It was a bright sunny day in Eastern Germany as Gilbert was outside playing his flute as his roommate Roderich was taking down their laundry from the line just outside their garden. Gilbert was walking around the garden, which was filled with blue cornflowers and edelweiss among the oak trees and wild grass. The sun was starting to set as Roderich put the last of the laundry into the last of the three woven baskets by his feet. Roderich waited patiently for Gilbert to finish playing his sonata while playing the accompaniment on an imaginary piano infront of him. After Gilbert finished playing the sonata, he put his flute on top of one of the baskets so he could help Roderich carry two of the baskets back to their house. Once the two Germans were inside their shared bedroom, Roderich put his basket onto his bed and started folding his delicate clothes neatly one at a time. Meanwhile on the other side of the room, Gilbert dumped both of his baskets onto his bed and shoved them into random drawers with similar clothing in them, letting his mind wander to the pianist in front of him.
When Gilbert first bought the large house close to the river he lived alone, he didn't do much in his life except visit his friends and stay out of his house. But three years ago his brother forced him to go to a concert just to get Gilbert to do something he didn't normally do. What Gilbert's brother didn't tell him was that the Austrian pianist would be playing the Prussian anthem, Prubenlied, for his last piece and it would be the last piece of the concert. When Prubenlied played Gilbert was near tears from beginning to end. His hand was on his heart, he sat up straighter, and he mouthed the words as the pianist played. After the concert Gilbert tracked down the pianist in an alleyway behind the concert hall to thank him for playing the anthem. Roderich was flustered by the compliment for he thought that no one would recognize the piece so he muttered a small 'Danke'. Both stayed where they were, neither wanting to leave so the situation was getting awkward till Gilbert tried to break the silence by saying,
"Do you have a place to stay for the night?" Gilbert just wanted to see the pianist again, thinking that if there was anyone that knew how to play the prussian anthem was as awesome as him. After a moment Roderich gently shook his head keeping his eyes on Gilbert's toes, ashamed of his living conditions. He had been living in hotels and the homes of sympathetic Germans for the past five months. He hoped that this man would let him sleep on his couch for a day or two at his place before having to find another house.
Gilbert lit up after finding out that he could 'keep' the pianist.
"You can come live with me then!" The Prussian exclaimed. Roderich looked up with a gratifying smile on his lips. After that night Gilbert treated Roderich almost like he was a 'servant' for the Austrian. He made sure to try to keep Roderich not as a slave but as a roommate. Within 3 weeks Roderich was permanently staying at Gilbert's house as a roommate. The Austrian has been staying there for almost 4 years.
Roderich snapped his fingers infront of his roommate's eyes to snap him out of his trance. Roderich had finished all three of their laundry baskets while Gilbert was thinking about the Austrian. Gilbert rubbed the back of his head, internally cursing himself for drifting off so much. To apologize, Gilbert walked up to Roderich and kissed his forehead gently. To them a kiss on the forehead wasn't affectionate and a kiss on the cheek ment the other was worried. Both men knew Gilbert preferred guys over girls so Roderich didn't mind if his roommate occasionally kissed his forehead because he knew that was how Gilbert expressed himself.
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"How come you only leave me for that silly little town in the middle of nowhere during the springtime Roddy?" Gilbert was laying on one of the several fancy couches in his large living room. Roderich was packing a few clothing items for his yearly visit to the small town just south of the German border in Austria; beyond the river to stay for the few months that occupy the season of spring in the Austrian countryside.
"I told you already Gilbert, I grew up there and I promised to visit my care takers for at least one season out of the four and spring is the shortest season so I won't be gone for very long." Roderich kissed his roommate's forehead and continued packing his small suitcase, but was cut short when Gilbert turned Roderich around and gave him a quick peck on the lips. This caught Roderich off guard because he thought that Gilbert had a long distance relationship with a male Canadian.
"Well then, that was....interesting," Roderich said, trying to regain some composure while still being slightly dazed by the kiss, "But you know I can't waste any more time before the train leaves Gilbert, and you know how worried my family gets when I don't get home when I say I will." He had folded the last shirt into the suitcase and locked it as he spoke. The Austrian turned when he heard Gilbert looking through a dresser for something.
"If you can't stay long then let me give you this to remember what you get to come home to." Gilbert held up an Iron Cross attached to a silver chain to make it act as a necklace. He walked over to Roderich and put the necklace around his neck. The Prussian kissed the cross before gently kissing Roderich.
"Wear this when you perform so you remember practicing for me here." Roderich blushed, Gilbert never really showed much affection except when Roderich comes back after his visits to Austria. Roderich was confused as to why Gilbert was treating him so sweetly before he left that he just had to know why.
"Not to be rude, but why are you acting like this Gilbert?" The Prussian then did something even stranger, he put an arm around Roderich's waist and looked right into his eyes, his red eyes staring soft and confidently into Roderich's confused violet ones when Gilbert said, "Ich liebe dich Roderich."
Roderich's mouth was still open in shock when the door knocker echoed through the house, marking Roderich's time to leave his large comfortable house with a lively Prussian in Germany for the small cramped cottage with a disorderly family in Austria.
"Well I have to go now, I'll see you in three months Gilbert." Gilbert released Roderich before lifting his roommate's suitcase and carried it to the horse drawn carriage waiting outside for Roderich.
"I'll only write after you write to me first Roddy. So make sure to write as soon as you get to your little cottage."
