I don't own Hetalia or any of the songs used in this chapter…or any chapter for that matter.

Chapter 10: In the Zone

Gilbert adjusted his sleeves as he waited for Matthew to come down stairs. It was 10 pm on a Saturday night and they had places to be.

Gilbert ran a hand through his perpetually messy hair, disturbing Gilbird in the process. He frowned, forgetting his feathered companion was there in his anxiousness. "Hey, Gilbird. You can't hang with us tonight, my man. I don't think the club would be able to handle both of our awesome presences. Why don't you chill with Kumajiro for the night?"

Gilbird extracted himself from the little nest he made and gave a long suffering chirp. Despite the chick's attitude, Gilbird snuggled up to one of Gilbert's cheeks in farewell before zooming off to find Kumajiro who was somewhere in the house for once.

Gilbert went to go grab his phone to check the time only to remember that he didn't have one. Of course, it had probably only been fifteen minutes since he came downstairs himself but he was ready to roll. It had been extremely difficult convincing the Canadian to go out with him after their revelations from last night. So, the sooner he had some concrete evidence that Matthew was going to actually enjoy his choice of entertainment, the better.

Dressed in a black button up shirt, new black jeans, his riding boots (which were the only shoes he brought with him) and his ever present necklace, Gilbert began to pace, needing an outlet for his energy. After about two minutes, Maple Leaf wandered over the entryway between the foyer and the living room. For once, the little bear did not say anything; she just watched Gilbert pace. It didn't help the Prussian's anxiety levels.

Meanwhile, Matthew was debating his attire for the tenth time. The last time Matthew had been to a dance club was in the 1970s with Alfred and he was damn sure that styles had changed since the age of disco.

At a loss, Matthew tried to go with modern. Gilbert told him to dress relatively nice, so Matthew was wearing a dark blue button up shirt, black slacks and dress shoes. The shirt really brought out the color of his eye and the slacks fit him well. Matthew had attempted to tame the curl in front of his face but to no avail. He was in desperate need of a haircut (it almost reached his shoulders now) but there was nothing he could do about that now. With one last look at himself in the mirror, Matthew grabbed his wallet and phone and headed down the stairs to meet Gilbert.

What he found was a pacing demon. Goodness, if Matthew was an overly religious person, he would be more than a little wary about going anywhere with Gilbert. Dressed in all black, his overly pale skin almost seemed to glow and the crimson of his eyes seemed darker, more alive. Combined with a handsome face and the feline grace with which he moved, Gilbert had an otherworldly beauty about him. The kind that would fuck you senseless before your throat was ripped out.

Matthew suppressed a shiver and the insecurities over his appearance doubled. He cleared his throat as he finished coming down the stairs, halting Gilbert's steps and drawing attention to him. "Is what I'm wearing alright? Cause if it's not I'll go change-"

"You look awesome, Birdie," Gilbert said, the look in his eyes unreadable to Matthew. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

Matthew eyed the line into the club. It was around the corner and contained people dressed in various states of undress. Okay, the women were in various states of undress while the men were dressed similarly to Gilbert and Matthew. Good call on the clothing, Gil, Matthew thought. They were approaching the club from the far side of the line which Matthew was not keen on waiting in. Still, he was surprised when Gilbert bypassed the end of the turn to reach the end of the line and continued towards the door.

"Uh, Gil?"

"Yes, Birdie?"

"Don't we have to wait to get in?"

Gilbert smirked. "Oh, Birdie. You really haven't been out in a while have you?"

"Well, no…"

"You know that symbol on our passports and ID cards? It puts us on the guest list everywhere that has one. And I called ahead just in case things were done differently here. Either way, we can go straight to the door."

"What? How does that even work?"

"Francy-Pants and Tony got it pushed through at one of those pointless meetings you go to in the 1980s. It's in all the clauses of building permits to admit 'dignitaries' with the nations' symbol immediately. I know that people sometimes don't actually do anything about what's decided at those world meetings so I called ahead."

"Huh."

"Awesome, right?"

Matthew nodded as the approached the bouncers outside of the door. The both looked large and in charge in black shirts and black cargo pants. Both were as muscular as Ludwig which was impressive. They looked like identical twins with the same features and dark skin. The one on the right spoke. "The line starts around the corner, boys."

