~My Friend~ Liechtenstein x Male!Reader (Part 1)

(M/N) - Male name

(H/C)- hair color

(E/C)- eyes color

(S/C) - skin color

(F/F) - favorite flower

--Your POV---

" .... And she should be in bed before 8:00, or I won't be afraid to skewer your head to a stick after shooting you," Switzerland glared at you, with his eyes sharper than daggers. You staggered back at his hostile gesture, but you managed to sputter out a weak laugh. "S-sure, Vash." You were the only one who would dare use the country's human name, but Vash had grown used to it.

He slung his gun over his shoulder and let out a small sigh. You could see the uncertainty hiding in his eyes. It was his first time leaving the side of his beloved sister for an important meeting involving the Germanic countries, and this meeting could greatly influence both of the two nation's economic positions. He slowly trudged up to you and whispered into your ear, with much less hostility. "Please take care of her," he mumbled, and at this, you grinned slightly. You took him by the shoulders. "Ease up a bit", you assured, slowly rubbing them. "I've promised countless times to take care of her, and I was the one who offered in the first place, right?" Switzerland looked up at you slowly, and his lips curled into a small, but genuine smile. "Danke'" he replied, with a bit more confidence.

You and Vash had been friends for quite some time. Before you had swung into his life, the country would rather stay lonesome during world meetings, and you felt it was cruel to leave him alone. During your first few encounters, he would promptly push you away, with much distaste for your boisterous attitude and lack of seriousness. Over time, however, he began to appreciate your company. He would always light up when you talked about chocolate or cheese, and the two of you would chat endlessly on money-saving strategies. You were drawn to Vash the moment you saw him. To you, he radiated uniqueness. He piqued your interest, and you felt it was necessary to bring a smile to his usually grumpy face. You would desperately try to help him to relax by pointing out various wonders in life. Miraculously, he began to take notice of the world around him. He began to express compassion to others other than his sister, and he began to spend more time in gardens, drifting into light naps surrounded by lush evergreens and the scents of blooming flowers. You two became the best friends, and on this particular occasion, he was convinced you would be the perfect caretaker for his 210 year old adopted sister.

When you found out that Switzerland had to attend an essential meeting, and it came to your notice that it would present to be a detriment, considering Vash's overprotective attitude towards his fragile sister. You knew quite a bit about the smaller nation- she was very sweet and kind, and pleasured herself in small activities and the wonders in life. You had taken care of some small children, and in order to ease your friend, you happily posed the offer. Vash, despite his trust towards you, completely rejected, initially. He couldn't accept the offer, not because he did not think you were capable, but sometimes, even the stern country couldn't figure out his sister. After much pestering and promises, Switzerland finally rested the welfare of his sister on your shoulders. You were thrilled- not only to make a new friend, but to prove you could be useful for these tasks.

At present, despite Vash's constant threats, you were eager to take care of Liechtenstein. You greatly enjoyed the company of children, with their innocence and sweet words. They were pure and kind, and saw the world in an incredible spectrum.

You repeated the endless list of rules and regulations to follow, to show you had been paying attention while Switzerland was talking. He took a few deep breaths - a technique for calmness you had taught him- before Vash inched closer towards the door. "Liechtenstein!" he called out, turning back towards the stone house.

You looked up the stairs, where a tiny girl cautiously peeked out. At the sight of her, your heart suddenly fluttered. A tingling sensation spread all over your body, and you felt a slight heat warming your cheeks. You gulped. What stood before you was no ordinary girl- she was the epitome of beauty. She had large, clear eyes, like whirlpools of charm and sweetness. Her delicate pale skin held no flaws, and her cheeks her lightly dusted with red. Her tiny hands clutched the railing of the staircase before she questioned "Brother?" Her soft, high voice reached your ears as sweet melody, causing you to hold your breath. The girl had a small body, but it was so perfect that even the Gods must have spent countless eternities creating the magnificent being.  The delicate steps on the cold, hard stone echoed throughout the house. You noticed a petite, pink bow tied into her golden hair.

"Schwöschter," Vash said, snapping you out of your blissful trance. "Meet (M/N), your guardian for 2 days". You noticed that Vash had quite some difficulty articulating those words, especially "guardian" and "2 days".

