Meanwhile, with a lovely little sign like one of the Aceite's. Well, Vash followed Roderich and his mother still wondering what the hell was coming on with Francis and.. Arthur. I mean, they were discussing and close and... it was weird but he had problems more serious right now. He looked at Roderich and swallowed.
He noticed the Vash look, and went straight to him
"Hey..."
"How are you?"
"I'm... Well... Fine" he blushed.
"Do you feel better now?"
"I feel... Weird."
"Why?"
"Everything today has been weird".
"I told you. My family..."
"Your family... I like it, they are nice" not a single trace of love for his mother.
"Are they?"
"Yes, specially your mother."
"Oh, yes... I know" He rolled his eyes.
"Nah, I mean... She is sweet and I think she should meet my mother, she needs that kind of friend" soooo relaxed. "My father would like her too."
"Of course, maybe we could go together to your home."
"You could, my parents would like you and your mother" He nodded, thinking again of her as his mother in law.
"It was sarcastic."
"Oh... What, why?"
"Of course, my mother has actually a family.
"Well i just... I mean... I just thought it would be nice if your patents met mine
"Nein, it isn't a good idea.
"Why?"
"Because my father... it's hard to explain."
"I'm more than willing to hear your explanation."
"I know" that's all what you are going to get.
"But?"
"Nothing. Without buts."
"You still haven't explained"
"Really? Oh, my fault."
"Yes! Explain!"
"Mmmm... Nein, but thank you for the interest."
"Don't you trust me?"
"It isn't about the trust."
"Then?"
"It is about him."
"What?"
"Forget it."
"Hmmm... Why?"
"Vash... enough."
"B-But... Ok, ok... Sorry."
Roderich smiled. Vash sighed because Ludwig surely knew his father...
"And because for sure your father will fall in love for my mother like you."
"Like... Me?" He looked at him. "She is your mother."
"Yes, I know. Usually it doesn't matter. Don't try to fool me."
"Fool you with what?"
"Saying you don't see her that way because is my mother."
"Well... I understand what your father saw in her."
"Aha?"
"But i don't get it. I mean, she is married and your mother and well... She would be a great mother in law."
"Oh! Really?" He raised his eyebrows not 100% convinced.
"Well, yes... I don't know, I feel like a small kid around her, my mother usually makes me feel like a complete adult."
Roderich blinked twice.
"You are the first person who describes her in that way. "
"Eh?"
"I'm used to hear the... men, saying other things."
"Which other things?
"Well like... she makes them feel calm and secure, because she is pretty and smart and is obviously flirting, so they think that maybe my father isn't enough for her. Maybe he doesn't know how really satisfy her and that's why maybe they think that they really have a chance."
"With your mother?!"
"Ja."
"But isn't she happy with him?"
"Nein, nein, that's what the men usually deduce but obviously they are wrong. My mother loves my father, if she wanted another man, anyone, she would have him with a ridiculous ease."
"So They think your mother is unhappy."
"Nein, they think that she could be happier with them."
"Oh... But how could she be happier with a boy like... Is. Is your father that bad?"
"Nein, but it doesn't matter."
"It must be weird for you... I mean, yes, she's obviously handsome but I don't think she's pretty."
"What?"
"Is not that I'm thinking "she is pretty, she will like me". She is a mother. Like Lili is a sister or my mother is my mother." andwered Vash not thinking clearly.
"And which girl is a girl and not a friend?"
"What? It wasn't a yes or none question."
"How would you find a wife, then?"
"I-I..." He blushes. "When I find it I'll know."
"How? The girls always are going to be... "The sister of my friend", "the girl who works on the bar" and things like this."
"Bu-But you... You are... No! Not you! Nothing with you!"
"Me? Yes that's a good example, what happened with me?
"W-Whaaaaat?!
"How could this be possible?" Roderich pointed on him and then on himself again.
"T-This?!"
"Yes, between you and me."
"You mean you and I being... A-A couple?"
