Toward the end of the day, Francis, Gilbert and Antonio finally had their class together. World history. Luckily, it was a day to begin a new group project. Of course, group projects in their world history class meant one of the doing most of the work and the others screwing around. Group projects showed that when the three of them put their heads together, they could do anything. Their project happened to be a life-sized game of Risk where they had to put together a battle strategy and argue why it would work. When Francis, Gilbert, and Antonio put their heads together, they could take over the world. So, for the sake of argument, they sat around, discussing what Friday will entail.

"So," Francis wondered, "What made you go after Shigure, Antonio?"

"He went after me," Antonio clarified, "I was sitting in my lit class and Shigure and I just started talking. He told me about his blog and I told him about my beat poetry."

"You don't do beat poetry, Antonio," Gilbert chimed in, "You half ass rap when you get the right amount of drunk and stoned. That doesn't count."

"He doesn't know that."

"What's Shigure's blog all about?" Francis asked, trying hard not to roll his eyes, "I'm sure it's riveting."

"He writes," Antonio gushed, "He says it's mostly fan fiction at this point, but it's usually good, old-fashioned, X-rated, ranging from love making to hate fucking, smut."

"Really?" That caught Francis' interest, "And did he happen to give you a link for this treasure trove of trash?"

"I could ask him for it," Antonio figured, "Why? Interested?"

"I can appreciate a good romance," Francis squeaked. That doesn't mean I don't like a good hate fuck once in a while either.

"Speaking of your love life," Gilbert gave him a look, "What's the deal with you and Lizzie? You two have practically been inseparable all day."

"She's just having a hard time right now," Francis kept his middle ground. You might have gotten her pregnant, Gilbert. Be nice to her, "I'm sure that's what she'll want to talk with you about."

"After our double date with Hatori and Shigure Friday night," Antonio suggested, "The three of us should get together."

"My house?" Francis was completely on board, "Or the basement?"

"I'll let you two decide that one," Gilbert allowed, "Cross that bridge when we come to it."

"It's settled then," Francis beamed, "Your dad doesn't know about last weekend, does he, Gilbert?"

"Not a word," Gilbert wiped his forehead, "Even Ludwig came home before he did. I'm just glad I didn't have to tell him anything."

"Good," Francis let out a heavy sigh of relief. Just what he needed was for that lecture from Gilbert's dad. He always was a hard-ass, even on kids that weren't his, "By the way…"

"What is it, Francis?" Antonio asked, "Everything ok?"

"Elizabeta…"

"Yeah," Gilbert perked up, "You two were hella close at lunch. Is there something going on with you two? Because I think I have dibs here."

"No," Francis assured, "I love her, but we're not seeing each other. I have my eyes on a pretty med student. Elizabeta isn't even up for debate. It's just that she knows about the other night. All of it. I wasn't going to keep her at arm's length anymore."

"Francis!" Antonio squeaked, "I thought that was one of those things where the less people know about it, the better. What did you tell Elizabeta for?"

"It was only fair," Francis brushed him off, "She told me about her, so I thought I'd tell her about me."

"What about her?" Gilbert wondered.

Oh, shit. No. Make this work, Francis. You fucked up a little, not a lot. You can handle this, "I can't tell you. She told me in confidence and I'm not breaking that confidence for anyone. I love you, Gilbert, but it's between her and me."

"If you say so," Gilbert kicked his feet up on an adjacent desk.

"Could you tell me?" Antonio tried coaxing it out of him.

But to no avail, "No. It's one of those things that'll get out eventually. You'll find out then. But I don't want Elizabeta beating the shit out of me with cast iron, so I'm going to keep my mouth shut."

"Um…Excuse me," a sweet, gentle voice spoke, "Francis?"

"Hello, Lili," Francis' heart melted as Elizabeta's best friend came up to him, "Did you need something, cheri?"

"I…" Lili wasn't exactly what one would call a social butterfly. But that was mostly her older brother Vash's fault. He kept her incredibly sheltered. Even when he went off on peace corps missions, she'd rarely venture out. The only way Lili and Elizabeta became friends was because Elizabeta approached her first and practically adopted her, "I saw what you did for Elizabeta…I know she's having a hard time right now, but I wanted to thank you. She hasn't shed a single tear all afternoon. I hate to see her upset, but you've been such a help to her today. Thank you, Francis."

