"Another drink, bartender!" Maybe this one will be the one to make me forget.
Gilbert Beilschmidt stared miserably at his drink, lifting it to his mouth and tipping it back. The alcohol burned at his throat, but all he could think was how grateful he was for that burn. Disappointment. The word echoed through his mind, over and over again, the tone father had used when he spoke haunting him. Disappointment. That's all Gilbert had ever been. From his strange colorings to his lack of motivation. It wasn't that he didn't try. He'd tried to go to university like his father had wanted him to. He'd tried to get into a nice normal job- law, just like Aldric himself. And yet… he'd been unable to focus. The stress had begun to overwhelm him until he could hardly breath through the tension he was feeling.
He didn't want to be a lawyer. He wanted to be an artist, or a musician. He didn't want to be cooped up inside in a corner office, he wanted to run through fields, feel the grass tickling his toes as he played his music, the breeze blowing in his face. Father had always called him ridiculous. Told him to get his head out of the clouds, that daydreaming would do no good. Mother had always been the one to nurture his dreams, to tell him the sky was the limit, and since she'd been gone, he'd been having a hard time.
With a sigh, Gilbert took another drink of the strong liquid in front of him, resting his head on his forearm on the bar.
Mathias had been watching the strange man all night from the safety of the other end of the bar, where he couldn't be noticed staring. At first, it had been the strangers coloring that had caught his eye. He looked like an angel with ivory hair and flawless skin. Even the eyes were incredibly intriguing, and Mathias had found his breath caught in his throat. And so he'd watched. The misery coming off of the other was unmistakable, and it ate at the Danish man more than it likely should have. Lots of people were upset, it was a regular thing to find in a bar. And yet… he couldn't stand the thought of the strange angel being one of them.
A bright smile on his lips, he made his decision, grabbing a glass of water and heading towards the man. He sat in the bar stool next to him, laying the glass of water in front of him. "Here, buddy. You're going to need this, or you're going to have one hell of a migraine come tomorrow. You ok? You really look like you need to talk." He realized he was rambling, but if nothing else, he hoped his over enthusiasm would make the stranger smile.
Gilbert paused when he saw the water placed in front of him, glancing up to see a tall man with… honestly the oddest hair he'd ever seen. He let the other ramble, staring at him quietly a moment before speaking. It couldn't hurt to talk to someone at least, right? Maybe it'd help. "Thanks. I appreciate it." A pause, and then his hand shot out. "Gilbert. Gilbert Beilschmidt." He introduced himself, eyes flickering back up to the Dane's hair. "Uh.. so sorry if this is weird but… how the hell do you make it do that?" He questioned.
"Mathias. Mathias Kohler." The blonde replied, a grin breaking across his face as he took the hand, giving it a little shake. A small chuckle escaped his lips at the question, usually it was the first he got so this wasn't overly unusual. "This? Oh, it just sort of does that on it's own, honestly! Even if I brush it down, it'll just pop right back up again! So I leave it be. Besides, it's a great conversation starter, isn't it?" He teased, winking playfully at the other. Blue eyes took in every detail he'd previously missed, happy to be close enough to get a proper look at the other- Gilbert. He'd said his name was Gilbert.
One silver brow raised in a look of surprised curiosity. Well, Mathias certainly had piqued his interest now, at least. "Does it on it's own? Really? I suppose that's pretty cool. You're lucky, at least it's a normal color." He pointed out, before pausing, a small laugh escaping him in spite of himself. "I suppose you get that question a lot though, huh? I normally get asked if this is my real eye color, etc. It is, by the way." He offered offhandedly, drinking the glass of water before ordering another rum, sipping at it slowly. "So… do you talk to every depressed person at the bar, or am I a special case?" He questioned, his voice calm, and yet- there was something to his voice. As though he was desperate to see if he was simply being pitied by someone too nice for their own good.
"Only the ones who look like angels." Mathias's smile never faltered, even as he felt the lightest of flushes raise to his cheeks as he realized he'd said that out loud. Clearing his throat, he quickly tried to talk over the embarrassment. "So what's wrong anyways? You're more than welcome to rant to me, I'm a good listener, I promise! Maybe it'll even help?" He took the rum away from him carefully, laying it beside him. "Please. No more rum. It doesn't do any good."
