While getting ready for bed, after removing all the pillows, Matthew found himself standing next to his bed lost in thought. It had been an interesting day. He never would have expected to have a conversation with Gilbert like the one he had, and especially not to hear Gilbert say the things he did. It was… refreshing in an odd way.

If Matthew were to be completely honest, before today he was afraid of what would happen if he and Gilbert remained friends. Before their conversation, he spent time wondering if he would ever be open with his friend and what Gilbert would think of him, but his fear dissolved after that afternoon.

The whole thing bought his image of Gilbert down to earth, it humanized him. Ever since the bridge, he sometimes wondered if Gilbert was even real. Gilbert was just too amazing, too great in so many ways, and too convenient to turn up now. It was as if some higher being looked down on Matthew's life and bestowed upon him the best possible gift, someone to love.

Matthew started at the direction his thoughts had taken. Did he really just use the L word? He was comfortable enough with himself to admit he formed a small crush on Gilbert, but he hadn't thought much of it. Never in the past was he close to someone he was attracted to. The whole predicament left him a little lost.

He had no idea what to do in a situation like this. Hide his feelings? Go for it? He didn't even know if Gilbert was gay for God's sake! Should he bring that up first? He really didn't expect to be judge for his own sexual preferences. Gilbert knew about his dads and was cool with it. But where did Gilbert stand?

Matthew laid down with a sigh. Of course, the moment he gets a really good friend he develops a crush on them. He thought back to everything he knew about Gilbert; replayed each moment in his head as he lay there in the dark staring at the ceiling. He thought back to the multitude of lunchtimes; then to the times in the hallway.

Then he thought of Elizabeta. Then he thought of Elizaveta and Gilbert. Elizabeta and Gilbert. How had he not seen that before? There had to be something there… even if they didn't know it.

They gave off one of those 'Kim Possible and Ron Stopable' vibes, destined to be together. He bet everyone that knew them longer saw it. Gilbert even did that thing where he pretends to be tough when he really isn't.

Guys do that to impress girls, right? Matthew wasn't completely positive. It wasn't anything he ever did before, but he never really had close relationships with crushes.

He sighed.

I guess it would be best to let it go right now.

He knew he was being pessimistic with the whole Elizaveta thing. That kind of thought process was still ingrained in him. It was hard to imagine things going his way even if they had recently. He would just let things flow normally. Besides, it was just a crush.

Gilbert walked into his homeroom class earlier than usual. The room was already full of kids bustling about; the noise of a constant chatter cascaded around the room. Gilbert paid no heed to his classmates. He had one person to talk to and a conversation from the day before running through his head.

Gilbert walked up to Elizaveta's desk and slammed both hands on the surface, his body looming over her confused form.

"Okay. I'm in." Gilbert stated seriously.

Elizaveta looked back at him in confusion before responding, "What?"

Gilbert plopped down in his desk sideways as to still face his friend. He waved his hand about as if trying to conjure words as he began speaking, "You know," He waved his hand about more as if he could magically send the message to her head instead of having to say them out loud.

Elizaveta raised an eyebrow at him as she inquired, "What do I know?"

Gilbert sighed trying to suppress the embarrassment he felt.

"You know about what you said yesterday? About helping out with Matthew? I'm in," he exasperated not liking having to verbally ask for her help.

Elizaveta smirked and leaned forward at his words.

"Oh really now? And what made you change your mind?"

"I hung out with Matthew, we talked a bit, and I decided I want to go for it, okay?" Gilbert exasperated.

"You talked? About what?"

Gilbert glared not really angry. "It's none of your business."

Elizaveta put her hands up in mock defense replying, "I was just curios," she put her hands down before continuing, "…And I guess that means he didn't say anything about being gay?"

Gilbert leaned back in his chair dragging out a, "No."

Elizaveta hummed in response. After a moment Gilbert having yet to move from his awkward position spoke up stating, "You never said if you were going to help."

"Do you really need to ask that?"

Gilbert chuckled while he sat up, "I guess not."

He stretched his arms above his head. "So, all knowing woman, what should I do?"

"Oh yeah, I can definitely get used to being called that. But I'm thinking it might be best to just scope things out first. Take it slow, you know?"

Gilbert replied, "Yeah, I guess you're right. And here I thought this would be easy, and you would do all the work."

Elizaveta rolled her eyes. "I'm more here to help you out and push you in the right direction. AKA make sure you don't do something stupid like usual."

