A/N: and now the third chapter of How Did We Get Here! Now you get to learn more about Lovino and Matthew, and a little about Gilbert too. I hope you enjoy~.
Remember that I do not own the characters, they belong to Himaruya.
Lovino jumped in surprise when he saw Gilbert's red eyes, as hard and bright as rubies. They were terrifying. He had heard about albinos, he read about it in a book on genetics, but seeing one in real life was shocking.
"Kesesesese~," Gilbert started laughing at the surprised expressions and sat down, still laughing, as Antonio stood up, smiling brightly, and making Lovino have a strange fluttering feeling in his stomach when Antonio glanced at him for a moment, then smiled even wider at all the rest of the people at this table. How was there so many? I mean, this wasn't even the first day of school. That was the day after tomorrow, today had been moving day, and tomorrow was basically find-your-classes-and-screw-around day, and THEN, after two days at the damn place, they would finally start real school. And yet, there Lovino was, who enjoyed pissing off and avoiding people, sitting at a table with nine other guys.
While Lovino wondered about this, Antonio had started talking, his Spanish accent making Lovino listen, even if the bastard had already given him his whole autobiography, including his life in Spain and how he had gotten into world academy three years ago, when the school had been having it's year in Greece (the location changed every year, like how this year it so happened to be in England), how his family was in Spain, and about his strange obsession with tomatoes, for God's sake, the bastard loved them more than Lovino did (which was quite a lot). This was about what Antonio told the group at the table, but Lovino still listened to how his voice flowed, enjoying his slight Spanish lisp, until he mentally slapped himself. What was he thinking? He was a thirteen year old BOY. And yet he was watching this guy he had JUST FUCKING MET and was staring at him like some idiot lovesick girl.
Anyways, after Antonio finished talking, he sat back down and said to Lovino, "Lovi, it's your turn, go on, you can do it." How had he gotten that nickname anyways? Whatever. And so Lovino stood up, muttering cuss words at Antonio for making him do this.
"I'm Lovino Vargas, and that dumbass over there is my brother (gesture to Feliciano), who I am a year older than, so that puts me at eighth grade. The tomato bastard (this seemed like a good description for Antonio instead of something like "this sexy hot guy I fell in love with at first sight", and might lead to the wrong idea, because it was DEFINITLY not exactly true, damn it) is my roommate, and I've never been to a real school before, as I was homeschooled." Lovino glanced around once he finished, and saw that Antonio- ahem, the tomato bastard, was smiling so widely at Lovino and laughing gently at him. Damn, his eyes were beautiful and sparkling- nope, Lovino told himself. It's just crazy hormones. That's all. Nothing more.
He hurriedly sat down, blushing furiously, while Feli stood up and beamed sat the group, drawing smiles from all of them like the perfect angel that everyone knew he was. "Ve~ I am Feliciano Vargas, and as you know, Lovino is my big brother. We are both Italian, and I love pasta and drawing and cute things~."
Then the terrifying German next to Feli stood up and said, surprisingly quiet, "I am Ludwig Beilschmidt, Gilbert's two years younger brother, and Feliciano's roommate." And then sat down, while the quiet Japanese boy stood up and introduced himself.
"I am Kiku Honda. I enjoy anime and fanfiction and yaoi (Romano wondered what exactly THAT was, but didn't want to ask) and reading the mood of an environment and acting accordingry (his accent made most of his Ls sound like Rs). That is arr." Romano sighed. At least the last few were short.
Then they finally got to eating, and, surprisingly, the food didn't actually suck to badly for English food. Antonio- no tomato bastard, kept talking to him, and he just sort of sat there and listened, not used to being given any attention. That was Feli's job. Everyone loved him, his cute voice, his smile, everything about him, and even Lovino couldn't ever blame him for being excluded; it was other people's fault. Lovino never smiled for anyone, and the truly depressing thing was that Lovino sometimes had to try smiling in front of the mirror to make sure he still knew how. He only ever actually smiled on very rare occasions, maybe once or twice a week, which didn't sound like it was too infrequent, but how often do most people smile? At least once a day, probably once an hour, but Lovino only did it when he was totally off guard, normally with Feli (and no, smiling for pretty girls did not count, because that wasn't a natural smile). Nobody ever liked a grumpy teenager.
