Author: MercurialLily
Fandom: Hetalia
Title: Gilbert and Elizabeta's Infinite Playlist
Rating: T
Pairing: Eventual PruHun

So this chapter is long. It's one I've kind of been ramping up to for a while (a while meaning it was first mentioned in chapter 20, which I wrote two years ago...). Yes, it's the party chapter! It's not as fun as you think. Shit happens. This went through a lot of revisions, which is why I'm updating a bit later than normal

Here's when we get to see that Elizabeta has some of her own issues going on, which will be explored in more detail later on

Warning for sexual assault

How long does it take for girls to get ready? Gilbert wondered as he stood by the front door. It was nearing eight-thirty on Saturday evening, and Elizabeta still wasn't ready. In the last ten minutes alone, she had been up and down the stairs no less than three times, searching for such things as her bag and shoes. Each time she found something, she realized that she had misplaced something else. This had been going on for several minutes.

Gilbert was growing very impatient. He'd had an unpleasant night and his mood was just getting worse. On top of that, he hated waiting. He cursed quietly and tapped his foot against the hardwood floor.

Elizabeta's mother stepped out of the living room and called up to the second floor. "Honey, do you need any help?"

"No, I'm good!" came Elizabeta's response.

Ms. Héderváry smiled and turned to Gilbert. "She's so excited for this party, and I'm happy for her. She's been under quite a bit of stress since we moved here. I'm glad that she's starting to settle in."

Gilbert was slightly uncomfortable with being addressed directly, but his curiosity had been piqued, and he asked quietly, "She's been stressed? Really?"

"I know it probably doesn't seem like it, since she has a lot of energy, but that energy comes from anxiety. She's high-strung," Ms. Héderváry explained. "She works herself half to death when it comes to school, and gets upset when she doesn't get the mark she expected. I've told her time and again to give herself a break, to relax a little, but she won't listen. She had a terrible panic attack last year, the poor thing." With a sigh and a shake of her head, she continued, "Erzsi's very fragile. She tries so hard to make sure that everyone's happy, but she sometimes neglects her own needs."

"Hmm." Gilbert nodded. Either he was completely oblivious, or Elizabeta hid it very well - or maybe even both - but he'd had no idea.

"Next year's her last year in high school, and then she'll be off to university. I still can't believe it. She's already started working on her application essay," Ms. Héderváry said with a laugh.

Gilbert looked up in shock. "University? Where?"

"I'm not sure. She's said that the one in the city seems nice. It's only an hour and a half's drive away. Apparently it has an excellent history program. Has she told you that she'd like to be a history teacher?"

Gilbert was having trouble comprehending what he had just been told. Elizabeta would be leaving him? He knew that he'd never be able to get into university - he probably wouldn't even be able to get into college. So he couldn't go with her. She's leaving me? Leaving me? The words played over and over in his head like a broken record. Leaving me? She's leaving me?

"By the way," Ms. Héderváry said in a soft voice, "would you mind looking out for her at the party? It may seem like an odd request, but I just want her to be safe. Could you do that for me?"

"Um... Yeah, of course," Gilbert said. "I promise."

Ms. Héderváry smiled. "Thank you. I knew I could trust you."

Unsure of how to respond, Gilbert looked away. He felt a little flustered. But he was also proud to be given the responsibility of looking after Elizabeta. I hope I don't fuck this up.

"I'm ready!" Elizabeta called from the top of the stairs. She ran down, apologizing for taking so long. "I couldn't decide which shoes looked the best, and then I had to find matching earrings..."

"It's all right, sweetie," Ms. Héderváry said. "You look beautiful."

Elizabeta smiled. "Thanks."

And she really did. She had curled her hair and swept it over her shoulder. She wore a red blouse and a short black skirt - won't she be cold? - with matching flats. Even the bracelet she wore was black and red. If Gilbert had known she was going to look so nice, he likely wouldn't have chosen to wear just a T-shirt and jeans. Oh, well. There was no use second-guessing now.

