Warnings for an ickle bitta violence and language in this chapter.

With a violent shove, Gilbert's wardrobe was yanked open, the door crashing against the wall and drawing a GODDAMMIT BRUDER BE QUIETER shout from Ludwig.

"But I don't know what to wear~" He whined, pouting. The frustrated blonde appeared, arms folded over his black vest top. "Kleider." Gilbert shot him a glare, and began fishing through his stash of clothes on hangers.

"Why don't you just wear jeans and a hoodie, like normal?"

….Yeah, why don't I do that? He asked himself. Why am I treating this like it's a date?

Did I just think of this as a date?

Date. As his thoughts deteriorated, the pale-haired older brother pulled out a couple of items of clothing. "You're right, it's no big deal."

And it is certainly not a date.

When he was finished dressing himself, it was 4:45pm. He figured he looked alright: red hoodie with white bands around the hood and cuffs over a long-sleeved black Tee, skinny jeans which had been deliberately frayed to show some patches of skin, his black Converse and a tatty black-and-red chequered scarf around his neck. He'd used gel to style his hair into a spiky, punk design and almost forgot to put on his sport-shades before they left.

There was but one exchange of words between the brothers during the short drive, which consisted of Ludwig commenting on how availableGilbert looked, and Gilbert retorting with a phrase that, when paraphrased, went something like: 'please be quiet or I shall acquaint your rear with my shoe'.

"You have your phone on you," Ludwig said as Gilbert climbed out of the car. "Call me when you need picking up."

"Ja, Mutti." Gilbert rolled his eyes as he waved him off. The cinema was a rather grand one, lit up brightly with blue neon lights. Already it was getting dark as he waited for Mattie to show up. It was another ten minutes before he caught sight of the petite Canadian, calmly walking towards him. He looked, to say the least, adorable.

It had been a very cold and cloudy day, evidently shown by the huge thick brown fleece Mattie wore - it was so oversized the poloneck came up to his nose, and the sleeves were rolled up several times before his gloved hands were visible. Walking boots could be seen under the long baggy navy jeans and a scarf with maple leaves draped over Mattie's thin shoulders.

The bespectacled blonde looked up at him. "Hey," His soft voice greeted. Gilbert was speechless. He looks so much like a damn woman, he's so cute! "H-hey."

"Aren't you cold?"

"Aren't you boiling? Come on, how many sheep were put into that sweater?" Mattie chuckled softly as they entered the cinema. "It's not that huge, and it was almost as cold as Canada today."

"Good thing I've been inside, then. How was work?"

Mattie put his hands into his pockets that looked bottomless. "I-it was alright. That guy from our art class turned up and we talked for a bit." Gilbert paused. "Which guy?" Matthew's cheeks were tinted pink. "You know, the tall one who hangs around with Yao. His name's Ivan Braginski."

That Russian with the purple eyes. For some reason, the mentioning of him made Gilbert feel uneasy, especially knowing that Matthew had been talking to him. "What, Yao wasn't there too?"

"Non, he said Yao had to go back to China for a bit." They looked at surrounding adverts for the films being shown. Mattie pointed out a poster advertising a very action-packed and aggressive film, to which Gilbert reacted with, "I thought you'd prefer to see something like Frozen."

"Don't be silly," Mattie laughed as they went to buy tickets. "I saw Frozen ages ago."

Of course you did, Gilbert thought endearingly. Having bought tickets and snacks, the shy duo took their seats near the front if the cinema. A few taller people came in and sat in front of them, which greatly displeased the short blonde man. Smiling, the albino offered to switch seats so that he could see the large screen. "M-merci," The Canadian muttered as he shuffled into Gilbert's seat.

The film began rather quietly, then exploded into violence and well-constructed fight scenes laced with gore- despite that this film was his choice, Mattie still cringed and avoided looking at the bloody scenes, favouring instead to watch Gilbert's face as he watched men brutally kill one another- and finally ended with the main protagonist getting the girl he loved in an exaggerated setting. During the film Gilbert had to remove his shades so that he could see, and noticed when Mattie looked at his eyes when he thought he was being discreet, not that he minded.

By the end of it they had quite enjoyed the film and stopped to take a bathroom break. As they strolled down the hall and out of the building into the dark carpark, however, Gilbert spoke up. "Hey, wanna go for a walk?"

Mattie tilted his head. "Where? It's dark."

"So? It would just be a stroll; I feel like I haven't gotten out much." The younger man gave a cheeky smile, "What, you don't take random jogs around the park anymore?" Gilbert nudged him playfully. "Oi, I did say it was a snap choice. So, wanna walk?"

Mattie pulled his fleece tighter around him. "Oui, ok-"

"Hey! Hey baby, wanna have some fun?" The taunting remark was followed by a wolf whistle, clearly aimed at Matthew. "Who said that," Muttered Gilbert as his ruby eyes turned back towards a trio of guys, whom he'd seen in the cinema room with them, now hanging around under a streetlight but a few metres away.