A sudden, hard smack on your back sent you sprawling a few feet forward and straight on your face. Waves of pain erupted in your nose, and you felt heat buildup in the back on your eyes. You winced as the painful heat spread to the rest of your face, when a small, cold hand was laid on your back. When you looked up, you were inches away from the girl. Her turquoise eyes were filled with pity and concern, and her thin eyebrows curved into an expression of worry. "Are you alright?" she asked, and the sound of her voice left you unable to respond. When the awkward silence became clearly noticeable, you pressed your hand onto your nose, and barely muttered "I'm okay".

"Is your nose bleeding? " the girl asked, this time bringing her hand in direct contact with the bridge of your nose. Before you could answer, Switzerland cried out "MEIN GOTT! Err... (M/N), are you alright?" You turned towards Vash, who was the one the one who had sent you headfirst to the ground. You didn't feel any rage though, as this accident had brought you significantly closer to his sister.

"I'm fine," you sighed, but with a twinkle of amusement in your eyes. "You better get going. Call us once you reach the airport, okay?" Vash nodded, and gave his sister one final kiss on the forehead. After saying his goodbyes, Vash raced out.

And then there was the two of you.

You.

And her.

Your head began to whizz, and you scrambled to your feet, taking a leap back in the process. Liechtenstein also helped herself up, and the two of you were currently standing at least 4 feet away. A few minutes passed in complete silence, neither one of you looking into each other's eyes. A bead of sweat trickled down your temple as you asked “So.... what's your name?" The girl looked up, and softly announced "Liechtenstein”. You slightly chuckled.

"I meant your real name".

At this, Liechtenstein's cheeks reddened and she fumbled with her long, magenta dress. "Lili-- Lili Zwingli" she answered, and the pestering silenced regained.

A wonderful idea popped into your head. "I heard you have beautiful gardens," you said, a hopeful grin making its way. "Do you mind showing me?"

Lili looked up, her eyes filled with joy and wonder. "Y-you would really like to see?" she asked, her voice stuttering with disbelief. From this, you assumed none besides her brother would have been interested in her plants.

You nodded gleefully. "Yes!" you exclaimed, showing her how passionate you were on the subject.  "I love nature! It invokes such a calming sense in everyone, and I love to spend my afternoons...." with this, you continued to  ramble on about the various beauties you spot every day in your small backyard, the flowers you adore, and other effects of flora and nature on the mind and soul.

While you were on your excited narration, Lili looked up at you with awe. She was certainly amazed by your vast amount of knowledge of the subject, but was even further delighted to meet someone with a shared zeal for plants. To be honest, your presence made her heart skip a beat. To her... you were the epitome of handsomeness. Perhaps it was the way your (h/c) strands of hair glimmered in the sunlight, perfectly capturing the frame of your (s/c) face? Or could it be your confident stand, radiating friendliness and kindness? She couldn’t place her figure on what made you so truly graceful.

It was then she further examined your (e/c) orbs.

Painted in a bright shade of (e/c), your eyes were possibly the most astounding thing Liechtenstein ever saw. They were brimming with hope, lightheartedness, and delight. They were traced with intensity that showed a completely different side of you, only on further examination. Your eyes were outlined with intensity and ferocious passion that seemed threatening.- parallel to anything Lichtenstein had seen. Despite the sharp features, however, whirlpools of delicacy, and every glorious emotion under the sun danced in your eyes. Those very orbs were decorated with a glint of mischievousness, much to Liechtenstein's curiosity.

You were so engrossed in recalling how you accidently set your garden on fire (long story short, always smell what you’re pouring on the plants. If it smells like Vaseline, call the health department), that you almost forgot about the presence of the girl in front of you. Snapping out of your memories, you found her staring intently at you, beaming.

Your throat felt a little dry with her turquoise orbs examining you. “A-am I boring you?” you choked out, well aware that you had a tendency to shut out your surroundings when you were passionate about something. Your heart swarmed with guilt, and a dejected feeling panged in your mind. You felt your joy sink below your abdomen, waiting worriedly for a response.

But much to your relief, Lili furiously shook her head, mesmerized by your amusing tales. “No, not at all! Please continue!” she laughed, her genuine words lifting you out of your bitter mood.

Thrilled that you found someone so attentive and considerate, you continued with your narration, pouring humor and fervor into your words.

Once you were done with the story, you were still bursting with exuberance. You so badly wanted to entertain her with more ironic tales of your foolishness, and to rest everything about yourself into the palms of the girl in front of you.

