The next couple of days en route to Athens were filled with conversation, leftover meals from Venice and Alessandro visiting each couple to talk with them. He thought of the gang as "illegitimate aunts and uncles" and were more than willing to keep them company as the train effortlessly made its way on its tracks for their next destination. For one, he got Karl and Anneke to be their humorous, joke-filled selves again, which was his favorite accomplishment.
Meanwhile in their usual train car, Elizabeth looked out the window from where she sat. Across the width of the car, looking out the other window, Florian sat there, his eyes glowing in fascination over the world outside. But after more than enough silence she looked to him, thinking of something that would not only break the silence but also keep him from worse than bored. And then, a smile crossed her face, turning into a grin, as a mental lightbulb went on.
News flash to Florian she thought, you're mine, sugarplum.
"Hey Florian" she spoke, still grinning.
The Roboter blinked and looked to her. "What is it, Eliza?" he asked, wondering about her smile.
"Come over here" she answered. "I've got a challenge for you."
"Oh really?" he remarked, going over to sit next to her.
"Really" she retorted with a proud grin.
"So what is it, then?"
"Simple. A staring contest."
Florian's eyes widened. Wait--WHAT!? he thought, Eliza doesn't do staring contests!! The heck is she goin' on about!? But Elizabeth just smiled smugly.
"Now, seriously, Eliza" the semi-human being said. "You call me over here... just for a staring contest!? What. Is. Up!?"
"Simple" she replied. "There are two rules to this staring contest. Rule number one is, winner gets a kiss from the loser."
Florian grinned to this rule. "Okay, I'm in already!! And rule number two is...?"
"Rule number two is, you can't laugh."
His face quickly sobered. "...at... at all!?" he stammered.
She nodded. "Yep. You can smile. But you can't laugh."
He simply blinked. But she smiled slyly. "Trust me, you know you want to take on this silly little challenge" she taunted.
"Hmph!" he retorted as the two now sat facing each other. "Bring it on, sweet stuff."
"Hey, I'm the one callin' ya sugarplum, sugarplum" she replied with a smirk. With that the staring contest began.
After about five or ten minutes simply staring at each other, Florian broke out into a smirk, while Elizabeth raised a brow and shook her head. Unamused, the semi-human being made a mock-scowling face; in response she rolled her eyes, then stuck out her tongue. His eyes widened for a moment; a smug grin appeared on her face.
This woman is murder on this Roboter's heart! he thought to himself as he shook his head. Then... it was as if he figured it out. Quickly he grinned and then, a second later, broke into a funny face. Undaunted, the usually-well-behaved young lady raised both brows, and a moment later she made a funny face.
Hey, I can be stupid too, you know she thought to herself as the exchange of the funny faces went back and forth for what felt like almost an hour. The funny faces soon turned into mirroring faces as she mirrored whatever face he attempted. Eventually he gave up on the fight and just sat there, somewhat exasperated. And just like that, so did she.
After what felt almost like another hour of simply sitting there, a small smile broke on their faces... and then a giggle at the same moment escaped there once-silent lips. And then the giggle turned into an amusing chorus of laughter as the two laughed without a single care. The contest had ended in the best possible manner; Elizabeth's experiment was a success in every possible sense of it all.
Moments later the train arrived in Athens, where there was an underground shelter at the station. After the gang settled to their rooms for the evening, Florian and Elizabeth sat on the bench at the windowsill, her in his arms, her head on his shoulder. Their faces looked to the city at nighttime, the lights glowing to brighten the ancient city, and on their faces each a content smile.
"Eliza" the mensch-maschine spoke at last.
"Yes, Florian?" she asked, her face now looking up to his.
"Why'd you challenge me to that staring contest?" he asked, an amused smile on his face as he looked to her.
"Because I was bored," she admitted, "and because not only did that give us something to kill time over, it also gave me a chance to do something I usually never do--which was challenging a staring contest."
"But I thought you said you don't do staring contests, Eliza!!" Florian exclaimed in surprise.
"I didn't. At least, for the most part" she replied frankly. "But, sometimes I have to just go off the deep end and do something a little bit different. A bit, if you will, daring."
"Nicht ehrlich, Eliza!!" he laughed. "Not fair!! If you don't do staring contests you shouldn't do that!! That's just not you whatsoever!!"
