Setting: Right after Alexis rejoined Pandora
Alexis wonders what Gilbert does to relax and accidentally reminds him of the past.
It was a lazy kind of day. No clouds or breeze to disrupt the weather. There wasn't much movement at Pandora. Everyone was going at their own speed.
Alexis sighed as she dropped her book in her lap. She glanced at her partner who was going over reports at the desk. She and Gilbert had been left alone when Alice insisted that Oz take her to get some food. It was close to lunch, but she wouldn't hear it—she wanted it now.
"Gilbert," she called. He looked up from his papers. "What do you like to do for fun?" It took him a second to process what she had just asked. He furrowed his brows in confusion. "Come again?"
She slid her book off of her lap and onto the couch as she got up. She walked over to the desk and placed her hands on it, slightly leaning against the side. "What do you do for fun, Gilbert? Whenever I see you you're either working or keeping Oz and Alice out of trouble. I don't think I have ever seen you relaxed since my return to Pandora."
"I relax," he protested. "Just… not here." Alexis took her hands off the desk and crossed her arms. "I do," he reiterated, "It's just hard to do what I like at Pandora." Alexis' stare softened as she asked, "Why? You deserve to relax as much as anyone."
Gilbert began to shift uncomfortably. "I-it's just a bit difficult, that's all." He quickly went back to his papers.
"Gilbert."
"…"
"GILBERT."
"…"
"…"
At hearing her move, Gilbert was almost tempted to see what she was doing—almost. He heard her move around the desk and behind his chair. She could do anything; which she did.
One second Gilbert had his hat, and the next it was plucked right off his head. He sharply spun around to see Alexis wearing his beloved hat with a cheeky grin. "Oz once told me that a guaranteed way to get your attention was by taking your hat." She skipped away a few steps and took in her appearance in a decorative mirror that hung on the wall. "Although I don't blame you, Ada has impeccable taste."
He couldn't really get upset; he knew that Alexis wouldn't do anything to his hat. In fact, she looked… cute. It brought a smile to his face.
Alexis turned back to look at Gilbert as he still sat in his chair, and was embarrassed by his stare. He didn't look upset, rather he was staring at her with a soft smile.
At seeing her embarrassed face, Gilbert quickly looked away. "Well, if you really want to know I'll tell you," he gave in. Alexis beamed and walked back over to him, keeping the hat on her head. He glanced at his hat and back at her. "You'll get it back after you tell me," she explained as she firmly gripped the brim. He sighed as he leaned back in his chair.
Gilbert crossed his arms and avoided eye contact as he said, "I… enjoy to cook." He waited for a response, but none came. He finally looked up at Alexis only to see her with an empathetic smile. "You didn't want to say because certain friends of ours have made fun of your hobby, haven't they?"
"An aristocrat has no reason to set foot in the kitchen," he explained with a huff. Alexis began to giggle at his response to which Gilbert blushed. "But you're you, Gilbert! You have a caring nature," she explained. "Cooking can be seen as a way of caring for someone, so it makes sense that you would enjoy to cook." At seeing him unconvinced, she carefully replaced his hat on his head and added, "You can't change who you are. You need to accept it, like I did."
Gilbert's eyes widened. "You?"
"Yes, me," Alexis repeated. She reached into her dress skirts that held a secret slit to her leg. "Do you honestly think high society approves of a young lady wielding a gun?" she said as she pulled out her gun. "It was hard on me when Break was training me with a sword, and Reim was training me to shoot." She sighed. "Any event I went to I would see the stares and hear the whispers. It took me a long time to realize that what others said didn't matter, and I was doing it for a reason that I could not change; I wanted to protect, I wanted to help."
Gilbert knew that she was trying to make him feel better, but her words delivered an unintended blow.
He hadn't been there for her. Gilbert had tried his best to avoid her out of shame of abandoning the Vessalius family, and in the process avoided her struggles as well.
Alexis was startled when he suddenly grabbed her hand. "You…went through that, and I wasn't there." He stared into her eyes with an intense look. "I'm so sorry, Alexis."
As she fully realized his words, Alexis harshly pulled her hand away and took a step back. "Don't you dare say that," she snapped at him. "I never hated you for avoiding me. I always believed that I reminded you of Oz as much as Oscar-sama and Ada.
"I will admit that at times I was angry," Alexis felt tears well up in her eyes, "I missed you, but if what you needed was space then I would try to give it to you."
