Pruhun - Finally

Elizaveta sighed deeply with folded arms as the conference room emptied. It was usually a hectic day when all of the nations gathered together. As usual, most of them fought with each other about mindless and stupid things, causing an eruption of arguments among others.
She placed her crossed arms on the table in front and rested her chin where she felt was comfiest. Leaving herself to be last to leave was something she did to avoid the further arguments down the hallways.
The room grew silent. The only sound made was the ticking of the clock that Elizaveta thought was way too noisy, and her own breathing.

She found it baffling how a certain someone kept on staring at her throughout the conference. She couldn't concentrate due to it. Did he know? Did he know of her feelings she had had for so long? The feelings she had to lock away when she started living with Roderich?
"It's hot." Elizaveta complained, touching her cheeks to feel her temperature. Thinking about that kind of thing made her flustered and sad.

Suddenly, footsteps were heard coming down the corridor.
Ugh, probably the cleaner or someone, she thought, sitting up and stretching. She didn't want to go back to her house yet. I'll just tell them to come back later. Standing up, she headed for the window and opened it widely, letting the cool air brush her cheeks.

"Eliza?" A familiar, deep voice called her name, making her turn around quickly.

"Hmm? Oh, it's you, Gil." Elizaveta faked disinterest, turning back to the window.

"Saying my name like that doesn't make me feel really good, ya' know." Gilbert chuckled darkly, walking around the conference table towards her.

"Huh, sorry. So what are you doing back here? Forget something?" She asked, not feeling in the mood to argue with him.

"I did actually." He scoffed, shoving his hands in to his pockets. "My notes... Well, Ludwig's."

"I see..." Elizaveta's eyes watched outside, not really paying attention to the silver haired loudmouth behind her.

"Why are you here by yourself anyway? Where's Roderich?" Gil asked in curiosity. "You're always with each other." His words were slightly bitter sounding.

"He left already. I wanted some time to myself..." It was the truth. All of the work she had to do lately was stressing her out as well as a certain someone standing behind her.

"Oi, you okay?" Suddenly his voice was next to her, gazing at her with concerned eyes. "Your cheeks look flushed." Reaching over, Gilbert rested his hand on her reddened cheek.
As he did, Elizaveta found herself pushing her face against his cool, large hand.
She hadn't noticed she did until she heard Gilbert gasp quietly. Looking up at him with big green eyes, she smirked.

"Your hands are nice and cool. Let me stay like this for a little while." She said softly, shocking Gilbert a little.

"You're weird when you have a fever." He joked, staring back at her with a small grin.

"It's not a fever. I just have a headache."

"Sure."

They stayed like that for a few more moments until Gilbert rested his other hand against her other cheek, turning Elizaveta slightly to face him. A small blush formed on their faces.

"Are your hands always this cold?" Elizaveta tried to make conversation to fill the silence, even though she oddly enjoyed it.

"Luckily, they are today." Gilbert laughed softly, turning his hands over so her cheeks cupped perfectly in his palms.

Elizaveta sighed happily at the cold against her flushed cheeks.
It fell silent again as she closed her eyes, feeling comforted thanks to Gilbert's cool hands. As she did, Gilbert watched her intently. I'll do it, he thought, before leaning in closer.

Elizaveta opened her eyes to find Gilbert very close to her face. Her heart started pounding fast, but she didn't move.
"What are you doing..." She whispered as her cheeks grew warmer.

"Just tell me to stop if you don't want me to..." Gilbert whispered back, leaning in closer.

Why...Why wasn't she telling him to stop? She always argued with him about stupid things and they usually didn't get along. Elizabeta would usually side with Roderich when all three of them got in to arguments. Although the feeling of always wanting to hold him was always there. The feeling of comforting him through all of the bad times he'd been through. She couldn't forget growing up with him as a child. They had grown apart after his nation dissolved. Gilbert spent a lot of time alone and she didn't want to disrupt that. However, seeing him happier and more annoying than ever these past years really made her miss spending time with him. Strangly, her heart clenched everytime she saw him yet she found him irritating when he annoyed her constantly. She loved that attention. Is it wrong that she felt this way?

I love him. I've always loved him. That's why.

