Gilbert's alarm awoke him at eight; he considered that sleeping in. He almost didn't want to get out of bed, though. Roderich's high-end lifestyle was cushy to say the least, and the mattress and comforter were softer than anything he'd ever slept on. He rolled over to see sunlight creping through the windows, the last moments of the sunrise welcoming him to a promising new day.

As he gained his last bits of consciousness, Gilbert thought he could smell food cooking from not too far away. He quickly got out of bed and fumbled with putting on a pair of pants from the still-packed suitcase. There was no way that Roderich was awake at this hour, unless wasn't being honest about not being a morning person. Maybe it was someone making food across the street.

Roderich's and Ludwig's bedroom doors were closed, so he quietly descended the stairs and was sure that the smell came from inside the house. He approached the kitchen expectantly, and turned the doorway to see his brother standing over the stove. Roderich must've still been asleep.

"Good morning," Ludwig said. "Eggs and toast?"

"I feel weird cooking in someone else's kitchen when they aren't here," he replied, rubbing his eyes.

"Roderich said we were welcome to do so."

"Yeah, but still."

"It's only weird because you're making it weird," Ludwig said, the phrase sounding foreign coming from his mouth.

Gilbert laughed. "Yeah, alright. Did you make coffee?"

"No, would you?"

"Sure, I think I can."

Gilbert had never used a French press before, but repeated all the motions he had watched Roderich do last night. He hoped that his memory would be enough without having to semi-shamefully google how to make coffee like a helpless bachelor.

A few minutes later, and the two brothers were seated at the dining table, eating breakfast together as if they had never left home. It felt odd to Gilbert, to be doing such a normal thing in someone else's house. But with his brother came a sense of normalcy, and he was glad that Roderich had extended the invitation to his brother.

"This coffee is amazing." Ludwig said, his tone not matching the enthusiasm that the sentence carried.

"I would say that we got used to cheap coffee, but this is probably the most expensive drink I've ever had," Gilbert responded. "Pass me the salt?" Ludwig slid it down the table and he caught it in his hand.

"He seems to enjoy the finer things in life," Ludwig said. His eyes darted around the room at the expensive appliances and ornate décor.

"Yeah." He wasn't sure what to do with that.

"Will you live here?" Ludwig asked suddenly.

Gilbert stopped every motion, glad he hadn't been in the process of swallowing. The residual shock seemed to eat away a few more seconds. "What?"

His brother continued eating as if it were a perfectly normal question. "Will you move to Vienna to live here with Roderich?"

"Why would I do that?" He said, defensively.

"You're his soulmate. I assume you had a future together."

"The future is pretty far away, dude."

"Is it?"

"I've only known him for a few months. I wouldn't say that we're… like… thinking that far ahead."

Ludwig shrugged. "Whatever happens, let me know ahead of time so that I can make living arrangements for myself."

Gilbert blinked, his eyes darting between his half-eaten breakfast and his nonchalant brother. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that I will need somebody to live with if you move out."

"What about your soulmate?" He asked suddenly.

Ludwig paused, not looking up. His fork hovered above his plate. "What about them?"

"Do you… could you live with them?"

"If I meet them and the opportunity arises, I suppose I could." This conversation was very different than the one they had months ago. This time there was no heated argument, or attempt at compromises. Gilbert was shocked. This was the most information that his brother had ever divulged about his soulmate. The two of them had never shared such details with each other; they were in uncharted territory. Best to tread lightly, Gilbert thought. His brother was a very private man.

"You haven't met them?"

"No." He shifted uncomfortably.

Gilbert sat in silence for a moment and continued eating. "You're sure?"

"I'm absolutely sure."

Ludwig did not speak in hyperbole, nor did he lie.

"Do you… like your Words?" Gilbert asked.

Ludwig scoffed. "Do I like them?"

"Yeah, do you like them."

There was a moment of hesitation before he answered. "It is a bit like a job. You don't hate it, and you need it in some respects. But I wouldn't necessarily say that I like it."

"That's real clear," Gilbert said sarcastically.

