To all of you who commented 'oh sh**' you are absolutely correct. But don't worry, I think this will be a bonding moment! Hints of beginning PruCan in this chapter! (And I changed one small thing in the 2nd chapter, Gilbert had a hoodie now. I still don't own Hetalia, if I did...well so many things would be canon...so many things. Onwards!
[A few moments earlier:]
Matthew scrambled to a standing position, his ears pricking up. As soon as he'd heard the scream his nails and canines sharpened in defense until he had the needle-sharp teeth of a cat and claws to match, against all better judgement he followed the sound, hopping from rooftop to rooftop, and jumping from the top of a office building to land on a dumpster without so much as a thump, just as the scream cut off. It was times like these he was thankful for his night vision, he watched, half concealed by the shadows as a pale man cast the body of a young woman aside and got to his feet, he turned and Matthew got a look at his ruby red eyes and silver hair as his hood fell. Before he could stop himself Matthew gasped;
"Gil?" He whispered. If Gilbert had been anyone else he wouldn't have heard it, but unfortunately he did and wheeled around, red eyes searching for the source of the sound. Finally his gaze settled on a small blonde boy, with glowing violet eyes and a hair curl that he had only seen once before.
"Mattie?!" He whispered praying to every deity he could think of that he was wrong, but knowing he wasn't because Matthew's odd scent had started wafting towards him
The figure on the dumpster paled and may or may not of hissed a bit before taking a deep, shuddery breath and saying;
"Yeah it's me."
"Scheiße!" (Sh**) Gilbert cursed and hissed as well, his sounding deeper and more rabid. "How the f*** did you even get here!?"
"I jumped." Matthew growled his ears pinned and his teeth still bared, though Gilbert didn't notice.
The albino looked up. The lowest usable window on the building behind the dumpster. was six stories up seeing as the bottom six floors were all dusty, cramped little shops with the windowpanes cracked and boarded shut. The rest were offices, no one would live in any of the buildings around here, that was why Gilbert had chosen this place to hunt.
"Jumped? Jumped where?" He asked furiously, the rational side of him terrified and ashamed the predatory side of him angry that the boy had interrupted his hunt.
Matthew took another deep breath to avoid hissing (his tail had already puffed up as cat tails do when said cat is frightened) and again answered honestly;
"Off the roof."
"The roof!" Gilbert snarled in disbelief. "Did you fly?!" He suddenly had the image of Matthew sprouting wings. That calmed him down a bit and after a few deep breaths he successfully contained the rabid vampire. In a much calmer tone he said "Come on out Birdie, I won't hurt you."
Matthew gave a short little laugh but hopped off the dumpster, landing silently in a crouching position. Cautiously he moved closer to Gilbert.
"Birdie?" He questioned, giving another bark of laughter. "Now wouldn't that be ironic eh?"
The albino gasped looking up and down the figure in front of him. It was most certainly Matthew, except this version of Matthew had glowing eyes, exactly like a cats at night, he also had a tail that was thrashing angrily behind him and ears that were pinned to his head. Matthew was still crouched in a defensive position, obviously ready to pounce if Gilbert tried anything. The Prussian had to wonder who would win in that fight.
"You missed a spot." Matthew hissed.
"Huh?" Gilbert shook his head to clear his mind of shock. The Canadian tapped the side of his mouth.
"You missed a spot." He repeated.
Gilbert wiped his mouth with the back of his hand again and it came away red. He looked down, ashamed. "I'm really not going to hurt you Birdie."
Matthew's ears perked up a bit and but he stayed in his defensive position. "Why should I believe you?" He whispered. "You just killed someone Gil! How do I know that you're not going to do the same to me!?" He eyed the vampires glinting fangs angrily.
'What do I say?' Gilbert thought. 'Because your my friend? Because even though I just met you I can't bare the thought of hurting you?' No, those answers were too sappy and unawesome. Instead he sighed and answered;
"Because you don't smell human. And frankly not at all appetizing."
Matthew had to laugh at the bluntness in that statement. He straightened now convinced the vampire wouldn't hurt him. (After all who would be that harsh and lie?) "Thanks." He muttered dryly. He eyed Gilbert and then said, "We have a lot to talk about."
"Ja." He agreed.
"Well, I have all night. Cats tend to be nocturnal." Matthew shrugged. "Do you think you can get up on the roof?" He asked pointing to the same roof he had jumped off of.