It was then that a question arose in your mind.

“If you don’t mind me asking Lili, but what’s your human age?”

Lili jumped a little, not very used to being addressed by her human name. When she did quickly recover, however, she piped up. “I-I think I’ll be turning 17 soon. I-In human years, of course.”

You couldn’t suppress the awestruck expression forming on your face. “17?” you repeated. “That’s incredible!”

Lili looked up to you again from her shoes, an equally stunned expression plastered on her face. “You...don’t think I’m too small?”

It was then you realized that she was quite petite. She might’ve assumed you were going to comment on her appearance. Ironically, your human age was 18, though you were probably a good foot taller that Liechtenstein.

You shook her head fervently, dispelling any notion of you judging her based on her figure. “Nope, I couldn’t,” you explained. “See, I’m actually 18, based on my human age. The funny thing about a country's human age is that-”

“I’m happy.” Liechtenstein interrupted softly, a playful expression stuck on her face.

“..Pardon?” You looked up, slightly bewildered by the sudden interjection.

“O-oh,” she blinked, apparently unaware of the words that had just slipped out of her mouth. “I-I mean, I’m glad our ages aren’t too far apart.”

“Yeah, me too. I think it’ll be much more fun now” you chuckled, before a brilliant idea popped in your head.

“Can you show me your garden?”

Lili nodded, thrilled. “Yes! Please, come along!” she replied, beaming. You followed her as she hurriedly skipped to the front entrance of the house.

Holding the door out for you, she explained where the two of you were heading.

“You see, our garden is at the rear of the house. But big brother didn’t want a back door, because he believed it would be ‘another way for dangers to sneak in’”.

You snickered before adding “Typical Vash”, earning you yet another laugh from Liechtenstein.

You reached the marvelous garden by the time her graceful laughter left your ears. You gaped in wonder, beholding the extraordinary haven in front of you.

Lush, green bushes were laden with blooming, aromatic, bright blue hydrangeas. Haphazard tulips of red, purple, and pink decorated the ground, edging along a stone pathway laid out to enter the garden. Light green glass was just freshly sprouting. In the very center, in all regality, Edelweisses proudly grew, obviously given the most attention to. Yellow lilies bloomed alongside them. Water lillies danced on the pond in the corner, and jasmine grew clinging onto the trunks of whatever tree they could find, be it oak, maple, or chestnut. At the very end, hidden away from plain sight, were matured, red roses, holding their petals as pompous as they could. Even with all the beauty calling out,you couldn’t draw your eyes off of the centerpiece, the edelweisses and lilies growing alongside each other.

“D-do you like it?” Lili inquired shifting nervously.

“I love it!” you blurted out, no more able to conceal your absolute wonder and delight. “It’s amazing!” Then, you began to enthusiastically comment of everything you saw, magnifying the colors, harmony, and the overall blissful and serene arrangement.

Lili was blushing at you kind words. Of course, this was out of your perceived vision, which was too engrossed absorbing the beauty of the garden. No one, besides her brother, had complimented her hard work like that. Actually, scratch that, you were practically worshiping the area. It made her heart flutter wildly receiving such praise, especially from you.

“I have a question, however,” you sighed.

Lili snapped out of her thoughts, and answered “O-of course!”

“Why are the roses hiding in the back?”

Lili fumbled awkwardly with the fringe of her dress, before managing a reply.

“W-well, the roses looked so vain, so I didn’t want…..I-I know, it sounds silly….” she sputtered, interrupted by your amused laughter.

“Serves them right!” you chuckled, and added something else, drowned in incoherent, uncontrollable giggles.

Meanwhile, Lili was bursting with alleviation and elation herself. Not even her brother supported her whimsical fantasies. Oh, how thankful she was to be around you!

After your laughter had died down, you brought up another query of yours. Pointing to the bush in the center, filled with edelweiss and yellow lily, you spoke.

“And those? Why are they in the center?”

With a bit more bravery, Lili answered. “Edelweiss is the national flower of Switzerland. Those lilies are mine.”

With light pink beginning to dust on your face, you mused “How sweet! Just like….the way you two are living alongside each other, glowing and blooming every day…..” before trailing off.

Lili looked up at you, shocked that you could completely understand her revelation. It was like you were some sort of brother to her…….

Her eyes flashed up with an idea. “(M/n)!” she giggled, bursting with excitement. Turning around, you looked at her with a smile. “Yes Lili?”

