AN: Two posts in a day!? Freezey must be crazy. Why yes, yes I am. Here's some PruCan for you guys. So I heard Bob Seger's 'Night Moves' on the radio and when I heard the following lyrics this little plot bunny was born: 'I woke last night to the sound of thunder. How far off I sat and wondered. Started humming a song from 1962. Ain't it funny how the night moves. When you just don't seem to have as much to lose'. Please don't ask me to explain how my brain works. So anyway, without further ado, please enjoy 'The Sound of Thunder'.
I just own the plot! Also, happy birthday Iggy! You show up later in the story.
Rain pounded against the cheap motel windows as a flash of lightning illuminated the inky black night. A cacophonous clap of thunder followed closely behind shaking the building violently. The clamour of the tumultuous storm jarred Gilbert Beilschmidt awake from his sound slumber.
He sat bolt upright in the worn king size bed where he lay. The tattered comforter fell away from his heaving bare chest. His panicked red eyes scanned the room as he slowly came fully awake and his heart rate slowed. He listened as the rain and thunder melded together in nature's symphony.
As he listened to the familiar sounds they brought forth memories of a similar night from many years ago. Images of golden blonde hair and half lidded amethyst eyes surfaced to the forefront of his mind making his heartache nostalgically. After all these years he could still feel the softness of pale skin under his hands and the hesitant caress of rosebud colored lips on his own.
A sudden shuffling in the bed next to him snapped him from his reverie.
"Bruder? Is everything all right?" Monika, Gilbert's younger sister, asked as she propped herself up on an elbow and looked at her sibling with sleepy blue eyes.
"Ja, West. Alles ist gut. The storm just woke me up. You go back to sleep," Gilbert replied reassuringly as he tiredly ran his fingers back through his silvery hair.
Monika nodded tiredly causing some of her blonde hair to fall into her eyes before settling back down to sleep.
Gil waited for his sister's breathing to even out and she drifted back off before he climbed out of the bed. He stood and stretched his travel weary body.
After their grandfather's passing this past winter the siblings had decided to move from Germany back to their childhood home in America. The past couple of summer days had their trip grueling and his body felt he needed a reminder of that.
He and Monika had traveled from Germany to America and then had driven for what seemed like forever toward their destination without stop. Tomorrow they would reach Hetalboro and begin their new lives in the sleepy little American town.
His bare feet carried him across the thin, yellowed carpet to stand in front of the window. He watched the rain run like rivers down the glass pane as his mind wandered into the past.
It had been nine years since he and his sister had last been in Hetalboro. Nine years since his parents had died in a car accident on a stormy night just like this. Nine years since he and Monika had to move to Germany to live with their grandfather. Nine years since he'd had to leave behind tear filled violet eyes.
A weary sigh escaped his lips as he leaned his forehead against the cool glass of the window. He knew the owner of those haunting eyes still lived in town and he dreaded their first meeting after so long.
A sudden flash of lightning and a clap of thunder startled him and he frowned at the night.
'Why is it that all the big events in my life are accompanied by the sound of thunder?'he mused internally before turning to return to bed.
The sun hung high and shone brightly in the cloudless, blue summer sky over Hetalboro. It was such a beautiful, mild day one would not have even known it had been black as pitch with thunder clouds the evening prior.
Gilbert, however, could not enjoy the quaint beauty around him as he maneuvered his silver Volkswagen Jetta down Main street. He felt every curious stare from the shop owners and townspeople as they went about their days which made his anxiety grow like a cancer in his stomach as he drove along.
He had hoped that their arrival would have been a little more low key but he should have known that would never happen. He knew that word traveled faster than light in small towns and news of new arrivals was especially gossip worthy. Hell the whole town would probably know they were here before they ever reached the house. There would probably be a gaggle of noisy housewives camped out on the front lawn with welcome casseroles and fake smiles.
Yet, while all of that was going to be annoying he had to be honest with himself. There was really only one person he did not want finding out he was back just yet.
Oh, why did his childhood home have to be on the far side of the small town and why was the only route there right through the center of town?
Gilbert's grip on the steering wheel tightened until his knuckles turned white from his ever increasing agitation. Monika glanced at her brother from the passenger seat and her brow knitted with concern.
"Is everything all right, bruder?" she asked breaking the silence.
Gilbert jumped in surprise and the car swerved slightly before straightening out.
"Scheiss, Monika, don't scare me like that," he said shooting an annoyed glare her way.
"Es tut mir leid. You just seem a bit tense," she replied with a shrug as she refocused on the road before them.
"The awesome me tense? What would make you say that?" he asked as he signaled and turned the car onto a side street.
