Author Notes: Okay I don't think I should promise things I don't intend to keep… I'm sorry my dear readers. :c

ATTENTION: I have rewritten some parts of the last few chapters and added some more content to make it more developed? If you don't read them it's okay, but you know, if you want to refresh your memories after such a long update, it might be nice. Anyway, think of this as a late Christmas gift?

Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia or My Life With You, both mangas belong to their respective owners

Chapter 4

I didn't know what to do at that time. Maybe if I said something then, I would not have any regrets.

Matthew collapsed on the couch, exhausted and hungry. He had spent the entire week helping Alfred move in and frankly, it was a lot worse than the time he had moved into his college dorm. At first he had insisted on moving in with Matthew but Matt had vehemently refused saying there was no room and he could not possibly concentrate on his work if Alfred was around. Matt could never quite resist Alfred's whines and puppy-dog pout, but this time he was adamant about the fact that his room could not accommodate two grown men comfortably. So, Alfred went ahead and requested to have the room right next to his.

Then Matthew had to talk to Major Beildshmidt to discuss not only the base's security system and the weapon he was developing, which took hours by itself, but also to explain his brother's whimsical decision to transfer to this base and then make all the necessary arrangements. He had not been in his lab all week and had yet to finish his work, meaning he would have to stay up late tonight to at least get through some of it. Matthew was very tired.

In his apartment, Kumajiro padded over to the kitchen where Matthew was and looked up at him. "Hungry," his expression read.

Matthew smiled softly and picked the bear up into his arms. "Sorry, I haven't given you much attention this week have I?" He got up, prepared some fish, and placed the dish on the floor next to Kumajirou. The bear gave a quizzical look, "who…?" it seemed to say. Matthew sighed, wondering if he should respond to the look with their old joke. "It's Canada," he whispered faintly.

Sitting down to eat some of his own dinner, Matthew thought of how much work he had to do. He thought of the preparations he still had to take care of for Alfred. And then he thought of one soldier with silver hair who had been so kind to him.

Gilbert… Matthew's cheeks flushed slightly as he thought of him. He knew he liked him, and he knew he had not really given him a proper confession. Not that he was planning to of course, although he probably knew. Really he didn't want anything to change between them and was okay with the two of them just being friends. It was difficult sometimes though. At times the guys would come back from training, shirtless and glistening with sweat after a hard work out. Matthew could see them from his lab and more than once had he stared at the rippling muscles and broad back of one silver haired soldier. Heat rushed to Matthew's cheeks as he recalled such times.

Calming down, Matthew let out a long sigh. He left his apartment and headed to the lab in the base. He was going to have a long night.

Alfred heard the door of the other apartment close shut. He heard the keys as the door locked and the footsteps slowly faded away. Mattie is going to work, he thought.

He knew he had caused his little brother a lot of trouble this week. Try as he might to make it better, he only made it worse. Attempting to make dinner one night, Alfred had burned the food, leaving the two of them to get take out instead. Not to mention he had almost burned down the kitchen after which Matthew forbade Alfred from ever touching the stove again. While cleaning he had muttered to himself how he only knew how to make hamburgers and probably got his cooking skills from their summers in England.

Alfred lay in bed that night thinking of the past three years. When he found out of his brother's disappearance he had promptly requested to go on a search and rescue mission. It should not have been difficult. Being a ranked pilot in the airforce he should have received clearance for the mission. His superiors however, had denied him saying other divisions will take the mission and that they needed him somewhere else.

He closed his eyes, remembering the anger and bitterness, but most of all the worry. That ugly feeling tugging at him for the past few years had been the worst. He would lay awake all night thinking of his little brother and what might have happened to him. Come on, Alfred F. Jones, the hero who saves people from their unfortunate plights could not save his little brother because he was unaware of the other's location and not even allowed to look! It was a ridiculous notion, following rules and letting others tell him what to do. But seeing as he had no idea what had happened, there was little to be done.

Then came the joy, the happiness, and relief after being told Matthew was alive. After he received the notice, little time was taken to pack up and head out to see his brother. He had already left the base before his commander had granted him a leave.

I am a hero, Alfred repeated to himself. From now on he would definitely protect his brother from whatever.

"Mattie," a silver haired man sing-songed the name, "what are you doing on base so late?" It was past midnight, and Gilbert had just come back from night training. He searched the lab for one blonde scientist and found him in front of his computer.

Upon closer inspection, Gilbert realized the other was sleeping on his work. Papers were splayed out under the scientist's arms and the monitor blinked with some open files. Not wanting to wake him, Gilbert quietly searched the lab for a blanket. Finding one in the cupboard under the shelf of reference books, Gilbert carefully covered Matthew with it.

Still unwilling to leave, Gilbert pulled up a chair and sat on it so that he could rest his arms and head on the back of the chair.

