"Gilbert?" Matthew asked one day. The two of them had just finished reading The Sword in the Stone together (Rather, Matthew had been reading it out loud to Gilbert, who listened. Gilbird still liked to hang out on his head). Although Gilbert could read, he had a short attention span, and so he didn't do it often. Besides, he preferred to listen to Matthew's voice make the book come to life for him.

"Hmm? Vhat is it, Birdie?"

"I just wanted to ask if you wanted to have dinner with me tonight." Matthew said quickly, sounding a little nervous.

Gilbert decided to tease Matthew a little. "Ve have dinner together every night, silly."

Matthew blushed, which Gilbert found extremely cute. "Right. I meant like maybe a special kind of dinner, to make up for the one I missed the night we fought the wolves."

"Zhat vas veeks ago. You shouldn't feel guilty about zhat." Gilbert tried to remain calm, even though his heart was pounding in excitement. Maybe this would be his chance to confess his feelings to Matthew!

"I know, but still…" Matthew stammered something about Gilbert not having to go if he didn't want to and apologizing, for what Gilbert didn't know.

"It's fine. I'd love to join you." Gilbert could have sworn he heard cheering in the distance, most likely from the servants who had been eavesdropping on him and Matthew like they had for the past few weeks.

"Let's meet in the dining hall at 6:00." Matthew suggested.

Gilbert agreed and left to tell the servants to prepare for a special evening (even though he suspected they probably already knew).

***
"Look, I know how to bathe on my own. I don't need all of you here to vatch." Gilbert said, lowering his head into the suds from his bath (yes he took bubble bathes, you got a problem with that?). Gilbird was perched on the edge of the tub, preening his feathers.

"Listen, mon ami, zis is ze night that you tell Matthew you 'ave feeling for 'im. You are going to need all ze advice you can get. You can't screw zis up, ze cornflower is dying." Francis pointed at the cornflower, which only had a handful of petals left. From the looks of things, it appeared that only magic had stopped it from wilting more quickly. There were probably only a few days left until the curse became permanent.

"Francis is right. You can't wimp out on us, not when we're so close to breaking the curse!" Antonio said.

"Ja, ja, I know." Gilbert got out of the tub and shook himself dry, which made his fur poof out. He rubbed himself dry with a towel and tried to comb out his mane, which had a lot of knots in it.

"As I am ze one 'o specializes in matters relating to amore, I have overseen all of ze preparations for tonight. We 'ave a delicious dinner being prepared, music written by Roderich especially for tonight, and romantic candlelight which will be provided by moi." Francis went on, describing everything he had done to prepare for tonight as Gilbert stared at himself in a mirror that had somehow managed to escape destruction.

In order to embolden himself, Gilbert began talking to his reflection. "You. Are. Awesome. You are awesome. You Are Awesome. You Are Awesome! YOU ARE AWESOME!" Now Gilbert felt ready to face Matthew.

"I CAN DO ZHIS!" Gilbert looked back at his reflection and his confidence deflated again. "No, I can't."

Francis hopped up next to Gilbert. "You care for Matthew don't you?"

"More zhan anything." Gilbert admitted.

"Zhen you have to tell 'im, ozerwise it's not fair to 'im if 'e likes you back." Francis advised.

A few minutes later Gilbert had dressed in the outfit left out for him by the castle's tailor, Felix (who was now a hot pink coat rack). When he finished getting dressed, he looked at himself in the mirror again and frowned.

"Oh you look so…so…" Francis trailed off as he took in Gilbert's outfit. His tailcoat was a girly shade of lavender, while the sleeves and cravat were trimmed with lace.

"Prissy." Gilbert finished.

" 'Tacky' was actually the word I was zinking but eizer way, I think you need somezing different."

Gilbert had just finished changing into a dark blue suit, when Arthur came in to announce that Matthew was waiting for him, and that it was nearly 6.

***
As Gilbert waited for Matthew, he began fidgeting with his cravat nervously. When he finally heard Matthew's footsteps he looked up and heard himself gasp softly.

Matthew looked…amazing. He wore a magnificent gold tailcoat, which matched his blond hair and brought out his purple eyes. Even though his hair had been washed and combed, his one stubborn curl still stuck out. His sincere and slightly nervous smile completed the image.

"You look awesome, Birdie." Gilbert told him, feeling like his chest had tightened around his lungs.

Matthew blushed. "Thanks. You look awesome too."

Gilbert gestured toward the Dining hall. "Shall we?" Matthew nodded and they went inside where they enjoyed a delectable feast.

As the two ate, they talked and laughed about anything that came to mind. When they finished dessert, Matthew finally plucked up the courage to convince Gilbert to go to the ballroom with him.

The ballroom, like many other chambers in the castle, was large and clearly meant to hold hundreds of people. Tall marble columns encircled the room and from behind tall glass windows that reached the ceiling, stars glittered in the night sky. Strategically placed candles (under orders from Francis of course) cast a warm golden glow over everything. In the corner, servants who had been transformed into musical instruments were finishing tuning themselves.

