You are my sunshine, My only sunshine
"What do you think you would look like as a dude?" The Prussian murmured as he squinted up at the sun.
"What kind of question is that?" She asked, stifling a laugh.
"I don't know" He shrugged. She smiled and lay down on the grass next to him. "I bet you'd look pretty cool Eli,"
"Well I would be strong enough to take you on a thousand times," Eli laughed, shuffling a bit closer to the pale blond boy.
He glared at her from the corner of his eye. "Are you suggesting that the great Gil is so weak?"
He sat up, and she followed suit. Running a hand through his hair, Gil smirked. "you want to see?"
Eli sighed "Didn't Miss Brown tell you that you mustn't hit girls?"
"Only 7 year olds listen to Miss Brown." He stated, like it was written fact.
"Gil, you're 7" Sighed the exasperated girl, twiddling a lock of brown hair around her finger.
"I won't be in two days!" He leapt up with fists clenched. He adjusted his weight, trying to look like one of those boxers, but instead looked like he needed the toilet. Eli stood up, stretched, and looked into Gils pale eyes.
"You sure about this?" Eli asked nonchalantly. Gil nodded and charged at her.
All Eli did was step to the side and stick her foot out. Gil's own clumsiness took care of the rest.
"So am I stronger?" She smiled, a foot comically on his fallen body, as if she had slain 'the beast'.
Gil grinned widely.
"Maybe"
You make me happy when skies are grey
"Gilbert is that you?" The Hungarian shouted out. The blond man twisted around and a wide grin broke out on his face "Elizaveta!"
"That's my name," She laughed, and walked towards him. "How long has it been since I last saw you? 10 years? 11?"
"From my calculations…. 12 whole years,"
"Too long," She sighed. Tugging on her hat, she looked up at her old friend. "Do you want to go out for a coffee or something? Or not. It's fine, I understand if you're busy,"
"No no… I'm free" He smiled one of his goofy grins. "I know a sweet little place not far from here. Do you want to go?"
"Of course. We've got to catch up on so much," Elizaveta grinned, grabbing Gilbert's hand and dragging him along.
As they left the D.I.Y. shop, the first drops of rain spluttered down. Elizaveta held her hand out, and groaned when she felt the cold drops on her hand.
"Where's the sun when you need it?" She laughed. He smiled back, and pulled out an umbrella from her handbag. "How did you know that it would be in there?"
"Never unprepared are you?" He passed the umbrella back to her, and she muttered a thanks. "Unlike me. My roommate only just left, since I was apparently too messy and disorganised for him."
"So you're looking for a roommate?" Elizaveta asked hopefully
Gilbert shot her a smirk
"Maybe,"
So please,
"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Gilbert cried out, head in hands.
"Gilbert you better not be shitting me…" Eliza sighed sadly, sitting on their couch.
"Believe me, I wish I was." He said, without ever looking at her. The two descended into silence. Eliza grabbed her water from her side table and took a shaking sip, looking at Gil. She couldn't believe it. He was usually so… positive, alive. Now, he looked like he was already dead. His whole body shook with ragged sobs, his weight had dropped significantly, his skin had reached a new level of pale.
"So what exactly did Doctor Smith say?" She finally said, not daring to make eye contact.
"Well it's definite. I have lung cancer, and it's terminal. It's just a matter of when rather than if. And that when is closer than I want. Happy?"
Of course neither of them were happy. Muttering something about needing another drink, Eliza showed herself into the kitchen. She closed the door, and then let all her emotions out. Falling to her knees, tears streamed down her face as sobs shook her whole body.
The door creaked open. Gil sat himself next to the sobbing woman, and stroked her back as she kept shaking. The two sat there, on the cold kitchen floor for what felt like forever until Eliza's sobs diminished down into shaky breaths.
"You wouldn't want to marry a dying man would you?"
Eliza glanced him, eyes wide, heart pounding "Did you just… propose… to me?"
Gil's lips stretched into a smile, but his bloodshot eyes stayed the same
"Maybe"
Don't take my sunshine
"Mum where are we going?" The child gripping onto Elizaveta's hand asked, skipping alongside.
"We are going to see your dad, Annie," Eli smiled down. She stopped for a second, and bent down, and looked her daughter in the eyes. "Annie, I need you to understand it's not what you expect. Does that make sense?" The little girl nodded, her blond hair bouncing. Eliza sighed, and stood up, and walked into the graveyard.
His grave wasn't anything fancy, nothing spectacular. A black slab of marble, with 'Gilbert Beilderschmit' engraved. Painfully new, the grave was the only reminder Eli had of him.
"Was I born before dad died?" Annie asked, unaware the pain her words were causing. Eli shook her head.
"No. Although before he died, I did see him in hospital. He held my stomach. He said 'don't forget to tell Annie she will be awesome,"
Annie examined the grave, running her fingers over the engravement. "What were dad's last words?" she asked, still focusing on the letters.
"I wasn't there… he told the nurse to tell me that… that I must get over his death….that I must live… I must live for him… as he would have for me…"
"And will you Mum?"
With tears spilling out of her eyes, Eli sighed, her mouth stretching into the slightest smile.
"Maybe"
Away