“What’s your national flower?”

You stared at her, stunned and perplexed at the question.

“Well, umm, it’s (F/F).”

“Got it!” she sang, before gesturing you to wait. Skipping of back into the house, the called behind her shoulder. “Wait there! I’ll be right back!”

You stood there, curiosity overwhelming you. You were about to follow her into the house when she soon returned, holding seeds of (F/F).

“I-I want to plant these,” she shyly admitted, holding the packets close to her chest as pink dusted her cheeks. “B-because….I hope I can be your friend like big brother is!”

You stood there, stunned, genuinely touched by her confession. Once you quickly recovered, you broke out into a broad grin. “Thank you! I’m really touched you feel that way!”

Liechtenstein only further blushed, still not able to suppress the joy breaking out onto her face. Her eyes were sparkling with resolution. Gesturing you to follow her with some nearby gardening tools, she slowly crouched down, you immediately doing so as well.

You two began to dig in the area adjacent to the edelweiss and lilies, gently placing the earthy brown soil near the hole.

You decided to make some small talk as the two of you were planting the seeds.

“Does Vash help you with the garden?” you asked, eager to find the answer.

Lili nodded cheerfully. “Yes, he recently has started helping me a lot! But please answer me….” she trailed off, momentarily stopping before tenderly placing the seeds equidistance apart from each other in the hole.

“Did you have something to do with it?”

Taken aback, you met her gaze. “Pardon?”

“That is, Vash didn’t really spend much time in the garden some time ago. But quite recently, I’ve found him strolling around here, humming a tune, or reading a novel. I think it was around the same time he began to talk about you.”

“I’m flattered, honestly,” you laughed, delighted that you sparked such a change in the normally cold-hearted man. “But I don’t think I could take all the credit. After all, he had a wonderful sister to stick around, right?”

Your words made Liechtenstein redden like roses. Burying her timid face in her dirt-stained hands, she attempted to manage a thank you. “I-I-I…...t-thank you…..” she whispered almost inaudibly, her heart pounding.

Her sudden vulnerability made you want to embrace her, to wrap her in your arms and protect her from all the pain and suffering in the world. She was a diamond, delicate and crystal clear, not yet sullied by the suffering in the world. You felt it was your duty to prevent a single stain soiling her mind.

As soon as you realized what you had been fantasizing, your heart stopped.

God, no! You weren’t supposed to be feeling like this. Your heart was throbbing, longing to create such an interaction with Liechtenstein as you had imagined about, but your mind sensibly restrained your body. Sure, you had felt such a need for her when you first gazed upon her, to treat her like a goddess, but you also understood that she probably didn’t think like that.

It suddenly struck you that she even didn’t return your affections. That sudden realization made your heart sink a little, and crushed all fantasies (innocent ones, rest assured) you had been weaving in your mind.

“Forget about it,” you hissed inwardly. “Give up.”

Still, half of you wanted to deny the facts, to jump headfirst into the bewildering and passionate world of love, believing that you did have a slimmer of a chance with her, but the other half suppressed your smitten advances.

You snapped out of your vivid thoughts when you spotted some dirt on her cheeks. Forgetting all about self-control, you brought your hand to her cheeks to brush it away, wordlessly admiring her soft, fair skin.

Lili, despite her calm facade, was melting inside. No one had made her feel this way, except for you! How had you managed to accelerate her heartbeat? Just the thought of you made Lili feel light-hearted and weak in the knees. Your smile was brighter than a million suns. The crisp, almost melodious sound of your voice resonated and echoed continuously through her mind. You also said some of the most beautiful and meaningful things that Lili could ever think of. She admired you- no- this feeling was much too strong for mere respect. It was something so wonderful, yet so painful. What was this bewildering feeling? Lili couldn’t have been sure, until your hand caressed the small girl’s cheek.

Okay, it was more like “brushed over”, but it was still enough for Lili to tremble at the contact.

Your touch sent explosions through her body. The area of contact seemed like it was on fire. Right now, she was too preoccupied with the sensations to realize her face was burning up. Lili’s vision became hazy, and her heartbeat became twice as rapid, as if that was even possible. She wasn’t trembling anymore, she was shaking. The entire world seemed to melt away into oblivion, leaving the two of you together. The whole scenario was new and terrifying to the girl. Even so, it was such a blissful feeling, washing her body over with ecstasy. She loved the feeling.