It was only once Matthew and Gilbert had reached the middle of the room that Matthew realized there was a problem.

"Uh Gilbert, I don't know how to dance."

"Zhat's okay, I can teach you how. It's been a long time, but I zhink I still remember. Here, I'll lead." Gilbert took Matthew's hand in his own and placed Matthew's other hand on Gilbert's right arm. He then placed his hand on Matthew's waist. "Just follow my lead, Birdie."

Matthew heard a slow waltz start up and Gilbert began slowly moving in a circle, making sure that Matthew could keep up. Matthew stared down at his and Gilbert's feet, trying to pick up the pattern of the movements. Slowly but surely, Matthew fell in time with the music and looked back up at Gilbert, delighted.

The waltz soon ended and a song began playing, but instead off a full orchestra, it was only played on the piano with a few violins and a flute accompanying it. Matthew caught sight of Francis, Arthur, Antonio, and Lovino (scowling less than usual) watching them from on top of the piano in the orchestra. Gilbird sat next to them.

Antonio was singing with the music, but Matthew wasn't paying attention to the words, so enraptured was he by Gilbert's ruby eyes. The two were lost in a world of their own, as they danced for what seemed like an eternity.

Once they had gotten tired of dancing, Gilbert led Matthew through a pair of tall glass doors out onto a balcony where they sat down on a bench next to each other.

It was now or never. The time was right; Gilbert could feel it in his heart. He slowly edged closer to Matthew and placed his hand on Matthew's. The other didn't pull away, but instead held his hand.

"Birdie…" Gilbert didn't know how to word his feelings. He decided to lead into it carefully. "Have you been happy here vith me?"

"Yes, of course. You've been-everybody's been so nice to me." Matthew's smile faded as he gazed up at the sky. "Still…I kinda miss Alfred, and I'm worried about him. I'm not sure he can take care of himself without getting into trouble."

Gilbert frowned, but perked up. "I have a vay for you to check on Alfred."

***
Matthew noticed that the West Wing had changed since the last time he had been there. It had been cleaned up and now looked more like the royal bedroom it had likely once been. Matthew looked around for the portrait he had seen before, but it was gone.

Gilbert took him to the small stand that held the cornflower and the mirror. Picking up the mirror, Gilbert handed it to Matthew, saying "Zhis mirror is magical. It vill show you vhatever you ask to see."

Taking the mirror, Matthew held it in front on him and said uncertainly, "Show me my brother, Alfred."

The mirror glowed brightly and as Matthew watched, it revealed an image of Alfred in bed, with a hamburger on his forehead? Sure, Alfred loved hamburgers more than life itself, but the scene still didn't make any sense., "Why isn't it working? Hamburgers are supposed to cure colds! Wait, what's a cold, anyway?" Alfred coughed.

"Crap." Matthew groaned, lowering the mirror. "Alfred's sick and has no idea how to treat himself and he's probably to stubborn to call a doctor."

Matthew looked up at Gilbert only to see him staring at the cornflower, which had very few petals left. Gilbert ran his claws lightly over the glass of the bell jar before speaking. "Zhen you should go und help him."

"What?"

"I've told you before, zhere are no obligations keeping you here." Gilbert's voice cracked, as if the words pained him. "You have been free to go for some time. Your brother is sick and you have to help him. I'll have zhe servants pack some medicine for him."

"Really?" Much to Gilbert's surprise, Matthew threw his arms around him and hugged him tightly. "Thank you so much."

Matthew started to leave but remembered he was still holding the mirror. He held it out to Gilbert, who shook his head. "Keep it, I don't use it anymore. I have no need to. It will be a vay for you to look back und remember me-us. Remember all of us."

Gilbert closed his eyes when he finished speaking. He felt Matthew embrace him again and whisper "Good bye."

No sooner had Matthew left, than Arthur entered in high spirits. Gilbird came with him and settled on Gilbert's head again. "Well, it looks like tonight has worked out beautifully. We'll be human again in no time. What happened?"

Gilbert felt a twinge of guilt in his chest. By not confessing to Matthew, he had lost his last chance to break the spell, thus dooming his servants as well as himself. For the first time, Gilbert regretted fully that his servants now had to share in his misery due to his own mistake.

"Arthur, Matthew is leaving." Arthur continued chattering until he comprehended what Gilbert had just said.

"Wait, what? But-"

"His brother is sick und could be dying for all ve know. Back vhen I was human and living vith Ludwig, I vould have done anyzhing for him. Besides, he vas free to go anyvay."

"But how…?"

"Tell zhe servants I am truly sorry that I got zhem into zhis mess in zhe first place, und that I am sorry zhat I have been selfish and lost zhe chance to set zhem all free. It's just…" Gilbert swallowed, the tears he had been holding back now falling freely down his cheeks.

"I love him."