Anniversary

Human AU. Elizabeta is married to Roderich and on their anniversary she gets a little annoyed how he can only express himself through his music. Now it seems like he's forgotten their anniversary.

Elizabeta woke up in bed much like she usually does. She stretched out her arms to pull her husband closer and give him a kiss but she just ended up kissing a pillow.

She opened up her eyes, "Roderich?"

He wasn't anywhere to be seen. She was usually the one to wake up first so it was surprising to not find him besides her. She remembered all this week he had to get up early for work. They both worked as professors, she was a art history professor and Roderich was music professor. This last week he was busy helping his students for auditions that were coming up.

She picked up her phone to check the date and it was there anniversary day though they hadn't spoke of it she had hoped he'd get out of the extra work today. Every year they get each other a little present and have dinner alone. It became a little difficult when they had children but they had friends who'd were happy to look after them.

She then caught a whiff of freshly made coffee. She wrapped herself in her robe and walked into the kitchen. Roderich had served up breakfast and their children were already eating.

Their oldest Lily gave her a pleasant smile, "Good morning."

Her short blonde hair was accented with a purple bow in her hair. Her green eyes seems to glimmer when she smiled. Even though a young teenager she was still polite and hadn't found a reason to rebel.

Her youngest a small boy with light blonde hair done up in long braids with a red beret sitting on top he turned his head up and looked at her, "Good morning mommy."

He had purple eyes just like his father and he developed a passion for his art that rivaled his father's passion for the piano.

"Morning my little sweets Lilly and Leopold." Elizabeta told them.

"Good morning dear." Roderich said pouring out a cup of coffee and handing it to her.

He was already fully dressed and he looked ready to head to work.

"Are you going early again?" Elizabeta frowned.

"I'm afraid so. It looks like I will have to work late."

"Do you need a ride?"

"No, Yao is picking me up any moment."

Roderich had the most terrible sense of directions she had ever seen and was grateful that their children hadn't inherited that. They had known each other since they were children and ever since then if he didn't have someone leading him he would get lost. One of his brother used to lead him if not herself. Still she was grateful since she had to lead him around so much she got to know him so well and eventually fall in love.

"The awesome me has arrived!" A loud voice yelled out as a white haired man with red eyes entered the kitchen.

"Oh, hello Gilbert." Elizabeta said less than thrilled.

"What are you doing in our house?" Roderich growled.

"What kind of greeting is that? Can't I visit family?" Gilbert Roderich's annoying brother told them.

"Excuse us." A blonde haired man frowned as he grabbed Gilbert. " Don't disturb them." Ludwig the other and more reasonable bother. "Let them eat in peace."

"Are we eating here now?" A young Italian man with auburn hair followed.

"Hello Feli." Elizabeta greeted.

They lived next door and sometimes she wondered if they did only to annoy them. Ludwig and Feli were alright but Gilbert could be a bit much. Though Elizabeta actually didn't mind as much as she thought that Ludwig and Feli were possibly dating.

"Let me go!" Gilbert announced. "You aren't awesome enough to-"

He shut up when he saw a blonde man holding a small handgun in his face. That was Basch their gun loving cousin. "Are you causing trouble again?"

"No!" Gilbert insisted.

"Good." He put away the gun. He saw the door was wide open and walked in to investigate.

Roderich looked at Basch, "Morning."

"Morning." Basch returned.

Basch and Roderich used to be close when they were younger now not so much.

"Big brother!" Lili got up and gave Basch a hug.

Still Basch and Roderich were friendly enough that he got to know Lily and adored the young girl. Since she was young she'd call him big brother. They tried to get along for her sake.

"Hey Roderich!" A Chinese man came in his dark hair done up in a long pony tail. "Are you ready?"

"Coming Yao. I just need to get my things. Here have some coffee." He handed him a travel mug full of coffee.

"Thanks."

Yao was the Chinese Language professor at the University they worked at and he had an odd friendship as both loved classical music and tended to think they were always right.

Roderich got his things and then turned to his children. He placed a kiss on Lily's forehead and ruffled Leopold hair playfully.

"Have a good day at school."

"Thank you daddy." Lily replied with a smile.

"You too." was Leopold's serious reply.

"Kiss!" Feli stood by for his good bye kiss.

Roderich rolled his eyes but relented and gave the Italian a kiss on the cheek. Gilbert suppressed a snicker. When they were young Elizabeta and Roderich had to watch Feli and Ludwig so much so that Feli thought of them as parents.

"How cute." Yao spoke up. He then gave both children a small piece of candy from his pocket and as Feli opened his palms Yao gave him one too. Yao was a bit overbearing and he loved talking about his brothers and sisters but was very good with children.

Roderich leaned in close to his wife and kissed her on the cheek, "Good bye my dear."

