Title: Serenading an Empty Room
Summary: ...is equivalent to, in most situations, the Pied Piper playing his magical pipe; someone is going to follow the noise. AU (high school), slight PruCan.
Warning: drabble-ish, crappy lyrics, awesome singing, a ukelele, tubby Gilbird, and high school AU.
Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia or Criminal Minds, but I do own the crappy song.
A/N:
…Just go with it.
"Oh, darlin', please." Soft and sweet and tender. Like maple syrup.
Matthew stopped abruptly in his wandering to stand as still as he can, listening for more.
"I love you, with your golden aura and your friendly attitude." Again, with the strumming in the background. High and upbeat.
Some sort of stringed instrument, guitar maybe? No, it was too…cheerful? Could an instrument be called cheerful?
…Yes, it could.
Matthew shifted from foot to foot, trying to get a better idea of where it was coming from.
"You always have something to say." The voice rose and dipped elegantly.
Muffled…behind a door? He began moving forward again, the corners of his lips turning up slightly in satisfaction when the music became clearer and louder.
"Oh, the comments you make! How entertaining they are," the voice crooned.
Matthew attempted to quiet his footsteps as he found himself getting exponentially closer and closer. The door he was nearly positive concealed the singer was in view.
Twenty steps.
"Oh, God, how I miss you already."
Ten steps.
"Don't leave me darling…"
Six.
"…it's not too late to change your mind!"
Three.
"My arms are still open, my chest still warm."
None.
"So come…come back, back, back, back to me."
A cheap wooden door was the only thing in between Matthew and the musician and he leaned closer, crouching and placing his ear just below the handle, trying to get a better listen.
"Do, do, do just, just do how you do."
It was so beautiful and it flowed easily. Up and down, through the tightly packed atoms of the solid door, and into Matthew's ears where it vibrated his eardrums pleasantly as his chest hummed in time.
"Do, do, do just…just what ever it takes to get back to me."
Matthew closed his eyes as the instrument began to play more intensely, lulling him into its rhythm where it danced with the fingers, thrumming them against his knee.
"Oh, baby-boo—I know how you hate when I call you that…"
Matthew's grin widened.
"But maybe gettin' you angry is what it takes to get you here."
Matthew leant more against the door, forgetting himself within the heavy arms of the music, and unable to notice the way the door was slowly inching open.
"Oh, if only I knew!"
Two inches.
"Hear my lovesick woes…"
Three inches.
"…and I'll hear yours."
Five inches.
"I'll carry them with mine."
Seven and one-half.
"Oh, baby-dearest, crawl into my lap…"
Twelve.
"…I'll sing you a song about a servant…"
Slightly open.
"…who fell in love with a beautiful princess…"
More than slightly open.
"...and they never—holy shit!"
Against the wall.
Flat on the floor, Matthew lay, his face squashed against the linoleum.
Pleasant.
"Shit, dude, you all right?"
Without looking up, Matthew could tell the singer was getting closer. He groaned slightly, unburying his right hand from beneath his body to give the approaching person a thumbs-up.
"Jesus, you're like a frickin' ninja, I totally didn't hear you there at all." The man chuckled as he gripped Matthew's elbow and yanked him up.
"S-sorry," Matthew stuttered, severely regretting his decision to play spy. It was really nice though, and the guy seemed friendly enough…
Except he was really creepy looking.
Matthew had managed to get up, and now standing, he extended his arm, trying not to stare at the albino-isms. Red eyes flickered as the man introduced himself.
"Gilbert Beilschmidt, the one and only."
"So are you a senior?" Matthew asked uncertainly.
The man looked insulted. "Well, yeah, only the most awesome senior—no, the most awesome person ever."
"O-oh, sorry." Matthew stood awkwardly, looking down at the linoleum, as Gilbert stared at him with a raised, barely visible eyebrow.
"Ah!" Gilbert snapped his fingers together, startling Matthew. "I've got it!"
"G-got what?" Matthew really wanted to hightail it out of there before the guy…well, he wasn't all too sure what he might do, but he seemed really, really creepy and egocentric. Kind of sexual sadist, serial killer like.
Or maybe he'd just been watching too much Criminal Minds.
