Gilbert grinned as he made his way to Francis and Alfred two friends he spotted a moment after explaining to Roderich that talking to soldiers was a good thing, for the most part, who was also joined by Mathias and Vash when they got over there. Each of them, except Vash, had another person with them. Mathias had a blonde boy with a pin holding some of his bangs from his face with him, Francis had a boy with dusty blonde hair and thick eyebrows over green orbs with him, and Alfred had a dark haired Asian boy with shy, polite eyes with him. Gilbert smiled at them, and they smiled back.
"Hey! Where are you guys eating?" he asked Alfred, and the blonde pointed to a table near his own tent. "Right over there, dude." he smiled at the albino and the brunette he had with him. "Hi! I'm Alfred."
Roderich jumped slightly at the cheerfulness of the blue eyed blonde, or at least that's what he thought he saw. He smiled. "I-I'm Roderich. Nice to meet you." He said, looking at all of the others in the group. It was obvious who the prisoners where. He could tell by the light scars some of their faces and just their expressions in general. Some of them look more normal than others, but he could still see the missing light from their eyes.
Gilbert pointed to each of the people in the group as the others got their food, and he even pointed out all the prisoners too, telling him who was what ever so quietly. Once they all got their food they sat down at the table Alfred pointed out earlier, and Mathias and Alfred practically gobbled up their food when they sat down, and were finished way before the others, though Gilbert looked at Roderich when the others were talking to the prisoners that they saved, and back to his own meal, which was barely eaten. "If you want more, you can have mine." he smiled at the brunette kindly.
Roderich had eaten faster than he had ever before in his life. When Gilbert made the offer, he was surprised. "You're sure?" He asked quietly, not interrupting the other conversations at the table.
"I'm sure. I'm not very hungry, and, barely even edible or not, this food never goes to waste." he smiled and pushed the plate toward the Austrian carefully, shrugging as he watched him carefully.
"...Thanks." He smiled up to him, taking the plate and finishing it. Afterwards he felt much better and less dizzy. He paid attention to the conversations around him, finding himself smiling much more with each passing minute. This wasn't so bad. He didn't want to stay in this camp, but as long as he had these guys around, he felt safe.
Gilbert hadn't fallen into the conversations as easily as he usually would have, he was too preoccupied worrying over Roderich and how he'd get him through things with his injuries. Soon, Mathias and Alfred noticed, however, and when they noted the albino and the brunette's proximity, they started teasing Gilbert and Roderich to see if the Prussian would notice, which he didn't.
"So, did Gil choose you because he thought you were cute?"
"What did you guys do before dinner?"
"Whatch'ya gonna do when you get back to your tent?"
"Are you guys gonna sleep with each other and cuddle?"
They both shot questions at Roderich, grinning like teenage idiots, making Roderich narrow his eyes in annoyance, but a pink blush still showed on his cheeks. "Well, if you must know, he saved me from bleeding to out before dinner." It was an exaggeration to say the least, but maybe it would shut them up.
Gilbert was too lost in his thoughts to notice yet. "Aww, that's so heroic of Gillybear. How would you repay him?" Mathias asked him, smirking, and Alfred had his head laid against the table, trying to stop laughing as Lukas and Kiku looked unbelievably bored, and Francis seemed to be harassing Arthur in the same manner Mathias and Alfred were to Roderich, but he was pairing himself with Arthur.
Well, his plan to shut them up didn't work. Now what was he supposed to do? His blush was growing stronger with the passing moments, and he had no idea what to do for a comeback. "By not being a prick, like you two right now."
"Oh, well, you'll realize that Gilbert kind of is too, soon. But he'll end up rubbing off on you," Alfred chortled at the innuendo Mathias made, while Mathias was poker-faced.
"..." Roderich was silent. He really was starting to get annoyed with these two idiots. He looked over two his side, and smirked when he saw the English prisoner smack the Frenchman in the forehead just enough to shoo him off. He snickered, trying his best to ignore the blondes across the table.
Roderich's snickering was something that drew Gilbert from his thoughts, though the other's teasing wasn't somehow. The albino looked down at the Austrian, cocking his head to the side, but before he could say anything, Alfred called Gilbert's attention to himself. "Roderich and us were talking... and Roderich was saying how he'd have to repay you for saving him, if you know what I mea-" he paused when Kiku tugged on his shirt.
