"Did you just take a picture of me?"

Matthew turned away from his open locker to find Gilbert standing next to him, a camera in his hands and a grin on his face. He had, apparently, gotten over the rejection from last week. Matt blinked at him, still stunned by the flash.

"Yearbook Club meeting tomorrow, Matt." He gave his camera a shake. "I'm going on the Photography Team, obviously."

"You're really getting into this," the Canadian said, turning back to his locker to retrieve a textbook for his first class. His t-shirt rode up as he stretched to reach over the top shelf, and Gil let his eyes linger over that exposed pale skin.

"Well, why wouldn't I?" Gilbert leaned against the adjacent locker. He snapped his eyes up to meet Matthew's when he turned to throw him a questioning look. "They're all dying for my awesome input."

Matt slammed his locker shut and rolled his eyes, though he smiled slightly. "Well, I have to go to class. See you later, Weillschmidt." He walked off down the hall, not looking back. Gil watched him leave with a grin.

Had he actually smiled at him genuinely? Progress had been made! Now, if he would only go out with him . . .


If Alfred was honest with himself, he couldn't say that progress was ever really made at the Student Council meetings. He had some great ideas – like replacing the school's water fountains with root beer dispensers – but no one else could see that! It was so frustrating. The latest meeting, at lunchtime that day, was no different either. No one could agree on anything, and the Vice President, Ivan, kept pestering him, even as they left the meeting room.

"I think we should ban Natalia," he said for the third time that day, striding next to the American. The Student Council members had struck up an informal discussion about May's Prom before leaving, and Ivan, for one, wasn't going to stop talking about it until his scary little sister had been put on the No Admission list.

Alfred rolled his eyes. "I told you already, Prom is months away. We can't ban anyone yet."

The Russian adjusted his scarf. "Yes, we can."

"In that case," Al said, walking a little faster down the corridor. "We're not banning her at all."

"If she's going, then I'm not." Ivan easily caught up to the shorter one, and Al ducked his head.

"Good," he said, pausing to fish a notepad out of his pocket. "I'll make sure she attends, then." He produced a pen from somewhere and made a note to himself, effectively ignoring the taller boy's intimidating glare.

Meanwhile, in an adjacent hallway, Matthew bent rifling through his book bag, Feliks looking over him with a mildly amused expression.

"Where's my Trig book? I need it for next class . . . "

Feliks tossed his hair back. "Chill, Matt. I'm sure it'll turn up eventually," he said.

Matt sighed. "But I need it now, eh . . . " He had an important assignment in that book, and the Trigonometry teacher wouldn't accept any pieces of works that were passed in late. He was a good student, but all the same, he couldn't afford to lose any marks in that class either.

When Feliks said nothing in response, Matthew straightened up and turned to him with a sigh. "I guess I'll go to the Lost and Found," he said, zipping up his book bag.

"'Kay. See you later, Matt," Feliks said, waving. He turned away and skipped down the hall, looking for Toris.

Matthew took off in a different direction. He couldn't exactly remember where the Lost and Found office was located . . . was it on the first or second floor? Turning a corner, his thoughts were interrupted when he bumped into a broad back.

"S-sorry!" he said involuntarily.

Looking up, he found his brother and Ivan in an intense stare-down. It took a second for Alfred to notice his younger brother standing there. When he did, Ivan turned around and blinked at him as the American smiled and waved to his brother.

"Hey Mattie! What's up?"

"N-nothing, Al," Matthew replied, a little unnerved by the Russian staring down at him. "I – I have to go!" He pushed past the older boys, disappearing down the hall. They watched him leave.

"That was your brother, da?" Ivan said, turning back to Alfred with a strange light in his eyes.

Al frowned. "None of your business, you jerk-off," he said, walking back down the corridor again. Ivan chased after him with a serene smile.


The schools' Lost and Found Office was more of a closet with a small desk shoved against the wall. Gilbert sat at the desk – having bribed the usual attendant to shove off for a bit – holding Matthew's Trigonometry book, waiting for the Canadian to appear, which he surely would. It was the perfect plan. Matt would be so impressed that when he asked him out, it would be impossible for him to refuse!

