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"Stupid can," you grumbled to yourself, kicking the red object out of the way. It scuffled softly over the dirt road before coming to a halt in a sparse patch of half dead grass. There was a pebble in your way, dusty with light dirt. You kicked that out of the way, too. "Stupid pebble." You scratched the back of your damp neck, looking up into the afternoon sky and screwing up your eyes against the sun. It was a beautiful day, with fluffy clouds dotting the bright blue canvas above, birds chirping gaily in the few trees that were set on the gentle hills on either side of you, and the purple Alps standing proudly to your left, snowy peaks clawing at the sky like they wanted to push away the obstacle that kept them at their current height. "Stupid sun, stupid sweat, stupid clouds, stupid sky, stupid birds, stupid trees, stupid hills, stupid Alps!" You threw your hands up in aggravation. "And stupid Switzerland! I have no idea where I am!"
Indeed, you were walking along the long deserted dirt road, completely lost and alone. Your first month in Switzerland, and you still had no idea how to get from your workplace, the thing that brought you here, back to your home on the outskirts of town! And as if it wasn't bad enough that you had somehow wondered off into the countryside, your car just had to break down. Stupid car. Hands shoved in your pockets, you walked along with your head low, more angry than afraid. It was early afternoon, so you would have plenty of time to wander around and hopefully find intelligent life that could help you. If you couldn't…
No! Stop thinking like that right now! you scolded mentally, shaking your head to clear it. God, __________, quit your worrying. Everything's going to be fine. You're going to find someone to help you and maybe even take you home. You're not going to start thinking of the worst case scenario, that you're going to get even more lost and too far away from your car and have to sleep on the dirt and then end up dying of hunger…
"God—!" You slapped yourself, now even angrier, maybe a little more afraid, but you would never admit to your imagination getting the best of you. "Okay, since thinking is obviously not helping, I'm going to admire the scenery…as I talk to myself." You glowered, realizing that you seriously needed to get back to society before you completely lost it. You found your gaze shifting, looking for someone who might've heard out of habit.
"Stupid," you grumbled, "if someone was out here then I wouldn't be in this situation! ...And of course, I'm still talking to myself." You clamped your mouth shut, squinting your eyes and trying not to think of going insane enough to see something nonexistent like a flying mint bunny, if that could possibly make any sense. But you really weren't making any right at that moment. This was why you hated being alone, or at least being in lonely dilemmas. Your mind started to screw with you. You grit your teeth, focused on the dirt path like it was the only thing keeping you sane, and marched on.
It had been an hour or so since you first started your hike, and now you were beginning to worry again. The sun was just starting to slant away from the center of the sky, but it hadn't set enough to make it appear that the sky was bleeding an array of orange and red. The sky was still blue, but the shading had darkened a bit. You were exhausted, and the sun had been ruthless. You were sweating terribly by this point and your whole mouth and throat felt as rough and dry as sandpaper. You could actually see radiation coming from the narrow path. The only thing that kept you from taking a rest under one of the cherry trees was that the small hills began to become dotted with flowers, and it was beginning to slope upward.
Unfortunately, this wore you out even more. Still, the soft yellows and blues and purples and oranges and whites from the flowers somehow kept you motivated, increasing in appearance until they were in large clusters. Breathing now ragged, you reached the crest of the incline and bent over, hands on knees as you huffed, trying to regain the oxygen that had been lost. Once you felt your heart calm, you straightened and were both baffled and relieved with what you saw.
Just ahead was another hill, one that was bigger than the rest, and was completely decked in flowers. There were so many you could hardly see the green grass beneath. The wind kicked up, making the sea of color lap over one another hungrily, while the dark green leaves of the large oak tree that sat at the very top swirled to the ground. But the most surprising thing was the little girl who stood with her back to you.
