It was not that she didn't love him. It would never be that she didn't love him. Until the moment she stopped breathing, Roderich Edelstein would hold a firm grasp on a part of her heart that no one could touch.

The reason she signed the divorce papers was because he shared that feeling, but not a passionate love. It was safe to assume that he had, at one point; after all they had been happily married up till just a few months ago. Happily married for seven years, actually. It just seemed that his affection had grown to be more habit than really there.

What was worse was that he didn't deny it. Even worse than that, she couldn't say her feelings had not changed either.

Her world was not falling apart when she had told him that it was probably best to end their marriage. He had not protested when had signed the papers or even when she packed up to go back to her country, giving her one last parting kiss. The only sadness either felt was that it was an end to something that had once made them both so immensely happy.

On the train back home from Austria, she could recall the day they'd met, wide eyed young things, playing on the beach of Lake Balatan. Roderich had been on vacation there with his parents for what would become a yearly ritual. She had been running around her father's hotel in ripped jeans and a t-shirt, getting everyone to teach her how to make paper airplanes in different ways so she could make the perfect planes that would fly all the way across the lake. Roderich, though weak and a little clumsy, had taught her the best way. They had flown planes together most of that summer. They were only 6 and 7 at the time. He'd come every year after that, and asked her to marry him when she was 17. They eloped in Austria shortly before she turned 18.

She hadn't been home since she left to get married. She was 25 now but more or less the same. She knew her father still owned and ran that hotel on Lake Balatan and her older brothers were living and working throughout the city. She assumed her family would be relatively the same, as long as none of them hated her for running off. Not one of her 6 older brothers or her father had been okay with her running off to marry. She didn't regret not listening to them.

She sighed, fogging up the glass of the train's window though it disappeared quickly. She had no idea what to do next, and she still had a good few days left on the train...

It was at that moment that a silver haired albino threw himself down on the seat next to her. She looked at him in confusion for a moment and he looked at her with a critical eye. They looked completely opposite. Elizaveta looked like a proper young lady, sitting with her back straight, ankles crossed and hands folded in her lap. This man was slouching, his hoodie zipped open to reveal a wrinkled t-shirt half tucked into torn blue jeans and dirty sneakers. He pulled his giant headphones off his ears and around his neck, and judging by the German she could hear clearly from the speakers, he'd been on the train even longer than her

"Hello..." She said politely with a smile, deciding to use Austrian German out of habit, comfort and likelihood of being understood.

He furrowed his brows, "Your Hungarian. How do you know German? And with that accent..."

She figured he meant the fact that it wasn't 'real' German, "I've been living in Austria the past 7 years, and a friend taught me it when we were children. But yes, I'm very much Hungarian"

He nodded, pleased by the answer, "What's your name?"

"Elizaveta Edels-" she shook her head, "Elizaveta Héderváry"

"So your the chick that married that pansy ass Roddy..."

Elizaveta's eyes became wide and she was about to ask what he meant when he interrupted her, "I'm Gilbert Beilschmidt, Roderich's cousin. I was coming up from Berlin to meet you, since I finally got out of the military, but when I got there he said you'd left him and were going back to your hometown."

Elizaveta was shocked beyond belief, "How on earth did you find me on this train..."

"Luck. And trial and error. Sat next to every brunette with green eyes, looking for one who spoke in pansy German." He shrugged, despite the grin of victory

Elizaveta shook her head, "I'm not related to you anymore, what's the point in meeting me now"

He shrugged again, "I said I just got out of the military, right? Well after piloting non-stop since you were 17, all you want is a nice vacation. You, my dear are a perfect excuse for a pretty great adventure"

"Its just Lake Balatan. Nothing exactly adventurous..."

"Oh, by the way, now that we're so well acquainted, your joining my adventure"

Elizaveta furrowed her brows, "Why should I do what some man I've just met says?"

"Because you and I, Eli, are exactly the same"

She grinned humourously, despite her surprise at being called Eli "How are we the same. Look at us, we are as different as it get"

Gilbert shook his head, "We both just got out of big commitments, that we both took at ages that were way too young to make them. We are 25, intelligent, hot and with absolutely no direction."

She was a bit surprised at his accuracy and would never admit that what he said was true "I still don't see why I should do anything you say"

"You really need to get that pansy's habits out of your system" he shook his head, "You know that adventure you never got to have? All the drinks you never got to taste, the men who never tried to pick you up, the lies you never told in bars? Even the places you never got to see"

She could only nod, and he continued, "Stick with me, and by the end of the year we will both have missed absolutely nothing"

Elizaveta just looked at him. Her ex husband's cousin sat beside her, grinning in a way that was both disgusting and intriguing, was offering to take her on what she could only imagine was a drunken, cross Europe adventure. Every fibre of her good judgment said to turn him down, and go home to her father.