Matthew shivered inwardly at the thought. Not possible. Too much Criminal Minds? No, definitely not.
"You're just intimidated by me is all, aren't you…?" Gilbert trailed off, watching Matthew expectantly. The stood like that for a moment.
Five-seconds.
Ten-seconds.
Twenty-seconds.
"Uh…"
Forty.
Forty-five.
"Your name?"
Fifty-two.
A minute and six.
A minute and twenty.
"O-oh! I'm Matthew…W-Williams. Williams Matth–er, Matthew Williams, I mean." His face felt like it was on fire along with his ears while his stomach churned acid.
"Kesese, you're pretty ridiculous, kid, but it's endearing. Take a seat."
"H-huh?" Matthew watched as Gilbert settled himself on the teacher's desk, settling his stringed instrument against his chest.
"You were listening to me playing (awesomely), right?"
"Uh…uh, yeah, I gu–"
"Then take a seat, birdie."
"'Birdie'?"
"Yes, because you fidget and flit around…like Gilbird," Gilbert stated simply, strumming a few chords on his instrument.
"Gilbird?"
"That fatty over there." Matthew followed Gilbert's pointed finger towards the window, where a small yellow bird sat, feathers plumped and one eye open, staring intensely back at Matthew. "Don't worry, he can hardly get himself half a foot off the ground, right mein Bär?" The little bird chirped cheerily, shaking his feathers out and then settling back down, both eyes closed contently. Gilbert chuckled and whispered to Matthew, "He only knows German."
Matthew smiled endearingly and laughed a bit, not quite sure what was going on.
"So, how long have you been going here?" Gilbert asked, not taking his eyes his instrument as he plucked a few more chords.
Matthew decided to risk getting raped, killed or possible both, and settled himself on the desk across from Gilbert. "I've lived here my whole life." Gilbert played a bad chord and looked up at Matthew, shocked to say the least.
"Then what are you doing wandering the halls after school, don't you have anyone to hang out with?"
"What are you doing here playing guitar in an empty classroom, don't you have anyone to hang out with?"
"Touché."
Matthew grinned and watched Gilbert play a few more chords, starting to piece a song together. "My brother has football practice until six," he blurted out, unsure as to why he did, but it was too late to take the words back…that and Gilbert would probably label him insane if he tried to reach into the air and shove the words back into his mouth.
"So…you wait here for him?" Gilbert glanced up at Matthew who nodded meekly. "Why?"
"He's proven to be a horrible driver, and mom has yet to trust him with the car, so I'm stuck–I mean, I get the privilege to drive him around…n-not that I really have much else to do, though." Matthew smiled shyly up at Gilbert through his bangs. He laughed uneasily. "Sorry about that…you probably don't really care about my ramblings."
Gilbert didn't waste a moment. "Nah, it's cool. Let it out, birdie, let it out."
And so there they sat, chatting and ranting, with Gilbert playing his ukelele for background music.
That is until Matthew had to go get his (helpless) brother from practice.
(Looooong) A/N (is loooooong):
mein Bär- "my bear" (literally) or "my macho man"
It's my anniversary on , so cheers to me! I can't believe it…a whole year. Wow, I'm honestly surprised I've lasted this long.
I've never been exactly "proud" of my stories; I'm mainly trying to feel out the waters and half the time I'm terrified to post anything that I think others might not like. So, whoop-di-doo, I feel like I'm finally in an okay place, and very willing to put my odd-ness out there after such great feedback. C:
Thanks to everyone who has ever read/reviewed/favorite'd/or whateverelse'd me or anything of mine!
ON TO THE IMPORTANT STUFF...LIKE ABOUT THE STORY AND WHATNOT.
The idea came from a dream I had where I was serenading my aromatherapy lamb (who was talking to me and had a cute little bow in its head). I woke up and imagined Gilbert serenading Gilbird. :U Blah, blah, blah. Not very good, but I wanted to write it down. :|
God, I wish I could play the ukelele…I'd be a total rockstar and everything! You know what, since I already take piano lessons, I'm just going to do it. I am going to get a ukelele and play my heart out! Learning from the internet and random hobos in the city.
/shot
Happy Late New Years, men!