Nervous about admitting that he'd been asked out on a date, Vash finds comfort in his family.

...xXx…

Vash sat cross-legged on the large, L-shaped grey couch in the center of the living room. He was tucked into the corner and squeezed a cushion to his chest as he stared at his phone. The small electronic sat on the wooden coffee table in the most innocent way.

As if it hadn't been burning a hole in his pocket the entire way home.

"Hey, Vash, do you want any dessert?" he heard his sister call from the kitchen.

He hummed a distracted, "No, thanks."

Lilli was over for their weekly Thursday movie night, and the two of them and Matthew had finished up with dinner for the evening. The others insisted on cleaning up, so now he was fresh from a quick shower and just waiting for them to sit down so they could debate which movie they were going to watch.

He hadn't told either of them of his encounter with a certain Austrian earlier that day.

Roderich.

Vash's cheeks warmed.

He hadn't even had a moment to text the Austrian man yet. Too swept up by the sudden hellos from Matthew and Lilli and the mouthwatering smells of dinner on the table once he'd gotten home. Now it was approaching nearly 10:30pm, and he idly wondered if it was too late to initiate contact.

For one, Vash wasn't quite sure how to approach the subject. He'd been stuck in a daze the entire time they'd been closing up shop. The blond had been so caught up in his own head, that, aside from the few teasing nudges that Toris gave him, he'd hardly noticed anything else around him until he was already home and unlocking the door to their apartment.

"What do you think we should watch?" Vash glanced up as his sister plopped onto the couch next to him.

Lilli wore one of his sweatshirts, pale blue with a cloud pattern, and black leggings. Her bob of blonde hair was pushed back out of her face by a white headband. She looked comfortable and like her usual bouncy self even though she'd no doubt been working on class assignments all day. He, on the other hand, was gratefully lounging in a pair of warm, green sweats, happy to be off of his feet.

His sister nudged his arm, her eyebrows furrowed. "Hey, is everything okay?"

"What?" Vash loosened his grip on the cushion in his lap, aware of the ache in his joints from squeezing the pillow for too long. "What do you mean?"

"You've been kind of quiet since you got home," Lilli said, lifting her legs up onto the couch and pulling the front of the sweatshirt over her knees. She rested her cheek on them as she stared at him sideways. "Did something happen at work?"

"No," Vash said a little too quickly, fiddling with his sleeves.

"Are you sure? You didn't get into a fight with anyone, did you?"

The blond man rolled his eyes and gave Lilli a pointed look. She knew that he hadn't fought anyone in years. The girl only softened and stuck her tongue out playfully at him.

"Well," Lilli began again, "if it wasn't a fight, then what's going on? Are you getting sick?"

Vash barely moved in time to avoid her hand reaching towards his cheek and chuckled. "Lilli! Nothing's wrong, I promise."

The girl giggled and felt his cheek anyways. "Then what's got you so red, huh?" She tipped to the side to press against his shoulder, scooching behind the big cushion with him. "And don't say it's because you're happy you get to spend time with me, though I'd believe you."

Vash laughed again and let her settle beside him. This was the only time throughout the week that he got to see her unless she decided to stop by the café for a little caffeine pick-me-up amidst all her studying. The man couldn't help the blush on his cheeks from her teasing, truly happy just to banter with her. He glanced at his phone once more. His heart sped up as the urge to tell his sister what had happened swelled, and he bit down on his lip.

"Uh oh. I know that look."

The siblings looked up as Matthew entered the living room, a great white mound of fur padding next to him. Kuma, Matthew's Samoyed dog, followed after his master while attempting to lick nonexistent food out of his hand. The man sunk onto the couch on the other side of Lilli and Kuma hopped up next to him, sprawling halfway across the Canadian's lap with a whine until he was petted. Matthew's hair was its usual curl and the blond had changed into one of his many leaf-themed sets of pajamas before joining them on the sofa.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Vash raised an eyebrow at the languid man as he stretched an arm over the back of the couch and poked the Swiss in the shoulder.

"You're overthinking something," Matthew answered with a shrug. "Though, I don't even know where to begin guessing."

"I've been trying to weasel it out of him, but he's being stubborn," Lilli added. "As usual."

"I'm right here, you guys."

"What is it this time, then?" Lilli pressed. She frowned and leaned into him again. "Vash, come on."

Vash looked purposely away from his best friends. And that's definitely what they were. They told each other most everything, the good and the bad.

This was a different matter, though. This was much different.

Heat pooled into his cheeks again and the Swiss snagged his phone.

"You know you can trust us," Lilli said. Matthew softly concurred with her point.

The others watched him as he tapped his darkened phone screen nervously and crossed his arms, laying his cheek on them as he returned the stare. Vash was dying to tell them. He turned his head to hide his mouth and hopefully his cheeks against his sleeves, and he spoke at last.

