It was the end of the day, Gilbert was at his locker, hurriedly stuffing his belongings into his book bag as fast he could manage with a still throbbing shoulder. He had to get to his house before his father did. Gilbert slammed his locker shut, about ready to book out of the school, pick up his brother and get home, when his friends came up to him. "Holy shit! What happened to you?" Antonio all but yelled at his friend after taking a good look at him. "Nothing, listen guys, I can talk right now, I really have to go." Gilbert said, trying to get his friends to understand that he didn't have the time right now, looking behind him and seeing Valentin slowly approaching with his own two friends. It's not like he didn't want to talk to the blonde, it's just that Gilbert had to leave. Now. The two boys in front of Gilbert seen the way he looked at the Romanian and instantly thought that he wanted to get away from him, considering what happened this morning, they still thought Valentin wanted to suck Gilbert's blood and entrap his soul. Where they got the soul thing, is anyone's guess.
"Guys I really have to go." Gilbert pleaded, pushing passed his friends and out of the building. Antonio and Francis looked at one another and shrugged. Valentin had seen Gilbert look back at him and rush out, feeling a little hurt and thinking that he was the reason Gilbert had rushed away. He didn't want to eat lunch with him, he wouldn't tell him why he was beat up, and now he was running away from him. Valentin had figured that the rumors of him being a vampire had finally gotten to Gilbert and made him not want to be near him. Well, Vali still had those lessons to look forward to, he hoped. "What's the matter Valentin?" Lukas asked, shaking his friend out of his thoughts. "Huh? Oh, it's nothing really. Luk, how did you know you were in love with Mathias?" the Romanian asked out of nowhere. Lukas blushed for a moment as the three of them stopped in the middle of the hallway. Arthur stayed silent wanting to know as well for….a certain reason.
Lukas thought before answering, "I just sort of did. It came to the point to where I couldn't stop thinking about him, where whenever he spoke to me I couldn't think straight, where when he was just near me I wanted nothing more than to hold his hand. It was just one of those things where you just know, you can just feel it." This made Valentin think. That was exactly how he felt towards Gilbert. "Why?" Lukas asked, confused. "Just….wondering. Do we have magic club tonight?" Arthur was too busy spacing out to answer, so Lukas did. "Yeah, it's at my house tonight." Valentin nodded in okay, he figured that Gilbert might not come to tutoring later, so he would go to magic club to get his mind off of the German boy. "Okay, well I'll see you guys then." the Romanian waved his good bye and headed home. Lukas turned to Arthur who was still spaced out, thinking deeply, and poked him in the face to get his attention. The Brit just blinked. Shrugging, Lukas left as well, meeting up with his boyfriend for band practice at his uncle Berwald's place.
Valentin sighed when he got home, tossing his bag onto the nearby arm chair, noticing a couple of small boxes on the coffee table and a note. Picking up the boxes he noticed they were his contacts, the note indicating that his brother had gone out to pick them up. With a small smile, Valentin took the boxes up to his room to put them in and to change. When he came back down he sat outside on the porch, waiting to see if Gilbert would show.
Gilbert ran almost the entire way to his brother's middle school. Gasping for air, his abdomen still hurting from last night and even more due to his run, Gilbert finally made it to his brother's school. Ludwig was standing in the front of the school talking with his friends Feliciano and Kiku. Gilbert groaned in annoyance before shouting to his brother, "Lud! Come on, we gotta go!" Ludwig just glance at his brother, going back to talking with his friends then turning to leave when Feliciano grabbed him, keeping him longer. Gilbert grew impatient and marched over to his brother. "Lud, we gotta go, come on." he said, moving his arms in a sweeping motion towards the sidewalk. "Why are you in such a hurry bruder?" Ludwig asked, not understanding what the reason for his brother's hastiness was, getting a good look at the injuries he sported. Ludwig didn't get to see his brother this morning so he didn't get to see the black eye and bruises that peeked from his red bandana around his neck. "Bruder was (what) the hell happened to you?" Gilbert shook his head, not wanting to answer, suddenly angry with Ludwig for not realizing his own beloved father had ruthlessly beat him and that he didn't come down to check.
"Nothing, it happened last night." Gilbert said heatedly through his teeth. "Let's go Ludwig, I have to get home before he does." Ludwig looked at Gilbert with confusion, "He?" Gilbert groaned, this was wasting his time and diminishing his chances of getting home and out before the monster did. "That mon- your dad, Lud, before your dad does. Please, Ludwig." Gil begged. There was something in his red eyes that Ludwig could see, it was….fear? No, that couldn't be right. "Gilbert, just because you und Vati aren't getting along lately-"
"It's a lot more that not getting along!" Gilbert snapped, shocking his brother and the other two middle schoolers there. "It's a lot more. Ludwig, I cant wait for you any longer, please we have to go." Ludwig nodded and said good bye to the other two, giving a chaste kiss to Feliciano's cheek and left with his brother.
Ludwig wasn't afraid to do this in front of his brother because he knew he wouldn't tell their father, but that trust was about to be tested. Gilbert walked a good few feet ahead of his brother at a brisk pace. He wouldn't go to Valentin's tonight. Didn't want to risk it.
It was almost time for him to go to magic club and an hour past the time he and Gilbert were to meet. Valentin sighed for the billionth time that night, checking his phone for the time. It was safe to say that he was thoroughly disappointed that the German didn't show. Getting up from the whicker chair on his porch, Valentin made for Lukas' house, waving to his next door neighbors' son Peter when he seen Lukas leaving the house. "Lukas? What are you doing over at Mr. Oxenstierna's and Mr. Väinämöinen house?" Valentin asked as he stopped in front of the house. Lukas walked down the few steps and walkway towards his friend. "Valentin? Mr. O. is my uncle, how did you know where he lives?" the Norwegian asked, finally meeting his friend on the sidewalk. "Cause I live right there." Vali pointed at his own house that was right next door to the one they stood out front of.
