AN: Dedications seem to be becoming a bit of a tradition. Well, this chapter goes out to my beautiful sister, who turned 18 yesterday. Before I start I want to say an enormous thankyou to everyone who has reviewed this story, I do read and appreciate every single one (even if I don't always reply). I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Hetalia Axis Powers characters.

Gilbert was starting to suspect that he'd underestimated Arthur Kirkland. It wasn't something he was keen to admit to (the Crowning King of Awesome, making a less-than-accurate character judgement? Never!) but the thought refused to go away.

It niggled at his brain, digging tiny claws into his consciousness and resurfacing at alarmingly frequent intervals.

The smoking incident had been his first clue, although he hadn't recognised it at the time. Although he'd been a bit surprised, his opinion of the British boy (bossy, stuck-up, pretentious and floundering) hadn't really changed that day.

But as Arthur slipped into their Maths class with his hair even messier than usual, his lips swollen and several red marks littering his pale throat, Gilbert watched him somewhat warily.

It was the second time this week he'd appeared late, looking thoroughly dishevelled, and the albino had a sneaking suspicion that Francis had something to do with it.

So, Arthur clearly wasn't as prudish as he'd originally assumed. There was something else, though- Gilbert was sure that he liked Alfred. He'd have been willing to bet money on it, if he wasn't a permanently cash free zone.

I'd bet someone else's money on it. Ludwig's. Or maybe Toni's… it's not like he'd notice. If he asked me what I was doing, I could distract him by pointing out a squirrel.

A squirrel? That seems like a completely irrational, not to mention random, potential distraction. What if you were indoors? Loudly proclaiming that there was a squirrel running down a school corridor would just draw attention to you, and highlight your petty theft.

Piss off. You're interrupting my internal monologue about Arthur. Anyway, the squirrel thing was just an example. It was supposed to be a humorous remark or 'joke' about how gullible and easily diverted Toni is.

It wasn't very funny.

Number of fucks given: 0.

Anyhow. Gilbert had been pretty damn convinced that Arthur wanted to go out with Alfred, or at least do nasty, dirty things to him.

Why else would he put up with all the stupid bullshit that came out of Alfred's mouth on a terrifyingly regular basis? So the fact that he was gallivanting around with a certain Frenchman seemed downright odd.

Well, it did at first. Then Gilbert noticed the way Arthur would swan into the classroom, looking tousled in a way that only roving hands and mouths could produce, sit down calmly, and glance at Alfred from under his eyelashes.

It took much more dedicated observation to notice the tiny smirks that would curve Arthur's lips when the American stared at him in a way that was half astonished and half horrified.

Yep, Arthur was definitely more intelligent than Gilbert had imagined. And it wasn't just cleverness- it was downright deviance. The more sore love-bites on Arthur's neck, the more fascinated Alfred's blatant staring became.

The American's crush on his British friend had been pretty obvious anyway. But it had taken an extra little push, the heat of jealousy, that hint of pure naughtiness, to drive him over the edge.

Alfred was captivated.

Gilbert leant back in his chair as the collar of Arthur's shirt slipped a little, revealing yet more kiss-swollen skin and - were those teeth marks? – and shook his head to himself.

He couldn't deny that he was impressed.

Unfortunately, the rapid increase in the amount of attention Alfred was paying Arthur had another effect. Sure, Alfred was oddly entranced by this change in the British boy's demeanour. But (and if Gilbert had been a little more perceptive, he could have figured this out) he was also mad.

So Arthur had a wild side? Fantastic. So Arthur was expressing that wild side with someone else? Not so fantastic.

Alfred was currently existing in a state of permanent, awful arousal/anger, and it wasn't doing wonders for his emotional interactions.

But now we must return to our intrepid protagonist (well, the closest thing we have to one), who was pitifully unaware of this.

He should have known, really, but he had something else on his mind. Something thin, and blonde, and Matthew-shaped.

"What do you think you're doing with my brother?"

Woah there, tiger. Fucking hell… since when has Alfred Jones been scary? Uh, not that I'm scared. I'm just – overreacting on purpose. To mock him. Yeah…

Gilbert swallowed thickly and adopted his best self-assured (read: arrogant) smirk, wishing that he were a few centimetres taller so that he didn't have to look up into the pair of blue eyes that were currently glaring at him.