"I got asked out on a date," Vash admitted, voice muffled. His heart fluttered at the realization that what he said was, in fact, true.

It was just barely silent long enough to allow a breath.

"A what?" Matthew gasped, bewildered.

"A date!" Lilli chirped. "Really?"

Vash nodded and glanced over to see their shocked expressions. He could hardly believe it himself.

"Seriously? With who? Is it someone from work?" Matthew asked, sitting forward despite protest from Kuma in his lap. Vash shook his head. "A customer, then?"

"Or someone else?" Lilli chipped in, excitement clear in her voice and sparkling eyes. "Was it someone from university?"

Vash tried to lean away from their encroaching questions, holding up his hands and sputtering excuses for them to settle down. He quickly tried to placate them before they spewed any more ideas and forced his admission out, "I-It was a customer." Matthew's eyebrows rose slowly.

"Oh? Who is it?" Lilli simply responded. "What's her name?"

"His name is—" The Swiss man froze, green eyes wide.

He'd never . . . Oh. Oh no.

The blond tried not to panic as he swiftly looked away, face hotter with shame now than embarrassment.

I never told her, he thought in a rush. Fuck, fuck, fuck!

Not that it had ever really come up before. What with their harsh upbringing, and the way he'd busied himself with work and school all through adolescence.

Vash had known ever since he was young that he liked boys instead of girls, and then men instead of women as he grew older. Aside from a few stolen touches behind stairways and in bars he never outwardly expressed this attraction, not when the threat of prejudice and bodily harm were a constant happening for him anyways back home. So he'd never said a word to his sister, not even after they moved. Nor to any of his new friends in the States. Not to anyone.

The heaviness in the air was suffocating him, like an unwanted blanket, and the room was silent. Neither of his companions made a sound, and that just furthered to unnerve him. Vash gripped the phone hidden under his sleeve and swallowed, his tongue suddenly dry. This was going to be even harder than he'd realized.

Vash didn't know how they would react. He almost didn't want to know.

The man didn't think his sister would judge him, she never had before, but he had no idea about . . . this. It wasn't a secret he intended to keep forever, after all, just one that hadn't needed mentioning until now. They'd never spoken about romantic interests with each other before; it had been just one of those topics that didn't come up between them. He chewed his cheek and felt awful.

Then there was Matthew. The two of them hardly talked about dating, either. Matthew himself was a very laid back guy, pretty fluid with giving compliments to both men and women when they entered the shop, but that could just be flattery. It was usually easy talk between them about literally anything else, day to day stuff and sharing pleasant memories. Matthew would talk about his brother, Alfred, and his family; whatever Angelique was up to on her off days and how his dad's relationship with that one English professor was going. That meant he wouldn't judge him, right? Or hate him?

Vash's eyes were beginning to burn. He really hadn't thought to ask the man before then what his preferences and tolerances were. Neither of them had dated anyone during the duration of their living together. Only discussions of movies or music or work or the hockey matches they'd watch every season were a constant in the small apartment, Vash learning real quick not to pick American teams over Canadian ones—though, if he were being honest, both had their good and bad players.

And to be fair to himself the two of them did work for Berwald, who was absolutely moony over his husband nearly every waking hour, so perhaps Matthew really didn't have any qualms with that sort of thing. If anything, he was one of the sweetest people Vash had ever met so maybe that was reason enough for him not to worry.

But he was worried. They'd have to know by now—he'd been quiet for too long.

Why aren't they saying anything? he thought, blinking the hotness away from his eyes. Vash attempted to control his breathing, not willing to send himself into an anxiety attack over speculations in his own mind. Fuck.

"Vash." The man flinched at the mention of his name, and scolded himself for it.

"Please look at us, bud."

He said nothing.

"Vash, hey."

The Swiss man felt two hands weigh themselves on his right shoulder, one larger than the other. He inhaled deeply and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, collecting his scrambled thoughts. Then he turned to look at the others, kind blue and green eyes meeting his gaze. With affectionate smiles, Matthew gave his shoulder a squeeze and Lilli patted his arm gently. Then his sister lifted up her other hand and flicked him in the nose.

"Ouch, Lil'," Vash croaked, rubbing the spot even though it didn't hurt. "What was that for?"

"You never answered me, you dork," Lilli said, pursing her lips as she tried not to laugh and failed. When he didn't respond she rolled her eyes and smirked at him. "Who's this mystery man that's got you so bothered that you're worried to even tell your own sister about him?"

"Or your best friend," Matthew added quietly.

"Him, too."

Vash blinked. His heart pounded in his chest as he looked over both of them. There wasn't an ounce of judgement anywhere present in either of their expressions. Maybe they were just hiding it for his benefit—

"Dude," Matthew said, shaking his head as he pulled back his hand. "Do you really think we'd mind?"

