A/N: I really should focusing on 'Unsent Letters' than all these one-shots, but this one has been lurking about on my phone for a while so I finally decided to finish last night, so I hope you all enjoy!

Sacrifices

Lili would often find herself thinking about her brothers and Austria's relationship- she knew they didn't exactly get along nowadays, but she also knew of their previous friendship. The german girl would often ponder their situation, she knew Switzerland didn't really hate Austria- and she didn't doubt those feelings were mutual- she couldn't help thinking those arguments the former friends had were just a cover up of their secret, possibly romantic feelings. After all, in the game of love, bad attention is better than no attention.

Lili had always loved her brother, as more than a sibling, but she never wanted to take him away from someone whom he may share feelings with. She wanted her brother to be happy, even at the cost of hers. People would often say Liechtenstein was to selfless for her own good, and they were probably right. She'd always subtly push Vash to the Austrian. "At least brother will be happy" those six words would be all Lili could focus on to ease the pain of her shattering heart. Some people wouldn't be able to watch the love of life with another, but Lili had years of practice at concealing her emotions under a cheery smile- happy and carefree on the outside but breaking down on the inside. She would forever refuse to fight for her brothers affection- if he didn't love her in the same way that she loved him, then she wouldn't try to force her feelings onto him.

Every meeting Lili would watch the two bicker together as she would sit with Hungary while the older women would laugh at the pair and claim that it was all just sexual tension. Lili would giggle at the comments, but it was always fake laughter to mask tears. It was only when she was alone that her emotions would finally surface and she would curl up onto a ball and cry until it was physically impossible for her to cry anymore. These times only came around late at night and she would sob into her pillow to muffle the sounds, and on occasion when it became too much at the meetings, Lili would excuse herself to the bathroom and cry her heart out in the privacy of the ladies bathroom.

Never before had this secret been discovered, and the little german girl intended to keep it this way.

Vash took great pride in his ability to keep his true feeling under control and unnoticed. This skill had especially came in well with his sister. Ever since he had found Lili, he had an urge to protect her and look after her. However not long after meeting her that new emotions had began to bubble up inside him, emotions he has never really felt before. It had taken a while, but one day it hit him- he had fallen in love with Liechtenstein. He'd watch her everyday, and with each glance he fell further in love- the way her perfectly golden locks bounced with each and every little movement of her head, the sparkle in her deep, emerald green eyes, that ever so slight pink tint to her rosy cheeks and that smile that never left her face.

But Vash wasn't stupid- he'd been around long enough to notice when someone was hiding their sadness with laughter. Many a time had Switzerland tried to coax Lili into telling him what was troubling her, but ever time she would flash him one of her signature smiles and say that everything was fine. It hurt whenever she avoided answering his questions, he would have liked Lili to be able to open up to him after all the years they had spent together, but then again, he wasn't exactly one to talk.

However, what probably hurt even more than that was the way in Liechtenstein almost pushed him away- he wasn't to sure if it was just his mind playing tricks on him, but it felt like the little girl was making him spend time as much time away from her and with Austria instead. He didn't even like that piano-playing pansy! Neither did Switzerland like the fact that Lili would laugh along with Hungary when she made a comment about him austria being together.

He often wondered if he would ever be able to open up to Lil about his feelings towards her, and he had contemplated doing so a few times but he had always ended up backing out at the last minute. They were sibling for gods sake! Well, not by blood, but he could that tell Lili only saw him as a brother none the less.

So instead of telling her, he suffered the pains of unrequited love alone and silence just as he had always done.