Matthias Køhler never had high expectations in life, at least not many which would exceed his own skills. So finding himself standing in front of the gates of Hetalia Academy, an elite international school, was a bit of a shock. He would never been able to afford coming here, so it was probably the best he even managed to get here on scholarship for something he couldn't remember too well of, it wasn't academics – that he was certain of.
Matthias gathered his luggage at his feet (a worn out and overstuffed bag), which the bus driver had him hurriedly collect, and shuffled awkwardly towards the main door which seemed to be placed so far away any student would give up on the first few steps, but the Dane wasn't one who gave up easily. Filled with determination, he heaved his bag into his arms and continued down the wide path. If it wasn't for his set concentration to not drop his bag, Matthias would've admired the perfectly trimmed trees and colourful, flower beds buzzing with bees.
But alas the poor Dane had no time to admire nature in all its glory. "Are you alright lad!?" The sudden British accent had Matthias drop his bag in surprise, which unfortunately then proceeded to land on his foot and had him educate the world in the precious language of his homeland, or so it sounded if you didn't include the vulgar vocabulary thrown in there.
Still cursing, Matthias whined and rubbed at his toe, not noticing a rather short blond hurrying over to him. "I'm deeply sorry! I didn't mean to startle you!" Still vigorously rubbing at his sore foot, the Dane looked up and met the eyes of the strangest man he might've seen in a long time. He was pretty in a way, with a slender face and fair skin, even his eyes were a pretty shade of green. But what the fuck is on his face!? Where those eyebrows?
Pain suddenly forgotten, Matthias straightened himself and pointed an accusing finger at the man's forehead. "Don't worry about me, what the hell happened to you?" Matthias Køhler also never had the best filter for his mouth, which might have landed him in some very unfortunate situations. The Brit scowled, his eyebrows drawing so close together Matthias was scared they would merge and form some sort of weapon of mass destruction. The Brit seemed to blow up at any moment before his entire expression went back to neutral and he gave a very welcoming smile. Matthias was very afraid.
"Welcome to Hetalia Academy, where only the most important students around the world are gathered. I am Arthur Kirkland from England, a Junior, your guide for today and also the head of the Student Council Committee." He had a hand stretched out and Matthias carefully took hold of it, the sudden tight grip a fair warning to not underestimate the Brit in front of him. "Um, Matthias Køhler from Denmark, also a Junior?" Arthur only smiled and released his hand. "Well then, you might want to bring your bag with you on the tour."
… … …
It took nearly four hours for them to tour the corridor Matthias would be using in his current year, with four more corridors to explore later on during the week. The thought alone made the Dane mentally commit suicide. The tour wasn't all too bad either, except for the fact that he had to carry his bag around during the whole thing and Arthur would stop at almost every single crack and corner to explain the history and significance of it. Matthias is certain he can write a book on the importance of the British Navy and its relevance to the 3cm crack on the right hand wall in hall 32A.
He might be exaggerating, but his brain was almost non-existent at the moment. Not soon enough, Arthur announced that they would head to the dorms now, which would be another 30 minute walk considering that they were at the very end of the middle corridor of the Academy. "Why is this place so big? How many people are even here?" "The Academy was made to accommodate at least five people from each nation around the world, even nations which does not necessarily get recognised." Matthias was too tired to do the maths, but even then he was shocked at the size of the place. This also meant that there would be at least four other Danes here, meaning he wasn't as alone as he thought. Somewhat more content, he followed the Brit to the dorms.
"Oh, since you did arrive in the middle of the year – most of the dorms are already occupied. We try to room students with other students from the same region. The remaining Danish students are all taken but there is another Scandinavian student who is available. Your roommate is also a year your senior, so please treat him with respect." Too tired to care, Matthias managed a small grunt. They stopped at a door with a ridiculously large number and Arthur only gave Matthias a key. "Your scholarship includes a set of the school uniform which will be delivered to you by tomorrow morning, so please don't wear… this…" Matthias looked down at his old uniform: dirtied grey trousers, an off-white button up shirt with a crudely white patch sowed on by the hip and his thin black and red jacket. "Oh uh, okay I will." "One last thing, the headmaster will give you your weekly allowance every Monday, so spend it wisely." With that the Brit walked away. It was Sunday meaning everyone would be in there dorms. Meaning Matthias would also have to smile and be happy around his new roommate.
Deciding his new roommate would understand his lack of enthusiasm, Matthias unlocked the door and stepped inside. It was a decent sized room, equally divided in half and the furniture placed symmetrically. A bed against the wall, a desk next to the bed and a small wardrobe also against the wall at the foot of the bed. The only thing which wasn't the same on his side of the room was the lack of two half-naked blonds making out on a bed. "For fanden!" The smaller of the two startled and comically fell of the taller's lap. Matthias was met with the most intense glare yet, even managing to rival that of the Brit's Caterpillars.
The culprit was a large blond male with short hair and intense blue eyes. Yes, a very descriptive observation indeed, but Matthias wasn't in the mood to start oogling some scary guy's impressive chest. It should also be mentioned that Matthias Køhler was 100% secure about his sexuality, even if he himself wasn't sure what it was half of the time, as long as his dick said 'yes', Matthias wasn't willing to say no. And at this moment he was pretty sure his dick was about to stand up at attention if he wasn't too tired to gather enough energy to even allow it to. It might also be the fact that man was previously busy with someone, who was already scrambling to their feet in a state of panic.
Said someone, was a smaller blond… man… or just a very flat chested girl. Matthias did not have the energy to decide whether or not the person's doe eyes and cute face belonged to a guy or girl. The Dane also did not have enough to time to figure it out since they were out of the room before Matthias could even greet them. The room was in a state of some sort of awkward and menacing atmosphere. "So, I'm-" "'ntrud'r. N'w go aw'y." Matthias was left with his mouth hanging open and settled with meeting his roommate's death glare with his very own. "No can do. I'm your roommate. Suck it up." The blond said nothing and continued to glare at him.
Matthias hoped the Academy didn't have any more strange foreigners.
… … …
Monday was a very long and tiresome day. Matthias woke up late (his roommate already gone and his bed neatly tucked in), almost forgot to wear his new uniform, he missed the weekly assembly - and managed to escape detention, he almost missed his first two classes and had to go see the counsellor for the rest of the day to get a detailed explanation of the school layout and every possible route from each location. He also got his first allowance which he realised would be able to buy him at least one meal a day… What else can you expect when you have to smooch off the headmaster? So after his mentally exhausting day, all he wanted was to go back to his dorm and sleep until the occurrence of Ragnarok.
