"Bruder, can you drive me to the mall for Alfred's party-"
"Nein."
"Gilbert! Drive your bruder to the mall!"
"Vatti-" Gilbert Beilschmidt started to protest, but he was cut off by another yell from his father: "Nein! Get going!"
Ludwig smirked and stuck his tongue out at Gilbert, who grumbled and didn't move until their father shouted "I do not hear the truck!"
"I am going!" the silver-haired high school senior yelled back, getting up off the couch and heading towards the door.
"Danke, bruder," Ludwig said, smiling for once.
"Ja, ja. Where are we going?"
"The mall. Al wanted our group to see a movie."
The brothers got into Gilbert's trusty old red pick-up truck and Gilbert started the engine. It coughed twice before a rhythmic purr settled into place.
"If I have to take you home after, I am staying."
Shrugging, Ludwig asked "Can you take Feli and Lovino home too?"
"You mean, take Lovino to Antonio's place and Feliciano to our awesome place?"
Temporarily allies, the brothers laughed.
"So now I get to meet your awesome friends?"
"Ja! Well, you might not think they are awesome because they are all freshmen…"
"Ksesesese! The awesome me could use a freshman sidekick!" Gilbert grinned at his blue-eyed brother, glad that they weren't arguing like usual. Ludwig grinned back, and even joined in quietly when Gilbert turned up the metal that was playing on the radio.
Twenty minutes later, Gilbert parked the truck in a crowded parking lot and the pair walked into the mall. Immediately finding his best friend, Ludwig ran over to Feliciano Vargas, who was playing a card game with his older brother Lovino. Alfred Jones, the blond freshman who had organized the gathering, was talking with a junior Gilbert recognized as the green-eyed Arthur Kirkland. Both were blushing, and the third, slightly taller teen behind them was giving them awkward looks. Besides Lovino, who was also a senior, Gilbert was the oldest one there. While this didn't bother him, he was getting bored with just standing around doing nothing.
In a moment of inspiration, the maroon-eyed highschooler sidled up to the tall teen standing with Alfred and Arthur. Upon closer inspection, he looked very similar to Alfred; they had the same blond hair and glasses, though the taller one had violet eyes rather than blue.
"Gutentag," Gilbert said cheerfully, startling the blond.
"Oh! B-bonjour!" he stuttered back. Amused, Gilbert gave him a big grin.
"I am the awesome Gilbert Beilschmidt, what is your name?"
"M-matthew Williams. I'm A-al's twin…"
"Then why are you not talking with him and that British kid?" Gilbert asked, trying desperately to make some sort of small talk without seeming weird.
Looking at the floor in embarrassment, Matthew explained "He d-doesn't like me very much, plus I'm m-mad at him."
"Oh? Well, why is that? Surely a quiet freshie like yourself is good company?"
Blushing at Gilbert's words, Matthew said "He's going to that stupid Brit's house after th-this, so I have n-no way to get home. And Arthur d-doesn't like me much either…"
"The awesome me can take you home!" Gilbert announced, much to the blond's surprise.
"Th-that's not n-necessary! My papa can-"
Gilbert immediately cut across him saying, "Nein, it is not a problem." Trying to change the subject, he asked, "Do you know mein awesome bruder?"
"Ludwig? Oui, well kinda," Matthew answered, nodding his head.
"He is three grades below me, but I still see him all the time. It is not awesome at all." Gilbert gave him a 'what-can-you-do' look and shrugged.
"Y-you're a senior?!"
"Ja, is that a problem?"
After a second of silence, Matthew shook his head furiously. "Non, non it's not."
The pair stood awkwardly, neither sure of what to say. Gilbert's mind was reeling; he could tell that this nervous freshman didn't have a lot of friends, and he was determined to change that. Meanwhile, Matthew was trying to not mess up in front of the teenager who was close to his main tormentor: Francis Bonnefoy. Both were saved from saying anything by the call for the movie about to start.