"I know, I know" she laughed in defense. "I'm sorry I did that." Her laughter then stopped and she fixed her face back to life outside the window, her face now a bit more sober.
The Roboter blinked. Oh my God! he thought to himself, don't tell me what I said offended you!! But she kept silent and, after another moment, stood up.
"Where are you going--" he spoke, but was silent when she turned to face him.
"I'm going to get ready for bed" she replied quietly, but he quickly stood up and grabbed her hand.
"Eliza" he spoke, and she stopped and turned to face him again.
"...yes, Florian?" she asked.
"...I'm sorry if what I said... hurt you in any way" he apologized. "I didn't mean to be offending in any way. I just... I didn't expect you to challenge me the way you did. And... well...
"I actually loved that challenge. I really did. It was just unexpected and fun and humorous as to how long we could keep from bursting out in laughter! It was just... just fun!!
"I just couldn't believe it when you challenged me. And I can't believe it now when my words offended you. And I'm really sorry I said what I said." After his apology he lowered his head, realizing just how much of an idiot he turned himself into.
Elizabeth couldn't help but look at him with a sad smile, squeezing his hand. "Verziehen" she answered quietly. "Forgiven."
Florian lifted his head to face her again, smiling. "Thank you" he said humbly, then pulled her into a hug. But she stared blankly for a moment, wondering if it really was worth the experiment, the attempt at doing something different, to be a bit more than simply a woman whose heart was more set on protecting others than simple humors. Realizing her own failure, she pressed her face against his chest to stiffle the sob that was rising in her chest, the tears that welled in her eyes.
"Eliza--!?" he whispered as his eyes fixed on her. Then he realized what had happened, and he spoke again, smiling sadly.
"You were trying to be a bit more cheerful... to brighten up the silence that was there between us... to do something different. You were tired of simply being someone known for caring about others, for having no sense of humor, and so you wanted to do something different...
"Yet every time you attempt it, it seems to backfire in the end because someone had to chastize you about who you are and how you're supposed to behave.
"I just triggered those memories, didn't I?"
But she gave no answer as he pulled away for a moment to look at her face, his hands on her shoulders. Her eyes were closed, her face just solemn as tears spilt down her cheeks. She simply stood there, silent in her own manner. He was right, but she didn't tell him this. He knew he was right, and that she didn't have to tell him. Finally she opened her eyes and lifted them to his, a twinge of anger in her own.
Florian gave up whatever words he wanted to say at that moment and simply held her against his chest again, as she sobbed quietly. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth... I'm so sorry" he whispered gently, planting a kiss on the top of her head. "I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry..."
After what felt like a few hours the semi-human being finally pulled away again to look at her face. There was only one tear this time, and that tear he wiped away with his thumb. Elizabeth opened her eyes and looked at his hand that wiped that last tear, then up at his face. His heart still filled with regret over his actions, he kissed her forehead.
"What was that for, Florian?" she asked in a hushed whisper.
"Because I'm still sorry, and because I owe you a handful more kisses" he replied.
"How so?" she inquired, raising a brow.
"Because" he answered, holding her face in his hands, "you said the winner gets a kiss from the loser, remember?"
"Yes but, we both ended up laughing at the same time!" she retorted, her face still a bit somber.
"I know but, after all that's happened here, I've given up this round" he admitted. "And anyway, I'd rather I'd lose to you any day, gladly given up the fight, because I love you dearly--and because I'm still sorry."
After a moment of silence she sighed... and gave a small, lopsided smile. "Y'got a point there, Sugarplum" she answered.
He blinked for a moment--"Wait a minute--Sugarplum!?" he asked with a laugh. "Whatever gave you the whim to call me that!?"
"Earlier. On the train. When the idea for the challenge came to my head" she answered with a grin.
"Oh dear God" he said, shaking his head. "I remember that damn grin. You had that grin of pride on there, like you knew you wanted to start something surprising.
"I swear, I am never, ever going to question that move again, now that I've figured out the why of it."
"Well then, good!" she affirmed with a nod. "Now, what did you say about owing me a kiss?"
He pressed his forehead against hers. "Keep in mind I rightfully lost this round.
"However..."
"...however?" she asked with a raised brow.
"...next round" he declared with a proud grin, "you're mine, Shortcake!!"
With an amused smile she shook her head and sighed. Words were not needed afterwards as he gladly pressed his lips against hers in a sweet gesture of defeat from the staring contest earlier in the evening.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment