~*~

Chapter Seven: An Improvised Engagement, pt 1

~*~

"Mattie?" Alfred called, knocking softly on Matthew's half opened door. Mattie hadn't cared the night before (actually more like earlier in the morning) if his door was open or closed. He had just walked in, thrown his uniform off, and climbed under the covers. It was a cold night, and even today, dark clouds were forming, threatening thunderstorms.

"Matthew…" Alfred whispered almost seductively in Matthew's ear.

Matthew opened one eye and almost growled, "Go away, Alfred. I work late, so I get to sleep in."

"Mattie, it's 12:30 in the afternoon. I'm worried about you blood sugar getting too low…" Alfred replied.

"I'm not a diabetic, Alfie," Matthew replied, rolling over. The blankets rolled with him, exposing a bare leg all the way up to the very top of the Canadian's thigh. Alfred turned away quickly and replied, "Fine… I'm still making you some brunch…"

He left silently, and Matthew was all too obliged to get up and get dressed.

~*~

After a day of not much talking between Alfred and him, Matthew was happy to leave the house to catch the bus downtown. Once on the bus, the theme to the 'Titanic' began to play out of his phone. (What? The singer was Canadian! And Matthew always cried at the end of the movie, just because of the song…) Matthew answered the phone quickly as he sat down.

"Hello?"

"Ve~ There you are, Mattie. I called your house and Alfred picked up, saying you were off to work," Feliciano said, "Now, where could you work that you would leave at seven in the evening?"

"Arthur's Pub," Matthew replied.

"Really? Does Alfred know that you're working for his almost-but-just-kidding-fiancé?"

"Yes, and he's still ignoring me for it… well… kind of. I guess I initiated the silence today…"

"Well, I just wanted to check up on you… how are you?" Feli asked.

"Angry at Alfred, but what else is new. He's always been a bit of an asshole towards me…"

"Not always… remember when Lovino made you cry when Alfred was over that first time? I think he was quite sweet to have kissed the spot where my dear brother hit you. Especially since I wasn't there to do so," Feliciano replied.

"Yeah… Lovino hit me pretty hard in the stomach. And you were the one chastising him in Italian. Are you sure you weren't cursing him out, Feli?"

"I'm not telling. But, sometimes you have to curse out dear Lovi when he gets in one of his moods. Speaking of Lovi and his moods, Antonio put him another one and I can't get him out of the house without promising alcohol, should I come to the Pub later tonight to see you?"

"By all means, yes. Bring Ludwig! Bring Kiku! Heck, call Antonio and tell him to propose to the poor boy right at the Pub!" Matthew shouted. The other people around him on the bus looked at him, and he kind of glowered at them.

"Oh! Oh no, that would not do. He doesn't have a ring…" the Italian boy hissed, as if Lovino was right there in the room. He probably was.

"Go across the street and ask Alfred for his. Arthur and Lovino have the same ring-size, I think…" Matthew said, remembering Arthur's hand-size, and then thinking back to Lovino's hands.

"I think you just became the most evil little thinker in the world, Mattie~" Feli said, "But I like the way you're thinking. I'm going to call Antonio, and then I'm going to get that ring from Alfred… I'll see you at the Pub in an hour or two, okay?"

"Okay," Matthew replied, and closed the phone.

~*~

"YOU CAME BACK!" Arthur cried, taking Matthew's head and holding it close to his chest. Matthew's neck cracked, and Arthur immediately let go, "Oi, sorry, mate…"

"No problem… it was nice to get out of the house… Alfie was… well, I was being kind of jerk to Alfred, and I needed to get out of there," Matthew told him, and began to write down some drinks that several costumers were shouting in his general direction.

A little later that evening, Antonio stumbled in and noticed Matthew, "Hola, Mattie~" he called as he sat at the bar, "Hola, Arthur!"

"Hola, Antonio… where's Lovi?" Matthew asked, bringing a drink to a costumer close by.

"He and I… we had a bit of a fight. But Feli promised he'd bring him here tonight. Oh! Alfie gave me this~" Antonio showed him the black box with the ring in it.

Arthur raised his eyebrows, recognizing the case, "Is that… that is the ring he was going to propose with!"

"To you?" the Spaniard asked.

"Yes… but I… I wasn't ready to commit to Alfie," Arthur replied, looking at Matthew, who smiled at the ring.

"I think that was my idea, Antonio~" Matthew said.

Antonio got up and hugged the smaller man, "Thank you so much then~"

"Eh? Be sure to thank Alfred, too!" Matthew said.

"Hey, you!" a gruff looking man yelled, waving Matthew over. He winked at Antonio before going off to help the drunkard.

"I wish you lots of happiness… Lovi's worth a little pain, isn't he?" Arthur asked.

"He is," Antonio replied, nearly crying into the drink Arthur had placed in front of him, "He so is…"

"Antonio~" Feliciano's voice cried from the doorway.

"What?!" Lovino shouted. Feliciano held a tight grip on his brother, though, so he couldn't get away from his… situation. Behind the two Italian brothers were Ludwig and Kiku, and Alfred was behind them, a little peeved that this was where Antonio was planning on proposing to his friend.

Matthew gave a slip of paper to Arthur just as Antonio jumped up to take Lovino's hand. Lovino folded his arms into his chest and turned to the side, a blush creeping onto his face. Kiku waved to Matthew, who nodded at his Japanese friend. That gesture distracted him from where he was going, and he ran into Arthur, who had just come out from behind the bar. Matthew crashed headlong into Arthur, who caught him, but they both wound up on the counter in a very… compromising position, with the Canadian's small body in between the Englishman's legs. This happened right as Antonio got on one knee and asked, "Lovi… will you… will you marry me?"

And that's when all hell broke lose.

~*~

LAME CLIFFHANGER DUN DUN DUN.

Ignore me, please. But review. Please and thank you.

~Ana~