PrussiaxHungaryxAustria

Kiriban: AusHunPru
Kiriban winners' prize
Office music

***

Elizibeta sat with her headphones in, cutting out any other sound as she drank her water and took a mini break from her work. Resting her head back she closed her eyes and began to hum to her music.

Meanwhile next to her, Gilbert and Roderich were again fighting over space, each elbowing the other until the desired room was found. Until, again, one would nudge the other before the other could steal the little space between them.

"Why do we have to share this space?" Gilbert shouted loudly at Roderich and huffed as they both gave up on working.

"Because, you kept playing music at top volume so Elizibeta kicked you out of her space and left you to me." Roderich scowled at Gilbert as he rummaged for a pair of massive headphones.

Producing them, his most prized set of noise blocking headphones with enough volume to deafen the person next to him he dropped them around his neck before delving again for his iPod. "Kesesese, nothing like Rammstein at full volume! Don't see her problem!"

Gilbert began to frown as he emptied the draw in vague hope to find his music. Stopping and turning to Roderich, he glared at him. "Roderich, where is my iPod?"

Roderich panicked, he'd hidden the device before the weekend and was meant to return it but he'd forgotten where he'd put it. Casting his mind back he really couldn't remember. Turning round to look at Gilbert, he wasn't happy. Gilberts' red eyes grew angrier at the thought of having to put up with no music and Roderich with his mumblings.

As it had gone silent, they heard it quietly at first, but humming came from the cubical next to them. Both got up as quietly as possible to look over the flimsy office wall to see what was going on.

As they peeped over the top they saw Elizibeta feet up on the desk, eyes closed humming to whichever song was being strummed through her headphones. Suddenly and without warning she burst into song, quite unaware of her own actions she kept going. She obviously couldn't even hear her own voice so was unconscious of the fact she'd started to sing.

Gilbert saw the opportunity straight way and Roderich seeing the look in his eyes as he sped round the corner and behind Elizibeta; Roderich followed him quickly to try and stop him from whatever plan he had.

Gilbert stood over Elizibeta and cast a shadow over her causing her to open her eyes to see what was going on. She sat looking at Gilbert and she reached for a head phone to hear what he was saying. But, she slowly began to notice how he was mouthing along with the words.

Roderich caught on faster and came to stand on the other side of her. Elizibeta removed one headphone to hear that they were not just lip syncing with the music, which now poured out of her unoccupied headphone loudly echoing around the weak cubical, but they actually sang with it.

Roderich was more embarrassed but he wasn't going to let Gilbert get the better of him no matter what, so he tried desperately to ignore the staring faces and Elizibeta who looked as if she was about to laugh her head off.

Gilbert on the other hand was going full pelt at the top of his voice. In his mind, it seemed like this awesome serenade was a good way to prove that his loud singing had its plus sides. But overall, he didn't just want to try and get at Elizibeta, he missed her and the fighting with Roderich was tiring since he'd annoy Gilbert whenever he slacked off.

"You know how the time flies," Gilbert leapt up onto the desk and began to sing as loud as possible in his thick German accent, pulling faces up from their work as his pranced around the desk. "Only yesterday was the time of our lives." Instantly a chorus began up in the back of the offices encouraging Gilbert on further.

That was when Roderich decided to give it his best. He'll look daft but he liked Elizibeta and won't let Gilbert get his chance. "I couldn't stay away," He sang smoothly and then realised just how loud he had sung as everyone went silent as he had joined Gilbert on the desk, "I couldn't fight it."

Elizibeta was in fits of giggles and laughter as she saw to two competing with louder voices and the glowering between them as they fought for the next lines. Elizibeta knew the lines to this and was prepared to face what could come next, so as the two boys got more and more desperate, she let the song take them away into their own little fight.

First Gilbert turned to her with the volume advantage from the people around him and came face to face with Elizibeta as he leapt of the tables "For me it isn't over."

Gilbert looked serious suddenly and took her hands much to the dismay of Roderich but she his smile took her by surprise, it made her heart pound suddenly. Elizibeta smiled gently at him and lead him away toward the opening of her office trying to stop him from going on.

Gilbert stopped before the door and turned to her and gave her a hug, "Don't forget me, I beg." Everyone went quiet including Roderich as they waited for her to say something, anything to the surprising change into such seriousness. She'd never seen Gilbert look as sober since they were kids but she backed away, unsure of how to reply as a bright red glow extended across her cheeks.

Roderich saw this happening and with his last bit of courage he came up behind her and holding her shoulders gently "Sometimes it lasts in love." He stopped and hugged her from behind. She heard a whisper but it barely made it to her ear.

The music coming from Elizibetas headphones died with the end of the song and put the whole place into silence as people watched to see what would happen next.

Laughing while tears threatened in her eyes, she grabbed the both of them, arms around their necks and pulled them into a head lock. Leading them to back of her office cubical she grabbed them by their shirts and pushed them out. With a smile she turned and left as the music in her headphones began to crackle back through.

Putting the buds back in her ears, the faces disappeared from the walls and the sounds of keyboards and talk could be heard again. She pulled her sleeves down and wiped at her eyes trying to catch the tears before they fell.

"But sometimes it hurts instead."