Our Happy Ending (Hetalia) (PruHun)

Chapter 18

Gil, face scrunched up in concentration, scooped a shoveful-ful of dirt out of the ground, before gently placing a tulip bulb inside the hole it made. He then proceeded to bury it once more, lovingly patting down the rich black soil.

"God, I wish you were that much of a gentleman with people." Liz snorted, leaning against the rusty fence. "It's like they're your babies or something."

"Well, of course- we're planting the awesomest garden ever to exist, right?" He grinned at her, removing his soiled gloves and wiping a bead of sweat off his forehead. "Oh, nice outfit, by the way." He gestured to her oversized banana yellow t-shirt and overalls.

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Like I'm gonna get my nice clothes dirty to garden with you."

"Aren't you the sweetest thing?" he said, digging yet another hole. "Anyways, get your ass over here. This garden ain't gonna plant itself, you know."

She rolled her eyes. "Why do I even bother?"

In spite of her complaints, Liz hopped over the fence to kneel besides him, accepting a hand shovel. "So," she said, spreading fertilizer over a daffodil bulb, "you're more of a flower guy, then?"

"Um, sort of?" He shrugged. "Now it's more of a matter of convenience, since I still need to save up to buy more stuff, but I do really want to get started on cucumbers and tomatoes when it gets a little warmer. Squash and pumpkins, too, but I think I'll need a bigger plot of land to grow those and I hear they're pretty inva-"

Gil stopped upon hearing her laugh. "What?"

She stifled another high-pitched giggle. "Nothing," she barely managed, "it's just funny how you get into these sort of things, and well...it's hard to explain."

He shook his head. Dejavu all over again, it seemed. "Women."

Gil was busy nodding off during chem when a note landed on his desk. Curiosity piqued, he glanced to his left, where Antonio flashed him a thumbs-up. Waiting until the teacher's back was properly turned again, he snatched it up, flattening the uneven loose-leaf out.

Party on Fri? Juan's parents are away, and he invited us!

Oh, right. Juan. The exuberant, cigar-smoking Juan- someone he had been fairly close to prior to reconciling with Liz. Truth be told, he did feel a bit guilty about his brusque abandonment of his former friend group- was this their way of saying they forgave him? If so, then he'd feel terrible about denying them the pleasure of his esteemed presence.

Drumming a beat against the surface of his desk, he impatiently waited for the class to finish, a lagging ten minutes that seemed to be last for eternity. Once their teacher was cut off by the shrill ringing of the bell, he sprang to his feet, barely pausing stopping to jot down their homework assignment. Heading out, he joined Antonio near the third floor water fountain.

"Well? You going?" his friend asked.

He shrugged. "I guess? I feel kind of bad about ditching him. And you?"

"Sorry, amigo. Can't make it," he said coyly.

Gil narrowed his eyes at him. How long had he known Antonio already? Four or five years? Well, however long it had been, one thing was for certain: it was as plain as day when his friend was keeping something from him.

"Oh, quit smirking at me already! You've got a secret, don't you?"

"Okay, you got me." Antonio grinned impishly. "Let's just say...I have a date scheduled that day."

Gil almost choked on his spit. "You-what?!" he barely managed to splutter, his curiosity nevertheless piqued. "Who the hell would want to date you?"