Gilbert sighed and stretched his arms out as he stood. He had been resting under a large oak tree on a hill that observed the wooded land beyond for a mile. It was slightly chilly, but he was okay with it, and used to it for that matter. His stumach throbbed and he clutched it in pain, but it faded and he sighed again.
He was on his was to see his friend Roderich and his wife Elizabeta after several years of traveling. After high school, Gilbert had gotten bored with his aristocratic life and had fled the country. He had lived very poorly over the few years after that and hadn't had contact with his friends at all.
Roderich was a famous pianist now. He had concerts all over the world, and was known for the beauty in his work. Elizabeta had once been a tomboy, but now she dedicated herself to house work. Gilbert remembered thinking that the two of them were good together, and that Roderich was much better for Elizabeta than he was.
The rich man didn't know how he was going to be received, since he looked like a wandering homeless man. No one would know that he had millions in his bank account, or that he had a large estate. He refused to rely on them unless absolutely necessary, because being a spoiled rich man was "not awesome".
Gilbert wore a plaid flannel shirt, unbuttoned to reveal a toned and beaten upper body that was wrapped in bandages, a pair of brown corduroy pants, and a pair of scuffed and worn brown shoes. His silvery hair was messy, since he hadn't had any access to a brush. The ruby-red eyes gleamed far brighter than they should have been for someone who looked so roughed up.
He descended the hill, following the secret path that the three friends had made when they were children. It hadn't been used in a while, and some of the greenery was overriding the dirt walkway. Gilbert fought his way through it until it reached the back garden of Roderich's huge estate.
His mind and body hesitated, caught on the thought that his friend would turn him away. He decided that he might as well, since he was there, and slumped to walk through the arch of rose bushes that marked the path from the garden. He looked at the beautiful flowers and shrub sculptures that were prominent throughout the maze-like garden.
Gilbert heard Roderich playing his piano through one of the windows, but couldn't tell from where. He wandered a bit, reminiscing about the days of his childhood where he had spent many days running around the plants there. He heard a girl humming along to the music, and recognized the voice at once.
He turned his head just in time to see Elizabeta round the corner of the house. She wore a grass-green dress with a stark white apron. A few pink flowers were tucked behind one of her ears and she wore a white lacy bandana that pinned her light brown hair back. She was looking down as she walked and was holding a basket of vegetables.
Elizabeta crashed into him, sending them sprawling to the ground. The basket was knocked to the ground, but thankfully the veggies stayed in it. She rubbed her nose, which had collided with Gilbert's chest, as she sat up. Gilbert rubbed the back of his head, which had hit the ground hard when he had fallen.
The noise of the fall had sent Roderich outside to see what the commotion was. The man was dressed in a navy blue suit with a white ascot, and his dark brown hair was slicked back a bit, except for one unruly lock. His glasses were on the tip of his nose, and his pale skin from being inside too often playing piano made his beauty mark prominent on his cheek.
Roderich helped Elizabeta up from the dirty ground, but Gilbert crossed his legs and looked up at them. Their movements didn't seem as loving and nurturing as they had years ago, and the way they looked at each other was different as well. They hadn't noticed that it was Gilbert that she had crashed into, as they were too focused on dusting her off.
When their eyes drifted to Gilbert though, they widened and their mouths fell agape. "G-Gilbert?"
The silver-haired man grinned and rubbed his dirty finger nails on his shirt, "Who else would be this awesome?"
Roderich offered his hand to Gilbert, to help him up, but he refused it and stood up on his own. The dark-haired man shook his hand firmly, with a small smile that played at his face. The Austrian man walked back inside, already finished with his friend for now. When Roderich had moved away a step, Elizabeta flung herself at the ruby eyed man, hugging him tightly around the neck.
"I missed you so much," She exclaimed with a large smile on her face.
Gilbert wrapped his arms around her waist and took a deep breath. She was his favorite person in all the world, so hearing her say that and feeling her tight hug was amazing. He had kept his love of her a secret for so long, because he was sure that she loved Roderich as much as he had loved her at the time, and he was better for her anyway. "I missed you too Lizzy~" He teased, using her childhood nickname annoyed her, it made her feel like she was still eight.
