"You guys fucking suck!"
"Toniiiii! Gilbert is scaring me!" Francis wrapped his arms around his Spanish friend's neck, resting his body against the back of the couch as he leaned closer to Toni to whine. Although, a few seconds later he was running his hands up and down Antonio's chest.
Gilbert had just burst into Antonio's house, having learned about what they did. They signed him up for the school play. The school play that Francis had written, and was going to direct. That wasn't good. Gilbert had seen what the previous plays Francis had worked on were like, and he didn't really like theatre anyway.
"Gil, calm down. I'm going to be in it too." Antonio said, letting his friend sexually harrass him.
Gilbert huffed and fell back into an armchair, slinging himself over it so he was laying sideways. "Still sucks..."
"You don't even know what it's about, mon ami," Francis said, sticking his tongue out at the upset German.
"Then tell me," he growled.
"Nope. My lips are sealed! I've already casted everyone, so you don't have to worry about auditions. I already have the costumes and set ready too. We just need to rehearse. I'll tell you this though. You'll be glad I put you in this."
"Wow, you're really excited, amigo," Toni said in awe.
"It's my best yet!" Francis exclaimed. Needless too say, Gilbert groaned.
The next day after school, the participants headed to the auditorium. It was an okay sized group, and Francis seemed more than happy that everyone had showed up. He hopped up on stage with a few pieces of paper clutched in his hands.
"Yay! Content de vous voir tous venus!"
"Like I had a damn choice!" Gilbert yelled from his seat. He was tied up in a sweatshirt and his shoelaces had been quadruple-knotted together. He was obviously less than happy.
"Shush, Gil. Anyway, Toni, pass out the scripts!" Francis called. "The basic storyline is about a Prince who moonlights as a the Phantom Thief Devil who is secretly searching for the lost crown that will let him become king. One night, he escapes the police by hiding in a Lord's house. He accidentally wakes the Lord's daughter, the most beautiful girl in the kingdom. They meet and fall in love." Many girls coo at that, thinking of how the story might go.
"The Lord finds out, and decides to marry his daughter off to a Duke, since he doesn't know that the theif is the Prince. The engagement is announced, and the new couple goes to one of the Prince's parties. There, the Prince finds out that his beloved's fiance is cruel, and that he owns the missing crown in his private collection.
"The fiance and the girl stay at the fiance's house one night. He tries to...sexually assault her, but the Prince bursts in through the window and saves her. They find the crown, and the prince whisks the girl off to his castle. They announce their engagement, breaking off the last one, and the Prince is named king. The Duke gets angry at being duped, stolen from, and kicked to the curb. He mounts an attack on the King, but it kills the girl. The King is heartbroken, he takes a nearby sword and kills himself to be with his lost love," Francis finishes.
As soon as Toni handed out the long script, everyone started going through it. After a few minutes of letting them read through it, and Antonio reading the script to the unable (and still struggling) Gilbert, Francis called for everyone's attention again.
"Okay, so I'll announce the parts!"
Everyone was on the edge of their seats, except Gilbert who didn't have the option (nor enthusiasm).
"The Prince is none other than Gil." Gilbert stared in horror at his friend. Why would he give him the main part in the play he didn't want to be in?
"The Lord's daughter is the lovely Elizabeta." She smiled and blushed as people looked over at her. Gilbert understood now that his friends were playing matchmaker.
"The Lord is mon ami, Tonio." The Spanish student did his ridiculous smile.
"The Duke is Roderich," Gilbert's cousin smiled and looked over at his girlfriend, Elizabeta.
Francis went on to give out various other parts and stage jobs. Other people were overjoyed, but Gilbert huffed and sunk low in his seat. He had long since been untied. Gilbert was beyond upset. Yes, he did like Elizabeta. His cousin was going out with her though, and they were very happy.
"Feel free to look over scripts and look around the stage! One more thing, all kisses, touches, or embraces will not be staged. EVEN DURING PRACTICE. So, all relationships are to be put aside during this time," Francis announced.
"What? You mean I'll have to-?" Elizabeta exclaimed, looking shaken.
"Yes. You will have to kiss Gil. And you will be passionate for the sake of theatre."
Gilbert glared at his friend. As much as he was happy about that news, he wanted Elizabeta to be happy. She was obviously against the intimacies of the play, so he should be too. At least that's what his head rationalized. His heart on the other hand, beat fast at the thought of being able to kiss her and write it off an unimportant.
She sighed, turning back to Roderich. They talked for a while, and decided to go through with it. They both made some comments about how Gilbert could never sway her from him.