"It's my pleasure," Francis gave her a little smile.

"I was wondering…" Lili blushed, "I was wondering if you could do something like that for me."

"Oh?" Francis was totally on board. He was up for a challenge and he knew that Lili's face had never had anything on it. Elizabeta had probably tried, but Vash was strict about that sort of thing. And Lili coming to Francis is the closest thing to rebellion she's ever done, "And what's this for?"

"Well…" Lili explained, "Big bruder doesn't know that Peter and I have a…"

Suddenly, she grew very embarrassed, hiding her face the best she could with what she had. Unfortunately, her cardigan could only hide so much. Francis just wanted to hug her. She's so precious. If Lili's looking for a bad influence, then she needn't look much further than the three of us. Besides, if I remember, Vash isn't exactly my number one fan, "Do you have a date with Peter, Lili?"

"Sort of," she confessed, "I told Vash that I was going to study with someone at their house after school and I think he assumes it's Elizabeta."

"Vash has no idea, does he?"

"Not a clue."

"Oh, young love," Francis gushed, "Look, Lili, I'd be more than happy to help you out. After class, come with us. I'll take you to my place, get you ready, and take you to Peter's. Is that alright?"

"I guess that'd be ok," Lili agreed.

"It's settled then," Francis patted his lap, "Come here, petite."

Lili took a seat on Francis' lap and threw her arms around his neck, "Thank you, Francis."

"You're very welcome," Francis always knew there'd be something between Lili and Peter. While he was dating Arthur, he'd hear them on the phone with each other all the time. Good for you, Lili. I'm proud of you for taking the initiative. I know how important Vash's opinion is to you, but you need to live your life, too. Regardless of his whims. He can't protect you forever and this is how he's going to learn, "Are you wanting me to do the same thing for you like I did for Elizabeta?"

"I don't know," Lili thought for a moment, "Could you?"

"I'm not sure," Francis sized her up, "You two have different face shapes. What works on her may not work for you. We'll experiment."

"Are you sure this is going to be ok?" she worried, "I'm not keeping you from anything, am I?"

"Lili, Lili, Lili," he hugged her tight, "Have I mentioned today how much I absolutely adore you?"

"No."

"Well, I do," Francis snuggled her, "Trust me. This is going to be fun. Think of it like you would a slumber party with Elizabeta, only with me. It'll be just the two of us, so don't even pay those two any attention."

"Wow, Francis," Gilbert deadpanned, "Thanks. We love you, too."

"Whatever makes her comfortable," Francis defended, blowing his friends a quick kiss.

"It's alright, Lili," Antonio smiled, "I understand. If you don't want us there, we won't be there. It's no problem."

"I don't mind," Lili allowed, "But…You two won't tell my bruder either, will you?"

"Of course not," Antonio promised with an innocent gleam in his eye. As much as Lili loved Peter, Antonio could make anyone swoon if he wanted them to. Man, woman, it didn't matter. They all fell victim to his Spanish charms in one way or another. Lili would be no different, "But Francis also works alone. If he doesn't get his space, he kind of turns into a giant puta."

"Hurtful, Antonio," Francis whined, shaking it off quickly, "But really, Lili. Find us after class, ok? Do you know where Antonio's parked?"

"East lot?" she guessed, "Antonio's car sticks out in a crowd."

"The only white Mercedes out there." And Antonio took great pride in that.

"I'll be quick," Lili promised, "I just need to stop by my locker, if that's alright."

"Fine by me," Francis allowed, "And by stop by your locker, you mean Peter's locker, right?"

"Um…" Lili tried to hide her embarrassment.

"It's alright, cheri," Francis settled her, "I'm sure if Peter knows you're going to be with me, he won't have a problem with it. His older brother on the other hand? He might have a problem. But Arthur has kind of a stick up his ass, so we won't pay him any attention."

"That's true," Lili giggled a bit, turning Francis into a puddle, "It's really a shame things didn't work out with you and Arthur, Francis. The last time I was over at Peter's house, Alfred was there and he tossed me in the air like I was a baby. I almost threw up."

"Alfred's a hard pill to swallow," Francis agreed, "But if that's what Arthur wants, I wish nothing but the best for them both."