"You're usually more talkative and you have a death grip on the wheel. Plus that was the first time you've said awesome all day," Monika stated simply.
Gilbert looked down at his hands and was surprised to see they were paler than his normal albino pale. He forced his hold to loosen and took a deep breath.
"Okay, the awesome me maybe just a little bit tense," he admitted as he signalled before taking another turn. Monika merely hummed in response and they continued on in amiable silence.
Fifteen minutes and two more turns later found the Beilschmidt siblings pulling up the drive of a split level house. The house had been a rental property over the last nine years so it had been well maintained, but the brother and sister were still surprised at the changes that time had brought.
The paint had changed from buttercream yellow to tan and all the shutters were new as was the white front door. The flower beds their father had prized were long gone and replaced with a row of bushes.
Gilbert pulled the car to the top of the drive and shifted it into park before cutting the engine. The duo exited the vehicle and looked at the house with an odd mix of emotions.
The sudden sound of a car coming to a stop on the street in front of the house drew their attention away from the building. A powder blue two door Lexus had parked on the street and a blonde, bearded man was stepping out of it. The man turned toward the siblings and smiled brightly.
"Ah, I see I have arrived just in time," he said, his words laced with a French accent, as he closed the car door and quickly made his way up the drive. "Gilbert, mon ami, it is so good to see you,"
"Good to see you too, Francis," Gilbert said with a smile as he walked to meet the other man halfway and they shared a quick hug. Francis had been one of the two people that Gilbert had stayed in touch with after moving to Germany and he was so glad to see his old friend.
"Now tell me, mon ami, who is this lovely woman with you? Surely that can not be your petite soeur, Monika," Francis said as they parted and he turned his attention to Monika. He swaggered up to the blonde woman and taking her hand placed a kiss upon the back of it. "Enchante,"
"Hallo, Francis," Monika said rolling her eyes and pulled her hand back wiping it discreetly on the side of her pants.
"Not awesome, Franny. Quit hitting on my my sister you dirty old pervert," Gilbert said with mock disgust.
Francis gave a hearty chuckle as he turned to face Gilbert with a witty retort poised on his tongue, but simply smiled instead when he caught sight of a tomato red Ford Fiesta coming down the road. It slowed to a crawl as it drew closer to the house and parked right behind Francis' Lexus.
The driver door flew open and a tan man came bounding out. He looked toward the trio on the drive with brilliant green eyes and a dazzling smile on his face.
"Amigos!" he cried excitedly as he bounded around the vehicle and up the drive. His chocolate brown hair bobbing along in time with his steps. As soon as he reached the others he pulled Gilbert into a bone crushing embrace. "Oh, my friend, it is so good to see you,"
"I'm glad to see you too, Antonio," Gilbert said a little breathlessly returning the hug. "but I kind of can't breath,"
Antonio released the other man taking a step back and smiling sheepishly. He opened his mouth to apologize, but he was interrupted by a sudden slap to the back of his head from a rather angry looking olive skinned man who had appeared quite abruptly.
"Oi, churro bastard, it's rude to leave people behind in the car when you visit people," he snapped his yellow-green eyes glaring daggers at the Spanish man.
"Lo siento, mi tomate," Antonio apologized while smiling adoringly at the smaller male.
"Ve~ Lovi, that wasn't very nice," a second man, identical to the first but with a nicer disposition, said as he walked up to stand next to the grouchy man.
"Asshole deserved it," Lovi said crossing his arms over his chest and eyeing the others critically.
"Amigos, I would like you to meet my husband, Lovino," Antonio said wrapping an arm tenderly around the disgruntled man's shoulders. "And his twin brother, Feliciano,"
"Ciao," Feliciano said cheerily waving his hand excitedly while Lovino continued to simply glower at everyone.
"Guten tag. I am the awesome Gilbert Beilschmidt and this is my younger sister, Monika," Gilbert said with a cocky grin as he grabbed Monika and pulled her into his side in a one armed hug.
The German girl stiffened and pale pink blush coated her cheeks as she was made the center of attention.
"Oh cherie, you have turned the loveliest shade of pink," Francis teased reaching up and poking at the blonde woman's darkening cheeks.
Monika smacked his hand away with a glare and shoved her way free from Gilbert's hold.
"When did the moving truck say they would be here, again?" She asked as her irritation helped to make the color in her cheeks fade.
The sound of large truck tires crunching on pavement suddenly filled the air and everyone looked up to see a large moving truck pulling to a stop in front of the house answering Monika's quequery"Well that's convenient," Gilbert said with a hint of surprise in his voice.
"Oui, indeed," Francis agreed in a bit of astonishment.
