I LIVED BITCHES
The next prompt is finally done! This really shouldn't have taken me as long as it did, I'm so sorry!
Anyway, for any non-Dutch people, this prompt will probably need an explanation; the Top 2000 is an annual radio programme on NPO Radio 2 and it started in 1999. Through voting, people make a list of the 2000 most popular songs. The Top 2000 starts on Eerste Kerstdag, First Christmas Day (yeah we have 2 Christmas days), and continues non-stop (with exceptions for ads and the news) till midnight on New Year's Eve.
There have been 20 editions so far, and for 16 of those, Bohemian Rhapsody has been number 1. The other 4 times, the number 1s have been:
Avond by Boudewijn de Groot, in 2005; Hotel California by Eagles, in 2010 and 2014; Imagine by John Lennon became 1st in 2015.
For the top 3 in this story, I used the top 3 of 2018. You can find the complete lists on Wikipedia: https/nl./wiki/Lijst_van_Radio_2-Top_2000%27s and on the Top 2000 site: https/www.nporadio2.nl/top2000
An oliebol is a traditional Dutch beignet. It's made by scooping some dough into a deep fryer, putting it into hot oil and waiting till a sphere-shaped oliebol emerges. It's often eaten on New Year's Eve. Literally translated it's 'oil ball'. (everyone say 'thank you wikipedia' cuz even tho I am Dutch, I couldn't explain what an oliebol is even if someone would hold a gun to my head)
Femke is Belgium's human name, Luxembourg's is Laurent.
This year, New Year's Eve would be celebrated at Tim's. Partly because Matt really didn't want to be at Alfred's to celebrate ('He's just so… loud, and everything is way over-the-top,' the Canadian had told Tim), partly because of the snacks, and partly because of the music.
Ever since 1999, an annual radio programme called 'Top 2000' started airing, featuring the best and most popular songs 'of all time'. ''It starts on Christmas,'' Tim had explained to him. ''Thank god for that. It is kinda like a non-stop playlist of 2000 songs, chosen by basically everyone. It ends on New Year's Eve.''
''But… why does it start on Christmas? Isn't that like, the most wonderful time of the year?'' Matt had asked with a smirk. Tim snorted and rolled his eyes. ''Probably because people were getting crazy of all that Christmas music. Or they just wanted to end the year with some decent music.''
Which brings them to the present; Matt, Femke, Laurent and Tim together in Tim's house on New Year's Eve, all settled on the couch in his living room, eating oliebollen. Everyone was chatting happily, telling jokes and stories.
''Did I ever tell you about that time that Tim almost got his ass frozen off because he was too stubborn to wear proper clothes to protect him from the cold in the middle of winter,'' Femke said to Matthew, looking at Tim who was too busy talking to Laurent to notice. Matthew chocked on his drink and shook his head. ''No, I don't think yoou have.''
Femke smirked. ''Alright, so Smartass McFuckYouSisIDoWhateverIWant here decided to, in the middle of winter, go for a swim. Yes, he did that,'' she added at Matt's incredulous look. ''So, of course I tried to stop him. Obviously, it didn't work. Anyway, Tim decided to go to the sea in the middle of winter, without any scarf, hat, gloves or jacket and just jumped right in. And as the stubborn ass he is, he just didn't admit it was way too cold. We had to threaten him that we would let you read all of his poetry, and only then he came out of the water. He was way too cold to be healthy, but did he admit that? Noooo, of course not! We had to drag his undercooled ass to a fire and make him sit there for God knows how long. And somehow, this because a Dutch tradition, because Dutch people are-!''
''And here I thought you already told Matt all embarrassing stuff about me. You better watch the next words that'll come out of your mouth, sis,'' Tim smirked. Matthew stared at him. ''You- you did that?! You actually did that? And it's a tradition?! How- What-''
Laurent decided that now was a good moment to speak up. ''I think you guys broke him.''
They all looked at Matthew, who was still spluttering and trying to wrap his head around the fact that his boyfriend jumped into a freezing cold sea for fun and that it was a tradition.
In the silence that followed when Matt decided to give up on that and just accept it (as Dutch people are crazy anyway). The radio could be heard quite well in that silence.
''Seems like the announcement of the top 3 is about to start,'' Ned said thoughtfully.
''What?'' asked Matt, which resulted in the other three turning to look at him with an incredulous look.
''You- you don't know the Top 2000?'' Femke asked. When Matthew shook his head, she turned to Tim. ''You didn't bother to explain the Top 2000 to your boyfriend?!'' she almost screamed at him.
''Yeah, that's the best part of the end of the year!'' Laurent agreed.
Matt just sat there, confused.
''Okay, okay, calm down, I'll explain it to Matt right now, but be quit while I explain, or no more oliebollen for you!''
Turning his attention to Matt, Tim began explaining: ''The Top 2000 is an annual radio program on one of the many radio stations. It's about the 'top 2000 best songs ever made', which also is their slogan, and people make a list through voting for the best and most popular songs. It starts on Christmas Day and it ends on New Year's Eve. Now, they've already announced the top 3 in the beginning of December, but none of you where there so I'm going to keep it a secret,'' Tim said, smirking. This earned him a death stare from Femke and Laurent rolling his eyes, so Matt assumed (correctly) that Tim did this every year too.
