AN: Weighing in at 3,564 words before author's notes, I give you When It's Time an insert fanfic oneshot about all of the Gilbert/Matthew PruCan fluff that we missed in Lost and Found. I hope you enjoy this, I really liked it. Thank America's the Hero for this because she gave me the idea. She wanted to know how people reacted and it turned into this monster. I hope you enjoy it dear, this one is for you :3 Contest info will be at the ending AN.
"Gilbert, do you want to know what the family name is? What…what our family name is?" Gilbert just shrugged in response. "It's Beilschmidtt, Gilbert. I'm Ludwig Beilschmidtt, our father is Gerald Beilschmidtt and our mother was Regina Beilschmidtt." Gilbert froze and turned to his little brother. "If you're insinuating that my Birdie has been lying to me, then I suggest that you either come up with an excuse or you leave." Gilbert's voice shook softly, unsure of how to take in the information. Ludwig cursed himself silently. Maybe he should've approached Matthew first. "Gilbert…I just wanted you to know that the name you have on your birth certificate is the appropriate last name."
Gilbert tossed and turned in bed, sighing softly, unable to get the previous day's events out of his mind. Had Matthew known about his family all along? He shook his head, turning around and scooting closer to Matthew, wrapping an arm around his boyfriend's side. Matthew would never keep something like that from him. With that thought taking over his mind, Gilbert drifted off into an uneasy sleep.
Over the course of two weeks, Matthew became increasingly worried. Gilbert was spending more time with his brother, which was good, Ludwig had developed quite a pleasant relationship with Feliciano, which was also good, but Gilbert was becoming more distant. He was home just as often as he had been before he met Ludwig, but he was quieter than usual, no longer speaking to Matthew at breakfast or dinner, no longer draping his arm around the Canadian's waist as they slept. Matthew tried to ask his boyfriend about it multiple times, but to no avail; Gilbert just wasn't speaking to him. It had finally gone too far, when Gilbert didn't come back home one night. Matthew spent hours pacing; only falling asleep when his body could no longer support him. He woke up the next morning when he heard the door slam shut.
Gilbert unlocked the door, his hair messy and his breath reeking of cheap booze, not bothering to worry if someone might be sleeping; the distraught albino slammed the door to his apartment, walking towards his bedroom. He stopped briefly, when he noticed a rather angry Canadian, arms crossed, leaning against the wall next to their bedroom.
"Good morning Gilbert. Where were you last night? I was worried sick! No phone call, not even a text!" He tried to keep his tone even, but as soon as he asked where his lover had been, he lost it, his voice rising, a slight shake behind it. Gilbert just shrugged. "It's not like it's a big deal Matthew," Matthew's eyes widened at the use of his full name, "I mean you have secrets from me. What does it matter if I have one secret from you?" Gilbert tried to push past Matthew, but Matthew grabbed his arm, keeping him still. "I don't know what you're talking about Gil! I haven't kept any secrets from you!"
Gilbert scoffed, pulling his arm out of Matthew's grasp. "Yeah right…Just like you somehow magically knew that my last name was Beilschmidtt." Matthew paled at the statement, trying to come up with a reason for why Gilbert would be suspicious of him. Then it hit him: Ludwig. His brother must have mentioned something. Gilbert smirked cruelly. "That's right, I know everything. Beilschmidtt is my real last name. Not just one you suggested for me to take…When did you find out that I had a family out there? How long have you known that I had a brother?" Matthew sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I knew about your parents but I swear I knew nothing about Ludwig!" Matthew sighed again, crossing his arms and looking away. "I'm sorry Gil…I…I've known since your last birthday. I just couldn't tell you. I spoke to your parents and they...they gave you away knowing that they could support you. It wasn't that they were poor or unmarried…they just...weren't ready and they gave you up. I didn't want to see you hurt." Gilbert glared at the smaller man, making Matthew shrink back a bit. "Matthew, I never knew them, maybe I would have been upset, but I am hurt that you would keep this from me. You're supposed to be my best friend and boyfriend. How can I trust you now knowing that you kept something this big from me for so long?" There were tears welling up in his eyes, his tall frame shaking slightly from holding back the tears for so long. Matthew just looked away, ashamed. He had never meant to cause Gilbert this much heart ache. It had been ripping them apart for weeks and he now realized that it was his entire fault. "I…I just didn't want to see you hurt…like you are now."
