"Al, you're never going to believe it!"
Alfred tore his attention away from his video game and turned to stare at his brother in confusion.
"What?" he asked. He glanced back at his game. "And hurry up, I'm kind of in the middle of something."
"Natalya proposed to me!"
The controller fell out of Alfred's hands.
"WHAT?!" he spluttered, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Repeat those words please?!"
"Natalya proposed to me" Matthew was grinning so widely, Alfred was sure his face would crack. "God, I was so shocked when she asked -"
"What do you mean the psycho proposed to you?!" Alfred demanded. "I thought you two broke up!"
"That's what I thought" ignoring the jab at his girlfriend (now fiancee) Matthew continued to smile. "I mean, she wouldn't answer my phone calls and didn't talk to me for three months. And her creepy brother, Ivan, wouldn't let go of that pipe of his when I went to her house to speak to her...didn't matter though, she wasn't there anyway -"
"Okay" Alfred cut him off. "So, from what I can tell, the two of your were broken up. Why isn't it staying that way?!"
Natalya was a psychotic bitch; Alfred didn't want her in the family. With her around, he'd never make it to the most sacred of all ages (twenty one).
"But we weren't broken up!" Matthew let out an excited laugh. "I turns out she'd gone back to Russia to hunt down her grandfather and get his wedding ring - apparently it was really hard because the guy was a convict on the run or something...but she managed in the end! And she proposed and -"
"Wait, wait, wait" Alfred cut him off. "Did you just say her grandfather is a convict on the run?!"
"Yup" Matthew waved a hand dismissively. "It's fine, he's innocent...Nat told me. And she wouldn't lie" he smiled dreamily. "Not that it matters of course. True love conquers all."
"You're insane!" Alfred spluttered. "You can't get married to Psycho! Mum and Dad would go ballistic - you're only nineteen, for christ's sake!"
'Why am I the one talking sense for once?' Alfred thought.'It just isn't normal...'
"What?" Matthew blinked, and then shook his head. "Nah, Mum and Dad were thrilled. They think Nat's a wonderful girl - it's great that someoneappreciates our love."
He shot Alfred a brief glare.
"Anyway" a moment later the glare was gone, and the dreamy look was back. "Nat and I have already decided where we're going to get married. And when - on the day we met. It was Nat's idea. How romantic is that?"
"Sounds like Psycho is the balls in this relationship" Alfred muttered.
"Say what you want" Matthew leapt to his feet. "Natalya and I are going to get married! Oh, this is going to be so brilliant..."
...
"And now it won't be" Alfred moaned. "Because I went and screwed the whole thing up."
Feliciano was balling his eyes out, his arms wrapped tightly around his boyfriend, Ludwig's chest. Ludwig patted the young Italian's back, looking slightly uncomfortable.
"That's like, so tragic" Feliks gushed, as he patted Alfred comfortingly on the back.
"...Was it really necessary to tell us all of that?" Ludwig muttered.
Feliciano pulled away from Ludwig and gazed at Alfred with wide, teary eyes.
"D-d-did the grandfather at least prove his i-i-innocence?" he spluttered, through sobbing breaths.
"No" Alfred replied, frowning slightly. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"I don't think the man was innocent" Ludwig pointed out.
"Like, yeah" Feliks agreed. "The whole family is, like, crazy. Have you like, seen Natalya's older brother? Ivan like, made me pee my pants this one time. So not cool."
"Guys" Alfred moaned. "This really isn't helping. I told you guys what happened so you could tell me what to do about it - not argue about whether or not Natalya's grandfather killed someone."
"He killed someone?" Feliciano's eyes widened.
"I don't know" Alfred sighed. "Probably - the guy is a Braginski, after all."
"This is like, so creepy" Feliks muttered. "I feel like I'm in one of those scary movies..."
"Guys!" Alfred exclaimed. "Seriously, not helping!"
Ludwig sighed and leaned forward. "Why don't you just tell Matthew what happened? I'm sure he won't be too mad - he is your brother after all."
"Are you kidding me?!" Alfred asked, hysterically. "Mattie would murder me - and, even if he decided to take pity on me and let me live, the Psycho Bitch would kill me!"
"She like, totally would" Feliks said.
"No" Feliciano burst into tears again. "I don't want Alfred to die! Alfred is my best friend! Ludwig, hug me!"
Feliciano buried himself into Ludwig; the German went red and looked like he wanted to be anywhere else.
"Oh my god, you guys are useless" Alfred muttered, leaning back. "Why did I ask you guys for advice again?"
"Because we're, like, you're best friends" Feliks replied, smiling at him cheerily. "And you like, have no one else."
"...Oh my god, I'm pathetic" Alfred moaned.