Maybe…..she loved you?

Lili didn’t know, nor did she care. All she wanted now was to come closer to you……

You pulled your hand away abruptly, as soon as you noticed Lili’s face becoming dangerously red. “A-are you okay?” you choked out, feeling ashamed that you let your desires overcome your better judgment.

You were beginning to become remorseful, quickly concluding that your touch made her feel ill. You were disgusted with yourself, and your chest was collapsing in on itself. You couldn’t breath.

Oh, how you hated yourself!

Lili’s world seemed to shatter at the loss of contact. Looking up, she became aware of her surroundings. Feeling stupid and foolish, Lili could only manage to nod her head, mortified. Sure, she felt empty inside without the sensations running throughout her body, but she knew she could’ve made you severely uncomfortable.

It was then she deduced that you probably didn’t share her desire. The whole scene must’ve made you feel so awkward, and Lili couldn’t blame you for hating her right now.

But even more so, she hated herself!

When the silence became painfully uncomfortable, you decided to take the big leap and propose a new idea.

“Can we walk around the garden?”

Lili’s head shot up. She was so delighted and at ease when she heard your voice, she nearly forgot the previous incident.

Nearly.

“Of course!” she cried out, hoping she hadn’t come off too desperate.

You however, took no notice of that. Instead, you were overwhelmed with joy that she was willing to continue being in your company.

“Let’s go!” you cheered, scrambling up. Lili too, jumped up, and you marched after her as she lead the way.

You two had no problem breaking into conversation. Lili would name the plants, adding a bit of interesting information or story behind it, to which you absorbed like a sponge, nodding furiously at every piece of knowledge she shared.

After you had marvelled at the astounding garden and could name the plants with your eyes closed, the pair of you strolled aimlessly around the garden, chatting up on everything under the sun.

You were astonished at the number of similarities you two shared. Not only did you both share an interest in the same genre of novels, you both also had several favorite pastimes, like painting, gardening, and cooking (though you were not quite skilled as she were). In addition, she also had some wonderful hobbies, like knitting, sewing, and mountain climbing, to which you were all to enthusiastic to try out. With equal eagerness, she agreed to teach you.

In fact, you two had bantered for such a long time that the orange sun was now hanging lowly in the sky, which was bleeding magenta into tan strips in the fading blue sky. However, you had been so immersed in the lively conversation that you let any recollection of the earth drift away. Only when you paused to give a dreamy sigh, had you realized the time.

Feeling slightly panicky, you fidgeted uncomfortably, as you weakly laughed. “Look at the time,” you sputtered halfheartedly, not eager to end the magic that had seemingly stopped time for the two of you.

Liechtenstein was also surprised as she looked up at the sky. Though she did badly want to comment on the gorgeous hues blending together in the sky, dotted with fluffy white clouds, she knew that the two of you should return inside. Despite this, her air of positivity did not waver.

“We should go inside now,” she remarked, unsure what to else to say. As the two of you were heading inside the stone cottage, however, she proposed that the two of you should go sight-seeing tomorrow. Earnestly, you pounced on the idea.

“Terrific! I’d love to see all around your place!” you exclaimed, now skipping with joy. Seeing your enthusiasm, Lili giggled. “I’d be honored to show you around!” she chimed, before a question popped in her head. “Hey, what shall I make for dinner tonight?”

You stared at her blankly, taken aback by her words.

“....You?”

“Yes, I’ll make dinner. What would you like?”

“No way am I letting you cook by yourself!” you cried out, before dashing ahead of her.

“It’s….fine, really. Don’t bother yourself,” the girl attempted to persuade. You head a pleading tone in her voice, but you were adamant.

“I’m your caretaker, and I’m responsible for your welfare. That means, we have to work together!”

Liechtenstein blinked. “.....Sorry?” she whispered, registering your words.

“That is, I’m not very good in cooking. I was kinda hoping….” you trailed off, trying to reframe your words so that they would appear less commanding and harsh.

“That I’d help you?” the petite girl finished.

A little sheepish, you nodded.

To your relief, Lili lit up. “That be wonderful!” she beamed, before trotting off into the kitchen alongside you. “We can make Käsknöpfle mit Apfelmus,” she announced, handing you a knitted, white apron, decorated with adorable pictures of animals.