He sat there for a long while, simply staring at Matthew. Gilbert heard the faint inhaling and exhaling, Matthew didn't snore. He noted the soft waves falling on the sides of a smooth face, that one curl permanently fixed before his eyes. Gilbert reached out and gently removed the scientist's glasses, placing them on the table. He wished he could see Matthew's eyes at that moment. At times they looked blue but he knew they were a most amazing shade of violet. This moment, Gilbert stared at the lidded eyes and the long eyelashes bordering them.

Gilbert's gaze trailed down to Matthew's lips. That mouth had scolded him countless times whenever they had not followed orders or were slacking off instead of training. It had also said words of encouragement and praise. Gilbert wondered for a moment what they would taste like and had a fleeting notion of finding out.

He leaned in closer and brushed back Matthew's hair. Crimson eyes were fixed intently on the sleeping face. He made a motion as if to kiss the boy but stopped.

Gilbert shook his head as if to snap himself out of a trance and stared at Matthew again. "This is so unawesome of me," Gilbert said to the unaware.

He brought himself back away from Matthew ran his fingers through his hair. Gilbert was about to leave when a name on one of Matthew's files caught his eye. Quickly scanning the rest of the papers on the desk and some files on the screen, Gilbert's eyes slowly widened. "Shit," he said under his breath.

As quietly as he could, Gilbert got up and left the lab and scientist.

Matthew woke up to the bright sunlight coming in through the window. Squinting his eyes against the light, he realized his vision to be blurry. Reaching out for his glasses, he found them folded and placed on his desk next to his arm. I don't remember taking off my glasses…

Getting up, he was surprised to see a blanket fall from his shoulders. "Who…?" Matthew asked out loud. He snapped out of his reverie when he saw the screen of his phone light up under a loose paper. Matthew usually kept his phone silent when he was working.

The screen displayed over 50 missed calls, all from Alfred. And he was calling yet again. Matthew groaned and answered the phone, "Hello?"

"OHMYGOD MATTIE WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL NIGHT I HAVE BEEN SO WORRIED SINCE I NEVER HEARD YOU COME BACK ARE YOU OKAY ARE YOU HURT I HOPE YOU'RE NOT AT SOME SUSPICIOUS BASTARD'S PLACE– " Matthew held the phone away from his ear so that his hearing would not be impaired by his brother's loud yelling.

"Al… Al… Alfred I'm all right!" He tried speaking over his brother's voice, no easy feat. "I'm sorry, I fell asleep while working. I still have work to do so I'm going to stay in the lab okay?"

There was more dialogue coming from the other line, something about Alfred needing lots of his brother's homemade pancakes in the morning, and that they should eat breakfast together, and more complaints. Really, trying to argue with his brother was like trying to make Kumajiro remember his master's name.

Alfred finally ended his long rant by saying he was coming to the base now. "Okay, I'll see you later," Matthew ended the phone call. Organizing the papers on his desk he once again wondered who removed his glasses and gave him a blanket last night. It was very sweet of them…

Checking the computer, he skimmed through the documents and remembered he had to visit Ludwig again.

Matthew went to the bathroom to clean up before heading to General Beildschmidt's office. His stomach rumbled in hunger but Matthew chose to ignore it. After all, he had gone a lot longer without food before.

Matthew knocked on the door before he heard the General say, "Come in."

Ludwig did not look up from his work as Matthew walked into the office and sat down in one of the chairs. "You wanted to see me General Beildshmidt?"

"Yes, Dr. Williams," he pinched the bridge of his nose before looking up at the scientist. His steely blue eyes, usually determined, were clouded with worry at the moment.

He proceeded, "we have received intelligence from our Japanese allies that anti-government forces have overtaken a military research facility. This facility has important and extremely dangerous, possibly nuclear, weapons. It also contains highly classified information that cannot fall into the wrong hands."

As Matthew listened, he became confused. "Excuse me sir, with all do respect, what does this have to do with me? I usually receive mission information from a briefing with all the other scientists and researchers." The only times he needed to visit Ludwig's office alone was to discuss technology-based topics, not actual missions.

"I was not finished, the anti-government force we believe to have taken the facility are believed to be from the same organization that kidnapped you."

"Oh…" Matthew realized now the reason for this meeting, "You want me to give you information about that organization?"

"Correct, you have already shared your experiences in Siberia but now we would like you to gather more data. Organize a research team if you must. We will be dispatching a force to take the base so we will need as much information as possible."

Matthew felt his heart drop, "You will be sending the men to the battlefield?"

"Hopefully it won't be. You are dismissed Dr. Williams."

Leaving the office, Matthew felt sick. He had a feeling this mission would not end well. Sure the men had gone on other missions before, but this one just felt different. Perhaps he was biased because this organization had kidnapped and held him captive for almost three years, but he still did not like it.

As he walked back to the lab, Matthew remembered his brother would have to go too. He had no doubt Alfred would be excited to go on a mission and play hero.

Making a detour Matthew decided to delay his return to the lab to find Gilbert.

It's so weird! Are all of them out of character do you guys think? In my head it all works out but to my readers I have no idea…

This chapter is really very fluffy, not much happened but there's lots of cotton candy ahaa.

Don't forget to review and give feedback! They make me happy and give me encouragement to write more!