But the gods did not favour Matthias in the slightest that day. Upon arriving at his dorm, he found a neat little sign with a crudely drawn penis on it. If the sign wasn't enough to get him to leave, the sounds of obscene moans from inside had him angrily bang his head against the door. "For helvede! …" Matthias considered learning an additional language since his own didn't manage to express his anger at the very moment. The fact that his roommate was having sex wasn't the problem, but rather Matthias had nowhere to go: he was too scared to get lost and he had no friends to hang out with. It was his first day and already he felt miserable, maybe he should've just stayed in Denmark where he at least knew the elderly woman at the bookstore…
"Hey you okay there buddy?" Averting his gaze to the sight, Matthias saw a beaming blond (Not another one) with a half-finishing hamburger in his hand. The school's uniform consisted of blue checker trousers, a white button up shirt, a white jersey, black tie and a blue blazer. But for some reason the blond replaced his blazer with some sort of bomber jacket. Matthias didn't have the energy the deal with people right now, but he still pulled on a bright grin for the stranger.
"I think my roommate is having sex." The stranger gave one look at the dorm number before grimacing. "Berwald at it again? He's one of the few students who doesn't have a roommate, so him and his boyfriend usually get it on a lot in there." So it was a guy… The newcomer beamed broadly. "Name's Alfred F. Jones, a Senior, from 'Merica! Land of Freedom and Liberty!" "…Isn't that the same thing?" Alfred looked dejected for a moment before a strange laugh suddenly came from behind Matthias. "Kesesese~ Zhey're all in place~ Time to shcare zhe sheisse outta zhem!" Turning around the Dane was met another unique looking student.
His hair was messy and… silver? White? With red (fucking red) eyes and skin much more pale than the Brit. His uniform… was a mess. Tie loosened and shirt half-buttoned up, revealing some sort of pendant around his neck. His shoes weren't even up to code and instead were some very tattered sneakers. "Oh, you found shomeone to help us~?" An arm suddenly dropped around Matthias' shoulders, the strange accent of the other not shutting up. "I am zhe Aweshome Gilbert Beilschmidt, a Junior! From zhe Great Prussian Empire!" His voice suddenly boomed and Matthias winced at the volume of it. "Prussia?" Gilbert looked offended for a moment. "Another non-believer!"
Recovering from the slight shock of two new people in his life, Matthias started to feel the oncomings of childish glee. It's been a long time since he met others so loud and… obnoxious, maybe even possible friends. Maybe he won't be so lonely after all. Matthias introduced himself. "Matthias Køhler, from Denmark, Junior. Nothing special about it really… you said I'm here to help?" Gilbert suddenly got a wicked grin on his face and placed a slender finger on his lips. "Ve're going to shcare zhe crap outta zhe Shtudent Council Committee~"
… … …
The Trio found themselves in the Academy's vents. Currently they were above a dimly lit room with a few randomly placed tables and only three people inside. They were seated in some sort of circular shape and appeared to be discussing something really important. Matthias was all for rebellion, he even had personal record at his old school, yet somehow he was starting to doubt pulling a prank on the Student Council Committee. Maybe he could just blame it again on being new?
Gilbert was practically hyperventilating beside him, Alfred still munching on his burger. "So the plan is to… spy on them?" Alfred gave Gilbert who was about to answer a somewhat warning glare before smiling at Matthias. "You see, there are rumours that the SCC also practises Black Magic during their spare time. So if they're going to do some sort of freaking chanting thing, then we're going to act like ghosts and see them running for their lives! But then I'll save the president and be the hero!"
Gilbert snorted. "Your crush ish sho obvious, it's giving me diabetes." Alfred suddenly choked on thin air and had to silently cough in embarrassment. Matthias started to feel disappointed with their 'prank'. "How do you know if this is going to work?" Gilbert grinned. "Mein Vati, ish a general in zhe Deutsches Heer, he taught me a zhing or two. As for Alfred…" "My cool dad is in the CSI! So I know all the cool tricks about being a spy!"
"…Are we really just waiting for them to start summoning demons or something?" Alfred stopped breathing. "They're going to summon demons?" Gilbert chuckled and reached over Matthias to punch the American. "You shissy, magic isn't real!"
"But what if it is? I once watched this movie-"
"A movie? How old are you, sheven?"
"It was really scary, dude!"
"Right, eshecially zhe shpecial effects!"
The two started to bicker over Matthias and he started to feel anxious. Where they being heard? - a quick glance confirmed that they were still quiet enough. The Dane was about to suggest they rather go back, when the flooring beneath them started to give a rather suspicious groan. Matthias wasn't a stranger to vents, also not with old ones – but he didn't think that an elite Academy such as Hetalia would ever have, them so it came to no surprise when the floor suddenly gave out and they were falling.
"What the bloody hell!?" The trio landed in very painful manners, Alfred managing to land on none other than Arthur Kirkland, Gilbert on a desk and Matthias face-first on the hard wooden floor. In his pain induced mind, he realised someone was next to him. A foot to his side had him groaning. "Is this piece of trash the new student?" Offended, Matthias lifted his head to defend himself but his words quickly got caught up in his throat.
Another thing about Matthias Køhler, he did not believe much in fairy tales – the ones about true love and soulmates and whatnot. But at this very moment and time, Matthias was sure it was love at first sight (even his dick agreed). The grumpy boy staring down at him was beautiful, it was the first word that came to mind. His hair was blond, but a very fair kind and he almost wanted to say it looked platinum – his eyes were also interesting a mixture between blue and purple, not really sure which one it really was. "Hiya, I'm-" "Not interested." The sudden rejection caused an unpleasant curl in his stomach.
"Alfred you twat! How many times do I have to you tell you, you cannot listen to the Student Council Committee meetings! It's private!" Matthias was spared from having to redeem himself as the Brit and American became the centre of attention. Alfred was currently clinging to the shorter blond's abdomen, who in turn appeared to keep himself from physically assaulting the America. "But Artie-" "Don't call me that!" "-we never spend time together anymore!" The third member of the Council made himself known when he presented Gilbert to the room, painfully pinching the man's ear between his fingers. He was a brunet with eyes matching Gilberts, eyes which gave Matthias a very disapproving glare.
"I am Vladimir Popescu, from Romania, a Freshman. I am also the Vice President and therefor you will remember my name. Now leave before I call the headmaster." Arthur managed to pry Alfred away from him. Gilbert suddenly grabbed the other two boys and ran out of the room, cackling like some evil villain. "Kesese~ Zhat vas vay better!" Matthias was still dazed from meeting the love of his life and turned to the other two. "Who was that?" Gilbert was still cackling on but Alfred only frowned at the Dane. "Hmm? Oh the other moody one, yeah that's Lukas uh, Bond, um… Lukas Bondick? I think it's Bondick…" Gilbert stopped cackling and slapped Matthias hard on the back. "Eh, you mean dear Herr Verklemmt? Zhat my dear friend is Lukas Bondevik~"
Lukas Bondevik… Matthias won't forget his name any time soon.
