée like that, but he could bear it when it was his friend. After all he knew that Basch didn't say it in an offensive way, he had too much heart for that kind of things.

"They are going on… just going on," he murmured. Basch smiled.

"That's a good thing to hear. Although I can't imagine you married to her, she's a warrior… As weird as that can sound."

Roderich smiled too. He knew that there weren't a lot of people comfortable of the life chosen by his future woman, but her liking war and fighting wasn't something that bothered him too much. Except when it came to her behaviour at parties and formal events, but they had still time to work on it…

"And because she's a warrior she shouldn't marry me?"

Basch laughed.

"She will get bored, but who knows, maybe she likes to have to protect your whinny ass."

"You better shut up," Roderich growled really offended, but his friend just kept on laughing.

"I think it's time to go," Basch finally sighed and looked at the sky. It wasn't dark yet, but it would be in no time and he wasn't someone who liked to cross the woods when he couldn't see a thing. Really, that wasn't his thing .

Roderich, still serious, nodded and stood up from his bench. They began to walk towards the backdoor that was hidden in that garden of Ludwig's castle. Only they knew about it, maybe also their uncle and Elizabeta, but Basch was sure that he was the only one who regulary passed through there. It was calm as they stopped by the door.

"Take care," Roderich whispered and his friend smiled.

"I'm not like you," he laughed and Roderich rolled his eyes.

"Go."

"Don't miss me too much," Basch smiled and went through the door. "I don't think we will see each other in a long time…"

Roderich bite his lower lip.

"Seems like…"

"Hush."

Roderich blinked and Basch smiled, reaching his hand out to caress his cheek. The taller one blushed slightly, but remained calm.

"Well, maybe not that long…" the blond man whispered and took a step back.

Roderich nodded, keeping silent as he watched him run to his horse and disappear in the woods.