Feeling the urge to temporarily leave the room (but mainly the staring contest between Tim and Femke that had started when Tim answered Femke's death stare with one of his own), he quickly stood up and said, ''I-I'm going to get some more drinks and snacks.''
When he came back into the living room with snacks and drinks, the staring contest had ended. Instead, he found three grown-up nations sitting in front of the radio like their life depended on it. ''Uh… guys, what's happening?''
''Shhh, they're announcing the Top 3!'' Femke and Laurent shushed him. He quickly put the tray on the table and joined the trio on the ground. Tim smiled at him with a teasing glint in his eyes, leaned into him and whispered, ''I'll translate later.'' Matt smiled back at him and nodded. Their moment was ruined by Femke, who let out a high-pitched squeal, which announced them that the announcement had started.
''En de top 3 van de radio 2 Top 2000 zijn…'' the announcer said in a mysterious voice. ''Nummer 3!'' a female voice said. The opening notes of the song start playing. After a few seconds, the announcer speaks up: ''Nummer 3 is Piano Man van Billy Joel!'' After some applause and cheering, the female voice spoke up again. ''Nummer 2!'' This time, Matt recognized the opening notes. ''Op nummer twee staat Hotel California van de Eagles!'' More and cheering and clapping. ''En dan nu, de nummer één!'' the announcer cut off the applause and cheering. ''Nummer 1!'' the female voice cheerfully said. The opening notes started playing, and really, if you don't know this song than you either live under a rock or you're dead. ''En op nummer één staat… Bohemian Rhapsody van Queen!'' The cheering and applause was even louder than the last time.
Tim turned to look at Matt. ''Do you want a word-for-word translation or a loose one?''
''I think the loose one will do,'' Matt answered smirking. Tim answered his smirk with one of his own. ''They basically just announced the top 3; Piano Man, Hotel California and Bohemian Rhapsody.'' Tim shrugged.
Matt stared at him. ''That-that's it?''
Tim smirked. ''Yep.''
''That's all he said?''
''Pretty much, yeah.''
Matthew stared some more. Eventually, the only thing coming out of his mouth was a small, ''Why.''
Laurent looked at Tim. ''I think you broke him again.''
Femke chimed in with, ''Does anyone has a shock blanket?''
Tim rolled his eyes. ''You guys are impossible.''
When Matt snapped back to reality sometime later, all three siblings where discussing something with each other. Matt probably wasn't supposed to hear it, or they really wanted to talk Dutch now and had an excuse to do so now Matt was ''zoned out''.
''Dus, Timmie, wanneer ga je hem ten huwelijk vragen?'' Femke asked Tim, who became very red in a very short time. In the corner of his eye, he saw Laurent enthusiastically nodding.
''Jongens, hou op, ik weet niet eens of-''
''Als je nu gaat zeggen dat je niet weet of Matt met je wil trouwen, dan laat ik je nu een aanzoek doen!''
Ah. So it was about him. He cleared his throat and immediately, three pair of eyes were on him. Femke smirked, Laurent tried to hold his laughter, and Tim was hiding his face in his hands. He raised his eyebrow but then sighed. ''You know what, I don't even want to know.''
''Really?'' Femke aksed.
''Really.''
''Are you sure?'' Laurent asked.
''Yes.''
''Aww, you're no fun,'' Femke told him.
''But- Hey! Guys! Bohemian Rhapsody is about to start!'' Laurent cut himself off mid-sentence.
''What else is new,'' muttered Tim. Femke smacked his arm and told him to shut up. Tim just rolled his eyes but kept quiet.
The opening notes of the song started playing. Tim looked at Matt, a smile playing on his lips. When he noticed Matt's questioning stare, he gestured to Matt to come over. Matt smiled and sat down next to him.
Then, Femke started singing: ''Is this the real life?
Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide,
No escape from reality.''
Laurent joined in: ''Open your eyes,
Look up to the skies and see.''
''I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy,'' Tim sang.
''Because I'm easy come, easy go,
Little high, little low,
Any way the wind blows doesn't really matter to me, to me,'' the three of them sang.
Matt stared at them, open-mouthed. So this was the 'tradition' that Tim was talking about earlier. Then he decided, 'what the hell, I might as well join in.'
When Matt joined in, voice soft and insecure, the three of them immediately stopped singing to listen to him. He felt himself blush. ''Mama, just killed a man,
Put a gun against his head,
Pulled my trigger, now he's dead.
Mama, life had just begun,
But now I've gone and thrown it all away.''
When he finished his bit, he saw Tim smiling at him. Like an actual, genuine smile. It only made him blush more. Seeing Matt's hitch, Tim slung his arm over his shoulder and sang the next bit:
''Mama, ooh,
Didn't mean to make you cry,
If I'm not back again this time tomorrow,
Carry on, carry on as if nothing really matters.''
Laurent sang the next bit again: ''Too late, my time has come,
Sends shivers down my spine,
Body's aching all the time.
