A/N: As always, let me know if you like it!

.

Raivis felt everything inside of his run cold. He froze himself as Lilli gasped and pulled away from him. He couldn't believe that Vash had walked in on them. His head was screaming at him to get out of there, but his body couldn't move. Nothing, not even his brain, was really even functioning.

Vash walked over to him. "We need to talk," he said, grabbing him by the arm and yanking him off of the couch. He dragged him from the room and down the hallway.

It terrified Raivis when he realized that Vash was leading them toward the ammunition room. That wasn't the way he wanted to die. He had never even been in there before! His heart pounded, but he didn't even attempt to struggle against Vash, knowing that the Swiss man was much stronger than he was.

"Sit," Vash commanded, throwing him into the ammunition room. He pointed to a small table in the corner with two chairs. His fingers flicked on the light as he leaned against the door so Raivis couldn't escape. "Sit!" he repeated more forcefully as Raivis stood there and blinked at him in shock. "Don't just stare at me."

Raivis quickly went to do as told. "Vash, I'm sorry," he quickly said once seated. "I really shouldn't have done that. It's all my fault."

"Hmph," Vash scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "I should've known the day would come when Lilli would take an interest in boys. I just never thought the boy would be you." He rolled his eyes. "Seriously, you of all people."

"You're not mad?" Raivis asked him, confused. He honestly couldn't tell exactly what Vash was feeling at that moment. He could tell the Swiss man was obviously irritated, but he couldn't tell if it was with him or with Lilli.

"Oh, I'm mad," Vash said, shooting Raivis a glare. "Don't get me wrong about that, kid." He was quiet for a moment. "But I just don't know how to go about it yet."

Please don't shoot me, Raivis thought to himself. He gulped. "I am terribly sorry, Vash," he quickly said. "I wish there was a way I could make it up to you."

Vash laughed bitterly. "Oh really? And how the hell would you even be able to do that?" He smirked at Raivis. "You know you're not the first boy to try to pull the wool over my eyes, right?"

"What do you mean?" Raivis asked. "This was a spur of the moment type of thing, I swear. It wasn't like we planned to kiss and have you walk in."

The older brother became furious at the mention of Raivis kissing Lilli. "Don't talk to me about it!" he snarled at Raivis. "I want to believe you're not like the others! And I can't do that if you're doing what they do!"

"The others?" Raivis asked, confused.

"What? You think you're the first caller Lilli has ever had?" Vash asked, pulling a cigarette out of a pack from his front pocket. "Guess again," he said, lighting it. "She's had way more callers than one would think, and I've hated all of them. None of them are going to be taking my little sister away from me if I have any say in it. Not unless if I deem them worthy of it."

"What do they have to do to be worthy?" the Latvian boy slowly asked.

Vash laughed bitterly. "You would ask something like that, wouldn't you?" He took a deep drag of the cigarette, exhaling slowly. "I would want him to be an honest man, for starters. Not one who does shit behind my back." His eyes shot a glare at Raivis, who immediately looked down in guilt. "He would also have to be a hard-working man who would provide the world for my sister if she were to ever ask for it. My sister is the most important being in this universe, and he needs to be aware of that."

Raivis nodded in agreement. "I can understand that. And I hope one day that man comes along."

"So you don't think you're him?" Vash asked with a smirk.

"I know that I am not him right now, but maybe one day I will be," Raivis answered. "And I mean that with the most sincerity. I really do admire your sister, and I would like to keep her in my life. If there is anything I can do to prove that, please let me know."

Vash nodded. "I'll keep that in mind." He took another pensive drag of his cigarette and exhaled in deep thought. "Here's something you can do for me."

"What is it?" Raivis asked, blinking in surprise.

"I hear your cousin is getting married in March," Vash slowly said.

"Yeah?" Raivis slowly asked. "What about it?" He wasn't planning on going, but he wanted to know what Vash had to say.

"Take Lilli with you," Vash instructed. "I have some things to take care of here around that time. I can trust you to take her to a wedding and have her back in one piece." He stepped over to Raivis and looked him in the eye. "But if anything happens to her on that trip, it's your head."

"Let me get this right, you want me to take Lilli to Russia with me?" Raivis asked after gulping in fear. "To Russia?"

"I thought I made myself clear the first time," Vash said to him. "Yes, I want you to take her. I have other obligations and don't want her home alone where other boys can get to her. I am putting my trust in you to keep her safe. Do not let me down. If you can prove yourself to me that you can take care of her for as long as it takes to get to the wedding and back, then maybe, just maybe, I'll remove you from my shit list."

Raivis's eyes widened. "Yes, sir," was all he could say.

"Oh, and one more thing. Don't ever let me catch you kissing my sister again."

.

The next morning, Lilli went to put the mail in the mailbox and smiled when she saw a letter addressed to a "Toris Laurinaitis" from Raivis. She was so happy that Raivis was finally writing to his cousin. It made her so happy. She hoped that he was writing to make up with him.