"We're on the list."

The one on the left was holding the list on a clip board. "Names and IDs please."

Gilbert handed over his driver's license. "Gilbert Beilschmidt and Matthew Williams."

The guard saw the symbol on Gilbert's license and handed it back to him quickly. Matthew offered his ID but the guard said, "No need, Mr. Williams. You're both clear. If you show your ID's at the VIP entrance they will let you in."

"Thank you, sirs," Matthew said, always polite.

"Ja, danke." Taking Matthew's hand, Gilbert pulled him towards the opening door. "Welcome to my world, Birdie."

The first think Matthew noticed was the noise. When he had walked/been dragged through the door, it felt like he had run into a wall of sound. To go from the relative quiet of outside to this left Matthew a little dazed. It was a good thing Gilbert had his hand or he might have just stood in entry way, waiting for his ears to adjust to this onslaught of music.

Then his eyes burned from flash of the strobe light ruining the night vision that he had acquired from the drive over and the stroll outside. The white globes floating in his vision from the rapid changes of light intensity were given color by the multicolored lasers zooming around the room. Matthew closed his eyes and tightened his hold on to Gilbert's hand, trusting him to lead them through the mess of lights in front of them. Now he could focus on the beat that thrummed through his body with every base note of the fast paced song. He couldn't catch the lyrics and didn't recognize the tune, but the feel of the music was enough to make him want to move to it, just a little.

Gilbert looked back at Matthew at the increase of pressure on his hand. Seeing that he had closed his eyes, Gilbert led Matthew to the nearest available seat and sat him down. Leaning in close to the other so that he could be heard over the music, he yelled, "Are you okay!?"

Matthew slit his eyes opened and stared at Gilbert for a second, seeing his eyes completely opened and his body completely at ease despite the sensory overload that overwhelmed Matthew. "How are you not blinded by the lights?"

Matthew talked in his normal voice which was difficult to hear under normal circumstances. Now it was impossible. Gilbert wished he could read lips. "What did you say!?"

"The lights!" This came out at the volume of most people's inside voices.

"What!?"

"THE-" Oh, fuck it, Matthew thought. He made a motion to shield his eyes from the lights then gestured to Gilbert hoping that the Prussian understood him.

Gilbert, thankfully, did. "I'm just used to it, that's all! Let's find some drinks, okay!?"

Matthew nodded his head then put a hand on Gilbert's shoulder to still him. Then he put his mouth right next to his ear and yelled as hard as he could. "CAN WE FIND THE VIP AREA!? IT MIGHT BE QUIETER!"

Gilbert actually heard this, so he nodded and searched with a practiced eye for the entrance to the VIP section. Spotting the entrance, Gilbert yelled, "I'll lead you there but keep your eyes open! You need to adjust so you can see!"

Matthew nodded and squinted as best he could. Taking Matthew's hand, Gilbert led them through the mass of sweaty patrons as they took a break from dancing. Gilbert thanked God that the entrance to their intended destination was not by the dance floor which was packed with people living their Saturday up.

The bouncer guarding the VIP entrance looked down at Gilbert. He was a tall man of possible Hispanic decent and looked like he knew how to keep things under control. "ID's please!"

Gilbert presented his license once again only to have it handed back to him almost immediately. The bouncer stepped out of the way and opened the door for them. There was a stairway that led upstairs and Gilbert happily led Matthew through. Once the door was closed behind them, the sound level dropped to a reasonable level and the strobe effect was lost. Gilbert was able to talk in his normal voice. "Is this what you wanted?"

"This is just fine, Gil." Matthew dropped Gilbert's hand, able to maneuver himself without difficulty. "Are clubs always like this?"

"No, not always. It probably doesn't help that it's Saturday. Come on."

The two climbed the stairs until they reached the plush region that had to be the VIP section. The royal purple carpet was thick enough that one could feel their feet sink a little with every step. There were various black and white chaise lounges and chairs placed around the room. The tables and accent pillows were silver and the art adorning the wall was tasteful. The most startling feature of the room was the full length window on the left side that gave a perfect view of the dance floor, lasers and all. The best part about it was that the lighting effects did not carry over into this room. Gilbert recalled large mirrors above the dance floor. Clever, Gilbert thought. A two way mirror let the VIP's watch what was happening while keeping them apart from it. It also reflected the light effects that had left Matthew blind.