But this guy...he made her long for freedom. He reminded her of the adventures she had dreamed of as a kid and the romance of running off with a stranger you just seemed to be drawn to. Her impulse, that had slowly been locked up as she had fit more into the roll of wife and homemaker, kicked open her cell door and grinned. She felt like she was 17 all over again

"Fine, I'll do it"

- - - - - - -
Budapest, 12 months to go
- - - - - - -

Rather than stay on the train like their tickets told them to, Elizaveta and Gilbert got off the train in Budapest. He admitted knowing next to no Hungarian as they wheeled their bags through the station and into the city. She told him he would be able to have a sloppy conversation with her by the time the year was over.

"Alright, explain to me exactly what we are doing" she asked, still talking to him in Austrian German

"Easy. First things first, we get together all the money we can" He nodded, "I know you got a hefty settlement from Roddy in the divorce, so your covered, and I've been saving up since I was 17 so I'm more or less secured"

"Stop knowing things about me. It's weird"

He grinned, "Whatever. If we help each other out through the year, we'll skate by. We should probably limit how much we take around with us. In other words-" he lifted his suitcase "-pick out what you have to have. We sell the rest"

She rolled her eyes. She understood the logic though, and it added to the adventure, "So we just buy clothes as we need them?"

He nodded, "We will survive off thrift stores. No matter the country, they usually will always trade a shirt for a shirt. Judging by you, one of those dresses in your bag is worth quite more than that though"

She scowled, "Nothing wrong with that. I had a wealthy husband after all"

"I thought you were supposed to be a sweet little tomboy with a potty mouth that acted more like a boy than anything"

"Don't insult me. I just grew up differently..." She didn't want to admit that she was how she acted today from 7 years in high society trying to make her husband look good

He shook his head, almost as if he knew, "We need to get you into something less...that. Then we will get ourselves some beds at a hostel and explore"

And that really was what they did. They went to a thrift store and sold all the belongings they thought they wouldn't need. Elizaveta only kept her wallet, passport, cell phone and a small coin purse that really held her engagement and wedding rings. Gilbert had kept his iPod, wallet, passport and a bunch of trinkets that would fit in his pocket. Once Elizaveta had traded her dress and shoes for shorts, a t shirt and some short boots she smirked at him, "Whose high maintenance now?" "I was higher maintenance than you from the beginning. Nice legs by the way" he joked and she punched his arm

after the hostel, they ran about the city the rest of the day. They both acted like teenagers, buying disposable cameras and taking as many pictures of each other as humanly possible. They didn't really try to get to know each other, just enjoyed the company and mysteriousness of the other. As the sun set, they both started drinking like fish, enjoying the nightlife.

Gilbert was amazed that she could hold her alcohol and still translate for him after lord knows how many beers. Elizaveta was amazed that he was so friendly and comfortable to hang around with. She decided that was because this was Budapest though, her own country and people.

Three bars and 2 more disposable cameras later, they made it back to the hostel and crashed in their respective beds.

"Gil..." Elizaveta muttered in a drunken stupor from her cot

"Was" he grumbled from his own

"I don't regret anything yet"

"You will in the morning, trust me"

~~"~~

Dearest Apa,

You're going to murder me for how sloppy my Hungarian has gotten over the past 7 years. It's just from lack of use though; I promise that I'll be talking like I never stopped by the time I get home.

…Which raises the point of when I will be home? I know you're expecting me in a day or so but…I ran into one of my ex-husband's cousins and he has asked me to accompany him for a year and I said yes. I have enough money from the divorce settlement to get me through till I get home, and with me and Gilbert helping each other out I should be more than okay

I can hear you saying the exact same thing you did when I told you I was getting married: 'Elizaveta, your heartbeat DOES NOT come from your head, so try using the right organ and think about it before you ruin your life'. But, Apa, I really don't think I've ruined my life.

Tell my brothers I love them and that yes, I have run off with some guy again. I'll be sending you all the disposable cameras we fill, since you're the only person I would trust them with. I'll write you shortly before we leave our next destination. I love you all.

Your Elizaveta.

PS I'm recovering from my first hangover. Apologize to Aron for me, for harassing him all the time when he was hung over? I had no idea it was this painful

A/N HEEEY Long time no continuous story 8D/shot

I got this insane idea from a dream I had while attempting to recover from this very painful migraine. I will try to nip all questions in the bud here:

Elizaveta is the youngest of 7 and the only girl. Her mother passed away when she was a toddler, so she's been raised by 7 men. THe only reason she ever really became lady like, was because she married Roderich, who is about a year older than her and a wealthy member of high society by his father's blood. Both his parents approved of his and Elizaveta's marriage thus the eloping in Austria. Gilbert is Roderich's cousin on his mother's side, which is of course east German.

Apa - Father (Hungarian)

Brothers (from oldest to youngest) - Aron (37), Denes (35), Miklos (33), Vili and Rikard (twins, 29), and Lukacs (27)

I want to make sure your informed xDD ANYWAYS, I hope you enjoy!