A/N: I wrote this a few months ago, so excuse the shitty-ness. My writing has gotten better, trust me. I don't know if there will be more to this story...maybe if reviewers ask for more. I had the idea for this story while trying desperately to hold onto my rafting paddle so...guess what? You guessed it rafting!

Oh, and Gilbert and Arthur being best friends? Just...don't ask.

Warning: Genderbending Ahead

Arthur Kirkland considered himself most definitely not athletic.

This was why he was highly confused why on earth he had agreed to go white-water rafting.

Oh yeah.

Gilbert.

That was why.

Gilbert Beilschmidt was Arthur's best friend. Actually, he was Arthur's only friend.

The reason for this is that, aside from being decidedly not athletic, Arthur was also an extremely hard person to get along with.

But, somehow, Arthur had managed to find a friend in the tall, egotistical albino.

Currently, said albino had dragged Arthur along on his pursuing of one Matilda Williams, a white-water rafting guide. As far as Arthur knew (and he knew quite a lot, considering he'd never met the girl) Mattie was a quiet, shy sort of person who never wanted to inconvenience people. But as such, she was deceivingly strong, highly competitive, athletic, and above all, VERY Canadian.

This is why, on one particularly sunny Wednesday, Arthur found himself in a very gaudy, bright red life jacket and royal blue helmet, listening to instructions on how to follow commands as they rafted.

The person giving instructions, was Mattie herself. She was dressed in a very short pair of board shorts and a red bikini top, showing off her tan and rather muscled stomach.

Gilbert seemed to have noticed this, and Arthur was fairly certain that he wasn't listening to a word she was saying.

When they started to climb into the raft, Gilbert positioned himself towards the back of the raft, to better talk to their guide. Arthur, meanwhile, was left in the front to face his non-athleticism (this wasn't entirely true, he was rather adept at football) alone.

Or, he thought he was alone, until a bubbly voice said, "This is going to be so much fun, don't you think?"

Arthur turned to see a pair of impossibly blue eyes staring up at him.

A girl was sitting next to him, wearing a red, white and blue bikini and black shorts under her red life vest. Beneath her helmet, shoulder length, honey-colored waves could be seen.

She was still staring at Arthur expectantly, waiting for him to agree with her.

However, Arthur was not one to agree with easily.

"Most decidedly not," the Brit said firmly, "I will most likely have a horrid time."

Arthur shot a glare at Gilbert, which he missed entirely.

"Got dragged along too, eh?"

Arthur's attention was pulled back to the girl as she saw him glaring.

The girl laughed, "But, hey, I might as well have fun while I'm at it, right?"

Arthur stated at the bubbly girl blankly as she shoved a hand in his face.

"Amelia F. Jones. Pleased to meet you."

Arthur shook her outstretched hand.

"Arthur Kirkland."

But just then, the raft lurched and the two of them were almost flung head-first out of the raft.

"Sorry!" came a timid call from behind them, "Alright, here we go! Hold on tight, everyone!"

For the next few minutes, there wasn't much more time for talking as the four occupants struggled to steer their raft around large out croppings of rock and violent dips in the water.

When they reached a calm section in the river, Arthur restarted the conversation.

"So," he said, "Amelia,"

"Call me Am," Amelia interrupted, "Everyone else does."

Arthur nodded, "Alright then, Am, who dragged you along?"

"Mattie," Amelia jerked her head in Mattie's direction, "She's my best friend, you know. And I'm always up for something new. But she said there was this guy coming to see her today and she wanted some company. I assume that's him."

Arthur nodded as she motioned to Gilbert.

"Yes. Gil brought me for more or less the same reasons," Arthur agreed, "Although I'm not at all into sports like this."

Amelia gaped at him, which cost her a mouth full of water, making Arthur laugh.

Amelia spluttered in shock for a minute, then she, too, started laughing.

"You really don't play any sports at all?" Amelia demanded, barely suppressing more giggles.

"Well," Arthur admitted, "I'm rather good at football, but that's pretty much where my talent ends."

Amelia looked up and down at his lean figure, "You? Football?"

"Soccer," Arthur amended, "I forget it's different in America."

"You're British? Like, legit?" Amelia asked.

Arthur raised an eyebrow, "What? The accent not enough for you?"

Amelia giggled.

"No, I believe you," she said, "It's the eyebrows, though."

Arthur spluttered and protested while Amelia started full-out laughing.

Mattie watched Amelia laugh, while Arthur spluttered, but his eyes smiled.

"They seem to be getting along," Gil comment.

Mattie smiled down at him.

"You were right," she said, reaching down to squeeze his hand, "It was a good idea to bring them along."

Gil looked up at her, grinning.

"It wasn't a good idea to bring them, it was an awesome idea," he corrected.