Their ringleader, a tall rough-looking shrug of a man, pulled his cigarette from between his yellow teeth, grinning. "Not you, skinny, your chick." My...chick? Gilbert looked down at Mattie, who was equally confused, with a questioning look. "I don't know them," The blonde muttered in response, and they tried to walk away.

The three gangsters were having none of it. The first one got within touching distance of them. "Why don't you let us have a go with her tonight, for a change?" Gilbert looked frustratedly over his shoulder, stepping in behind Matthew. "Go away."

The man pulled a crooked smile, his buddies chuckling behind him as they walked. "Gee, I only want a taste, dude-" He reached out his hand to grab Mattie's shoulder, and spin him around in front of Gilbert. "W-wait!" The man cried, the shocked looks of the other two matching the man's face. "Y-you-you're a guy!"

Mattie went bright red as he tried to scowl at them. "Leave us alone," He said as sternly as he could, Gilbert clenching his fists as the guys backed off a few paces.

"Haha, you wanted to fuck a dude, Craz," A second man leered, tapping 'Craz' on the shoulder. He retorted with a curse and shoving his friend away. "It's not me who wants to do him, " Craz gestured to Gilbert, his face illuminated by the yellow streetlights around them. "It's him."

"Ok, we'll be going now," Matthew dismissed as he pulled on Gilbert's tense arm, trying to get him to move from his protective stance. "Gilbert, let's go," He whispered harshly, finally getting the albino to move with him.

"What are you, two fuck buddies?" Craz called after them.

"Who the fuck lets faggots into a cinema with normal people." The third groupie commented, loudly for both scarpering men to hear. Gilbert stopped dead. I've had it with these jerks.

"At least I'm not the one behaving like a bunch of twats," He shouted over his and the others stopped laughing. "Say what,bitch?" Turning fully, Gilbert marched right back up to them, until he was face-to-face with Craz, looking into his dull eyes. "I said," He growled, "at least I'm not behaving like a bunch of twats." Craz snarled, but his attention was caught by something else. "You wearing contacts?" He asked gruffly.

Fear replaced the previous feeling of anger. Shit, my shades! I forgot to put them on!

"Yes." Craz peered closer, his eyes narrowing and his friends moving closer. Suddenly he recoiled. "Nah, those ain't contacts! You've got red eyes!"

"Bet he's higher than a plane," Muttered the second. "S'probably why he wants to act like a homo," The ever-antagonistic third guy added.

Craz looked disgusted. "I've been high," He whispered, "My eyes wasn't like that. Them your normal eyes, huh?" Gilbert was starting to shake, ever so slightly. I have to get away from them. Now. Silently he turned back to a worried Canadian, but Craz wasn't finished yet. "Holy shit!" He cried, slapping his buddies to encourage them, "He's not just gay, but an albino too!" More leering.

"Fucked-up red eyes, man, fucked up." Second guy.

"Gilbert, listen, ignore them, come on," Mattie's soothing Canadian accent.

"You sure he's just an albino? Looks a bit more...demonic, to me." Third. The men were still following them, still close.

Gilbert didn't know what to do- moreover, he didn't know whether he would lash out or fall to the floor and sob, but he wanted them to sayanything other than that. Gott, please, stop it….

Mattie felt Gilbert lean on him more, and put an arm around his waist. "Block them out, Gil. Block them-"

"Demon!" All three men yelled directly to the white-haired German, and he snapped.

Tear rip shred wound maim break KILL! Aggressive words rolled around Gilbert's head like bowling balls as he pushed Mattie away and launched himself at Craz, his pale fist colliding with his cheekbone.

"Fuck!" Craz shouted, stumbling back under the force of Gilbert's attack. "Gilbert, stop!" Cried Matthew as the other guys advanced.

A fist caught Gilbert's stomach; he dropped to his knees. Reacting quickly, he headbutted his attacker's crotch. That is the closest I have ever been to another man's genitals, and it was not nice.

The guy whimpered as he, too, hit the floor, his hands cradling his crushed manhood. Craz planted a thick boot into Gilbert's side, making him choke on his own spit. "Filthy fuckin' queer," kick, kick, "you should just die."

Mattie had no time to react before he was seeing Gilbert being beaten before him. He saw the second guy preparing to punch him, and rushed in. His thin arms locked around the man's neck, squeezing, but it didn't hold: the guy's elbow rammed into his ribcage and Mattie stumbled away, pulling out his phone.

"Back off right now, or I'm calling the police!" He summoned as much volume as he could, barely stopping the conflict. Craz winced as he turned to him, Gilbert spluttering on the concrete below. "Really, you gonna do that, fag?"

