Vash just wandered a bit, taking the long road instead of the short one to his bed, thinking about what he just discussed with Arthur.

However, no matter how "long" it was his walk, his short but speedy steps took him to his doorstep faster than he would have liked. Sighing, he opened it still wondering what was he going to say to Roderich.

Vash opened the door softly, blushing

"Roderich?"

He was writting something on his notebook of hell's punishments... We mean, his notebook of physiology's essay.

"He-Hey..." Vash whispered.

He raised his pen to shut him up, and wrote again. Walking on circles. Vash... Closed the door softly behind him

"Mmmm..." Roderich gave another round and sighed. "Did you talk with Arthur?" He asked without looking at him.

"O-Of course I talked with him... I... I.. I don't think you'll like what I told him."

"What did you tell him?" He stared Vash, over the rim of his glasses.

"Come here, sit down with me, please."

He closed the notebook of horrors with a thud and approached him.

"He was sure that we were a couple." Vash whispered.

Roderich raised his eyebrows.

"It was hard to make him think otherwise so I... Told him that... That... Well I didn't want him to think that you are sick, so I..." He swallows. "I told him that it was my fault. That I was sick and I... Liked you."

"And? What did he say?"

"Well he said a few things... About none of his friends or any other man touching him like that and... it seems that he is not going to report us or anything."

"So? Would he want that you... were that man?"

"That man? For him? No. Your brother came."

"No, my brother will break his heart tomorrow."

"They fought, your brother did something and Arthur attacked him."

"That was going to happen eventually. He is mature enough to fight with it."

"They left together, anyway... But well, now Arthur knows... I mean, thinks, that I'm an homosexual."

"But you aren't. He will notice when you are healthy."

Vash covered his face with his hands.

"Your problem is your arousal, not your sexuality..."

Once again, Vash wanted to die.

"Anyway, we can't do anything with Arthur now, we have to wait to the heartbreaking."

"What do you junk it will happen, then?

"It depends on Arthur, the people could be very unpredictable with a rage."

"Which people?"

"He could go for you then to make him feel jealous or he migth fall in the deep drepession on his whole life or take a revenge trying to hurt someone. Everybody reacts different when it happens, I saw it like a hundred of times."

Vash sighed, thinking on what will he do when Roderich breaks his heart.

"A hundred of men have tried to have something with your brother?" He asked, impressed.

"Not only men."

"I don't think he is that... Handsome."

"Well... that's why you aren't homosexual."

"W-What would you do if I were...?"

"... in love with my brother? Try to prevent you."

"No! I meant... I... Forget it."

"Well, don't fall in love with him please. We have enough problems here."

"I won't fall in love with him, trust me" because I'm in love with you.

"I know" he smiled. Vash looked at him sideways.

"Would you do tests like you were doing on me... Measuring my... Well those kind of things... With other people?"

"Mmm... other people?"

"With... Ludwig for example, if he were sick."

"Oh, well, yes... but he isn't."

Vash looked at him directly and frowned. Again thinking that... He didn't want Roderich doing this with other people. And that was a dangerous thought.

"But if he were, you would"

"Well, he is my friend and I want him to be healthy too."

"Of course, of course."

"But... I'm doing the study with you, maybe when it ends if is accurated enough, the others wouldn't have to pass all the tests."

"I don't think I'd like Ludwig very much." Vash nodded.

"Why not?"

Vash sighed, not knowing the real reason.

"I don't know. It's your friend but he is not sick. That's an advantage."

"Advantage in what?"

"In... Well... I'm sure you prefer a healthy friend" Vash dealing with jealousy for the first time.

"Prefer?"

"You prefer him over me, for sure."

"To do what?"

"Be your friend."

"How could your illness avoid us to be friends?"

"I don't know, it's better to have a healthy friend than an ill one."

"For what? Your illness isn't contagious and I'm not thinking on having sex with you."

Vash coughed with that, thinking instantly of course on having sex with him.

"Or neither with Ludwig, although you could hear."

"He-Hear?"

"From Francis or my mother."

"About you having sex with Ludwig?! You want to have sex with him but not me?!"

"I said neither."

"But your brother and mother think that?! Why?"

"Who knows? Just stand by me for five minutes more and they will start thinking the same about you."

"Maybe I should talk with your mother." Vash blinked.

"Do it, if you want."