Gilbert glared at his boyfriend…former boyfriend. "Get out…" Matthew looked up, shocked. "What?" Gilbert raised his voice, tears slowly streaking down his face. "I said get out! I don't want to see you ever again! You lying bastard! I hate you! Get out!" Matthew looked at Gilbert stunned, tears threatening to spill over. It took all the control he had to keep them back and run from the house as fast as he could.
He sat in his car for half an hour, composing himself enough to drive 3 hours home. When he got there, Alfred opened the door, smiling at first, until he saw his brother's tears stained face. Without a word, he led his brother inside and up to his old room, sitting with him and letting him sob on his shoulder. Only once did their parents come in, Francis with a worried expression on his face and Arthur with furrowed eyebrows. Alfred just shook his head slightly and the father's understood what he meant: he and Matthew needed some time.
When Matthew finally calmed down enough to speak, he told his brother everything, only stopping to sob once or twice. When he finished he looked at his lap, twiddling his thumbs. "I'm a terrible person aren't I? And now Gilbert never wants to see me again. He…he h-hates me." Matthew broke down again, his tears relentless. Alfred was frustrated. It was his brother's fault that he and Gilbert fought, but it was also Gilbert's. How was he, the relationship dumb one, the one to spot this? It baffled him altogether. Alfred put his brother at arm's length and looked him in the eye, telling him his realization.
"Listen Matthew, the key to your problems being solved is time and an apology…and Gilbert realizing his fault in it as well. You didn't tell him about his family when you should have, but he never asked and when he finally learned the truth, he kept it bottled up, not willing to just talk about it, and when it finally got to be too much for him to handle, he exploded and dealt with the emotion the only way he could when it was that pent up." Matthew was drying his eyes as his brother spoke, but was shocked by how correct his brother was. Usually Alfred was off by a million miles, but this time, he had a point. With much time and persuasion, Gilbert might forgive him. It was the best he could ask for.
Alfred convinced him to clean up and then go downstairs and explain the situation to their parents. Matthew went downstairs, hair damp from his shower, in sweats and an old hockey jersey. It was the biggest sign to Francis that his little boy was suffering. Without another word, Francis wrapped his arms around his son, hugging him closely. "You don't have to tell us anything if you aren't ready mon Cherie. Just tell us when you are ready. You can stay here as long as you like." Matthew smiled a bit, hugging his papa back tightly, moving onto Arthur after a few more minutes, hearing almost the exact same response from his adoptive father.
It took Matthew a moment to compose himself enough to tell his parents what had happened and when he finished, they both hugged him again. "Thank you both. I plan to be out of here in about a month at the most. I'm just hoping that I can get Gil to forgive me." Arthur smiled softly at his son. "Take all the time you need lad. Gilbert is an idiot to not take you back. You did what you did out of love and if he's as smart as I give him credit for, he will realize that soon." Matthew smiled and nodded, excusing himself and going back to his room, laying across his bed, curling up on top of the covers, letting himself fall into an uneasy sleep.
After about a week, Matthew began calling Gilbert, only to have his calls go straight to voicemail, but he kept calling, at least three times a day, if only to check and make sure that Gilbert was eating every meal. Soon it turned into texts, hoping that the stubborn albino would at least read them. A week turned into two and two weeks turned into two months, until finally, Matthew was fed up with playing it on the sidelines. He made his way over to their apartment, knocking on the door, waiting a moment before knocking again. He was shocked when Ludwig answered the door.
"Oh thank Gott you're here Matthew. Gilbert is sick and now he's refusing to eat or take cold medicine and he keeps getting worse. Feli and I have been staying with him on and off since you went on your business trip, but we don't know what to do! Feli has never seen him sick before." Worry washed over Matthew before confusion set in. "Business trip? I wasn't on a business trip. Gil and I fought and…he kicked me out." Ludwig's eyes widened a bit. "But he kept telling us that he couldn't wait to see you again. He won't even sleep in the bed until you return. I kept telling him that maybe calling you would make him feel better, but his phone died and he can't find his charger." Matthew went pale and ran into the apartment, making his way to the living room area, his eyes landing on a pasty, shaking Gilbert. Without another word, Matthew went to the kitchen, working furiously to get pancakes made just the way Gilbert liked them.
Two months. Two long, hard months and Gilbert had yet to hear from Matthew. He had looked all over the city and couldn't figure out where he was staying to apologize. He loved Matthew and missed his little Birdie with all his heart and now, here he was, lying on his sofa, hallucinating. About 10 minutes ago, he thought he had seen his tall, blond hockey player and now all he could smell were his pancakes. He rolled over onto his side, covering himself up as he felt shivers go up his spine.
