Aph-Wisconsin on Tumblr made a wonderful text post, which I have permission to base this fic on! Thank you so much! I am so late posting this, though! But I tried!
"You can do it!" Antonio whispered to Gilbert.
Francis, patting his friend's back, said, "Go ahead, he will love it."
Gilbert nodded, stepping away from his locker, and walking off from his friends.
None of them spoke much English, being three transfer students from Spain, France, and Germany, or "Prussia".
Somehow they managed to continue being friends without being bothered by there language barrier. Translators helped, of course.
"¿Puede realmente hacerlo?" Antonio poked his blonde friend.
"Quoi?"
"¿Cómo?"
Gilbert waited until Matthew shut his locker and walked around the corner before slowly approaching it. He stood in front of the locker and pulled out the small paper.
It was just a simple red maple leaf. What would you make for a Canadian on Valentine's Day? It had two lines written on it, with Gilbert's favorite felt tip pen and his best handwriting.
'You are cute nice, be valentine? Gilbert love'
He had tried to use his best at English, because he didn't know French, and he knew Matthew could read English.
He hesitated before slipping the paper's edge into a slit at the top.
He could still back out.
He'd finally gotten half the Valentine in before hearing a quiet voice around the corner, "I just need to grab my math book."
What did half those words mean? Gilbert's head turned to the corner he heard the voice come from, before the locker's owner came around and saw him.
They locked eyes for a moment, before Matthew walked closer.
"Scheiße." Gilbert pulled the card back out and started to walk away.
"Gilbert?" Matthew grabbed his shirt sleeve. "Please, wait."
He kept his eyes on the ground as Matthew whispered words in English he didn't know.
"Gilbert? May I see the card?"
He'd heard his name, a month, "card"? "May" must be different... Did Matthew ask for the card? Why were his hands suddenly touching his?
"Ah- bitte-" Gilbert pulled the card back before Matthew got it from him.
"No, Gil, give me the card." Matthew had reached again, this time taking it before Gilbert could pull back.
"Das- it's- do you..." Gilbert looked anywhere but Matthew as his card was read.
"Danke, Gilbert," was all he heard when Matthew had wrapped his arms around his neck.