Goodbye, everybody, I've got to go,
Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth.''
Femke took over: ''Mama, ooh.'' While Laurent quietly sang: ''any way the wind blows'',
Femke glared at him and sang a bit louder, causing Tim to roll his eyes. ''I don't wanna die,
I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all.''
Matthew joined in again: ''I see a little silhouetto of a man,
Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango?''
Then, all of them sang: ''Thunderbolt and lightning,
Very, very frightening me!''
Tim and Matthew sang the first, ''Galileo'', followed by a louder, ''Galileo!'' by Femke and Laurent.
''Galileo.'' ''Galileo!''
''Galileo Figaro
Magnifico-o-o-o-o,'' all of them sang.
''I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me,'' Matthew sang, earning some glares from the others*.
''He's just a poor boy from a poor family,
Spare him his life from this monstrosity!'' Femke, Laurent and Tim sang, deciding to just roll with it.
''Easy come, easy go, will you let me go?'' Matthew sang.
''Bismillah! No, we will not let you go!'' Laurent and Femke sang. Rolling his eyes because of his siblings' antics, Tim joined: ''Let him go!''
''Bismillah! We will not let you go!'' ''Let him go!''
''Bismillah! We will not let you go.'' ''Let me go!''
''Will not let you go.'' ''Let me go!'' Matthew sang, laughing.
''Never let you go!'' ''Never, never, never, never let me go,'' Tim muttered, ''Oh oh oh oh.''
''No, no, no, no, no, no, no,'' Matthew tried to sing, as the higher tones were, well, too high.
''Oh, mama mia, mama mia,'' Femke sang. ''Mama mia, let me go.''
''Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me, for me, for meeeeeeee!'' everyone sang, and failed.
Of course, everyone belted out the guitar solo part (why? Because it's Queen, and it's awesome).
All of them started singing, or more like screaming the next part: ''So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye?
So you think you can love me and leave me to die?
Oh, baby, can't do this to me, baby,
Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here.''
''Ooooh, ooh yeah, ooh yeah,'' Laurent sang.
''Nothing really matters,'' Femke started.
''Anyone can see,'' Laurent joined in.
''Nothing really matters,'' Tim and Matthew sang at the same time, making Laurent and Femke giggle.
''Nothing really matters to me,'' everyone sang.
''Any way the wind blows,'' Matthew finsihed the song, side eyeing Tim as he had started to tickle his siblings. However, it backfired quickly, because one sibling against two isn't very practical. So one minute Tim was tickling Femke and Laurent, and the next he was laying on the ground getting tickled himself. He screamed and laughed, begging them to let him go. But as all people with siblings know, that wasn't going to happen.
They only let him go when Matthew told them it was getting close to midnight. Femke hopped up from the ground, stating that she would get the fireworks and put them at the door. When Tim called out to hurry, because 'there were only thrity seconds left', she quickly put them down and walked to the living room. She paused in the doorway, savouring the sight in front of her before snapping a picture on her phone and sending it to Hungary.
Matthew was laying on top of Tim, who was laying on the couch. They were looking at something on Matt's phone. Laurent, meanwhile, had moved to the other couch and was pretending to be busy typing something on his phone. To his credit, Laurent did seem to be typing something from Tim and Matthew's point of view. He was probably filming them though. He'd better be filming them. If not, Femke was tempted to sue him. As if he heard her thoughts, Laurent looked up and winked at her. She smirked.
''What're the two of you doing?'' Tim's gruff (and slightly muffled) voice came from the couch.
''Nothing,'' Femke said from here place at the door. ''Now get up, it's nearly twelve.''
A groan and Matthew literally rolled off Tim onto the floor.
''… What the fuck,'' Laurent whispered.
''Don't question it,'' Tim replied, getting off the couch.
''Guys! Ten second left!'' Femke yelled, exited.
''10!''
''9!''
''8!''
''7!''
''6!''
''5!''
''4!''
''3!''
''2!''
''1!''
''Happy new year!'' everyone cheered.
Matthew grinned mischieviously, grabbed Tim at the front of his shirt, and pressed their lips together. Tim's lips tasted like beer and oliebollen.
When they pulled away they were immediately met with the grinning faces of Femke and Laurent. Tim's face immediately darkened, which Matthew didn't understand. What had happened?
''Femke, Laurent, if you don't delete the video and pictures right now, I'll never make stamppot for you again.''
They gasped. ''Big brother, you hurt me. You're already blackmailing us in the first minutes of the new year?''
''Yes.''
Femke pouted, got her phone out and deleted the pictures (she didn't. Neither did Laurent delete the video he took. They put it in a shared folder named ''Deleted pics, oh sike''. They vowed to never let Tim find this out. Tim knows anyway).
Matthew smiled. He loved his boyfriend and his family, even if they often were a bit insane.
= Canada is bae and everyone (me) loves him
Yeah, this was supposed to come out months ago, before the start of 2020... oops?
Anyways please give me feedback in the form of comments and kudos, please it motivates me so much-
Again I'm so sorry this is so late, school and writers block are a bitch but I promise I'll update more often!
(and ideas are always welcome-)
Word count: 2,548