Gilbert sat down on one of the black chaises that were close to the window. From this vantage point, he was able to take in the layout of the club. The bar downstairs was not far from where he sat Matthew down earlier. He could see rows and rows of well organized liquor, back lit with shifting colors to create a stunning effect. The dance floor was full of people but he could see the individually lit squares underneath them that comprised the actual floor. In addition to this, he several raised platforms in and around the dance floor which had the more adventurous humans dancing on them. The DJ was placed just off the side to the dance floor Not bad, he thought. Not bad at all.

Matthew, however, took in the same sight in quiet amazement. Wow, he thought. It's so different yet the same from back then. Of course, I would have been able to see all this if those lights hadn't been so distracting…

"Excuse me."

Gilbert and Matthew both turned around to see a young woman with short blonde hair and wide brown eyes looking at them. From the looks of her black and white uniform, she was a waitress. "My name is Erica and I'll be serving you tonight. Would either of you like something to drink or eat?"

Gilbert smirked at the girl, getting a slightly flustered looked back. "Perfect timing, Fräulein. Do you serve any German beers?"

Erica thought for a bit then replied. "Yes, sir. We serve Schneider Weisse Original and Paulaner."

"I'll have the Paulaner, bitte."

"And for you, sir?"

"I'll have a whiskey, neat, please."

Gilbert looked at Matthew but Erica took it in stride. "Any particular brand, sir?"

"Crown Royal, please."

Erica nodded. "Right away, sirs. Please make yourselves comfortable."

"Thank you, Erica." Matthew sat down on the surprisingly comfortable chaise. It was rare that something that looked so good would also be so comfy.

Gilbert was still looking at him. "What is it, Gil?"

"I just didn't take you as a whiskey guy, that's all."

"Well, I doubt that they serve Sortilege here." When he saw Gilbert's blank look he said, "It's basically Canadian whiskey and maple syrup liquor."

Gilbert laughed and sat down besides Matthew. "You're probably right, but you should ask anyway. I'm actually surprised Francy-pants didn't make you into wine guy."

Matthew laughed, turning towards Gilbert and settling in. "He actually did try but it turns out I'm like my brother in this respect. Alfred has his bourbon and I have my Sortilege. Wine is too…"

"Trust me, Birdie. You don't have to finish that sentence. I more than understand the avoidance of the stuff. I'm Prussian. All I want to drink is beer."

"Oh, come on, Gil. You've got to drink more than that."

"Well, I drink scotch on occasion. And champagne only when absolutely necessary."

"Well what about…"

And so their conversation carried on, moving from alcohol to music to a variety of other topics. Neither one realized that their discourses were observed with great interest by one of the other patrons. Nor did they know how this patron would affect the rest of their evening.

"Monsieur Williams?"

Matthew looked up to see the shocked face of a co-worker. "Monsieur Deveraux, bonsoir. Comment allez-vous?"

"Comme ci comme ça. Je ne m'attendais pas vous…"

…And this is when Gilbert stopped listening to what was actually said and just focused on the sound of Matthew speaking French. It was different than the Parisian French that he largely understood thanks to spending time with Francis. More sounds were swallowed, making the cadence of speech more rapid than his rusty French could follow easily. A few words were different here and there, but it was still close enough to Parisian French that Gilbert got the jist of what was said. He liked the way Matthew sounded when he spoke his version of French.

The co-workers were speaking for a minute or two about work related things when Matthew looked at Gilbert. "Monsieur Deveraux, I would like you to meet my good friend Gilbert Beilschmidt." Gilbert flinched slightly at his introduction. He didn't want to dwell too much on why, though. "He's staying with me a while."

"It's nice to meet a friend of Monsieur Williams," His accent was different than Matthew's in English. It sounded closer to Alfred's. Gilbert really looked at the man holding his hand out to him. Deveraux was tall, dark and handsome with wavy brown hair and bedroom hazel eyes. He was dressed in tailored slacks and a purple button up shirt that actually made him look good. Gilbert immediately disliked him. Taking the offered hand, Gilbert sneered at the man.