… … …
It's been two days since the encounter with 'Herr Verklemmt', and Matthias as to yet see him again. He hasn't seen the boy in any of his classes yet and he has to wonder if they were even in the same year. That would explain some things… But even then, during lunch he couldn't see him. Matthias was starting to think it was all his imagination. "You not eating lunch?" "Not hungry?" Gilbert shrugged as he sat down next to him. "Vhatever shuits you." The Dane ignored the slight pain in his stomach (He should have rather skipped dinner yesterday) and rather moved onto the topic swirling in his mind. "I think the love of my life was nothing but a figment of my imagination…" The Prussian only nodded in agreement and sipped on his milk.
"Zhat vas vhat I alsho thought, zhen I realised zhat I am my shoulmate~" A glance at the Prussian had him see the man winking at his own reflection in a spoon. Matthias had no idea how he had so much self-confidence. "You mean you don't like anyone?" "Pfft, I'd rather have everyone drool over me, danke." Another person joined their table, Alfred, who appeared to never get tired of his endless buffet of hamburgers. "Except that creepy Russian Senior, the one who's dad is like the Russian Don or something? What's his name again? Ivan Brakini?" The air suddenly dropped down to a freezing degree, Matthias could feel the cold seeping underneath his blazer. "Braginksi, da~" An eerie childish voice whispered in Matthias' ear. He almost fell over but a large hand pushed him back up, and almost over the table too.
"Krolik~ How are you~" The Russian focused his attention on Gilbert, who wasn't paying much attention to him. Matthias spied a look at the new student and instantly realized this was not someone to make an enemy of. He was a big guy, in height and structure both. His shoulders were broad and Matthias was sure that underneath the slight bulge at his stomach was some very dangerous strength. His pink scarf did nothing to soften his Alpha Aura. Gilbert only rolled his eyes and picked at his sandwich. "Leave me alone, fettig." The Russian pouted and looked honestly sad.
"But I brought my Junior notes for you." He held out a neat little notebook, a picture of a white rabbit on the cover. Gilbert scowled at him and swatted at the book. "I don't need your help, now get losht." With a rejected expression, the bulking teenager sulkingly staggered away. "…That was a bit mean?" Matthias felt sorry for the boy, he obviously had a crush on Gilbert. "Nah, he's jusht being creepy. Nothing to vorry about. Beshides, ve vere zalking about your shoulmate~"
The bell rang and Matthias was sure this was nothing short of a cliché.
… … …
"Din kælling!" Matthias yanked hard at the doorknob, but all it did was rattle the still existing penis sign. With a sigh he bent down and drew a stripe through another tally set. So far the tally read a totally of ten times, each one representing the time he came back to the dorm to find his roommate getting laid. "Vandalism will not be tolerated." Looking up, Matthias almost lost his breath when he caught sight of none other than Lukas Bondevik.
Blushing, he quickly stood upright and hid away his marker, trying to look as innocent as possible. "Oh, this? I didn't draw it, my roommate did." Lukas gave a disgusted glance at the penis and threw another one at the door. "You are the new student correct?" Matthias nodded. "Matthias Køhler, from Denmark, a Junior…" Lukas gave no introduction of his own, but it suited Matthias just fine. "You are also the one who smashed his face on the floor along with the two other freaks." "Oh, uh yes, but-" Lukas only held up one finger to silence the Dane. "You are horrible at first impressions Matthias Køhler." With that the man walked away.
Matthias wanted to kick himself for acting like such an idiot.
… … …
"I'm doomed, he hates me. It's all your fault, you convinced me to follow your stupid prank!" Gilbert smacked Matthias on the head. The two were in his dorm room, Matthias was on his bed and Gilbert at his desk trying to do work he missed out on. "Yeah yeah, you can blame me all you vant later… now how hell am I going to do zhis?" Matthias sat up and glanced at the open textbook, which looked like English. "Isn't that the work that Russian, uh, Ivan? Wanted to help you with?" Suddenly angry, Gilbert slammed his books shut and huffed. "Schrew him, I'm too aweshome to get help from shuch a peashent!"
"Did he do something to do?"
"He von't shtop shtalking me und hish crazy little shister keeps threazening me vith ein Messer shaying she'll kill me if I'm going to be hish bride, like I'm going to vear ein dressh." His accent got thicker with each word and Matthias was having a hard time understanding him. "He can't be that bad, besides… at least someone likes you…" Gilbert gave Matthias the most sympathetic expression he could manage. "I'm shure shomeone likes you, jusht make shure zhey know you do. If you're going to beat around zhe bush like Alfred, zhen I'm not shupporting you."
Beat around the bush…
… … …
The next day Matthias managed to corner Alfred who was unsuccessfully stalking an angry Brit. "Hey Alfred, do you know where Lukas hangs out?" The American tried to frantically shush the Dane, his 'spy' sunglasses too big on his face. "How did you know it was me dude?" Really? "Answer my question." Alfred saw Arthur was already gone and gave a sad sigh. "I dunno dude, he's like in the younger years. I don't know where they hang out?"
"I see… so Lukas has a different schedule?" Alfred shrugged and replaced his ridiculous sunglasses with his original glasses. "Yeah… hey I think he's in the same year as your roommate's boyfriend, that girly Finnish dude! Tino Va… Vamos? Nah it was longer…" Matthias already stopped listening to the American and made his way back to his dorm.
… … …
Surprisingly the door was unlocked this time (the penis sign still hanging there) and he found the couple casually cuddling on the bed. Berwald was reading some sort of economics textbook with his boyfriend happily chatting to him in a foreign tongue, one which Matthias was almost familiar with. He cleared his throat and gave an awkward wave. "Hello~" Berwald glared at him from the corner of his eye, his cute boyfriend stopped talking. The tiny man suddenly gasped and jumped to feet, and almost jumped on Matthias too. "Oh hello~ You must be Matthias, Su-San told me about you~ So sorry about keeping you out of the room, my name is Tino Väinämöinen, a Sophomore, from Finland."
Matthias was shocked at his bubbly personality and slightly curious how he even ended up with the grump Swede on the bed. "Nice meeting you… say can I ask you something?"
… … …
"So do you really practise black magic?" Matthias winced as the words escaped him. Remember when it was said that he didn't have the best mouth filter? In front of him sat a grump fairy (or so Matthias likes to believe) who slowly closed his book and gave a blank stare at the Dane. "If I said yes will you leave me alone?" Determined to not be affected, Matthias bravely seated himself on the boy's desk and gave him a broad smile. "What if I said you already cast a spell on me?" Silence. Lukas' stare stayed, Matthias own smile was starting to feel awkward. "I think it was a curse." With that he left Matthias alone once again.
… … …
"Are you angel which came down from heaven to grace me with your beauty~?" It's been at least twelve hours since Matthias spoke to the grumpy teen again, and this time he sure his seduction would work. Currently he had Lukas cornered outside of the cafeteria, money already in his hand to buy food. So far Matthias also learned the teen is Norwegian (and the son of a successful businessman), which makes him feel just a bit more connected to the love of his life. Said love-of-his-life gave him another blank stare, irritation itching to show. "Are you suggesting that I am the devil?" Matthias was left speechless as the Norwegian only walked around him and through the door.