"It was an awesome idea," Mattie amended.

"So..." Gil shot a sideways look at Mattie, "Are we going to tell him that we've actually been dating for a month and a half?"

Mattie laughed and pecked him on the cheek, "No, I think we should just let them use their imagination."

By the time they reached the end of the river, all four of them were thoroughly soaked. If Arthur was left time to dwell on his situation, he would gradually become more irritable and grouchy. But, for some reason unknown to himself, every time he looked at Amelia, he thought of her laughing as they dipped through and around rock figures, and how her smile seemed so full of mirth. Then he felt himself brighten considerably.

"Guys," Gilbert said as they finished changing, and Mattie's shift had ended, "I would like to inform the two of you that the awesome me has asked this almost as awesome and equally sexy Canadian to go to the movies with me on Friday."

Arthur smirked and Amelia exclaimed in happiness.

"I want you two to come with us," Mattie exclaimed suddenly, blushing furiously.

Immediately, Amelia started to protest.

"It's your first date, Mattie!" she said fervently, "You should be together and alone, you don't want to drag your single best friend along with you."

So she was single, Arthur thought.

Then he stopped himself. Why did he care?

"And besides," Arthur added to Gilbert, "I already came with you this time. How much exactly have I gotten myself into with helping you-ouch!"

Arthur rubbed his side as Amelia glared at him.

"But if it's what the two of you want, we'd be happy to go," she said pointedly, glaring at Arthur, "It's not like we're doing anything Friday night, right?"

Arthur blanched, darting out of the way as another elbow came shooting out of nowhere.

"Uh, sure," he muttered, then he smirked again, "But you definitely owe me for this."

Most people would have quelled under the evil grin Arthur was directing at his best friend, but Gilbert just looked at him suspiciously.

"What kind of owing does this mean for awesome me?" Gilbert asked.

"How about," Arthur thought about it, "You call the brat for his birthday. And! You pay for all four of us on Friday. Dinner AND movie."

Gilbert groaned.

"Why do I have to call the brat?" Gil demanded, "The awesomeness of my existence is above such matters. Besides, he's YOUR brother!"

Arthur crossed his arms, "He's not my brother. He's just my bratty cousin who happens to be dumped at my parents house quite a lot. And likes a certain best friend of mine very much."

As the boys started heading for the car, the girls followed.

"He'll talk my awesome ear off!" Gil continued.

Arthur barked a laugh that, had it continued, would have sounded suspiciously like an evil laugh.

"So," Mattie said slowly to her best friend, "What do you think of Arthur?"

Amelia put her hands behind her head as she thought about it.

"He's pessimistic, cynical and sarcastic," she said thoughtfully, "Rude, frank and arrogant."

Mattie groaned, "It seemed like you were getting along!"

Amelia held up a hand, "You didn't let me finish. Where was I? Oh, yeah, arrogant. Slightly mad scientist-ish,"

"Mad warlock," Gilbert corrected over his shoulder.

Amelia raised an eyebrow, but took the comment in stride. They stopped moving when they caught up with Gilbert. All three watched bemusedly as Arthur tried to open Gilbert's car. It refused to open the first few times, so Arthur kicked it. Hopping on one foot in pain, he let fly a long spout of profanities.

"Foul-mouthed, short tempered," Amelia added, "And entirely too easy to insult."

Gilbert nodded his awesome agreement.

The three bystanders continued to watch as Arthur finally succeeded in in opening the car.

He held the door for Mattie as she got in, then went to the other side to talk to Gilbert about the directions to the restaurant they were driving to (Mattie had requested to go with Gilbert, so Arthur and Amelia would drive in Amelia's car).

Amelia leaned against the door to Gilbert's car to continue talking to Mattie, "But sweet and gentlemanly. With excellent manners, when he wants to. He went all über formal on me earlier in the raft, you'd swear he was some sort of spoiled rich kid."

Mattie smiled as her best friend stared at the Brit.

"So you do like him," Mattie coaxed.

Amelia shrugged and patted the car door as she and Arthur headed for her bright red convertible.

"Do you want me to drive?" Arthur offered.

Amelia shrugged for the second time, handing him her keys.

Arthur opened the car door for her before crossing to the other side and getting in.

As soon as they were on the road, Amelia turned to Arthur.

"Do you think they know?" she asked.

Arthur smirked, "You mean about the fact that we both know they pulled us along to try and get us to hook up?"

Amelia laughed and nodded.

"I dunno," Arthur admitted, "Heaven knows, Gilbert's about as quick as a tortoise."

The American laughed again, "Mattie is too, so I guess they're even."

"Wanna let them continue to think we're clueless?" Arthur asked, his smirk growing.

Amelia's grin could rival the Cheshire Cat.

"Of course."