Work Text:
This wasn't a date…right?
Whatever the terminology, Lovino found himself reluctantly agreeing and making plans, driven on by curiosity and an unfortunate interest in history. Just this once. A new exhibit was to premiere at the Historical Museum, showcasing recently restored and obtained items spanning over three centuries in total. These events naturally drew the attention of a diverse crowd; Historians, students, families, the elderly, young couples, any and all who may have an interest in the past or went in search of a common experience. It was a simple way of bringing people together and simultaneously providing education.
Unbeckomst to the vast majority of aforementioned visitors, however, was one mysterious, final category of people. Lovino Vargas happened to belong to them, as did Gilbert Beilschmidt, his unruly companion dragging him along toward the grandiose building, barely stopping for traffic lights or to let him take in the sights of the city. His complaints all but fell on deaf ears; this particular exhibition held a unique significance to Gilbert few would suspect. It was also why he acted so recklessly now, as if untouchable and out of harm's reach. To a certain degree, this behavior could be justified by a mysterious, extraordinarily rare trait possessed only by their kind, functioning as a curse and blessing. The more Lovino thought of it, the dizzier he felt, and so he often avoided further contemplation on the matter.
What did it truly mean to represent a 'nation' ? To embody a concept so vague it still required intense discussion and provoked arguments as arbitrary borders were drawn up on a table few had the privilege to sit by…Well, for starters, it meant immortality. Neither of them could die, or at least the end was not so finitive as one would think, and so Gilbert lost interest in the reasonable cautiousness felt by mortal crowds who only had one life to gamble with.
They could feel pain, however. Besides that, Lovino would rather not cause a scene by getting run over and then walk away snapping his limbs back into place as if nothing happened.
"I heard they're giving out brochures at the entrance. How boring!" Gilbert laughed, glancing back at him in search of agreement. "We won't need that! I'll be your personal guide for today, don't you worry!"
Lovino glared back, determined not to give him anything. "In other words, I'm stuck hearing you stroking your own ego for the next hour."
They'd reached the tall steps leading up to the entrance of the museum, eventually merging with a walkway lined by pillars in Roman style. On either side of the heavy doors held open for visitors stood large banners promoting the exhibition. It read: Our Prussian Heritage: Artifacts from the past . Slightly out of breath, Lovino took in the sight of the all too familiar architecture, and the autumn leaves carried by in the cold, refreshing wind.
"Can you believe it?!" Gilbert's eyes sparkled. "At long last, I get the recognition I truly deserve!"
"I doubt they had you in mind when they set this thing up…"
But he'd already begun to climb the steps, prompting Lovino to follow despite relishing in pausing after the unnecessary rush. The museum would be open until 18. As he glanced down at his wrist he saw the clock had barely struck 14:15. Muttering to himself he set out after his companion, mainly to stop him from causing trouble. Something Lovino quickly learned from their rare encounters one on one was that Gilbert truly seemed doomed to wind up in undesirable situations, whether it be due to his overall obnoxious personality or some unlucky coincidence. And so Lovino made the climb, catching up with Gilbert who waited impatiently at the top.
"Says right here it's split into three main timelines, beginning with the 16th century and ending with the 19th." He told Lovino, inspecting one of the banners. "That is how you read it in English, right? To be honest, I never understood why they had to go and mess up the centuries like that."
"Sounds about right." Lovino replied, scanning the crowd. "Anyway, it seems like opening day is going to be a success. Maybe we should have gone earlier."
"Don't worry, this place is huge! There will be plenty of personal space left for you to be your wonderful self." Taking hold of his wrist anew, Gilbert began to drag him to the entrance. "Besides," He continued. "You happen to have brought an expert along. I'll make sure only to include the important stuff in my tour!"
" Only the important stuff? " Lovino protested. "Am I supposed to trust your judgment of what is and isn't of relevance? Absolutely not!"
Gilbert laughed again. He didn't seem to mind his cynical outlook at all; In fact, it only seemed to enliven his spirits, like a difficult challenge he felt compelled to overcome. This was of course the ego attempting to gratify itself, to prove himself unbeatable and stoic in face of any foe. Lovino, in light of being aforementioned foe, wasn't sure whether to feel insulted, relieved, weirdly intrigued or an unorthodox combination of the three.