"Are we a couple according to you?" He raised an eyebrow.
"I didn't say that!" Panic.
"You asked."
"I thought you were saying hypothetically."
"I'm talking about friendship."
"O-Of course."
"So, why you talk about a couple?"
"I just got lost, we were talking about couples" Vash looked at him, VERY nervous. Things were easier when the two of them were alone.
"Well..."
"What do you... Meant then? How can we be friends?"
"Yes, how it happened. I started like your classmate, and now we are friends."
"Because you are nice... Although I remember you didn't want to share a room with me."
"That's the same with my mother."
"She is nice... But I prefer to share a room with you."
For some reason, Roderich smiled a little with this
"I mean, everything with your mother would be weird, she is a girl, and I feel I can talk with you more freely because, obviously, I know you better, and sorry but you are my friend and not her, and..." he shrugged smiling back.
"Some boys would think that they can be friends with her, know better her and have sex with her too."
"Sex with her?!" He even sounded a bit scandalized. "But... She is a mum!"
"Yes, and a pretty woman."
"I guess." He nodded.
"It's because of that." Roderich shrugged
"Can I ask you something?"
"Something more, you mean."
Vash smiled slightly with that feeling more normal now.
"What do you think Francis and Arthur are doing?"
The austrian sighed with this.
"Francis... I guess he would like... well I don't like to talk about it."
"Is he really...?"
"What?"
"Y-You know..." Vash didn't dare using the H word.
"I don't"
"Oh. We'll probably it's better not knowing.. If you knew..."
"I don't... I know, but I prefer not to know."
Vash nodded thinking that obviously same logic applied with him. It was WAY better if Roderich didn't know anything about him thinking stupid sick things... However it was weird, he having all this issues and discovering that probably he liked Roderich, and his brother appearing having what seemed to be ZERO issues on that subject.
"You are really different."
"Different from him?"
"Yes, you would never be like that with another man... Right?"
"I think he only is that way to make angry my father and me."
"Oh..." Vash raised his eyebrows. "So you... Don't think he reaaaally likes Arthur?"
"No. He is just playing. It's my mother fault, she should be less permisive."
"What can she do?"
"Scold him!"
"But what if he does like him."
"Who?"
"Arthur!"
"Well, then he will break his heart."
"As you will break mine, and you will not even realize", though Vash in his ten minutes of drama.
"Will you be disgusted by Arthur and no longer be his friend?" he asked softly, worried.
"Eh?"
"If he likes your brother that way, even if your brother doesn't like him back... Will you be disgusted because your brother is a boy?"
"No, but... I will make sure of not being naked in front of him" He answered, nervous, because he think that obviously he will NEVER talk again with him but sounds exageratedly nazi and guilty.
"Oh..." Vash smiled in relief. "I'm glad you think that way."
"Why? What are going to do you?"
"Nothing different."
"Maybe you should stop of buying him drugs."
"Why?"
"Because maybe... well I prefer if you won't do it again."
Vash frowned feelling the ICE coming from Roderich aiming to FREEZE their relationship with Arthur. And in a way, he felt clearly as if it was directed towards him. (Vash being franciatico today)
"B-But he is... He is the lord of drugs, and he works on our morgue, and he will notice clearly if I don't buy him anything... And he is the only one I think of as my friend other than you. He will get mad at me if I stop."
"Everything about this is going to change."
"Why?"
"You don't need to be worried" He smirked, because yes, he was thinking to denunce Arthur to the scholar council as a public disorder for his perversions.
"Well I do worry, Arthur is our friend, I invited him with us."
"Don't blame it on you, it is Francis' fault."
"But maybe Arthur is not really an homosexual, maybe it is only with Francis!"
"Only... with Francis?"
"Well maybe he is not that way, he liked girls and everything but has this problem with your brother... I mean, I don't deny it is a problem and a disease, but probably... It could happen to anyone! Imagine... Imagine that you woke up one day liking... Me." Vash regretted it the instant he stopped talking.
