Window Games

Chapter 9

A/N: Normally I don't like to post until I have another chapter almost done, but I don't really want to make you guys wait anymore. I'm really happy with and motivated by the responses I've gotten lately. Thank you so much! I'm almost done with the next chapter, but I'm still deciding on whether I want to do an epilogue or not...I have the idea, but would anyone want to see it?

~Saya

~*~

Lovino sighed in frustration, running a hand through his hair as he looked up at the crooked banner. He was too short to get it to hang right. Gilbert watched him for a moment, then snorted and stepped in to help.

"Here," he sighed dramatically, gently nudging him aside and lifting the other end of the banner. For the first side, Lovino had stood on a small table, but he couldn't drag it over to the other end. Luckily, Gilbert was tall enough without that.

"I could have done that!" Lovino insisted now, puffing out his cheeks, "But...thanks." He huffed and spun around, then stomped of. By now, Gilbert knew that he was always like this, so he just chuckled and watched him walk away.

In the months since Gilbert's encounter with Herakles, he and Lovino had been slowly getting closer. Lovino had stopped fighting every encounter, and Gilbert had stopped pining after him so openly. They never spent much time alone, but thanks to their brothers' engagement, they had come to spend quite a bit of time together.

With Feliciano and Ludwig's graduation coming up, Feliciano insisted that they throw a huge party. That sounded like him, but what surprised Gilbert was that he wanted only the four of them getting it ready. The apartment they shared was small, but with the way Feliciano liked to celebrate, Gilbert wasn't sure they could cover everything. He suspected it was a ploy to get him to spend more time with Lovino—Feliciano had been very vocal about his support since he'd found out about their tumultuous not-quite-relationship. Gilbert still hadn't figured out if Lovino had let something slip or if Feliciano just had some kind of superhuman ability.

After checking the banner again, Gilbert followed Lovino to the kitchen. He leaned against the wall and watched Lovino grumble to himself as he began to cook something else. He wished he could pull him into his arms. Lovino always seemed to need some gesture of comfort, and it bothered Gilbert a bit that he would never accept that gesture from him.

"Do you need anything else?" he asked after a moment, alerting the smaller man to his presence. Lovino jumped, and Gilbert bit back a grin at the sight. It was just too cute to watch him do things like that. He took a moment to calm down, then glanced back at the blond.

"Not really. But...I guess if you want to do something, you could always rearrange the fridge or something. I know how anal you Germans are about organization."

Gilbert rolled his eyes at that, but it didn't hurt the way it used to. Lovino had used it as a jab often enough, both in hurtful and innocent ways, that it had dulled its edge.

"How about this," he suggested as he pulled out a chair and flopped into it, "Feliciano is finishing his exams tonight, right? So they're probably going to celebrate, and they're definitely not going to want us around. Let's go back to my place, get drunk, and complain about how unfair it is that out brothers have such perfect lives together."

Lovino hesitated a moment, then looked up and offered a grudging smile. Well, he could hardly say no to an offer like that, right? A huge grin spread across Gilbert's face when he finally nodded.

"Yeah. Just let me finish this first-if I don't cook for them, they might get so busy they forget to eat," he pointed out.

Gilbert made a face, not wanting to think about his brother that way. Feliciano was adorable and he supported them completely, but he was both a little disgusted and, if he was honest, jealous. Ludwig was happily engaged while he was left pining and pretending he was fine.