From what you could see, the girl looked either twelve or thirteen at the least, maybe fourteen. She wore a dark red dress that reached to her ankles, which were bare. Her blonde hair just barely reached her shoulder blades, and she had a lavender ribbon tied in a bow on one side. She spun around a few times, but her eyes were shut so she didn't see you. In her hands was a bouquet of the field flowers, which she held close to her chest. She appeared to be dancing, spinning down a ways before bending over and picking another flower to add to her collection, lost in a peaceful bliss. You stood there for a moment, just watching, when she stood from plucking a daisy and spotted you. You looked at each other for a moment, blinking in surprise. Her eyes were a pretty teal color. Then she smiled, tipped her head to the side and said in a German dialect you had never heard before,
"Oh, hello there. How are you today?"
You blinked again, then said sheepishly as well as you could, "Uh, well in honesty I've been better. Um…" You looked around, trying to spot a house or cottage or wherever this girl came from. "Might I ask where I am?"
She put her small first up to her mouth and giggled, looking genuinely amused. "Why? Are you lost?"
You grinned in embarrassment and nodded. The girl's smile faded.
"O—Oh. Well, you're really close to the border between Switzerland and Liechtenstein—where I’m from—near mine and my big brother's home."
Your eyes widened. "I see…is that anywhere near Sevelen?"
She looked up thoughtfully. "I'm not really sure. But my big brother should know. How did you end up here?"
"Oh, that." You scratched the back of your damp scalp. "Well, you see, I just got a job here, and I always get lost trying to get from there to my new house, and I got lost again, but this time my car broke down…Oh, I forgot to say, my name is __________ __________."
She laughed again, beginning to take light steps towards you. "That's some bad luck, if you ask me." She reached out her hand. "My name is Erika Vogel. It's a pleasure to meet you."
You smiled and took her little hand gingerly, hoping not to sweat on it. "Likewise, Erika."
She spotted a daisy beside her and bent to pick it up. She sniffed it, then added it to her pile, also making a quick observation of you. "You seem so tired, __________."
"Yeah, well, I've been walking for the past hour." You laughed weakly.
She blinked. "Really?" She looked up thoughtfully for a moment again. Then she took a step back, shifting the flowers into one hand and beckoning you with the other. "Then maybe you can come to our home. I'm sure brother will be able to help you."
"Oh, can I?" you gushed, clapping your hands together excitedly. "Thank you so much, Erika!"
Another innocent giggle escaped her lips. "Please, it's nothing. Now follow me. Our home is just over this hill."
With new vigor you followed eagerly as she slipped her shoes back on, which had been sitting near the base of the oak tree, and skipped up the incline. When you caught up, there was indeed a large, almost Victorian like mansion, completely surrounded by low and dark hedges. You could see over these hedges a tree with a makeshift wooden swing attached in the front yard and a large garden in the back, blossoming with rose bushes and tulips and cherry trees and orchids and daisies and many more flowers that you could not even begin to name. If you weren't so breathless already, it would've certainly taken it away.
"My, Erika, your house looks so lovely," you couldn't help but say.
The girl smiled. "It is, but I wouldn't be able to enjoy it if it weren't for my brother. He made the swing himself, and he worked very hard on the garden, just for me. In fact, if it weren't for him, I wouldn't even be here."
This piqued your curiosity. "Really?"
She merely nodded, then began to descend the slope, leaving you to follow mutely behind.
Once you reached the house, Erika pushed open the low white picket fence that led into the front yard and began a twisted stone path that led up to the stoop, allowing you entrance. When you stepped up to the stoop, she turned to you and warned, "My brother doesn't really like strangers, so he might give you some trouble. It'd be best for you to not say anything and let me explain."
You nodded, so she opened the door and let you inside. Her statement made your stomach flutter nervously. What kind of man was her big brother?
"Big brother, I'm home!" Erika called, slipping off her brown penny loafers. "And I brought you some flowers!"
Those flowers are for him? you thought. Wow, she must really love her brother . You watched as she delicately placed the flowers in the small glass vase that was already filled with water on top of a small wooden hutch next to her. You looked up when you heard footsteps coming down the steps that were in front of you.
