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kiramaru7While the newlyweds were inside, making the most of their first night as a married couple, their friends slowly dispersed, until only Gilbert remained along with Basch and Lili. They hung out in the near empty parking lot, talking about Basch’s hotrod, anything to keep Gilbert’s mind off Roderich and Elizabeta. They were checking out the engine, when Basch said, “It wasn’t meant to be, Gilbert, so get over it.”
“Hunh?”
“Elizabeta. Everyone knows you like her… a lot.”
“Oh… Look, Basch, I-I…”
“Cut the crap, Gilbert. Even Lili knows it, so don’t be an ass about it.”
“Oh…” Gilbert frowned. Changing the subject, he said, “So what do you think about this bent eight compared to a strait six?”
Basch rolled his eyes. Ignoring his comment, he said, “My old man, before my mother divorced him and he took off for parts unknown, used to say there was plenty of fish in the sea, and not to settle for the first one you catch. I used to wonder which floozy he meant whenever he’d bring it up, but you know, in a way he’s right.”
“Look, Basch, I told I’d treat your sister with respect. If you don’t want me dating her, just say so, so I can let her down easy.”
“You’re not getting off that easy, Beilschmidt.” Basch grinned. “No, my sister will probably break your heart and if you’re an ass, you’ll deserve it too.”
Gilbert looked at him like he did not believe it.
Basch continued, “She’s fourteen. You’re the flavor of the month. You think when she turns fifteen she’s going to be interested in a boy she can only see on weekends when he comes home from college? Especially someone who’s studying hard so he can get good grades,” he snorted in amusement. “You’re the fish, Gilbo.”
Gilbert sighed.
“But, if you play your cards right, and treat her like a queen, my sister might stay true to you.”
“Yeah?” Gilbert brightened a bit.
Basch nodded. “It’s what you want, isn’t it?” he grinned. “It’s why fools like you fall in love.”
Gilbert snorted in amusement, but he had to admit Basch had a point. “Yeah…”
“So do yourself a favor and forget Lizzie. You’ll be a lot happier in the end, Gilbo.”
Gilbert busied himself with the engine in Basch’s hotrod. “Easier said than done.”
Basch shook his head at him. “Face it, Beilschmidt, you and Roddy went for pinks and you lost. So just man up and admit it. It’s not a big deal. Guys win and lose at dragging all the time. You know that commie-pinko kid, Braginski?”
“Yeah? What about him?”
“He used to have this souped up Chevy; it was like the coolest thing ever. Cherry red with a black interior… it was the cat’s pajamas, you know?”
Gilbert nodded as they lowered the hood on Basch’s hotrod.
“He went for pinks and was creamed. He cried for days over it. You’d swear his mother died or something.” He quickly added, “Sorry, Gilbo, bad choice of words, but you know what I mean.”
“Yeah…”
“So everyone figured he’s lost his beloved hottie, that Braginski was finished. There’s no way he’d be able to come from that, but damn if he didn’t!”
“Yeah?” Gilbert’s interest was piqued now that they had stopped talking about Elizabeta and himself.
“Yup. He got himself a fucking deuce, Gilbo!! The holy grail of rods!! And he went and kicked that other guy’s ass!”
“No shit!”
“I’m giving you the word from the bird, Gilbo! Braginski gave up what looked like the best thing he ever had, sure he shed a few tears over it, hell, he cried himself a river! But the guy ended up with something much better.” Basch looked over to where his sister was sitting on the planter where the Blue Moon’s “No Vacancy” sign hung.
Gilbert followed his gaze as a grin slowly spread over his face. “Yeah…”
“Yup!”
“Thanks, Basch.”
“Whatever.” He shrugged. “Just remember if you ever do anything stupid with my sister, I’ll cut your balls off.” Basch narrowed his eyes at him. “And don’t think I won’t do it either.”
“Relax, Basch!” Gilbert held up his hands. “I swear on my honor as a Teutonic Knight and on my Muti’s memory, that her virtue will be safe with me, Okay?”
“Whatever… Just don’t forget, okay?”
“Yeah…” Gilbert replied. “Now what?”
Basch frowned. “It’s just that I don’t know what she sees in you.”