But still the tomato bastard talked to him. What was the guys deal? So, Lovino just had to sit and watch the bright green eyes and smiling tan face and curly brown hair sway as Antonio talked excitedly about everything. Finally, Antonio exhausted his supply of stories, and asked Lovino to describe HIS life. This didn't happen very often, so Lovino decided to relax, just a little, but still, and try his best to explain everything.
Lovino had been born and raised in Italy his whole life, though he had also been taught English at almost the same rate as Italian, which was the cause for him being able to speak it perfectly. He lived with his grandfather, who also taught them everything, except for when he had been forced into choosing a third language, for which Lovino decided to use just a computer program to learn Spanish, his chosen third language. So, technically he was multilingual, and could speak all three of the languages fluently.
He was raised by his grandfather because both his parents had disappeared shortly after Feliciano was born. He left out any details, he was uncomfortable opening up THAT much. Especially to Antonio. So, he skimmed over most details, and just said the basics on what his life was like, leaving out how bitter he was over how much everyone loved Feli.
After most students in the cafeteria had finished eating, a bell rang, telling the everyone to go back to their rooms. Lovino got up, without looking at Antonio, and walked away, weaving between students, most of whom towered over his head, and tried to find his way back to his room.
After everyone had finished with the evening's activities, Matthew was happy to slip into his oversized hockey shirt and pajama pants and just wanted to go to bed. However, Gilbert had other ideas.
"You really were serious when you said we would do girly sleepover things, eh?" said Matthew when Gilbert put Mean Girls into the flat screen and pulled chocolate and gummy candy out of his backpack.
Gilbert nodded, grinning. "Course. I've always said that this is zhe best way to get to know someone. After we vatch zhe movie, we will play truth or dare or something stupid like that. Sound good? Now shut up, I love zhis movie."
By the end, Matthew was practically asleep. So, Gilbert jumped on him, attacking him with his pillow. "Don't you dare fall asleep on me, Teddy Bear! We aren't done with zhe girly shit. So, get up, and zhen we can get to the learning about each other."
"Ugh," was all Matthew was able to say, mostly because he was being hit repeatedly with a pillow. He finally surrendered, getting up, and fixing the glasses balanced on his nose. "Fine, fine, just give me a moment."
After they had both gotten into more comfortable positions, Gilbert started talking, "So, I've thought about it, and I really don't think we should play truth or dare. We should just play truth or truth, so we can get to know each other better. So, truth or truth?"
Was he serious? Matthew clutched Kumajiro closer to his chest. "Um, truth?"
"Vell then, tell me vhy you have zhe polar bear? Be honest."
Okay. Tell the truth. "It reminds me of my parents," he admitted. "A bit before they died, we went on a trip around Canada, the place I lived before I moved in with my cousin, Alfred's family. I got some souvenirs, and some other stuff, but then, on my birthday, which happened to be about a couple days before we went home, they gave me Kuma. That was the last present I got from them before... Well, you know... And, after they... I just didn't want to ever stop having Kumajiro near me, in case he disappeared too. He is sort of my pet. And my best friend. Well, only friend, besides Alfred, which doesn't really count, he is my family. See, because of carrying Kumajiro, I didn't get many friends after third grade. Once I turned ten, no one thinks it's okay for me to have a stuffed animal. Along with me looking and acting sort of girly, kids bully me and call me a girl and stuff. That's pretty much it."
Gilbert looked shocked, and just sort of stared for a moment, before saying, "now it's your turn to ask me."
"Ah, okay, truth or truth?" Matthew asked, trying to push away the depressed feeling that always welled up in him when he thought about his parents. After all, he had let them in before, and that hadn't turned out well.
