The Sound of Austria

*6*

An aggravated sigh left him as he stared at the damning screen. So much research and searching for his desired topic yet the moment he found the answer he needed, it slapped him in the face with news he didn't need. He wondered if he was in the wrong in trying to do this, to make things normal again yet the more it seemed he tried the harder it became.

"Roderich?" he heard Delilah call his name.

He panicked, quickly closing the laptop and looking up at her just to see her give a look of worry as she signed, "Are you alright Roddy?"

And there she added that nickname in as well, oh how he just wanted to sit with her and listen to her call him that, the slow blundering fool he was becoming for her.

"Ja, just dealing with government issues and money with it." he replied back, hoping he signed correctly, "It's tiresome."

She gave a slight nod as she walked over to him, "You know you can take a break when needed. Hildegard and I can take some of it off your shoulders."

"You have a class in an hour."

"I can get a lot done in an hour." she smiled.

He smiled back, knowing she wasn't wrong and loved how she thought. Weeks had gone by with the two of them and each day that came and went was something he just couldn't believe. She was so much more than he thought, so many hidden secrets to her that just marveled him. He even sat within her classroom once and saw how bright and vibrant she was as she taught the class in sign. Yet his favorite was the evenings with her. The days he had her in his home were better than most, for there she was more relaxed, like a cat in the spring sun. It was those days she would drag him to the piano and beg him to play, for her to feel the music and see him unwind and be more of himself.

She tried to explain to him what it was like to feel the vibrations of the piano as she sat next to him, her fingers just on the tip of the piano, her version of listening to him play. Oh, how he loved to watch her face, to see her melt into the music and sway with it as he produced the tunes just for her.

Delicate arms wrapped around his neck as he felt her give a small hug to him, "Roddy?"

"Ja?"

"Will you play for me later?"

He smiled, "Ja I'll play. Anything in particular?"

"Nocturne bitte."

"Chopin?"

"Ja."

"I played that last time."

"It's one of my favorites though."

He looked up at her, those sapphire eyes beamed down at him as he gave a nod to her, "If that is what you want then you will get it."

The smile that caressed her face was all well known that he made her day better by that. Giving a small squeeze, she dismissed herself, making her way to the offices before her class started. He watched her, how her body swayed with a small bounce in her step. There was just something about her that thrilled, awed and yet terrified him. She wasn't like Eliza, she seemed more complex and tantalizing to him.

Then he was alone. The silence filled Roderich as the images replayed in his head repeatedly as he thought of her. Giving his head a shake, he lit the piece back to life and stared at the screen once more as a hand came to his shoulder.

"Mein Gott!" he shouted.

"I'm not killing you, calm down." replied the hand.

Looking up, he was greeted with the familiar face of the Swiss man glaring down at him, "Not now Vash I have enough to do."