The "nice to meet you," Gilbert responded with clearly didn't match the "fuck off" tone in his voice. The two men's eyes met each other and mutual understanding passed between them in that silent way that guys have. Deveraux wasn't backing down to Gilbert. And that just pissed Prussia off.

Releasing Gilbert's hand, Deveraux purposefully shifted his focus to Matthew, seemingly dismissing Gilbert, but saying, in English mind you, "Well, I hope that you enjoy the rest of your vacation, Monsieur Williams. I don't know how we will survive at the office without you these upcoming weeks."

Matthew laughed, aware of the tension between his co-worker and his friend but unsure what to make of it. He decided to act like nothing was amiss since he didn't know what was wrong. "I'm sure you all will survive just fine without me."

"I don't know about that, Monsieur Williams. I just don't know." After letting his statement hang there for a second, Deveraux continued, "Well, have a good evening."

"You too, Monsieur Deveraux. Drive safely."

"Yeah, see you around, asshole," Gilbert mumbled under his breath, glaring daggers at the other man.

"What did you say, Gil?"

"Nothing, Birdie. But, you know, I just realized that we've been here for at least an hour and we have yet to actually get on the dance floor."

Matthew paled a little. "Uh, Gil, I don't really know how to dance…"

"It's easy, Birdie. All you have to do is move to the beat and let the music guide your actions."

"What?"

"Okay… how about this: I'll dance a song or two down there and you can watch me from up here. I'll get on one of the platforms to make it easy for you to see me one of the songs. That way you can see what I mean when I say 'just move to the beat.' Sound's good?"

"Get on one of the…" Matthew went red just thinking about the embarrassment he would feel dancing on one of the raised platforms. "You don't have to do that Gil. I could easily spot you in a crowd so there is no need to go on one of the platforms…"

"Kesesese, no worries, Birdie. While I appreciate your ability to pick me out of the crowd," Matthew's blush deepened, "I love dancing on tables and the like."

"Well if you're sure."

Gilbert smirked mischievously (which is different than his usual arrogant smirk, by the way). "Oh, yes, Birdie. I'm sure."

Gilbert left the room, eager to show of the skills he had acquired through years of barhopping. Matthew's eyes followed him out of the door, slightly apprehensive for some reason. The ever vigilant patron noticed everything, just as ready to watch Gilbert dance as he was to do so. If Gilbert danced well enough, then he would be perfect for that patron's plan. It was time to see if that grace he displayed walking translated to the dance floor.

Even with the mix the DJ was spinning, Gilbert immediately recognized "I Like That." Pleased with his luck, Gilbert danced his way through the mass of humanity to get to one of the platforms through the intro of the song. By the time the singing began, he was up on the platform closest to the entrance to the VIP section. He looked up briefly to see his tiny reflection on the mirror and smirked. Then, Gilbert closed his eyes and moved.

Matthew could only stare as the nation that he had been housing transformed from the somewhat self-contained man to the embodiment of the music. He knew every change in tempo, every down and up-beat, every perfect moment to twist his body in ways that showed agility, flexibility and remarkable body control. Gilbert had surrendered himself to the song. And it was sexy as hell.

Apparently, Matthew was not the only one who thought so. Within the short five minutes that the song played, Gilbert had gained a small group of fans who stood on the ground below his platform, cheering him on and mimicking his movements.

The song ended too soon and Gilbert ceased dancing. Matthew drew in a shaky breath, a little thrown by the performance. He saw Gilbert hop off the platform and, instead of watching him wade through the humans around him, Matthew turned to their table and drained the rest of his whiskey. He needed time to compose himself before Gilbert made it up the stairs again. He needed time to convince himself that that burning in his stomach was from the whiskey and not from watching the man he called his friend.

Now is the time, the silent patron thought, hurrying down the stairs from the VIP area, to make my entrance.

Gilbert was a little breathless. He had put on a bit of a show for Matthew, he would admit. But he must have looked pretty awesome if all those guys and girls he had to wade through had anything to say about it. Gilbert was at the entrance of the VIP lounge, ready to start walking up the stairs when he was abruptly pulled into the stairwell and slammed against the wall by a surprisingly strong grip. The door to the rest of the club closed and Gilbert, now thoroughly aware of his predicament moved to fight back. "What the-" A voice stopped his movements. A female voice.