She pushed away from him with a scowl, "Oh shut up Gil." Elizabeta looked him over, and noticed that when she pushed him away his hand had went to his stomach and pain flashed in his eyes, "What are those bandages for?" Her fingers skimmed across the gauze, brushing his skin lightly at times.
"I momentarily had a time of un-awesomeness where I got stabbed." Gilbert replied, shrugging it off.
"What?" She screeched, fear clouded her gaze, "Are you all right?"
Gilbert chuckled tiredly, "It only exhausts me now..." He yawned, "I just need to sit down and I'll be awesome again."
Elizabeta took his hand in hers and led him inside, up the grand staircase, and into a guest bedroom. It was beautiful, as was the rest of Roderich's ornate house. Elizabeta helped him undress, after calming his argument of letting him do it himself by saying, "You're hurt, and I've seen you in less than your boxers when I was younger." Which was true, since they had gone skinny dipping with some other kids from school when they were sophomores. Roderich didn't go.
She laid him down in the large bed gently, and saw how he favored one side over the other. Elizabeta covered him and smiled at him, and was about to leave when she turned back to him and pecked his cheek warmly. She loved him, much more than she ever had for Roderich. But she was sure that he only thought of her as a friend, or even worse, the tomboy that tormented him throughout elementary school.
"We'll catch up after you rest, you look exhausted. Okay, Gil?" She asked, pretending that the kiss was innocent.
Gilbert grinned at her tiredly, happy he got any kiss at all, "I promise I'll be my normal awesome self when I wake up, Lizzy."
Elizabeta backed out of the lush room and turned the light off. She closed the door behind her and rushed off to do more housework. She did laundry, gardening, cleaning, cooking, and the dishes. When it was time to eat, she reentered Gilbert's room and laid a change of clothes by the end of the bed and shook him awake. She told him to dress, then come down to the dining room.
He sat up and looked around blearily, watching her as she exited the room. She was gorgeous, perfect in his eyes. He stretched his arms and winced as his stomach got a shock of pain. Gilbert stood and put the clothes on, then looked at himself in the mirror. He wore a red tee and black jeans. It suited him, and he could tell that Hungary had bought them for him, since Roderich would never wear something like this.
At the same time as he left the room for the dining room, Elizabeta was wondering if he liked the clothes she had picked out. She had gotten clothes for him a year or two before, just in case he ever came over to stay. Her mind was always drifting to him, hoping he would come back soon.
Gilbert entered the dining room and sat in the seat that he had when he was a child. The opposite end from the head of the table, looking directly across to where Roderich had been waiting for him to come, so he could eat. Elizabeta had always sat in the middle of the table, she could never decide who to sit next to, even when she grew up. The plates already had food on them, so once Gilbert had sat down, Roderich and Elizabeta began eating.
Gilbert ate ravenously, but still held to his manners. He finished his whole meal before the others had finished one of the side dishes. He set his plate to the side and put his elbows on the table, holding his chin in his hands as he leaned forward.
Elizabeta turned slightly to the devil eyed man and asked, "So, what have you been doing these past years, Gil?"
"I've been all over the world. I made great friends with these two guys in France and Spain. I visited my younger brother for a while, he has a a little Italian boyfriend now. I learned to hate this one English guy I met... I got stabbed by this crazy guy in Russia," he shrugged, "I've done a lot. I even went to one of Roddy's shows, but I decided not to say hi since he was so busy."
Roderich looked up from his meal, his face was a clear expression of surprise. "You went to see one of my shows? Which one?"
"I had gone to America for a month, you had played a concert and the president even came. I was there. It was one of the only times I accessed my bank account. I thought I should see how you were doing, you sounded amazing as always." He chuckled.
"Thank you," Roderich said stiffly.
"So, what's been going on here?" Gilbert asked.
"Roderich's career took off," Elizabeta replied.
He rolled his eyes, "I know that, but there must be something else. You two aren't that boring."
"Elizabeta and I divorced."
"Wh-What?" Gilbert asked, completely surprised.