"What are we going to do tonight? Are we really going to go out?"

"Yes, she wants to go with professor Hughes."

"What would your father say?"

"My father will never know."

"Oh... But if he knew..."

"Well..." he rolled his eyes because he hated those... hobbies of his mother.

"Maybe we should take care of her. What if he wants to take advantage of her?"

"Oh, do you want to go?"

"Not really. Who am I going to dance with?"

"We could find some ladies for sure."

"Ugh. I hate that part. When I'm at home I always dance with my sister."

"Well... she isn't here, unfortunately."

Vash sighed. At least things with Roderich were not weird.

"I will not dance then."

"Even if we find a girl..."

"We won't, I'm sure" the stubborn.

"Why not? It's easy."

"It is not easy. I get nervous."

"Of course it's easy, you just should talk with them like you talk with me... and anyone will like you."

"I cannot talk with anyone like I talk with you" Vash blushes again.

"Why not?"

"Your are different and special."

"Mmmmm..." He stared at him in the eye.

"W-Well you are, for me, I can talk with you, I feel good when I do it."

"Are you sure that the problem is that?"

"Are you thinking on another thing?"

"Yes. Maybe you are ashamed of something."

Vash blushes. He also was ashamed, but not for the same things.

"Hmmm."

"The same happens with Ludwig" He smiled a little mischeviously and put a hand on Vash's chest.

"Wh-What?"his heeeeart

"Exactly the same response." Roderich careeeeeeessed the chest smiling more.

"S-Same response?"

"You, and Ludwig. I think that you shouldn't be really ashamed..." He get closer to Vash's ear. "And confess." He whispered.

"C-Confess?" He whispered, trembling.

"I will know anyway... it's better if you confess now" the hand, again. His heart doubles its speed.

"I-I... I don't think... I... Nooo" He whispers.

"Yeeees" He still whispering too, smiling more and playing. "Hear you heart... everybody will know about your dirty little secret in that way."

"N-No. I don't... I... Please..." He covers his face again

Roderich pushed Vash's chest a little to make him lay on the bed, laying on top.

"I won't tell anyone if you confess now."

Vash looked at him, a bit confused... And feeling again the butterflies on his belly.

"R-Roderich..."

"Come on" He smiled and kissed him lightly on the lips again. "I'm just playing, it's nothing shameful. If you don't know how to dance I could teach you."

Vash looked at his lips, he was dangerously close, and he wanted him to kiss him. He paralyzed with the kiss. He started sweating and open widely his eyes.

"Ahm bu... Ehh..."

Roderich caressed Vash's face. Vash closed his eyes and got close to Roderich with every single intention to give him a small kiss.

He blinked a little because that wasn't the reaction that he wait for.

But didn't move.

Vash's lips just touched Roderich's and Roderich went back because he didn't expect. Vash frozen again and opened his eyes.

"A-Are you kissing me?"

The blond's heart skipped a beat with that question. He jumped, feeling both on the spot and sadly... rejected.

"I'm sorry" He yelled, getting away from Roderich

The problem was that Roderich was... on the top of him, so, Vash pushed him a little to much to get away.

Ugh. Is he ok?

Not so much...

Is he on the floor? Vash was hysterical all over him, asking him if he was ok.

"I'm sorry! I didn't want to push you, sorry! I just... Sorry, Roderich! Let me check you."

"Ugh... what are you doing!?" He protested.

"I just panicked, but I didn't want to hurt you" Vash touched his head and his chest, worried.

"You were trying to kiss me and then trying to push me" he was OK, he is a drama queen.

"I wasn't trying to kiss you!" he whined.

"You almost did it!"

"You did it before, you kissed me softly. I was just trying to do he same!" He is completely in panic.

"What? I was just playing!"

Of course he was just playing, or whatever. But he had to ruin everything trying to kiss him. What was he thinking? He embraced himself a little and shut his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I'm so, so, so very sorry" He whispered.

"Why did you do it?"

"I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking, I didn't want to... I... Sorry! Please, please forgive me!"

"Ugh! Don't do it again, you could hurt me!" yes, he was scolding you for push him, not for the kiss. Vash swallowed with a heavy heart.

"I will not. I'm sorry, it won't happen, ever again" Vash nodded.

He sighed and opened his eyes at last to stare Vash, who was looking at him with sad puppy eyes.

"Don't do it, without a excuse or I'll punish you."