"Watch me." his gloved fingers tapped in 911, but he didn't see the third guy charging him until he'd rugby-tackled him to the hard ground, his skull bouncing off the stone and his phone sent flying.

"N-no, Matt…" Gilbert wheezed as more punches and kicks were rained down on his fragile pain meant nothing now: not the cuts on his skin, not the blows, not the bootprints left on his chest, none of it. Uncurling onto his feet shakily, he faced the two men he'd been hit by.

His fist went into the first guy's throat. His right leg came up into a vicious roundhouse kick which met the chest of the other man, causing both to collapse.

The third guy and Mattie were rolling, wrestling, fighting for power.

"Woah!" He was tripped by Craz's upshot leg, and fell fast. "You little shit," Gilbert cursed as he straddled Craz, pounding right and left hooks to his face, shattering his nose. Blood sprayed onto his muddy clothes. While moving around, his Iphone had been dislodged from his pocket, only to end up under the boot of the second guy, who crushed it with ease.

Mattie realised that he'd rolled them close to the edge of the empty carpark, where there was a line of trees. He held the offender at bay as his other hand searched for something, anything...aha! Mattie pulled a thick branch from the undergrowth, and hit the man savagely over the head with it, freeing himself.

Now up and on his feet, he kicked the guy for good measure and set upon the second thug, using the stick to choke him and try to pull him to the ground. The man broke the branch and flipped Mattie over his hip, grabbing his left arm and twisting it behind him painfully. Mattie let out a shrill scream.

"Fuck off! Let him -go!" Gilbert yelled protectively, as Craz spat, "Pathetic faggot, maybe we'll knock some sense into your boyfriend! You make me sick-ah!" He was silenced by Gilbert's solid left cross. His knuckles were burning and his arms were aching, but he wasn't done just yet.

As soon as he'd knocked him out, Gilbert went straight for the only man left, holding Matthew down. Upon seeing Gilbert, he promptly pulled Mattie's head back by his hair and punched his eye socket, catching his nose and drawing a yelp from the terrified blonde.

Gilbert was scared too, he was so scared, but more than that, he wanted to stop this. He was running purely on adrenaline. Jumping behind the last guy he put him in a chokehold, tensing his biceps as much as he could, depriving the man from oxygen. He was unconscious within seconds.

"M-Mattie, Matthew!" He called, scrambling over to him as he lay on the floor. Tucking an arm under his head, Gilbert sat him up gently. "What did they do? Wha…" Tears were streaming down the petite man's face, his golden wavy hair plastered to his face and neck by dirt and sweat. His glasses were broken and his nose was bleeding.

Why….WHY did they hurt him? Why did they hurt us? W-what did we do? We didn't do anything! A raging voice screamed mercilessly inside his head, one which was lowered with a hiss.

"I'm….I-I'm….alright-"

"Don't fucking say that. Don't lie…" Gilbert pressed their foreheads together, fighting his own tears coming forth. Pain wracked both of their bodies as they cradled the other's shaking form in the darkness.

"D-did you call the police?" Asked Gilbert, his arms still holding Matthew. He shook his head. "Non, I….he broke my phone, I think," He gestured to the third unconscious man lying a distance away.

Fuck. FUCK. Damn it! "Same happened to mine…" Gilbert muttered, sighing even though it hurt. Gott it hurts to breathe. He brushed a strand of hair from Mattie's eyes. "We'll have to walk, huh?"

"Y-yeah….Ah," Mattie winced as they both struggled to get up, constantly looking around them to see if the guys were awake. "M-my home is c-closer than the hospital; we ca-can get a lift." Gilbert nodded, and they wrapped an arm around the other's waist to support them as Mattie led them home.

It was a strenuous journey. What took 10 minutes in a car took them 40 minutes because of their injuries, their fatigue, the lack of daylight.

The time was midnight by the time they knocked on the door to Mattie's apartment, only to both collapse after a mortified Francis answered the door.

The wounded pair were taken straight to hospital, where the doctors immediately treated their injuries as best they could and left them in their hospital beds to rest. Francis and Arthur, having no idea what could've happened, stayed awake all night to watch over them. It was 4am before Francis finally gave in and called Ludwig to tell him (He'd been battling the decision ever since both men had come back) and the blonde arrived spectacularly quickly after picking up.

"Why didn't he call me," He growled, angry that he hadn't been able to help his brother. Or protect Matthew.

"I don't know...they didn't have their phones on them, maybe they couldn't call." Francis whispered, an arm around Arthur as they watched both males sleep fitfully.

"God, I hope they'll be ok," The British man prayed as his lover planted a kiss to his forehead. Ludwig's thoughts were much the same. Bruder, please be alright.

Translations:

Kleider - Clothes

Ja, Mutti. - Yes, Mum.