Shotarella
Summary: Once upon a time in a land far far away lived a lonely prince and a pretty young girl who lived with her two evil step-mother and step-sisters. This is not their story. Oz Vessalius and his two step sisters are invited to a ball. Cinderella/PH parody!
Chapter 6- The Bridge
"You know the girls that were watching you are going to be upset that you chose someone like me." Oz says softly as the Waltz began to play causing Oz's face turned a bright pink color when he felt Gilbert's hand touch his waist.
"Why would that be?" Gilbert said softly as he noticed a couple of guys watching them. 'Are they staring at my master? They better not or I'll kick their asses.' Gilbert thought looking down at Oz's embarrassed that he was actually dancing with Oz.
"Isn't it obvious? You've got looks that would make any girl swoon... You also have the Nightray name. Girls would give you anything you'd want from them just to get you to smile at them." Oz says slightly feeling a bit jealous his own words before he heard Gilbert laugh softly.
"Is that what you think I would want? Please forgive me for saying this but I have no interest for such things like that... Women are lovely but I already have someone and I know that they are true about their feelings... They do not care if I am a lowly servant or a noble. Just as long as I'm there it's enough to make them happy." Gilbert says softly watching Oz stare up at him with wide eyes that were filled with many different emotions. He then quickly snapped out of it and looked away with a small blush across his cheeks.
"M-My, that is quite a thing to say... She must be quite the catch. I think you're very lucky, I hope she doesn't jealous that I'm dancing with you." Oz says feeling his cheeks burn wishing his had kept his drink in his hand.
"I like to think that I am... You do not have to worry about their jealousy." Gilbert says gently smiling at the look on Oz's face. 'Because you're right here and I am very lucky to have you with me.' He thought happily as he twirled Oz before pulling him back in. "You're quite a graceful dancer..." Gilbert whispers softly causing Oz to gasp and glance up at Gilbert feeling his heart tighten because Gilbert's hand was on the small of his back.
"T-Thank you... You're a very good dancer too." Oz says lowering his eyes to keep himself from staring at Gilbert's face. 'This is so embarrassing... I wish I hadn't agreed to dance with him.' Oz thought closing his eyes he felt light headed and he tried to take a deep breath but the corsets made that hard to do. 'Oh, my chest is starting to hurt...' Oz thought as the song ended. He quickly let go of Gilbert's hands and looked up at Gilbert with slight pained eyes. Gilbert seemed to notice this and placed his hand on his shoulder with a worried look.
"Are you alright?" Gilbert says gently as Oz nodded pulling away.
"Yes... I am fine. Just a little light headed… but that's fine. It's probably from the wine I drank earlier." Oz says with a small wink before he started to move off the dance floor with Gilbert fallowing after him.
"Would you like to sit down?" Gilbert says gently placing his hand onto Oz's back and Oz shook his head stopping at the way before turning to face him.
"No that is alright… I will be fine, please continue to enjoy the party." He says trying to be a polite young woman but he did like the fact that he was having trouble breathing at the moment.
"At least let me get you some water… maybe it'll help you with the dizziness." He says and was gone before Oz could deny him.
'I'm so embarrassed… Gilbert is treating me like a girl.' Oz thought with a small frown as he watched the others dance on the dance floor with graceful elegance.
"Shotarella-chan…" Sharon says appearing beside Oz causing him to flinch before looking at her with an embarrassed that she called him by that stupid nickname.
"It's Ella, not Shotarella, Sharon-chan! I hate that stupid nickname!" Oz hisses before clenching his chest because of the pain in his chest.
"My, are you alright?" Sharon asks gently and Oz straightened himself up with an apathetic look on his face.
"Yes, I must have eaten something that upset my stomach, is all." Oz says looking away from her and she sighed before glancing at the dance floor. "So why aren't you and Break dancing?" He asks causing Sharon to flinch and blush from embarrassment before looking away shyly.