"We divorced, Gil. We just couldn't force it any longer. I work here as a maid now, since I love doing housework." Elizabeta said calmly, she didn't understand the look in the silver-haired man's eyes though. It was a mixture of shock and something else...something more positive.
"Wow..." Gilbert muttered, then grinned up at the two of them. He had decided to drop it. "Hey, I saw Vash and his sister Lili in my travels too. They asked about how you were Roddy."
A small smile graced his face, "I'm fine, how were they?"
"Still cheap and they didn't say much." He laughed his strange 'Kesesesesese' laugh.
The meal went on, and the awkward exchange about them being divorced was forgotten. They were all lighthearted by the end, and since it was late they all went to bed in their separate rooms.
Gilbert fell asleep immediately, since he was still tired from before. He slept for hours, until the creak of his door woke him. He looked up, and saw a beam of light from the lit hallway shining in through a foot wide opening in the doorway. A figure loomed through it, and he saw it was Elizabeta in her nightgown.
She wore a pale pink silk nightgown that was spaghetti strapped and had lace fringe at the bottom. She looked tired, but also nervous. Elizabeta entered the room, knowing that Gilbert was awake now and only in boxers. She leaned against the door, shutting it completely so that they were in complete darkness, except for the moonbeams that shone through the window and lit their faces in a blue-ish glow.
"What's up Lizzy? Bad dream?" He teased, but there was a hint of concern in his voice.
She nodded, her face dusted pink. "I dreamt that you left again, and died because your wound got infected." She shivered, her voice was quiet and shaky.
"I'm not going to leave again until it's completely healed. Maybe later than that." She still looked upset, so he lifted his arms in his direction and spoke softly, "Come here then."
She moved lightly across the room, into his arms. She sat in his lap for a few minutes, hugging him around his neck as he held her around the waist. Elizabeta buried her face into his neck, and he could feel the wet tears slide from her face down to his bare neck and chest. It was an intimate moment.
She looked up at him and spoke softly, "C-can I...sleep here tonight?" She asked cautiously, Elizabeta didn't know what would happen if he rejected her.
"Sure, I'll protect you from bad dreams with my awesomeness," he said, a goofy grin on his face. He was trying to cheer her up, and it was working. She smiled at him and nodded, thankful.
They shifted so that Gilbert was lying on his back, with Elizabeta hugging his right arm as she lay closely next to him. They fell asleep quickly, comforted by each other's presence in the bed. Their dreams were filled with the other, sweet dreams that were filled with love.
When Elizabeta woke the next morning, he wasn't there. Did he leave again? He said he wasn't going to! She looked around the room frantically, and was about to start crying when the door opened. Gilbert walked in wearing a pair of jeans, a navy blue tee and a leather jacket. She could tell that he had showered in the past hour, since his hair was still a bit wet and as he moved close to her she could smell roses.
His trademark smiled graced his face as he bent down to get closer to her face. "Might wanna shower Lizzy, I need you to take me to town. I called for an appointment with the doctor."
She blushed, realizing that she looked a mess in front of him. Even worse, she had spent the night with him! He looked like he had blown the thing off without a second thought, but her mind rushed with what could've happened. As they had been two adults in a bed at night.
She nodded and fled the room quickly, going to take a shower and dress so that she could drive him to town. Gilbert had never gotten his license, not to say he couldn't drive. He was an amazing driver without really trying, he just never decided to get a license, so he couldn't drive places with law enforcement.
As she washed herself, she turned redder and redder. The thought of something..."indecent" happening with Gilbert was something that hadn't occurred to her the night before. She knew that she had fallen into a deep sleep that night, so it caused her to shudder when the thought of Gilbert assaulting her entered her mind. That was impossible though, because even though he was devilish, she knew he'd never ever do that to her.
She flushed pink for another reason, she was happy that she spent the night with him. She had dreamed of sleeping next to him. When she was young, it was innocent because they were only kids and didn't know about the more sultry side of life. But now, they knew and couldn't ever do things like that again. Except for that night.
