Keep in mind this wasn't originally supposed to be multi-chaptered, so some stuff wasn't quite planned. Also, there's some slight inconsistency that I would love to fix at some point. (Regarding the fact they're in a small town, but the waitress remains unnamed.)
I love the Count of Monte Cristo. Anytime I criticize it here is entirely on accident, because I couldn't possibly do it on purpose. Go read it.
Tuuli: Fem!Finland because I said so.
Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.
"But…"
Oh dear God what now?
"…I dropped my phone in a puddle and I can't text or anything."
"Oh, is that all?" he asked. Yeah, it would mean sacrificing a weekend, but he was already going to the party with her!
Alfred had to let him in. Roderich would be perfectly happy with Elizaveta, and he could just terrorize someone else. He could very well just team up with Antonio and Francis and make the party even more awesome! Plus, they'd each have a pretty date—though Antonio's situation was often questionable—so, the party would be amazing.
…but for this weekend, what was he going to do? He felt a little un-awesome just taking Mathilde to the party.
"Well, I'll see you on Monday. If something comes up, I'll text Alfred or Francis."
She sighed, "Most people do anyway."
Alright, he normally hated the whole 'teenage angst' thing, but Mathilde made it look so adorable.
There's no taking back that thought, is there?
So he just went with it, "Well then they're too un-awesome to have your number anyway."
"That's not what I—"
"I know." He hoped his smile looked less sheepish than he felt. In one motion he placed a hand on her hair and pecked her on the cheek.
He hurried away after that, not ignorant to the blush that spread over her cheeks.
The next day he received a text message from Francis.
Alfred asked me to invite you. Don't spread it around, please.
So he responded with: Awesome!
The rest of the day was spent texting prank ideas with Antonio and Francis. He didn't feel like getting out anywhere. Ludwig made him help clean, though he spent most of his time on the bird cage, talking to Gilbird while he worked.
"You know, I really like this girl. Don't tell anyone, though. She's pretty awesome, and adorable. I can't believe I didn't notice her before." He rambled, "You won't tell anyone, right? I mean, I guess I'm still gonna break up with her after all this is over." He sighed, "What do you think?"
The little yellow bird had fallen asleep.
"Thanks bud, I knew you'd be there for me."
He texted Francis again that evening: Hey, can you tell Mattie to meet me tmr that little café?
Later on he would deny actually waiting for the response: She says she'll be there at 1. You are lucky we all live so close!
I know, comes in handy.
He woke up at noon, just like always on weekends. He got dressed and grabbed a snack, lounging on the couch.
Ludwig came in a few minutes later, "Finally up, I see."
"Duh. We're not in the military." Gilbert replied, not looking up.
"I heard about the party."
"You invited?"
"Feliciana wants me to go." Ludwig sighed, "It's no big deal."
"Yes it is." Gilbert said, "Alfred's parties are always awesome! I can't miss it."
Ludwig looked at him, a bit confused. Gilbert realized he didn't know about the plan or anything, but didn't try to amend his comment. He went back to flipping channels, and Ludwig left the room.
Gilbert went ahead and said, "Hey, I've got a date in like fifteen minutes. I'm just biking down to the café, so call if you need anything awesome."
"Before you leave can you help me clean the…"
Gilbert decided it couldn't hurt to get there early.
…or maybe it could.
First he hit a piece of glass on his bike and managed to get a flat tire.
He still got there in time (he could thank Ludwig later for making him leave early), and wasn't particularly tired. Mathilde hadn't gotten there yet, so he just leaned his bike against and slipped inside to sit by the window at one of the few small tables.
He didn't even notice her walk in until she sat down across from him.
"Oh, hey Mattie!" he said.
Her face fell when she realized he hadn't seen her at first, but brushed it off quickly. "Hey... Did you order or anything?"
"Nah, I was just waiting for you!" He said, and she felt better about that.
A waitress came over and took their orders: A roast beef sandwich for Gilbert and a grilled cheese for Mathilde. The waitress gave them a knowing smile as she left. Mathilde blushed and Gilbert looked away,
Desperate to avoid the sheer awkwardness, Mathilde tried to start a conversation. "I wonder whose bike that was, with the flat tire…" It was just an observation, not even worth being used in conversation, but….
Gilbert looked away again.
"Oh! I'm sorry; did you have trouble getting here?"
"Nah, just hit some glass. No big deal, really." he said, unrightfully embarrassed about his predicament.
Of course, another part of his definition of awesome was not ending up walking home from a date.
Well, it wasn't technically much of a date. He just… wanted to see her and here she is!
Crap, that's a date.
Okay, even though he had just rolled out of bed and she was wearing a sweatshirt and loose jeans, it could probably still be considered a date. So he stopped thinking about it.
"Oh, if you're sure…" she said, but then the waitress came back and she focused on her plate.
"You know, I think I actually did okay on that history test." Gilbert said through a mouthful of food.
Mathilde perked up, "That's good. I know you were a bit worried."
"Well I'm getting a smoothie." Gilbert said, motioning to the waitress. The little café was usually much busier on weekends (primarily for take-out, though), but they had apparently caught it just in time and it wasn't busy at all.
They both got a banana smoothie, but then…
Mathilde attracts spills, she thinks.
"Crap, now I have to do laundry again…" She said, pulling off her banana covered sweatshirt.
Gilbert was almost concerned, but then she just started laughing.
"Of course something had to happen."
And then they were both just laughing like idiots. It was quite cheesy, actually. Gilbert just wanted to laugh with Mathilde, and she was happy to comply.