Here it was again, the hallucination; either that or a magnificent dream. Here was Mattie, his Mattie, crouching next to him, a plate of his favorite pancakes (chocolate chip drenched in maple syrup) and coaxing him to take just one bite. Usually he didn't indulge in his dreams, but he was sick, he deserved it. He smiled softly, murmuring, "Only for you my Birdie." The bite was pure heaven. The only other time he had given in to indulge his sick dreams, the pancake was stale, dry, nothing like Matthew's pancakes. Nothing like the one he was currently shoveling into his mouth. It was wonderful, rich and fluffy. Just like the ones his Mattie used to make. He smiled softly at the dream Mattie, kissing his cheek before closing his eyes and curling up, trying to make the experience as real as possible.
Matthew sighed softly, glad that Gilbert was actually able to eat something. He stood up and went to the kitchen to clean up as soon as Gilbert had fallen asleep. Ludwig and Feliciano had left as soon as Gilbert had started eating. It was almost a relief to have them out of the apartment. It meant that as soon as Gilbert was feeling better, they could argue, scream, cry and make up as loud as they wanted. He hoped that they would make up.
As soon as the kitchen was clean he went back out to check on Gilbert. He smiled softly. He was glad to see him still resting. He knew what Gilbert could be like when he was sick, he had only seen him with a cold a few times, but it was awful. The taller man whined and complained. Among friends, the albino was known for his temper tantrums whilst ill. Matthew only hoped that he could avoid that part of his ex-boyfriend while they tried to fix everything.
The next time Gilbert woke up, he knew he was awake for sure because he had a terrible crick in his neck. He sat up, feeling remarkably better, and stretched. He frowned a bit. He never felt this good unless Mattie fed him his special pancakes. Gilbert tried to hold back his tears. Mattie…who knew when he would ever see him again. "O-oh…Gilbert, you're awake." Now was as good a time as ever.
Matthew curled up on the chair across from Gilbert as they spoke, keeping their voices at a normal decibel, and speaking like civilized human beings. They explained their sides of the story, the need to protect the other, and the feelings of betrayal. After more than three hours of just talking, explaining everything to the other, Matthew found himself curled up in his boyfriend's arms once again. He smiled softly, pressing his face into Gilbert's chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. He laughed a bit when he realized how unkempt his lover was. "Ya know Gil, I think it's about time you cleaned up." Gilbert laughed, shrugging a bit. "And here I thought you liked my manly smell," Gilbert grinned down at the little Canadian in his arms, "but if I have to shower, you have to join me." Matthew was up and heading towards the shower faster than Gilbert could say "maple."
Two months passed and Matthew's birthday was quickly approaching and Gilbert had a plan. He had been trying to propose to Mattie since before the fight, but it took him ages to find the right time. He grinned a bit as he thought of the reaction of his soon to be fiancée. He looked at the rings in the jewelry case, sighing as he glanced over at Alfred who was studying a set of rings closely. "Find anything yet hero boy?" Alfred just shook his head and kept looking. The two still couldn't stand each other, but the only two people that knew Matthew better than he was Matthew's father and adoptive brother, so of course he had asked for their help to pick out a ring. On his other side stood Francis, grinning at something in the case and speaking to the jeweler rather quickly. He walked over, holding a simple silver band with a thinner gold band running around it in the center. Gilbert grinned, nodding, "I knew I could count on you to find something Francis. Thank you." Francis just shook his head. "No need for thanks dear boy, just remember, Matthew is my son, you hurt him, and I will rip you to pieces." The Frenchman said it with such calm in his voice that it sent chills down Gilbert's spine. He nodded, "Of course I'll take care of him. Nothing will ruin us. No matter what we go through we will always end up working it out. We've learned that now." Francis smiled in approval and swiftly paid for the ring before Gilbert could protest.
Of course, not too much time could go by without another crisis to deal with and soon Gilbert and Matthew found themselves with an Italian living in their home. Neither minded and soon, Gilbert had it fixed and he and Matthew were empty nesters, free to canoodle as much as they pleased. Finally, the day arrived, July 1st, Birdie's birthday.
The evening was going perfectly, everyone arrived by around 6:45 and Matthew was thrilled to see all of his old college friends and his family there. Arthur was still in the dark about the proposal, but he was happy to see his son happy. About five minutes until the proposal, Gilbert saw his brother. His nerves were shot, he was going to have to back out and he decided to confide in his only family.