As soon as she finished her shower, she walked to her room and dressed in a light blue dress and a pair of flats. She blowed her hair dry, then pulled it back in a pony tail, tucking a few flowers behind her ear as she fluffed her bangs. Elizabeta looked in her mirror, scrutinizing her appearance. She wanted to look good, but not like she was trying. She decided it was fine and walked to Gilbert's room to get him.
She didn't knock, but swung the door open. He was lying on the bed, and smiling at the canopy. "You look crazy when you smile like that, Gil." Elizabeta teased and helped him up.
"Kesesesese...I was just thinking of my friends. They said they were gonna come visit when I called them earlier."
"Really? So I can meet these new friends?" She asked excitedly.
"Sure, they're gonna stay in a hotel in town. They said they'd call here when they get there."
"Cool, now let's go." Elizabeta led him to the large garage. Roderich wasn't really into cars, but expensive cars came in abundance to people of wealth. Elizabeta hopped in a red convertible, it was the same one that the three of them had ridden around in through high school. The same one that Gilbert had borrowed to take Elizabeta to any of the parties that Roderich refused to go to, including their skinny dipping escapade.
The red eyed man hopped in the passenger seat, glad that even though the fall air chilled them, the top was down. It was always exciting to feel the wind run through his hair, and feel the sun beat down on him. Gilbert simply adored how Elizabeta looked at times like that. Her long hair blew in the wind and her eyes would light up as her delicate lips formed a smile.
As they drove, they passed Gilbert's estate. It had a slightly smaller house, but he owned almost double the land that Roderich did. He used to go exploring, and pretending that he was a hero with his makeshift sword on the vast property. He smiled fondly at the house he had grown up in. He hadn't been back in years, he hadn't even contacted the workers that tended to his estate.
They passed the tree on the hill that he had rested under the previous day. When they were in second grade, the three friends had frequented it often. Gilbert and Elizabeta had climbed to the top of it while Roderich had stayed on the ground and berated them about their boundless energy.
The car flew past a creek where they had hung out in fifth grade. The two of them had splashed and played there endlessly. Roderich had come once or twice, but he always said that he didn't understand how the two of them could have fun in a dirty stream. Gilbert had argued with the Austrian boy, saying that it was fun, but it soon lost it's fun when Elizabeta had stopped coming with him to secretly hang out with the musician.
The convertible sped past a cliff. The cliff oversaw the valley that held the two estates, and it was the place that held Gilbert's secret summer. In sixth grade, Elizabeta had taken to ignoring Gilbert and staying near Roderich instead. So, Gilbert had hiked up to the cliff daily and looked out onto the large valley. He remembered watching the two dots that were his friends as they walked about Roderich's garden. It was a lonely feeling, and he remembered clearly that it was then that he had decided to travel when he graduated.
He hadn't ever told his friends about how lonely he was during that year. They had asked various times what he had done, but he never gave them an answer. Gilbert had realized then that he had lost the girl to his best friend, and even though he was very young he knew that they would be together for a very long time. So, he withdrew his feelings for her, letting the piano virtuoso take her from his heart.
In seventh grade the two began dating, but they also started making more time to see Gilbert. The Prussian boy was busy that year though. He started to research secretly for the trip he was planning. He knew his friends wouldn't understand the unbearable loneliness he had felt, so he knew they wouldn't understand his need to see more of the world, to meet more people so that he was never to be lonely again.
As the following years passed they made time for each other. Elizabeta always asked Gilbert to take her to the parties that Roderich refused to go to, or to school events. Always as a friend, or just a chauffeur though. He remembered how at one party she had left him as soon as they had reached the block where the party was held, and hadn't looked at him for the rest of the night. He had gone home and showed up the next day at school with a hangover, but not from the party. He had drank his sorrows away, not knowing that she had had an argument with Roderich the same day about how it looked with her showing up with Gilbert everywhere, and how bad it made Gilbert look when he was her "other man".
When the car passed the path to the waterfall, Gilbert remembered that night so clearly. Elizabeta had come to him, telling him about a party out by the waterfall. He agreed to go, and this time she stayed with him and laughed as they each got a bit tipsy. The whole party had decided to go skinny dipping, and they discarded their clothes quickly. The two of them had jumped into the water together, laughing as the lagoon was filled with naked high schoolers.
