Even When You Cry
A light breeze floats through the open windows, causing the curtains to flutter and ripple as if made of the purest water. The smell of fresh roses hangs in the air, drifting lazily. Wispy clouds decorate the bold night sky with the help of many glittering stars. Yet such decorations pale in comparison to the ever present moon that casts a gentle sapphire glow upon the world.
She lay in the armchair of the study, book propped up against her legs which are dangling carelessly over one of the arms; her pumps hang off her feet as if clinging for dear life. Her chestnut hair cascades about her in waves as her emerald eyes scan the words set before her, hardly comprehending what she is reading. She flips through the pages with practiced indifference.
With a sigh she sets the book down, no longer able to go along with her own facade. She walks out into the cool night, hoping to find solace in the darkness. Her navy blue skirt swirls about her ankles as she walks through her garden. The sakura tree Kiku had helped her plant a year ago now stands proudly and in bloom with its blossoms littering the crisp green grass. A stone pond holds shimmering water that distorts the moon's reflection not too far off.
A light blush spreads across her cheeks and she closes her eyes as a pair of powerful arms wrap around her waist. "You've lost you touch, Elizaveta," a husky voice whispers in her ear. "Have I," she asks sweetly, "Gilbert?" She turns in his arms to look into his piercing red eyes; his hair glitters like silver in the moonlight. He strokes her cheek and smiles lovingly. "It's been too long," he murmurs, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. She hums in agreement, taking his cool hand and holding it against her cheek. "Where have you been?" she asks softly. His smile falters for a moment. "Ivan took me hostage for a period of time," Gilbert answers, his eyes, turning to stone. She looks at him sadly for a moment and asks, "Is that why... Is that why his attacks on my country stopped – because he took you?" Crystal tears begin to form in her eyes.
"Eli, you were dying and you wouldn't have been able to survive another blow from someone like him," Gilbert says, trying to comfort her. "But you're no longer a country – Ivan took your soul as a country... and it's all my fault because you wanted to protect me. It's my fault," she says, her voice cracking with guilt. Gilbert shrugs nonchalantly, "So awesome Prussia's no longer a country and now I'm doomed to wander the world as a soulless immortal with nothing to really live for – it can't be too bad living like that, I'll figure something out." Elizaveta stares at him wide-eyed. "Dumb-ass! Take something seriously for once in you life!" she shouts, emphasizing her point with a hard punch to his chest. She breaks free of his hold on her waist and runs toward the cherry blossom tree where she stays and supports her frame upon the trunk, angry tremors racking through her body, violently shaking her.
Gilbert stands frozen with shock and unaware of what he should do next. He walks over to her, cautious. "Go away," she says upon hearing his approach. Despite her struggles he pulls her into a snug embrace and begins stroking her hair in the hopes of calming her. Once the tremors stop he tilts her face up by the chin so she can look at him. Her eyes immediately dart away from his. "Look at me," he commands gently, almost as if he is pleading. When she obeys he smiles warmly. "I never said I have no one to live for," he states. There is a short pause while he contemplates what to say next. "And it is all your fault." He places a finger to her lips when she opens her mouth to vocalize a thought. "It's your fault for allowing me to fall so deeply in love with everything about you, Elizaveta Hederavy," he continues, slowly molding his lips to her own. Their lips meet and the kiss that follows is slow and sweet. Gilbert pulls away, breaking the kiss only to see Elizaveta burst into a terrible fit of tears. The tears flow down her her face like the small slow-flowing streams of a mountain valley.
"Why are you crying, my love?" Gilbert asks. "Because you're just so stupid," she answers in between breaths. "Gilbert smiles and pulls her face into his shoulder. "That I am, love. That I am," he murmurs into her hair. Once she stops crying she looks up at him; she didn't have to say what she was thinking, he could already read what she was saying on her face and in her shimmering eyes:
she loved him too.
He leans down and kisses her cheeks, and lastly her lips. He looks her in the eye when done, saying "You know, you're beautiful... even when you cry."