"Have you moved on already?" Lili wondered, her boldness hiding her embarrassment.

"My, my," Francis wasn't going to let that go, "Aren't we the inquisitive one today? Well, Lili, it's complicated, but I'm sort of working on it."

Gilbert and Antonio exchanged glances, "Hatori."

"Good for you," Lili smiled, "And I'm sorry if I overstepped."

"You couldn't," Francis put the back of her hand up to his lips.

As the bell rang, Gilbert peeled off his uniform blazer and jumped on Antonio's back, riding him into the sunset. Or at least to the parking lot. There was practically nothing to him and Antonio could bench press Francis if he wanted to, so carrying Gilbert wasn't a problem. In fact, it was a regular occurrence. Especially when Gilbert got too drunk to walk. Francis and Lili parted from Gilbert and Antonio as Francis decided to escort Lili to her locker. When he got there, a beautiful Hungarian woman with a certain glow about her stood by Lili's locker.

"Francis," Elizabeta gasped, "What are you doing here?"

"Don't be upset, Elizabeta," Lili begged, "Francis was just walking me to my locker."

"And then," Francis filled her in, "I'm going to take Lili back to my place and get her ready for her date with Peter. They grow up so quickly."

"Francis…" Elizabeta glared daggers into him, "Really bad choice of words."

Shit…She has a point, "You're right. I'm sorry. Does Lili know? Is that something we can talk about amongst ourselves?"

"Yes," Elizabeta confirmed, "Lili knows."

"Does Roderich know yet?"

"No," she shook her head, "I'm going to tell him after I tell Gilbert."

"Alright," Francis let it go. Talking about the elephant in the womb made Elizabeta uncomfortable and he knew it, "Lili? Are you ready, cheri?"

"Almost," Lili looked down the hall both ways, suddenly smiling, "Hold on."

"What the hell are you doing here, frog?" a sweet, little British boy joined the group. It's like someone left Arthur in the dryer for too long.

"It's nice to see you, too, Peter," Francis gushed, having a soft spot for his ex-boyfriend's younger brother. While Francis and Arthur were still together, Francis was usually the one that insisted on playing with Peter during the day, taking him to amusement parks, swimming pools, other assorted fun places. But then, to make up for it, he was all Arthur's for the rest of the night, "To answer your question, your girlfriend and I are going to spend some quality time together, if that's alright with you."

"And if it's not?"

"Then, that's too bad," Francis shrugged, "She's already decided."

"Well, I'm not ok with that!" Peter stood his ground, "Lili, what would you want to do with Francis?"

"Well…" Lili turned bashful at the drop of a hat, "I wanted to look a little nicer than normal for our date tonight and since Francis did such a nice job with Elizabeta, I thought he'd be able to help me, too."

"Besides," Francis added, "You'd be amazed at what that can do for your confidence, too, Lili. She'll be fine, Peter. I promise."

"Well…" Peter wasn't too keen on the idea of leaving Francis Bonnefoy alone with his Lili. His bedroom was right next to his brother's and with paper thin walls, he knew what Francis and Arthur did when they were alone "Is Elizabeta going to be there, too?"

"I've got plans," Elizabeta told him.

"But…" Lili looked over at her best friend with sparkles in her eyes, pleading her to cancel, "If it'll make you feel better, Peter, she can cancel her plans and come with us. Right, Elizabeta…?"

Dammit, Lili. I love you to death, but you had to back me in a corner, didn't you? Elizabeta let out a heavy, exasperated sigh, "Yeah. I can be there."

"Alright," Peter relaxed, "I guess that's ok."

"Good," Lili smiled, "I'll see you tonight."

"Yeah," Peter wrapped his arms around her shoulders, glaring over at Francis, "I'll see you tonight."

"Bye, Peter!" Francis waved him off, "Oh, I love him…"

"So do I," Lili sighed out, "Thank you, Elizabeta."

"You owe me," Elizabeta threw an arm around Lili's shoulders.

"Actually," Francis thought, "You don't really need to come to my house, do you? I mean, Peter already thinks you'll be there, so he's already at ease. I do work alone, Elizabeta. You saw me this afternoon."

"I know," Elizabeta agreed, "And I really do have other shit I need to do this afternoon."

"Alright," Lili let her go, "But isn't that us lying to Peter?"