“Oh…”
“Yeah… but I’d rather she go out with you than some cake-eater like Braginski. All chrome and no power. You at least got something under the hood.” He grinned.
“Thanks, I think.”
They laughed. “You know what I mean, Gilbo.”
“Yeah… Anyways…” Gilbert grinned and walked over to where Lili sat and sat down next to her. “Hey, you wanna go out with me?”
She giggled. “I thought we were already going out?”
“Yeah…” He grinned. “But I wanted to ask you again.”
“Okay.” She giggled.
“You know that song, ‘Blue Moon’?”
“Yeah… What about it?”
He sang softly, “Blue Moon, you saw me standing alone… without a dream in my heart… without a love of my own… Blue Moon, you knew just what I was there for… You heard me saying a prayer for… Someone I really could care for…” Gilbert took her hand and sang, “And then there suddenly appeared before me… The only one my arms will ever hold… I heard somebody whisper, 'Please adore me'… And when I looked, the moon had turned to gold…”
Lili giggled and taking a deep breath, she sang along with him.
“Blue Moon, now I'm no longer alone… Without a dream in my heart… Without a love of my own…”
When they finished singing, Gilbert leaned in and kissed her. “Thank you, Blue Moon.” He looked up at the sky and back down at Lili. She thought it was the most romantic thing ever and she sighed softly as she leaned on him. “Come, Cinderella, it’s after midnight, let’s get you home, before you turn into a pumpkin.”
“Awe…” Lili pouted.
“Hey, even if you’re not gonna turn into a pumpkin, I might. So umm… how about I come by after church tomorrow and maybe we can go to the malt shop for an ice cream soda?”
“Okay!”
Gilbert stood up, and turning towards her, he offered his hand to Lili. When she took it, he pulled her to her feet. Slinging an arm around her, he walked her back over to her brother.
“Come on, Lili, time to go,” Basch said.
“I know,” she pouted when she reached the car.
Gilbert leaned in and kissed her cheek, while Basch pretended not to notice. “Good night, Sweetheart,” he said softly. He opened the car door for her and she got inside. “I’ll see you tomorrow after church, okay?” He smiled at her. “Wait! Where do you live?”
She told him, before her brother started his car and drove off.
Gilbert watched them leave, before getting on his motorcycle. He put his helmet on and started it. Without a backwards glance, he drove out the parking lot and headed for home. “Blue Moon, now I'm no longer alone… Without a dream in my heart… Without a love of my own…”
“Hunh?”
“Elizabeta. Everyone knows you like her… a lot.”
“Oh… Look, Basch, I-I…”
“Cut the crap, Gilbert. Even Lili knows it, so don’t be an ass about it.”
“Oh…” Gilbert frowned. Changing the subject, he said, “So what do you think about this bent eight compared to a strait six?”
Basch rolled his eyes. Ignoring his comment, he said, “My old man, before my mother divorced him and he took off for parts unknown, used to say there was plenty of fish in the sea, and not to settle for the first one you catch. I used to wonder which floozy he meant whenever he’d bring it up, but you know, in a way he’s right.”
“Look, Basch, I told I’d treat your sister with respect. If you don’t want me dating her, just say so, so I can let her down easy.”
“You’re not getting off that easy, Beilschmidt.” Basch grinned. “No, my sister will probably break your heart and if you’re an ass, you’ll deserve it too.”
Gilbert looked at him like he did not believe it.
Basch continued, “She’s fourteen. You’re the flavor of the month. You think when she turns fifteen she’s going to be interested in a boy she can only see on weekends when he comes home from college? Especially someone who’s studying hard so he can get good grades,” he snorted in amusement. “You’re the fish, Gilbo.”
Gilbert sighed.
“But, if you play your cards right, and treat her like a queen, my sister might stay true to you.”
“Yeah?” Gilbert brightened a bit.
Basch nodded. “It’s what you want, isn’t it?” he grinned. “It’s why fools like you fall in love.”
Gilbert snorted in amusement, but he had to admit Basch had a point. “Yeah…”
“So do yourself a favor and forget Lizzie. You’ll be a lot happier in the end, Gilbo.”