"I won't, I will be very careful." Vash nodded again, scolding himself in silence

"That's what I hope" He glared, and then cleared his throat. "And what with the 'almost a kiss' thing?"

"Wh-What?" Vash looked at him, confused.

"You! What were you trying?

"B-But didn't you say just a... Second ago..."

"What?"

Vash blinked.

"You just scolded me about it..." He whispered.

"No, I scolded you about pushing me without care."

Vash blinked quite a few more times.

"S-So... What am... I... Not..."

"Aha?"

"Ohhh... I'm sorry. I was indeed reckless and you are so skinny, did I hurt you?" He apologized then, for the right thing.

"Yes. You hurt me."

"Oh god... Let me check you. Where does it hurt? I was just very nervous and worried..." Vash placed a soft hand on Roderich's chest. Weren't you promising yourself just a minute ago that you were not going to touch him again?

"For sure I will have a bruise in the arm tomorrow."

"No. You won't. I have a good arnica ointment that will help you with that" He reached to the bedside table. Yes, that's what happens when he realizes what's going on and worries sick about you. You can now talk about the kiss and paralyze him again.

Roderich crossed his arms letting him to found it easily.

"Here it is. Come on, where does it hurt?" I'm afraid, Vash, you are going to regret this.

"Everywhere."

"E-Everywhere?"

"Yes. Are you going to apply cream in all my body?"

"I... well... I could but don't you think that probably you would need it in more specific places?" Vash swallowed.

"What I would need is that you think before to acting."

Vash looked at him. It was very difficult to think properly around him lately, specially if he was lying on bed with him, and he was touching him, and giving him innocent (!) kisses on the lips. But it was true that he would probably need to think more and never, ever, EVER push him or hurt him, no matter what he was doing.

Roderich sighed because Vash seemed very regretful.

"I will never push you again, I promise" He assured solemnly.

"OK" He smiled again. Vash blushed thinking on the kiss then.

"Then... Is it what I said the problem you have?"

Vash was... lost. He did not know what he said, at all. But for sure whatever problem Roderich thought he had was better than his actually "I am in love with you" problem.

"Yes."

"Why did you lie to me, then?"

"I... I..." He hesitated. "I don't know..."

"You are always ashamed of a lot of ridiculous things."

"W-Well..." Vash raised his eyebrows.

"Let me see what you know."

"Wh-What I know?" Again, Vash completely confused.

"Yes, what you know to do. Get close to me."

Lately it was a sweet torture, living around Roderich... Vash got close to Roderich as requested.

Roderich raised his arms to the dance posture. Vash raised his eyebrows to the surprised position.

"Come on."

"Do you... oh... think... ohh!" He blushed but raised his arms

"What? What do you think?"

"No, no, I do not think Just... I... do you want us to dance right now?

"The idea is teaching you."

"Ok, ok. Ehm... well... teach me, then." Vash nodded, thinking that well, he kind of knew how to dance, but dance with Roderich was... nice. So he could say he did not know how to do it. It was brilliant and he felt a little guilty

"First, I want to know how much you can do, you said that you are used to dance with your sister."

"Y-Yes, yes. There are dances in our town, mostly swiss dances..." You will see how much can he jump while dancing once he starts...

He raised his eyebrows, because, of course, he knew how to dance the noble and old Wienner Walz, no... that thing.

"What?"

"I don't have any idea of what are you doing."

"I... Was dancing" He stopped.

"No, you were... jumping and making some strange movements and steps.

"Yes, that's... You don't dance that way?"

"No. That was a dance like the craftsmen do in a little village on the harvest festival or whatever."

Vash blushed with that definition. Roderich never failed to make him feel that his family was so... simple and even poor.

"Are you a goatherd?"

(añsldjfañlkdsfjañldsfkj... says Switzerland) Of course, they had goats. Lots of them. And he loved them very much. When he was a kid he indeed worked as a goatherd to help his family, because sometimes people could not pay for their treatment and their parents still attended them, but they still needed to eat. He had never been ashamed of this, it was a nice little job, to get the goats to the mountain and wait for them while reading one of his father's books... but right now, he felt as if it was an activity that was below Roderich's standards. And he wanted to be liked by him so very much. He hesitated again.

"You must start to learn the waltz if you pretend to be invited to my wedding.