"He'll never know," Francis assured, "Besides, like I told you earlier, it'll be just like us having a slumber party, but without you sleeping at my house. It'll be fine."

"Alright, Francis," Lili took Francis' hand, "Let's go."

Francis and Lili ran down the stairs and out the door to the east parking lot. Antonio was sitting on the hood of his car, finishing his cigarette with Gilbert leaning against the door, "It's about time, you two. Did you get caught up in traffic?"

"No," Francis assured, "Arthur's little brother wanted to be a pain in the ass."

"He's really a sweetheart when we're alone, though," Lili covered for him, "Don't be so hard on Peter. He just worries about me."

"There's nothing he needs to worry about," Francis got the door for her, "You're a strong, independent woman, Lili, and one day, he's going to see that. Vash, too."

"Vash will never happen," Lili giggled, "He'll always be there to keep me safe."

"Except for now," Antonio pointed out, "You're going to be at Francis' house alone with him."

"Yeah," Gilbert added, "Who knows what kind of weird things Francis is going to put you through?"

"Have you two just met me?" Francis scoffed, "I have a saying where I'm from. L'amour n'est pas l'amour sans consentement."

"And what does that mean?" Lili wondered, "I'm sorry, Francis. I don't know French."

"It means, my dear, sweet Lili," Francis held her hand, "Love is not love without consent. I'd never do anything you weren't comfortable with. While we're at my house, if I'm getting out of line in any way, shape, or form, I want you to tell me. Hit me with a newspaper if you have to."

"I wouldn't hit you," she promised, "But thank you. That's very comforting."

"You're welcome," he awed, "And you two…There's no need to scare the poor thing. I'm sure my reputation gets around enough. I don't need you two spreading false information about me, too."

"Alright," Antonio dropped it, "Maybe one of us needs to get in Natalia's pocket."

"Not it," Francis called.

"Not it," Gilbert repeated.

"Not it…" Lili chimed in, just as afraid of her as the rest of them.

"No, no, no," Antonio stopped them, "If you want to hit her where it'll hurt, it's Ivan. And Gilbert's got more pull there than I do."

"He makes a point, Gil," Francis bit his lip, "You do."

"That doesn't mean I want to deal with that crazy train," Gilbert shot them down, "The only normal one of that family is Sofia and we can hear her coming a mile away."

"That's not her fault," Francis empathized, "The poor thing's got back problems because of those."

"We need Natalia off our dicks, though," Gilbert agreed, "But even Ivan's afraid of his sister."

"Can you blame him?" Antonio squeaked.

"Not in the least bit," Francis winced. When they pulled up to Francis' house, he offered a hand to Lili and helped her out of the car. Francis opened the door, letting Lili in first. She had never seen Francis' house before. Lili took it all in while Francis threw his uniform blazer on the back of the chair.

"Is this really your house, Francis?" Lili took a good look around.

"Last I checked," he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, "Do you want anything while I'm in here?"

"Sure," she nodded, "Anything's fine."

"I have some cold brew in here," Francis pointed out, "Are you alright with coffee?"

"Big bruder says I can't have coffee."

"Something tells me Vash says you can't wear makeup either," Francis assumed, knowing how much of a tight ass her brother was, "Yet, here we are. Lili, I'm about to be the best bad influence on you. You might as well give coffee a shot, too. It's not going to kill you. I promise."

"Well," Lili thought for a moment, "I am this far down the rabbit hole. I just hope he can forgive me."

"I should think so," he poured her some, "You've never had coffee…ever?"

"No," she shook her head, "Never. Vash never let me have any."

"Lili," Francis rolled his eyes, "I know Vash thinks he knows what's best for you, but in the end, you know better than he does. He doesn't get that, though."

"No," Lili stopped him, "You don't. For little things like this, I can completely agree with you that he can be overbearing, but ever since…"

Francis stopped, his heart sinking to his feet. He knew more about Lili's tragic backstory than he liked to admit. Vash and Lili had moved to town a few months after Francis did and because word travels fast, why they moved to town got out quick. A couple of orphans who came to live with their grandmother, but unfortunately, she was old and frail, so most of Lili's parenting had to come from somewhere. And that's what made Vash a protector. He was a senior when Francis was a freshman and he had a mild crush on him, but all that went away when Francis decided he was a bit of a dick. Not to mention, he had Antonio and soon enough Arthur, too. But little did he know, Vash's protection could be too much whether he wanted to acknowledge it or not.

