Chapter 8
A dishwater blonde with violet eyes sat in his room, listening to his mother and half-brother talking. He looked at the white bear in his arms.
"Well, Kumijiro- it looks like Alfred is home. Should we try to say hello?" he asked the bear. Not waiting for a response, he got off the bed and left his maple-leaf covered room. As he stepped out into the hall, Alfred charged down the hallway, another teen in tow, and knocked down the boy with a bear. He looked at his brother, his own curl bouncing from the impact. Alfred just went on his way, commenting to his friend how the wall could get you sometimes.
"Oohh! He never remembers I live here, too! I... I'm gonna kick his butt!" the quiet blonde cried as he got up from the floor. He stormed to his brother's room and raised a fist to knock on the door, which had images of American flags and eagles and freedom all over it. He brought his fist down angrily on the wood, barely making a noise with it...
"Dude, did you hear that?"
"Yes. There's someone at the door." The blonde listened to the other two in his brother's room.
"Ah, man! Mo-om!" Alfred whined, opening the door. He looked out a moment before turning to Ludwig.
"See, there's nobody out there," Alfred said, pointing at his brother.
"Alfred this isn't funny! Stop pretending I'm invisible... Please," the other blonde said, adding on the 'please' to avoid sounding rude.
"Ah... Who is that?" Ludwig asked, pointing to the boy with the bear.
"Huh? Who... Oh! Haha- that's my bro, um... What was your name again?" Alfred asked. The boy with a bear made a fist.
"M-my name is Matthew!" the other blonde cried.
"Oh, right- this is Monty," Alfred said. Ludwig arched an eyebrow.
"Matthew! It's Matthew!" Alfred's brother corrected.
"Sure, whatever, dude."
"So... Er..." Ludwig started, hesitant to speak because he wasn't sure how to approach the situation.
"Matthew," the boy with the curl said, believing that Ludwig had forgotten his name.
"I know... But how... Why...?" Ludwig asked, trying to think of a proper way to ask what brought about the situation between the brothers.
"Why is he pretending to not remember me?" Matthew asked. Ludwig nodded.
"Well, it all started-"
"Well, nobody's out there, man let's just get back to checkin' out my awesome video game collection!" Alfred said, closing the door in Matthew's face. Matthew stood outside the door, shocked and angry.
"If he's going to be that way, then... Then I'll... I'll tell mom!" Matthew shouted at the door and walked downstairs. He walked into the kitchen, where his mother was making meat into patties.
"Mom!" Matthew cried. The woman proceeded to make patties. "Hey!"
"Hmm?" she acknowledged. "What is it?"
"Alfred is still ignoring me!"
"I'm a little busy now, Mattie- go ask your brother." Matthew groaned and walked back upstairs- nobody in the house ever listened...
"Let's see..." the blonde looked into a thick old book. He tapped his wand on the desk and was about to start the incantation when there was a sudden tapping at his window. He scrambled to his feet and tried to gather up all of his black magic materials to put them away before that wanker came in.
"Yo, British dude- lemme in!" Arthur cringed and flung open his closet.
"Go away!" he hissed at the window while shoving his things into the closet. He just managed to get the door closed when the window swung open, revealing his annoyingly obnoxious neighbor.
"You bloody- I'll have you know this is trespassing and breaking and entering! I could call Scotland Yard on you!" Arthur hissed at his neighbor, who simply laughed and stepped into the room.
"Dude, those are English cops. Seriously."
"What does...? Oh..." Arthur said, embarrassed at his mistake- he forgot that they didn't call the police force by that name here.
"Yo, German dude! C'mon in- he's here!"
"I don't see how this is legal... It's also rude and uncalled for," Ludwig muttered, climbing into the window. "Couldn't we just have used the front door?" Arthur sneered at the American.
"That's what I've been trying to tell you, you bloody idiot!" Arthur hissed as he smacked Alfred in the back of the head. "And who in God's name are you?" he asked, turning his attention to Ludwig. Arthur could tell by his clothes that this boy was from the lower side...
