what's great about me not having internet for a little bit, it forces me to actually sit down and write a fic.
Matthew and Ivan were driving through the forest at the moment. It was quiet; they were both a little on edge. Ivan was wondering how Matthew had managed to get out of his house, but the boy dismissed it saying that he just snuck out, like he had done so many times before. Ivan figured he could believe that, there was just something weird about the way he said it, weird about the look in his eyes.
Matthew focused on the roads and drove the speed limit for once. It looked like he was being careful not to be pulled over. He was on edge, assisting a fugitive, becoming a fugitive himself, and there was also what Alfred said before he left.
Get him out of here Matthew… get him far away from this town.
"Matthew? What's bothering you?"
So Ivan can see through him? Matthew sighed, turning to Ivan, taking his eyes off of the road for literally half a second before THUD! They freaked out and pulled over. Did they just hit someone!? They took the back roads through the woods, who would be out here in this cold weather and this time of day, it was almost night.
Matthew got out of the car and had Ivan hide in the back. Matthew's eyes widened, of all people this is the one they hit? He heard voices approaching. He quickly picked the kid up and threw him into the back of the car with Ivan. Ivan's eyes widened at who landed on him passed out.
"Wait why id Feliciano here!?"
Matthew stepped on it, "I don't know, we have to drive now! People are coming!"
Matthew sat back and drove at his usual speeds. Ivan was there holding Feli in his arms. The Russian boy's eyes were closed and Matthew sighed to himself. He continued driving hoping this feeling would pass, this feeling of knowing. It sucked to be smart, sometimes he wished he knew as little about life as Ivan. But then again didn't Ivan know as much as anyone else? He knew loss, he knew hate, he knew happiness, he knew all sorts of strange and terrible things, but it was those things that made him appreciate the new and sweet things, the things that made him believe that through everything that's bad there are little kind things sprinkled in all over the world. It was that kind of thought that made him want to try harder at being himself and being with other people.
Matthew looked behind him. It was here Ivan was happy. That was his gift wasn't it? He can be cold and cruel and then he can be good and warm. Ivan, aren't you why we've been able to see all the little good things lately? Or maybe… is it because of him? Matthew looked at Feli and then back to the road. That's right, if Feliciano never opened his arms no one might have even had a glimpse at this beautiful world. It was Feliciano who opened the door and allowed Ivan something, and he, in turn, allowed everyone else something too. It wasn't tangible and it could hardly be described. Was it the simple fact that he made them happy? Was it simply that he gave them a sense of discomfort and peace all at once? Maybe it was because he was always the odd man out, and understood everyone's emptiness and aloneness. He understood it better than anyone, he allowed it to consume him, and then he showed up: this little wonder of a boy who loved carbohydrates. Was this sleeping kid the reason Ivan was able to change so much?
Why did Matthew have to feel jealous? In the end it was always hopeless, no that isn't the right word. Matthew sighed changing courses. Alfred wanted him to take Ivan away, Felix wanted Ivan to run, Matthew just wanted to run with him. But in the end that isn't what's best. Maybe now, instead of running, would be the time to fight? Ivan, you can do it can't you? You can fight and win and you can live and you can change the world around you. Matthew will help you. Felix will help you. You have the support of Arthur's gang for God's sake. But more important than all of them, the one person you want to protect with all of your strength, he will be the one to help you. He will be the one to stand by you when you fight and the one to come and save the day when you're down. They're both scared, they're all scared, and they'll always be scared unless the stand up now and fight; fight to win, fight to live.
Feliciano groaned, almost waking up, but instead he stayed asleep, pulling into the warmth of Ivan's hold. Matthew saw the sight and groaned himself. He pulled over Ivan looked around, hadn't he been here before? Matthew didn't have a lot of time now, he had to say this before Feliciano woke up.
"Get out," he said.
Ivan opened his eyes in confusion, "What?"
"You don't want to run away do you?"
"Y-yes I do! What about you? Weren't we going to run away together?"
Matthew glared at Ivan, "You know that can't happen."
"Why not? Everything was okay until a few minutes ago?"
Matthew unbuckled his seat belt and leaned into Ivan, giving him a quick kiss before slapping him. Then Ivan realized where they were. Wasn't this the lot Matthew took Ivan to the first time they went driving together? This was where Matthew kissed him wasn't it? Ivan held his face and Matthew turned away from the two kids and looked ahead out the dashboard.
"Get out Ivan, this is where you belong."
Ivan set Feli down on the seat and leaned up to the front of the car, "Matthew, are you crying?"
"NO!" He yelled back with tears streaming down his face, "I'm not sad! I get it! It's fine! Just shut up and get out!"
Ivan opened the car door and Matthew told him to take Feliciano with him. Matthew knew why Feli was in the woods; he knew that they were secretly looking for each other.
"I'm sorry," Ivan quietly said with the Italian boy on his back.
Matthew opened the window, "Why are you apologizing? I'm the one who did stuff to you."
Matthew was glaring to keep his feeling in check. Ivan smiled at Matthew, "Yeah but… Matthew?"
"What?"
"We're still friends right? I didn't upset you did I?"
Matthew groaned opening the car door for the two, "Come on."
"Are we running away," smiled Ivan.
"Shut up, only kids run away. We're not kids anymore. Let's take that one home and then figure out how to fix this mess."
"But we can't fix-"
"Ugh, after everything we've all done together, you, me, the club, and pasta face over there, you really think we can't solve a problem as simple as this?"
"But my dad-"
"Is probably still looking for you. Come on Ivan, let's go home. Let's go back to school. Let's go back to eating food and dancing together at the club. Let's all go back to the way things were and be happy. Okay?"
Be happy? Was that even still possible, Ivan wondered?
"I get it Ivan, when you're young everything feels like the end of the world, but it's not. Fight Ivan, fight and live. But most importantly fight for that guy, the one you're holding. Because if you quit now he'll be the one that regrets it the most."
Ivan stared at Matthew and then back to Feli. Be happy, could Ivan really be happy in a world without these people? Sure, they weren't very good people, but they weren't very bad either. Matthew, aren't you just acting angry because you want Ivan to go back? You want to give him a second chance, right?
"Thank you Matthew, for everything," said Ivan.
"Yeah well if you really want to thank me you can start with a blow job," Smirked the ghost boy.
Ivan's face turned bright red and Matthew took out a joint and lit it, opening the window, "Just kidding."
The car started up again and they were headed to Feliciano's house when BUMP!
"ANOTHER ONE," screamed Matthew looking at his kill count.
"WELL QUICK GO GET HIM!" Yelled Ivan.
Matthew opened the car door and flinched, he just hit Ludwig Beilschmidt…
"We're gonna need a bigger boat…"
"What was that," Ivan asked not sure of who they hit or what Matthew said.
"I think we should leave this one here."
"What!?"
"… it's Ludwig," Matthew said turning his face to Ivan's.
"… We… should… pick him up too? Maybe?"
"He'll punch your face in."
"But we can't just leave him here… can we?"
"Only one way to find out," Matthew grinned, getting back into the driver's seat leaving Ludwig there.
Yay update! I'm sure this chapter feels kind of random but look, this part of the story is almost over, so just get ready for everything to change and get ready for a gang fight!