"N-Not re..." He stopped. Great, Roderich was not strong, but he felt that sentence like a blow in the gut. OF COURSE he was thinking of his wedding with someone while showing him how to dance. "Yo-Your wedding, of course. Teach me then."

"The goatherds wont be allowed." He joked, taking him from the waist

"Why? What's wrong with a goatherd?" He asked now thinking that of course, OF COURSE, not even being a woman Roderich would like to be with her. Anything that he was thinking just vanished when he felt Roderich's hand on his waist.

"It will be like a royal wedding."

(Switzerland holds to his wedding ring, and cheers Vash)

"Oh... will it? Working-class is usually invited to royal weddings..." He imagined himself for a second, dressed like a goatherd, watching Roderich being married with a beautiful girl. Not even allowed to get close to them.

"Mmm... not on my wedding, not with sush low social position."

"But... why? Maybe that goatherd will become someone important at some point... maybe you could even like the goatherd, but just because you are narrow minded you would not allow that person to share an important day with you."

"Yes, but the usual is that that doesn't happen."

Roderich always puzzled him with these thoughts. In the end, he, Vash, had a decent position. His father was THE doctor, and even if they were not rich, his father was probably the most important person in his village... he never thought that of an important thing. He never cared, maybe because his parents could not care less. Roderich, on the other hand, was always thinking about positions and class and how people dressed. And for him, that way of thinking was awful with the normal people but usually that doesn't happen.

"Well... then if I am a goatheard you will never know."

"I know just now."

"I also have a dog." Vash looked at him in the eye.

"Do you?"

"Are there no dogs in your house? Or your palace or whatever... You know, I am beginning to think that you are the weird one."

"My grand father have some..."

"I cannot think of a house in this country where there are no dogs and no goats."

"Well, it doesn't matter because my home isn't here."

"Sometimes, when you talk like this I feel as if I were talking with a prince or a lord or something like that."

"Well I have Habsburg blood."

"You have what?! Come on, are you kidding me? I knew you were definitely not french!"

Roderich raised his eyebrows, noticing what he said. Vash smiled, victorious.

"I-I mean... royalty, of course, the house doesn't matter, is for a very very far relatives."

"I knew you had a pompous austrian accent...

"Mais oui."

"Stop pretending, what's wrong with being Austrian? My parents help lots of them coming from the mountains."

"Why are they coming, Vash?"

"Well... My father says they fear of what could happen in Austria. You, for sure, know this better than me, but it seems that the government is less and less tolerant with the people that do not agree with them."

"That's the answer."

"So you say that it is true, that the people are afraid? But come on, what are they going to do? Father says they come here without all their belongings, only with whatever they have on them."

"I said that that was the reason why to be an Austrian is wrong."

"Oh... but... well, is not your fault that the people are coming that way, or that the government is wrong."

Roderich stared Vash into his eyes for a long time with that thought.

"I mean, there are good austrians too."

"Really? Which ones?"

"Well... I don't know, the ones that are

not bad? I am not sure if I actually understand correctly the Austrian situation... Do you?"

"Yes, but I don't pretend to explain you... and you have to promise you will never tell anyone where I was born."

"Why don't you want to explain me?" asked Vash.

"Because I don't want to."

Vash sighed, of course wanting to know why but also wanting to respect him.

"Come on... let's look for my mother."

"No, no, wait. Please tell me how to dance. At least the basics" Vash stopped him holding softly his arm.

"Mmm... you can do your goatherd dance."

"But..." Vash blushed aaaagaaaain.

"What?"

"Are you angry with me?"

"No"

"I don't mind you being an austrian, really. To be honest I want to know everything about you..." OK, just tell him already that you are in love with him!

"Why?" The problem was the austrian felt it a little threatening.

"Well.. because you are my friend, and I like to know what you think and how was your life, and what is in your mind... I think you are great and fascinating, and that I have a connetion with you that I do not have with anyone else, and the more I know about you the more I want to know."

"Well, maybe we should stop talking."

"What?" Vash frowned, taken aback

"Because I don't want you to know."

Vash stared at him blankly not knowing what to answer to that.

"B-but you are my best friend in the world..." He was finally able to retort. "I am supposed to... know you."

"Mmmm... no, I don't think so."

"Oh... Well, let's go and find your mother."

"Let's go." He sighed.

Vash took Roderich's hand anyway and then, that way they went.