"Erika, I told you to come home in a half hour, not a whole one!" a voice that had to belong to the man descending the steps said. "I was about to go looking for you—"
He stopped abruptly when he saw you. Your stomach did a little flip-flop. At first, the man (who you were not afraid to admit was one of the handsomer ones you've seen) seemed surprised, but then his rich green eyes that made the lush Swiss grass look dead in comparison narrowed in hostility.
"Who are you?" he asked in a tone as cold as ice. He began to reach around his military jacket for something.
"Brother, no!" Erika cried, stepping between the two of you. She held her arms open. "Please, big brother, don't hurt her!" The girl looked at you over her shoulder with a reassuring smile. "He won't hurt you if I stand in between you," she whispered.
You gulped and nodded, feeling goose bumps of anxiety begin to form on your arms. Would he really have harmed you if it weren't for Erika coming to your rescue? Just what kind of person was her brother? He couldn't be all that cruel, not if what she told you about the swing and garden he made for her and that she wouldn't even be here without him was true. Maybe he was just a xenophobe.
"Who is she?" he now asked her, suspicious gaze still locked on your slightly frightened one.
"Brother, this is __________. __________, this is my big brother, Basch."
"Uh…hi," you said awkwardly.
"Erika, you know better than to let strangers into the house, let alone talk to them!" Basch yelled, hand still positioned just under the flap of his military coat.
"But Basch!" Erika protested. "She just moved to Switzerland and she got lost on her way home and her car broke down, so she was wondering about lost and alone, just like how you found me! Besides, she saw me first, so I couldn't get away. How could I just leave her there?"
Your eyes widened. He had found her…lost and alone? Had she used to be an orphan or something? In the back of your mind, you could not help but feel a small twinge of admiration towards the Swiss man. He was wary of strangers, obviously, but he was also obviously very loving and protective of his sister. And again, he was certainly not hard to look at.
You could see the gears turning in his mind as he processed this. Then slowly he retracted his hand, which you guessed had been gripping some kind of weapon. He sighed in defeat. "I guess all that matters is that you're safe. But please, be a bit more cautious next time. You never know what someone might have up their sleeve." He flashed you a dirty look on the last word.
She nodded. "Okay, big brother, I promise. I'm sorry for worrying you."
Aw… you thought. She's so cute!
Suddenly, Erika started and turned back to you. "Oh, right. __________, why don't you come to the kitchen with me and maybe we can call a tow truck and get you something to drink."
You grinned. "Thank you so much, Erika."
She giggled and led you down the hall, where you could already see the small kitchen. You noticed that Basch was following behind, and you could feel his piercing stare on your back, warning that he was ready to spring you in a second should you do any harm to his sister. He made you feel almost like a prisoner, locked in an intense and spiteful glare. You tried to suppress your shivering.
When you got there, Erika invited you to sit at the small round table, which you gladly did. As soon as you did, you sighed in relief. God did it feel good to sit down! But your comfort quickly turned to unease when Basch sat right next to you, arms crossed and glare hard as ever. You looked at him and tried to think of something to say.
"Um…" You held your hand out nervously. "I'm __________. It's nice to meet you, Basch. I hope you don't mind the intrusion, but—"
"I do."
"Oh…" You lowered your hand, embarrassed. "Well, I guess I can understand that. I'm sure out here not a lot of people are around…"
He, however, was unimpressed. He opened his mouth to speak, but Erika put a phone book and a glass of water in front of you.
"Can you read German?" she asked you.
You nodded, thanked her for the water, and opened the book, trying to find the nearest tow truck company. She pulled out the seat next to yours and helped with the search while you quietly drank the water, grateful for its soothing effects on your throat.
"Where were you trying to go?" Basch asked gruffly, not wasting a second to look away from you.
"My house, just outside of Sevelen," you said as politely as you could, too nerve racked to look up at him. "Is that anywhere near here?"
He snorted disdainfully. "Well, at least you're not too far off. We're just outside of Buchs, right next to Sevelen."
You sighed in relief. "Oh, thank goodness. It would suck if I somehow ended up at the other side of the country!"
