This is my first chapter story! Of course, it will feature more than just Gilbert/Roderich. So far, the story has exhibited Antonio/Lovino, implied Francis/Matthew, implied Ludwig/Feliciano, and implied Gilbert/Roderich. Other pairings I promise will be featured, is Alfred/Arthur, Heracles/Kiku, and Vash/His Guns (for humor's sake, of course.).

Enjoy!

The Austrian boy leaned against the doorframe, watching his beloved friend go. The Prussian never once looked back. For this, Roderich was glad. He turned his face against the dark wood of the door, letting the tears fall. His shoulders racked with sobs. Why..?

Gilbert trudged through the snow, making sure not to turn back to the forsaken orphanage that had kept him cooped up for as long he could remember. There was nothing to see any ways. Just that Austrian wimp, Roderich. What a priss! He was probably crying, too.

"Oh how I'd love to see that look on his sniveling face." Gilbert said, clenching his teeth, to keep his heart from spilling over.

"No chance in hell I'd miss that prick! He marked up my awesome face!" The Prussian let his fingers linger over his aching cheek, as he remembered what had gone down only a few minutes before.

"Come on, Roddy. We're leaving." Gilbert commanded, yanking the brunette from his bed.

"Gilbert, what are you talking about?" The boy rubbed sleep from his tired eyes.

"We're ditching this place. C'mon, let's get Ludwig and get going!"

"We can't just get up and leave!" Roderich clenched his fists.

"Sure we can. I'm not staying in this hellhole, nor am I leaving you or Ludwig here." The albino slung a sack over his shoulder, before walking towards the cot on the far side of the room. Ludwig's cot. He was about to wake the boy when a hand shot out and grabbed his, whipping him around.

"No. You're not taking him."

"He's MY little brother! I'll do whatever I want with him!You have no right to tell me what I can and cannot-"

Things were getting out of hand. Their voices were rising. If anyone heard, They'd all be in trouble. Big trouble. Without really thinking, Roderich slapped Gilbert out of his ranting. The albino's eyes widened as he felt his cheek sting. Did Roderich just slap him?

"Leave, before you get us all in trouble."

"Roderich. It's better this way! This place is starving us! When was the last time you actually had a good meal? The mattresses have holes in them! This place is infested!"

"We've been fine for the past fifteen years. One more year isn't going to kill either of us. Please just wait.."

They heard the sound of a creaking mattress from behind them. The two turned around to face the blonde's cot, and the sight of a tired boy, wiping sleep from his eyes.

"Ludwig, go back to sleep." Roderich ordered.

"That's pretty hard to do, considering you two's bickering. What's the problem?" Ludwig mumbled.

"It's nothing. Do as Roderich says." Gilbert readjusted his sack on his shoulder, before kissing his brother on the cheek.

" keep it down. Night Gilbert, Roderich.." Ludwig let his head fall down onto the pillow tiredly. Gilbert pulled the covers up around the boy's body. He started towards the door and opened it slowly. Roderich followed him, tiptoeing down the old hallway.

"Don't do this, please." Roderich pleaded.

"Don't do what? I'm leaving before I get us all in trouble." Gilbert said mockingly.

"Shut up, that's not what I meant." Roderich grabbed Gilbert's hand.

"Who cares. I'm leaving whether you want me to or not, you prick." Gilbert snapped, swatting away the hand, and opening the door. Ouch. Roderich stood stunned. A dull pain throbbed in his chest. Gilbert's expressions were replaced with regret-filled features.

"Roddy, I'm sorry."

"Leave. Now." Roderich pushed the albino towards the door.

"Roddy, look! I'm apologizing!"

"I don't care."

Gilbert felt tears sting his eyes, so he turned away. He stepped onto the porch.

"See you around, Roderich." The Prussian gave him a weak smile, before turning away. As he walked around, his feelings of guilt left simmering, until a tinge of anger invaded his heart. It made his stomach turn. The Austrian watched him walk away. The dull pain in his heart spread throughout his body, and he gripped the doorframe, as he sobbed into the rotting wood.