"You better like, fix things though" Feliks added. "Matthew was like, nice enough to invite me to his wedding. I like, bought a new outfit and everything. And guess whose going to be there?"
"I don't know" Alfred smiled slightly; oh, he definitely knew who is friend was talking about. "Who?"
"Liet!"
...Okay, he didn't know who he was talking about.
"Who?" he asked, turning the name over in his mind. Nope...it didn't strike a bell.
"Toris!" Feliks replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Which it would be, since that had been Alfred's original assumption. Except, when the hell had Feliks started calling the guy 'Liet'?
Ludwig voiced his thoughts aloud.
"Well, I haven't like, started yet" Feliks replied, waving one hand dismissively. "I have to wait until we're like, actually dating. Don't worry though - it'll be like, really soon."
"Another nickname?" Ludwig sighed. "Make up your mind already."
"I thought you were going to use 'Sexy Lithuanian'" Feliciano pouted. "I liked that one!"
"I like, did too" Feliks agreed. "But Liet is just so much cuter!"
All this speak about Toris was making Alfred anxious again. After all, Toris was Matthew's best friend. Toris would definitely be at the wedding - the wedding that, at the moment, wouldn't be happening...
...Oh god, he was going to die.
"I'm going to cry" Feliciano whimpered. "Alfred looks so sad! It's making me sad!"
"Yeah!" Feliks nodded his head. "Like, stop dampening the mood, Alfred."
Alfred glared at him. "I've completely destroyed my brother's wedding" he snapped. "I think I have a right to be a little depressed."
"...Oh yeah" Feliks shook his head and laughed. "I like, totally forgot. Sorry - talk about Liet does that."
Alfred slumped back and glared ahead of him.
"Maybe" Ludwig suggested, after a moment. "You could go and speak to the people at the chapel, personally. Maybe they'll be able to do something."
"They said there was no way" Alfred mumbled, miserably. "They said the spot had been taken."
"Well" Feliciano wiped away the final tears from his cheek, and smiled supportively at his friend. "It can't hurt to ask, right?"
"Like, yeah!" Feliks grinned. "And we can like, come along! It'd be like that post-graduation road trip that we planned but never had."
Alfred thought about this for a moment; well, it couldn't hurt. Plus, maybe if he spoke to the people face-to-face, they might be a bit more sympathetic...
"I don't have a car" he told his friends. "Do any of you?"
"Why would I have a car?" Feliciano's eyes widened. "Driving is scary!"
Feliks simply burst into laughter at the question.
"Ludwig" Alfred turned to the German. "You have a car, right?"
"I had a car" Ludwig replied. "My brother crashed it last month. Don't worry though, he promised to replace it - that is, if you can wait another ten years."
Alfred forced himself not to burst into tears. "It's alright" 'Stay optimistic, stay optimistic...' "I'll just ask...my brother, Arthur. He might let me borrow his car. Maybe. I mean, if I explain the situation to him, he can't say no, right?"
"Arthur?" Feliciano frowned. "Is he the mean one that said my hair was unnatural?"
"He like, said I was unnatural" Feliks muttered.
"He thinks everything's unnatural" Alfred told his friends. "Don't worry about it. If it makes you feel better, he used to think his penis was unnatural."
Ludwig looked disturbed; Feliciano looked confused; Feliks looked intrigued.
"You know what?" Alfred stood up. "I'm going to go and ask him, okay? How about we all meet up at...uh..." he thought for a moment. "Ludwig's house at six o'clock?"
"That's like, fine by me" Feliks stood up and dusted off his clothes. "I like, need to speak to Liet anyway. I'm going to like, ask him to be my date at the wedding!"
"If there is a wedding" Alfred muttered.
Feliks frowned. "...Do you like, want me to tell him that?"
"No!" Alfred's eyes widened in alarm. "Do not do that!"
"Okay, fine" Feliks rolled his eyes and laughed. "You should have just said that."
"Would you like to come over?" Ludwig gave Feliciano a slightly awkward glance, seeming unsure. The two had only recently gotten together, despite being friend's for years. Ludwig, who was hardly a romanic, was still getting trying to get used to being in a relationship.
"I need to go home" Feliciano told him, sounding apologetic. "My fratello is staying with me and Grandpa for the week. I need to spend as much time with him as possible while I still can!"
"Okay" Alfred said. "Six o'clock. Remember that."
He headed off, still feeling apprehensive, despite the fact that he now had an actual plan.
...
AN:
Okay guys - thanks for all the reviews :D I'm glad I have some people interested in reading this fic :D
Hopefully this chapter was good. More characters will be introduced in the next chapter - if its a bit slow starting up, don't worry, it'll be getting to the main storyline really soon.
Review please! :D