"Are we just going to stand here gaping at a coincidence or are we going to move the potato bastards' stuff?" Lovino snapped abruptly before slipping out of Antonio's embrace and walking toward the truck.
"Wait for me, Lovinito," Antonio called after his husband as they all started to make their way to the truck.
Day had barely faded into night by the time the truck had been emptied and the group had taken a well deserved break. Monika, Feliciano, and Lovino had gone into town to retrieve beer and pizza while the others stayed behind to set up the living room. Which was proving tiresome under Francis' direction.
"Hm...You know I think the couch looked better when it was facing the window," the blonde man said looking contemplatively around the room tapping his bearded chin deep in thought.
Gilbert and Antonio both groaned in aggravation before shooting glares in Francis' direction.
"Franny, I am not moving this couch for a fifth time," Gilbert stated as he proceeded to plop down on to the gray couch cushions and got comfortable to punctuate his words.
Francis turned and gave him a rather disgusted look before rolling his eyes in begrudging acceptance.
"Fine. Just don't blame me when others comment on how drab and off balance your decor is," he stated as he walked over and took the seat next to his friend.
"Fat chance of that unless Roderich decides to come visit and I don't see that happening anytime soon," Gilbert said with a casual wave of his hand.
"How is your cousin? Last you told us he was getting married," Antonio queried as he took the seat next to Francis.
"Yeah. The wedding was just before we left Germany. He married this crazy, frying pan wielding Hungarian chick. He says that I knew her from when we were kids and I would go to Germany to visit Opa. I don't remember her though, but she kind of looks like this guy I use to know back then. Wonder if they're related?" Gilbert said his brow furrowing as he pondered over that thought.
"So they were childhood sweethearts?" Francis asked with a scheming glimmer in his blue eyes.
"Ja, I guess so," Gilbert said with a shrug not having noticed the look in his friend's eyes.
"Does that make you nostalgic for your own prior sweetheart?" The Frenchman asked turning a questioning look upon his friend.
Gilbert's entire demeanor shifted in an instance. His laid back posture shifted up so that he sat ramrod straight and turned slightly to face the others. His ruby eyes narrowed into slits glaring at his friend as his lips turned down into a deep frown and his brow scrunched in underlying anger.
"Don't go there, Franny," he all but growled with a warning edge to his words.
Undeterred, Francis casually examined his nails showing he was unafraid of his friend's empty threats.
"You're going to have to face it all at some point mon ami,"
"Si, Gil. You can't keep letting it go on like this," Antonio chimed in leaning forward so he could see more clearly. His usual cheery demeanor had changed to one that was a bit more hard and serious.
Gilbert glared at his traitorous friends for several moments and they in turn glared back. They sat locked in a battle of wills until Gilbert finally broke. He sighed heavily and hung his head in defeat.
"You both act as if I don't know that I need to fix this. For nine years I have had this gaping hole in my chest," he absently reached up to clutch at his shirt just above his heart. "I'm just so terrified that I have fucked things up beyond repair,"
His hands shifted to grasp at his hair despairingly as his eyes fell shut and the image that had haunted for all these years filled his mind. Heart broken violet eyes stared at him in confusion as tears ran down cherubic cheeks and pale lips trembled as pleas for understanding fell from them.
Gilbert jumped when he felt a hand fall on his shoulder drawing him out of his depressing state. Sad, vermilion eyes lifted to meet a pair of friendly blue and green eyes.
"All will be well, mon ami. You have returned to right what was wrong and we will stand beside you," Francis said squeezing his friend's shoulder reassuringly.
"Si, even if it does not end the way you want, amigo, at least you will have some closure," Antonio said as his bright smile returned.
"Thanks guys," Gilbert said with a small smile. His friends really were awesome.
The tender moment shared between the three friends was suddenly shattered as the front door flew open violently and Lovino stormed in carrying three large pizza boxes.
"Hey assholes foods here. Come and fucking eat this fake, Americanized garbage," he said with disgust as he marched toward the kitchen with Feliciano and Monika on his heels.
"Coming, mi corazon," Antonio called to his husband with a chuckle as he rose from the couch. The others followed his lead and they all walked into the kitchen leaving the prior conversation behind them.
'Tomorrow, Mattie,' Gilbert thought as he grabbed a beer from Monika as soon as he entered the room. 'Tomorrow I will start making things right,'
AN: Did you like it? I hope you did. Next chapter Matt shows up with some of our other characters. I have a feeling this one could be a long one. Also, updates will be monthly at best. So please don't spam my inbox begging for updates. I'll do my best to update more frequently. Until next chapter!