"Huh, didn't know that. Well, are you on your way to the club meeting?" Luk asked, head cocked to this side. "Yeah. Don't mind if I follow you, do you?" The Norwegian shook his head and gestured for the Romanian to follow.
Gilbert burst through his front door, bolting straight to his room. Throwing his bedroom door open as well, he quickly changed, keeping his bandanna on and taking his bird from his cage. "Hey, buddy. Sorry if I'm a little too rough, but we gotta go." The walk home took too long and he could hear the sound of a car door slamming outside, front door opening. Shit. He was home. "Verdammt, okay buddy, we gotta sneak out, you with me?" The little bird chirped in response and Gilbert opened a high up window near his bed, letting Gilbird fly out before he too tried to climb out. He had done this many times before to sneak out with his friends and go to bars and clubs, or to just go hang out. Closing the window, Gil stood up and ran to the sidewalk, Gilbird following as his owner ran from the house.
Once he was far enough, Gilbert stopped running, holding his stomach. It felt as if it were bruised, which it probably was, in the shape of a foot no less. He took out his phone and called his friend Antonio, asking if he could hang out there for a while. The Spaniard agreed saying he would call their other friend Francis too. Gilbert put his phone away and walked to Antonio's house, relieved he was able to get away from his own house before anything could happen. The entire walk home Ludwig kept trying to ask him where he got those injuries, Gilbert ignoring him, refusing to say anything, too afraid to.
When he made it to Antonio's house, Francis was already there. The house was beautifully Spanish. Even the air smelled Spanish, it was cozy and homey. The trio were currently up in Antonio's very messy room, Francis laying towards the end of the bed, Toni taking a seat on the floor near it, Gilbert moving some things to sit in a swivel chair. The three began to talk about anything and everything the way they always did, but when the Spaniard and Frenchman began to notice that their German friend wasn't as enthusiastic as he usually was, too busy in his own thoughts, they asked about it. "Gil? Is there something wrong?" Francis asked with a confused concern. "What? Nein." the albino lied. "C'mon amigo! We're all friends here, you can tell us. We promise we'll be serious about it. Right Francis?" Toni said from his spot on the floor, arms wrapped around his knees. The blonde looked away as if physically avoiding the question. Antonio nudged him with an elbow. "Oh, oui, oui, we promise."
Gilbert sighed. He knew he could trust his friends and relented. "Well, guys, you have to swear to me that you wont tell anyone. Anyone, Toni I'm talking to you, that means not even Lovino." Antonio pouted at this but agreed, "Si, okay. Promise-no swear." Gilbert took a deep breath, shaking slightly. He clenched his hands on his thighs, arms rigid, closed his eyes and finally said it, "M-my dad…beat me. Last night." The two other boys were silent as the news set in. "Gil! You have to tell some one!" Antonio nearly yelled. "Shh! Be quiet! And I did, I told you guys." Francis shook his head, his blonde locks flying in every which direction, "Non, ami, he means you have to tell the police!" Gilbert shook his head furiously, getting up from the chair and pacing, "Nein, I cant! You guys just don't understand. Bitte, you guys are my best friends, I told you cause I trust you . Don't say anything!" Gil begged, interlacing his fingers in a pleading gesture.
"Hey Arthur." Lukas and Valentin greeted in unison as Lukas' mother brought Arthur into his room. Both boys sat on Lukas' bed, Arthur entering and sitting on the bed as well. "What's up?" the Brit asked. "We were waiting for you, Valentin wanted to tell us something before we started." Lukas said, hugging onto a pillow. "Oh~ well I feel special, Alright, so spill it." Arthur said, taking a pillow and hugging it as well, eager to hear what was to be said. "Well," Valentin began, "You guys know Gilbert right? Beilschmidt?" The other two boys nodded. "Luk, the reason I asked you about Mathias earlier was because….I..I think I'm in love with him." The other two boys sat in silence, unsure of what to say before Arthur's loud out burst, "What! Valentin! You know he's like a huge pervert, he always gets detention and fights! I mean, did you see him today?"
"Mathias told me he got in a fight with Sadiq Adnan during gym yesterday." Lukas said from behind his pillow. "Right! See, Valentin, Gilbert is no good, you could do so much better than him." Arthur justified. "No you don't get it! He's not like that. He's nice and sweet, and gets flustered easily. He's always willing to help me, he even saved my life. He stands up for me and comforts me when I need it. I have every reason to be in love with him!" Valentin defended. Arthur plopped his head into the pillow he was holding and Lukas just showed indifference. "When has he done any of this?" The Norwegian asked. "I tutor him. He's so nice and so sweet especially when he asks for help." Vali gushed, falling back onto the bed, arms out wide. "I love him." he whispered. Lukas and Arthur looked at each other and rolled their eyes with small smiles on their faces.
Valentin shot up with a wide grin, happy that he was finally able to tell someone. "Well, what do you sat we get started huh? This is magic club, not book club."* They all nodded once and got off the bed, going into Lukas' basement to begin whatever they do in magic club.
Author's Note:
"This is magic club, not book club."* - You know how in book clubs the ladies are always gossiping, not even bothering to talk about books? That's what this sentence means. Well they spill it, Gil about his dad, Vali about his feelings. Sorry this chapter being so boring, I think I'm losing my touch. Hope you at least like it a little bit. See you guys! (Yes! I finally got a chapter [that no one really wanted] done before 3:00 am! Before 11:00 pm! FUCK YES.)
(Stop procrastinating and say my name.) O_. Norway, you word things weird.