As they strolled to the theater at the back of the little group, Gilbert finally broke the silence. "I will sit with you, ok?"
Shrugging, Matthew said "S-sure. But you d-don't have to."
"Nein, I want to! Mein awesome bruder is kind of annoying when he is around Feliciano."
Laughing quietly, Matthew agreed. They followed the others to the back row and sat down. Matthew requested the end seat, so the pair were a few chairs down from everyone else, but no one noticed or said anything. When the theater went dark, Matthew shuddered slightly. He disliked the dark, but was trying to appear brave in front of the silver-haired teenager next to him.
For the next thirty minutes or so, Matthew sat with his eyes clenched shut. After a particularly loud explosion on-screen, he couldn't stand it anymore and left the theater. Gilbert, realizing that Alfred was too engrossed in the movie to go after his brother, followed the blond. Unbeknownst to Matthew, who had curled into a ball in the corner of the nearest bathroom, Gilbert was wracking his brain for how to cheer him up. In the end, Gilbert decided to go for a basic approach. He quickly walked over to Matthew and gently put an arm around the younger teen.
"Wh-what?!" Matthew managed to stutter out, completely shocked.
"Are you ok, birdie?" Gilbert asked in response, noting the tear-filled violet eyes that now flashed with confusion.
"Oui! Go away…" Turning away from Gilbert, Matthew shook off the senior's arm and silently kept his tears at bay.
"Nein. You are not." When he didn't get a response, Gilbert took a stab in the dark and continued "That movie is all special effects."
He knew he had hit the nail on the head when Matthew unwillingly started to cry.
"Are you happy now?" the blond practically screeched as he turned around to face him.
"What?" Gilbert asked.
"You were told by that idiot Francis to come here, weren't you? You're gonna tell him all about this, aren't you? Well fuck off!" He buried his head in his arms and tried to quiet his breathing.
"Nein, birdie. I just want to make sure you are ok."
After a moment, Matthew looked up. "Why are you calling me that?"
"I cannot remember your name," Gilbert explained, giving a slightly embarrassed smile.
"Oh. I'm M-matthew."
Gilbert let the blond sit quietly for a minute, then asked softly "What is this about Francis?"
Starting to cry again, Matthew muttered "The idiot m-makes fun of me on the bus. Al used t-to stick up for me, b-but since he started to go to school with Arthur…"
Realization hit Gilbert like a brick. One of his best friends, Francis Bonnefoy, had been telling him about a cute blond freshman on his bus a month and a half ago, back in September. Gilbert had laughed it off, he had found it amusing that this freshman would blush at Francis's constant flirting, but now that he knew who it was…
"I am so sorry. Francis is a fucked up froggy bastard."
Matthew looked up at him, surprised at this. "B-but isn't he y-your friend?"
"Ja," Gilbert sighed. "But he should not be harassing you."
Looking back at the tiles on the floor, Matthew rubbed his eyes and asked "Do we have to go back into the movie?"
"Do you not want to?"
"Non," Matthew said simply, smiling shyly.
"Then we will." With that, Gilbert stood up and held out his hands to help Matthew up.
"Uh… wh-what?"
"You need to face your fears, birdie!" Gilbert said encouragingly, grasping Matthew's wrists and pulling him up gently.
"B-b-but-"
"Nein! You are mein awesome friend now, you will face your fears!"
Too stunned by being called a friend by a senior, Matthew didn't argue while Gilbert dragged him back into the theater. There was only an hour left on the movie, so Matthew managed to survive by clinging desperately to Gilbert's arm. The latter didn't really mind, and if he was honest with himself the freshman was kind of cute.
The second the credits began to roll, Matthew breathed a loud sigh of relief and let go of Gilbert's arm.
"I hope I do not end up black and blue from you!" Gilbert teased, causing the blond to laugh softly.
"I can't believe I watched to whole thing!"
"Have you never seen it all the way through?"