"Alfred-san, it's not nice to lie about things like that," he chided the American, and even though he knew it was a lie because of Kiku, he blushed furiously.
"...Sie sind ein idiot (You are an idiot)..."
Roderich turned his attention back to the others, who seemed to have quieted down. Gilbert seemed more focused, so he guessed that was good. "So, what do you guys do during the day?" He asked, sparking up a conversation.
Gilbert looked down at him, his cheeks still tinted with a blush. "Usually, we just keep watch, do as Ludwig says, and occasionally, come get people like you," Gilbert mumbled quietly. "Though I am usually doing more things for Ludwig than anyone else because I'm his brother..." he sighed gently, and glanced away, the table having a more serious feel about it.
Roderich frowned, not expecting the mood to change so fast. "Just be careful around him. You make one wrong move and we're all..." He stopped, looking around the table to see everyone look either upset or worried. "If any of us make the wrong move... We might not get out of here alive." He didn't mean to make the tension so dense among them, but it needed to be addressed. "Maybe we should get some rest. Or some of us, at least." He mumbled, standing up and making his way back to Gilbert's tent.
Gilbert looked at him for a moment as he left, and got up out of his seat, bidding everyone else a goodbye and hurrying after him. "Hey... What was that about..?" he asked quietly when he caught up to him.
"Sorry..."He said sadly. "I guess I'm just a little too cautious or something. I don't want to make anyone panic, so I figured I'd leave." He looked up to the slightly taller man, still with that same worried expression he'd had for most of the day.
Gilbert sighed gently and shrugged. "Well.. You don't have to be so cautious.. I've done this for a while. We know what we're doing..." he mumbled, his eyebrows pushed together worriedly. "And you kind'a freaked me out a bit there..."
"If you say so." He stood there for a long while in the silence before looking down. "Thanks again. For everything."
Gilbert shrugged and nodded. "Don't worry about it. It's cool." he gave him a little smile and wrapped an arm around the Austrian's shoulder.
Without another thought, Roderich wrapped both arms around the other. He held onto him as if he would be taken away if he let go.
Gilbert smiled and blushed slightly at the arm being wrapped around him. The feeling was so nostalgic; he remembered one of his ex girlfriend's doing that a very long time ago, though he broke up with her for this war…
Roderich didn't pull away for several seconds, and when he did, he didn't really want to. "Sorry." He muttered, hoping Gilbert didn't feel uncomfortable from all of that.
Gilbert shrugged, smiling softly still. "It's okay." They reached the tent and Gilbert removed his arm, pulling the entrance open for the Austrian. "You're sleeping on the cot, okay." He said it in a way that made Roderich not want to argue.
Roderich nodded and made his way to the cot, sitting down. "So, how many days until we can get out?"
"I'm not sure, just wait it out for a bit..." he sighed, shutting the entrance. "It shouldn't be that bad..."
"I'll take your word for it." He smiled. "I guess I should just try to stop thinking too hard about it." He said, pulling up his pant leg to check on his ankle.
"Yup. Don't worry. With me helping you out, it'll be awesome!" he grinned at him and got out an extra blanket for himself and laid it out on the ground, sitting on it.
Roderich lay down on the cot, closing his eyes. He hadn't realized how tired he really was until now. He laid a hand over his injured side, and before long his head rolled to the side, indicating he had fallen asleep. The first real sleep since any of this had started.
Gilbert smiled slightly and lay down after a while, closing his eyes and going to sleep quietly.
Roderich opened his eyes the next morning to the noise of the camp bustling around in the early hours. He groaned and tuned onto his side, arm falling off the cot and smacking Gilbert's hand with his own. Assuming it was the floor, he just went back to sleep. Gilbert snored and shifted, moving closer to Roderich's hand unconsciously. Roderich's eyes cracked open at the movement in turn, and in his daze of sleep he smiled and took Gilbert's hand. Had he been awake enough to realize what he was doing, this may have been more than a little awkward.
Gilbert mumbled something in his sleep then, shifting again and opening his eyes tiredly, looking up at him and squeezing his hand gently before shutting his eyes with a tiny smile and falling back asleep.
Awakened by the loud voice of a familiar person, Roderich groaned and buried his face in the pillow he was laying on and Gilbert groaned and sat up quickly. "Rise and shine, lovebirds! We've got work to do!" Matthias announced, smirked, and made his leave. Roderich had a bad feeling that Matthias and Alfred would continue joking about him and Gilbert for as long as possible.