The Swiss man licked his lips. "Mind?"

"That you prefer men." The Canadian sighed and gave Kuma a few pets, the dog's ears perking. Matthew leaned his head against the back of the couch and gave the stressed Swiss a good-natured eye roll. "I mean, just look at me, or my family. Or, jeez, literally look at anyone we work with."

"And what makes you think," Lilli huffed with a semi-hurt expression, "that you being interested in guys would make me feel any differently about you?" The girl's voice softened, touching on tender. "You're still my big brother, no matter what."

Vash had to look away again for fear that he was about to both spontaneously combust and cry in front of the two of them. "Well, when," he said, his voice higher pitched than he would have liked. "When you put it like that you make me sound like an idiot!"

"Because you are one," Lilli groaned dramatically, pushing against him in a mock faint.

The man let himself be squished between her and the corner of the couch. The resounding comfort that swelled through him from their combined reassurances calmed his nerves and the gnashing in his gut. A pressure he didn't know that had been swallowing him lifted. Vash rubbed his eyes and let a small laugh bubble up in his throat.

Now I just feel silly, he thought ruefully, more relieved than upset. He gripped his phone and sat up as Lilli freed him from her weight.

"So," Vash said, glancing from the Canadian to his sister. His cheeks still burned as he tucked his damp hair behind his ears.

"Sooo?" Lilli sang, her eyebrows wiggling. "What's his name?"

The blond man ducked his head. "His name is Roderich."

Lilli 'ooo'-ed in acknowledgement and sat back, letting Kuma wiggle his head underneath her arm as the dog scooted further across Matthew's lap. Said man was looking at him oddly.

"Which customer is that?" Matthew asked. "Does he come in often?"

"Ah." Vash avoided his curious gaze for a moment, thinking it over. Matthew had only dealt with Roderich a few times before the Swiss became the handsome man's unofficial personal barista. Though, the Austrian was one of their well known regulars among the staff, coined either as The Difficult Man, The Gentleman With the Blue Coat, or Vash, You Need to Come Serve This Guy Immediately, Please!

Vash shook from his thoughts and met his friend's blue eyes. "You know the one that comes in," he began, trying to find a way to word it without smiling. "The one that no one will serve anymore except me?"

The Swiss almost wished he had thought to record Matthew's reaction. The sudden burst of movement from the Canadian made the siblings both jolt away as he stood so quickly that it sent Kuma rolling to the floor with a yelp.

Vash sat there for a few beats, watching the blond man pace back and forth while Kuma followed. He cleared his throat, catching his attention. "Matt. Are you, uh, angry?"

"Ugh, no." Matthew groaned into his hands and rubbed his hand over his face and through his hair, giving the siblings a sheepish, lopsided smile. "No, I'm not mad at you. I just lost a bet with Berwald."

Vash blinked. "What?"

"He noticed that guy being sweet on you and bet me that he'd ask you out," Matthew said quickly. He stepped over to the kitchen island to rummage through his wallet, muttering under his breath about having to go to the bank in the morning. "I said there was no way that would happen because, well, I've never seen you interested in anyone before, so I figured it'd be an easy twenty bucks."

The Swiss rolled his eyes, unable to help his snort. "Twenty bucks, huh?"

"Hey, man, I'm happy for you!" Matthew laughed, raising up his hands placatingly.

"He's sweet, then?" Lilli chimed in, turning around to look at him. "Like, he's nice, ja?"

"Ja, Lil'," Vash murmured, ducking his head. His mind ran over all of the kind greetings and conversations that had transpired over the months between them, the heat from earlier creeping up onto his cheeks again. "He's nice."

"Yeah, yeah, real polite," Matthew said as he rejoined them on the couch, distractedly typing on his phone. He's probably texting Berwald, oh my god. "He only likes it when your brother serves him, though."

"Eh?" Light lime green eyes studied her brother's face as he nodded in affirmation, then widened in recognition. "Oh! I think you mentioned him before. The one that's super picky with his coffee?" The Canadian confirmed for her and the girl's face broke into a saucy grin, her eyebrows dancing suggestively at him. "Ooo, Vash. I think he just wanted you to serve him because he thinks your cute."

"C-Cute?!" Vash sputtered, shaking his head. "I think he just likes the way I make coffee."

"Suuure it is," Lilli crooned, leaning against him again. "It's the coffee that he asked out on a date, after all." Matthew snickered on the other side of her.

Vash buried his face into his sleeves and looked down at the phone in his hand, cheeks darkening. A few moments of companionable silence passed between them, and finally the Swiss felt like he'd had his heart rate under control. Lilli leaned forward a bit and pointed to his phone.

"So when's your date?"

"Saturday," he said, words muffled by his sleeve. "At seven."

