Lighting flashed above, darting towards the earth is frantic sharp zig-zags. The thunder went off just as the lighting disappeared, it was like gun fire. Matthew rubbed his arms, he was soaking wet and chilled to the bone. He was miserable, angry, upset, and sore from the icy water. His teeth clattered together and he kept his face in his knees. Gilbert slowly drove up behind him and parked the car. He wrapped him up in a bathrobe and once inside the car gave him towel. "Are you alright?" He asked and looked over his face as if checking for bruises or marks. Matthew nodded and held the robe around himself tighter. "I'm taking you to my house...its closer." He said and Matthew nodded again.
He shivered for awhile until his body started to heat up again, he was still cold. Gilbert pulled into his drive way and walked Matthew inside, his hands holding onto his shoulders. He sat him down on the couch and Elizaveta came out of the kitchen with cups of hot cocoa made. She handed a up to Matthew and sat next to him. "Gil why don't you get him some dry clothes." She told him and shooed him away with a motion of her hand. She watched him leave before turning to Matthew. "Hey what happened? He didn't hurt you did he?" She questioned.
Matthew took a drink. "No he didn't...he just was being a ass." Matthew said but she then took his hand and pushed up his sleeve. Matthew looked to see a almost perfect hand shaped bruise there, he didn't think Ivan grabbed him that hard. But playing hockey makes you tough, you get buried up all the time playing. Her eyes locked with his and she pulled the sleeve back down. Elizaveta leaned back in her seat and crossed her legs.
"Alright it isn't my place to tell you about Gilbert and Ivan's relationship, in fact Gilbert hasn't even told me everything that happened. But whatever happened between them changed him, when you called he flipped his shit. He was pissed off like I've never seen him before, he was ready to go and beat Ivan to a bloody pulp." She told him.
"Why are you telling me this?" Matthew asked her and she sighed.
"I'm telling you that Gil cares enough for you to risk getting the tar beat out of him. You need to be careful, never be alone with Ivan...okay." Elizaveta warned and Gilbert came back into the room with a change of clothes. Matthew stood up and took them from him, muttering a silent little thank you under his breath. He went into the bathroom to get changed. He felt a fluttering in his stomach, Gilbert was going to get in a fight for him, Gilbert cared. He changed into the clothes and started blushing, he didn't understand why, his heart was beating fast and he was happy, his mind kept repeating the same thing over and over. Gilbert cared, he cared about him.
He walked out of the bathroom with his wet clothes in his hands, he made sure to take the pepper spray out and move it to his pocket. Gilbert took them from him and got them into the dryer. Matthew quickly got the robe back on before Gilbert could see the bruise. He sat back on the couch with Elizaveta and took the hot cocoa. "Feel better now that you're in something dry." She asked.
"Yeah much. I could use another hot cocoa if its not to much trouble." Matthew said and smiled, his hair was still a bit wet but it was no longer dripping all over the place. She nodded and took the mug from his hands. Gilbert kissed him her real quick before asking for a cup. She smiled and laughed softly. Gilbert smirked and took a seat on the couch. All the fluttering turned into a twisted painful knot, the quick pitter-patter of his heart tightened painfully in his chest, he had to look away from the couple.
Elizaveta made up three cups, one for herself and came back into the living room, she handed them out. She sat next to Gilbert and leaned against him, bringing her cup to her lips. They cuddled together on the couch and stared a blank Tv. Matthew then became the awkward third wheel, he sat there with his cup of cocoa, not wanting to be there any more but not wanting to leave at the same time and it wasn't like they were being grossly affectionate with one another. After they finished their drinks Gilbert got up, taking them back to get rinsed out in the sink. When he returned he walked over to the stack of DVDs. Most of their movies were war or military related, his grandfather used to serve and these films were his favorite, he loved to point out the things they did wrong.
"Okay so do you guys want to watch Das Boot or Before the Fall." He held the two movies in the air and Elizaveta wrinkled her nose.