"My name is Ludwig Beilshmidt," Ludwig said. Arthur blinked a second before a smile spread on his face.
"Ludwig, you say?" he asked. "Do you by chance know a Feliciano Vargas?" Ludwig nodded warily. This caused Arthur to arch his large eyebrow.
"Jolly," he said and patted Ludwig's shoulder.
"Why, are you one of her suitors?" Ludwig asked, looking down at the shorter blonde. Arthur looked up at him with a grin.
"I am. But I am under the impression that she and I are to remain friends, which is perfectly fine by me."
"Hey, dude- what's with the cape?" Alfred asked, pointing to the long black cloak on Arthur's shoulders. Arthur grimaced.
"You moron- this is a cloak! And it's none of your business," Arthur said, pulling it from his shoulders and stashing it behind his dresser. He sat on his bed. "So what are you blokes doing in my room at nine p.m.?"
"Well, we wanted to know if you wanna come play video games with us," Alfred said. Arthur tried to smooth some wrinkles from his Union Jack comforter.
"I apologize but I'm far too busy to play games with you right now," Arthur said.
"What have you got to do? That witchcraft heebie-jeebie?" Alfred asked, startling Arthur.
"How- what? I-er-" Arthur spluttered, trying to decide whether or not to question how Alfred knew about his black magic and how to talk his way out of it.
"Great! C'mon, dude! I got Black Ops- you'll love it!" Alfred cheered, dragging the Englishman from the room. He dragged Arthur downstairs, with Ludwig following and feeling disturbed. They walked out Arthur's front door and back to Alfred's house. When they got back to Alfred's room, Ludwig ended up just sitting on the bed and watching the other two play- he had never owned a video game before...
Feliciano looked in his bedroom mirror some time after Ludwig had dropped him off at home. He was again debating what bandanna to wear- the white one or the blue and red one, both of which complimented his dress well. He frowned. The only reason he had to make such a fuss was because Mr. Edelstien had told him to look nice for dinner with Antonio. He huffed and walked to Romano's room for his opinion.
"Hey, fratello- I can't decide... which... Ve?" Feliciano trailed off as he opened the door to find Romano standing in his room having an obvious dilemma as he tried to pick a good shirt. "Romano...?"
The other Italian wheeled around to glare at his intruding cross-dresser of a brother.
"What the hell, you bastard?! Haven't you ever heard of knocking?!" Romano demanded.
"Ve... I just wanted to ask which one I should wear..." Feliciano trailed off nervously. Romano sighed.
"That one," he said, pointing to the blue and red one. "Close the door." Feliciano complied and shut the door. He smiled.
"Fratello~ Does this have something to do with Antonio~?" he asked. The darker haired brother gritted his teeth and glared at Feliciano while turning a bright red.
"No, it doesn't! Why do you make such stupid assumptions?! Bastard!"
"But it's so obvious! Just tell him you like him already!"
"Are you fucking crazy?! Roderich would skin me alive and I hate that bastard- I only go to his place for the tomatoes!"
"Brother, why do you keep denying it? It's obvious he likes you, too!"
"Shut up- just shut your fucking mouth! I'd rather you stab me in the chest with a spatula than go out with that bastard!"
"Fratello-"
"No! Unless you can help me pick what color shirt I should wear this evening get the fuck out of my room!" Feliciano nodded and started out the room. Before he closed the door, he turned back.
"You should wear the green one," Feliciano told him and closed the door. Romano cursed under his breath and picked up the shirt his brother recommended. After trying it on, he decided this one looked okay and he started to clean up his room... He had a thought that he would like to have Antonio sit in his room or something, and waved the thought away, blushing... 'Stupid bastard...' he thought when the doorbell rang. He crammed the shirts in his closet and walked briskly down the hall, only to find that his brother had already invited the guest inside and had started talking. Romano watched enviously from around the corner- why did his brother get all the attention? All he did was wear a skirt...