They hadn't gone home that night. They had slept in the small backseat of the convertible, Elizabeta had snuggled on top of him, both of them had been fully clothed after the escapade, but they were both too intoxicated to drive anywhere. Roderich had refused to speak to Gilbert for a month afterward, but Elizabeta had gotten off scott free.
They rode into town, and more memories flooded him. Getting free ice cream from a certain vendor who had become their friend over the years- because no matter how rich you are, free ice cream is awesome. Gilbert getting run over while jaywalking, and having to wear a cast on his arm for months. Sneaking in to see black and white movies at a drive-in.
Elizabeta pulled into a drive way, the town's doctor didn't have an office, he just worked out of his home. She was about to help the silver-haired man out of the car, but he hopped over the car door and walked up to the house. She followed him and waited as he rang the doorbell so much it was obnoxious.
An old man with a globe of a bald head, large nose, and beady eyes pulled the door open. He had a wispy goatee, a pair of tiny glasses perched on the bridge of his bulbous nose, and a very annoyed look on his face. The small man led them inside and to the back of the house to the living room.
"It's been a long time since you were here Gilbert. What do you need?" He asked politely, biting back his angry comment.
"I'm sorry about Gil's stupidity, Doctor, " Elizabeta shot the grinning man a glare, which made him drop it. "He was stabbed in his stomach when he was in Russia, and he needs it looked at."
The old doctor smiled at the girl like she was a ray of sunshine, and nodded to Gilbert. "Take your shirt off then."
Gilbert complied and the doctor unraveled the bandages around his midsection. It revealed a large, slightly bloody wound that didn't look like it was healing right. It was bruised around the outside. Elizabeta gasped and turned away at the sight of it, she trembled. Her heart ached, she couldn't imagine how he dealt with it.
The doctor inspected it, "Well, at least you've kept it clean. No sign of infection...What really did this to you, Gilbert? This is more than just a stab wound." He looked suspiciously at the ruby eyed man.
Gilbert looked at the ground and shivered, his eyes looked hollow. "I'd rather not talk about it..." He croaked.
"As your doctor, I must know so I can handle this correctly," The old man persisted.
"I was taken behind a bar in Russia by this creepy guy. He was tall and wore a brown coat and a purple scarf, he had hair sorta like mine...but not really. He took out this metal pipe and beat me with it for what seemed like hours, then took one end of it that was sharp and cut into me hard. I bled into the snow until morning, where my friends found me. I didn't want a doctor, so they took me back to the hotel and tended me themselves."
Elizabeta dashed from the room, her face was pink and she was sobbing. She didn't want to hear it, she wished it would just go away. She hated how she hadn't known. From the other room she could hear the doctor's unapproving clucks from his tongue. "Well, it needs stitches. Best do it now, come with me." She watched their feet as they walked up the stairs, and waited an hour and a half before they descended the stairs again.
He was sewn up and bandaged once again, with his shirt on. His smile seemed brighter than before, which relieved Elizabeta. Gilbert stood next to her and looked at the Doctor, "How much do I owe ya?"
He raised his hand, stopping him, "Nothing. You payed enough for your foolishness."
"But-"
"No but's. I will not make you pay for something that you hadn't done to yourself."
Gilbert was about to protest again, but Elizabeta embraced the doctor before he could. "Thank you, sir. For your kindness."
The doctor smiled sadly and pat her back as Gilbert merely looked confused. "It's the least I could do, my dear."
They departed from the Doctor's house and went driving back, but she stopped at the cliff and got out. Gilbert followed her, and his mind wheeled back to a distant memory. She walked to the cliff and sat with her legs dangling over the side. He sat next to her, his movements silent and measured.
"Why didn't you tell me you were that hurt?" She asked, looking out at the valley instead of at him.
"I didn't want you to worry," He replied simply, looking at her profile.
She turned to him quickly, looking very angry. Her expression looked angry, but her eyes betrayed her. She was crying and her eyes looked excruciatingly sad. "When you don't tell me things like this, it makes me not trust you! I don't want to worry about what else you keep from me, Gilbert!"