Elizabeta reached for her jacket. "I think we're probably going to walk there and back," she said to her mother. "I'll call you if there's a change of plans."

"All right. Be safe," Ms. Héderváry said. "And try to be home before midnight, okay?"

"Okay."

"And most importantly... Have fun."

"Of course. I know we will." Elizabeta turned to Gilbert. "Are you ready?"

"I've been ready for about half an hour," Gilbert replied bluntly. "I'm bored. Can we go now?"

"Yeah, come on," Elizabeta said as she opened the door. "Well, we're off!"

. . . . .

"Is this the right place?"

"Yeah, I think so. The address is correct."

Elizabeta and Gilbert walked up the driveway of a large house in the upscale part of the town. Even from outside, they could hear music playing. Elizabeta wondered if they would get any noise complaints. They had barely walked up the front steps when the door opened and Michelle Kent appeared, a big smile on her face. Her hair was done up in a braided crown and she wore a pretty light blue dress. She stepped aside and waved them in, saying, "Good to see you! Come in, come in."

"Thanks. Good to see you, too," Elizabeta said as she entered the house. Gilbert seemed hesitant, but he followed her.

"I'm so glad you were able to come," Michelle said. She closed the door. "Anyway, make yourselves at home. Upstairs is off-limits, but feel free to go anywhere else. We have snacks and drinks. I'll be around, so if you need me, just come find me. I really hope you have fun." She winked and walked off.

As soon as Michelle was far enough away, Gilbert nudged Elizabeta and muttered, "She's always so happy."

"That's not a bad thing," Elizabeta replied. "Now come on, I want to talk to people."

"I don't."

"Well... Why don't you go and get something to eat, then? I'll find you later." Elizabeta looked around and pointed to a table near what seemed to be the kitchen. "There's food over there. If you lose track of me, just wait by that table. Okay?"

Gilbert mumbled something under his breath, but eventually he ended up gravitating toward the table. However, even in the presence of food, he didn't seem too thrilled.

Elizabeta observed her surroundings. The interior of the house was relatively dark, and there were people everywhere. It took her a while to recognize anyone. She moved into an area that may have been the living room, where she spotted a few people from her class. She decided against calling out to them, since the music was very loud, and instead just waited around, hoping that someone would notice her.

It didn't take too long. Within a couple of minutes, Antonio saw her and came over. He was with a dark-haired, irritable-looking boy. Elizabeta smiled politely and gave a small wave. Antonio returned the smile. The dark-haired boy scowled.

"Hey, Elizabeta," Antonio said. "Nice to see you." He gestured to his friend. "Have you met Lovino? We have science together."

"I haven't. It's nice to meet you, Lovino," Elizabeta said, holding out her hand.

Lovino ignored her gesture and looked away.

"Sorry about him. He's just a little grumpy," Antonio apologized. Then he asked, "Have you talked to anyone else yet?"

Elizabeta shook her head. "I only got here a little while ago. I haven't had the chance to mingle."

"I'm just going to warn you, there are a few kids here who might cause some trouble. They're from another school in the district. Michelle has friends there, and she only invited one or two, but for some reason a bunch of kids came. I don't even think she knows them all." Lowering his voice slightly, Antonio added, "So just watch out, okay?"

"Yeah, okay." Elizabeta looked around. She noticed Michelle nearby. "I'm going to go talk to more people. See you guys later."

"See you."

Elizabeta went over to Michelle and said, "You have a really nice house. It's huge!"

"Isn't it?" Michelle smiled. "We have five bedrooms and three washrooms. Well, three and a half. Two of the bedrooms are typically used as guest rooms. The other three rooms are used by me, my parents, and my cousin. He goes to university in the city, but he lives here. His parents live pretty far away."

"Where are your parents now?" Elizabeta asked.

"In Europe. They travel a lot. I think they're on a business trip at the moment. Whenever they travel, I'm left here. It's not too bad." Michelle sighed and shrugged. "I decided to throw this party to give myself a break from thinking about school. I've been on the honour roll since I started high school. It's kind of stressful. But of course, once this party's over, I'll be hitting the books again."