When Lilli got back inside, the first person she saw was Raivis sitting at the table. She walked over and ruffled his curls before walking into the kitchen to make herself some breakfast of bread and jam. She made some extra for Raivis, carrying it out to him and sitting across the table from him.

"I'm sorry that I got you in trouble with Vash last night," she softly said, pushing the bread and jam toward him. "I made you breakfast to make up for it."

Raivis smiled at her. "No, it's fine. I wasn't in too much trouble. He actually gave me a privilege that most men in this area haven't gotten yet."

"Oh?" Lilli asked, raising her eyebrows in surprise. "And what is that?"

"Would you be interested in attending a wedding with me?" Raivis asked her, a playful smile on his lips.

Lilli's eyes widened. "You mean Toris and Natalia's?" she asked in shock. She had been about to take a bite of her bread, but she quickly set it down on her plate and stared at him. "How did you get Vash to let you take me? He would never agree to that! It's all the way in Russia! How did you do it, Raivis?"

"It's a secret," Raivis answered. He grinned at her. "You haven't answered the question yet, Lilli. Would you like to go to a wedding with me?"

"Yes!" Lilli excitedly cheered. "I would love to, Raivis!" She giggled. "Oh, I can't wait to meet Toris, and even Natalia!"

Raivis smiled. "I think you'll like Toris."

"And you have a sudden change of heart about him?" Lilli asked. "Why is that?"

The Latvian boy shrugged. "Maybe I realized he's not that bad of a guy after all. I think last night I finally forgave him after talking to your brother."

"What made you forgive him?" Lilli asked.

"I don't know," Raivis answered. "It's like I didn't want to go to bed with anymore hatred in my heart, so I wrote him a quick letter and fell asleep. Let me tell you, it's the best I've slept in so long…."

Lilli giggled. "I"m glad." She smiled at Raivis. "And what did Vash say about us kissing? Were you in a lot of trouble for that?"

Raivis chuckled to himself. "He said not to ever let him catch me kissing you again."

"He's not home right now," Lilli told Raivis with a smile. She winked at him. "There's no way he could 'catch' us." Her hand reached across the table toward him as she sighed. "Let me guess, she told you about the village boys who have come by to admire me, didn't he?"

"He may have mentioned them," Raivis answered with what he hoped looked like an indifferent shrug. "What should I know about them?"

Lilli thought for a moment. "You don't need to know anything," she finally answered. "They mean nothing to me. Some of them just really admire me a lot, but I don't feel the same way about them that I feel about you, and I hope you know that."

A knock at the front door suddenly resounded through the house. Lilli's eyes widened as she turned to Raivis. "Could you get that?" she asked him, looking into her lap. "I'm still eating."

"Yeah, sure," Raivis answered, getting up and going to the door.

When he opened it, he found a boy with short, dark hair there. He looked around the same age as Raivis, with hope in his large, gray eyes. His height made him stand a few inches taller than Raivis, which made the Latvian boy slightly uncomfortable.

"Can I help you?" Raivis asked him in English.

"Oh, so you speak English?" the boy asked with a smirk. "Is Lilli home?"

"She is, but she's busy at the moment," Raivis answered. "Could you perhaps come back another time?"

The boy pushed past him and entered the house. "Lilli, I have come to see you!" he called. "I noticed that Vash isn't home, so I figured now would be the perfect time!"

Raivis closed the door and followed after the boy. "I already told you, she's busy," he insisted. "Come back later."

"Quiet, you!" the boy snapped, whirling back at him. "You don't know our love. Lilli and I love each other deeply, in a way you will never understand. You will never be able to keep us apart."

Lilli wandered into the front room. "What is going on in here, Raivis?" she softly asked. Her gazed then fell on the boy. "Michael," she said. "What are you doing here?" She cocked her head to the side cutely and sighed. "I thought you wouldn't be back in town for two more weeks."

"My family came back early," he said with a wide smile. He gestured to Raivis. "Who is this?"

"Oh, this is my friend Raivis," Lilli cheerfully said. "He moved in with us on Christmas. He's originally from Latvia, but recently he's lived in Poland and Russia!" She smiled widely. "And now he lives here with my brother and me."

"Raivis is one lucky man," Michael answered, grabbing Lilli's hands and kissing them. "It feels as if I have been gone for years, even if it has only been for one month!"

Lilli blushed. "Michael, I'm afraid that I have many things to tend to today. Perhaps you could come back another time?" she suggested. She cast a glance to Raivis. "Raivis and I have been left with many chores to take care of."

"I'm sure Raivis wouldn't mind doing some extra chores to let us catch up," Michael insisted, smiling at Lilli.

"I'm sure he-"

Raivis cut Lilli off. "I'll do some of your chores as well, Lilli," he quickly said. "Go to the living room and catch up with Michael. I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything." He quickly left the room, trying to ignore the stabbing feeling in his chest as he left the two.

"Looks like you've got yet another boy to do your bidding," Michael chuckled once Raivis left the room.