"How does a man who walks like he owns the world and dances like sex get trapped in the friend zone?"

Gilbert looked at the woman who had caught him off guard. With wavy black hair to her waist, deep blue eyes, lips that looked naturally red and pale skin, she had a Snow White vibe going for her. But instead of innocence, this woman radiated sin in a blue and black corset, tight black pants and thigh-high leather boots. The look in her eyes screamed determination and her words finally registered with Gilbert. "Look, lady, I have no idea what you're-"

"That man you have been with all night, the one with the beautiful eyes and wayward curl? You want him. Bad."

"No, I don't. We're just-"

"-Friends, right? Then why were you ready to jump that American for talking to him? Why did you tell him to watch you dance before moving like that? Why do you call him such an obvious pet name when he only calls you Gil? Why did you flinch when he introduced you as a friend?" She took in his expression and laughed. "Oh,calm down, will you? I've just been watching you two all night. It's quite clear to anyone bothering to look how you feel about him."

Gilbert swallowed, knowing that this woman had an aim to this conversation. For some reason, he wanted to know what it was. "Why were you watching us? Why does any of that matter?"

"You know why it matters. I started watching you two when you entered the VIP area. You're a bit eye catching, you know? But once I figured out that you were in the same situation as me, I thought we might be able to help each other. Being in the friend zone is a bitch, don't you agree?"

Gilbert stared at this woman, knowing that he should walk away and return to his friend, just his friend, no matter how much that label was beginning to grate his nerves. He knew he should forget the too honest words of this woman and remember his rules. But all he said after a moment was, "What did you have in mind?"

A new song began, signaling to Matthew that it had been a few minutes since Gilbert had stopped dancing. Well, he did say that he might be dancing more than one song… Matthew thought, standing up to survey the dance floor for the recognizable silver mop. It didn't take long to find him.

Standing on the platform in the center of the dance floor featured Gilbert dancing with a very attractive woman. But that didn't quite cover it. It was like watching porn, but everyone had their clothes on. The words of the song, so clear in the VIP area, registered in Matthew's head as he watched the couple dance.

Two single hearts on fire, Currently on the wire

As inhibitions fade, A focused moment made

Bruises and bitemarks say, Takes one to bring the pain

Passion lies in screams of estacitic dreams

You're in a place for fear, lips are for biting here

Let's make the moment worth the while, Let's kill the night and go down in style

Feel the magic rise, we're plotting our demise

Of perspiration and alcohol as I introduce the bedroom brawl

You bring the ropes and chains, I bring the pills and games

I can show you pain and make you say my name...

Matthew didn't know how he felt as he watched the pair dance in almost matching clothes and pale skin that looked ethereal in the strobe lights. The way that they moved to the song, God, it could have been a performance arraigned by the club. Every action and reaction of the duo was meant to display a message of ecstasy and controlled violence. Matthew couldn't know what he felt, but he could discern an utter desire to be in that woman's shoes, no matter how uncomfortable they looked.

"-the fuck is she doing!?" Matthew looked at the man who had come to stand next to him at the glass. His eyes were glued to one spot in the center of floor below them and they were furious. Matthew just couldn't help himself.

"Is she yours?"

The man, who was actually an inch shorter than Matthew with chocolate eyes, a strong jaw line and wide shoulders, almost told the other to fuck off before he recognized him as the man who came in with the albino; the same albino who was practically having sex in the middle of a crowd with his best friend's sister. "Isn't he yours?"

The song was ending and the pair in the VIP section looked down at their counterparts. Gilbert, in all his glory, finished with an almost gentlemanly kiss on the woman's hand, staring into her eyes the entire time. It was a heart stopping moment full of chemistry and heat. It looked to all the world like these two were going to find a nice dark corner to relieve themselves of some tension, and the two men left behind the glass shared a moment of mutual understanding that this could not be allowed to happen. Little did they know that the show was all for them.

"Whew! Good thing you're gay and we're both in love with someone else 'cause otherwise I might just be walking funny tomorrow. That was so hot!"

"Well, thank you. You weren't too bad yourself and I'm actually bi. Oh, and the song choice was awesome."