"I guess you're like me, then. My mom always tells me that I need to stop working so hard, but if I don't work hard, then how will I be able to get into a good university?" Elizabeta laughed softly. "I get what she means, though," she continued. "She's probably right. I get worked up really easily."

Michelle didn't respond for a while. When she did speak again, her voice was light and affectionate. "I'm not one for gossip, but there's something I'm curious about. You don't have to answer if you don't want to, and I absolutely understand if there are reasons why you can't -"

Elizabeta tilted her head. "What is it?"

"Oh, it's just... Like I said, I'm curious, that's all... But I often see you with Gilbert Beilschmidt, and I was just wondering what your guys' relationship is."

"Our...relationship?" Elizabeta was at a loss for words. She mumbled incoherently for some time. I guess I should just tell her the truth, right? There's no harm in that. She made a face and said, "We're...friends. Just friends. He's actually staying at my place for now. He's going through some...stuff...and I'm helping him, I guess. That's it."

"Okay." Michelle nodded. "That makes sense. See, I asked because the people in our class like to gossip, and I've heard some nasty rumours about you two, so..."

"There's nothing going on between us, I swear."

Michelle opened her mouth to say something, but jumped slightly and pulled a phone out of her dress pocket. She looked at the screen and said, "I'm sorry, I have to take this." She answered the phone and walked away.

Elizabeta watched her go. She felt a little awkward just standing around, but she didn't know what else to do. She sighed quietly.

"Here, have this," someone said. A glass was put into her hand.

"What is it?" Elizabeta asked.

"Just punch. Go on, drink it."

Oh, what the hell? It won't kill me. She drank it in one gulp. It had an odd taste and burned her throat, and her eyes watered. "Holy crap."

"Good, huh?" The glass was taken from her hand, and she was shuffled along, heading deeper into the house. There were very few people she recognized.

Someone slipped their hand into hers, and she came face-to-face with an unfamiliar but very pretty girl. "Hey," the girl said. "You want to keep me company?"

Elizabeta shrugged, thinking it would be fun to hang out with someone new. "Sure, why not?"

The girl smiled and led her through the mass of people. Elizabeta glanced around. She had lost track of Gilbert and couldn't see him anywhere. Hopefully he wasn't causing any trouble.

Before she knew it, Elizabeta had been led into a small room, the only light coming from a high-up window. The girl got Elizabeta to sit on top of a nearby table while she went over to the door and called to someone. Two boys, one quite a bit taller than the other, entered the room. The girl said to them, "She's all yours." She and the taller boy exchanged a few quiet words. Then he pressed something into her hand. With a glance back at Elizabeta, the girl left, closing the door behind her.

Elizabeta was confused. "Who are you?" she asked. It was becoming very difficult for her to see anything clearly.

The boys didn't answer. The taller one came over to her and grabbed her face, smashing his lips into Elizabeta's. He smelled and tasted like smoke and something else indistinguishable. Elizabeta tried to get free, but she couldn't. Eventually she was able to hit the boy in the side of the knee, after which she leaped off the table and bolted for the door.

She didn't get very far. Strong arms wrapped around her waist, and she was thrown to the ground. She fell against the cold floor with a thud.

Elizabeta looked up as the boys advanced toward her. There was no way out. She was trapped.

. . . . .

Gilbert wasn't having any fun. The music was far too loud for his liking, and there were too many people. He wanted to leave, but he had no idea where Elizabeta was. For the time being, he was occupying a spot on a small sofa near the back of the house.

A small, pale-faced boy approached the sofa and, ignoring Gilbert, took the seat beside him. Gilbert was more than a little annoyed, but decided against saying anything.

Eventually the boy sighed and turned to Gilbert. "This whole thing is kind of dumb, isn't it?" he said.

Is this kid...talking to me? Gilbert shrugged and replied, "I guess. It's pretty lame. Just a bunch of losers with nothing better to do on a Saturday night."