You and Erika laughed, yet Basch was not amused. "Here's one!" you cried, pointing at a tow truck company that was in Buchs. Erika nodded and handed you the phone. You called the manager and explained your situation, and based on what you both could remember you figured out where your car probably was. He was going to get someone to fetch it, then drive up to where you were to pick you up and take you home.
"Nochmals vielen Dank!" you said, ending the conversation. You gave the phone back to Erika and told the two your plan.
You stood. "Well, I'm glad I got that settled. Now all I have to do is wait on the stoop."
"I'll come with you!" Erika volunteered, rising as well. She looked over at Basch. "Are you coming, too?”
At first he said nothing, but then he slowly rose. "I guess so," he grumbled.
So, the three of you stepped outside. It might have just been you, but you thought it was just a tad bit cooler out. But that could've been from being in their lovely air conditioned house. You and Erika sat and chatted about this and that while Bascb sat at the other side of you. You knew he was still observing you, but it was gradually becoming easier to withstand since he had been doing it for so long. Even though you pretty much knew nothing of this guy, there was just something about him that right away you liked. Or maybe it could have just been his sister.
When the tow truck finally arrived, you bid them thanks for their hospitality and farewell.
"Oh, please wait!" Erika said last minute. You looked at her, surprised. "I want to give you something, __________! Please just wait right here, I'll be back in a minute!" Before you could protest that that wasn't necessary, she dashed back into the house, leaving you alone with Basch while the truck waited on the road.
You looked at him, hating the awkward silence. "Your sister is very sweet," you remarked, finding it easier to talk about her than him.
He blinked, but you weren't sure if it was out of boredom or newfound curiosity. "She is," he agreed.
"From what she's told me, she really loves you."
He nodded. "She does, though I'm not sure why she does as much as she does."
"Well, she did say that you found her lost and alone. I think it'd be weird, if not stupid, not to feel overwhelming gratitude and love to someone who does that. Plus, you made the garden and the swing just for her." As you said this, you realized that that was why you found him so charming. How many times have you strayed across a pair of siblings who were nowhere near close, even if they were blood? Not a lot. Erika and Basch weren't blood, yet their brotherly/sisterly love for each other was astounding. Erika even had her hair cut like his.
"I'd do anything for her," he said simply. Something in your heart fluttered oddly.
"Here!" You were ripped from your thoughts when she returned. She handed you a slip of paper. "It's our address and phone number," she explained. "I had fun with you today, __________. I really hope we can be friends and see each other again!"
For a moment, you were speechless. Then you smiled widely, resisted the urge to hug her cute little self, and said, "Yes, we should definitely see each other again."
Erika turned her teal eyes to her brother, glittering with excitement. "Can we, brother? Can we be friends?"
He hesitated. He looked down at her, her hopeful little eyes reflecting the clouds overhead. He knew he had been defeated. "Fine. But only if she comes to our house and she calls first."
Erika clasped her hands together excitedly. "Oh, thank you, Basch!" She looked at you, smile even wider. "So see you soon, then?"
You nodded happily. "Yes, I'll see you soon." And so you turned, pushed open the gate, and climbed into the truck, giving them both one last wave, which your new friend returned.
*~*
"__________, do you have a crush on my big brother?"
You lurched forward and choked on your tea, nearly spitting it out. "Wh—what?!"
You and Erika were sitting in her backyard at the white table, enjoying the evening warmth and some tea sweet she had made. You had been enjoying yourself and the comfortable silence until she suddenly asked that.
It had been about three months since you had first met each other, and since then you had kept your promise and would visit every weekend, and even though you were older than her you two had become close rather quickly. It was the same with Basch, too. He gradually became more social, and although you wouldn't exactly call it a friendship, you did converse from time to time, and you found that he was actually very nice once he started to trust you more. You weren't sure if he trusted you completely yet, however. But that was alright. It gave you more time to contemplate those strange feelings about him that you would get from time to time. They weren't necessarily bad feelings, they were just foreign. There was just something about his love for his sister that you always somehow came back to, and that's where those feelings would start. You would also always recall how he said he'd do anything for her.