"You two have been together how long? He's sure to say yes Gilbert. I promise you," Ludwig told him. Gilbert sighed and shook his head. "Are you sure West? We fought pretty badly last time and I thought it was over and—"Ludwig cut him off, shaking his head. "Every healthy relationship fights. It's how you settle them that make it worth it. You obviously resolved it and are still madly in love with him. It will be fine East." Gilbert smiled at the nickname and suddenly felt his nerves die down a bit.
At about 7, Gilbert excused himself from his conversation and cleared his throat. "Birdie! Will you come here for a minute?" Matthew looked a bit terrified, but he made his way to the center of the room, standing in front of his boyfriend. Gilbert grinned and grabbed one of Matthew's hands, sinking to one knee and pulling out the ring. Matthew's eyes widened his heart racing.
"Matthew Williams Bonnefoy-Ki-Kirkland, you are the most extraordinary man I have ever met…known…l-loved. When we were kids I thought you were the most extraordinary boy I had ever met and now I know that you are the most extraordinary b-b-boyfriend that I have ever or will ever have. On this day, July 1st, the day of your 25th birthday, I, Gilschmidtt damn…Gilbert Beilschmidtt ask you, Matthew Williams Bonnefoy-Kirkland, ask you to make your ridiculously long name, even longer. Will you do me the immense pleasure of becoming my husband, Matthew Williams Bonnefoy-Kirkland-Beilschmidtt?" Gilbert winced as he dropped the ring box at the end, his knee shaking slightly as he waited for an answer. Matthew stood in shock in front of the man he had loved for the better part of 6 years. His mind and heart were racing and finally, after several seconds, he nodded, tears bursting to his eyes and a sudden cry of joy. "Yes…yes yes yes yes yes! Of course I will…But only if you," at this, Matthew got down on one knee, grinning at his boyfriend, "Gilbert Beilschmidtt, will do me the honor of adding Bonnefoy-Kirkland to your name." He too pulled out a ring matching the one Gilbert had gotten for him. The two looked at Francis, a devious smile on the Frenchman's face. He shrugged once, laughing when he looked at his own husband, a dumbstruck look on his face, before he too smiled and clapped for his son. Gilbert and Matthew laughed as they slipped the rings on each other's fingers and stood, kissing softly.
The two lay in bed, Matthew's head resting comfortably on Gilbert's chest, listening to the albino's heart beat softly. He grinned as he looked down at the ring on both of their fingers and he played with Gilbert's a bit.
"How long have you been planning this proposal?" Gilbert asked, laughing a bit. "Since before our fight…I just couldn't find the right time ya know?" Gilbert grinned, nodding. "It looks like we think the same too Birdie. I've been planning for ages and I just couldn't figure out when to propose. So one day I was talking to my friend Antonio and he just told me 'Gil, you'll just know, you'll just know when it's time to pop the question. It'll seem like it was obvious the minute you think of it.' So I just waited for obvious ideas to pop up in my head and that's how I thought of your birthday." Matthew smiled and kissed Gilbert softly. "How did you know that my birthday was the right time?" He was truly curious, but he wasn't expecting his lover's answer. "Because every time you looked at me, you glowed, your eyes, your hair, your skin. Everything. You were radiant and it was then that I realized I was ready and I just thought that if I was ready, you would be too…so I waited a couple extra days and here we are. Married." Matthew grinned, kissing Gilbert again. They exchanged 'I love you's throughout the night before both nodded off, curled up close together. Gilbert woke up a few times through the night, just to pinch himself and make sure it hadn't been a dream, to remind himself that he had picked the right time to ask Matthew. At around 2am, Gilbert kissed Matthew on the forehead and fell into a deeper sleep, dreaming of Mattie, their wedding, and all of their future endeavors. The good, the bad and the ugly, because now he was aware that he knew when it would be time to solve their problems, when it was time to say 'I love you' and when it was time to fall asleep in a warm, lover's embrace.
AN: Ok guys, Please remember to Review and Favorite. A reviewed/favorited author is a happy author. So the contest, please guys, I have two entries, please send some in! If you want a summary, I can PM you one, I just need to know. Remember, it's Spammano and it should start coming out in August if anyone participates in this contest. PLEEAASSEE. Now read my other stories and review stuff. I LOVE YOU ALL AND YOUR FANNESS.