"That's the best I can give you, currently."

"Okay… Are they obvious?"

"What?"

Gilbert sighed. "Like… it's not a phrase you hear all the time. Or do you know which one is which?"

"I… I think I know which one is which. I don't know about... anything else."

Gilbert decided to drop it. They were already in an uncomfortable place. He didn't need to pry more than he had, and Ludwig seemed increasingly unsure about how to proceed. They finished their breakfast without further conversation.

He took the plates to the sink and started to wash them, not wanting to dirty up Roderich's kitchen. Ludwig stood a few steps behind him, his thoughtful expression visible in the reflection of the window above the sink. "Did you know?"

Gilbert continued washing, reaching over to grab the frying pan on the stove. "Know what?"

"Did you know, when you heard your First Words?"

Gilbert wasn't sure as to what his brother had known up to this point. He hadn't told him a lot of the specifics, but he didn't know what could be deduced without it. Looking at his situation over the last few months with an outsider's perspective isn't something that he had considered to do.

"No, I didn't. I was… listening for the wrong thing, I guess."

"I see."

Gilbert watched his brother ponder his surroundings for a moment before he took a drink of his coffee and exited the room without further words. He wondered what could possibly be going through his head. Was he upset? Was he looking forward to meeting his soulmate?

A couple minutes later and he had finished with the dishes. He set them on the rack to dry beside the sink, and turned to see Roderich straggling into the kitchen. He rubbed is half-closed eyes and combed his fingers through his wildly messy hair.

"Good morning, sunshine," Gilbert said with a grin. He looked cute, he thought.

"Mhmm." Roderich mumbled. He headed towards the counter, reaching for the jar of coffee beans. Gilbert stopped him, handing him his own coffee cup from the windowsill.

"You can finish mine. Still hot."

Roderich slowly looked up at him as if he had never seen another human being before. He lifted his hand and slowly slid his fingers over Gilbert's, taking the mug from his hands. He brought it to his lips and took a long sip, sighing once he was finished. "Thank you," he said, looking to the side. He almost looked… embarrassed?

"What's that look for?" Gilbert said smugly.

"What?"

"…never mind," he said, deciding to save this conversation for when Roderich was more awake. "Why are you up so early?"

He sighed. "I thought I should go see my grandmother early on today, so that we could have the rest of the day to spend together."

A bit surprised by his forwardness, Gilbert blinked and took a moment before answering. "Alright, well..." he looked around. "Do you want me to make you some breakfast?"

Roderich looked a bit embarrassed again. "No, thank you. This is more than enough." He lifted the cup slightly in gratitude. "I'm sorry that I can't keep you company this morning. Feel free to do whatever you like, or go anywhere. I left my credit card number on the fridge last night, in case you need to call a cab…"

Gilbert laughed, interrupting him. "I can take the U-Bahn, but thank you, Roderich."

"You don't think you'll get lost?" He said in shock.

Gilbert continued laughing. "I'm not you, I'll be fine. If I am lost, I can pay for my own cab."

Surprisingly unoffended, Roderich took another sip of coffee and shrugged. "If you insist."

"Go see your grandmother," Gilbert said, placing a hand on his boyfriend's shoulder.

Something was different, and he could feel it. He somehow knew that Roderich felt it, too. Like after months, the ice was finally broken.

"I will." Roderich said. "Thank you." Suddenly, he leaned forward and briefly placed his lips on Gilbert's cheek. Gilbert was frozen in shock, but not unpleasantly so. When Roderich leaned backwards, his face was red and his eyes darted about aimlessly.

A grin spread across Gilbert's face as he watched Roderich pivot on his heels and walk out of the kitchen silently like a dog with a tail between its legs. Something had come over his emotionally-stifled boyfriend that he hadn't been prepared for. Poor Roderich's embarrassment still hung in the air even after his footsteps had creaked up the stairs out of sight.

Feeling as though he had made greater strides than ever before, Gilbert decided to make a plan for the rest of the morning. He suddenly had an idea.