Gilbert busied himself with the engine in Basch’s hotrod. “Easier said than done.”
Basch shook his head at him. “Face it, Beilschmidt, you and Roddy went for pinks and you lost. So just man up and admit it. It’s not a big deal. Guys win and lose at dragging all the time. You know that commie-pinko kid, Braginski?”
“Yeah? What about him?”
“He used to have this souped up Chevy; it was like the coolest thing ever. Cherry red with a black interior… it was the cat’s pajamas, you know?”
Gilbert nodded as they lowered the hood on Basch’s hotrod.
“He went for pinks and was creamed. He cried for days over it. You’d swear his mother died or something.” He quickly added, “Sorry, Gilbo, bad choice of words, but you know what I mean.”
“Yeah…”
“So everyone figured he’s lost his beloved hottie, that Braginski was finished. There’s no way he’d be able to come from that, but damn if he didn’t!”
“Yeah?” Gilbert’s interest was piqued now that they had stopped talking about Elizabeta and himself.
“Yup. He got himself a fucking deuce, Gilbo!! The holy grail of rods!! And he went and kicked that other guy’s ass!”
“No shit!”
“I’m giving you the word from the bird, Gilbo! Braginski gave up what looked like the best thing he ever had, sure he shed a few tears over it, hell, he cried himself a river! But the guy ended up with something much better.” Basch looked over to where his sister was sitting on the planter where the Blue Moon’s “No Vacancy” sign hung.
Gilbert followed his gaze as a grin slowly spread over his face. “Yeah…”
“Yup!”
“Thanks, Basch.”
“Whatever.” He shrugged. “Just remember if you ever do anything stupid with my sister, I’ll cut your balls off.” Basch narrowed his eyes at him. “And don’t think I won’t do it either.”
“Relax, Basch!” Gilbert held up his hands. “I swear on my honor as a Teutonic Knight and on my Muti’s memory, that her virtue will be safe with me, Okay?”
“Whatever… Just don’t forget, okay?”
“Yeah…” Gilbert replied. “Now what?”
Basch frowned. “It’s just that I don’t know what she sees in you.”
“Oh…”
“Yeah… but I’d rather she go out with you than some cake-eater like Braginski. All chrome and no power. You at least got something under the hood.” He grinned.
“Thanks, I think.”
They laughed. “You know what I mean, Gilbo.”
“Yeah… Anyways…” Gilbert grinned and walked over to where Lili sat and sat down next to her. “Hey, you wanna go out with me?”
She giggled. “I thought we were already going out?”
“Yeah…” He grinned. “But I wanted to ask you again.”
“Okay.” She giggled.
“You know that song, ‘Blue Moon’?”
“Yeah… What about it?”
He sang softly, “Blue Moon, you saw me standing alone… without a dream in my heart… without a love of my own… Blue Moon, you knew just what I was there for… You heard me saying a prayer for… Someone I really could care for…” Gilbert took her hand and sang, “And then there suddenly appeared before me… The only one my arms will ever hold… I heard somebody whisper, 'Please adore me'… And when I looked, the moon had turned to gold…”
Lili giggled and taking a deep breath, she sang along with him.
“Blue Moon, now I'm no longer alone… Without a dream in my heart… Without a love of my own…”
When they finished singing, Gilbert leaned in and kissed her. “Thank you, Blue Moon.” He looked up at the sky and back down at Lili. She thought it was the most romantic thing ever and she sighed softly as she leaned on him. “Come, Cinderella, it’s after midnight, let’s get you home, before you turn into a pumpkin.”
“Awe…” Lili pouted.
“Hey, even if you’re not gonna turn into a pumpkin, I might. So umm… how about I come by after church tomorrow and maybe we can go to the malt shop for an ice cream soda?”
“Okay!”
Gilbert stood up, and turning towards her, he offered his hand to Lili. When she took it, he pulled her to her feet. Slinging an arm around her, he walked her back over to her brother.
“Come on, Lili, time to go,” Basch said.
“I know,” she pouted when she reached the car.
