"Stupid!" Gilbert shouted, starting to laugh, "Just because you say you're a dude doesn't mean you really are one!"
"And who says?" Feliks snarled, his hands balling up into fists at his sides, "Huh?"
"Me!" the Prussian replied, as though that alone was enough to prove his point, "Duh!"
"...And I'm supposed to care...?"
Gilbert's eyes narrowed, clearly angered that Feliks didn't seem to take his word as law, "And the rest of the world does, too! I'm pretty sure it's an undisputed fact that you need a dick to be a guy, y'know?"
"I have more of one than you," he retorted, eyes blazing.
The man snorted, rolling his eyes, "At least I'm not some sort of crappy tranny!"
"Excuse me?" the Pole's voice was dangerous, face full of unmasked hatred, "What was that?"
"You heard me. Dyke."
Without another word, Feliks lunged, tackling the albino to the ground and punching him as hard as he could. He didn't hesitate before hitting him again, then again, fists flying in a fit of rage, each blow drawing a loud cry of pain from the man underneath him. Gilbert fought back, though, landing a few solid hits of his own to the blonde's face, each one met with a soft yelp. The brawl only escalated from there, both nations left battered and bloody when they were finally pulled apart, forced in separate ways. And so the hatred continued...
"And that's what happened!" Feliks finished, shifting his position on the worn, faded couch, "Prussia was being a bitch, I punched him in the face, he hit back, and so we fought."
"Feliks..." Elizabeta sighed, trying not to look amused, "What are we going to do with you?"
The blonde only laughed, flicking his friend's cheek, "Oh, shush...~ You know you're totally proud of me for fighting back~ Especially since it was Prussia~~!"
"...Touche."
Prussia had been being a bit of a bully lately... not to mention the old rivalry he and Hungary shared... he had made himself quite the enemy. And no matter how hard she tried to hide it, it was clear that Elizabeta absolutely loved to hear of the albino's humiliation. She didn't even know why she tried to deny it anymore, particularly when it came to Feliks; he knew her better than anyone.
"So how've you been lately~?"
"How have... I been?" she said the phrase as though it was foreign to her, something she didn't quite understand, "Wh-what do you mean...?"
Feliks frowned and arched an eyebrow, shooting the girl a questioning look. This wasn't an unexpected question, nor was it something unreasonable; it was the conversation the had every time they met. It was normal. So why was she acting so surprised...? Why did her eyes show how reluctant she was to answer...? Why?
"M'kay, Lizzie, tell me what's up," he frowned harder and turned, looking at the brunette with more seriousness than she had ever known him to possess, "You know you can tell me anything, so get talking."
Elizabeta sighed, closing her eyes and wrapping her arms around herself protectively. She didn't speak.
"It's Prussia again, isn't it?" the blonde growled, eyes narrowing in anger when his question was met with a curt nod, "What'd he do this time, and how badly am I beating him for it?"
The Hungarian gave a soft, halfhearted laugh, but it did nothing to reassure Feliks, who was becoming alarmed by the look of defeat on his friend's face. Hungary didn'tgive in... Hungary fought until she won! Defeat and Lizzie just... it was like saying... it just didn't work!
"Elizabeta, you are going to tell me what that bastard did right now, or I swear...!"
"All right, all right~" she smiled weakly, holding up her hands in a show of mock surrender, "No need to use my name~!"
Feliks didn't smile back, clearly not in the mood for jokes, "Now."
"Fine..." the girl sighed, dropping the small bit of cheer she had managed to force, "Do you want me to tell it how it is, or do you want me to sugarcoat it?"
"What the hell do you think?" he snapped, frustrated by Elizabeta's lack of cooperation, "You know I want the truth! I always do!"
"Jeez, Fel, just calm down! You want to know what's happening? Fine! Within the next year, my nation is going to fall! I'll be gone! Dead!" she practically shouted, cheeks flushing with a mix of anger and shame, "There, I said it! Are you happy, now?"
The Pole visibly paled, fear flickering in his eyes, "What? Y-you're kidding, right, Lizzie? R-right?"