The Prussian was absorbed in his thoughts of the Junior until he heard a weird noise coming from the desk. He looked down, raising an eyebrow. It sounded like some sort of animal. Now what kind of idiot would put a live animal in the Lost and Found? Curious, Gilbert opened one of the desk drawers, searching for the source of the noise. A cloud of dust rose up – apparently the Lost and Found wasn't used very often – and as it settled, it revealed a little yellow chick staring upwards.

"Cheep," said the bird.

Gil reached down to cup the fluffball in his hands and retrieved it from the drawer. It was awful cute, he had to admit. Who could ever abandon it? Well, no matter, Gilbert thought. The baby bird shook his feathers, appearing even fluffier than before, and the Prussian was instantly enamoured. He's mine now!

"I shall call you – Gilbird!" the albino said. In response, Gilbird hopped up from his hands, up his shoulder and onto his head, where he nestled in his hair and chirped happily.

At that moment, the office door opened, and a blond head poked through. Matthew looked in uncertainly.

"Ah," Gilbert said, smirking and tenting his fingers as he swiveled slightly in his rolling chair. He put on an accent. "I've been waiting for you, Matthew."

"What are - " The Canadian paused, seeing the chick nesting in Gilbert's hair. "Why is there a chicken on your head?"

"Huh? Oh, that's Gilbird," he explained, using his normal voice again. He reached up to pet the chick with a smug smile.

"Uh, OK . . . " Matt said, stepping further into the room and closing the door behind him. "Look, is my Trig book here? I really need it . . . "

"Maybe," Gil said, still smiling.

Matthew just blinked at him.

"What?" Gilbert's smile fell a little. "Why are you looking at me like I stole your most precious object?"

"Did you?"

Gil took the Trigonometry book out from underneath the desk, but did not give it to the Canadian. "You lost it, I found it, Liebling."

"Um, thanks," Matthew said, stretching a hand out to take the book. Gilbert held it away from him. Matt shifted uncomfortably. "Weillschmidt, I'm kind of short on time, eh . . . "

"Call me by my real name," the Prussian said seriously, no longer smiling.

Matthew faltered at the sudden change in demeanour, but quickly recovered. "Please, Gilbert . . . " he said, reaching out his hands again. He was blushing slightly, and kept glancing away; he couldn't hold eye contact very long. Gilbert looked at him. It was too adorable how easily flustered he got.

Gil sighed and stood up from the chair. "You're too damn cute for your own good," he said. Gilbird hopped down to his shoulders and back onto the desk before he walked around the desk to stop in front of Matthew. Gilbert held out his book. "You know that?"

Matt just accepted his book with an awkward smile. Gilbert stepped a little closer, and the small room suddenly felt even smaller.

"I, uh, have to go to class now . . . " The Canadian rubbed the back of his head, feeling a little awkward at the close proximity. He could see Gilbert had a strange look in his eyes. He wasn't going to try to rape him in the closet-room, was he? Sure, he liked Gilbert, but he didn't like him enough to lose his virginity to him in a dusty, cramped-up room in the middle of the school day.

Gil disregarded his statement. "Hey, Matt." He had an uncharacteristically worried expression on his face, and he grabbed Matt by the shoulders. Matthew started, looking up at him. "We're friends, right?"

Matthew deflated in relief. So that was all he wanted. "Sure," he said, smiling genuinely. He looked him straight in the eyes, and Gil smiled back.

After a second, Matt began to turn away. "Well, I'm gonna be late – see you - " He tried to move towards the door, but Gilbert stopped him.

"Hey," he said, still smiling a little but appearing almost as apprehensive as before. "Go out with me."

He licked his lips, and Matthew didn't know how to react.

And just then, the late bell rang.


A/N: Oh, what will Canada do? I leave you with a cliffhanger! Hehe! -gets brick'd-

By the way, I stuck a reference to Star Wars somewhere in the chapter. Did anyone catch that?

Please tell me what you thought of this chapter . . . the tone feels like it's all over the place, so I'm not so sure of it myself, to be honest :( Maybe I'm just too hard on myself, I dunno.

Oh, before I forget, I have to give props to TheEvilMuffinToaster for reminding me of the awesomeness that is Gilbird :D He probably wouldn't have gotten written in otherwise.

Hungary appears in the next chapter! (Or I think she does. I haven't exactly written it yet . . . )