"Don't you have anything besides war movies?" She asked and Gilbert searched through the movies before turning to her and shaking his head. She sighed and pointed towards Das Boot. "If we're gonna watch a war then let's go with that one. Don't forget to put the subtitles on this time, I know some German but not enough to understand the whole movie." She said and leaned back.
Matthew relaxed into the couch and yawned. "What's it about?" Matthew asked, snuggling inside the bath robe. Gilbert smiled and placed the movie into the player and turned the TV on.
"Its about German soldiers aboard a submarine during the second world war. Its pretty good, based off some book. Its in German so I'll put up the subtitles for ya." He said going to the movie set up. He then clicked play and rejoined them on the couch. Gilbert was wide away and alert trough out the entire movie, he helped to explain war facts and procedures that Matthew didn't understand. Elizaveta laughed at the two of them but she was just as into the movie as Gilbert was, she was just trying to act feminine around the boys.
The movie ended and Matthew took a look at the time. "I should go home...its getting pretty late." He said while standing and Gilbert stood up and grabbed his keys off the coffee table. Matthew kept the robe on, he had almost forgotten about the bruise on his arm.
"Hey Liz I'll be right back okay." Gilbert said, slipping on a jacket with a hood. The rain had lightened up a little but a little wasn't much. The lighting wasn't as bad now and the thunder was no where near as loud. Matthew got into the car with him. "Matthew can we talk about what happened with Ivan?" He asked and started the car.
Matthew stiffened up and he avoided looking at him. "What's there to talk about?" He said his voice low and quite. Gilbert pulled out of the drive way. Matthew pulled on the sleeve so it was over the top of his hand. "I told you...he was just being a jerk, nothing happened." Matthew said and stared out the window.
"Just listen Chickadee...I want you to be careful okay, stay away from him, once you get this guy angry...once he's angry he's dangerous. Just avoid him, quit the team if you have to." Gilbert told him and Matthew sat up in the seat.
"What! I'm not going to quit the team over this!" He yelled. Gilbert eyes narrowed down on the road.
"Its just a sport! I don't want you getting hurt because of him!"
"I can handle myself Gil! I'm not a damsel in distress! I'm not quitting hockey, I need it." Matthew said turning towards Gilbert going red in the face and sunk down into his chair. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared back out his window. Gilbert slammed his hands onto the steering wheel and kept his eyes on the road. They got stuck behind a red light.
Gilbert grumbled and looked over at him. "What about me having to pick up your ass off the side of the road! It could have been worse then that, you have no fucking clue how bad!" Gilbert said though his teeth, he felt like his blood was on fire and it was all rushing to his head. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the wheel, he was breathing heavily though his nose. Matthew stared at him, his shoulders going up. "I was scared that he hurt you Matt..."
"Gil I'm okay...I'm fine. He didn't hurt me, I'm okay please can we just drop it. I'm never going out with him again. The only time I will see him will be during hockey." Matthew said to Gilbert, his voice softening as he tried to get him to calm down. He felt warm and tingling, he had the urge to touch Gilbert's arm. He wanted to make Gilbert feel better. He curled his fingers out and reached toward him but he pulled his hand back, he looked away. "I'm sorry Gil...I should have listened to you."
"No don't be...I shouldn't have yelled at you. You had no idea what he really was like because I didn't tell you, how were you suppose to know." Gilbert said and he bit his lower lips real quick. He looked like he was about to say something, his lips pulled in and his Adam apple bobbed. He didn't say anything, he just choked down the words and let out a breath.
Matthew looked at him, he wanted to be someone Gilbert could talk to, he wanted to know why Gilbert and Ivan hated each other. What went on between them that cause this amount of hate, it was more then just hate, these two thirsted for blood. "What happened between you and Ivan?"
"I don't...I don't want to talk about it. It was bad...just leave it at that."
"Alright..." Matthew trailed off, he wasn't about to push Gilbert into telling him. If he was going to hear why he wanted to hear it hen Gilbert felt ready to share it with him, he would not force him to tell. The rest of the car ride was silent, Gilbert pulled into his drive way and unlocked the door. Matthew went to get out, still wearing the bathrobe. He almost made it to the front door when he heard Gilbert call his name.