"Alright," Francis wasn't going to make her relive that. Instead, he gave Lili her drink, "I'm sorry. Do you still want to go through with this?"

"I do," she stared into her cup at the dark liquid Francis had given her, "And you're sure this isn't bad for me?"

"Might give you a little bit of a buzz," he figured, "But it's not much different than a sugar high. You'll be fine, Lili. I told you that I wouldn't give you anything that'll hurt you. But it is really good. Go on."

Cautiously, Lili took her first drink, not sure how to feel about it. But then, she took another, "I don't think I like this, Francis."

"Here," Francis brought it back into the kitchen, adding a little sugar and some flavored creamer to it, "Try it now."

With her drink revised, Lili took another heavy swallow…This time, a smile appeared on her face, "That's really good…"

"I told you," Francis sang, "Cold brew is a delight, no?"

"That's the same thing you gave me?"

"The very same. With a few extra something, somethings added in. Some sugar, some creamer."

"I think I may want more," Lili beamed.

"Let's ease you into it first," Francis giggled. She's so sweet and innocent. You can't shelter her forever, Vash, "Come on. My mother's bathroom is this way."

He led Lili down the hall and brought her into his mother's bathroom. Just like he did with Elizabeta, he sat Lili down in front of the vanity and looked her over. Let's see…What to do, what to do. She's got that cute, little, round face and those big pretty eyes, so I don't want to do too much. Let's see. She doesn't need contour. I don't want that roundness to go away. It's too cute. Will G kill me for using her Anastasia palettes? Probably. What she doesn't know, right?

"Um, Francis…" Lili played shy, "I'm not going to look like a painted whore, am I?"

"What?" Francis laughed, "No. Of course not! Where did you hear that?"

"Elizabeta gave me some lipgloss once," she told him, "When I came home, big bruder freaked out and said I wasn't going to be a painted whore."

"What color did she give you?" he treaded lightly picking out a lip color for her.

"It didn't really have much of a color," Lili remembered, "It was just a little sparkly."

"Hold on," Francis froze, "You're saying that because Elizabeta gave you a clear, glittery lipgloss, Vash instantly thought it was going to turn you into a whore?"

"I'm lucky I still get to be friends with her."

"It's a good thing he already doesn't like me," he draped an arm around her shoulders, "Don't worry, cheri. I won't be too harsh with you. Besides, you're already so cute. I wouldn't want to do anything that takes away from that. Although, I might go with something a little more than just a clear glitter. I want to give you something matte. I don't know why, but I'm thinking something matte for you. That sounds like a good idea. And it'll hide better from Vash later, too."

"Thank you, Francis," Lili shut her eyes, "I really do hope this goes well."

"How long have you and Peter been dating?" Francis wondered, "It can't be for very long. I've only been split up from Arthur for a week, but I don't remember you coming around much."

"It's only been for the last couple weeks," she blushed a bit, "He asked me if he could sit with me for lunch and it's been the two of us ever since."

"And Vash doesn't know?"

"Not really, no."

"You two are cute together," Francis approved, "And if Peter's anything like his brother, he'll be able to deal with Vash like a champ."

"What do you mean?" Lili asked.

"Well," Francis started blending in her foundation, "Arthur's very stubborn when he sees something he wants. It's ultimately how he won me over. His persistence, although at times annoying, is very admirable. And I've seen that in Peter once or twice. Although, it's not often he follows through with it very well. Not nearly as well as Arthur."

"I love him, Francis…" she confessed, "I know it's too early to tell, but I do love him…And I'm afraid."

"What are you afraid of?" he turned to mush. There were few things in this world that could do that to Francis. Young, innocent love was one of them, "If you're in love, cheri, then you're in love. People tend to overcomplicate that."

"But if I do love him," Lili wondered, "how will I know if that's going to last? And how badly is it going to hurt if it doesn't?"

"Oh, Lili," Francis took her hands, "Look at me…"

"What?" she opened her eyes, nearly on the brink of tears. Oh, my dear princess, I didn't want that for you. Those weren't my intention.