Sighing, Gilbert stabbed his fingers through his hair, silently staring at the other. Was it really a good idea to open up to a strange man at the bar about his life? He'd never imagined himself being the type, but there was something about Mathias… something warm and genuine that sent the lightest flutter of butterflies in the pit of the German's stomach and made him want to trust him. Pausing, he inhaled, before exhaling slowly, fighting the urge to light a cigarette. "Turns out I disappointed the old man again." He shook his head, a small, wary laugh escaping his lips, bitter and broken. "As if that should surprise me. I've always disappointed him. See… my kid brother? He's perfect. Sixteen, knows what he wants to do with his life. Is well on his way to graduating early with a full scholarship. He even wants to be something worth while- a politician. Me on the other hand… I tried at least. I went to university to become a lawyer, just like my father. But I just… I couldn't do it. I have no interest in it, all I want to do is play music. So I dropped out. You can just imagine how well that went." A sigh fell from his lips, as the cold ball of pain in his chest tightened. "So, long story short, according to him I'm no longer his son."
Mathias offered the other a sympathetic look, reaching out hesitantly to rub soft, soothing circles into the others back. He understood all too well how it felt to not know what you wanted to do with the rest of your life, to be considered a failure. Even still, he couldn't let the angel feel so bad. He couldn't explain it, the urge he felt to simply… see the other man smile. "You play music?" He questioned, trying to control his usual hyper tone, voice quiet and soothing. "What kind?"
The elder man seemed genuinely surprised at the interest, breath momentarily catching in his throat. It'd been so long since someone actually cared enough to take an interest, and he'd be lying if he said it didn't make him feel wonderful. "I compose my own pieces… flute and violin stuff mostly, although I know how to play the piano as well. More than anything, I just want to play. Even if it's as a street musician. I want to make people smile, to make them feel happy and at peace. I don't want to be cooped up in a law office. I want to be free… to feel grass between my toes, to be a part of the world instead of just living in it." He confessed, before looking away, fingers carding through his hair once more. "That sounds pretty silly, I know."
Every word Gilbert spoke only served to take Mathias's breath away. He truly was an angel, sweet and innocent. "I don't think that's silly. That's not silly at all." A pause, as the Danish man's thoughts reeled with ideas, and before he'd even had time to really process what he was saying, he'd spoken once more. "...Come with me. I don't have any set place to go… I've just got a van I live in and travel in. I'm… the same as you. I want to see so much more before I worry about the rest of my life. So come with me. You can play your music however and wherever you'd like… I'd love to hear it. I… I know that's a little forward of me… but I want to help you be a part of it. If you'd like that is…" He let himself trail off, praying that he didn't seem too forward, that it didn't seem weird or creepy. He just wanted to see him smile, to hear him play.
And there were the butterflies once more, flapping wildly in Gilbert's stomach. It was crazy. He knew that, truly he did. How could he even consider running off with a man he'd only just met? And yet, that's exactly what he was doing. There was a long moment of silence, and then. "...Yeah. Alright, let's do it. I'd love to get away from this place for a little while."
A bright grin broke across Mathias's face, as he gave a nod, standing and offering a hand. "Let's get out of here, yeah? I've… just got one silly question… will you play for me? So I can hear?" When the others hand lay timidly in his, he closed his fingers around it, giving it a gentle squeeze, watching as Gilbert picked up the violin case from the floor, backpack on his back; everything he had, Mathias assumed. His thumb idly brushed over the back of the pale hand, tracing meaningless shapes against the soft skin tenderly as he waited for an answer.
Oh, how long it had been since someone had tried to soothe him! Since someone had put so much energy and care into making Gilbert feel better! It was so incredibly wonderful, the feeling of comfort, of contentment only growing as the other held his hand as though it would break. And he found that, foolish or not, he already trusted this man, for better or worse. "A-alright… I can play for you. It.. may not be your style, I'm not sure, but I've been working on a new piece… and I'd love to show you." He allowed himself to be led out of the bar and to the nearby park, kicking off his shoes and opening his backpack slowly. He grabbed his flute case, quickly putting it together before standing back up, straightening his back and taking a breath as he stepped back from the other. The cool, evening breeze in his face relaxed what little anxiety he had left, crimson eyes drifting shut as he lifted the flute to his lips, beginning to play.
It was soft and lilting, sweet and whimsical. The notes held all the wonder the twenty three year old found with the world, all the innocent joy he still held despite everything. He let himself go, feeling nothing but the music, a warmth and happiness beginning to wash over him, even as the cool night air touched his skin, savoring the feeling of soft blades of grass caressing his toes.
It took Mathias's breath away. From the serene look on the silver haired man's face, to the beautiful notes, everything about Gilbert in that moment seemed to only confirm his original thoughts- that the man standing in front of him truly was an angel. If not, the he was easily still the most beautiful thing in all of creation. There were no words, the Dane's heart hammering wildly in his chest as he listened, paying close attention to every note, letting the lovely sound wash over him completely.
And just like that, Mathias was hooked.