"Non, I always get scared when they start sh-shooting each other," Matthew explained, blushing.
Gilbert clapped for him, and he gave a small bow. They had been sitting in the front row, and when Alfred showed up next to them he said in surprise "You made it through the movie?!"
"Oui!" Matthew answered excitedly.
"Finally!" Alfred said back, rolling his eyes. Gilbert glared at him when he turned back to Arthur, but Matthew just grinned and said "That's how he usually acts, don't worry 'bout it."
"Bruder, we are ready to go now," Ludwig said, suddenly appearing next to him.
"Awesome. Oh this is Matthew, he is coming home with us."
Matthew gave a tiny wave, which Feliciano returned cheerfully while Ludwig tilted his head in response. Lovino ignored the blond completely and asked Gilbert if he could be dropped off at Antonio Carriedo's house.
Winking at Ludwig, Gilbert said "Ja, sure."
While the five headed to Gilbert's truck, Lovino lectured Ludwig. "If I hear so much as a negative comment from my fratello I swear to god I will personally murder you. Got it?"
Ludwig nodded. Gilbert unlocked the truck and told Matthew to sit in the front with him, initiating cries of outrage from Lovino, who didn't want Feliciano anywhere near Ludwig for an extended period of time. If the three of them had to sit in the back, that meant that Feliciano, being the smallest, would be stuck in the middle and pressed against the German.
While the three argued, Gilbert took the opportunity to make sure Matthew's parents were ok with him staying at their house for dinner. Matthew nodded, having already texted his parents, who had agreed whole-heartedly to their shy son making new friends.
"Awesome! So what kind of music do you listen to?"
"Country, usually."
Gilbert fiddled with the radio dials on his dashboard, trying to find a station that played country. Laughing, Matthew brushed his hands away and put on his favorite station. A few minutes later, both Vargases and Ludwig were seated in the back, and Gilbert pulled out of the parking lot.
Luckily for Feliciano and Ludwig, Antonio's house was close to the mall, and Lovino was out of the truck with a final "Don't touch my fratello you bastard!" within five minutes.
Glancing in the rear-view mirror, Gilbert saw his brother and Feliciano holding hands. Smiling to himself, he whispered to Matthew to take a picture of the pair. With a grin, Matthew pulled out his phone and took a snapshot of them.
"Send that to me," Gilbert whispered.
"What's your number?" Matthew whispered back.
Listing off the digits quickly, Gilbert added, "You can also text me if you need anything, ok birdie?"
Matthew nodded and sent the picture. A few minutes later, Gilbert noticed Matthew singing along to the song that was playing on the radio and turned it up. The blond, rather than continuing to sing, shut his mouth with a snap and looked out the window. Making the mental note to try and figure out how to be a good friend, Gilbert didn't say anything.
When Gilbert parked the truck, only he and Matthew jumped to the gravel driveway. Giggling, Gilbert tapped loudly on the back window where Ludwig and Feliciano appeared to sleeping while leaning against each other. Feliciano jumped and startled Ludwig, who glared at his older brother through the window.
"You're such a tease," Matthew said to Gilbert as they walked to the front door.
"Nein, I am just awesome," Gilbert replied. Before he opened the door, he warned "Mein vatti is a little eccentric."
"Can't be worse than my family."
Shrugging, Gilbert swung open the door and called out "We're home!"
From the depths of the house came the pounding of feet, and suddenly three large German shepherds raced into the hallway. They barreled up to Matthew, curious and excited to see someone new. Quite suddenly, the blond found himself on the floor being licked by massive tongues while Gilbert laughed somewhere far above him. Reaching up, he cautiously patted the nose of the one closest to him. Then he was being hauled upright a pair of strong hands.
Once he was steadily on his feet, Matthew looked up to see the hulking, muscular form of Adam Beilschmidt. Matthew's eyes widened in fear, and he scurried behind Gilbert.