"Gilbert? Snap out of it!" Gilbert's eye's widened as he came back to reality, thanks to a tanned hand waving in front of his face. He looked around at the familiar setting of DiSarro's Pub. Shaking off the unpleasant memory, Gilbert grabbed his beer, and downed the whole mug in one swig.

"Gilbert, you keep daydreaming. I'm worried!"

"Maybe I was having a nice daydream.."

"About what? Your dear little Austrian lover?" the Spaniard teased.

"He wasn't my lover, you moron." Gilbert looked away. 'He was my best friend.' The albino thought.

"Mon dieu! No need to fight over moi!" Came an over-dramatic voice, followed by a tall, blonde Frenchman. He leaned over the back of the booth, hands sliding down both of the men's shirts.

"Who would!?" Gilbert and Antonio said simultaneously.

The Frenchman shivered as he felt eyes burning holes through his back, figuratively saying, of course.

"Touch Antonio again and I'll rip your dick off and beat you with it, Francis."

Gilbert choked back a laugh, cleverly disguising it with a cough. Francis froze before turning around and holding his hands up in fake innocence.

"Non, mon cher, it is not like that! I was simply warming him up for you!" Francis backed away cautiously, his hand guarding his private parts. The Italian scoffed before he was embraced, or rather, attacked, by a drunk Spaniard.

"Oh, Lovi, I missed you so much!" Antonio sang out, attempting to kiss him senseless.

"Chigi! I was only gone for five minutes, bastard!" Lovino blushed, his face turning the color of a tomato.

"And it was five too many, Lovi~!" The Spaniard chirped.

"Get off of me you drunk bastard! You reek of alcoh-mmff!" The Italian's lips were attacked by the Spaniard's, as he was pulled into the booth.

Gilbert and Francis couldn't help but laugh when the Italian elbowed Antonio in the gut. Lovino's face had taken on a shade crimson.

"I guess this is what they call tough love, non?" Francis wrapped his arm around Gilbert, before the Prussian shrugged it off.

"Hey Francis, where's your little Canadian boyfriend?" Gilbert inquired.

"Ah~ My Matthieu is in America, visiting that demon brother of his, Alfred." Francis spat the name out in distaste.

"That's too bad." Gilbert said, watching the Frenchman sulk. He quickly raised himself up from the table, and walked off to the bar, to get another beer. Or something along those lines. Gilbert pulled out a stool and sat down, resting his face in his palms.

"Give me something strong. Doesn't matter what. Surprise me." The albino mumbled.

"Of course, sir." The bartender replied.

Gilbert looked up when a glass clanked onto the wood surface before him carelessly, followed by a few cubes of ice, and a stream of clear liquid. The Prussian continued to stare at the glass, until he noticed the flow of alcohol was drifting to the right a bit, before missing the glass completely.

"Uh, is there a…" Gilbert looked up, before he found himself staring into a familiar face of brunette hair and violet eyes. As if seeing the albino's face was a confirmation, the brunette took a step back.

"G-Gilbert?"

"Roddy?"

All in the space of one second, a bottle hit the floor with a loud crash, followed by the knees of the brunette bartender and a silver haired man jerked out of his chair, and bent over the bar counter. Every being in the pub was completely silent. Even the jukebox had the decency to sputter out the last notes of a song. If a needle would dare to drop at this moment, you could have heard it.

"Roderich, what happened?" A voice accented with thick German tone cut through the silence like a machete. A blonde haired, blue eyed, well-built man reached down and helped the Austrian to his feet.

"Ludwig?" Gilbert guessed, tears forming in his eyes. The German was caught off guard by the sound of his name rolling off an unfamiliar tongue. Ludwig jolted up, and stared unblinkingly at the albino.

"Bruder." The German said, more stating than questioning.

"Ja." Gilbert replied, tears slipping down his cheeks.

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