"Where are you guys going?"

Vash chewed the inside of his cheek. "He wants to take me out to dinner," he said, glancing up. "Though I don't know where. I haven't talked to him yet." He held up his phone.

"Well," Lilli stated, sliding away and standing up with some effort against the massive couch cushions. She stepped around the coffee table and over to the small shelves filled with DVDs as she gestured at herself and Matthew. "Why don't you text him and find out while Mattie and I pick a movie."

Matthew shot him a grin and stood to help his sister peruse over their many film options. Kuma huffed at all the movement and sidled over to the Swiss, flopping down at the foot of the sofa in front of him with a dogged sigh. Vash watched one of the Samoyed's ears twitch for a few moments before going still, the dog's breathing deepening into a soft snore.

Might as well get it over with, he thought at last, shoulders slumping as he looked at his phone screen. His stomach was curling in a way that brought back feelings of when the Austrian had smiled at him after receiving the Linzer torte. He anxiously unlocked his phone and went to the contacts list, opening a new message thread.

It took a few tries before he could get his thumbs working. Typing and deleting and retyping different first messages. Everything from a simple hi to hello then to a hallo to a hey, to remembering that he hadn't even given the man his own number in return so he probably wouldn't even know who was texting. He listened to Lilli and Matthew going back and forth over movies for a solid minute before settling on something simple and hitting send before he could change his mind.

-Hey, this is Vash. The barista from the café.

The Swiss chewed at his lip, well aware that it was nearly 11 o'clock at night and the man could very well be asleep. It was no big deal, he could wait. He moved the cushion off of his lap and leaned down to pet Kuma's head, comforting himself with the dog's fluffy fur.

Vash nearly fell forward as he felt his phone vibrate in his lap. Sitting up, his heartbeat quickened as he hurried to open the newly received message.

-Oh, thank goodness. Forgive me for my nervousness earlier, I felt like such a fool for forgetting to ask for your number.

Vash stared at the text, slowly unpacking the man's rather quick reply. Him? Nervous? The thought of the usually cool and composed gentleman worrying over anything related to him made his stomach do a little flip. Glancing up to see his friends still musing over movies, he turned his attention back to his phone.

-It's ok, I also forgot

The man fiddled with his now dry hair, untangling a few knots before quickly sending another message before he could help it.

-I'm actually surprised you asked me out in the first place

A minute passed. A text bubble popped up.

-Was I too forward? I apologize for asking while you were working.

Shit! Vash leaned into the corner of the couch, needing to type faster than he was able. That's not what I meant!

-No!

-It just caught me off guard is all

-I wasn't expecting it

-Not that I'm saying no to the date

-Because I'm not

Vash caught himself before he flooded the Austrian's inbox with anymore obvious desperation. He berated himself internally over the few minutes or so that it took for a reply to show up.

-I'm glad to hear it. :)

The simple emote caught the Swiss by surprise and he couldn't help his relieved sigh as he melted back into the couch.

-It's good you texted me when you did, I was about to stress sleep over all of this.

-I'm just glad I didn't wake you, sorry I didn't message until now

-It's quite all right. By the way, I meant to ask if you have any food allergies or preferences?

The neatly composed sentences made Vash a tad self-conscious about his own writing, but they seemed so in line with everything else he'd witnessed about the gentleman.

-Not really. Where are we going for dinner?

The Swiss nibbled his lip as his blush burned ever hotter. He was still partially in disbelief about the whole situation. Him? Roderich? Dinner? Ridiculous.

-If I'm honest, originally I wanted to cook for you myself, but I have been informed that doing so might come across too strongly for a first date.

Vash couldn't help his laugh, fingers finding his words faster than he could stop them.

-You can cook?

-Of course. It's one of my many talents.

-Why doesn't that surprise me.

-Oh? And here I was trying to be unpredictable!

Lilli and Matthew looked up as he tried to hold back his laughter behind his sleeve, unable to meet their gazes. He knew his face was beet red and just waved off their stares, hiding behind his phone screen as he heard them loudly whisper to one another.

"I don't think I've ever seen him giggle at his phone," Lilli commented.

"I don't think I've ever seen him giggle," Matthew added. He heard his sister swat the man on the arm as a text came through to drag his attention away.

-Have you ever heard of The Lighthouse?

-Not that I can think of, no.

-It's this small restaurant near the river that I think would be a good spot to spend our time together.

Spend our time together.

Vash took a steadying breath against the wave of warmth that washed over him. He ignored the quiet hoots and whistles at him from his sister and best friend as they waved a few romantic comedy movies at him excitedly. Oh dear, he was never going to hear the end of their teasing.

-It's a date. :)

...xXx...

First update of the new year! Feels great to be back. Hope you all enjoyed, the story is only going to get more fluffy from here on out.