With that the two professors left. Elizabeta didn't have classes until later so she could sit down and enjoy her breakfast now in the company of three in-laws and an Italian.

Eventually Elizabeta told her children, "Get you things ready so Basch can drop you off at school. Remember he'll pick you up too."

"Yes, mommy." Lily said as her brother and her went to get their bags.

"Oh, right tonight it's your anniversary." Feli said, "that's why Basch is going to be watching them."

"Yes." Basch said simply sipping his coffee.

"I don't know why you bother." Gilbert spoke up. "Specs is the most unromantic person ever. I bet he thinks it's just another day today."

"No." Elizabeta protested.

"He didn't even wish you a happy anniversary. He's not really even a man, if you two didn't have those two kids I wouldn't believe it myself."

"Oh, you know exactly how much of a man he is." Elizabeta smirked.

Those of Germanic descent in the room cringed as at one point or another they'd walked in on them.

"Still!" Gilbert continued. "I don't think you should get your hopes up."

That was the last straw and she grabbed a frying pan and slammed him into a wall.

"We're ready." Leopold came back in.

"Good let's go." Basch said leading the children away.

Lily waved at her uncles, "Good bye uncles."

The sight of her uncle bleeding because of her mothers frying pans had become far too common of a sight for them.

Eventually Elizabeta got ready and took the car to the University and to her classes. During lunch with her friends she looked over to her cellphone expecting a message form her husband.

Felik the architecture professor asked her, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing I just guessed that Roderich would send me a little love note today. I mean it is our anniversary."

"Don't worry. "Katyusha the blonde and busty Russian literary teacher told her. Despite teaching a dreary subject her class was very popular especially with the male students. Rumor around school was that sometimes during lectures a button off her blouse would pop off. "Roderich just isn't very expressive when it comes to his emotions."

"Yeah, he wants to show he's angry he has to play Chopin. He does Chopin right but still weird. He can't express himself outside his music."

"Oh,you don't know he was pretty expressive in bed last night." Elizabeta paused. "I said that out loud, didn't I?"

"Kinda, yeah." Felik told her.

"Yes." Katyusha suppressed a chuckle.

"Still." Elizabeta tried not to blush. "If you pay attention you can notice little ways he lets you know he cares."

Though she said it she was feeling a little off about it, he didn't really show any of his usual tells. Maybe he had forgotten their anniversary.

Elsewhere Gilbert moaned over a drink. "I was just telling her the truth and she hits me with her frying pan. How un-awesome is that?!"

"Oh, Gilbert." The Blonde frenchman Francis told him. "You just don't bad talk about someone's love."

"Yes," Antonio spoke up. "it is for better or worse and you know how Liz adores him."

The trio had gathered for drinks even if just to allow Gilbert to complain.

"Still, the piano man doesn't know it's his anniversary." Gilbert continued. " I hope Elizabeta gets fed up and leaves him."

"Oh, you don't mean that." Antonio told him. "He is your brother and despite your arguments you'd be upset if they split. Both of them would be so depressed."

"And think of the children. Poor Lily crying her green eyes out and Leopold so sad he can't even draw his pictures."

Gilbert didn't like the idea of his own relatives crying. "Ah! I'd hate to see kin so upset. Fine, I'll just call him up and remind him. Give him a chance to buy a necklace or whatever."

He dialed up Roderich and called, "Huh, it went to voice mail?"

"Then let's go visit your brother at the University." Francis spoke up.

"You just want to pick up college girls." Gilbert pointed out.

"I'd better go too." Antonio smiled. "If I leave you two alone you'll get punched by a poor girl's boy friend and in a fight with Roderich."

Elizabeta was in her office finishing up grading some papers. Elizabeta stared at her phone as her day was coming to an end and still no call from her husband. "And I bought new lingerie and I was going to make your favorite meal. Now I'm not sure I'm going to."

She was well aware her husbands difficulty to express himself. Even when they were kids and she used to beat him up he never made much of a fuss. Then one day she overheard him play wonderful music after their latest scruffles and his music touched her heart. She remembered the flustered face he made when they shared their first kiss together. She remembered that awkward expression on his face as he fumbled with the ring as he proposed to her. She remembered their first kiss as husband and wife how sweet and loving it was. She remembered the look in his eyes, one of pure joy, when he first held Lilly or when he held Leopold. They pride he had when Lily started to play the violin or when Leopold sketched out his first family portrait even if it included Gilbert, Ludwig and Feli. Elizabeta was absolutely sure her husband loved her and their children. Though she did wish he found it a little easier to express those emotions. And he remembered what day it was.

Then the phone rang she quickly answered. "Yes?"

"Elizabeta?"

"Roderich? Is there something you want to tell me?"