A week and a half later, they were all at rehearsal again. Roderich was reading over his lines in one of the seats. Antonio was pacing in one of the aisles, making various expressions and motions. Francis stood on the stage, looking rather upset. Elizabeta and Gilbert were on the stage too, as this was their scene together.
This was the scene where the Prince sneaks in through an open window. The Lord's daughter wakes up, sees him, but doesn't scream. Instead, she's incredibly attracted to this strange, mysterious man. They end up kissing on the bed, but she's soon abandoned when the Lord is heard knocking at her door.
There was a large canopy bed in the center of stage, a dresser, and a fake window off to the side that Gilbert would crawl through. The two of them were looking distressed. No words were spoken in this scene, but the action between the two was the first time that anything romantic had been struck up yet.
Francis directed them. Elizabeta crawled onto the bed and under the covers, whilst Gilbert walked off stage into the sides. At Francis's signal, Gilbert lept through the open window, gracefully landing on the floor in the 'bedroom'. He swaggered closer, but somehow moved like a cat at the same time. Elizabeta looked shocked, she didn't know that Gilbert could move like that, it made him look so sexy.
Francis called out compliments about how they were each perfectly in character. The rest of the cast was frozen, watching their silent scene. Gilbert stared at Elizabeta, just a few feet from the bed, there was a look on his face that showed a lust, but also a carefulness. He moved onto the bed, and just as Elizabeta's character was about to scream for her father...
Gilbert kissed her. His hands slid up from the sheets to cup her cheeks, and she moved up into his lips. Elizabeta's hands gripped Gilbert's shirt, making sure that he was going to stay. Their tongues tangled, their bodies grew close and hot. Soon though, almost too soon, there was a knock at the stage door. Gilbert flew back from Elizabeta, breaking her clutch on his shirt, and fled out the same window he had entered from.
Francis clapped, and so did most of the cast. Except for Gilbert, Elizabeta, and Roderich. Gilbert was sitting against the wall backstage, he was paler than usual and shaking. Elizabeta looked ruffled and completely blind-sided, her face was bright pink. Roderich looked angry, his face red and upset.
"Perfect! That was wonderful! I could feel the tension and lust! You two bring absolute chemistry to the characters," Francis called out, a bright smile on his face.
Roderich walked quickly up to Francis and the two were soon in a heated argument. Roderich was upset about his girlfriend kissing another guy. He was upset about how much that she seemed to like it. He was upset that Francis was pushing this. Francis told him that he could shut up, or he was out of the play.
During that argument, Gilbert and Elizabeta had both disappeared from the set. Gilbert had grabbed his backpack and ran out the door. Elizabeta had swiped her purse from the dressing room and walked out to the parking lot to drive home.
The next day, Gilbert had woken uo a few minutes late. As result, he was a few minutes later than usual, but he would still make it in time for homeroom. As soon as he reached the school gates, Elizabeta rushed out of the school building with a piece of paper clutched tight in her hand. She was crying, her face red and angry. She shoved the paper under his nose.
"What the fuck is this?!"
Gilbert took the paper from her and looked at it. It was a picture of them making out at the last rehearsal. Under it, written in bold, was "Come see the performance of Phantom Thief Heart XX-XX-XX!" Gilbert was taken aback, he had no idea where it had come from.
"Because of this, Roderich broke up with me! He said he can't be with someone who...who whores herself around..." Elizabeta choked out the last part, she looked so, so upset.
"I've no idea where this came from..."
"They're all over school! Taped to almost every locker, door, and wall!"
Gilbert's eyes widened, "What?"
"Everyone knows that we..."
"It didn't mean anything," he said quickly.
"I told Roderich that, and he said that it definitely looked like it meant something!"
"I'm sorry, Elizabeta...that this happened. I just really didn't do it..."
She looked up at him, into his eyes, searching for the truth. After a moment or two, she dropped her head, "I...I didn't think so...I was just so átkozott ideges."
As the two of them walked in together silently the whole school stared at them as if they were some strange creatures The rest of the day the two didn't even look at each other. It was awkward, being reminded of their kiss every minute of the day, but it was surprisingly relaxing, knowing it wasn't some huge secret.
When they got home that day, Francis and Antonio once again lazing about in Antonio's house. Gilbert once again burst in, but this time he was holding one of the fliers that had been spread all over school.
"What the fuck? Why did you have to do that?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about, amigo," Tonio was a bad liar to say the least.
"Why'd you have to put up all of those posters?"
"It was advertisement, mon ami. Don't worry about it," Francis tried.
"Roderich dumped Eli," Gilbert snarled.
"Muy Bien!" Antonio exclaimed.