But Romano found himself wondering what would happen if he hadn't decided to act like a boy all those years ago... Would he be the one Antonio was talking to now?
He shook his head and slapped at his cheeks. 'Stop it! Stop it, you bastard!' he chided himself. He sulked back to his room, unaware of the conversation his brother and Antonio had been having.
"So Toni- spill," Feliciano prodded once they were seated in the sitting room. Antonio smiled and relaxed into his chair.
"Spill what, Feli?" the Spaniard asked with a grin.
"Do you like Romano? Please, tell me!" Feliciano pleaded. Antonio smiled.
"I like Lovi a lot. He's really cute... But I don't think my mama would approve."
"... They never did specify that you had to date a girl, did they?"
"Not really. I mean, I think they expect me to have a chance with you, but the rumor I heard from Francis says you have a different person in mind, am I right?"
"Yes... But please don't let Mr. Edelstien find out, okay? And don't tell anyone what I just told you!" Feliciano pleaded.
"Of course. I'm not that loose with my lips, you know..."
"Well... If you change your mind about that my brother is in his room...?" Feliciano suggested. Antonio blushed a little at the thought. Feliciano smiled- he just wanted his brother to be happy. He knew Romano was always upset because he felt useless, even though Roma never admitted it.
"I... I couldn't... I mean, I..."
"It's fine, I promise. Mr. Edelstien is with his piano and Elizabeta is cooking. Go ahead- I can tell you now that I can confirm that Romano has a crush on you, too~" Antonio chuckled.
"Well, then- I better go pay Lovi a visit, then..." Antonio said slyly. "I hope you don't mind..."
"Not at all," Feliciano said dismissively with a smile. Antonio got up and left the room. Feliciano sat a moment, but soon got bored. What to do...? He wondered what Antonio was saying to Romano...
Unable to hold back his curiousity, he decided it wouldn't be bad to check up on them... At least to make sure they didn't cross any lines with other people in the house...
He walked down the hall to hear Romano's voice.
"Bastard! Did Feliciano put you up to this!? If she did I'll... I-ll..." Romano stuttered. Feliciano tiptoed to the door... 'This is so wrong...'
"D-d... Don't..." Romano muttered. Feliciano decided to take a risk and peek. He glimpsed Antonio holding Lovino's face to his own... Feliciano bit his finger when he saw the main reason for Romano's reluctance to put an end to this: Antonio had his curl.
"Feli! Antonio! Romano! Dinner is ready!"
Feliciano jumped at the voice that sounded down the hall. He threw open Romano's door and closed it behind him, startling the two on Roma's bed.
"Y-you b-bastard!" Romano screeched both at Feliciano and Antonio.
"I came to tell you that Eliza is coming so you better right yourselves!" Antonio smiled.
"Thank you, Feli. That was very considerate."
"Considerate my ass! Get the fuck off my bed!" the door opened and Eliza grinned at them all.
"Did you hear? Food's ready so let's go eat," Eliza said, completely oblivious to what had happened before her arrival. She led them to the dining room, where dinner was awkward and silent for Romano, who was slightly uncomfortable having to sit across from Antonio, who from time to time decided it would be fucking hilarious to tease Romano with his foot. As the toe of Antonio's shoe touched him for the umpteenth time, Romano decided he wasn't feeling well and excused himself from dinner.
"That bastard!" he hissed as he lay on his bed, blushing. He wasn't sure if he could still go to help Antonio garden tomorrow...
(note: yay for filler chapters! i had to find a way to pass some time. i know we all love our gerita, but prolonging things a bit is a little healthy, right? it would be very unladylike for feliciano to just jump right into action... i also had to find a way to add mattie in here, seeing how right under americans my highest veiwcount right now is canada! yay for you! its 2 am, and i typed this up as fast as i could for you guys because i love you! hasta la pasta!)
