Hero
I don't own Hetalia.
Matthew sat alone during lunch hour. In his left hand was a sandwich and in the other a notebook to study from. So it goes each day. Today, he was studying calculus. He admired how well he did in math, being two years ahead of everyone else and all.
Someone slid in besides him and he glanced up, conscious of how his breath smelled of ham and how his hair seriously needed brushing. His brother kept telling him that if he wanted to keep it so long, he needed to brush it more.
Sitting beside him and smiling, the girl asked what he was studying.
Matthew swallowed his bite and quietly explained that it was calculus. She raised her eyebrows and asked how he was in a senior class. He shrugged, "I guess I do well in math."
He chanced a glance at her face. Her light brown hair was short and her eyes glimmered in the white cafeteria lights. Matthew thought she was very pretty, she must have been no taller than him. She was a junior girl he sometimes saw in the halls. She smelled of sunflower seeds.
"What's your name?" Matthew asked, looking away.
"Katrina, you?"
"Matthew," he replied.
"Oh, are you Alfred's kid brother? My older brother sometimes talks about him." She said and he noticed her accent. Was it Russian? No… Ukrainian. Yeah.
Matthew nodded, "Yup, I live with him in our apartment. He works at that construction place and part time at a gas station. So I would guess you'd see him."
"Oh but he's not much older than me! Shouldn't he be in college?"
He shrugged, "He dropped out his junior year…"
She smiled and stood up, her jeans were ripped at the knees. "Well I'm table hopping, want to join?"
He shook his head and went back to studying.
Katrina opened her mouth to speak, but instead patted his shoulder and left to a group of Goth girls.
Eventually the bell rung and Matthew headed up for art class.
The day rolled by like it always does after lunch. Art, Calculus, then history class. Then Matthew would stuff his homework into his back pack, sling it over his shoulder and make the long walk home. The sun beat down, squeezing in some extra heat before the colder days of Fall began.
At the parking lot he saw Katrina slip into her car and wave to him. He shyly raised a hand and waved back.
"Hey Matty," Alfred scooped Matthew into his arms and smothered him in a hug. Matthew chuckled and patted his brother's back. Stepping away he smiled and looked into the bright, sky-blue eyes. His brother loomed nearly half a foot over Matthew, his muscles rippling under a black t-shirt and his golden-yellow hair fell perfectly around his face. One hair curled on his glassed and Matthew reached up, pushing it away.
"How are you, Al?" He asked, slipping off his shoes and unzipping his back pack.
"Well, well. You? You seem awful happy lately." Alfred grinned and took a few paces into the kitchen. The kitchen was tucked away into a corner of the living room, besides it was a round table for two, and the rest of the living room consisted of two abused couches and a tiny TV-set.
Matthew loved it.
"Well, a girl named Katrina sat by me at lunch and we talked a little. She waved to me after school, it was nice." He admitted, pulling off his red sweater and hanging it on the rack.
Alfred whistled as he dug around the fridge. "Awesome! Finally getting some friends. It's still early in the year and all."
Matthew nodded and dragged his back pack into the room he and Alfred shared. "I'm taking a shower. It's been real hot and I stink with sweat. Plus, PE wasn't too kind this morning." He left the back pack resting against his desk.
"Okay," Alfred hummed.
The only other room was the bathroom, hence why he and Alfred shared a room. Matthew clicked on the light and shut the door. He glanced at his reflection and wondered how Katrina could even look at him. His tangle, hair, curly and dust-colored reached below his chin. Red acne spotted the basin of his cheeks, his nose, and his forehead.
Sighing, he shrugged. There really was nothing he could do about it, he may as well live with it.
The shower head pathetically spit water, which felt like ice, and the roof barely scraped Matthew's head. He wondered how Alfred showered, he must have had to scrunch over.
So far, life was pretty good.
Matthew didn't mind that they lived in a tiny apartment or that Alfred constantly egged him on to have good grades. He didn't care that he wouldn't get a car for his sixteenth birthday or that his Christmas presents could fit in his palm.
He had Alfred, afterall.
He shut off the showerhead and pulled on loose clothing.
That night, for dinner, Alfred slapped on a steak and cooked it nice and tender. He sliced it in half and gave the bigger part to Matthew. They sat at the circular table and ate besides the small window which really wasn't necessary. All it showed as the other building's grey bricks.
"You okay?" Alfred asked, pouring himself a glass of cold milk.
"Yeah, why do you ask?" Matthew looked up from his novel.
"I was just wondering… So you don't mind this?" Alfred gestured around the room.
"No, so long as I have you," Matthew smiled, "as cheesy as that sounds."
"That makes me happy to hear." Alfred smiled back and sipped the milk. He leaned against the couch.
Matthew read another chapter and Alfred finished the milk.
"You ready to sleep?" Matthew asked, setting the novel onto the shelf.
"Yeah," Alfred yawned and they quickly washed the dishes, shut off the lights, brushed their teeth, and entered their room.
Alfred slid open a window and tugged off his shirt. He crawled into bed with Matthew, slinging an arm over him as he always did. He pressed a kiss to Matthew's head and wished him good night.
"Love you," Matthew whispered.
"Love you too," Alfred whispered back and fell asleep.
The next day, in English class, the teacher explained archetypes. She explained heroes and how they don't always have super powers. She told them how they display morals we all wish to have.
Matthew vaguely thought about Alfred and how he was his hero. How Alfred didn't fight evil, but he fought through his day and jobs for Matthew. He hoped Matthew would succeed in school and go to college. How he loved Matthew in a way only brothers could.
Matthew smiled to himself and passed the archetype test with flying colors.
His hero, Alfred.
Always smiling, always bright, always his hero.