… … …
Matthias was giddy, he researched some Norwegian seduction techniques and was sure that Lukas would be impressed. Seeing him rounding the corner with another teen, a very similar looking teen, Matthias puffed his chest out and proudly strutted up to them. With the most flirty expression he could manage, he presented his own knowledge of Norwegian Seduction: "Vil du bli med meg hjem og se frimerkesamlingen min?" The two boys stopped, both wearing matching blank stares, yet this time Lukas appeared to be much more irritated. The unknown student turned to Lukas. "It appears he's trying to seduce you." Matthias beamed at his success, but Lukas only glared coldly at him. "I refuse to believe you have anything worthy to show." Matthias was starting to think this was a cycle.
… … …
Matthias heavily fell onto his bed and sighed, closing his eyes and reflecting on his failure of seducing his true love. Berwald was working at his desk, he was Senior and had much more work than Matthias, when he grunted at the Dane. "Sh't up. Y'u're lo'd." Matthias only rolled his eyes. "Well sorry for wallowing in self-pity, unlike you – I'm not sticking my dick in beautiful boys every day." Berwald only grunted again and calculated something before scribbling it down. It's been two weeks since Matthias came to Hetalia Academy, and he never regretted starting in the middle of the year as much as this. He actually had a ton of work to do, but he couldn't find the motivation to do it.
As for his social life, his roommate was still a jerk and so far his only friends were Gilbert and Alfred. Lukas was still too far away… "Y'u're d'stract'ng. Wh't 's wr'ng?" It took about an hour for Tino to teach Matthias how to understand the Swede, yet he thinks he needs more time… "I may or may not be single for the rest of my life." The Swede regarded him with a steady gaze. "L'kas?" "Um, yeah?" Within an instant the Sweden turned around in his chair and his entire aura reeked professionalism. "T'll me ev'ryth'ng." Alright then…
"Well I tried to seduce him… but it didn't work so I learned some Norwegian Seduction Techniques-"
"Wh'dya s'y?"
"Vil du bli med meg hjem og se frimerkesamlingen min"
"…"
"… what?"
"Y'u h've a st'mp coll'cti'n?"
"I do?"
Berwald's usually stoic face twitched and Matthias was scared he might die of showing too much emotion. "Y'u ask'd h'm to see y'ur st'mp coll'cti'n." "… Oh. Did I?" The Swede must have lost patience with the Dane since he picked up his phone and rapidly texted someone, maybe his boyfriend. Not even two seconds later and the Finnish boy barged into the room with a happy smile. Were they planning on fucking later on? How were they going to get Matthias out of the room? Tino went over to his boyfriend and happily kissed his cheek before turning to Matthias. "I hear you are useless with seduction~ No wonder, I mean your only friends are Gilbert and Alfred. Not two people I would consider Love Gurus."
"… Are you here to help me, or…?"
Tino beamed again. "Lukas is a dear friend of ours and we will not give him up so easily, besides, you still have to impress his brother~ But from what I've heard, Emil isn't too impressed with you either." Matthias Køhler did not have the best track record of impressing anyone's family, and he didn't think it's going to improve now.
… … …
"How do you impress a grumpy Norwegian?" "-or a sexy Brit…" Gilbert pulled a face at Alfred. "I vouldn't call him shexy, have you sheen his face?" Alfred only sighed dreamily. "I want to brush his eyebrows…" "Now you're just getting creepy Alfred." It was Saturday and the trio decided to spend their day in one of the courtyards, just lazing underneath a tree. The Dane and American were in deep denial whilst the Prussian seemed too content with life. "Hey Matt, you wanna go to city later?" The Academy had a town built around it, but really it could be called a city: high rise buildings, malls, an amusement park… Matthias would have loved to go actually see it. "Nah, I don't feel like it." More like he wanted to at least have food for another few days.
"Eh, man you're sho boring…" The Prussian pouted and angrily poked at the Dane's leg. Said Prussian then suddenly jumped up and ran to a nearby bulletin board, considering they were sitting next to one of the open hallways. He came back with a flyer in his hand.
"I found something better~ It's zhat time of zhe year again~" Alfred only groaned and buried himself in his jacket, but Matthias was curious. "What time…?" The flyer was trusted in his hands. It was a simple A4 paper with a large picture of a ball in the middle, the heading bold and smaller font giving more details. "Rugby try outs?" "Vell, you're both complaining sho much it's annoying. The coach is Arthur's elder cousin, und dear Lukas is on zhe medical team~" The other two suddenly perked up. "So, if we try out and do good…" "…We will be noticed."
… … …
"I never ashked to be a part of zhis." Gilbert grumbled as he fidgeted with his shirt. Alfred managed to convince the Prussian to join them, saying something about school spirit or such. But upon arriving, he wasn't very happy to see that a certain Russian decided to also try out for the team. The coach was late but the newcomers were already lined up and… eager, to get started. Alfred kept looking around for Arthur whilst Matthias already spotted Lukas near the bleachers with a rather buff blond guy. "Great, if Vest shees me now…" Before the Prussian could grumble any further, a loud and heavily accented voice echoed across the field.
"A'right then, everyone line up 'n' listen up! I am not going to repeat myself unless you want to go to down-under 'n' biffo some kangaroos!" A buff brunet gave the new boys a wicked smile, his accent thick (almost as thick as his biceps). None of the students dared to laugh at his accent, neither would Matthias since the Australian looked like he could pummel you with just a single punch. It didn't help that the man wore extremely short shorts, his thighs actually threatening, and his too-tight shirt looked like it was painted on. Matthias wondered if he has to dress like that if he's going to play rugby.
"Rugby is more than just a game of throwing around some ball like a game of hot potato! This is the dinky-di! It ain't no place for all of ya to act like a mob of shielas either! So if any of ya are gunna run around like some hooligans, I will make sure none of ya ever set foot on this field again!" After the somewhat amusing death threats, Coach Kirkland then decided to ensure every single one of them experienced hell.
… … …
Alfred, surprisingly, was ahead of everyone and kept looking around to spot the Brit of his dreams. Matthias wasn't too far behind, but he was starting to struggle. He wasn't unfit per say, but having to jog five times around a rugby field wasn't what he was born to do. The Dane looked behind him where he spotted his Prussian friend scolding Ivan for slacking off, the poor Russian extremely red in the face and looking on the verge of death. "Coach! Break! Bitte!" Coach Kirkland looked like he was about to yell at the silveret, but one look at the bulky Russian and he gave permission for the pair to stagger off to the bleachers. Matthias wanted to believe Gilbert actually felt sorry for the poor Russian instead of using him as an excuse to stop running.