Gilbert stood. "Alexis, I didn't deserve—"
"Do not give me that 'I betrayed you' speech," she cut in. "We never thought any less of you for being adopted by Nightray. You had a reason for your actions." She slowly shook her head, "I never stopped thinking of you as my friend." As hard as she tried to hold back her tears, it was becoming harder and harder the more she spoke. Alexis opened her mouth to say more, but couldn't. She covered her mouth in an attempt to stop herself from crying.
"I need to go," she choked out. Alexis quickly left before Gilbert could react.
Gilbert was dumbfounded. He had no idea that she still held so much emotion inside.
A distraught Oz suddenly burst through the door. "Gil, what did you do to Alexis?! We just saw her crying!" Alice entered the room with an apple in hand, "I never thought the seaweed head would upset Alexis like that."
Oz approached his valet and punched his shoulder. "Explain yourself, Gilbert!"
Gilbert flinched. "I-I don't know! We were talking about my cooking and…" A realization hit him. Had she not fainted from seeing Oz for the first time in ten years from her overwhelming emotions? Alexis had Oscar and Ada, but she had a different relationship with them then she did with himself and Oz. The only people she could trust with her feelings, and neither of them were there for her. She had to learn to handle her emotions on her own in the past ten years.
He was an idiot.
"Gil!" called Oz.
Gilbert groaned. "Why didn't I see it," he mumbled, much to Oz and Alice's confusion. "I need to talk to her, where did Alexis go?" Oz frowned, "It looked like she was headed for her room. You better make it up to her." Gilbert nodded before hurrying out to find her.
She felt terrible. Alexis was lying face down on her bed waiting for her tears to dry. She didn't want to remember how she felt these past ten years, and here was Gilbert bringing it back up.
A quick knock on her door startled her. She quickly wiped her face before sitting up. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she went to the door.
"Who is it?"
"It's Gilbert, Alexis."
Alexis took a few seconds contemplating if she should open the door. She opened it and walked back to her bed. Gilbert entered and closed the door behind him. He didn't move from his spot by the door as Alexis sat on her bed. They were like this for a few seconds, avoiding eye contact.
"Alexis, I'm sorry," he started as he finally looked at her, "not for the past ten years, I'm sorry for what I was just doing. I was bringing up the past when you've already worked through it. I'm just making you hurt again for my own selfish reasons."
She stood and walked up to him. "I accept your apology, Gilbert, you didn't mean to hurt me." She felt a gloved hand stroke her cheek before gently wiping her dried tears. "I would never want to hurt you," Gilbert admitted. Alexis took his hand away from her face and gently grasped it with both of her hands. "I just want you to understand that I never hated you for what you did these past ten years," she explained.
Alexis smiled, and Gilbert gladly returned it.
Alexis suddenly leaned in close, surprising Gilbert. He blushed at realizing how close she was. She was getting closer and closer until she turned her face to whisper in his ear, "By the way, you were being followed."
He froze.
When she pulled away, he saw a playful smile on her face. Alexis pointed to her door and motioned for him to be quiet. She walked to the door, and, with a hand on the knob, announced, "I hope Oz isn't worried. I didn't say a word when I passed him in the hall." She quickly yanked the door open and saw a surprised Oz and confused Alice on the other side.
"Hello, Oz," greeted Alexis with a strained smile. The greeting was met with a nervous grin.
Alice looked at Oz, Alexis, and back at Oz. "I thought you said it was alright to do this?" she questioned. Alexis raised an eyebrow, "Oh, did he, Alice? What exactly did Oz say?"
Before Alice could say, Oz quickly covered Alice's mouth, "You know I think it's lunch time! You only had fruit earlier, Alice, and I hear that they made prime rib." That was all he had to say. The young chain grabbed Oz and dashed away with an ecstatic "Meat!"
Alexis stared after them with a frown. "Cute as ever I see," she commented.
Gilbert walked up behind her. "When did you know he was here?" he asked. Alexis smiled. "I think you're slipping, Gilbert, he was following you when I opened the door," she explained. His eyes widened at his own lack of awareness. He sighed, "I didn't realize I was that distracted."
"We should join them," Alexis announced. She turned to Gilbert. "I never got my answer from Alice on what Oz said," she added.
Without a word, Gilbert closed her door and offered her his arm. "Oz did tell me to make it up to you." Alexis accepted with a smile.