I'm sick with the flu right now, so I'm sorry that this might have more spelling and grammar errors than normal.
I'm such a bad updater aren't I? Gosh...well enjoy this long-awaited update!
Gilbert dragged Matthew quickly through the woods, not stopping even when the blondes face was red and he was panting a mile a minute. Finally they reached Gilbert's favorite tree, where he pulled Matthew up to his favorite sitting place and the place where he would always come to see Old Fritz.
"Wow..." Matthew muttered, feeling delicate leaves with his fingers, touching them gracefully as if they would fall apart any second. Gilbert smiled at the look on Matthew's face.
"And to think, we just came here to dig it up to look for gold..." Matthew said to himself as well. For once it was Gilbert's turn to be confused.
"Gold? What's that?" He asked Matthew. Matthew had a look of surprise when Gilbert asked, but smiled all the same.
"Well, it's shiny, yellow, and it comes from the ground. Gold is really valuable where I come from." Gilbert thought for a second, before he got a look of recognition. Gilbert pulled something green out of his bag, pulling away the green until a shiny yellow was seen underneath.
"Gold! Why didn't you just ask? We have a ton of it here." Matthew shook his head though.
"Sorry Gil, but this isn't gold," Matthew said as he dug into his pocket. "This is gold, see?" Matthew handed Gilbert the gold coin that he had got from Aztec's when he and his brother visited there. Gilbert turned it over and over in his palm, eyebrow's furrowed together and the corners of his mouth turned down in a small frown.
"There's nothing like that around here though." Matthew let out a small chuckle, and Gilbert handed Matthew his coin back.
"I can't wait to see the look on everybody's face when they realize that there's no gold here. Man are they going to be mad," Matthew sang the last part to himself, leaning back until his back rested against the solid wood of the tree. Gilbert just watched him.
Nothing more was said between the two, choosing instead to bask in the sounds of nature that Gilbert had heard his whole life, but something that Matthew had never gotten the chance to hear. Matthew stared ahead, as if he was waiting for something to appear through the leaves of the tree and make itself known. Gilbert just kept watching Matthew though, having already seen all the sights around him more than enough, deciding to drink in the sight of Matthew instead.
"Gil..." Matthew suddenly said in disbelief, his eyes widening almost comically. Gilbert took a glance up to see Fritz staring at them with an eyebrow raised, silently asking Gilbert who the new kid was.
"Hey Fritz, this is Birdie."
"Hmph. Why didn't you bring him by sooner?" Fritz asked, still staring at Matthew.
"Is that real?" Matthew whispered, but Gilbert heard him clearly.
"Hello Matthew Williams, it's nice to finally meet the boy who Gilbert never shuts up about. And yes, I am very much real," Fritz responded before Gilbert could say anything back.
"Shut up! I do to shut up about him!" Gilbert said with a blush coating his cheeks. Fritz chuckled and Matthew smiles softly.
"Sure Gilbert, sure. Now get up Matthew, and come closer to me."
After a little push from Gilbert, Matthew shakily got to his feet and stood in front of Fritz. He felt like he was under inspection, but he didn't want to back down and hide behind Gilbert. So he stood his ground as best that he could, trying to stare back at Fritz just as the old man was staring at him. After what felt like way to long, Fritz finally go a nod of approval and turned back to Matthew.
"I like him, he's got a good soul. He'll be good for you Gilbert, maybe he can finally keep you in line." Matthew blushed, plopping back down onto the tree with a sigh of relief. Gilbert just smiled.
"I knew you would like him old man," Gilbert grinned his cocky grin, yet inside just a few moments ago he was sweating the approval or denial that Matthew might get from Old Fritz. Matthew although still looked shocked, mouth hanging open.
"Matthew! Matthew buddy you out here?" Alfred suddenly screamed, pushing through the branches of the trees to get through it. Matthew and Gilbert instinctively hid higher up in the tree, while Old Fritz watched Alfred and Ivan below.
"Matvy! You are needed back at camp da?" Ivan yelled as well.
"Man where could he be? This place is giving me the heebie jeebie!" Alfred asked Ivan, clutching his gun closer to him.
"I am not sure. Let's just make sure that no one gets in our way."
Matthew and Gilbert watched them from above, trying not to make a single sound. Suddenly Fritz got a smile on his face, and he went down below to the ground. With a mighty heave he lifted up the branch that was right in front of Ivan and Alfred, making them trip and land heavily on the ground.
"Dammit commie watch where you're going!"
"It wasn't me Alfred, and I am not a communist, we have been over that fact before."
"Oh ya, so the branch just decided to suddenly lift up and trip us?" Alfred asked, and together they turned around to see the branch slowly fall back into it's place on the Earth. Ivan and Alfred were shocked to say the least.
"Boo!" Fritz screamed behind them as loudly as he could. Ivan and Alfred turned around and paled at the sight of the ghost of Fritz behind them. Together they got up and ran as fast as they could, screaming in the direction of their camp.
Gilbert and Matthew were laughing so hard, tears dripping down their faces at the effort their ribs were giving to let more giggles and chuckles out. Eventually though the laughter had to die down and the two were left with aching ribs and tear-stained faces.
"Well, I'm gonna have to get back before they decide to send the entire camp after me," Matthew said with a bit of sadness in his voice.
"But you have to come and see my awesomeness here, tonight," Gilbert said quickly, as if he had been thinking of that for a while, and was just looking for an opportunity to say so. Matthew smiled and nodded.
"Tonight, here."
Gilbert gave a small smile, bringing his hand up to Matthew's neck where Gilbert's necklace still lied. Matthew blushed, and turned away, disappearing into the forest. Gilbert still stood there, that small smile on his face.
"Your brother wouldn't be to happy if he knew what was going on," Fritz matter of factly said.
"Who cares what Luddy says. If he can be happy with Feli, then he can let me be happy with my Birdie." Gilbert crossed his arms, glaring at the ground as Gilbert flew into his hair.
"It's not the same Gilbert and you know that. He's a stranger to your tribe, and a lot of them wouldn't be happy with you right now."
"Well then, I'll make them see. Birdie's mine and I won't let them tear us apart," Gilbert said resolutely, ignoring the look that Fritz shot him. Everything would work out in the end, right?
It had to.