"Matt I need that robe back, its not mine." Matthew felt a shock of panic go though his body. With out the robe Gilbert would see the bruise, he wasn't wearing long sleeves. He ran back to the car and pulled the robe off, he tried to get it in and the door close before Gilbert had the chance to see his arm. Once the robe was in the car he ran for the house, he got inside and closed the door and prayed Gilbert didn't see. Luckily Gilbert didn't even look at his arms, he was to busy noticing how crazy wavy and frizzy Matthew's hair got after it air dried out. He pulled out of the drive way and made his way back home so he could finish his date.
Matthew went upstairs and Alfred's bed room door opened. "Psst! Matt! Hey how was the date, did you use my pepper spray?" Alfred asked and yanked his brother into his room for further questioning. That's when he saw the mark. He took Matthew's wrist and turned his arm, trying to make out the shape. When it clicked that the shape was a hand he made Matthew take a seat. "What happened? Who's clothes are those? How the fuck did that bruise happen, what's is going on with your hair...it looks like you had sex." Alfred then gasped loudly while cupping his own face. Matthew stared at him with his eye brows up and his eyes wide.
"I didn't have sex!" Matthew said rolling his head back and sighing but Alfred kept giving him this look, this look of gitty excitement. It was clear that Alfred didn't believe him and Matthew held his hands up defensively. "I swear...the bruise is from when I fell and Ivan caught me and my hair is like this because it got wet and air dried...it frizzes. Stop looking at me like that1 I didn't have sex!"
"Then who's clothes are these. They're to small to belong to Ivan, wait I recognize that shirt, these belong to that one albino guy you hang out with all the time umm Gilbert! Mattie you dog!" Alfred punched his arm in a friendly playful matter and began to laugh. Matthew shook his head and started blushing so bad even his ears were red.
"No! Gilbert has a girlfriend a really pretty one at that, he just let me barrow these clothes cause mine got wet! He has Liz so we didn't do anything! Oh my god will you please stop giving me that look!" Matthew said, the pitch of voice getting higher with each word until finally his voice cracked. Alfred laughed at him.
"Liar, you told me that Ivan hates Gil so why would you two if you were on a date like you told me, why would you be anywhere near Gil. And if they really hate each other then why would Ivan let you wear Gil's clothes...hey are you wearing his underwear? You totally banged him!" Alfred said and Matthew just stared at him with his mouth hanging open slightly. His head was spinning trying to think of a lie to explain this but he couldn't think of one that didn't involve sleeping with Gilbert. He gave up trying to lie, he didn't want his brother thinking the wrong thing about him. So Matthew confessed the truth, every little detail.
Alfred stared at him, his hand was holding the lower part of his face like he was deep in thought. "Okay so there's still one thing I don't get. Are you jealous of Gilbert's girlfriend? And if you are is it because he's your friend and you see him less because of her or is it because you like him and he's with her not you." Matthew smacked himself in the face but when it came to answering that question he realized that it was as easy of an answer as he thought.
"Maybe just a little bit but its no big deal. She makes him really happy, his eyes always light up when he talks about her and when she's around. The way he talks about her you can just hear it in his voice, he clearly has liked her for some time. T-The...the first one." He said, he liked Gilbert but they were just friends, he was fine with just friends just like Alfred was fine with being friends with Lovino.
Matthew closed his eyes, that was a bad example, Alfred likes Lovino in a romantic way and that wasn't how he felt towards Gilbert. Yet even so he felt empty like there was a pit in the bottom of his stomach that was turning and twisting. Ever since he moved here he couldn't keep track of any of his emotions, he couldn't name them and others were things he's never even felt before.
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I couldn't help but to write up another chapter today. I didn't have as much going on as a originally thought. Well I think the chapter after this one will be centered around Lovino and Alfred. Please review.
Oh and at some point there's going to be a time skip. This fic is suppose to cover all of high school,a couple years in college, ect. I don't want it to be like 100 chapters long so there will be skips in time.