Lovino couldn't remember the last time he attended school. He would do the same every morning, easily tricking his mother and brother into their routines. Then he would go about his day until he knew the school bus would return. He would wait, allow his brother to step off and begin he walk home and then Lovino would jump behind, following his normal three steps back. His mother would be waiting at the door for them, as she did every day. No one noticed for years. Until that day when he was fifteen. That day when he showed up.

XxX

When Matthew awoke, he didn't move. He kept his eyes closed, taking a long moment to calm himself. He would have a bright attitude this morning. It wouldn't be fair to the few people that would acknowledge him if he was in a foul mood. A foul mood caused by a damned device that sat right at his bedside and a brother that was in the long list of people who had a master degree in forgetting him. His alarm was prone to not going off. When this issue occurred, it was Alfred's job to wake him up. But here he was, undisturbed in bed and no doubt late for school. Again. One day he would break that clock. Maybe his brother too. He reached for his glasses, not finding them in the exact spot he always left them. Another thing to add on to his list of things that were going wrong this morning. He opened his eyes, glanced towards where it should have been sitting.

"Mornin' Birdie!" And it all came back to him. Matthew sat up, his emotions altering from annoyance to something he wasn't sure had a proper name. He was here in this greyscale world, with a crimson eyed man named Gilbert. He wasn't happy about this, but he couldn't say he was sad or angry either. He didn't miss his home, not after his immediate thoughts from awaking. His glasses sat on the table, out of arm's reach, for he had refused to leave them on the ground. He almost found the situation funny. Last night he had been so sure that he would find himself once again in his home. But this was real. He was sure of it now. The thought only added to his mixed emotions. He looked to his companion, who was standing in the doorway leading to the roof. He looked tired, but smiled nonetheless.

"Good morning." Matthew responded with a smile of his own, happy to find that Gilbert was at least somewhat of a morning person. Mornings were always dreadful in his house. He stood from his makeshift bed, surprised by the lack of stiffness in his muscles. His sleep hadn't been the most refreshing, but he had been through worse nights.

"Come get some fresh air." Gilbert stated, turning and walking out onto the roof. Matthew was eager to follow, having not seen the view yet. It was too dark to make out much when they had arrived the night before. The building was no skyscraper, but neither were the building surrounding them. He was sure the view would show a good amount of the town.

And it did. Brilliantly, he might add. He thought of the scene as an old photograph. His father, being an avid collector of anything aged, had a motto about them. 'Managing to capture beauty in the absence of color', he would say. Matthew walked to the edge, his mouth open in awe as he stared at the glistening ocean waves crashing against the shore to the way the morning light reflected off the surrounding buildings, even with no visible sun.

"This world is weird." Gilbert placed his hands in his pockets, a slim smile covering his face. "Makes you forget to look at how pretty it is too."

"Oui." Matthew nodded in agreement, looking back to his companion with a smile from ear to ear. Gilbert lightly laughed as he compared his expression to a young boy who had just leaned Christmas was coming early. "No wonder you chose this spot."

"You can continue to praise the awesome me!" Gilbert laughed loudly before turning and stepping into the doorway once more. "I'll go grab breakfast. Want to come with or are you still gawking?"

"No, I'll come." Matthew took a final glance, then followed him through the room. As they descended down the stair, he spoke again. "Where do you get breakfast from exactly?"

"The only sign of life I've ever seen in this office is their morning donuts." Gilbert responded, sounding as if he were stating research instead of answering Matthew's question. "They don't eat 'em, and I've never seen who brings them in, but they still sit there everyday, just waiting for someone to take them. So I do." As he said this, they arrived at the elevator, taking it with a thin framed man in a suit. He spared neither of them a glance, but seemed slightly on edge.

"You just have donuts everyday? No variety?"

"I don't eat them everyday, Birdie. Some days I just stare at the ocean and wonder what their feeding me in the hospital." Despite the strange saying, Gilbert kept up the joyful air around him. Matthew raised an eyebrow, not fully understanding what he had meant. Gilbert lightly sighed. "We don't have to eat, Biride. I don't know your story, but I can assume it's like mine. Since they're feeding what exists if you back in our world, then we don't have to eat here. I do because I want to. Reminds me of home. Get it?"

"Oh..." Matthew nodded, feeling quite stupid that he had to explain further. They arrived at the bottom floor, the thin man leaving first with the two friends behind. Gilbert lead Matthew to the front desk, straight to the box containing the sugary breakfast.