"One day," he began, "You are going to get hurt. And it's going to be hard. And it's going to be miserable. But that won't last forever. You are far too young to have such a cynical view of love. Maybe you'll fall even deeper in love with Peter. Maybe you two will run off and get married. Maybe you'll live the rest of your lives together. Or maybe you won't. Maybe you'll date for a little while and realize you two hate each other. Maybe you'll hate each other so much that you both say things that you'll regret and you'll never want to see his face again. And the mere thought of it is enough to make you sick."

"Why would you say something like that?" Lili's eyes filled with enough tears to drown them both.

"Because," Francis brought her back down to earth, "How are you going to know which one you'll get if you don't try?"

"Wouldn't it be easier to not fall in the first place?"

"Not if it's the right person," he got back to work, only putting a sheer matte pink on her lips, "Really, Lili. You're only, what, fourteen?"

"Yeah."

"You are way too young to be this jaded," Francis awed, thumbing through his mother's makeup brushes, putting a light, but warm brown on Lili's eyelids, "Even after Arthur and I broke up, I wasn't this bad. Then again, I also had…Let's just say unhealthy ways of coping. But I got back on the horse, too."

"Do you love him?"

Kids do say the damnedest things, don't they? That seems to be the question on everybody's mind, "I'm not sure if do or not yet. I'm the type of person that falls hard and falls fast, but see, after the last one, I've learned. I've grown a little. And that's what each relationship does. If it doesn't work, it's a lesson. And no lesson happens without a little heartache. The quicker you learn and accept that, the easier things become. But Hatori and I…I'm not sure. But it's definitely something I'd like to try."

"Is…" Lili bit her lip, "Is he cute?"

"Oh, Lili," Francis swooned, "He's beyond cute. I don't think Hatori could be cute if he wanted to be. Peter's cute. Hatori…Hatori is sexy. Hatori is devilishly handsome. Hatori is temptation on a pair of incredible legs. But he also has a sort of innocence about him, too. I don't think I could ever call him cute, but I could gush about him for hours. He saved me in more ways than one. And can I tell you a secret?"

"What?"

"We've only been on one date," he confessed, "So, if you think you saying you love Peter now is too soon, remember Hatori and me."

"Does he love you, too?" she asked.

"I can only hope," Francis sighed out, "But you can't make someone fall in love with you. They have to get there on their own. Do you understand what I'm trying to say to you?"

"I think so," Lili nodded, "I won't know what it is that Peter falls in love with, but if he is the right one, there will be something he falls for?"

"Sort of," he thought for a moment, "I was going to say no means no, even if that means he's your one and only, but you're not his, but I like yours, too."

"Francis…"

"Yes, cheri?"

"As much as I love Vash," Lili laid her head on Francis' hip, "Why couldn't you have been my big bruder?"

"Our gene pools didn't line up that way," he kissed the top of her head, pulling the purple ribbon out of her hair, "But I'll take the title. More as a figurehead position. If you ever need anything, Lili, you can come talk to me. About any of the things that Vash wants to shelter you from. Or if you need a ride to the clinic."

"What would I need a ride to the clinic for?" She's so innocent…

"No need to worry," Francis giggled, getting a straightener out of the bottom drawer. Besides, it's Peter. I doubt he's ever had anyone else, "Do you trust me, Lili?"

"I don't have a reason not to."

"Wonderful." As soon as it beeped, Francis moved on from Lili's face to her hair, straightening it out and making everything more polished.

"Why does something smell like it's burning?"

"No reason," he assured, "It's fine. That means it's working. Nature of the beast."

Once Francis finished, he put Lili's ribbon back and gave her a little spin, making her giggle, "What was that for?"

"I can't spin you around for fun?" Francis teased, "Because I'm finished. And you're adorable, Lili. Damn, I do a good job!"

"You think so?" Lili caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Only for her stomach to drop, noticing the sudden glow of her skin, the pop of her eyes, "Is…Is that me?"

"It's you," he smiled. That glimmer in her eye tied everything together. She's perfect.

"I…" she struggled to find words that could even begin to express her gratitude. Instead, she threw herself into Francis' chest, "Thank you, Francis…"

"You're welcome," Francis hugged her tight, "Are you ready? Do you want me to take you to Peter's?"

"Please."