Erika laughed, hair bouncing as she did so. "I think you do."
"I never said that!" you protested.
She shrugged. "You don't have to. I see the way you look at him, __________, and how much fun you seem to have when you talk to him."
You lowered your head, trying to cover your blush. "…Do I really look at him oddly?"
She laughed again, eyes glittering with amusement. "Yes, you do. And I see the way he looks at you. I think he likes you back."
Your eyes widened and your blush deepened. You looked away. "You shouldn't say stuff like that, Erika," you grumbled.
"But why not? I think you two would make a cute couple."
"It's not…any of your business," you said as politely as you could.
"I know, but if neither of you have figured it out yet, why not give you a push? Plus, Basch’s my brother and you're my friend. I just want the two of you to be happy."
Despite the sudden awkward scenario, you couldn't help but smile softly. "I am happy, Erika. I like being your friend, and I'm having fun here in Switzerland. It's a lot nicer here than I thought it would be."
"But I think you would be happier together. I don't mind it; in fact, I would like it." She sighed. "Oh, well." She looked out towards the garden, sadly taking a sip of tea. "I guess that's just my opinion. I still think it would be worth a shot, though."
You looked down at your own mug, your expression looking just a tad bit somber as you considered this. It was true, you had managed to develop a small crush on Basch, but you never dared to do anything about it. But…did he really like you back like Erika thought? That would be nice… "Well, maybe," you murmured. You traced the rim of your mug with your finger. You weren't sure what else to say, so you said nothing.
Meanwhile, Erika’s eyes flashed dangerously with mischief. She normally wasn't one for butting into other people's lives, but she really thought you two would be perfect together. That, and the fact that Elizabeta was extremely convincing. Basch didn't have any rules against this, so she could do it, right? And if he was mad at first, if it all worked out, she knew he wouldn't be for very long. Now she was itching for you to leave so that she and her Hungarian friend could put their plan in action.
She took another slow drink. Perfect , she thought.
*~*
About two weeks later, you knocked on the Zwingli/Vogel door, holding a suitcase in your other hand. You had to admit you were surprised when Erika invited you to spend the night, mainly because you thought Basch wouldn't have allowed that, but actually were a bit excited to come. It would be nice to unwind and relax with your dear little friend, and her brother as well. Oh, yes, definitely her brother. And thank goodness you had made it here, because about two blocks away your car decided that it had serious issues and broke down… again . If that wasn't the worst of it, from what you could see in the dark it looked almost like someone had somehow sabotaged it, not to crash until it went a certain distance, if that was even possible.
Basch was the one to open the door. He oddly looked surprised. "What are you doing here? I thought I said not to come before calling first."
Immediately your smile turned to a frown. "What? I did call here. Erika answered. She invited me to spend the night here."
His eyes widened and his face paled. "Erika’s…not here."
You stared at him in disbelief. "What do you mean she's not here? She told me to be here tonight at nine and, well, here I am!"
"She's at her friend Elizabeta's house, spending the night there."
Your own face paled. "You have got to be kidding me…"
He tipped his head curiously. "What do you mean?" A bit more harshly he added, "Just turn around and go home. If Erika really did tell you to come tonight, then I'll have a discussion with her about it."
"N—No, it's not that." You blushed and looked away, down the path where your broken car was just over the hill. "M—My car broke down…again."
He looked at you incredulously. Very slowly he said, "And the tow truck company closes just about now…"
"It closes?" you gasped, feeling your cheeks flare. Oh god…were you going to have to stay here with him? ...Well that wasn't so bad, now that you thought about it. Although, at the same time you didn't want to. This was going to be so awkward!
He nodded. You both stood there, contemplating your situation and both of you were growing redder and redder in the face as it settled. Finally, Basch opened the door a little wider and said, "Well, I guess I can't let you sleep outside. Might as well come in. You can sleep in the guestroom."
You couldn't contain a breath of relief. "Thank you, Basch," you said as casually as you could, stepping inside.