They still had two more laps to go, yet each time they passed the Medical Team – Lukas refused to make eye contact with Matthias, instead he opted for discussing school work with the blond with him, Gilbert's little brother if he wasn't mistaken. Determined to be noticed, Matthias urged his legs to go a bit faster, to maybe overtake the hyperactive American.
Matthias Køhler, even with all the stunts he pulled back in Denmark, was never prone to any serious injuries. Maybe a cut or a bruise which faded in a day or two. So when he suddenly fell to the ground, his foot flaring in agonizing pain, he could only find himself spewing out words representing his pain. "For fanden!" He dragged out the curse, his voice reaching a volume he never knew existed. Suddenly he felt a pair of hands on him and a voice talking, but his concentration was on his foot alone and he had no time to figure out what they wanted.
He was then suddenly turned around onto his back, and a slight touch at his ankle had him hissing in pain. "Rend mig i røven!" The hand stopped prodding. "No thank you, I think I will pass." The voice had Matthias' brain malfunction. Not only was Lukas the one tending to his wounds, but apparently he held some knowledge of the Danish language (and somewhere deep in his mind, he cried because Lukas did just refuse to fuck him). Matthias couldn't think of a response, but it wasn't entirely needed when suddenly Gilbert's little brother picked him up in bridal style. "W-What the hell man!" The younger teen only glared at him. "I am taking you to zhe nurshe. Sho shut up." Matthias only closed his eyes and ignored the giggles from his fellow students as he was whisked away to the nurse.
… … …
Matthias was bored. The nurse refused to release him, saying she doesn't want to further his injury. He sprained his ankle, or strained. English was too confusing sometimes. Lukas didn't follow him to the nurse's office, which kind of made him sad, but at least the Norwegian spoke to him, and that's all that matters. "Hey you okay bro?" Alfred suddenly appeared next to bed, he must've snuck in. "I'm bored and my princess never came to see if I'm alive." Alfred only nodded, his eyes holding a childish sparkle. "Spill it." Alfred needed no more encouragement as he exploded.
"Okay so you hurt yourself pretty badly and Coach said we will continue the try outs another time since he hates having delays or something I dunno, so anyways Arthur cornered me and said it was my fault you got yourself and I have no idea why he thinks that but anyways, so Arthur is yelling and yelling and I got a bit angry so I kissed him to shut him up because he's actually really cute when he's angry and then he went all quiet and red and then accused me of waiting too long to kiss him and I'm officially the hero and boyfriend of Arthur Kirkland!" Matthias had to blink and slowly process the information.
"Wow. Congratulations." The American beamed. "I know right! His brother oldest brother is actually the headmaster, so now I have to be good and also impress any other family he has here. Coach already approves of me so it's all good." The Dane only smiled at his friend, honestly happy for him. "That's great Alfred… what happened to Gilbert?" This time the American had a chance to give a wicked grin. "He got guilt-tripped into joining Ivan's club. When Ivan told him he started a club in his freshman year, but no wanted to join – Gilbert felt super sad and actually agreed to join him! I have never seen the Russian so happy in my life before!" By now Alfred was laughing so hard the nurse suddenly entered the room with an enraged expression.
"Alfred F. Jones! Get out of my office right now!"
… … …
The next day Berwald came to his rescue, Tino plastered to his side. "Hey guys." The Swede only nodded and Tino gave a little wave. "I'm t'king y'u b'ck to the d'rm." Before Matthias could protest, he was hauled over the Swede's shoulder and started the walk back to their room. Tino walked behind him to keep Matthias company. "So Lukas told us what happened, and he actually looked really worried. For safety reason he wasn't allowed to come with since the others were still busy with try outs and all. He also said your seductions skills are much more effective in Danish~" Matthias nearly choked. He was suddenly reminded of his no filter and how Lukas actually understood what he said. Sure Norwegian and Danish were pretty close, but still!
"…does Lukas hate me?" Tino frowned. "Why would he hate you? Did you hurt him?" "No, he just always ignores me or insults me." The couple went quiet, but Matthias was sure they were keeping a little secret to themselves.
… … …
"Coach shaid you're usheless, don't come back." Matthias didn't hesitate to punch Gilbert. "Yeah well I only went to impress Lukas, that clearly didn't work." Alfred wasn't with them today, he was busy meeting with the headmaster for… 'personal matters'. The two friends were once again in the Prussian's dorm, only this time his roommate was there as well. An Austrian Junior, Roderich Edelstein. He was an uptight twat who would angrily compose music in fits of passion, or that is how Arthur once described him.
Gilbert said Roderich was a distant family member of his and they never got along. The Austrian was reading a classical novel on his bed when he cast an annoyed look at the two. "If you vant to impress shomeone, vhy not jusht ashk zhem to zhe dance?" Gilbert blinked at his roommate for a moment before groaning loudly. "Mein Gott! I forgot about zhe dance! Ivan is going to ashk me I know it!" The Dane was still confused and decided to rather ask the Austrian about it. "Dance?" The man gently closed his book.
"Every shemeshter, zhe Academy holds a dance. Everyone is invited, und it is a shmall tradition to only ashk shomeone to go whom you are dating or have a crush on. I am playing zhe mushic." The Prussian was still groaning on the bed, complaining about how he wouldn't be able to reject Ivan's puppy eyes. Matthias was intrigued. "So if I ask Lukas to the dance and he agrees…" "It's shtill a month away, beshides – Lukas Bondevik rejects every shingle pershon."
… … …
"Hey Arthur, I have a question…" The Brit regarded the Dane with a curious look. "Yes?" "Who is on the dance committee?" Arthur looked confused at the question, probably never being asked the question before. "Tino Väinämöinen, Berwald Oxenstierna, Emil Steilsson and Lukas Bondevik." Matthias pulled his best innocent face, hoping to soften Arthur up before asking his question. "Can I join~" "Your face is scaring me. And I'm not the one to decide, the president is Tino go talk to him."
… … …
"Oh this will be so much fun! The theme is semester is Winter Wonderland! Nothing better than having a group of Nordics creating snow!" The Finnish seemed ecstatic about the upcoming dance, Berwald's features softening as he observed his tiny lover. Matthias' imagination took a turn because he had no idea how the two of them managed to have sex. If Tino lost his virginity to that monster…
"Great. Can we now get started before the Danish Dork hurts himself again." Matthias blushed (from the insult or the mental image, he still didn't know) and directed a hurt expression towards Lukas. The Norwegian appeared more agitated than usual, his brother (Matthias discovered this from Arthur, Emil Steilsson who lived in Iceland with their mother) had a dangerous blank look on his face. "I hurt myself like one time…" "That was more than enough." The Dane didn't want to actually fight his true love, so he settled with the feeling of utter rejection.