Gilbert kept his eyes shut as he ruffled his white messy hair and sighed, taking a moment before opening his eyes and blinking at the light before looking at the brunette next to him silently.
"Morning." Roderich mumbled, not moving from his face down position other than moving his head to the side to look at Gilbert. All of his limbs where sore, especially his ankle. The fact that he knew this without even moving yet was just a warning for that, when he did move, it was going to hurt much worse.
"Guten morgen (good morning)..." Gilbert yawned, standing up, and glancing at him again before he turned to get some new clothes.
Roderich saw the Prussian make his way over to change, and figured he would give him some privacy. He buried his face back into the pillow, and before long found himself dozing off again.
Gilbert glanced back at him and raised an eyebrow when he was taking off his shirt. "Roderich. Roddy, get up, sleepy head.."
"I don't want to. Everything hurts." He groaned, face still in the pillow, feeling like a child but not really caring.
Gilbert sighed and moved over to him, his brows pushed together, laying a hand on his side. "Everything?"
He turned onto his side, looking up to Gilbert with tired eyes." For the most part. It's soreness, though. Not much else." He sighed. "But I guess staying here won't do me much good." He yawned and sat up, still looking at Gilbert with a small smile.
"Your ankle hurt?" He mumbled quietly, pulling the covers back to look at it gently.
"Yeah, but it's better." He lifted his ankle and pulled up his pant leg, allowing easier access to his injury. "I'll be okay."
Gilbert let his fingers poke and prod at his ankle gently after he unwrapped it, careful as he re-wrapped it afterward.
"Thanks." He smiled, putting his boots on and standing, wincing slightly from his ankle. He threw on the same clothes from yesterday, seeing he had only worn them for a few hours. He sighed, nervous about the upcoming day. "It's okay, you'll be fine. Just act natural and everything will be fine." He whispered to himself.
Gilbert overheard him when he continued to dress. "Just stay with anyone you met yesterday, if I'm gone. Otherwise, I'll be here for you, ja (yes)?"
He smiled more warmly now, walking up to Gilbert and hugging him again. "I know you will." He whispered.
Gilbert gave him a little crooked smile and hugged him back gently, nodding. "Yeah, I promise."
He pulled away, blushing slightly and headed out of the tent. Immediately he saw some members of their group out front and walked over to them. He got, as expected, a snicker from Alfred and a funny look from Matthias.
Gilbert yawned and followed the Austrian out, smirking at his little group. "What are you snickering about, asshat?" He asked Alfred as he mussed his white hair.
"Oh, it's nothin'~" Matthias chuckled, playfully elbowing Roderich in the side, not knowing about his injury. Roderich flinched, grabbing his side and clenching his teeth. "Yeah, that's still sore..." He said.
Gilbert growled under his breath and switched sides with Roderich, so that he was closer to Mathias, sending the Austrian a concerned look as he spoke to the others. "So what are we doing today, do you know?"
"As of right now, no." Alfred said, crossing his arms. "It's been fairly quiet today. No sign of Ludwig anywhere. Usually he would be out here for a least a little while, ordering us around. We where supposed to do another rescue today, but since we don't know where the boss is, we're not taking chances."
Gilbert nodded, his brow creasing. "Maybe I should go look for him.." He sighed, knowing he was the only one who'd have a good chance finding him.
Roderich looked to Gilbert, a look of worry on his face. Immediately he hid it, knowing that is was really the only option at the moment. Alfred also looked concerned, if even just slightly. "Alright, but be careful. We will keep a lookout for you until you get back, just for precaution."
"Got it." Gilbert nodded and took Roderich by the shoulders and moved him next to Vash, who was very quiet, and alone. "You stay with Vash, kay? He won't bug you like those guys." He jerked his chin in Alfred's and Mathias' direction, a little smirk on his lips. "I'll be back, I promise, okay? Just... Do as Vash tells you, and you'll be fine." Vash nodded to himself and Gilbert left after mussing Roderich's dark hair.
Roderich turned to Vash, who seemed to not be too much of a jolly person. "... Pleasure to meet you." As expected, Vash kept quiet. 'Well, this should be fun.' Roderich thought to himself. 'Hurry up, Gilbert...'