"Do you want something to eat or drink?" You could hear the strain in Basch’s voice, his irritation at both you and his sister yet still trying to be polite. Yet another reason to like him.
You shook your head, knowing that you had already overstayed your welcome and it would be best not to do much. "No, I ate before I came, but thank you. I guess I'll go upstairs or something…get ready for bed," you added awkwardly.
He looked at you strangely, but only said, "The guestroom is the first door on the left."
"Thanks," you said again before climbing up the steps. Okay, so this was weird. It'd be best to just go straight to bed and leave as soon as you could so you could forget about this. Yeah, that was the best idea. You walked into the bathroom in the guestroom and got ready for bed. You were thankful that you had the wits to wear your long pajamas that didn't reveal anything.
Just as you finished washing your face, you nearly jumped out of your skin by a sudden loud CRASH! You dashed out of the room, pausing at the top of the steps to look down.
"B—Basch?" you stammered. You could not see him. "Are you there?"
"I'm here," he answered. He slowly went to the base of the stairs to look up at you with the same green eyes that you once thought of as uncomfortable, now reassuring. "Are you alright?"
You nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. Do you know what that was?"
He shook his head, suspiciously looking left and right as if he expected an enemy to appear out of nowhere and lunge. "No, I don't." His gaze went back to you. "But it sounded like it came from outside. You stay there. I don't want you getting hurt."
Your heart nearly skipped a beat. So he did care after all. Slowly you descended the steps. "Can I help at all—?" You cut yourself off with a scream as you tripped—definitely over something that was not your feet, it strangely felt almost like a string—and tumbled down the steps, epically failing at trying to get back on your feet.
"Oomph!" you gasped when you reached the ground. But when you did you heard…a cry of alarm? And why was the ground much softer than you anticipated? You lifted your head only to be nearly touching noses with a very red faced Bascb. Your own cheeks went alight with embarrassment, and you were so traumatized that neither of you moved, not like he really could, though. You both stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, paralyzed to the spot. Sudden snickering snapped you back to reality.
You both looked up to see Erika and an older woman with bright green eyes and an orange flower in her long wavy brown hair giggling at the two of you. "Oh, brother!" Erika cried, trying to contain further laughter. "Big brother, you should see your face! It is so funny!"
"E—Erika! Elizabeta, what is the meaning of this?" Basch cried, aghast. He shoved you off of him and scrambled to his feet, face beet red in embarrassment and rage. You weren't much different.
Instead of an answer, Elizabeta whispered something frantically in Erika’s ear. She giggled, shouted, "Now kiss her, big brother!" and scampered away, leaving you and the Swiss man alone and confused.
Neither of you said anything. You stood at his side, looking in the direction that the two had gone, standing hardly a shoulder distance apart. Well, so much for not making this weird… was all you could think. You looked down at your shifting feet, glanced up at the ceiling, had a stare down with the stairs, everything but look at Basch. Oh god, was he wondering how cool it sounded to kiss you, or how vulgar? You were praying it was the first one. But you knew him better, and knew that he wouldn't just up and kiss you out of the blue if he wanted. A small setup of your own began to form in your head. Remembering Erika saying you both needed a push, you took a shy sidestep closer to him and said another thing you remembered very slowly.
"…You said you'd do anything for your sister, right?"
The air stirred as his head whipped to face you. But you didn't look back, instead your eyes were glued to your shoes. There was a long pause that made you want to either explode or melt into your shoes. Anything but be standing next to him after saying something so absolutely ridiculous. Then, after what felt like yet another eternity, something so simple yet so incredible happened that for a brief moment you thought you were dreaming. Basch took two gloved fingers under your chin and tipped you towards him before pecking your lips, just under a second long. When he parted his gaze was as searing as ever. Without a word he turned around and sulked away.
You stood there, eyes wide as you tried to comprehend what had just happened. Absentmindedly you touched your lips, savoring the taste that had hardly even been there to begin with. Then you smiled softly and hiked back up the steps to go to bed. After all, you were staying for the night in the Zwingli/Vogel household.