Once past the entrance, now holding onto an admission ticket which would be marked with a stamp upon exiting, they looked around the main hall. Three ways laid open; Left, right or straight up ahead. Before Lovino felt the eager tug on his sleeve, he guessed they'd be going forward and had already taken a step in that direction. Passing beneath a valve they entered the 17th century section. All around, kept sealed behind protective glass displays and in various states of preservation, were items ranging from everyday household objects, clothing and tapestries, to greatswords and metallic armor glimmering in the light shining from above.
"Woah…All this stuff made it into the exhibition?" Mesmerized, Gilbert had already trailed toward the armor displays.
Following his lead, Lovino too began to draw closer to the exhibited items, finally allowing his fascination to take over. Amidst many complaints he had, in fact, been interested in learning more about Prussian history and this opportunity had been too tempting to pass up. From hazy, distant memories of the past centuries begotten he vividly still recalled a strong fascination, hiding in hallways and eavesdropping as knights from the East arrived, adorning a majestic black eagle on their coats of arms and carrying helmets coated with scratches from blades. He'd hardly dared peek out despite the intrigue being near unbearable, but he'd caught spare glimpses of these strangers from a foreign land who spoke such a strange, crude language. Lovino admired them quietly from a distance, dreaming up stories of their bravades and glory out on unknown battlefields.
Reminiscing on this, he smiled softly to himself. The prospect of meeting the man representing this nation had of course held its mystical shimmer. Lovino often attempted to visualize him, but always ended up feeling his imagination just wasn't doing reality any justice. Glancing to Gilbert, now glued to a wide display of swords and daggers momentarily lost in his own nostalgia, Lovino could see why. He just wasn't the type you could make up on a whim. Tall, lean, with bright white, unruly hair cut short but not carefully maintained like it ought to be. And then of course his eyes; Red like andesines or rubies, or a royal red shade prevalent in palaces. Almost comically out of place among the common people. Lovino, on the other hand, had no trouble blending in, passing unnoticed unless he wanted to be, which he of course rarely did.
Catching him staring, Gilbert grinned. "Well? What are you standing over there for? I told you I'd be your guide, didn't I? Come, follow me!"
"You really don't need to-"
But he'd already set off, clearly expecting Lovino to tag along and only answering the protest with a hand wave indicating for him to hurry. Growling, Lovino had little choice but to do just so; The crowd meant they may lose each other unless they stuck together, and that prospect wasn't so inviting.
And so the promised, unconventional tour began. To call it disorderly would have been a kindness; Gilbert lost focus almost immediately, suddenly drawn to a new item deemed of higher relevance than the one currently being presented, and what little was told about the former came out as an excited ramble rather than the thorough, detailed report one would hope for from a so-called "expert". It wasn't that his enthusiasm wasn't infectious; At least Lovino attempted to pay attention to what he was saying, but he ultimately learned next to nothing. If only he hadn't been such a scatter-brained weirdo…Whatever. It felt unfair to complain about such well intended efforts. At least he wasn't boring.
"-So you see, it all comes back to me in some way." Gilbert concluded one of his incomprehensible rants, beaming with pride. "There isn't anything in these rooms I don't recognize! Obviously. None of this would be here if I wasn't. I mean, take this for example-"
That was when it happened.
At once alert, feeling like the air had taken on an electrical, anxious tension, Lovino looked up to see why Gilbert had gone quiet. They'd trailed off into the 19th century section and stood by the gun displays. Inside were old pistols, made before modern technology allowed for rapid fire and improved safety handling the equipment. Shoulders tense and his relaxed, joyful demeanor completely and startlingly absent, Gilbert's gaze fixated on a particular musket equipped with a bayonet. Along its wooden hand guard ran long scratches, and despite careful polishing it must at some point have been soiled by soot or dirt. In other words, it had been lost on the battlefield.
"...W-what was I saying again?" The laugh rang with disgenuinity. He wrung his hands, agitated. "Right…Uh, just give me a moment to…"
Something was off. Lovino could feel it like a painful, piercing needle, urging him to do something. "What's wrong?" He asked, forgetting his previous standoffishness. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"No, no, I'm fine, it's nothing!" Gilbert insisted, giving him a strange smile that didn't seem right before averting his gaze and staring at the floor. "I only got lost in thought, that sort of thing happens sometimes, it's nothing to worry about. It…"
But his hands were trembling. And as Lovino cautiously scanned him, he noticed his breathing had changed too. Tense all over, overcome by something he now desperately fought to keep down. Blinking as if in shock. It was subtle, sure, but to Lovino these differences were glaring and alarming.