Gilbert nodded. "Yeah, okay I can see that. Hey! Wait! Like Usua –"

The bell rang cutting him off.

He glared at Elizaveta hissing, "This isn't over."

She just joked, "It definitely isn't if you're gonna get your man."

Gilbert walked to his second period class with a nervous feeling sitting in his stomach. He hadn't seen Matthew since he came to terms with his own feelings yesterday. He knew it was stupid to worry about how to act. It wasn't like anything had changed, but it sure felt like it.

He would just have to act like he normally did. It couldn't be hard. He liked Matthew before. He was just openly admitting it now. All he had to do was listen to Elizaveta's advice: "Be yourself."

He didn't know what he was expecting to hear from Elizaveta this morning. She was always good with relationship stuff. He supposed he expected her to tell him some big advice on it all; not some overused cheesy line. He sighed.

Gilbert guessed that if Elizaveta said it there must be some truth to it, and at least it was something easy. It really can't be that hard to just be his awesome self.

His words backfired the moment he walked into his second period classroom and laid his eyes on Matthew. Matthew had yet to see Gilbert, too occupied flipping through his notebook.

Gilbert paused in the doorway. He swallowed; his tongue suddenly seeming out of place in his mouth. He took a breath; then gripped the strap of his backpack one finger at a time before continuing to walk.

Matthew looked up to meet Gilbert's eyes right before the albino sat down.

Gilbert attempted to plop in the seat like usual but hit himself at an odd angle making a pain sore through his back from his collarbone. Matthew began to laugh loudly as Gilbert cursed the desk.

"Dude, it's so not funny," Gilbert grunted rubbing his butt.

"I don't know. I think it's hilarious," Matthew chuckled eye alight.

Gilbert look at Matthew's ready to make a snide comment but ended up chuckling.

"Yeah, Yeah, we'll see if I'm sympathetic next time you do something stupid," Gilbert joked.

Matthew paused before letting out a forced laugh. He wasn't sure exactly what Gilbert meant, and if he was getting the wrong hints from it.

Gilbert started as he heard Matthew's laugh, and then he realized what he said. Damn, he thought. At first he was going to lighten the mood again, but then he realized that this could be a chance to tell Matthew about what he knew.

"Hey, Birdie?"

"Yeah?" Matthew question distractedly as he started digging through his backpack for a pen.

The late bell rang as Gilbert opened his mouth to speak.

Matthew smiled requesting, "Tell me after class, okay?"

"Uh… yeah." Gilbert felt half there as if he really was sitting at the other side of the room watching the exchange. He was turning to face the front of the classroom as the teacher began to lecture when his conscious finally rejoined his body. His mind went haywire.

He had almost told Matthew. He was about to say that he knew about the cutting and the attempted suicide and everything. That… was that even a good idea? Looking back, it didn't completely see like the right time. He never planned out how to go about saying it. He had completely forgotten about mentioning it until now.

"Maybe it was good I didn't tell. Aren't there like specific ways you have to mention it?" he mused about his luck as he tried to rack his brain about people who train to talk to teens with the same problems as Matthew.

In all honesty, he had no idea what he was doing. He liked Matthew, he really did, and he knew he should tell. He just wasn't sure how, and if Matthew even would want him to bring it up. With the way Matthew acted it seemed as if he already knew that Gilbert knew and was just avoiding upfront confrontation about it. Gilbert was still around; still treating him with respect, watching his words and those things, maybe that was all he needed to do about it.

Gilbert continued flipping ideas over in his head as he completely zoned out of class. He looked over at Matthew who was diligently taking notes. Gilbert smiled thinking, "…overachiever."

When the bell rang signaling the end of class, the two friends got up as usual to walk most of the way to their next classes together.

In the hallway, Matthew questioned, "Oh, before I forget, what did you want to say earlier?"

"Oh… uh, I don't really remember. It wasn't important."

Alfred watched Matthew in their third period class just trying to understand his brother. Something was up recently, but he just couldn't place it. He was going to spend some time with Matthew yesterday after school to figure it out, but got caught up with some friends instead.

Alfred narrowed his eyes as if that would help see through the layer of skin worn on Matthew for everyone to see, as if it would give him a special x-ray vision to see thoughts or feelings instead of what his normal eyes saw.

Alfred liked superheroes. Unfortunately, he was not a superhero and could only see his brother sitting in class with a small smile obviously not paying attention.

It made no sense to Alfred. Matthew was happy right now, and the other day he was really sad, and earlier than that he was angry. It was like a mood swing that was lasting over a long period of time. He considered what could be changing in his brother's life that could cause these mood swings.