"What? "Roderich stared him over his glasses.
"I-I mean..." He couldn't even invent what he really meant. "Just imagine that happened to you. What would you do?"
"Vash" Roderich took him from the chin to stare him directly on the eye. Vash swallowed trying to look at him in the eye and... Blushed. Why was he touching him? Everything was harder when he touched him. "I don't want you thinking those things only because this morning..."
Vash was now able to look at him in the eye. His heart speeded up.
"I shouldn't have kissed you before. I'm sorry. It doesn't mean anything, I really don't see you in that way."
It was not possible to hear it more clearly and direct. Vash nodded softly, quite heartbroken. Of course. OF COURSE Roderich didn't see him that way, and of course Roderich would despise him if he knew that he saw him that way.
"I-I know" He managed to whisper.
"I'm really sorry, I don't want to confuse you. I love you."
Vash opened his eyes, totally confused. He loved him too, very very much.
"I don't mind if you kiss me. To be honest I wouldn't mind if you looked at me that way" He declared, surprising himself.
"No?"
"You are you, and I would stand by your side no matter what" Oh my... Kiss him o the feet already.
Roderich smiled a little. Vash blushed, thinking anyway that it was a little sad anyways that Roderich wouldn't do the same thing for him.
"You don't need to worry, really."
"Good" He nodded, worried
Roderich took his hand and caressed him. Vash hate him a bit, because he was sweet and nice and... He loved him.
Then... Roderich looked around, smiled a little, and caressed him on the cheek, tucking a lock of hair behind Vash's ear before getting closer. Vash looked at him and waited.
"I promise you that my interest on your sexual arousal it's strictly medical" He whispered to Vash's ear.
The whisper gave Vash goosebumps.
"I-I promise..." He whispered back. Roderich looked at him. "I will get better and you will not hate me."
"I don't hate you for your disease."
"I don't feel good." Vash sighed, and leaned on him, closing his eyes. Roderich hugged him instantly. "I feel completely lost and... scared "he confessed.
"Why?"
"I have never been this sick, ever, and I feel bad and guilty and..."
"You shouldn't feel bad and guilty, it isn't your fault. I will protect you and nobody will know."
"Thank you" He hugged him back feeling safe. Dear god with these two.
Mrs. Edelstein noticed that Francis stayed in the morgue and Roderich needed some space, so she decided to go and explore alone. Without permission, she opened a door and came in to a classroom.
It was a big classroom and had only one person there, still dressed formally, writing staff on the blackboard even if the room was empty. He was talking alone.
"Oh!" she exclaimed.
Wallace, the professor, turned around, because he didn't expect anyone to be there.
"Oh!"
"I'm sorry" she smiled.
"Are you a student?"
"Me? Non, non."
"Oh... Then?"
"I'm... Gala Edelstein. Maybe you know my son, who is a student."
"Oh! Of course, Roderich Edelstein."
"Exactly!" she laughed a little. "I'm here visting him with my other son, but... I think I'm lost.
Wallace got closer to her, and raised his eyebrows when he was able to look at her properly. He froze completely, just looking at her.
She smiled again and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.
"Blimey..." he whispered shocked.
"Are you a teacher of him, then?"
"Y-yes, yes... W-Wallace Hughes, to your service"
She smiled even more and got closer kissing him on the cheeks. Fantastic, you keep paralyzing my characters.
Wallace smiled idiotically and even laughed a bit.
"I-It's a real pleasure to have you here"
"It's nice to meet you."
Wallace smiled and laughed again softly.
"Do you want to sit? Something to drink? A private lesson?"
She hestiated a little and finally smiled with a yes
"Well I-I... I only have water here because it is a classroom..."
"That's ok."
"I do not have mothers here regularly, sorry, I should have something nicer to offer you. And a better place for you to sit, this is a place for students..."
"No? Why not? Am I a overprotective mother?"
"No... Well I do not know if you are, it's nice to have you here, I do not mind at all."