Tino, oblivious, clapped his hands together. "Great~ Let us split into groups~ Su-San and I will be together, and the rest of you can be together. Now then, off you go." Matthias watched as the couple disappeared through the doors, to have sex or actually getting work done he doesn't know. Suddenly out of his element, he turned to the two brothers and gave a hesitant smile. "So, what are we doing?"
… … …
"Are you sure we need this much paint?" Matthias eyed the twenty 1 litre cans of paint, which he had to carry one by one to the assembly hall where the dance will be held. Emil only nodded and Lukas huffed. "Are you underestimating us?" The Dane held his hands up in surrender. "No no, I am just curious that is all!" "Good. Now go paint that, since you cannot do anything else." Matthias would have been insulted but it was true, previously they tried having him cut out some decorations and did not just managed to break almost every pair of scissors, but he also managed to somehow damage the floor. No one is questioning it.
The 'that' Lukas referred to, was a large blank canvas which would need more than a ladder to reach the top. With a sigh he dragged the first set of baby blue paint and a large paintbrush. Not really in the mood to balance on a ladder, he opted to just start from the bottom and work his way up. Ensuring that the floor at the bottom of the canvas was covered, he dipped the brush into the paint and started to colour the canvas. Lukas and Emil were behind him, sorting through old decorations and asking for each other's opinion when needed.
The hall was quiet and Matthias started to regret even joining the club. He has no idea why he was so desperate to get Lukas' attention, maybe it was because his mother used to always tell him to never let go of those you love. Well Matthias loved a lot of people so that was an easy concept for him to understand, yet the feelings he had for Lukas was much stronger… "Think harder and you might explode." Lukas' jab at him knocked him from his thoughts. "I wasn't thinking that hard." "I didn't think you were even capable." The words hurt, it really hurt. Matthias knew he wasn't some straight A student, but he tried and managed to somehow get into an elite private academy, so having someone who doesn't even know him…
"Yeah you're right, I would've been worried too if I could think about something smart." He gave Lukas a smile before continuing to paint. Matthias has been hurt many times before, and he found it really wasn't that hard to fake a smile and hide away your insecurities, no one liked someone who was insecure. The hall was quiet and awkward again.
Matthias didn't realise how fast the time went, because what felt like a few minutes later – Emil suddenly announced that they can continue tomorrow. It was Friday so they weren't forced to go back to the dorms early… "Hey can I stay? The other are probably busy in my dorm." Emil glanced at Lukas before starting to pack away. The Norwegian was quiet and appeared to be studying the Dane. "The headmaster won't be happy if we left the new student alone in the middle of the night. I'll stay with you." The words didn't really make Matthias happy, he wanted to be alone for a while.
Emil and Lukas finished packing up, the younger leaving and heading back to his dorm. Lukas grabbed a nearby chair and at down, opening his schoolbag and taking out a textbook. "You always read textbooks in your spare time?" "Some of us are here because of our academics thank you, unlike certain useless Danes." Matthias grimaced and tried to not have the words affect him. "Yeah well I don't even know why I'm here, my mom just started yelling saying I was chosen to attend this place and two days later I'm on an aeroplane leaving home." The sound of a page turning was the only response Matthias got.
The canvas was about done by a quarter and the Dane's arms were starting to ache. Maybe he can convince Gilbert to have him sleep over… ah but he did say something about a club meeting with Ivan. Closing up the nearly finished paint, Matthias stretched and groaned at the almost painful popping sounds. "Okay, I'm done for today. Night." He started to leave when Lukas called out. "Where are you even going? Berwald and Tino are probably still busy and I don't think your two friends are available either."
"I was going to ask the nurse if I can sleep in her office."
"…My brother is spending the night with his boyfriend. I have a free bed." Lukas said nothing else as he grabbed his bag and started to walk out of the hall, expecting Matthias to follow. He wasn't wrong.
… … …
"So um, this is nice?" "All the dorms look the same." Lukas dropped his bag by his bed, taking out a few books and placing them in order on his desk. Matthias carefully sat down on the free bed, not sure what he was allowed to do. Usually Berwald didn't care much about his activities, only because Tino was usually there to keep him company. "So why does Tino always go to Berwald's dorm?" "It was one of the few which didn't have double occupants, also – Tino's roommate isn't fond of being bothered." Yeah well neither am I…
"So, uh-" "Why are you so determined to talk to me?" This caught Matthias off-guard. Lukas' voice was almost like acid, a glare on his face. If he wasn't so pretty-looking, he might have rivalled the Swede's glare. "Am I not allowed to talk to you?"
"Are you too dense to see that I do not want to talk to you?"
"...I…" Matthias didn't know what to say, if his no-filter thing didn't put him down in the dumps then he was pretty decent at talking to people. But for some reason, he didn't want to aggravate the Norwegian any further. He decided to finally take Gilbert's advice. "Go to the dance with me."
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't want to."
"That's childish…"
"I am not a child, I simply have my own reasons."
Matthias couldn't stop himself from grinning as Lukas' pouted. He was utterly adorable and suddenly the Dane was once again reminded why he wanted the boy so badly. He didn't believe in love at first sight, yet even his own beliefs are starting to look unsteady. "So can you really do black magic?" Lukas' glare only intensified. "Where do you hear these things from?" "Here and there, now come on, answer me." "Please stop talking to me." Matthias was finally making progress, and he'd be dammed if he was going to let this opportunity slide. "Let me guess, you are half-human, half-magical thing. You live in the human world to fit in, but refuse to make any friends because you're scared they will discover you secret!-"
"How is that related to anything?"
"-But you discovered that there is more to your powers! Sometimes, during certain times of the month, your power gets too much and you cannot control it! And for some reason, the dance is held on the exact date!"
"… You are truly a pathetic child. I am not magic, I don't need friends and I simply don't dance."
"I bet you have a troll army."
"I have run out of words to call you."
Matthias smiled, proud of himself at being able to hold a civil conversation. "So you're not secretly a prince of some magical kingdom with a troll army?"
"Why not a king?"
"You're too pretty to be a king."
"I am not afraid to have you sleeping in the nurse's office."
"Okay, okay I surrender. But it's true, you are pretty." A light blush stained the blond's cheeks, and it made Matthias' heart flutter. He suddenly wanted to know every expression possible on his face. "Whatever, it's late. Sleep." Matthias was starting to figure out the way he works, he was shy and it was starting to show very obviously. So the only way to win him over was to compliment him into submission.
… … …
"Wow, you have a really great eye for these kind of things Lukas! You're like a prince of an ice kingdom~" The blonde huffed and looked away, refusing to acknowledge the compliment. For the past week they worked every night after dinner on the decorations: Matthias finished painting the canvas, but the task of the actual painting was given to the Art Club. Berwald and Tino did actually work on something, they planned the food and beverages (the benefits of having your parents owning 5-star resturants), and also the entertainment and awards. As for Emil and Lukas, they were starting to prep the hall with lace and satin, crystals and snowflakes scattered around. Lukas was the one who arranged the placement, whilst Emil handled the colour schemes.