Unable to pass it off as harmless, he briskly walked up to Gilbert and took hold of his arm. "Let's not stay here. I'm taking you outside."
He shook his head. "You don't have to do that. We only just got here. Remember, if we exit we can't go back inside and- I said I would show you the exhibition, I promised-"
"Why are you always so stubborn? Forget the exhibition!" Lovino surprised himself, raising his voice ever so slightly. "I'm taking you outside, end of discussion."
"But I'm fine-"
Lovino dragged him along, driven by an inexplicable sense of urgency relaying that this couldn't wait. Face held low he navigated them both through the crowds, Gilbert behind him distraught being led away like this, but seemingly without the willpower to stop it. That in itself raised enough concern not to back down; Lovino knew no other person as combative and stubborn as Gilbert Beilschmidt, infamous for his unrelenting and infuriating inability to back down facing obstacles most would admit defeat to.
Finally, they made it outside. Finding them a more secluded spot by the end of the columns where the stairs connected with the walkway, Lovino all but shoved Gilbert down and then sat just a short distance away as to first assess the situation. Frustration evident in his expression, Gilbert watched his trembling hands and grit his teeth.
"This wasn't supposed to happen." He said. "I'm not usually like this. I prepared, but still…" Overcome with emotion, he paused.
"Listen," Lovino began. "I don't know what happened in there, or why, and that doesn't really matter anyway, but don't pretend like it's nothing."
He hardly dared meet his gaze, suddenly subdued in demeanor. "I know. Just…Don't tell anyone about this, please? It's stupid, that's what it is. I usually have things under control."
"I won't. But in return, talk to me."
Taking a deep breath, staring forward with a grim shadow upon his features and a subtle pain making itself known in and around his eyes, Gilbert steadied himself to the best of his abilities. Lovino again felt that protective urge come to life, though he hardly could be of any use here. Still, it remained as a strange ache within his own heart, sharing in the turmoil kept partially hidden beneath a stoic facade. Perhaps it could absorb more, if given enough time. A stupid notion, but one he could not completely escape as he sat in great anticipation, waiting.
"I…don't know when it began." Gilbert admitted, glancing at him. "For as long as I can remember, this…I don't know what to call it...suffocating feeling sometimes gets to me. And then I remember things I'd forgotten, or tried to forget, I don't know." He humorlessly shrugged. "Back then you didn't really talk about these things. Unless you wanted to be punished for lacking discipline and morale. And me? I couldn't let everyone doubt my devotion. Wasn't happening."
"Trust me when I say you don't lack conviction." Lovino offered a faint, uncertain smile. "You're unbearably devoted to all you dedicate yourself to."
He faintly smiled back. "Thanks. For listening, too. I don't know if that made much sense. I wish I could explain myself better after ruining our date."
Lovino felt a surge of warmth rush to his face. "It's not- Nevermind. What's important is you stop being so damn reckless and get yourself in order, you hear me? No one's going to be upset if you rely on others from time to time."
"Got it, boss. I'll try."
Gilbert smirked, victorious. He resembled his old self more by the minute. Some weight had been lifted, though a lot remained to be handled. Unbelievable. Raising such concern and for once allowing himself to be earnest and self reflecting, he still ultimately fell back into that grating habit of being a mischievous, annoying idiot delighting in outwitting others. Leaning back, Lovino sighed and cursed himself for ever getting so involved with someone so strange.
"...You know. There's an exhibit in Milan about archaeological findings from the Roman Empire. I'm only mentioning it because you worry so much about ruining the day. We could go. I don't know. I don't care."
Each word only dug his grave deeper, but Lovino felt compelled to make the offer anyway. He simply rephrased it as a courtesy, a chance to make amends rather than what Gilbert had called it. Date. The word still buzzed within like a small fire producing a strange warmth, and as an additional byproduct he felt himself growing increasingly agitated in Gilbert's presence. This problem definitely had to be dealt with before it was too late. It could not be allowed to develop. Whatever this was, Lovino was determined to kill it.
"It's a date, then." Gilbert grinned.
"Shut up. It's not a date." Lovino snapped.
It wasn't. Right…?