"The perks of having a brother as the DJ…"

"Kesesese, well I- wait. I'm not in love with Bir- I mean Matthew."

She looked at him like he was an idiot. "Right, and I'm the fucking Easter Bunny." Gilbert opened his mouth to protest but the woman cut him off with a sharp movement of a hand. "Enough of this. We have two probably confused and jealous men to deal with. It was nice plotting with you." She held out a hand.

Gilbert gladly took it. "You, too. I'm Gilbert, by the way."

She gave a laugh that was infectious enough to bring a genuine smile to Gilbert's face at the sound. "Right, we skipped that part, didn't we? I'm Alex. It's nice to meet you, Gilbert. Now let's go deal with our men, shall we?"

Gilbert was expecting the punch so he had time to duck out of the way and move out of range of the man he assumed that Alex was after. He looked into the other's eyes and was pleased to see rage, presumably of the jealous kind. Mission accomplished.

"Richard?" Alex asked in a much softer, more innocent voice than Gilbert had yet heard from the woman. He barely kept his jaw hinged at the sight of confused innocent eyes after the display they had just put on together. Women are dangerous creatures, he thought to himself in awe. "What are you doing to Gilgil?" Gilgil? This woman is a mad genius. She has to be desperate for this man.

"Gilgil?" Both Matthew and this Richard fellow said at the same time with the same amount of disbelief.

Richard had clearly had enough fun for the evening. After shooting one a death glare at Gilbert (who has kept up a poker face through this interaction), Richard simply picked Alex and threw her over his shoulder as he stopped at their table to grab her purse and then left the VIP area. Alex verbally protested her predicament but gave a thumbs up and a smile to Gilbert before she disappeared from view.

"Never mess with a woman with a plan, Birdie. They are some dangerous, crazy ass creatures. She makes me glad I'm more into guys."

"What?"

Gilbert walked over nonchalantly to their table and finished off his beer, signaling Erica for another one across the room. Matthew followed, utterly confused. First he thought that he would have to restrain Gilbert from having sex with the woman in public and now he's being told that Gilbert didn't even like women much? "Can you please explain to me what just happened, Gil?"

"Sure. I was coming up from dancing that first time when Alex-that's her name- asked me to help her make the man she loves jealous so that he could finally see her as something other than a friend/sister figure. One of her brothers is the DJ so I agreed to dance with her for one song to help her out. I made sure to make it as heated as possible. It looks like her plan worked."

"…oh."

"Oh? That's all I get for awesomely helping a damsel in distress? Oh?"

Matthew looked askance at Gilbert for a moment. "Well what were you expecting for dancing like a wet-dream in public just to make someone jealous? A pat on the head, maybe?"

"So you liked my dancing, hmmm?"

Matthew went red. You have no idea how much I liked your dancing, Matthew thought. What he said was, "Sure, you're pretty smooth on the dance floor. It's a shame you can't be that smooth in the kitchen."

Gilbert laughed. "Well, excuse me, Mr. Domestic. It only makes sense that I'm more awesome at some things than others. If I was awesome at everything the world would not be big enough to contain my awesomeness."

Matthew face-palmed. "You're a mess."

Gilbert chugged his newly arrived beer then said, "Let's see what you learned from my show, ja?" Gilbert extracted his wallet and threw enough bills on the table to cover everything and leave a nice tip. Gilbert then stood and looked at Matthew expectantly. Matthew tossed back he recently refilled whiskey and sighed. He figured that he was going to be embarrassed so a little liquid courage was welcome. As he walked out of the VIP lounge with Gilbert, he wished that alcohol had more effect on Nations so he could blame what he knew would be a sorry excuse for dancing on decreased motor skills. Oh, well.

*break*

Gilbert recognized the song playing the minute the saxophone line began. He smiled slightly to himself then looked at Matthew, forced to yell again to be heard over the volume. "This song is a little up tempo so just follow the beat, not the melody, okay!?"

Matthew, with his eyes back into slits as he tried to navigate in the strobe lit area, nodded. They were on the edge of the dance floor, giving Matthew a quick escape if he needed one. Gilbert began to dance like he always does, throwing caution into the wind as he moves to the beat, entranced by the music. Matthew tired to imitate Gilbert but he was failing. He ended up doing an awkward little shuffle in time with the music, but that was the best he had to offer at this point. Exhaustion hit him on the way down the stairs, reminding him of his lack of quality sleep the night before and the emotional trials of his morning. God, he thought. What time is it anyway?