“She must’ve made this,” you inwardly swooned, as you carefully wore it. You tried to linger onto it as long as possible, hoping that if you held onto the creation long enough, you might be able to feel her warmth…….

You coughed abruptly to eliminate such thoughts residing in your mind. Once you had regained your composure, you made your way to the younger girl, who was now pulling out the ingredients from the rosewood cabinets. Prepared for an enjoyable experience, you pulled out some cheese.

.

.

.

Cooking had never been more fun.

You had learned a tremendous amount of culinary skills  just be helping Lili. You had hoped to be an ideal student, consuming every bit of information she slipped into her brief explanation. Really, you were impressed with her finesse and control with the utensils and ingredients. She appeared as if she knew exactly what she was doing, without the slightest doubt. She also revealed that while she did cook Swiss, French, and Italian recipes most of the time, she did enjoy food from all over the world. This only further strengthened your love (no, NO, admiration) for her.

Finally, you both sat down to devour the food before you. The taste was strong, a little too strong for your tastes (considering 70% of it was cheese), but you still forcefully scarfed it down. You needed to hide your revolted expression after 3 mouthfuls, and the mere thought of poor Lili staring at you with a devastated expression, eyes welling with tears and distraught, cowering at your cruelty, made it much easier to take in some more.

After finally agonizingly swallowing the food (all while internally wailing), you both decided to go to bed.

Lili offered to lead you to Vash’s bedroom. “Big brother didn’t like the idea of an extra bedroom,” she recalled, nostalgically leading you up the stone staircase. “In fact, he was pretty miserable that no one used the room when I wasn’t here. He was finally pleased when I occupied it, and put it to use. Unfortunately, he hasn’t made another guest room since.”

“Can I see your room?” you blurted out, not quite sure what was going on in your mind. Milliseconds after the words left your mouth, your face erupted into violent scarlet, mortified and abhorrent with yourself.

Fortunately, Liechtenstein took your words innocently. Expecting no other motive, she urged you to see her room, which was to the direct right of the the staircase on the second floor. She creaked open the wooden door, ushering you to look inside.

Sheepishly, you peeped inside, aware that if you refused, you would be met with a massive amount of suspicion.

It was an endearing room, tidied to perfection. To the right-hand corner was a small oak-wood cot with a soft, white mattress encapturing the frame a little too close for call. A long, quilted, woolen blanket illuminated with patterns and designs of nature in mellow shades of blue, pink, and yellow was smoothed out on the mattress. A squishy, goose-feather pillow lay plump and puffed at the head of the bed.

To the other side was a wide wooden shelf that came up to your knees. Despite its shortness, thick books were crammed into every nook and cranny the shelf could provide. You swore you saw some of your favorite books in between collections of other lengthy novels. Knitted dolls (the innocent kind with button eyes, not the creepy porcelain ones) sat on the top, along with an old picture frame of Lili and Vash, dressed in formal attire. You made a mental note to inspect that picture later.

Drawings and paintings of watercolor hung on the wall adjacent to the bookshelf, which also contained a small, sycamore window with clear, spotless glass.

Scattered on the ashen-grey tiles on the floor were pieces of cloth in a variety of colors, sewing needles, thread, and other materials for sewing and mending. On particular piece caught your eye- a petite square of white fabric, outlined in a lavender criss-cross pattern. The interior corners were meticulously sewed with pictures of bluebirds, and the center was designed with the initial letter of your first name in magenta.

Lili had followed your gaze to the floor, before embarrassed laughter cut through the peaceful silence that had enclosed the room. “I sometimes get so caught up in my work that I forget to clean up,” she sighed, before pinpointing the exact location where your eyes fell upon. Her eyes widening in realization, she scurried over to the patchwork, before handing it to you.

“I’m so sorry I forgot to give it to you!” she squeaked, bowing slightly in apology. “I-I wanted to give this to you as a welcome, but I was so caught up that it must’ve-”

“It’s amazing.”

Liechtenstein blinked.

“S-Sorry?”

“I said that it’s amazing, really,” you repeated, a broad grin growing on your face as you fingered the cloth slowly. “Such handwork…..I’m so envious,” you laughed.

There it was.

Again.

The same exact lopsided grin you put on whenever you appreciated some of the smallest things in life. The same smile exact smile that made Lili’s head spin and yet, made her feel like she could fly. The same exact smile that sent her heart to spasmodically beat, and made her flow of thoughts halt.

