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{IS THIS WORKING}The doors were now locked, Vash was settled in his living room, probably cutting coupons or something like that. With his sister up in her room, (re)reading one of her many books, there was nothing for him to worry about. She was a good girl, of course, one who would never sneak out or do anything naughty while under the influence of those who would corrupt her.



Right?



The clank of an object against Lili’s window sparked her curiosity and dragged her away from her bed and her book. There was another clank, then another. Finally Lili glanced out towards the ground, towards the white-manned man below who took another pebble into his grasp and launched it up at the window just as it creaked open. His aim was utterly impeccable, and Lili just narrowly dodged the projectile.



“Gilbert!” She almost shouted, but her voice was locked in an immediate decrescendo, fearing that Vash might be around to hear her berate the Prussian. “Gilbert—what are you doing?” Lili’s voice was a hissed whisper, her face almost a scowl. Gilbert, meanwhile, seemingly distraught by his near hit of the young woman, nearly flinched at her accusing tone.



“You’ve been cooped up in there all month! Get down here, it’s Christmas and we’re going out.” Gilbert called back up, not paying the same amount of respect or fear to the Swiss man as his sister was. She shushed him desperately and looked back to her bedroom door, fearful that Vash would burst in at any moment to see what stranger she had in her room. Thankfully, this didn't happen. He stood down there on the ground, waiting patiently. Lili pulled out all the stops when it came to caution.



He half-expected her to come out the front door, though with the curtains open wide and the bear sitting right there in the living room, this wouldn't have been a good way to escape. His surprise when, instead, Lili began trying to climb down the steel gutter pipe that sat to the side of her bedroom windows, was later described by her as a moment for which she wished she had a camera on hand, and hands free to snap a photo.



"Look, you're gonna hurt yourself--" God, this girl, sometimes. If it were anyone else he might have laughed at the thought of them falling.



"If I fall you'll catch me though, right?" She looked down at him, spring eyes gleaming.



"Das stimmt."



She grinned at him then, and continued her trek downward. For the love of Gott, don't drop down. Not that he wouldn't be able to catch her if she did drop! He was fully prepared to soar in like some kind of heroic prince and rescue her from distress! But with the ever-looming threat of the dragon lurking within the castle, that was a can of worms her didn't want to open. It would only serve to ruin the night.



Barely a foot off of the ground, Lili hopped the rest of the distance, landing gracefully in the immaculate snow. She was bundled tightly in a large, bulky coat that touched the powder surrounding her feet, and she must have had a couple of layers underneath for the sheer broadness of those wrapped shoulders made her head look a size or two too small.



“Where to?” she asked, settling herself next to Gilbert as the two began to walk. He whispered that it was a surprise and refused to tell her.



The frozen water they eventually did reach was populated by people much like themselves – young adults, but also children with their parents and people skating alone. The lights that were hung above and around the area created a beautiful effect of rainbows dancing across the ice. Lili’s face lit up joyfully at the sight of it, but it fell immediately into confusion when Gilbert used the opportunity to snag for the two of them skates.



"/You/ can ice skate?" Lili asked incredulously, fastening her skates to her feet whilst Gilbert mirrored her. His reply was a loud, terse laugh, brimming with confidence as he smirked down at her. It was the kind of expression she could only interpret as 'hah, of course! I can do anything!' She'd never seen him touch anything with wheels though, granted, she didn't get to see him do much at all. Without waiting he sprang to his feet and slide out onto the ice.



Showing off.



Not moving, though. He seemed to only be showing off the fact he was capable of keeping his balance. If it was anything like riding a bicycle, there was hope for Lili yet. She secured the laces on her skates and also hopped to her feet, inching her way over to the ice cautiously as if a single misstep would send her tumbling into the snow. Gilbert held his hand out, she grabbed it, and he pulled her along a little too roughly to her non-existent ability to handle, sending Lili flying unceremoniously past him with only the grasp of his hand to stop her.



Like a bullet, the force of her velocity only brought Gilbert along with her, which, despite his insistence, was not according to plan at all. He meant to show off his amazing skills, to sweep her along effortlessly like a knight, to teach her balance and grace despite the fact she needed to learn neither. Only when she accidentally let go and collapsed onto the ice did Gilbert flinch. This wasn't his idea of a perfect date. It would have worked out if he were saving her from falling, not being the cause.



Her legs wobbled as she tried to steady herself back onto her feet, but once she noticed Gilbert's attempts to get over to her - which were awkward at the very best and very much unaccustomed to ice - she forgot all about her sore rear and was reduced to a fit of giggles that compromised her balance. At that, all she managed to do was fall over again, but this time uttered no squeaks of pain. Maybe he should have invested in those lessons after all, but he was much too prideful to ever consider it.



“Part of your masterful plan, Beilschmidt?” Lili asked when she regained her composure, as Gilbert finally managed to reach her unscathed.



“Of course!” A lie. She was good at figuring out which was a boast and which was truth by now. Gilbert retained his façade of unfaltering confidence no matter the situation, but she liked that just fine.



And from there, they agreed to learn together, but it wasn’t without its falls, its bruised knees, its collapses and cracking ice that prompted the two to suddenly learn how to skate backwards and away from danger. Their antics continued into the night, as people came and went, as children left with their parents until they were the only people left, until they were finally forced to give up their skates and abandon the lake for some other venture.



Even covered by mittens, their hands were freezing cold. When they grasped their scalding mugs of cocoa, the pain was doubled twice over and the drinks were nearly dropped, but they were saved in the nick of time by snow under the bench, which almost melted all the way through and caused the cups to be lost to the elements. She burnt herself regardless and held her tongue out to the chilled winter air, which Gilbert poked playfully.



Gilbert had to make sure he got her back home within a certain period of time. Before Vash noticed she was gone, but not before he was sure the sheltered little lady had her fill of the outside world. It wasn’t the first time he’d stolen he away from her tower, but holidays were special. He never asked for anything from her when gifts were involved, it was enough to see her smile. Even Vash didn’t share with her this kind of enjoyment very often, Gilbert was sure “fun” wasn’t even in the Swiss man’s vocabulary.



He snorted at the thought, guiding her home as her arms winded around his, cuddled close and warm with cheeks pink from the wonderful freedom.



"Even though you fell, I fell- even though you're one of the worst skaters I've ever seen- even if the hot chocolate DID burn my tongue..." He was much too tall for her to reach. Even when he bent down at the behest of her pleading gesture she still had to stand on her toes to peck him on the cheek, but she smiled nonetheless. “Danke schön,” she said, “the evening was lovely. This was a nice gift.”



Those efforts were not wasted. She'd rather not get drawn into a long-winded goodbye when midnight was fast approaching. Vash had not yet turned out the lights or gone to bed, and she would not question this good fortune.



He grinned at the touch of her lips against his cheek and ruffled her hair in restore. Frickin' cutie. How was it possible for anyone on the planet to be so adorable? "Get on up there, then. Barred windows aren't exactly a thing I wanna come back to, though the rescue would be even more awesome then!"



He helped her get her feet settled on the gutter pipe and her ascent began. He stayed there under the pipe, watching her like an eagle, until she finally disappeared back into her room. She turned and waved her goodbye and whispered her goodnight and then the window was closed. Her light went off immediately, a sure sign that brother dearest was up and about, checking for whatever might threaten the innocent flower he was sworn to protect.



A stick was shoved so far up his ass it was a miracle he could even walk properly, but Gilbert could find reflections of his own past in some of Vash's mannerisms. He was a brother too, after all... perhaps not as anal, though.