He flinched, then looked at her with so much hurt in his eyes. "This was the only thing I've ever kept from you. Nothing else." He was lying, he'd kept his love for her secret since grade school.
"What else did you do on your trip?" She asked quietly, "Did you meet someone special? I want you to tell me everything about it..."
Gilbert looked at her with a strange expression, "No, I didn't meet anyone special on my trip."
"I know I brought this up suddenly, but seriously Gil? You've never had a serious girlfriend! There must be someone!" She scowled at him, but he was looking away now.
"Just drop it." He shook his head and stood up. He walked back to the car as she looked at his retreating figure.
She stood, and was about to follow when she saw that one of the trees had something carved into it. She moved closer to it and looked curiously at it. It was a large heart with a name inside, but the name was scratched out, and couldn't be read. She frowned, Who on Earth would write this, and who scratched it out? She shook her head, sending the curiosity away as she walked back to the car. It wasn't worth thinking about.
It was actually. Gilbert had written her name in the heart in sixth grade. He himself had scratched it out when he realized he wouldn't ever have her like Roderich did. The man knew that she had seen it, but neither mentioned it. He wanted to keep his secret, and she didn't think it mattered.
As they passed his house, Gilbert told Elizabeta to stop so he could get out. He had decided to live at his own house, and said that she could visit anytime she wanted, and was welcome to come to dinner any time. Without saying another word, he jogged up the long drive and into the house.
She looked sadly at the house, then drove on. Elizabeta thought about how lonely that house seemed. Gilbert lived there alone, and every week maids and gardeners would come tend to it. After Gilbert's parents died in a car wreck he had cared for his little brother, but then Ludwig had gone to a military school in Germany for middle and highschool, leaving the house empty with only Gilbert to fill it.
She remembered how all through high school, that he would walk down the long drive to meet her and Roderich to go to school. He would walk toward the car and look at the ground with such an incredibly lonely expression, but then he would look up at them and smile so hugely. It was as if they were saving him from himself every morning.
She drove on, ignoring the feeling that stung her heart. Elizabeta reached Roderich's estate and parked. She continued on with her work for a week, and never had any more contact with the ruby eyed man. One day, she was driving back from having lunch in town with one of her girl friends and passed the drive.
Elizabeta couldn't remember ever going up the drive, or in the the house. They were always at Roderich's house, and Gilbert had always met them at the end of the drive. She suddenly stopped the car and looked back to where she could still see the drive that poked through the forest. She wanted to see that house.
She drove up the drive way and glanced around. She saw abandoned toys swords and shields, a few broken down and rusty cars, and a few signs. Wooden signs pegged to a few trees, written in red paint. "Beware of Dogs" "No Trespassing" "Private Property" She thought it was strange how such a lonely man could post such signs, but soon she reached the house.
It was almost as large as Roderichs, and still looked beautiful despite the owner being away so long. She parked in front of the door and ran up the stone steps to the door, where she banged the knocker loudly. She heard movement inside, and without much warning the door swung inwardly.
A man who wasn't Gilbert was standing there half naked looking at her appraisingly. He had blonde hair and light skin, but not the more pale color that Gilbert had. His eyes were blue and sultry looking, and she felt as though he were undressing her with them. He was taller than her, and at the moment he only wore a pair of jeans.
"Ah! Vous devez être Elizabeta! Mon nom est Francis Bonnefoy, un ami de Gilbert. J'ai beaucoup entendu parler de vous.*" He exclaimed, a smile on his face as his French perplexed her.
"Wh-what?" She asked confusedly.
Another man appeared behind him, this one was different, although he studied her like the other man had. He had brown hair and tan skin. His eyes were green and bright, and he looked like he laughed a lot. He was taller than her too, and he too was missing a shirt, although he wore a pair of cargo shorts.
"Eres Elizabeta, ¿verdad? Gilbert puede continuar para siempre de ti. Mi nombre es Antonio Fernández Carriedo.**" The Spanish man laughed and nudged the other man's arm. They both went into a fit of laughter as Gilbert approached and pulled them away from the door, blushing slightly. He too was without a shirt, and wore a pair of black workout shorts that had a red stripe down the side.