"So you heard, huh? Relax, big boy. I'm not going to hurt him."

There. That wasn't inflammatory, right?

I'm just glad that I don't share the nerve endings in your face.

Thanks, Ludwig-voice. You always fill me with confidence.

If you were filled with any more confidence, you would explode.

"You better not." Alfred's voice was low and dangerous, a world away from the American's usually bright, cheerful demeanour.

It was fucking terrifying. Al was supposed to be the happy, bouncy, blustering idiot who followed Arthur around like a lovesick puppy. He wasn't supposed to make Gilbert regret all those afternoons he didn't spend in the gym, and glance warily at Alfred's captain-of-the-football-team muscles.

The world's gone insane today. Well, more insane than usual. How do I get myself into these damn situations?

"Because if you do," the American said, stepping closer so that Gilbert was forced to back up against the wall to avoid being on the pointy end of the accusatory finger Alfred was currently jabbing at his chest, "I will kill you."

Holy shit.

Gilbert mentally thanked his ancestors for the strength of their bladder muscles. A weaker man would have uncomfortably warm pants by now.

I just need to say something that will defuse it so that I can slip away unnoticed. Like a ninja.

"Back the fuck up, man. Ever heard of personal space?"

Well, he'd always been a little too antagonistic for his own good.

Alfred bent so that their noses were almost touching, and growled in a voice that wouldn't have seemed out of place coming from Ivan's mouth,

"I don't like you, Beillschmidt. I don't like your stupid attitude, and I don't like your stupid clothes, and I don't like your stupid friends."

There was a long, long pause. Then Alfred suddenly straightened up, fixing his glasses with one hand, and surveyed Gilbert coolly.

"For some reason, though, Mattie does like you. But the second that that changes… I'll be there. And I won't just be using words, either."

He walked away, and Gilbert leant against the wall. He found that he was breathing heavily.

Note to self: If Mattie is anything less than super-happy all the time, consider an evacuation back to Germany.

Meanwhile, Matthew was having problems of his own. He hadn't realised that dating Gilbert Beillschmidt (and damn it, he still felt a little flutter of excitement at the thought of his name) would bring such notoriety. He wasn't regretting the decision, but it took a little getting used to.

For all his life, Mattie had been overlooked, overshadowed and ignored. He drifted through school mostly unnoticed, spending his free time with like-minded friends or playing hockey, which even he had to admit wasn't the most prominent school sport. And, for the most part, he liked it that way.

He opened his locker, trying to ignore the group of girls a few feet away who were staring at him and whispering to each other.

Perhaps it was because he never paid that much attention to inter-school politics, but he hadn't realised quite how well known Gil was. It seemed like everyone had an opinion on him. And suddenly, Matthew was part of the rumour mill.

Already today he had heard people muttering that he was a new student who had grown up in the Alaskan wilderness, killing grizzly bears for food. Another story claimed that he was Madonna's illegitimate lovechild, who had been sent away after a scandal involving a tuna fish.

And as he walked out of his Chemistry classroom, someone had asked if it was true that he was Gilbert's biological twin who ate raw human livers for sustenance.

Where do they get these ideas?

At least it was the end of the day, now, so he could head home and leave all of the insane speculation behind. He might go for a run, to relieve some tension.

"Hey! It's you, ve~!"

Matthew turned his head, to see a small, tanned boy with an odd hair curl beaming at him.

"Me?" the Canadian asked sceptically.

"Si! You're Matthew Williams! We're brothers in law!"

Matthew blinked. Then he blinked again. He tried a third time, but the Italian didn't disappear.

"I don't think that's true…"

"Well, it's close enough! I'm going out with Luddy, and you're going out with Gilbert! They're brothers, ve~!"

Were that strange excited noise and the exclamation marks that liberally littered his sentences speech impediments, or was he really that enthusiastic about everything?

"Uh, well, it's nice to meet you."

"Ve~! You too, Matthew Williams! I'm Feliciano, but you can call me Feli!"

Matthew thought of Ludwig, whom he had met very briefly several times in his childhood. He had always seemed cold and stern, the exact opposite of this… person.

Then he thought of himself and Gilbert, and had to admit that it wasn't so unfeasible.

"You should come to my house sometime! We can have dinner, ve~. I'm a good cook!"

Matthew was still trying to work out if his excitement was annoying, or endearing.