She smiled again. He got closer again and offered her the glass of water, blushing deeply because she was completely SPECTACULAR.
"Thank you" She winked, sitting and waiting for him to take a sit too. "What can you tell me about my son... Is he good or not? Which subject do you teach?"
"I-I-I... I teach physiology" profesor Hughes smiled nervously with the wink. "You know, the science of the body function, although I usually like to think of it as an art."
"Oh, I love art!"
"You clearly seem to be that kind of sophisticated woman who loves art... Actually just sitting there, Mrs. Edelstein, makes you a beautiful piece of art, from the physiology perspective" what the hell are you saying Wallace? Blablabla
She giggled, and he cleared his throat.
"Ehm... So you said you are here with another of your sons?" He asked drinking a sip of water and thinking how could he impress her.
"Yes, Roderich is the oldest and his brother and me came to visit him."
He nodded
"And what do you think of our glorious university? Did you travel much to get here?"
"Oh, well, it's really huge, I'm very impressed. I never saw something so big before" are you still talking of the university? Professor Hughes' blush didn't get any better.
"It is huge, y-yes... Are you from a small town?"
"Oh, my god, is it so obvious? I'm a country girl."
Wallace looked at her intently thinking that she seemed like a rich girl. Her outfit was perfect and clearly expensive... Not at all a country girl unless she was part of the royalty or something like that.
"My father has some vineyards on bourgogne and I was living there until my wedding."
"You look... Perfect. I-I mean.. Perfect to be a... Queen" good. That's not embarrassing at all. "A-and who did you married? (The prince of... Somewhere, he thought) I-I mean, where do you live now?"
She giggled again gracefully with his hand on her mouth.
"They are lucky to have such a beautiful and smart girl there, as your husband is truly truly lucky" smart? I mean, I'm not saying she is not but you have only heard like ten words from her...
"Such a flatterer, Mr. Hughes" she smiled.
Wallace blushed again and smiled. "How about your wife?"
"My... Oh! No, I don't have a wife" he admitted looking at his hands because Ireland says that Galia represents the whole lot of Wallace's luck. If not with her with anyone.
"Oh! Oh... a... hu... ehm..."
"I still haven't found a good girl who wants to spend the rest of her life with me" He added (just in case)
"Oh. Oh, that's sad "she took his hand. He looked her hand, then into her eyes.
"I-It is not that bad... I have my students... And sometimes I have beautiful mothers who come here" what?
She raised his eyebrows thinking in that like a... proposal?
It was not a proposal, to be honest. It was a clumsy way to tell her that she had made his day better... He smiled a little, which was not precisely a way to look less guilty.
"Well..." she felt a little uncomfortable.
"Did your son show you the library?" always, these boys trying to conquer the girls through books...
"Yes, well, I think it was idea of Arthur."
"Oh... well, then I cannot show it to you. Hmm... the gardens?"
"No, the gardens not, well the little that we saw when we arrived."
"Could I walk with you there and see if we find your family?"
"Mais oui. So... physiology, then. I think that my son told me about you."
"Did he?" he had forgotten to tell her anything about her son, he blushed standing up and offering his arm for her to take, gallantly. "He is a good student, although he continuously talk during the class."
"Yes" she took his arm naturally. "Something about one essay of the sexual arousal of his brother." (France hates you, maman)
"Oh..." Wallace raised his eyebrows realizing that his essay was going to be about his brother. "He told me he would be able to do an essay with an actual subject, to be honest I thought that he was going to be the subject, but he was too embarrassed to say it."
"No, he said that is about his brother because he has... satiristic? Like nymphomaniac I think"
"Oh... hypersexuality..." he whispered blushing again and looking at her sideways... was she really talking about her youngest boy and his sexual cravings as if she were talking about him having a cold?
"But I think that Roderich is just overworrying about his little brother... Francis is just like me."
Wallace almost choked, swallowing.
"L-Like... you."
