Clockwork [Switzerland x Reader]

She fell in love with him through his clocks.

They were the first thing that caught her eye in the market her first day in Bern. It was not the smells that wafted through the crowded streets that called to her; it was not the lively music that attracted her attention; no, it was the lacquered brown of a cuckoo clock that drew her (e/c) eyes to his wares.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

Soft, in sync beating of the internal gears beckoned her closer. There were other clocks, too—silver pocket watches meant for those richer than she. The closer her feet took her to his stall, the faster her heartbeat went.

When she was at his stall at last, all she could do was gaze at the menagerie of clockwork before her.

Until:

"May I help you?"

(E/c) eyes rose up to meet ones the color of the evergreen forests dotting Switzerland. His voice was gruff, hardworking; the voice of someone who earned his keep and would take no nonsense. His face—plain yet handsome, with smooth blonde hair and a mouth stretched in a thin line.

His hands were the delicate instruments of a clockmaker, stained with oil and the results of many hours of precise tinkering.

(Name)'s voice was lost in her throat for a moment as she gazed at the young man opposite of her. The hustle and bustle of the market was lost in the calming ticks of the clocks, creating a symphonic wonder around her. The young man looked to be a couple of years older than her eighteen, but that did not stop the way her chest suddenly tightened.

"E-Er," she stammered, feeling her cheeks heat up. "I was just...admiring your fine craftsmanship. I've just arrived in Bern from the country, see, and..."

She trailed off, feeling foolish. How did you tell someone that their clocks had called to you?

"Big brother!" A different voice saved (name) from permanent embarrassment, and she turned around to see a young girl racing towards the stall. She looked like the boy, with the same shade of blonde hair and soft features; a kind face and smile with green eyes. "Big brother, I sold some!" In her hand she held a few francs, her face bright with happiness.

It was then that (name) noticed the state of disrepair their clothes were; the sallow cheeks and worn-down shoes.

"Lily," the young man said in a firm but not unkind tone, "I am with a customer right now. But I'm glad—you worked very hard on those toys. Make sure you save your earnings." The stern line lifted upwards in a semblance of a smile and he nodded towards her.

The girl named Lily lit up even more and nodded. "Yes! I will, Vash! I'm going to bring it home right now!" And with that, she was racing away again.

(Name) found her voice once more. "Ah...Vash, is it?"

He nodded, the warmth she had detected earlier now gone with his sister. "Yes. Would you like to look at something, miss?"

She pointed to the first thing her finger could find—a small pocket watch, silver with an edelweiss flower engraved in the metallic surface. "May I have a look at that, please?"

It wasn't like she could afford it. The only reason she was in Bern was to look for work. Come winter, (name) would return to the countryside where her family lived with her earnings. But it was not as if she could just walk away—the clocks had called to her. Their gears inside groaned against one another in a way she found fascinating, and their maker's austere manner even more so.

Vash carefully handed her the pocket watch, green eyes firmly set on the way her calloused fingers ran over the edelweiss etching. (Name) smiled fondly as she opened up the watch, her face reflected in the shine of the glass protecting the hour and minute hands as they slowly made their way around the clock face.