"No! It's not good. Lizzy was crying! She never cries!" That silenced them. Everyone in school knew how tough that she was.
"She'll get over it. I think she secretly likes you, whether she's realized it yet or not. She didn't protest too much when I told you guys that you actually had to kiss, even during practice, and she went along with the kiss yesterday for longer than was expected," Francis said, his voice soft.
Gilbert sighed and settled into a chair.
Rehearsals went without trouble for weeks afterwards, the kisses between them were the same as before, nothing new. It was enough to drive Francis crazy with anticipation, he couldn't stand the sexual tension.
It was soon the night of the production, and everything was busy. People were gathering in the audience, it was a packed house. Backstage, people were running around, running through lines, getting into costume, getting the set and lights ready, and preparing themselves for the audience. Finally, it was time to start.
Francis walked out to the center of the stage with a microphone, he smiled at the audience and began talking, "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Hetalia Gakuen's school play. We're performing 'Phantom Thief Heart', written by yours truly. Enjoy the show!" Francis sauntered off stage, smirking.
The lights went low, the curtains opened, and the lights went on again. On stage was a massive looking throne room, and on the throne was a royal looking Gilbert. He looked like he was brooding, and also a bit beat up. He sighed, and a page ran onstage.
"Prince! We still haven't found your father's crown! It's like it just disappeared after his assasination..."
"Damn! I can't become king until I retrieve that crown..." Gilbert said, laying his head in his hands.
"We do have intel that the assasination may have been ordered by one of the higher classes, so the crown may lie in one of their secret collections."
Gilbert nodded, "Thank you, you are dismissed." The page ran out of the room, leaving the Prince alone in the room, "I'll need a way to secretly check their collections, I'll certainly be killed as my father was if they think I'm looking around."
Suddenly, a knight rushes into the throne room, "Your majesty! Another thief has ghosted away from us! The cretins are aiming higher than usual, attacking the wealthy."
"Raise the defenses and make sure that soldiers work a bit later."
The soldier ran out.
"Hmm...I have what it takes to be a Phantom Thief. I could say I was going to steal one thing, and search for the crown during the heist. Then I'd sell it to a foreign buyer and donate the money to the poorer sections of my city." Gilbert nodded, stood, and exited the throne room. The lights dimmed and went off.
The scene changed as yelling filled the auditorium. Yells of "Catch him!", "Where'd he go?", and "He stole it! Right out from under our noses!" The lights turned on dimly to a scene of a bedroom. The scene that had been practiced before.
Gilbert jumped and rolled into a somersault through the window. He stood quickly and surveyed the room. Elizabeta looked scared, but also attracted to him. She wore a white night dress, and he wore a black cloak that covered his hair, a white theatre mask that went around his eyes, dark boots, and a red shirt and pants.
He moved swiftly to the bed, and onto it. He captured her lips before she could utter a sound, making the kiss deep. Elizabeta held onto his cloak, keeping the stranger with her at all costs. The kiss lasted a few moments, each seemed completely drawn to each other. They heard steps coming from the hall, and the Phantom Thief sprang back and out the window from whence he came.
Her father, played by Antonio, walked in through the door to the side. "My dear daughter, you must be aware. A theif attacked one of our neighbors, a few houses down. He's the dreaded Phantom Thief Devil." His gaze drifted to the open window, "Why is your window open?"
Fearing for the man who she trusted inexplicably, she lied. "I left it open while I slept to let air into my stuffy room. It must have been pushed open farther by the wind."
Her father nodded, looking skeptical, and closed the window, locking it tight. He left the room after wishing her sweet dreams. A moment after her father left the room, a tapping was heard from the window. She got up and went to it, unlocking and opening it. The head of the theif popped up, a devilish smile on his lips.
"I didn't think you would really open it, miss."
"I was just curious. You're the thief, aren't you?" Elizabeta accused.
"Yes, I am. You can just call me Devil, though. And what's your name, miss?"
"I don't feel comfortable handing out names to a man who will probably try to rob my house."
"Ah, right. This is a Lord's house, isn't it. You must be his daughter."
"That's correct. What did you steal, anyway?"
"Curious tonight, aren't you? Don't you know that curiousity killed the cat?"
"Just tell me. You don't have anything to lose. I bet you could get away before I could yell for my father to come back."
"You're right there. I stole a foreign princess's necklace. She caused such a fuss," He shook his head disapprovingly.
"Did you spring into her room while she was sleeping and kiss her too?"
"No, you're the only one I've done that to. You should feel special."
The girl huffed, "You're a fool." She blushed crimson.
