IMPORTANT NOTICE: Sorry, I don't really like to add these here, but I had a typo in my author notes for chapter one. It said that Gilbert still thinks that Liz is a girl, instead of saying what it was supposed to say - He thinks she's a boy. This Fic will not have a genderbent!Hungary. Onto the actual story~

The Heart Asks for Pleasure First

Chapter 2 – Better Than You

"It's your fault you know. You scared 'em away."

Elizabeth and Gilbert continued their hunt, carefully stepping through the foliage. Though their efforts seemed vain; there was not a single sign of any game after that doe. The girl couldn't are if she was heavy-footed at this point.

"Oh, shut up. Like I said before, ya just mad I can make better animal calls than you!"

He gave her a crooked glance as they continued, but she waved it off with a scoff. Elizabeth hopped in front of the boy, successfully halting him, with her hands on her hips and a cocky smirk.

"Yeah? That's because mine's are better and you know it!"

Gilbert cocked an eyebrow before laughing. "Then show me, stupid."

Accepting the challenge, Elizabeth cupped her hands in front of her mouth and howled like a wolf. It really did sound like the animal, bouncing off of the treetops. A delayed, much more muted howl resounded from the distance.

Pleased with her call, the girl crossed her arms and gave a smug grunt.

Gilbert frowned. It was good, but his could be better. He put his hands to his mouth in a similar fashion and howled. His was much deeper compared to his friend's, but still impressive.

"You're doing it all wrong." Elizabeth commented, continuing on their trail. "Gotta use ya chest more."

Gilbert huffed. "No, I've been doing this longer than you. I think I'd know if ya gotta use your chest more."

The girl smirked mischievously. "Is that why you're doing it all wrong?"

The boy frowned, pushing on the other's arm hard enough to tip her. "I'm doing it right. 'Cause I'm awesome, unlike you."

Elizabeth growled, returning a push. "I can fish better than you~"

He gave another shove, sticking out his tongue. "So? I can hunt better than you!"

She mimicked the action. "I shoot better than you."

"I'm stronger than you." Gilbert crossed his arms.

"I can run faster!"

"I can jump higher!"

Both of their voices rose as they sized each other up. Neither child was ready to back down.

This predicament has happened before – the two would get into a fight out of the blue, a punch may be thrown, but it would end with both of them laughing like nothing ever happened. Normally, at least.

"I can gather better!"

"I can swim better!"

"I cook better!"

"I trade better!"

Frustrated, Elizabeth declared, "I don't sleep with a safety blanket!"

Gilbert's eyes widened and he stepped back, pale cheeks flaming with embarrassment. But it was only short-lived. With fury in his eyes, the boy was in her face once again. His hands balled into fists, shaking at his sides. He was taller than the girl, only slightly, but now he seemed to tower over her; Elizabeth couldn't help but feel intimidated.

"At least I ain't scared of a little height, stupid!"

The girl's eyes widened momentarily before she creased her brow. "I ain't afraid of no heights."

It was a lie. Elizabeth was deathly afraid of heights. Just the thought of being so far from the ground made her knees weak.

Gilbert narrowed his eyes. "Prove it. Race me to the top of that tree!" He pointed to the tallest one in the area. "Or are you chicken?"

The girl looked up to the designated tree, feeling sick in the pit of her stomach. "T-that one?" Her voice was meek.

"What's the matter, Eli? Scared?" The boy sneered.

"No! I can do that easy, idiot. …even with an arm tied behind my back!"

"No, I think you'll need both of them not to fall." He laughed before heading over to the tree bottom. He waited for his friend to stand beside him in order to start.

Elizabeth found her legs to be like lead and didn't want to comply. She trembled in her boots, though she tried not to show it.

In a last ditch effort to get out of this, she brought her hand to her ear to bluff. "Ya hear that? Sounds like turkey. I-I think we should get it! You know how much the Vargases like their turkey."

"I don't hear anything." Gilbert started to climb. "Except the sound of you backing out!"

"I don't back down to the likes of you!" She declared, running to the base of the tree. The girl reached out to a low branch and hoisted herself from the ground. She climbed sluggishly – unlike her friend, who may as well be part monkey – to ensure she had good footing. Smart enough to not look down, Elizabeth kept her eyes trained on her hands.

Gilbert smirked as he continued to ascend, making his way to the top in no time.

Seeing as the boy reached the top, Elizabeth moved a bit faster. One weak branch snapped beneath her weight. Luckily, her grip held on another and she didn't fall. But she was forced to look down because of the angle she was put in, to see just how far she actually was from the ground.

The girl started to panic, frozen in her dangerous position. Her palms began to sweat, and her fingers slipped. A shriek rung out as she plummeted, hitting a few branches on the way down. They were not strong enough to hold her, simply cracking under her momentum.

Gilbert's grin instantly inverted once he heard a scream. He pivoted to see his friend falling like a weight. 'Shit, shit, shit,' was just inner mantra as he swung down as fast as he could. He knew, however, that he would be unable to save his friend in time and feared the worst.

Just as she was about to make impact, Elizabeth closed her eyes, knowing this was the end; she didn't even have enough time to pray for God's salvation in the afterlife. …Except it never came. Her eyes snapped back open to she her feet dangling off the ground. Dazed, she breathed a shaky sigh of relief. Her cloak snagged on a branch, successfully saving her life.

The boy nearly flew from the tree. Now on stable ground, he worked to get her down. It was caught too tightly in an entanglement of branches to get the fabric out cleanly.

Elizabeth plopped to the ground once freed. Kicking out her aching legs, she checked the tail to her cloak. It was torn; she cursed beneath her breath and threw it back to the ground, knowing full-well her father would be terribly upset.

Gilbert screamed in his friend's face, "Are you okay?"

Already annoyed, the girl pushed the worried boy away from her. "Yeah, I'll be fine-" She winced because of a fairly bad gash on her forearm. "Damn it."

Gilbert frowned at the wound. He laughed half-heartily, tearing a strip of cloth from his tunic to aid her arm. "See, you are less awesome than me. This should hold you till ya get home."

Normally, Elizabeth hated it whenever her friend acted nice. Either he wanted to flaunt himself or ask for something – usually near-impossible – in return whenever he showed kindness. But he didn't show any signs of such mannerisms this time. Hesitantly, the girl allowed him to bandage her up.

"You know this proves I'm the bigger man." She declared, smiling. "I can take injury better than you~"

"You serious…?"

She wasn't unfazed by the other's incredulous look. They stared each other down, a pair of determine green eyes against confused red ones. Without warning, both children burst out into laughter.

"Idiot," he chuckled.

"No, that's you, Gil."

Completely normal predicament.

So much to say about this chapter. First off, it was pretty long for a drabble. But that's really technical. Second, Hungary, that was a major sucker-punch about the safety blanket. Third, you better be grateful to that cloak; it effing saved your life. Lastly, That whole part where Gilbert wraps her arm was total bromance. Just saying.

Please leave me a critique on what I did right and what I did wrong. It's always good to know my strengths and faults so I can better my style.