Gilbert eyed it, it would be difficult but there was a drain pipe connected he could probably scale that. He nodded.
Matthew did a good impression of the Cheshire Cat's grin and took off. In one leap he was back on the dumpster then he did what Gilbert was planning and scrambled up the pipe. In under a minute he was on top of the roof and he had barely made a sound.
"Awesome." The Prussian whispered and copied him making way more noise than the agile neko.
Matthew had to give him a hand as he reached the top which he did, shuddering at Gilbert's temperature. They sat side by side in silence for a moment before Matthew broke it.
"So how long have you been a vampire? Or are the stories wrong and it's something you're born as?"
Gilbert ran a hand through his hair. "No, it's not somezing you're born as. I vas turned last summer, July I zink." He glanced at Matthew. "How 'bout you Birdie?"
"Born this way. When I was a baby my brother thought it was funny to give me a ball of string and watch me go wild." He didn't meet Gilbert's eye.
"So you're brother's not like zis?" He gestured to Matthew.
"No, he has the agility and he's a slight insomniac but no outward traits like me." He examined his nails, which were just starting to shrink down to normal as he spoke.
Gilbert noticed that Matthew was refusing to look at him. "I'm sorry you saw that back there, it's totally unawesome." He apologized referring to his hunting.
The neko inched a bit closer to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's disturbing yes and I feel bad for that poor woman but you can't help it can you?"
The albino shook his head."I tried animals but zat's kinda like living on nothing but bread and water, after avhile you get sick because of lack of nutrients or somezing. And blood from blood banks doesn't agree with me." He rubbed his stomach remembering the pains he had gotten the first and last time he tried that.
"See?" Matthew said softly, no longer blinded by fear and anger. "You can't help it. It's like I can't help eating raw fish..or pancakes..that's basically my diet, raw fish and pancakes."
Gilbert smirked a bit. "But do you eat the fish while it's still moving?"
Matthew hung his head. "I have in the past."
"Seriously?! Kesesese, Birdie! Zat's awesome!" The vampire laughed trying to imagine the boy next to him catching a fish and then eating it then and there.
The neko laughed with him. "That's not what my parents said." Then he changed the subject. "So how come you come out in the day?"
"Zat's a myth. The worst the sun will do is give me a sunburn, but I'm albino so, used to it."
"Crosses?"
"Myth." Gilbert showed Matthew the cross necklace around his neck.
"Hmm..Okay, stakes? Holy water? Not being able to go inside a church?"
"Um, I haven't checked the first two and I tend to avoid churches so I vouldn't have any idea." The albino laughed. "How 'bout you? Always land on your feet?"
"Ha, no. Big myth. Most of the time, but when I miss time something the fall is pretty spectacular."
"Nine lives?" The question was innocent enough but Matthew suddenly got an odd look and started muttering something about pancakes.
"Vhat?"
"Nothing!" The neko said quickly and changed the subject once more. "Can I see where you were bitten?" He was actually very curious.
Gilbert shifted uncomfortably but said "Sure." And pulled down the collar of his shirt so Matthew could see two small puncture marks at the base of his neck. Timidly, Matthew reached out a hand and touched them. Gilbert leaned closer, happy when the boy didn't pull away.
"How'd you get zat Birdie?" He asked noticing a notch in one of the neko's ears.
Matthew retracted his hand and felt the notch. "Fight." He whispered and Gilbert got the feeling he wasn't telling the truth but didn't press it. Instead he extended a hand as if to pet one of them.
"May I?" He asked, knowing that cats were moody and would hate you if you pet them in the wrong spot.
Matthew nodded and Gil began stroking the soft things on the neko's head. Matthew shivered at first then leaned in to the hand and began to purr. When Gilbert stopped the neko rested his head on the vampire's shoulder, still purring.
"Birdie are you..?" He made to question the boy then realized that Matthew had actually fallen asleep on his shoulder.
"Cats can fall asleep anyvhere." He muttered to himself, shifting slightly to find a more comfortable position but not wanting to disturb Matthew. Gilbert smiled to himself, he wasn't the only odd one in the universe, there were others. That was a comforting thought to have.
Down in the alley way a boy in a black hoodie examined the body.
'Vampire.' He thought. 'Definitely. Now I have two monsters to hunt.'
And hunt them he would.
I know Mattie said he was nocturnal but if I've learned anything from my cat it's that if they get comfortable enough they will fall asleep with out warning, plus I thought that bit was cute.