"Whatever, it's not that hard… and what happened to the troll army?" The Dane was sure he heard a hint of amusement in his voice. "Well maybe they hibernate in the Winter, since that is when your powers are at its maximum power." Lukas' mouth twitched and he rolled his eyes.
"Such a child… Now climb the ladder and hang the crystals from the roof." Matthias happily complied, satisfied that his compliment did get acknowledged.
… … …
Tino allowed them to finally have a day off, Matthias spent his very rewarding day… studying. He was falling behind on homework since they started to work late every night and unlike the others, he had a hard time understanding the work. Knowing what his roommate was going to be up to, Matthias opted for going to the library, which stayed open until curfew. It was still late morning, so he had plenty of time to get work done.
Alfred went out with Arthur to the city for a date (supervised by Coach Kirkland), and Gilbert said he had another meeting with Ivan about their club. The purpose of the club was still unknown. Matthias had no idea what the others were doing, but it was hardly his business – even if he did wonder what Lukas did in his spare time. Arriving at the impressive library, Matthias snatched a table in the empty building. He placed his tattered bag (The same one he's been using since he started high school) on the chair next to him, and carefully took out his textbooks. They were second hand and Matthias was scared they would turn to dust if he handled them a bit too hard.
It was no secret that most of his things were second hand, except for his uniform. But Matthias didn't mind, his mother raised him to be grateful for everything he had – even if it didn't shine like a diamond. With an entire day ahead of him, the Dane mentally prepared himself to do as much work as possible. "You're also studying?" His mental prep interrupted, Matthias looked over at Lukas who stood on the other side of the table, his own bag placed on the surface. "Oh yeah, I need to catch up you know?" The Norwegian nodded and sat down, getting out his own textbooks (which were pristine and still smelled fresh).
The two started to work in silence, Lukas having much more success than Matthias who was frowning at the equation in front of him. His textbook was outdated and didn't show the solution… meaning he had to figure it out himself. He brought the book closer to his face, hoping it will somehow make him find the answer. "Isn't that the old version?" Matthias blushed and lowered the textbook, keeping his voice as neutral as possible. "Yes, it was all they had…" "Why didn't you just buy the new one?"
"It's cheaper to just borrow the used ones."
"…Matthias…"
The Dane sighed, knowing that someone was going to bring up the topic. "I'm poor okay? I mean I had at least a meal a day, and we managed to have roof over our heads- but it was treat to get anything new okay? I'm only here because of my scholarship, the headmaster pities me enough to give me a small allowance each week, and I have one uniform which I wash every night to make sure no one notices. I know everyone here are all rich and famous, but I'm really not…"
"Rich and famous?"
"You know, Alfred's father is in the government, Gilbert's father the military and even Arthur is connected to the Queen of England! Even you, you're some heir to a large company or something…"
Lukas was quiet for a moment and was in deep thought. He was frowning and Matthias actually hated seeing the small amount of pity in his eyes. He hated pity, he doesn't mind if people wanted to help him when he needed it – but he hardly wants anyone's charity. Lukas finally made up his mind about what he wanted to say. "I promise I'm prying for the last time, what is your scholarship for?" Matthias had enough, he didn't like feeling belittled. Quickly packing away his stuff he stood up and started to walk away when Lukas suddenly grabbed his wrist.
"Is it embarrassing?"
An internal war waged in the Dane's head, one part telling him it wasn't that big of a deal, another part saying that he doesn't even deserve to be here. "My school had a competition, the Academy gave a free scholarship for anyone who could write the best essay about why they should have it. I just managed to win because I complained about my life." He yanked his arm away. For the first time, Lukas was the one left behind.
… … …
Things were a bit awkward after that. Matthias still smiled around his friends and managed to catch up on all his work, only because Berwald was kind enough to actually help him. The days were counting down fast and the entire academy was buzzy with excitement. Students were asking each other out, girls skipped classes to get the best dresses in the city and the guys started to stock alcohol. As for the Dance Committee…
"Okay then~ We have three days until the dance, I'd say we did a really good job!" Tino clapped happily as everyone looked around at the now finished hall. The walls were lined with navy curtains, silver lace hanging over them with glittering snowflakes cascading to the floor. The tables were draped in baby blue material, the table settings themed with gemstones and other glittery accessories. Hanging from the roof above each table were crystal lights, crystal shaped chandeliers, which reflected the main lights strapped to the roof. The large canvas now held the scenery of a winter desert, a crystal castle in the background – the Art Club managed to attach flickering lights to the castle's windows.
Matthias couldn't believe they managed all of this in three weeks. "It looks amazing…" he gasped, excited to see his friend's reaction to the hall. "Yes, I'd be shame if you didn't attend the dance…" Tino gave Lukas a meaningful look, who in turn glared and sneaked a quick glance towards Matthias' back. "Yes well, we do need people to work in the background. I was thinking of joining the waitresses-" "-Nonsense! That are the Freshman's jobs~ Besides, you did that last year, why not enjoy this year?" Lukas refused to answer.
"Do we have to bring a date?" Matthias asked, because the chances of Lukas ever agreeing to go with him now was zero. "No." Berward grunted. "B't y'u need a suit." Oh. Matthias didn't own one of those, they usually just rented one for a special occasion but he was sure that even renting a suit in the town outside of the Academy would still be too much for him to afford. Giving a nervous laugh, he waved his hand dismissively at him. "Really? That's kinda uptight, I think I will pass." Everyone gave him a strange look but he ignored him.
"So… we're done now right?"
Tino nodded, somewhat confused with his behaviour. "Yes, we just need to make sure everything runs smoothly on the actual day." "Great! Well then, it's been really fun guys! I haven't had a project this big in a long time, I'll see you guys on Saturday night~" With that the Dane left the hall to go and search for his friends, who had plans to go into the city to shop for suits. Even if he couldn't buy anything, he still wanted to at least see the place.
True to their word, Alfred and Gilbert were already waiting outside the hall dressed in casual clothing. "Ready to go?" Gilbert gave one look at Matthias' uniform but said nothing. "Yeah, Arthur's bruder is taking us – zhe English teacher. He needs to go into zhe city as vell." With that the trio happily made their way to the entrance where a luxury car was already waiting for them. Matthias tried to not look shocked at the sheer sight of it, but he was happy to find his friends were also amazed.
"Dad never lets me ride in the nice cars…" Alfred whined as the chauffer opened the door for them. Getting in, they greeted their English teacher who was seated in front. "…Wait, who are you going with Gilbert?" The Prussian blushed and did a terrible job at trying to cover it up. "Vell you shee… Ivan vas complaining zhat it's his lasht year und he never had a date to the dance… sho…" Alfred only rolled his eyes at his friend who was obviously in denial. "That's kinda nice of you Gil." The Prussian's blush only got darker.