"Thankyou," he replied politely, "That sounds nice."

There was a short pause, in which Matthew noticed that Feli was humming quietly to himself.

"Bye-bye, Matthew Williams! I'll see you soon, ve~!"

He trotted off, leaving Matthew more than a little bewildered.

I just made a new friend. I think…

Gilbert was on his way towards his car when a shadow fell over him. He frowned, and whirled around. His eyes widened.

Anyway, Mattie decided as he shifted his rucksack onto his shoulders and pushed open the main doors of the school, The rumours will die down soon. They'll find something else to speculate wildly about. Until then, I guess I'll just have to keep my head down.

It's never been so difficult before.

There was something else that was worrying him, too. When he'd told his hockey team about his new relationship during their lunchtime practice, the response hadn't exactly been favourable. In fact, they had seemed pretty concerned, not to mention judgemental.

Ah well. They'll get used to it.

Half an hour later, Gilbert sat on his bed with a bag of frozen peas pressed to his right eye. Ludwig was standing over him, arms folded across his chest.

"You must have done something."

Gilbert used his good eye to shoot daggers at his brother.

"Thanks for being so sympathetic, bruder! I don't even know most of those pricks."

"I thought you said that one of them was your friend Matthias?"

"…He didn't punch me, though. It was that Turkish wanker. Sadiq or something."

Ludwig's brow furrowed.

"Do you want me to talk to them"?

Gilbert let out a short, barking laugh.

"You're not my mom, Luddy."

Oh, shit. Not a good choice of phrase.

Ludwig's cheeks coloured, but he didn't say anything.

"No," Gilbert tried again, "Just leave it. It's not like it's the first time I've come home with a face like a Blutwurst."

"That is not the issue here. Why did this Sadiq person hit you?"

Gilbert shifted uncomfortably.

"It may have had something to do with… well… it's probably totally unconnected, but… he's on Mattie's hockey team."

Ludwig's nose wrinkled. Gilbert recognised it as his 'thinking' face.

"Mattie… that boy you are friends with?"

"Uh, yeah. Well, sort of. A little bit more than friends, actually."

"So you are dating this boy? And you haven't introduced him to us?"

"You know who he is, Lud. Besides, we're not living in the sixteenth century. I don't need dad's permission to go out with someone."

"That wasn't what I meant…So, did you hurt this Mattie boy?"

"No! I wouldn't do that! I'm a fucking awesome boyfriend!"

Three days is enough to decide that, right?

"Hmm. Just be careful, bruder.I- I worry about you." Ludwig's cheeks turned a dull pink colour.

"Kesesesesese, you're such a fucking pussy… But, uh, thanks."

He'd never been particularly good at this soppy shit.

"Anyway, you don't need to worry. I have a super awesome revenge plan ready. Do we still have a set of spare keys to the Swiss family's house?"

"The Zwinglis? No. That was only a temporary measure, while they were on holiday, so that Father could water their plants."

"The crowbar it is, then…"

Gilbert jumped to his feet, one hand still pressed to the frozen vegetables, and pushed Ludwig out of his room. When the door was closed he flopped back down onto his bed.

Two death threats in one afternoon. Who'd have guessed that Mattie knew so many potential murderers?

He let the peas drop onto his duvet and cautiously prodded at the sore skin around his eye.

Fucking hell, that hurts. Bastard can pack a punch.

He rescued the peas, and put them back on his face.

Getting together with Mattie… it's worth it, right?

It was against Gilbert's philosophy to regret any decision. But perhaps he wasn't as 100% sure of this one as he'd pretended to be.

There was a noise from downstairs, a sort of scuffling, and the low murmur of voices.

Probably just Feli.

Footsteps on the stairs, then his door was opening.

Mattie stood in the entrance to his room, hair tousled, with a concerned look on his face. It took Gil a few minutes to notice those things, however, because at the moment his gaze was locked firmly on his boyfriend's shorts.

They were tight.

They were red.

They were tiny.

Gilbert smiled to himself as Mattie started babbling about how sorry he was, and how he never expected his team-mates to do something like this, and how awful he felt. The albino sat up as Mattie came closer, then tugged him down into a bruising kiss.

Fucking hell, it's worth it.

It's a filler, but the real action will resume in chapter nine. As always, please let me know what you think!