"Don't take the third from the left." He instructed, taking two and going towards the counter where the thin man spoke to the secretary. Matthew looked at the donuts, trying to judge the flavors based on hue and texture. He said not the third from the... right?

Gilbert stopped just in earshot of the quieted conversation between the two strangers. The secretary, an older woman who, in his opinion, had not just too many years, but too many donuts as well, shook her head violently. She was having none of what this thin man was saying.

"It is true." Normally he would have been intimidated by this woman, but the thin man whispered urgently. "The elevator took me to the top floor instead of straight to the bottom. This isn't the cycle." Gilbert felt his stomach drop. Normally he was in tune with the office. Never once had he thrown one off of their routine. This man...

"Gilbert!" Though he wished to hear the rest of the conversation, Gilbert turned back to his friend. Matthew quickly ran to his side, allowing him to see the beast he had dropped. The third donut from the left, once seemingly a chocolatey sugary treat, now watched them from unseen eyes. Its wings resembled that of a bat, though they still oozed from having just burst forth from their host. Its legs still grew, baring claws that could easily tear through either men's skin. Gilbert remember his first time with the beast. His shoulder throbbed with the memory. "What is that thing?!" Matthew shrieked, grabbing onto Gilbert's arm, allowing him to feel how violently the boy shook.

"I told you not to get that one!" Gilbert sent him a glare, before pulling out the box of matches he had left in his pocket for such an event. He lit one, quickly jogging past the morphing beast and dropping it on it. It let out a startling howl as its right wing lit. Matthew watched, for the second time that morning, in awe. Gilbert found himself smirking, as if killing a beast in metamorphosis took much effort.

The donut beast, now fully emerged from its surgery casing, attempted desperately to fly with its burning wing. It spun in a pathetic circle, leaving the two men laughing as they watched. Gilbert stepped close to it once more, stomping down on the treat turned beastly and watching as the creature exploded into a red much under his foot. The smell of rotting flesh filled the air around them, changing the two's laugher to gags.

"Still want it?" Gilbert asked, working to rub off the gunk that had stuck to his shoe. Matthew shook his head and began walking back to the elevator. Gilbert lightly laughed and followed, pressing the button and forgetting all about the exchange between the secretary and thin man.

"I wanted to talk about this today." Matthew took the envelope from his pocket as the two sat on the roof. Gilbert was laid back, his head resting on his hands. Matthew wasn't sure he wouldn't dose off as he talking, but he had to before he forgot. Gilbert nodded for him to continue. Matthew opening it once more, rubbing his hand over the cool paper. Not once had it warmed up since he obtained it. He handed it to his companion, forcing from his relaxed position. "Is it talking about you?" Gilbert looked over the paper, making an auditory 'hmm' and 'oh' as he did.

"Complete gibberish." He responded, handing it back to its owner. "Some weird language or some shit? Looks impressive, if you've learned it."

"It's English..." Matthew sighed, looking down at the letter and rereading it to himself. Yes, it was still the exact same as it had been the day he came. "Let me see one of your letters. Maybe their meant for our eyes only." Gilbert nodded and grabbed one of his, quickly opening it and flashing its contents to Matthew.

"Gibberish." Matthew lightly smiled, glad his idea was true. "I'll just read it to you then." He cleared his throat and began, not leaving out a single word to his friend. Gilbert listening closely, careful to catch every word.

"Three people, three objects..." He repeated the gist of the letter, allowing it to sink in. This was the first he had ever heard of the concept. "All I was told was that another man, the first I saw from my world, would show me the way home." He could quote the letter to Matthew, but felt as if that was all the information he needed.

"Well this is the way, so I guess it's true." Matthew looked out to the ocean, a frown tugging at his lips. "Do you think we need the third man?"

"Of course. Mail man said so, didn't he?"

"Right, but think of it like this." Matthew turned to Gilbert once more. "There are three objects and three people. It makes sense that there would be one object per person, right? So all of us could find our object, but we'll just have to come together to go home."

"So we could start looking?"

"Exactly." Gilbert glanced down at his shoes. He wanted to go home. He wanted to be reunited with his brother and father as quickly as possible, but something about this didn't feel right. Three was better than two, especially with the dangers in this world. Matthew placed a hand on his shoulder, offering him a warming smile.

"Alright."

A/N: Thanks for all of the support so far!

Romance isn't my main goal with this story. But let me know if any of you would like to see PruCan in this story. It kind of shows in my writing, but I can make it more brotherly if no one wants it. Just let me know what you guys wants.