… … …
"I shwear to Gott Alfred, it is a terrible colour!" The American was currently pouting over a suit covered in red and white stripes, something about it representing freedom. "It's not that bad." "No Al, it's really bad." "You too?" They were in their third store already, the city having a surprising number of them. Gilbert already managed to get his suit: a white three-piece suit, the waistcoat black with customized golden embroidery in it, his tie also black. Alfred on the other hand… "Why don't you just get a normal black suit?" Alfred looked honestly shocked for a second, but Gilbert backed Matthias up. "I'm not washting away my day here you American. Hurry up!" They did manage to finally find a suit for him: a black two piece suit with an American flag tie. They couldn't separate him from the thing.
The teens left the store satisfied. "Man, I'm starving – let's go eat!" Before Matthias could protest, not bringing his money with, they already dragged him to a small fast-food joint. "Hey Matthias, where do you want to get your suit from?" The American asked, already deciding which burger he wants. "I'm not getting one, I don't have a date anyways." They two were kind enough to not comment and ordered their food. Matthias already went to get a seat for them and was surprised when Gilbert gave him a burger and milkshake. "Here, you can pay me back later." Not wanting to sound ungrateful, he said thank you and took the burger, feeling something which was not food also pressed in his hand. Giving Gilbert a confused look, the Prussian only winked. "Like I shaid, pay me back later."
… … …
They returned back safely and went their separate ways as Alfred and Gilbert went to pester their dates. Matthias returned to his dorm (The penis sign taken down ages ago) and found it empty. Not really thinking too much about he, he flopped on his bed and sighed as his tired body finally got to rest. The city was big, but not something he's never seen before – although he still wants to see the amusement park. Closing his eyes, he was about to fall sleep when the door opened.
"Y'u b'ck." Matthias only hummed as Berwald shuffled around the room. "L'kas was look'ng f'r y'u." "Good for him, tell him he's in my thoughts." The Swede was quiet. "D'd s'mth'ng happ'n?" The Dane groaned, he just wanted to rest for a bit. "We had a fight, I realised he doesn't want to be around me anymore so there. The end." "Th'ught y'u l'ked h'm." Yeah well he doesn't like me… Not bothering to answer, Matthias quickly fell asleep.
… … …
"Emil stop kissing your boyfriend and get back to work! Feliciano! You can go see Ludwig later, for now get the pasta ready! Hey Kiku, get dressed already! It's about to begin!" Tino Väinämöinen was a sweet and sensitive soul, unless he's suddenly placed in charge of a dance. Matthias was sure he will never be able to look at the small man the same every again, and somehow his previous question of how he's able to have sex with Berwald got answered.
He is one feisty Fin.
All the Freshman were running around making last minuet preparations, Matthias himself volunteered to be the greeter at the door, which Berwald confirmed he can wear his uniform for. Five minutes to go and everyone was already lined up. Making his way to the doors, Matthias could spot his friends: Alfred looking like a lovesick puppy next to a really handsome Arthur, and Gilbert who tried to look indifferent as the Russian appeared to be praising him. Everyone looked really good in their dresses and suits, but Matthias didn't feel sad about not joining them, at least he can watch them having fun.
The doors finally opened and everyone bustled inside. The music started to immediately play, Roderich able to get the entire Music Club to practise modern songs and his girlfriend was the vocals. It was amazing really. At the door Matthias spotted a lot of familiar faces, even some teachers – but he hasn't seen Lukas yet. Which was fine, because he has no reason to miss him. Not really. He was fine.
"He is by th' founta'n. Go." Berwald suddenly pushed Matthias away from the doors and closed them, locking the Dane outside. Somewhat confused, he replayed the Swede's words and made his way to the fountain, a rather small structure just around the corner of the hall – in a courtyard filled with roses. On the fountains edge sat Lukas, dressed in his school uniform. He was frowned and angrily plucking a rose's petals.
"Hey, even flowers have feelings you know…" Lukas looked up and seemed surprised to see him. "It's just a flower." The atmosphere somewhat sombre, Matthias sat down next to him, picking up a stray petal. "You didn't go to the dance?" "Told you I never go…" "Personal reasons, right?" Lukas was silent. It was already late at night, the moon hidden by heavy clouds. It might rain later.
"I never meant to make you sad you know, I'm not very good at… talking." Matthias considered the Norwegian's words. "Tino said my Danish seduction worked better than my Norwegian attempt. Yet you still refused my offer." Lukas was confused before a very dark blush covered his face. "I don't have sex with strangers."
"Am I still a stranger?"
"I-Idiot!"
"Can I be your idiot?"
Lukas went deathly quiet, his face twisted in a pained expression which Matthias found very endearing. "You know, I wasn't really angry or sad about what happened… I just didn't want you to see me like I was some poor puppy. I'm not ashamed of being poor, but I hate it when people think it's their duty to take care of me you know?" Lukas' expression softened a bit. "I understand. I never did think of you differently… The first time I met you, I thought you were really pathetic… and then you wouldn't leave me alone and suddenly you wanted to show me your stamp collection? All I could think was 'how did this idiot even make it in here?'… but then I realised Gilbert is also a student so it seemed possible."
"W-WhAT!?" Matthias almost toppled into the water and it caused a snort of laughter to escape Lukas. Laughter. Real human sounds. Matthias Køhler was in love all over again. "Hey Lukas?" "What you idiot?" The Dane rummaged in his pocket, pulling out a small thin box. He silently thanked Gilbert for just existing. "I know this might be kinda weird, and you might be kinda mad, but…" He held the box in view, watching as Lukas' expression went from confused to shocked. "I heard it's tradition to give a girl a corsage on like prom night – this is prom right? – and well, I know you're not a girl… so…" Lukas gently took the box and opened it. "Matthias-!"
"Can I put it on?" Speechless and maybe a little bit teary, Lukas nodded and handed the box back to Matthias, who carefully took out the golden jewellery piece. "I saw it and all I could think of was how much I really like you, how much I want to spoil you…" He ran his fingers through Lukas' hair, relishing in the soft feel of it. Leaning closer, he slid the hairclip right into place, the embedded diamonds dull in the hidden moonlight. "At least I can spoil you for now."
Matthias was suddenly drenched in cold wetness, a heavy weight settled on top of him and soft lips against his own. The shock went as soon as it came, the only thought that Lukas was finally his. Eagerly returning the kiss, the two got lost in their own little world drenched in the fountain – but got interrupted when something ran down the open corridor screaming. "FUCKING PHSYCO'S! I DIDN'T ASK TO BE THE QUEEN!" Gilbert's blazer was gone, a glittering tiara on his head and running faster than he did on the rugby field as girls and a few boys (including Tino) chased after him.
"Heh, I bet we could've won the crowns." Lukas only huffed. "Like they would vote for an idiot like you."
"Hey…"