"Vatti, this is Matthew," Gilbert said, pulling Matthew back in front of him.
"Gutentag!" Adam boomed, unknowingly scaring the timid teenager. "Have you got a last name?"
He leaned over so that he was eye level with Matthew, who eventually managed to squeak out "W-williams."
Laughing loudly, Adam clapped his shoulder heartily and welcomed him to their house. Smiling nervously, Matthew tried to hide behind Gilbert again.
"Ksesesese… Anyway, where is your bruder und his little friend?" Adam asked.
"Probably still in mein awesome truck," Gilbert answered while Matthew exclaimed in a whisper "He laughs like you!"
"Go get them bitte. Matthew, come on in and make yourself at home." Adam put an arm around Matthew and took him to the kitchen while the three dogs ran around their feet.
"Wh-what are th-their names?" Matthew asked timidly, trying in vain to calm his racing heart.
Adam gave him a funny look before saying "They do not have names. They are my drei nameless daughters ksesesese!"
He handed Matthew a worn wooden stool that was carved with little flowers. The blond sat down and looked around the tiny-yet-cozy kitchen, soaking up the different smells of wurst, potato salad, and some sort of vegetable he couldn't identify. Clearly, the gigantic German in front of him was an excellent cook.
"So, how long have you known mein son?" Adam asked, tasting the potato salad with a wooden spoon.
"We met today; my twin was being stupid so he offered to drive me home," Matthew said, quickly becoming comfortable in this house.
"Today? Are you two going a little fast?"
"N-n-non! We are n-not a c-c-couple!" Matthew exclaimed, falling off the stool he had been sitting on.
"Guess what these dummkopfs were doing-" Gilbert stopped short when he saw Matthew blubbering on the floor. "What happened?!"
Adam laughed again and said "I was seeing if he was your boyfriend, apparently not!"
"Vatti!" Gilbert yelled. "That is not awesome! He is a freshman and now you have scared him!"
He crouched down and helped Matthew stand back up. "I am so sorry for his behavior, he is such a horrible-"
"It's fine, Gil," Matthew said, smiling weakly. "My papa would've done the same thing to you."
Adam turned his attention to his other son and Feliciano.
"Were you two making out in the truck again?" he asked.
Both freshmen looked away, obviously caught red-handed.
"Again?!" Gilbert called out, surprised. "What do you mean, again?"
Enjoying the awkward tension between the four highschoolers, Adam went back to finishing up dinner. Matthew, who had gone completely quiet, asked if there was anything he could do to help. He was sent back to Gilbert with instructions to ask about something involving glitter, and Gilbert's face went beet red.
"Why are you doing this to me, Vatti?!" Gilbert howled.
"I am your father I do what I want," Adam replied, grinning.
Ludwig and Feliciano had finally relaxed enough to go back to talking in whispers, and Adam tried to listen in on their conversation. Rolling his eyes, Gilbert had Matthew help him get out dishes to set the table. They walked into the dining room and started to arrange the various plates and silverware.
"Your father sure is l-loud," Matthew whispered.
"Ja, but he is nice," Gilbert said with a smile.
After a second of silence, Matthew asked "Do you have a mother?"
"Nein. Vatti told us once he was married, but he would not say to who. West and I were once exploring in the attic, and we found a whole album of pictures of him and some other guy that we could not identify."
"Oh." Feeling bad for asking now, Matthew said, "My papa, he divorced his husband, and he took me to live in Canada while Alfred and my dad went to live in America. Now we're all in the same town, and Alfred and I can't even talk to each other without our fathers getting mad."
"Oh birdie, I am sorry." Gilbert hugged the blond quickly, who smiled apologetically.
"Our families are weird, eh?"
"Ja. Hey, if you want, I can drive you in to school so you do not have to take the bus."
"I'd l-like that, if it's not a problem…"
"Nein, it is not a problem."
And so, a strong bond formed between two unlikely friends that would change the way they both saw the world.