Gilbert couldn't help but notice that Matthew was fading fast. Concerned, he asked, "Are you okay!? Do you want to go!?"

Matthew snapped back to himself. It was Gilbert's turn to show him how he had fun. He wasn't going to deny the man at least one dance. Summoning on reserves of energy, Matthew reached for Gilbert's hand and started his shuffling motions again with new vigor. Realizing that he would never be heard over the music, Matthew mouthed the words, Help me dance.

Gilbert understood and took charge of the situation. He looped Matthew's arms around his neck and placed his hands on Matthew's slim hips. In time with the music, Gilbert moved them together. It was less perfect, less smooth than when Gilbert danced by himself, but he loved it more than any dance he had experienced. With a small smile on his lips, Gilbert danced with the one he might possibly love and it was amazing.

Matthew was startled when Gilbert placed his hands on his hips to move them from side to side in time with the beat but soon began to relax as Gilbert led their dance. He found himself looking at Gilbert's face instead of their feet as the song progressed.

Hey, sexy boy, set me free

Don't be so shy, play with me

My dirty boy, can't you see

That you belong next to me…

Matthew was staring at Gilbert's mouth. He had been for a while. Gilbert had noticed and let the tension build between them. Thanks to the interference of the interesting human woman, Gilbert could no longer neither ignore that his attraction to Matthew was more than normal in a friendship nor act like the attraction was purely physical. He was throwing his rules out the window, but he wanted Matthew to make the first move. While he was now aware of his stance, he was still unclear on Matthew's. And while the physical chemistry between them was explosive, Gilbert didn't just want this to just be about lust. He didn't know if it was love, but he wanted to find out. He wanted to do this right. Of course, doing thing right started with telling Matthew about why he came to Canada in the first place. Gilbert frowned at the thought.

Matthew mentally started and physically stumbled at the sight of Gilbert's frown. Gilbert caught him and ended up pulling him closer into his body in order to steady the Canadian. Matthew's eyes widened and Gilbert stepped away with a sigh. "You're tired! Let's go home, okay!?"

Matthew nodded. Sooner than he expected, he was standing in the cool air of the early morning. Refreshed by the fresh air, Matthew drove them back to his house in silence. He could tell that something had changed between them, he was just unsure what was different.

It wasn't until Matthew pulled up into his driveway that he said, "I had a lot of fun tonight, Gil. Thanks for taking me out."

Gilbert smiled slightly. "Anytime, Birdie. It was awesome."

Silence fell again and it was full of words yet unsaid and unresolved tensions. Gilbert rubbed the back of his neck, his actions for the next day fixed in his mind. After walking into the house, Gilbert knew he had to get away from Matthew if only to keep from jumping him to relieve the tension between them. "Goodnight, Birdie. See you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Gil. Sleep well."

The two separated, each aware of their own emotions and insecurities. Matthew went to sleep hoping that these complicated feelings would be gone by morning and Gilbert hoped that rest would give him the surety he needed to do what he planned. Neither would know until the sun rose in the morning the failure of sleep to grant these wishes. But, for now, they slept.

A/N:

Songs used in this chapter: "I Like That" by Richard Vission and Static Revenger (Staring Luciana), "Bruises and Bitemarks" by Good With Granades and "Mr. Saxobeat" by Alexandra Stan

Song for this chapter: "Hot Mess" by Cobra Starship

Edit 8/29/15: Okay, a quick note here. I have really grown as a person in the two years since I wrote this, so I changed a few minor details to make Gil's bisexuality more apparent than before. Also, I had some serious internalized misogyny going on, so let me explain some things. "The friend zone?" Not an actual thing. Why did I leave it in? Because it was a socially recognizable term that would get the point across. As for the OOC of Alex, she is based off of an occ from my private original fiction who is not afraid of going after what she wants in a blunt matter and was getting sick of her brother's best friend ignoring what they could have just because she was someone's sister. As for Richard literally carrying her off, I thought it was the most expedient and funny way of showing that Alex succeeded.