Chapter Three:
"Do you remember getting burgers like this when we were kids?" Alfred asked, just as he took a bite out of his Big Mac. Even at the age of twenty-seven, Alfred was still as childlike as ever.
Madeline grinned. "You would always try to steal mine too, remember?" she asked, lightly smacking away Alfred's hands that had been trying to pull her hamburger closer to him.
"You eat too slow," Alfred protested and Madeline rolled her eyes.
"How long has it been since we last ate together like this?" Madeline asked, reaching over to steal some of Alfred's fries.
"I dunno. Seven years, maybe?" Alfred suggested nonchalantly as he stuffed his face with hamburger. Madeline smiled at her brother sadly.
"I miss it, you know. I miss all of us going out to MacDonald's for dinner – you know, with papa complaining the entire time and us teasing mom about how the stuff tastes better than her cooking...when was the last time we did something together as a family?" Madeline asked.
"It's not my fault our mother is a bitch," Alfred protested.
"She really misses you, Al. She still has your room all nice and neat in case you come back," Madeline told him.
"Too bad – I'm never talking to her again," Alfred said stubbornly with the tenacity that he had inherited from their mother, ironically enough.
Madeline sighed, munching on a fry absently. "If Gil and I have a son, I hope he doesn't grow to hate me," she murmured. Alfred's expression softened.
"He'd never hate you, Mads; you're too sweet and nice for that," he said gently.
"I'm not," Madeline protested.
"Are too; Gilbert would back me up on that," Alfred countered.
"I'm lucky to have him," Madeline agreed.
"He's lucky to have you," Alfred corrected and Madeline laughed. "Anyways, I'm tired of being sentimental – let's talk about something else," Alfred continued. Madeline rolled her eyes.
"Like what?" Madeline asked.
"Like how I saw that chick from your hockey team... Ivanna? She's still kinda creepy but damn, she's hot," Alfred said.
"I thought you were gay!" Madeline exclaimed, laughing.
"Bisexual," Alfred clarified. "And besides, it's not like my relationship with Kiku is going anywhere so hey, why not?" Alfred asked.
"What relationship?" Madeline asked. Alfred never mentioned one in his emails or Skype sessions.
"That's the point – there is none. Kiku still hasn't gotten the fact that I'm into him," Alfred complained. "And you guys say I can't read the atmosphere," he muttered under his breath.
"What happened to Vladimir?" Madeline asked. "And Yong Soo? And-"
"I gave up on them ages ago," Alfred interrupted, waving a fry around impatiently. Madeline giggled.
The two continued talking even after they finished eating. The two parted always only after Madeline remembered she needed to go help their father with some wedding preparations. Although she didn't succeed in convincing Alfred to reconcile with their mother, it was still nice to talk to him face to face.
"Only a few days until the wedding," a voice said from behind Gilbert in his office. Gilbert jumped a foot into the air before turning around.
"Jesus, Lizzie – how the fuck did you get into my house?" Gilbert demanded.
"You leave a spare key under the welcome mat. Seriously, how cliché can you get?" Elizaveta asked, holding up the key. Gilbert glared at her.
"Stalker," he accused.
"Loser," Elizaveta countered.
"Creeper."
"Freak."
"Bitch."
"Immature."
"Jerk."
"Not awesome."
"You wound me, heathen!" Gilbert exclaimed with a dramatic gasp. Elizaveta rolled her eyes. "What do you want, anyways?" Gilbert asked.
"Can't a girl chill with her favourite cousin?" Elizaveta asked, sitting on Gilbert's desk.
"I'm your only cousin, Liz. Try again," Gilbert deadpanned.
"Roderich told me you chose him as one of your groomsmen," Elizaveta said.
"Don't make me regret it," Gilbert warned, already sensing the woman readying to tease him.
"No, no – I'm happy. Even after our wedding, I've wondered whether you liked Roddy much," Elizaveta told him.
"Why does my opinion on him matter?" Gilbert asked.
"Because you're my favourite only cousin," Elizaveta said, smiling. "And I'm really happy you like Roderich," she added.
"God, Liz, why do you always have to get all sentimental like that? It makes me feel like a pansy," Gilbert complained, hiding a smile.
"That's 'cause you are one," Elizaveta teased, reaching over to ruffle Gilbert's [already messy] platinum hair. "But I'm really glad you're marrying Madeline," she added, going back to sentimental-mode.
"I am too," Gilbert said, grinning.
"I still can't believe you managed to get a girl like her," Elizaveta teased and Gilbert scowled at her.
"Oh go away," he grumbled.
"Not until I tell you why I came here," Elizaveta said, her eyes sparkling. Gilbert stared at her suspiciously.
"Okay...so why'd you come here?" he asked. Elizaveta grinned.
"Are you and Madeline considering having children one day?" she asked in a conversational tone.
Gilbert stared at her. "Well yeah, I guess. I'd make an awesome dad," he replied, grinning.
Elizaveta rolled her eyes. "Just like that? With no practice being around kids whatsoever?" she asked.
Gilbert shrugged. "It's not like there are any kids for me to babysit or anything," Gilbert countered. Elizaveta smiled at him.
"There will be soon," she said. Gilbert stared at her.
"What do you mean?" he asked slowly. Elizaveta's smile grew. Gilbert's eyes grew wide. "Shit, Lizzie! You're pregnant!" Gilbert yelped, leaping to his feet.
"Yes!" Elizaveta exclaimed excitedly. "I just came back from the doctor's," she told him.
"Can I be godfather?" Gilbert asked, hugging his cousin tightly.
"I'll have to talk to Roderich about that," she said with a laugh. "I don't think he thinks you're competent enough to be a godfather," she told him.
"Well someone needs to teach the kid how to be awesome!" Gilbert protested.
Madeline tiptoed into her bedroom after getting changed into her nightgown. It was kind of funny; despite the fact Madeline and Gilbert were getting married, they were so busy preparing that they barely even saw each other.
"Sorry," Madeline whispered as Gilbert's eyes opened lazily when she climbed into their bed. Gilbert put an arm around her and pulled her closer. "Go back to sleep," she murmured, kissing his forehead.
"I wasn't sleeping," Gilbert replied, voice slurring from exhaustion.
"Of course you weren't," Madeline teased, cuddling into him. "How was your day?" she asked.
"Talked to the travel agent and finished finalizing our honeymoon plans," Gilbert replied. "Elizaveta came for a visit," he added.
"She didn't wait for me to come home?" Madeline asked in disappointment. She quite liked Gilbert's cousin; the two had gotten along ever since their first meeting.
"She had to go shopping for some stuff afterwards with Roderich. She's pregnant," Gilbert told her. Madeline gasped.
"Really?" she squealed. "Can you imagine it? A little baby running around their house?" she asked with a bit of a wistful sigh. Madeline loved children; she was a natural with them, they all absolutely adored her.
"With a frying pan and an elitist's attitude towards music," Gilbert agreed and Madeline giggled.
"What do you think our kids would be like?" Madeline asked.
"Awesome and kickass hockey players," Gilbert replied and Madeline giggled.