Window Games

Epilogue

It's finally here! The very end! Ahh this week was terrible but I'm back and ready to seriously get back into writing!

~*~

2 Years Later

Rich aromas filled the kitchen and drifted out slowly, making Gilbert's mouth water. He could smell fresh bread, tomatoes, and some kind of herb he couldn't quite place. It was always like this when Lovino cooked—no occasion was too small for him to go all out.

Gilbert followed his nose to the kitchen, coming to stand behind Lovino and wrap his arms around the Italian's torso. Lovino smiled and leaned back into his hold, but didn't stop stirring the sauce on the stove.

"What are you making?" Gilbert asked. His lips brushed Lovino's ear as he spoke, and he tried to keep his voice low so it wouldn't startle the other. It seemed to have another effect too, because Lovino shivered and swallowed hard before answering.

"Eggplant Parmesan," he replied, pointing out the rest of the ingredients. Lovino tended to spread his work out all over the counters, taking up almost every inch of space. He had gotten better about cleaning up after himself since they had started living together, but in all honesty, Gilbert didn't mind helping out. It made things feel more balanced in their relationship, which he had quickly come to understand was just as important as everyone said.

"It smells amazing," he said, humming softly to himself. He inhaled deeply, feeling the rich scents mingle in his lungs. They filled him up, making him feel warm and loved. Lovino was good at that in a lot of ways, but his cooking was especially comforting.

After a few minutes, Gilbert let go of Lovino and went to sit in the living room so he wouldn't be in the way. His gaze wandered over their shared space, admiring the way everything had come together. Ten years ago, he had never really thought he would settle down with someone. He had prided himself on his independence and carefree attitude. Lovino hadn't really taken away from that like Gilbert had always thought a significant other would.

They had moved into Lovino's apartment since it was bigger than Gilbert's. It had only taken about a week for him to be replaced, but he didn't mind. He did, however, always make sure that the curtains were pulled tightly shut every time Lovino's clothes came off. He remembered the view all too well, and he didn't really want to share it.

Lovino entered the room a moment later, breaking him out of his thoughts. He flopped onto the couch next to Gilbert with a happy sigh, his eyes fluttering shut. Gilbert always liked seeing him like this. His normally pressed shirt was wrinkled and untucked, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his skin was flushed from the heat of the kitchen, and there was even the occasional smear of flour or sauce on his cheek. Best of all, he always looked happiest in the kitchen.

Without thinking about it, Gilbert leaned over and slipped an arm over Lovino's waist, letting his fingertips drag lightly over the Italian's stomach. Lovino's eyes fluttered open at the touch, but he just smiled up at his lover. He cupped the back of Gilbert's head in return, pulling him into a kiss that tasted faintly of tomato and basil.

"You always look so happy when you're cooking," Gilbert said when the kiss broke. His voice was barely above a murmur. Given the relaxed, affectionate atmosphere between them, he didn't feel like he should speak any louder. He smiled down at Lovino, admiring the light flush that rose in the other's cheeks at the observation.

"I am," Lovino admitted after a moment, "I...always wanted to do that, really. I'd rather be in a kitchen than in an office." He took Gilbert's hand and intertwined their fingers, dropping his gaze to that instead. It had been a while since he had seemed this shy, and Gilbert was fascinated by the fact that he could still find these little flashes of uncertainty in Lovino.

"So...why aren't you?" he asked after a moment. He cocked his head slightly, watching curiously as Lovino squirmed. He had noticed that Lovino didn't seem very happy with his job, but the other hadn't really wanted to talk about it before. Gilbert felt like he had found a crack in his armor, but he wasn't going to pry too hard. Lovino was still fragile in places, and Gilbert wanted to make sure the other knew he could trust him completely.

Finally, Lovino took a deep breath and gave Gilbert's hand a little squeeze. "At first it was because Feliciano was still in school, and I wanted to help in any way I could. My job was a lot more lucrative than trying to start a business, you know? And then...then I sort of just got used to it, and I got used to living in a place like this...Accustomed to this kind of lifestyle, I guess you could say. And now..."

He trailed off with a shrug, and Gilbert frowned. More than anything, he wanted Lovino to be happy. His job didn't seem to be doing that for him. Silence fell over them for a moment as he mulled over the situation, keeping one arm wrapped around his lover.

They were living pretty comfortably at the moment, and Gilbert had made sure they had some savings squirreled away. The city was expensive too, so their money would probably go a lot further if they left. His free hand deftly stroked Lovino's hair as he thought about their situation, and the Italian cuddled up to him and pressed his face into Gilbert's shoulder.

"Why don't we move?" Gilbert suggested after a moment of quiet. Lovino's head jerked up and he stared at Gilbert in surprise.

"Move? Where?" he asked. His expression twisted with concern as he waited for Gilbert's answer. Gilbert tried to smile reassuringly at him, pressing a quick kiss to his temple.

"Wherever you want to go. Upstate. Out of the city. You can start your restaurant, but we can still be close enough to Ludwig and Feli to visit sometimes."

Lovino looked at him dubiously, sitting up a little more. "We...we don't have to do that. I mean, I probably wouldn't succeed, and what about your job? You..."

He trailed off as Gilbert shushed him gently. He was used to Lovino blowing things out of proportion, so he was prepared to handle this.

"Hey, don't worry about it. We don't have to do it immediately," he assured Lovino, pulling him into his lap and peppering kisses across his face. Once he could feel the other relax, he continued. "I'm in IT. Everyone needs an IT guy. And we can make sure we have enough savings to start out before we go. I just...I know you'll be happier, and I really think we can make it work. It'll be perfect."

Lovino studied his face as Gilbert smiled at him. Gilbert knew this look—Lovino was looking for any cracks, trying to make sure there wasn't a catch in this. Gilbert didn't mind the suspicion. If anything, he appreciated that the sometimes irrational, impulsive Italian could be so cautious too.

"Okay," Lovino agreed finally, a hopeful light beginning to come into his eyes, "Let's look into that." He kissed Gilbert again, and Gilbert could feel him smiling against his lips.

~*~

As for the next fic, Deaf!Lovi/rock star!Gil came out on top! I really want to make that accurate and respectful to the Deaf community, so I'm going to spend some time doing research. However, I do have some ideas for shorter stuff that I'll be working on, so keep an eye out for that!

~Saya