He scowled at them before inviting her inside, then turned to them again. "Speak English! You both know how, you're just doing this to freak her out." They both broke down into laughter again and they raised their hands in apology.
The French man chuckled and bowed flamboyantly to her, taking her hand and kissing the knuckles. "My name is Francis Bonnefoy, at your service. I met Gilbert in France and traveled with him from there."
Francis stepped back and let the Spanish man shake her hand. "I'm Antonio Fernandez Carriedo, I met Gilbert in Spain, and went from there with them. Nice to meet you."
Elizabeta smiled and said, "My name is Elizabeta Héderváry, nice to meet you two."
"Oh, we know all about you. Gilbert told us all about 'Lizzy' and 'Roddy'." The French man chuckled while she looked at Gilbert curiously, and he just looked away and blushed.
"By the way, why are you all shirtless?"
"Antonio over here shook up his beer and it exploded on us." Gilbert replied, a playful growl in his voice.
"You were drinking at two in the afternoon?" She asked, stunned.
Francis laughed, "There's never a bad time for a beer."
"You only say that because you pick up more chicks when they're drunk," Antonio chuckled.
"And you don't need to, since you've got Lovino waiting for you at home," Gilbert chimed in.
"Who's Lovino?" Elizabeta asked curiously, reentering the conversation.
The Spanish man pulled out a picture of an Italian man with dark hair, green eyes, and a huge curl protruding from the side of his head. He looked grumpy. "My little Lovi! My boyfriend!" He kissed the picture and fawned over it. She "Aaaaw"'d at the display of affection.
"Anyway, why did you come visit votre ami*** Gilbert today?" Francis asked curiously.
"Yeah, chica. Why?" Antonio asked. They each moved closer and inspected her ever reddening face.
"I-I was just wondering what he was doing." She blushed harder as the two attractive men moved closer.
"Oi, back off of Lizzy. I haven't seen her for a week, it's perfectly logical." Gilbert planted himself between his friends.
"Sorry, mon ami. Just teasing." Francis backed down, so so did Antonio. The two foreign men walked off chattering in various languages.
"Sorry, Lizzy. They can be intense sometimes," Gilbert said sheepishly.
She giggled, "They seem like people you'd hang out with."
He smiled, happy to hear the laugh, "They're pretty cool. Did you really need anything though?"
"I was wondering if I could stay the night here. I've never been in your house before so..."
"Sure!" He responded instantly. "Do you need to get clothes?"
"I can just borrow one of your shirts," She said and shrugged.
Gilbert smiled, "Lets go to the game room then!" He took her hand and led her to the game room. It was filled with video game machines, pool tables, air hockey tables, and had a huge projector television with tons of gaming platforms to choose from. Colorful beanbag chairs sat in front of the projector screen.
For hours the four of them played in the room, grabbing snacks from the stocked fridge in the corner of the room every once in a while. At midnight, they all traveled up to Gilbert's room. Elizabeta changed into one of Gilbert's dress shirts and kept her bra and panties on. The three men watched her slowly fall asleep, holding Gilbert's hand, in the large bed. They sat around her and whispered a conversation since they weren't tired yet and she would wake up if they moved away.
After a while, she woke. Elizabeta feigned sleep so she could listen to their conversations secretly, although she didn't know why she wanted to be so sneaky.
"C'mon Gilbert, it's so obvious." Francis whispered.
"What is?"
"She loves you!" The Spanish man whispered excitedly.
"There's no way."
"It's true." The blonde man said surely.
"But-"
"Seriously, she does."
"How do you know?" Gilbert challenged.
"How she looks at you when you aren't looking. How she touches you. How she's holding your damn hand while she sleeps." Francis replied obviously annoyed.
"We can tell, and you should trust us about this man!" Antonio exclaimed a bit too loud.
All three of them glanced at the 'sleeping' Elizabeta. "I just don't see it." Gilbert said.
