So I may have gotten off my arse and actually got this shiz beta-ed so I can post it! Might be more chapters tonight!
September the 30th was officially a good day, Matthew Williams decided, smiling contentedly as he walked into the rehearsal hall. The last week had passed without a disturbance, the pantomime was going according to plan, and he was starting to find his voice, and much to his own amazement, the rest of the cast had started to realise he existed. There was only one member of the team who seemed to have disappeared, Feliks, the head costume designer. The boy in question only reappeared again that very day, running onto the stage just as gilbert was about to speak to the assembled cast. Before anyone could stop him he'd stolen the microphone, not even bother to catch his breath before speaking: "I-I like totally found the perfect ones!"
"The perfect what's aru?" Yao asked, folding his arms as the others stared.
"Shoes!" The polish teenager laughed, handing the microphone back to the disgruntled Gilbert, before jumping off the stage again, holding out the box to the other, the rest of the cast parting like the red sea. The German teenager looked sideways at the Canadian beside him, completely confused as to what was going on. Gilbert was just glad that they'd made up, ice-cream, it seemed, was a good talking point.
Yao frowned as he saw who Feliks was heading towards "What do you mean shoes aru?" he replied, backing away slightly
"I like, mean," Feliks grabbed the others wrist, pulling Yao beside him: "these are for you!"
Yao blushed at the pair of high heels, Feliks being Feliks, they were beautiful. Red and gold, but with thick enough heels that it would be still safe for him to dance in them. The Polish boy grinned as the Chinese boy started to step backwards, switching his gaze from The shoes to the other and back again: "Aiyaa! I am not wearing those aru! A dress is bad enough!"
"But...but...like, you have to!" Feliks protested, the rest of the casts eyes were on the annoyed Chinese boy.
Alfred appeared beside Yao, grinning happily at him: "Think they'd finally make you as tall as me?" he teased.
"Shut up, I'm not that short aru! I don't see why I should have to do it!" Yao protested, glaring at the shoes like they'd mortally offended him
"Because you're the only woman in the show?" he teased, taking the shoes from Feliks, who scarpered away again. "Come on Yao!" the American behind him laughed, patting his shoulder: "at least try them on?"
"What about Antonio or Yong Soo aru? I'm not the only one having to be a girl!"
"You're the only one dancing." Gilbert pointed out, watching the scene from his vantage point and grinning.
Yao looked at him as if he'd just suggested bungee jumping with a rubber band "You expect me to dance...in those aru? Do you want me to break my ankles aru?"
Alfred stole one of the shoes out of his hand, turning it over curiously: "there's almost no heel on these!" the American pointed out, offering it back to the other: "I can't dance anyway; we'll be a good pair."
"Still..." Yao scowled, aware that he was fighting a losing battle "I don't want to be wobbling all over the place aru!"
"We'll just have to practice, princess." Alfred laughed, throwing his arms around the Chinese man's waist, holding him close.
"Let go!" Yao blushed, struggling in the hold
The American did, suddenly looking sheepish and surprised, pulling away from him. Gilbert scowled, flipping his wrist to check his watch, Yao's little tantrum was wasting rehearsal time.
Matthew sighed "Yao, please? Just wear them for now, you need to practise in them or you will hurt yourself on stage"
Gilbert nodded, agreeing with the other boy: "yup, come on Yao, shoes on and we'll get on with the show! Just don't break a leg."
Yao scowled, kicking his shoes off "If I actually do, I'm suing aru" he grumbled, pulling on the heels with a face like sour milk.
Alfred grinned at him as the other stood up, laughing happily as he grabbed Yao's hands, steadying him.
Blushing furiously, Yao glared at Feliks "Happy now aru?"
"Like, totally!" the polish boy seemed to be jumping up and down in pleasure: "all you need now is a dress and you'll look amazing!"
"Don't remind me" he mumbled as Canada tugged on Gil's sleeve "We should start..."
Gilbert grinned, nodding at the Canadian as he picked up the microphone again, addressing the cast as a group to start the rehearsal.
Yao winced as he pulled off the heels. His feet were sore from having to walk in the unfamiliar way from so long. He rubbed his feet a little, grumbling to himself as Alfred flopped down next to him "Why're you so happy aru? I've speared you at least 5 times this afternoon"
The American laughed, reaching into his bag and yanking out the letter he'd received this morning: "I got in!" Alfred held out the papers: "I can't believe it!"
"Got in where?" Yao asked, out of politeness more than anything else as he tried to revive the life into his feet.
"Sports college!" Alfred just kept on grinning, leaning back to lay out flat on his back: "I'm going back to America!"