"We must be losers, too," the boy said. "We're here."

"Hmm."

"I'm Emil, by the way." He pointed into the crowd. "My brother Lukas dragged me here. He said that if he had to come, I had to come. I didn't really get his logic. He's a third-year."

"Yeah, I know him," Gilbert said. "He's in my class."

Emil raised his brow. "You're a third-year?"

Gilbert nodded. He typically didn't like when people he didn't know - or anyone, for that matter - started talking to him, but Emil didn't seem all that bad.

"I'm a first-year. Sure, it's only been a couple months, but I don't like high school," Emil said. "It's no fun. I just think it's stupid."

"I wish I could tell you different, but it doesn't get any better. Trust me, I know."

"Oh." Emil looked down. "Well, thanks for being optimistic," he muttered.

I like this kid. He's a lot like, well, me. Gilbert grinned to himself. For the first time in quite a while, he actually felt comfortable around someone new.

"You know, I think I might get going," Emil said, standing up. "Are you staying here?"

"Yeah, I'm waiting for someone."

"Cool. Well, I'll see you later, I guess." Emil gave a small wave and left.

Gilbert sank back into the sofa. He was back to being bored. But his mood was slightly better. He had a new friend.

. . . . .

Elizabeta screamed. The shorter boy grabbed her arms and pinned them above her head. The taller boy was settled between her legs, caressing her thigh. He slowly began to lift her skirt.

Elizabeta thrashed about as best she could and shouted, "Help me!" in the hope that someone outside would hear her. But the music was playing so loud that there wasn't much of a chance anyone would notice.

The taller boy stood up and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He began to take pictures of her. Elizabeta squinted from the flash and turned away. The taller boy knelt down and said to the shorter one, "Turn her head to face the camera. And lift up her shirt a bit."

"Yep." Though it was difficult due to Elizabeta's struggle, the boy was able to follow the orders. The other took more pictures.

Elizabeta continued to thrash and cry out. She was determined to get free. However, the boys were determined to keep her there. The taller one attempted to cover her mouth, but she bit his finger. He responded by slapping her, which elicited a small whimper from her. Then he kissed her.

Elizabeta suddenly felt her body grow heavy and weak. She heard a slight buzzing in her ears, and she groaned softly. What was in that drink I had? I feel sick. She could barely put up a fight anymore. A few tears escaped her eyes. This was really going to happen. There was nothing she could do. Her eyes slowly closed and she dropped her head.

The taller boy got up, and Elizabeta could hear him undoing his belt. The shorter boy released her arms. She opened her eyes. There was a chance to escape now - that is, if she was able to stand. She decided to take a risk. Jumping to her feet, she took less than a second to regain her balance and elbowed the shorter boy in the chest. Then she pushed past the taller one and flung the door open, throwing herself back into the crowd.

"Help me!" she croaked. Her throat was dry and sore. "Help!" But no one seemed to hear.

Her legs grew weak and she collapsed to the floor. She had no strength to stand. Her adrenaline had worn off.

Someone grabbed her arm. She yelled and tried to pull away, but the voice speaking to her over the booming music was familiar. "Come on, it's okay. I'll help you up." She looked up and saw Gilbert. He pulled her to her feet, steadying her when she stumbled, and guided her outside.

They had barely stepped out of the house when Elizabeta was overcome with nausea and threw up. She coughed a few times and threw up again. She didn't notice right away, but Gilbert was holding back her hair. She thanked him in her mind.

With a groan, Elizabeta plopped down on the porch and put her head in her hands. She heard Gilbert sit beside her. Both were quiet. Inside the house, the party continued to rage.

Elizabeta sighed weakly and leaned against Gilbert. She felt him gently pat her head. Before she knew it, tears were streaming down her cheeks, and she trembled. "Can... Can we go home now?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah. Let's go."

A/N: I told you, shit happens. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Sorry

Shout-out to WitchhPrincess for suggesting (some time ago) that I give Iceland a cameo appearance

I had so many things to say, but I forget what they were... Yeah