"She loves you as much as you love her. We're telling you the one thing that you've hoped for, for years and you don't believe us. You love her, Gilbert. And she loves you. It's beyond obvious!" Francis said tiredly.
She couldn't help twitching slightly when she heard that Gilbert loved her. Her hand closed around his a bit tighter and she muttered, "Gil..." to make it seem like she was still sleeping. Francis and Antonio looked at him pointedly, but Gilbert rolled his eyes.
Eventually, Elizabeta fell back asleep, and the guys were rendered unconscious as well. They were all asleep, but Gilbert held Elizabeta close in his sleep. When they woke up the next morning, the two of them jerked away from each other and blushed crimson. The ruby eyed man left to make breakfast and the two foreigners stared at her.
"Soooo...do you love Gilbert?" Antonio asked bluntly.
Francis slapped him on the back of the head, but turned to her and asked, "Do you?"
She blushed redder and nodded, and the two men grinned big. "Thought so," Antonio said.
"That fool didn't trust me, he should know to trust my opinion on these things." Francis remarked.
"Gilbert loves you too, since forever. He talks about you sooooo much when you aren't around," The Spanish man chuckled.
Francis turned to Antonio while Elizabeta stared at them like a small child, all confusion and innocence. "So, how do you think they should handle this situation?"
"I'm a fan of forcing it out myself." Antonio replied with a devilish smile that didn't suit him.
"My thoughts exactly, mon ami." He turned to Elizabeta, "When Gilbert comes back with breakfast, we're all going to eat. Then, Antonio and I will take the dishes out of the room and lock you in with him. Confess to him then."
She nodded and gripped the sheets resolutely. Gilbert walked back in with two silver trays in each hand. On each of the trays were a small stack of pancakes covered in syrup and butter, with strawberries and whipped cream adorning the top. He handed out the plates and they all set to eating. They made small talk in between bites and laughed at each other's faces time to time.
When they were all finished eating, the two foreigners volunteered to take the plates down. As soon as the door closed, the two inside the room heard the plates and trays drop to the floor and heard furniture being pushed against the door. A few triumphant laughs later, and after the pattering of feet dissipated as they ran away the two inside the room looked at each other with nervous expressions.
"Gil...I've something to tell you," Elizabeta began nervously.
"You can tell me anything."
"I love you. More that friends. More than I loved Roderich." She said it quickly, and felt a weight lift from her heart after she said it.
Gilbert's eyes widened as he saw the truth in her eyes. "I love you too, Lizzy. I have since middle school."
"I'm sorry I didn't realize before."
He shook his head and pulled her close, kissing her. Their lips mingled for several minutes before they pulled apart. "It doesn't matter." They smiled at each other and hugged tightly, unable to let each other's touch disappear from their grasp any longer.
"I don't ever want to leave you..." Elizabeta mumbled into his neck.
"Lizzy...will you marry me?" He asked slowly and quietly.
She pulled back and studied his face, shock was clear in her expression. "What?'"
"I-I'm sorry. I'm taking it too fast. I'm so totally un-awesome right now." He laughed nervously.
"Of course I'll marry you Gil! I know what it's like to be your girlfriend because of high school. And I know what it's like to be without you because of your trip. I know what I want, and it's you!" Elizabeta squealed and kissed him deeply, extremely happy to be engaged.
At first Gilbert was surprised by the response, but he melted into the kiss quickly. They stayed like that longer than before, celebrating their engagement between themselves. After a few hours of chatting, kissing, and playing rock, paper, scissors the two foreign men opened the door for them.
Francis and Antonio were overjoyed to hear of their engagement and congratulated them tons of times. The two foreigners agreed to be Gilbert's best men, since if it was Roderich, it would be extremely awkward. They all spent the day laughing and calling others to spread the news.
They were going to be married and live happily ever after, just like in a fairy tale. Just like how Gilbert had pretended in grade school. He could now finally have his princess, and she could have him.
*-"Ah! You must be Elizabeta! My name is Francis Bonnefoy, a friend of Gilbert. I've heard a lot about you."
**-"You're Elizabeta, right? Gilbert can go on forever about you. My name is Antonio Fernandez Carriedo."
***-your friend