Gilbert laughed, "Maybe I'll come back here again if I'm in the neighborhood. You seem fun." Lights approached quickly, "I better go. Goodbye!" Before he left, Gilbert pecked Elizabeta on the cheek.
The lights faded, then came back on at the same setting as before. Elizabeta was back in the bed, she looked wide awake and upset. "Devil said he'd come back to see me...it's been weeks and he's had a string of thefts right around here. Why won't he come see me?"
Just then, there was tapping at her window. She sprang up and opened it wide, looking out into the dark. Devil jumped through the window, closed it, and pulled her into his arms. She got flustered quickly, but he leaned down with a devilish smirk and kissed her forehead.
"Did you miss me?"
She pushed away from him, "You don't visit me for weeks, then come back acting like...like we're lovers or something!"
"I can't get you off my mind. You've been stuck there since I first met you. I just wanted to meet you again."
"And what did you steal this time, Devil?" Her tone was annoyed, but interested.
"I've already dropped it off at my hiding place, I stole a bust of the Prince a few streets over."
"What are you going to do with it?"
"I'm going to break it," Gilbert said simply.
"What?! But it's of the Prince! It's priceless! Not many people can get permission to make artwork with royalty in it," She was truly shocked.
"It doesn't look a thing like the Prince."
"How would you know that? The Prince rarely comes out of his castle," she looked at him suspiciously.
"I just do. Anyway, you look like you've been itching to tell me something."
"I am! Even though we've only met once before, I think I-"
Before she could finish, Antonio burst into the room with a pistol in his hand. Her father shot at the Prince in disguise, and Gilbert fled. He jumped back through the window and the Lord shot the remaining bullets at him. They were all blanks.
Her father turned on her, "How could you let a cretin in the house! That was Devil!"
She was speechless, there was no way to safely respond when her father got in such a rage.
"Anyway, I have arranged a marriage for you with a Duke. You will meet him tommorow, so forget all about this awful thief," her father left the room. The lights went down, and a few minutes later, the next scene began.
They were in a beautifully decorated parlor. Antonio stood beside the chair that Elizabeta sat in. Roderich entered the scene, looking regal and serious. He bowed to them and kissed Elizabeta's hand.
"I think I'll leave you two alone now," Antonio said and walked out of the scene.
"Pleased to meet you," he said with a snakey smile.
"I understand you are my betrothed?"
"Yes, miss. It has already been announced to society," Roderich said proudly.
"Oh. That's nice to know," Elizabeta said, shocked she hadn't known.
"It's party season, and I've noticed you haven't been out to any. I think we should go together. Especially since I recieved an invite from the Prince himself."
"You recieved an invite from the Prince?"
"Yes, I think he must know that I recently aquired his father's crown, and added it to my private art collection," Roderich said thoughtfully.
"You have the crown?!"
"Ah, yes. I bought it off of the black market, but I'm certain it is the real one. I plan to sell it to the Prince for an absurd amount of money, then buy a wonderful new outfit for you," the Duke smirks.
"How could you? The Prince has been nothing but kind to the country!"
The Duku yanked her from the chair and growled at her, "I've heard about your little tryst with that thief from your father. I don't think being with a criminal that plagues this country is much better. You're a filthy slut," the Duke pushes her away, sending her to the ground. She looks hurt and humiliated. "Not a word of this to your father, or I'll announce this little tidbit to polite society."
The Duke walked out, leaving Elizabeta on the ground. The scene fades into darkness, and the lights come on bright. Francis announces intermission, and everyone gets up and talks incessantly about the show. Backstage, people are changing costumes and sets. It's hectic for a while.
Everyone gets back to their seats as the next scene is put into action. The lights go out, then brighten again. It's the scene of a ballroom, many people are dancing and talking and eating small snacks. Elizabeta stands by Roderich dressed in an elegant green dress, and Roderich is dressed in a dark blue suit.
The Prince walks onstage wearing a black suit, getting attention as he passes by people. He approaches the Duke and his betrothed with a small smile on his face. Elizabeta knows it's Devil instantly, having had studied every memory of him whenever he wasn't there. She gasps, and was about to out him as the thief when the Prince began talking to the Duke.
"Ah, I see you're betrothed."
"Yes, your highness. It's going along speedily as well," a faux smile was on Roderich's face.
"That's very nice. May I have the honor of dancing with her? I do not intend to steal her away," Gilbert smiled fakely back.
"Of course, sir." He motioned for Elizabeta to go with the Prince, so she took the Prince's hand and followed him to the dance floor as the Duke went to get a bit of food.
As soon as they weree dancing, she scowled at him. "Devil."
"I thought you recognized me," a true smile entered the Prince's expression.
