Hi everyone! This is a fic inspired by the song, Travelin' Soldier, by the Dixie Chicks. I hope to upload the next chapters every other day, but I don't think this is going to be a terribly long fic. As a writer, constructive criticism is appreciated, but please be nice. Thank you, and enjoy!
Gilbert got off the bus, looked around, and sighed. He was wearing his uncomfortable army greens and had several hours to kill until he had to catch the next bus that would take him to the training camp. He had just turned eighteen two days ago, and had immediately signed up to be shipped over-seas to fight for his country in the Vietnam War.
Gil didn't have any family left, and his few possessions were in a pack on his back. His mom had died when he was just a kid, so his dad had raised him and his little brother alone. Ludwig had passed away when he was five of polio. If the Beilschmidt's had had more money, they may have been able to pay for some sort of treatment, but seeing as money was tight enough as it was, Ludwig had died and sent their father into a state of depression, which he had tried to push away with drinking. Constantly.
He eventually went to fight in the later stages of WWII, but had never come back, leaving Gilbert to fend for himself. Gil had stayed in school for only a little while after that, dropping out when the teasing and bullying had gotten too much. Being the awesome person that he was, he could have beaten those bullies up and walked away without a scratch, obviously. He just didn't want to cause any trouble, that's all. He knew he looked different, with almost white hair and blood-red eyes, but that didn't mean people had to hate him for it… did it?
He found a low paying job at an auto shop until he was old enough to fight in the war and leave his hometown behind without a second glance. And now he was here, in a small town with nothing to do. He shook himself out of the thoughts of the past, and started off down the street looking for something to occupy his time with.
Travelin' Soldier Travelin' Soldier Travelin's Soldier Travelin' Soldier Travelin' Soldier
Matthew sighed and looked around the small café he had a part-time job in. It didn't pay very well, but it kept him busy in between school and band practice. He tried to keep himself busy, so that he didn't have much time to just sit and think, which always led to dark thoughts.
Mattie had a pretty good life. He was a junior in high school, got good grades, played in their school's marching band, and had a family that loved him. Or, tried to, that is. They didn't notice him, just like everyone else. Or when they did, they always mistook him for his loud and confident twin, Alfred. Of course Mattie loved his brother, but it made him sad that he was all but invisible next to the great Alfred, who was the best at everything. Except when it came to grades and schoolwork, but that was usually just overlooked.
Matthew scowled as he wiped down a table, but looked up when the little bell on the door tinkled, signaling the arrival of a new costumer. Mattie, still scowling, grabbed his notepad and stalked over to where the costumer had seated himself. He stopped short however, when he saw who was sitting in the booth. It was the most beautiful man he had ever seen. The young man, who didn't look much older than himself, had off-white hair and a sharp jawline. He was dressed in a green uniform that Mattie had seen some of the other army recruits wearing the past few months. But what really threw him off were the man's eyes. They were a vibrant red that made Matthew stare; not out of fear or dislike for the man being different, but out of curiosity of what kind of person this man was and what secrets he might be hiding.
After a few seconds that may have seemed like hours to Mattie, he shook himself, and seeing that the man was looking a bit nervous and possibly even shy, Matthew gave the young man one of his rare smiles and said in his quiet voice, "Hi. I'm Matthew. I'll be your waiter today."