Slowly, Elizabeta shook her head, trembling with the strain of trying not to break down, "I wish I could say I was... but I'm not, Feliks... I-I'm not..."
"Oh, Lizzie..." he wrapped his arms around her as tightly as he could, as though holding her could stop the pain, "Lizzie... what happened? H-how can I help? You know I'll do anything for you... anything in the world."
He offered his help to her, but he did not apologize; he did not offer pointless condolences. They had been friends long enough for Feliks to know that pity would only agitate her.
"I... I don't really think that there's anything that you can do, at this point..." she murmured, leaning into his arms, "Just wait for it to happen, I suppose..."
The Pole sighed, but shoved the Hungarian's words to the back of his mind, far more concerned about learning just how this was happening.
"What'd he do?"
"I-it... it wasn't just him..." Elizabeta spoke softly, clearly not wanting to admit that she had been beaten, "He started with his invasions, yeah, but you know I always fought him off... it was never a big deal. But you know how after a battle, you're all weak and drained from it...? Well, a few other nations decided to take advantage of that... they invaded. And I'm pretty sure I'm not getting better. They're going to keep on taking my land and attacking me, and I'm not going to have the strength to stop them... I can't build back up if they keep invading me like that..." she sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat, "And nothing can change it. I'm going to fall, and they're going to take my land... and that's that."
"L-Lizzie..." Feliks's mind was reeling, heart pounding in his chest, "There has to be something we can do to stop this...! Anything...! B-but it can't be hopeless!"
"It is, though..." she shrugged, looking rather resigned, "And we've just got to deal with it. I've had a long life... nice... more than most people could ever hope for. It's like they say, don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."
"But there's so much you haven't done!"he protested, "There has to be a way to stop it!"
"Feliks," she frowned, pulling back to look him in the eye, "There's nothing you can do. Give it up. It'll only make things harder if you waste your time on a lost cause."
Feliks's lower lip trembled, tears filling his eyes at just the thought of losing Lizzie. She was his best friend! She had been with him through everything! She was strong and brave, and she never gave up! Feliks didn't show respect towards a lot of people, but both of the nations were well aware that Elizabeta had earned it years ago... he even admired her a bit, really. The thing that had first drawn him to the brunette had been her refusal to be beaten down! Where did everyone thing Feliks's stubborn nature came from? It was only because Hungary had taught him that you could never let anyone bring you down! So why was she...?
"Elizabeta, you are not giving up!" the blonde said fiercely, looking back at her with a sort of determination evident in his eyes, "We're gonna get you through this, damn it, and you know it, so don't you dare say we won't!"
"Feliks, as much as I'd love to believe that, it's not going to happen! You can't just stop death because you don't like it! It doesn't work like that! You-"
He cut her off, "Lizzie, just shut up! If you don't think that this can be prevented, fine, don't believe me, but for God's sake, don't try and stop me from helping! I'm gonna stop you from falling or fricken die trying!"
"Feliks..." she frowned, stopping when she saw the tears beginning to stream down his cheeks.
"I can't lose you, Lizzie!" he whispered, voice almost inaudible as he clung to her with desperation, "I-I just can't!"
"Feliks..." she rocked him slowly, a hollow sort of sadness on her face, "Please don't cry... I'll listen, okay? As unlikely as it is, I'll keep an open mind... I'll help you find a way to do this, all right? J-just please don't cry...!"
He nodded, sniffling pathetically and leaning on her, "A-all right... but I c-can't lose you, Lizzie! I can't, I can't, I can't!"
"All right, Feliks..." she murmured, burying her face into his hair, "I get it... a-and I'll try to beat this... I'll try to stay safe... pinky promise."
He nodded again, linking their pinkies together and letting out a shuddery sob. He couldn't be about to lose her... he just couldn't.
AN: So, like... just to explain why Elizabeta said "No need to use my name," Feliks has a nickname for everyone, be it a variation of their name, like Liet or Lizzie, or something completely different, like asswad for Prussia. |D /shot. But that's how you can tell he's being serious... he stops with the nicknames. And, uh, yeah... |D Just saying. And feel free to review~ CB I love you guys~