"I mean... we are very very sexual people and enjoy the sex more than some others, like Roderich or my husband, but I don't think we are sick."
"Ehh... hm... oh... I-I..." Professor Hughes babbled. Thank you, Mrs. Edelstein, for a beautiful mental image of yourself enjoying sex... Wallace is going to enjoy it very very much in the lonely nights.
"What do you think?"
"I-It would depend on... I'm sorry, please don't get offended, this is only from my professional perspective... I believe I need more information to let you know if a case like this represents a disease or not."
"Oh, sorry... I was asking as a patient, I understand maybe you are not interested, you are not my doctor"
"No, no... I am very interested in this kind of subjects, trust me... You can rely on me as a doctor, however, I would probably need to ask you a few questions... like how often..."
"How often?"
"Is the sexual... Need."
"Oh... ehm... well... usually twice."
"Twice... a week?"
"A day."
"Ohhh... a-and your husband is not..." Galia, dear, what do you expect guys to think if you tell them THAT!
"Well.. sometimes he has to travel for weeks."
"Ohhh..." she MUST have a lover, Wallace thought. "And even so the need is there?"
"Yes, this isn't about him... Ok, yes, he makes me feeel in that way but... oh, this is so embarasing. I admire how you could talk about this so naturally."
"I-I-I'm not talking about this naturally.. I-I... I'm just a doctor" Wallace was sweating. Galia, trust me, if someone is a natural about this is you, not him.
"And you teach this to that boys... It's wonderful."
"I-I do my best... And I reallly would like to help you" Waaaallaaaaaaaaaaaace
"Thank you"she squeezed his arm.
"I-I know that it is not easy to talk about these things, with anyone, not even your friends... or your regular doctor. I could act as an objective third party..." you ARE a pervert Wales!
"Well, then... what I mean is that my husband... I'm pleased with him when he is there, but when he isn't..."
"Wh-What happens then?" Wallace asked, wondering if that was a proposal.
"Well I need some other... techniques to be please myself."
Wallace dropped to the floor a book that he was carrying.
"What? I'm sorry!" she blushed.
"No, so-sorry... that w-was clumsy... I... I think... it... i-it is perfectly no-normal... I think..."
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't talk to you about this, but..."
"No, no, it's fine. I am a doctor, I am used to... personal information" He cleared his throat. "Have.. you talked about this with your husband?"
"No! Well, he knows about my desire and he never has complained, but he doesn't know that still happens when he isn't there."
"If this happened to my wife, my principal worry would be if she decided one day that please herself is not enough" Wallace looked at her sideways again.
"Are you talking about cheating him?"
"Well..." He cleared his throat again. "Yes."
"Oh... Well, yes. He is worried about it constantly." will you blame him?
"I have to admit I cannot blame him... you are very, very beautiful" and probably you could cheat on him with me... for example. I wouldn't mind.
"Exactly." And that was the most dangerous about her... that she knew PERFECT that she is.
"B-But I guess he is a fine man... although it is worrying that he is not able to... ehm... please you and be there for you as much as you need."
She sighed.
"If you talk with him, probably he could organize his schedule" and decide to stop plotting on how to burn jews and go back home to make you happy... ha-ha. "Or maybe... well, have you ever thought of leave him" you just met her Wallace! (Ireland provides the live comment)
"L-Leave him?"
"Well... if you are not completely happy with him, I am sure you... someone would be willing to do anything to make you happy.
"But we are talking about if this that happens to me is a illness, aren't we?"
"Oh... well... I don't think you are sick. I think you have needs and your husband has other things to do..."
"Thank you" she answered not so happy
"Ehm..." He turned to look at her.
"What?"
"Did you expect me to tell you you were sick?"
"No, not really" she smiled again. He smiled back, pleased. Oh wallace, she stopped liking you! *Ireland laughs*
So Wallace will bore her with blablabla until they find Roderich. Wallace, you don't have an opportunity this time, she doesn't even like you!