I had to reupload this chapter since I accidentally deleted it. My apologies.

Updates will be even weirder because of exams and plot bunnies for another fandom.

People think I'm shipping Gilbert and Natalya, but I'm not trying to. Pure friendship can exist! However, you can ship them if it pleases you :3

Review! :D

Upon seeing his expression, Natalya scowled. "What? Weren't expecting me?"

"Frankly? No."

She rolled her eyes. "Stuck in a rut, are you? I highly doubt your Elizaveta would want to see you right now."

Gilbert made a face. "Don't remind me. Why are you here, anyway?"

"I wanted to see how you were," replied Natalya bluntly.

"Why?"

She rolled her eyes again. "I heard a mob tried to kill you, and people tend not to enjoy being in jail, so I wanted to see if you were considering suicide." The corners of her lips pulled up in a wicked grin. "You know I love the scandals and strife. The mess you've created will sustain me for days."

"Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but I feel fine," replied the albino somewhat sharply. "And what are you trying to be, anyway? Eris? I doubt you're 'sustained' by chaos. I've seen you eat; you're not just some sadistic goddess, though I know you like to project the likeness of it."

"Trust me," said Natalya in a low, silvery voice. "Discord makes me happier than food."

Gilbert chuckled. "Sounds like an eating disorder. You may want to see a doctor about that."

The startled, confused look on her face was so different from her usual ice-queen demeanor, he couldn't help bursting into laughter. The irked look of surprise made her expression even funnier. "What is it?" she snapped, turning her penetrating stare on him. "What are you laughing at?"

"Your face," said Gilbert as solemnly as he was able. "If only you'd seen it, I'm sure you'd have every man in the house wanting your hand in marriage."

Now she was positively radiating fury. Her face would've terrified him, but he was behind bars, and she couldn't reach him, so he could provoke her all he wanted. It would, at least, assuage some of the churning feeling that had been building ever since his arrest. His mouth opened on a hinge and blathered out more nonsense. "Unless that's not your sort of thing, is it? Yeah, you only care for someone you can never have-"

She flew to the bars, her face distorted in a grotesque expression of hate. Her fingernails clawed the area where his face had been a moment ago. "You should know, wouldn't you?" Natalya's voice was a rough hiss. "Always pining for the girl who was married, going as far as murder to win her love." She spat on him, light blue eyes burning. "And I haven't even murdered anyone prominent. However, I can make an exception for you."

Inside, a voice asked, Do you really want to drive away the one and only person willing to talk to you now? Is that what your plan is? Alienate everyone? Stupid.

Gilbert relented, holding his hands up in the typical gesture of surrender. A feeling of dread grew in his stomach. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I went a little too far, maybe-"

He'd made a mistake, moving his hands a little too close to the furious woman. In a trice Natalya had grabbed his wrist, then his collar, and yanked his head against the bars with a resounding wham. For a moment, he saw stars, and then her sharp nails were digging into his jugular. It had all happened so fast her actions hadn't even registered before his head impacted the bars. "No maybe about it."

A few seconds of silence slipped past while the albino and the sociopath glared at each other. "I could kill you right now," said Natalya contemplatively in a measured tone.

"Go ahead," sneered Gilbert, pressing his neck further into her claws. "Death is only another adventure. And who would miss me, anyway?" To his surprise, he found he meant this. What would come of him now, aside from atonement and rotting in the sunlit deeps? Elizaveta was surely lost to him, and the expression of betrayal on Ludwig's face still hurt to think about. After Francis' death, Antonio had slowly stopped associating with him, and now definitely wouldn't care for him. There really wasn't anyone to carry on his memory.

For some reason, that came as a shock, like being thrown into cold water. Everyone had cut him off; he was adrift in the human sea, and he only just now realized how far away he truly was.

Another brief silence, and then Natalya made a oddly short laugh and flung him back into his cell, where he sat up warily and massaged his neck. "You have a good point. I like the way you think." She stood. "Maybe next time I visit, we can end it on a better note."

"You'll be visiting again? I don't know how I feel about that."

She smirked. "Try to stay on my good side, I just got these painted." Natalya waggled clear-coated nails at him, and he forced a wan smile, remembering the crescents she'd dug into his neck.

As if she'd read his mind, she widened her smirk. "I wouldn't kill you just yet; you're my only friend here. So think on that."

Natalya swept grandly down the corridor. He heard the door close behind her. Friend? She considers me her friend?

Against all odds, he started to smile. I might get someone to miss me after all.