"If we dance then we'll dance, Ella-chan." She says softly before turning to Oz with a smile on her lips. "You and Gilbert seemed to enjoy your little dance together." She says quickly changing the subject and Oz caught the hint.
"Not really… He was only being nice to Oz's guest since he could not be here." Oz says with a small frown on his face and Sharon giggled softly before placing her hand on his shoulder.
"He enjoyed dancing with you and you enjoyed dancing with him. We saw the looks on your faces… Why don't you just tell him?' She asks with an excited grin on her face and Oz pouted.
"You do know that everything you just said is immoral, right Sharon-chan. How can too men confess their love to each other." He says in a low voice before Sharon giggled again.
"You're not technically a man right now." She whispered into his ear and Oz blushed before crossing his arms uncomfortably as Sharon laughed. "So tell him… tell him… tell him…" Sharon says cheerfully grabbing his hands lovingly. "Okay?" Sharon asks innocently and Oz looked at her with sadness in his eyes.
"He never would agree with something like that, Sharon-chan… I mean, Gil… He isn't the type of person to love an-someone like me." Oz whispers softly and Sharon squeals hugging him.
"You admitted it! Oh, you don't need to be worried about something like that! If he cares enough to swear he'll always be by your side no matter what yours or his social standing is then he'll gladly accept your feelings." Sharon says happily squeezing him as Oz looked away with a red face.
"Yes, I did now let go, Sharon-chan, you're going to kill me." Oz says causing her to let him go and she looked at him with a calm look in her eyes.
"You're going to tell him tonight then?" She says kindly and Oz sighed before looking away.
"No… If I told him while I was dressed up like this I'd be lying to him. If you want me to tell him I love him then I'll do it some other time." Oz says calmly before Sharon giggled before pointing behind him. He glanced behind him to see Gilbert stop in front of him holding a glass of water.
"Ella-san, you look a bit pale… are you alright?" Gilbert says gently as he handed her a glass of water.
"Yes… Thank you for the water." Oz says politely hoping Gilbert didn't hear their conversation. 'This is so embarrassing…' He thought not realizing he was taking sharp breaths but Gilbert noticed and frowned.
"Are you sure? You don't look too well…" He said softly placing his hand onto Oz's shoulder. Oz blushed before looking up at Gilbert feeling his face burn by how close he was getting.
"Um… actually I-I need some fresh air! P-Please excuse me!" Oz says quickly feeling as if he was losing his breath as he rushed out of the ball room toward the gardens. Gilbert stared at his retreating form before taking off after him knowing something might be seriously wrong with him. Sharon simply stood there grinning ear to ear knowing that something was going to happen as she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Shall we dance now, Ouzo-sama…" Break whispers into her ear as she lifted up her hand and he kissed it.
"Yes… We've done what I set out to do and now we can enjoy ourselves." She says letting him pull her out to the dance floor.
Meanwhile Oz quickly made his way through the garden until he arrived at the pond and the bridge where he had first met Gilbert. He stopped at the center and collapsed to his knees taking in deep breaths trying to catch his illusive breath before resting his head onto the railing tiredly. 'I-I have to loosen the corset... it's too tight, I cannot breathe like this.' Oz thought trying to figure how to get out of his dress so he could loosen the dress but he could find the string to the back of the dress. "D-Damn it..." He mutters trying to pull the top of the dress off but it was too tight to do so.
"Ella-san..." Gilbert's voice says causing Oz to freeze and look over the way he had come.
"Oh hello... I just tripped is all..." Oz says reaching up to the railing trying to pull his body up but Gilbert pushed him back down.
"I saw... You've collapsed, you didn't trip. Are you alright?" Gilbert says with worry in his eyes and Oz gave him a small smile.
"I'm just having a bit of trouble catching my breath is all... I'll be fine in a bit." Oz says with a reassuring smile and Gilbert frowned.