"Of course I do. Now will you tell me why you were posing as a thief, your highness?"
"I'd prefer you to call me Devil, as I told you before."
"Devil, then. Are you going to answer me?"
"I'm searching for my father's crown so I can become king."
"It's my fiance who has it, you know. He intends to sell it to you for some outrageous price."
The Prince looked like he had been slapped in the face, "He-he has it? Really?"
"Yes. But he's a cruel man..."
"How?" The Prince drew her closer, grasping her arm where Roderich had previously grabbed her. She winced, and the Prince moved his hand, "Did he hurt you?"
She looked at the ground, unwilling to answer.
"He did. Didn't he? That's unforgivable," The Prince growled and glanced at the Duke.
She turned his face back to look at her, "Don't worry about it. I got interrupted the last time I tried to tell you...so I want to now. Even though there's a large social gap between us."
The Prince leaned in, even though he knew he couldn't kiss her because she was promised to another. "Yes?"
She whispered, "I love you, Devil." Elizabeta's face was red, but she was looking Gilbert straight in the eyes, it felt as if she really meant it, not just in the play.
"I love you too, miss." Gilbert smiled at her, meaning it even if she didn't.
The scene ended and everyone left the set. The lights went out for a few minutes as they shifted scenes.
The next scene began in the living room of the Duke's home. He entered, dragging Elizabeta by her arm roughly. He threw her against the set wall and scowled at her as she fell to the floor. "You told him, didn't you?"
"No! I-"
"Lies!" Roderich stage-slapped Elizabeta, sending her back again.
"I swear! I didn't speak a single word to him about the crown," She lied.
Her fiance growled at her, then kicked her while she was down. He continued to beat her for a few more moments before the window exploded in glass shards. The Phantom Thief leaped through the window, placing himself between the Duke and the girl.
"Get away from her!"
"Ah! You nasty, thieving whelp! You're here to save this trash, aren't you?" The Duke taunted.
"Of course I am! She deserves more than a brute of a husband," Gilbert said, raising a thin sword to keep the distance between him and the other man.
"Ha! Like you, a criminal, could give her better?"
"I could treat her right, and love her. I could sell the things I steal. I could do a lot," It was all an act, the Prince could provide a much more lavish life for the girl. Elizabeta clung to one of Gilbert's arms.
The Duke took a sword that was on display on the wall and attacked the Thief with it. The two lunged and fought for several moments, then the Prince knocked the Duke's sword out of his hand. He thrust his sword through the Duke's stomach, making the other man fall to the ground.
Elizabeta gasped, "Oh thank you, Demon!" She hugged Gilbert and the two kissed briefly.
The scene changed around them, to a room filled with many different odd items. In the center, on a pedestal, is the crown that the Prince has been searching for. He smiled and rushed towards it, holding it in his hand preciously.
"Finally! I can become king!" He spun around to her, "And I can ask you now, as a man of standing, will you please do me the immense honor of becoming my wife?" He pulled a beautiful ring out of his pocket and held it out for her.
Elizabeta smiled and took the ring, discarding the previous one and slipping on the new. She kissed him, "Of course I will marry you! I love you!"
The scene went black as the play ended. People stood and clapped thunderously, cheering and calling out. The participants came and went, bowing in pairs. Antonio and Roderich came out together and bowed deeply, then left. Elizabeta and Gilbert walked out together, she curtsied and he bowed, then they ran off stage hand in hand.
Francis walked out on stage, smiling ear to ear. "Well, my delightful audience, thank you for coming tonight. I hope you enjoyed the show!"
The crowd began to chant, "One more kiss!" So, naturally, Francis ran off stage and recruited Antonio. The two meddlesome boys dragged Elizabeta and Gilbert back on stage on a follow spot. As the two of them heard the chanting they got a bit angry and protested the kiss. But, a few moments later, their lips were reunited. It was their own will that brought the kiss into existance, the two boys hadn't needed to force it.
Elizabeta looked up at her costar once the kiss had finished, trying to see what he had meant of the kiss. He was smiling, grinning actually, "Wow, Lizzy."
"Shut up, Gil," She muttered, embarrassed that she had slipped from her composure.
"Aw, can't you just admit that you love me?" He asked, his boldness always came out in their conversations.
She blushed a deep red as the whole theatre went silent and still, "I-I don't know what you're talking about!"
"You're breaking my heart, because I love you," he said, staring into her eyes.
"Y-you do?"
"You must be the most oblivious person in the world, to not have noticed," he said, chuckling his strange "Kesesesese" laugh.
"I love you too, idiot," She blushed, and everyone cheered loudly as he kissed her.