They quieted after a minute.
"I need to get going; I need to work on that paper for Chemistry."
"There's a paper in Chemistry?"
Mathilde sighed, but with a smile, "It's due Wednesday. I just won't have time Monday or Tuesday."
Gilbert relaxed noticeably. "Oh…" He paused, "On a scale from one to Ivan, how stalker is it to ask what your plans are?"
"Probably about a four. Monday is hockey with Ivan, Berwald, Tuuli, Mathias, and Erikur. Tuesday is the party."
It was one of those unspoken things that Mathilde could play hockey with the best of the guys, and Tuuli was generally just an adorable beast when she wanted to be.
There are a lot of those unspoken things.
"Right. Party on Tuesday."
"Al said something about a late invi—"
"Oh yeah that was just a little thing no big deal really." The narrator would like to point out that there are no commas in that sentence.
"Ah, okay then…" Mathilde said, finishing her smoothie.
They went outside, and Gilbert looked at the wreckage of his bike and sighed. "Well, I think I've beaten your smoothie-d sweatshirt."
Mathilde pursed her lips and thought for a moment, wrapped aforementioned sweatshirt around her middle. "Here, just try mine for a second."
"But—"
"Try it."
"…yes ma'am."
So Gilbert swung a leg over the red bike, finding that it was about the same height as his own. "Yeah, I can ride it, but…"
"Wait a second…" Mathilde sat on the back, a hand braced on Gilbert's shoulder. "Now, you just go to your house."
"Uhh…"
"I'll bike back to my place. No big deal, right?"
"Are you—"
"Gilbert, I can ride a bike back to my house from there." It took a lot of effort, and her voice shook a lot, but for once someone actually heard her.
"I was going to say, 'Are you sure you don't want to hold on tighter?'." Gilbert almost blushed the first time he started, but he was smiling by this point.
Instead, Mathilde blushed. "Oh…" She wrapped an arm around his chest.
After several instances where they almost fell over and much cursing in three languages, Mathilde had stopped blushing so terribly. This time her face was red from laughing every time they had to stop and regain balance.
They both slipped off their respective seats at the driveway, Mathilde climbing back on where Gilbert had been a moment ago.
"I'll see you tomorrow?" He said, hopeful.
"Tomorrow's Monday, so yeah…"
"Just say yes."
She smiled, "Of course."
He kissed her on the cheek, and this time he waited to see her blush.
It had been an odd day so far, with far too much blushing and awkwardness for it to be a date Gilbert believed he had been on.
But he was glad he had.
It also thoroughly messed up his schedule for the rest of the day and he forgot to call Antonio to bring his truck to pick up the bike.
…he forgot a few other things to, but they'd hit him eventually.
Particularly the whole "his turn to make dinner" thing
…yeah, that wasn't one of his best moments.
School on Monday brought back a familiar normality. Alfred was talking to people about the party all day, but Gilbert had thankfully avoided any discussion of it.
So he went through the motions of the morning. In Literature he dozed, because no one could effectively read The Count of Monte Cristo that early. Francis usually explained it to him. In Algebra II he tried to pay a little attention, but that went over like a lead balloon when the numbers started to blur together.
At lunch he felt a bit like a zombie, but stumbled in and sat down with Francis and Antonio to understand that godforsaken French novel.
"Alright, Dantés is still after revenge, so he…"
"Wait, this guy isn't Dantés, is he?"
"Gilbert, this entire book is an elaborate ruse. Dantés has a few disguises, this is one of them." Francis tried to explain.
Gilbert scoffed, "Seems like a lot."
"Ah, amigo, I don't think you have much to say about elaborate ruses." Antonio piped in. "I mean, you did ask Mathilde to the dance. And now look!"
"Look at what?" Gilbert asked.
Antonio looked confused as well, "Ah, never mind."
Francis started, "I must say, I'm surprised one of your plans actually worked."
"Yeah, I mean, I'm surprised too. Do you think it really matters now that I just asked her so I could get into the party?" Gilbert asked.
"Ah, why do—"
"What!" a shocked, but still ever so quiet, voice said.
School on Monday brought disaster.
Gilbert spun around, shocked. "Mathilde, wait, I can explain!"
"Stop sounding so cliché! Forget it; I don't really care what you sound like anymore." There were tears in her eyes. She turned to her cousin and managed to say, "Francis, I'm leaving."
And she did.
Francis and Antonio were shocked. Gilbert had gotten over that a long time ago. Now he just wanted to follow her out.
But he didn't.
He almost just went to her house, but Ludwig was in the car and he didn't want his little brother to see him so un-awesome.
He found himself flopped on his bed, staring at Gilbird as he poked at the bars of his cage.
He had no idea what to do next.
Gilbert pulled out his cellphone and dialed Francis' number.
"Alo?"
"Hey, is Mathilde there?"
"I'm sorry, she's currently sobbing in her room about some…âne who needs to brule en enfer."
A pit settled in Gilbert's stomach, "Really?"
"No, I'm not really sorry."
"Francis, I'm the one who's sorry!" Gilbert tried. "What I did was stupid and… un-awesome."
"Gilbert, I told you not to hurt her, and you did." He heard the Frenchman sigh, "She really liked you. She'll get over it soon. I'll see you tomorrow.'
"But I—"
Francis hung up.
"…I liked her too."
Gilbert let his head hit his pillow again, sighing.
Wait a second… The Awesome Gilbert doesn't act like an angsty teenager!
Apparently, the Awesome Gilbert decides he might as well get over it and go to the party.