"You're wearing one of those god damned death contraptions aren't you?" Gilbert says grabbing the back of Oz's dress pulling the strings causing Oz to squeal in shock.
'What the hell Gilbert! Do you usually do this to girls you just met!' Oz thought backing away from Gilbert with a red face.
"You're corsets is too tight, that's why you can't breathe. I was going to loosen it..." Gilbert says starting to blush as he looked away realizing he just did something that you wouldn't do to a normal woman.
"Still..." Oz says looking away with a red face before Gilbert sighed.
"Drop the act, Oz! I know it's you, I confirmed it with Break! I don't know what was going on in their heads when they put that on you but I'm not having you pass out because of that corset, come here." Gilbert says grabbing Oz's hand and pulling him back down. Oz gasped before his face turned a darker pink as he felt Gilbert slip his dress off his shoulders.
'Gilbert knew it was me... this whole time! He-He knew and pretended not to know.' Oz thought feeling his face burn and his body tremble as he felt Gilbert loosen the corset. "How..." Oz whispers softly feeling the embarrassed because he was caught wearing woman's attire as he heard Gilbert sigh.
"A certain stupid rabbit saw her sister and asked me where you were, not realizing that your mother told me and Jack that you were sick." Gilbert says he finishes tying the corset back up. "And then that stupid nickname hit me and it was a guess really but you didn't even try to hide you voice so I was pretty sure that it was you." Gilbert says calmly as he felt Oz sigh in annoyance.
"What if it wasn't me? You'd of got slapped across the face for untying my dress..." Oz mutters causing Gilbert to laugh softly before he fixed Oz's dress.
"I was pretty sure it was you." Gilbert whispered in Oz's ear causing a shiver to run up Oz's back causing Oz to push him back away from him.
"Lair..." Oz mutters standing up rubbing his arms gently feeling cold suddenly. Gilbert also stood up with a calm amused look before he leaned against the railing pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. 'Smoking again... Looks like you failed at quitting again.' Oz thought smiling softly before looking to the side.
"Are you breathing alright, now?" Gilbert asked softly before Oz nodded looking out of to the pond. Gilbert stared at him for a moment watching the moonlight hit off of Oz's wig and skin that had a pale glow. He suddenly got an urge to touch and kiss Oz as he eyes trailed down his friend's neck but he looked away with a small frown. "That's good... I'm glad; I don't know why women wear those things." Gilbert says causing Oz to laugh softly. 'I'm digging myself into a grave by doing things like that.' He thought silently staring up at the sky to keep himself occupied so his hand wouldn't wander over to Oz.
"Me either, they're a pain in the ass to get on and off and not to mention it hurts wearing one." Oz says with a forced smile as he turned slightly to Gilbert who smiled back but did not look at Oz.
"You could just take it off and borrow my clothing." Gilbert says calmly and Oz rolled his eyes.
"You're clothing is too big. I'd fall right out of your pants, even with a belt." Oz says teasingly and Gilbert blushed slightly before glancing at Oz with a worried look, worried that he was going to do something regrettable to his friend and master. He moved away taking deep breaths of his cigarette as he looked back towards the palace.
"It'd be better than wearing a dress wouldn't it?" Gilbert says keep his voice soft but monotone as he heard Oz move. He glanced back to see Oz was sitting on the railing and he smiled. "If Sharon-oujosama saw you sitting on the railing in her dress she would be quite how do I say…? She'd be really pissed." Gilbert states with a slight worried look but Oz simply chuckled and leaned forward.
"Are you going to tell her?" Oz asked with a cutesy look on his face causing Gilbert to tense knowing his master was teasing him.
"No..." Gilbert says softly watching Oz stare at him with his smile still on his face.
"Then she won't find out? Now will she?" Oz says with a slight chuckle causing Gilbert to sigh and finish his cigarette. Oz stared at him for a moment before looking down at his hand deciding to tell Gilbert his feelings.