The only thing he could come up with were Matthew's friends. Matthew used to have much more free time for some bro-chill-time, BCT as Alfred referred to it, and just was a naturally laid-back-at-home kind of person. Now, Matthew was out of the house all the time, hanging out with friends almost every day.

Alfred suspected drugs, peer pressure maybe, or worse, peer pressure into doing drugs.

Matthew was a shy person; he didn't have a lot of close friends that he hung out with. To Alfred, that seemed like a perfect candidate to be manipulated.

Alfred shook his head and tried to pay attention to the teacher. He never did well with worry. It was Matthew's business who he hung out with, he was a smart kid and could take care of himself. Alfred didn't doubt Matthew had that capability, but just knew his brother was like. Besides, it was kind of his job to make sure Mattie was okay, it had been like that a while.

He just needed to scope things out.

Alfred glanced at Matthew.

He would have to start small. Matthew never liked him meddling.

Lunch among Matthew's friends was a calmer affair than most days. There wasn't as much loud arguing and excited chatter. Lovino was attempting to give Antonio the silent treatment while Antonio tried to coax him into talking, Ludwig was trying to explain various math problems to Feliciano who listened diligently, and Gilbert was just talking less.

Gilbert was putting it off as being hungry and not wanting to talk with his mouth full, but in reality he was thinking of things to say. Elizaveta watched him with a roll of her eyes not understanding why he was so dramatic.

Elizaveta made sure Matthew wouldn't hear as she leaned over to Gilbert and muttered, "Dude, it's not hard, just talk like you normally do but with more flirt," referring to the advice she told Gilbert as she passed him in the hall on the way to the cafeteria.

Gilbert glanced at Matthew who was currently discussing some book with Roderich – Roderich had been pleased to discover that Matthew was an avid reader of literature, especially classics.

"I can't just do that. It's Matthew," Gilbert whispered with as much exasperation as he could muster in his quiet voice.

Elizaveta rolled her eyes. "Seriously, Gil? That should be the reason it is easier! You flirt all the time with people."

"That's different."

"Whatever. But you need to show you're interested at least."

"No shit, Sherlock," Gilbert said followed by the complaint, "why did I tell you about this again?"

Gilbert knew why. It's because he didn't want to horribly screw it up. This wasn't just some random hot person at a party. This was Matthew and he was just… different.

Gilbert began to listen in on Roderich's and Matthew's conversation waiting for a moment to jump in.

"I know we are supposed to feel sympathy for Humbert, but I just couldn't," Matthew was saying to Roderich.

Roderich responded, "Yes, but after hearing the story from his view it was obviously something out of his control, so it he wasn't completely at fault."

Matthew balked. "Oh come on! He so killed Mrs. Hayes, and his mind made up for it! How can you not see that? And it symbolized that no one could stop him!"

Gilbert smiled at how offended Matthew looked by Roderich's views of whatever novel they were currently talking about. He looked at Roderich to see the teen considering Matthew's words with speculation.

Roderich was about to retort when Matthew raised an eyebrow combined with a look challenging Roderich to say something. At that point Gilbert laughed unable to just watch.

"Oh shut up," Roderich snapped. "It's not you can have a proper opinion. You didn't even read the book."

Gilbert grinned as he retorted, "That I did not, but I know Birdie here has to be right." He threw an arm over Matthew's shoulders that were shacking with laughter.

Roderich shot Gilbert an annoyed look before turning to Antonio to advise him to stop pestering Lovino.

Gilbert squeezed Matthew's shoulder before slowly moving his arm back to his person. Matthew felt the ghost of his handprint prickling on his skin through the hoodie he wore. He tried to will away the blush that was forming at the feeling only partly successful.

After a few moments Gilbert questioned, "Hey, Birdie, you want to come over today?"

"Yeah, that'd be fun."

Matthew smiled.

A/N: Well this was a long time coming. It took me forever to find all the papers this was written on to type up. I think there was another scene, but it might have been accidentally thrown away with whatever notes from last semester it was written on ^^' I should invest in a notebook, so I can actually write on the go and more often.

The novel referenced was Lolita for anyone who was wondering. Prizes for people who caught that when reading.

Thanks everyone who is sticking with this despite the fact we are going on 2 years now (wow I've been working on this half of my high school career come april). And thanks to all the new people jumping in this story. I have no idea where you guys are popping up from, but welcome and hope ya'll all enjoy this chapter and what is to come.