Gilbert seemed to recover himself, his scarlet eyes sparkling again, "Truth."
Matthew tried to think of a good question. "Do you like anybody?" What? Gilbert HAD said to be girly.
"Yeah. Zhere is zhis girl I have been friends with forever, even though for the majority of my childhood we both thought she vas a dude, but now she is actually acting like a girl and has a boyfriend, but I'm gonna get her someday. And, yeah, I love her. We are still best friends, but, Eliza won't ever really notice I like her until I actually go up and scream it in her face."
"Um, okay, that's cool. Now, you ask me a question."
They went back and forth, asking and answering questions until it was one in the morning and they decided to go to sleep. Matthew crawled into bed, exhausted. He cuddled Kumajiro closer to his chest, and then fell right asleep.
Canada walked out of the door to his apartment, and found a sea of tulips in front of him, all beautiful, and all filled with warmth, covering everything. "What is this?" Canada whispered, wondering if maybe it was just a dream.
Then he saw the Netherlands walking up, carrying a bouquet of orange tulips, then him holding them out.
He smiled at the taller country, feeling deeply confused. Then Netherlands held out his bouquet and said, "thank you, for everything you have done for me and my people. I hope you enjoy all the flowers."
And then Netherlands turned around, after Canada had taken hold of the flowers, and walked slowly away, while Canada smelled the flowers and watching his people rejoice over how beautiful they were.
He was younger now, much younger, and little Canada followed after big brother England, nervous and excited to meet his twin, America. What would he think of him? England smiled down at him, and held out his hand, offering it to Canada, who tentatively reached out and grasped his hand, trotting along him, his white dress like thing rustling as he walked. Finally, they reached a large beautiful house, and a little boy, who looked a lot like Canada, answered.
"England!" He shouted, and ran up to the older country, while england smiled and lifted him up, hugging him before setting him down, and gesturing to Canada.
"America, this is your twin brother."
And Canada opened his mouth to introduce himself, in the way he had spent hours practicing.
Canada was watching as many of his soldiers ran down the battlefield, guns shooting desperately at the opposing army shot back, plowing steadily through his troops.
Each time one of his men fell, Canada felt a mild stab of pain in his gut. He was losing. "We need to back off!" He shouted at the more important people of his army shot from behind a blockade.
"No, we cannot, sir!" Returned a general. But he didn't understand, they were going to lose. Canada could feel it, the way he could feel Kunamiro against him- wait! Where was he?
"Kumajiro! Kumajiro! Where are you!" and Canada saw Kumajiro wandering across the war zone, miraculously not getting hit. "Kumajiro! Come back!"
Matthew jerked upright, his head aching and drenched in sweat. The dreams had began well enough but...
What had he been dreaming? They had felt so real, almost like memories. But some of those events, he realized had happened long ago, and they couldn't be him. And the whole time, he had been... Canada? What was this? He had had dreams like that before, but for some reason they were so much more vivid than what he was used to.
He sighed, laying back into his pillows. He could still feel the distinct ache of the death of those men, which he felt had somehow been his fault. He held Kuma closer to him, feeling the familiar soft fur. Even though he had had him for years, he was always super careful to keep Kumajiro as new and clean as the day he had got him. And the bear never seemed to get worn or old, or stained or anything. Matthew had stopped questioning it at this point. God knows he had other things to worry about.
He rolled onto his side and checked the clock. Five AM. He should probably try to get more sleep. So, he closed his eyes and drifted off into an uneasy sleep, his head buried into Kumajiro's back, and arms wrapped prospectively around it. He knew that the war zone was from many years ago, but he subconsciously wanted to protect Kumajiro from wandering back onto that battlefield, because it was unlikely he wouldn't be hit if they ever went back.
A/N: The tulip thing is talking about how after World War 2 the Netherlands gave Canada a 'thank you' gift for helping them out. Canada received tens of thousands of tulips, and since then still receive several thousand a year. I'm sorry about any historical inaccuracies, but I tried to show it correctly.