Gilbert leaned in and kissed her cheek, while Basch pretended not to notice. “Good night, Sweetheart,” he said softly. He opened the car door for her and she got inside. “I’ll see you tomorrow after church, okay?” He smiled at her. “Wait! Where do you live?”
She told him, before her brother started his car and drove off.
Gilbert watched them leave, before getting on his motorcycle. He put his helmet on and started it. Without a backwards glance, he drove out the parking lot and headed for home. “Blue Moon, now I'm no longer alone… Without a dream in my heart… Without a love of my own…”
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no subject
Date: 2013-05-27 04:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-05-27 11:02 pm (UTC)*blushes* Thank you! I had a lot of fun looking at Roderich's & Elizabeta's situtaion from different points of view. I don't usually write such a huge cast of characters, so it was a new experience & I'm glad it read well.
Thank you again! I was trying to get a "small town America" feel to it, where everyone knew everyone else and families stayed close by, so grandparents saw their grandchildren a lot more than they do nowadays.
*nods* That's one of the things I like about Prussia, how likes, and has always like her from the moment they met, even if at first he thought she was a boy like him when they were little. I tried to get some of that here in Gilbert, but I also think as much as he does like her, he knows where her true feelings lie & not being stupid, he realizes Bash is right; he needs to let go. :D
*blushes* Thanks! I'm sooo glad you liked that as well as enjoying this as a whole! Thank you as well for reading it all in one shot! I had intended to post it that way, but LJ had other ideas. XD
no subject
Date: 2013-05-28 06:29 pm (UTC)The Pleasentville setting was so well done! I've never actually read the 1950's so well done before in any area of fiction - I could almost smell the Formica and the terrazzo floors! LOL. All the little details were amazing and added so much to this tale! The original characters were just as important and well-done as the mains and I found myself really sad to see the end of the tale... I see why it would spawn others because that world is such a good one and I wouldn't want to leave it either.
This has to be one of the very best stories I've read for sheer immersion and characters with hearts and souls. I care what happens to Hungary and Austria, I care and wonder what will come of Liechtenstein and Prussia and I am curious about the rifts and new bridges made between the three families involved - not to mention the goofy "Knights" and their cadre of friends.
This was a story I could never have written; the sheer optimism and sweetness determine themselves to outweigh any lingering doubts and darkness - I could never have allowed myself the happy ending that you effortlessly provide and in a most believable way - not only is it the most happy ending there could be to such a predicament but that very happiness is perfectly in place with the entire tale... it just couldn't have ended any other way. It was absolutely amazing and a fantastic read - I had to do so twice. Not because I couldn't follow certain things or that certain things made no sense - but because it was such a good story. I loved it - every last bit and thank you.
Thank you!
no subject
Date: 2013-05-28 07:36 pm (UTC)*blushes* Yeah? And it's such a fun era, cuz it's so sweet & innocent, which is especially amazing since it comes on the heels of a World War, & the Korean war, & yet people had such hopes for the future. It was sooo much fun to think about malt shops, bowling alleys, submarine races, If I could have worked it in there, I'd have thrown in a scene at the drive-movies! :D
Thanks! It makes me sooo happy to hear that! I'm glad my OCs were as interesting as the main characters & that you cared about them & what happens to them. *nods* I sooo want to write more for this 'verse! I'm sooo torn between trying my hand at the 60's & sending Prussia & Lichtenstein to Woodstock & going back to the start of it all & writing that date that ended up with a bit of back seat bingo for Austria & Hungary that started this one. XD There's sooo many lil side stories too! Like Spain & Romano painting the rectory & getting drunk afterwards, How did France find all those bridesmaids & what was married life like for the honeymooners, & Hungary having her baby while Austria was away at school. Are things better or worse for them? And how does it affect the families?
Awe... *huggles* Thank you, that's high praise! *blushes* When I was writing it, it refused to be written any other way. XD Everyone pretty much got a happy ending, except Bubbe Edelstein. XD
Thank you! That is the highest compliment you can pay an author, to love a story so much, you want to keep rereading it! :D
You're welcome! I'm just sooo glad you liked this lil trip into Pleasantville! *huggles*
no subject
Date: 2013-05-29 09:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-05-29 10:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-12 01:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-12 07:21 pm (UTC)