"O-oh..." Yao answered, surprised by this "Congratulations then aru" he smiled, then frowned "But don't wave those around, you'll lose them aru!"
"I won't lose 'em!" Alfred laughed, stretching and looking up at the celling: "dad's so proud of me."
"Lucky you aru" Yao muttered darkly, before frowning "So are you going there on your own aru?"
"Nah! Dad's finally got his old job back in new York, so he's coming along too."
"What about your brother though aru?" Yao asked "Did he get into an American college too?"
Alfred froze, thinking for a moment: "U-uh..." He sat up looking down at the papers in his hand and then back at the Chinese man: "No...oh..."
Yao looked back at him, confused "Then what is he going to do? Does he have a place here or something?"
"I don't have a clue..." Alfred confessed, shoving the papers back in his bag with a shrug: "He'll figure something out dude; Matthew's pretty good at that."
Yao nodded; pulling on his own shoes "Well, good luck with that aru" he smiled then winced as he tried to stand "I'll...sit here for a bit longer aru..."
"I've gotta go, got practice in half an hour..." the American stood up, bag over one shoulder as he waved at the other: "see you on Monday!"
Matthew sighed as he looked in on his brother "Alfred, you've been in there since we got home. You need to eat!"
The other teenager glanced up from his laptop, slamming the lid closed so his brother wouldn't see the obnoxious posts all over his Facebook about where he was going next year: "what? Nah! I'm busy..."
"Busy doing what?" Matthew asked, staring "It's important enough to turn down food?"
"I ain't too busy to turn it down if you're cooking, Matthew!" the American grinned, leaning back further to look at his sibling.
Matthew sighed; sometimes he thought that was the only time he got noticed at home "Fine, if it'll get you out of this room"
Alfred bounded to his feet, following his sibling into the other room. "Anything interesting happen today?" he asked casually.
"No...You were there for the interesting part" Matthew answered with a frown, looking through the cupboards "You?"
"Spoke to dad." the older teenager shrugged, picking up the abandoned collage letters from the table: "and I got a letter from college...y'know, that one from New York..."
"Oh?" Matthew vaguely remembered the two talking about it; he hadn't really been paying attention "What going on with that?"
"I got a place," Alfred pointed out casually, picking up and apple and smiling: "And I've accepted it...Dad's taken that job in New York...
Matthew nodded, then paused "Sounds good."
Both teenagers paused, gazing straight into each other's eyes for once, the silent atmosphere so thick you could have cut it with a knife.
"Wait, what about me?" Matthew asked, struggling to keep his voice calm and level as he started to shake a little.
His brother just shrugged, biting the fruit: "I don't know...I'm sure you'll find somewhere to go...dad's already organising our flights and stuff back..."
Matthew felt the pit of his stomach open up as he dropped the food packet he was holding "But...I only applied for universities here! What am I supposed to do?"
"I dunno..." Alfred honestly didn't care; couldn't his brother be happy for him for once? "Just stick around here? It's not as if dad wants you to come back with us..."
"What?" Mattie bit his lip, wishing he felt more surprised "I-I can't afford that! And what do you mean...Dad doesn't want me to come?"
"Uh...well dad, dad just didn't seem that bothered about you when I mentioned it. He said you could look after yourself, and he should focus on the successful one...that being me, obviously."
Mattie kept his head down, a lump building in his throat. "Dad...said that?" he bit his lip, determined not to cry in front of Alfred.
"Yup! You know what dads like," Alfred continued to demolish the apple, not even looking at his sibling: "it's not interesting if he can't see it making him money..."
Matthew couldn't take it, putting down the food and hurrying out of the kitchen, shutting himself in his room and jamming the door so Alfred couldn't get in. He bit his lip as he sat on his bed, holding the stuffed polar bear close. Tears began to fall as he hid his face in the bear's fur, smelling...Gilbert? He paused then pulled out his phone with shaky fingers, hovering over the numbers before picking one and ringing it, listening to the dial tone
The Prussian yawned; complaining loudly despite the other two in the room not listening. As he chucked the videogame controller aside, grabbing his mobile and slipping out of the room. Secretly he was glad to be rid of his brother and his god dammed boyfriend before they started doing it in front of him. Sighing, he flicked it open, not even bothering to look down at the caller id: "The awesome me here! What's..." he paused, listening for a moment: "Matthew?"
A lotta PruCan here, then it might fade a bit...And yes, the NA siblings Dad is a dick. He's not meant to be a country, he's just a minor OC, hope this doesn't bother anyone.
Thanks to BirdieBunny for co-authoring and beta-ing this!