"Yes, are you still on campus?"

"Yes, why?"

"I need some sheet music. I left it on my desk could you please bring them to me I'm in the auditorium."

"Fine." She relented and made her way to her husband's office and found the door unlocked.

Like he said he found the sitting right on his desk.

"Professor Edelstein?" A young voice called out.

Elizabeta looked over to see a young man who was well dressed. He was a student that had come over from Hong Kong and was very talented with the piano and Roderich spoke very highly off.

"Oh, I'm sorry. You're not the professor. I saw the door opened I just assumed."

"No," She replied with a smile. "he's busy in the auditorium with some students like he has been all week."

"Really?" The young man sounded confused. "I've been trying to get help from him this week as have other students but he said he was busy with his wife this week."

She stared at him for a moment, "Is that what he said?" She stepped out slamming the door behind her and stomped off.

As he watched her leave the young man form Hong Kong pulled out his cell phone and dialed, "Yes, she is on her way."

On campus Francis was flirting with some of the college girls as their classes ended.

"Come on!" Gilbert repeated. "It was your idea to remind him lets find him and get out of here before you get the cops called on you."

Francis gave him a false pout.

"This way." Antonio said pointing towards the auditorium.

"Hey why do you have that?" Gilbert asked seeing his Spanish friend holding a small wrapped package.

"Oh, don't worry about it." Antonio waved them off.

"Roderich!" Elizabeta called out into the auditorium.

She was more than a little upset, her husband was hiding something and now she found herself in a pitch black auditorium looking for him.

"Roderich! Come out!" She was quickly loosing her patience.

Then the lights flicked on and as her eyes fought to focus the room was filled with cheer, "Surprise!"

When her eyes finished focusing she spotted her husband standing before her with his gentle smile.

"Hello My love." He told her.

She looked around at the auditorium decorated for a party and their friends there.

She looked around to see Felik, Yao, Katyusha, Ludwig and Feli amongst others there for them.

"What?" Elizabeta asked.

"Mommy!" Her children ran to her with presents followed closely by Basch who was probably the only person not smiling.

"What's going on?" She asked again.

"An anniversary party." Roderich told her with a smug smile on his face. "I know we usually celebrate our anniversary alone but for once I thought we should celebrate with everyone."

"I don't know what to say."

"Thank you. I love you. It's amazing. All would be appropriate responses."

"You smug idiot." She couldn't help smiling even though she insulted him.

"I'm sure you'll' make me pay for it later." He smirked.

"Please don't say anymore." Basch pleaded "There are children present."

They honestly didn't mean it that way, well not that time. Feli had cooked up plenty of food for everyone.

"Hey specs!" Gilbert called out but stopped when he spotted what was going on.

"Sorry we're late. It took longer to get here than I thought." Antonio told them handing his gift to Elizabeta and kissing her cheek followed by kissing Roderich's cheek.

"What is going on?" Francis questioned.

Roderich explained how he wanted to throw a surprise party for his wife and had been working on it all week even getting permission from the University to hold it in the auditorium. He let know all his guest know making sure not to let Elizabeta on it even convincing them to sow some doubt so she wouldn't expect it. He even talked to Basch to bring the children over who knew and were keeping the secret.

"I should worry how easy it is for our children to keep something from me." Elizabeta thought out loud.

"Wait why weren't we invited?!" Gilbert protested.

"You are." Roderich told him calmly. "I just knew you couldn't keep a secret. I told Antonio to make sure you came. I knew eventually you two who have no boundaries would show up to warn me that it was my anniversary."

"We have boundaries!" Gilbert and Francis argued.

"Yes, says the man who barges into my house uninvited everyday and the man who on two occasions has tried to lick my face."

Elizabeta smiled but her eyes gave him a look telling the frenchman that he would be dead later. Eventually they all sat down as many of Roderich's music students got on stage.

Roderich got up and spoke to the those gathered, "Since I've met Elizabeta she's brought happiness into my life. Time and time again even giving me the gifts of our two wonderful children. I wrote a this piece in hopes to show her even a fragment of my appreciation."

Elizabeta watched at the student she saw earlier sat down on the piano.

As Roderich sat down besides her and took her hand she asked, "You're not going to play."

"No, I want to be here with you and see you enjoy it."

The students began to play, the song was wondrous and moving. It was a whirl wind of sound and emotions. Elizabeta couldn't be happier by how much trouble her husband went to make her happy. Yes, he had some trouble expressing himself beside playing music but even so he'd find away to let her know how much he loved her.

"I love you too Roderich." She whispered to him.

Authors Notes: Just a one shot I came up with and thought about writing. Trying to get out a bit of a writers block I have going. Anyway leave me a review if you like it would be appreciated.