Lilli looked off in the direction of the kitchen. "That's not nice, Michael," she said. "Raivis is a good person. He is always kind to me. Don't talk about him in such a way." She looked up at him. "And it's not right of me to make him do all of the chores on his own. I need to help him."

"You can help him later," Michael insisted. "As for now, you need to catch up with me."

Lilli sighed. "I guess I can." She frowned toward the kitchen and then forced a smile at Michael. "Then let's go to the living room."

.

About an hour into talking with Michael, Lilli excused herself to the kitchen to make finger sandwiches. She also wanted to talk to Raivis about what had happened.

"Raivis, why did you do that?" she asked him when she got to the kitchen and began to prepare the snacks.

"Do what?" Raivis asked, looking up from the dishes he was washing. For some reason, he was finding it hard to look at her at the moment. He didn't understand why, though. It just hurt to look at her, knowing that she was entertaining another guy.

"Why did you leave me alone with him?" Lilli asked. "I don't want to be alone with him. Isn't there something you could do? I don't want him here. When I heard the doorbell ring, something told me that was him, and that's why I didn't want to answer it."

"Oh," Raivis softly said. "Give me time to think of something, but I swear I'll save you from him."

Lilli smiled. "Promise?"

Raivis laughed. "I promise."

She grinned and finished up the sandwiches. "I'm holding it to you, my dear knight. Save me from the wicked Michael dragon." Lilli winked at him. "I'll be waiting in my tower. And in case you get lost, that's the living room. Please don't disappoint."

"Oh, trust me, I won't," Raivis answered with a grin as the wheels already began turning in his head.

.

Raivis burst into the living room about ten minutes later. "Vash is on his way up the road!" he exclaimed.

Lilli's eyes widened. "Big Brother is going to kill me if he sees you here, Michael!" she squeaked. Her eyes were wide with terror. "You have to go! Please! For my sake!"

Michael was already on his feet. "Is there a back door I can use?" he asked, voice high in panic. He was looking around frantically.

"Right this way," Raivis said, leading the way to the kitchen door, also known as the back door.

"I love you, Lilli!" Michael called before running out the kitchen door.

Lilli ran into the kitchen, her hair only slightly out of place from her running. "Is Vash really coming?" she asked, breathless.

"What do you think?" Raivis asked with a smile.

She giggled and jumped into his arms. "My hero!" she squealed. Her lips kissed his cheeks over and over. "You're so good at covering for me!" Lilli then kissed Raivis's lips happily. "Oh, Raivis!"

Raivis loved being praised by her, and he loved her kisses even more as he held her. But he couldn't help but wonder if Michael had kissed her as well. That was a question for another day, though. Not here. Not now. Instead, he savored her kisses and smiled into them, glad that he had her all to himself for that moment in time.

Lilli seemed more experienced with men than her innocence led on. She pressed herself against Raivis and wrapped her arms around him as she kissed him. Her lips entangled themselves in his as she continued kissing him. It was no wonder her brother didn't let her around boys her age too often.

.

Vash came home later that evening to a meal prepared by both Lilli and Raivis, and a spotless house. The two had done all of their chores and even had time to prepare Vash's favorite meal for dinner. The older brother actually managed to smile, which was rare at that time.

"Big Brother, we made your favorite!" Lilli said, smiling sweetly. "And we got it done on time because we worked together." She gestured to Raivis. "He did the part with the oven, and I did the parts with the stove. I hope you enjoy it!"

Raivis smiled. "We just know you had a long day and probably wanted something nice to come home to."

Vash smiled. "Thank you two for being so considerate. I greatly appreciate it. How about we eat then? I am starving and really looking forward to this meal you have prepared for me. Thank you for being so thoughtful."

Lilli smiled and nodded. "It's really no problem at all." She led the way to the table, which was set and prepared for them all to sit and eat. "I am really looking forward to eating a big meal like this together. It's so exciting!"

"I'm glad you're so excited about this, Lilli," Vash said, sitting down. He looked at the food, feeling his stomach growl inside of him. "This all just looks so amazing." His eyes took in all of the delicious-looking food before him. "What a feast! And you two made all of this on your own?"

"Of course we did!" Lilli cheerfully said. "Raivis knows what he's doing in the kitchen. He said his Aldona friend in Poland taught him how to cook."

"That's right," Raivis answered. "She taught me many recipes." He smiled. "Please enjoy."

"Oh, I know I will," Vash answered, scooping food onto his plate. His eyes widened at how delicious it all truly looked. He was surprised that two kids could make food like that.

Lilli began to put food on her plate as well. "I'm just happy that we can all eat like this together. Here's to many more meals like this! I like it when the three of us eat together! It makes me so happy!"

"I'm glad you're happy," Vash answered, too distracted by the food to make much conversation. He took a bite and was immediately silenced by how amazing it tasted. "Raivis, this is incredible."

Raivis, knowing that Vash never really had opinions of much, took that as a compliment. "Thank you, Vash. I appreciate it." And he truly did. Maybe he really could get on Vash's good side if he tried hard enough.