Their lips met ever so softly. Eliza's heart was pounding fast. She felt like she had a swarm of butterflies in her stomach. As did Gilbert.
The feeling of finally kissing her and touching her made Gilbert blush deeply. Their lips moved in sync with urgency yet softness. Moving one hand to the back of her head and the other to her hip, he deepened the kiss, growing more and more impatient. He wanted her. He always wanted her, yet her alliance and relationship with Roderich got in the way.

When they finally parted, Gilbert rested his forehead on hers, breathing deeply.

"Ich liebe Dich, Eliza." He breathed in his native tongue, placing his hands back on Elizaveta's cheeks again. Elizaveta looked down and blushed a bright shade of red. She definitely knew what that meant.

"...Ah..." She stammered, looking up into Gilbert's red eyes.

Noticing her bright red face made Gilbert blush deeply as well. "Ah! Sorry..." Realising what he had just blurted out made him very nervous about her reaction. How could I blurt out something like that!? He thought as he held a hand up to his face as if to cover it.

Eliza thought about it for a moment before turning her head away in embarrassment. "It's fine..." Knowing his feelings sent Eliza into a shocked state.
He loves me? He...Loves...me...
Her mind wouldn't focus.

"Gil..." This was her chance to pour her heart out to him. If he really loved her and was being serious...
"G-Gil!" Eliza calling out Gilberts name in a hurry made him look up from the ground.

"...Yes?" A painful expression was on his face, bracing for the worst.

You can do this! She said to herself in her head, clenching her fists."E-e...ever since y-you dissolved as a nation...I wanted to... hold you... and tell you I was here for you, but you seemed like you needed to be alo-" Her words were interrupted as Gilbert pushed them down into a crouch on the floor.
"Gil-" His hand was suddenly across her mouth, motioning for her not to speak.

"Elizaveta!?" A stern voice suddenly called into the room. Gilbert pulled Elizaveta closer into his body as Roderich called her name. As soon as he gave up and his footsteps faded away, he dropped his hand from her mouth and sat down on the floor, sighing heavily.

"That was close." Gilbert jokingly swiped his forhead and chuckled, resting an arm on his leg.

"Gil..." Was all Elizaveta could say. She was about to pour her heart out about how she felt until they were interrupted. She felt annoyed that she couldn't finish what she was going to say. Maybe it would save her the embarrassment. "Nothing..."

Gil blushed wildly. "Before we were interrupted...Do you mind finishing? Please..." He asked politely, eager to hear what she had wanted to say.
Elizaveta had never really seen him in this kind of light before. It was refreshing yet surreal. All the more reason for her to tell him how she felt. She just knew he was being serious for a change.

"I-I..." The words wouldn't come out, but she had to make them. After motivating herself again in her head, she spoke quietly. "A-after you dissolved as a nation...I wanted to...hold you...and tell you everything was okay and that I was with you...but you seemed so distant and like you... wanted to be left alone...After all this time...I really wanted to tell you that you mean a lot to me, whether you're a nation... or not." She breathed in and out deeply before continuing. "I love you, Gilbert. I always have."

That's right. She had always loved him. No matter what stupid or annoying things he had done to her. The feelings she had to lock away so she could live with Roderich had never been locked away. They had always been there, making her happy yet causing her such pain.

Gilbert's mouth dropped at her words. He loved her, and she loved him back. Nothing could of made him more happier at this point. He grinned widely, slightly teary eyed. Gil leaned in closer, resting his forehead on her shoulder

"It's what I wanted...No, needed to hear..." He grinned , moving his hand to cover his mouth. The words she said touched him so deeply, he had to hold back his tears. Gil hadn't cried since he disappeared as a nation. Why did he feel like crying now? Was it the overwhelming happiness of finally confessing to the woman he loved and her returning it? Or that the woman he loved accepted him no matter what?
Gilbert felt a hand on his head.

"It's okay, Gilbert. I'm here." Elizaveta's words made him tear up even more. He himself felt splashes of wet on his hands. Looking up, he saw Eliza was also crying.
He laughed and touched her cheek softly with his fingertips, wiping away her tears.

"Can I kiss you again, Eliza?" He asked, staring deep into her with a deep blush on his cheeks.

Nodding with a soft smile, they both leaned in again and pressed their lips together once more.