It was also the expression that made her want to elope you in her arms.

Feeling the heat burning her cheeks, she threw out the words she had been meaning to say before she got too flustered to speak.

“I’m glad you liked it!” she squeaked, the red on her face only growing, consuming the fair skin.

It was at that moment when you couldn’t control yourself. Throwing your arms around her shoulders and pulling her close, you cried out “Thank you!”

For a moment, the world broke to a stop. With your surroundings melting away into oblivion, all you could concentrate on was the warmth radiating off the body of Lili onto your own. You weren’t too close, but the contact of the two of you made you ecstatic. Euphoria filled your mind, and you wanted to stay like this, with the person you so longed for at your side…..

Liechtenstein was in just as much bliss as you were. Flashes of burning fire and freezing ice made her skin crawl. She knew you made her heart flood with emotions, but now, she couldn’t even feel herself. Not that she even minded, of course.

Numbness overcame her body, and she was now using you as support. Depending on your clutch not to collapse, she tried to cling onto every emotion that coursed through her veins the moment you two made contact. Her greatest desire to be in your arms had been granted, and now, it was fulfilled. She was so content to feel your heat mingling with hers, and so help her if she did something remarkably stupid now, like confess her fostering feelings for you.

But in fact, it was you that committed the unintelligent action of notifying your surroundings.

Realizing what just happened, you jolted away, breaking the soothing trance the pair of you were stuck in. Eyes wide with disbelief, you sputtered out “I-I’ll g-go now.” With that, you dashed out of the room, too afraid to look at Lili.

Liechtenstein was left in a daze, feeling drained and empty from the loss of contact. Her head was in such a whir, that it was painful. Rubbing her temples and taking deep breaths to steady her breathing, she slowly staggered into the bathroom.

“What the heck just happened?” she thought, splashing lukewarm water on her face. The cold sensation of the liquid on her face froze her confusion, and gave her momentary relief. With the capacity to revise, Lili pondered on the sensations that thrashed about in her mind as she dried her face with a towel. She almost didn’t realize her heart was still pounding.

Those emotions……. Could it have been love? Maybe. All throughout the day, you had made her feel things that no one else had triggered before. But, then again, she did have limited contact with many people or countries. Vash’s overbearing personality didn’t help either……

Maybe they were the feelings of friendship? Yes, that made more sense. After all, it had been less than a day. It was impossible to have become smitten with someone in such a short time period. In addition, you both had several similarities, so it wasn’t presumably hard for her to have grown fond of you.

Satisfied with her conclusion, Lili changed into her nightgown, got out of the bathroom, and climbed into bed.

Pulling the quilt up to her chin, and nuzzling into her pillow, she expected to fall into slumber immediately.

It didn’t happen.

Tossing agitatedly, Lili was puzzled on why her dreams weren’t consuming her exhausted mind.

Instead, she was stuck thinking.

About you.

Everything about you- from your (H/C) hair to your gracious smile, flooded back to her, only with amplified handsomeness and charisma.

Darn it, weren’t you just supposed to be a friend? Still, her heart was overflowing with longing and need for your touch……

You weren’t holding up any better.

Revolted to the core with your actions, you were not only running to your room, but away from your guilt. Even as you sprinted as hard as you could, remorse was the only thing obsessing your mind.

Honestly, you were about ready to vomit. You hated yourself now, because this, this was much too far.

How could you have done something like that? You deserved to die!

Well, Lili didn’t push back, so she wasn’t entirely uncomfortable. Feel proud!

Dammit, that wasn’t a good answer! What if she hated you?

She probably didn’t, after all, she’s a wonderful person. She’d understand that you immediately hugged her out of gratefulness.

The imaginary argument in your head slowly eased your agony. Reaching your room, you plopped down onto your bed, without so much of changing your clothes or taking a shower. Right now, you wanted to escape from your problems and worries.

Your emotions had settled down with a rational belief that she didn’t think much of the embrace. Closing your eyes, you tried to drift away into sleep, leaving remaining fragments of sorrow and self-detest.

Despite your conscience reconciling, you still laid wide awake, thinking about Lili. She was a goddess in your heart.

Still, all those feelings had to be erased. You had a feeling that until you did, sleep wasn’t going to come to you anytime soon.

Tonight was going to be a long night, for the both of you.