Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

Chapter 11

"It's a nice day, isn't it?" Feliciano asked, looking up.

Matthew nodded. Feliciano had decided to go for some fresh air, and had asked Matthew to accompany him. The fourteen-year-old didn't see a reason to deny his friend his wish, and so they wandered around the yard.

They approached the garden, and Feliciano sprinted forward before he dropped himself on the grass between two flowerbeds. Matthew sat down next to him, but Feliciano tugged at Matthew's arm, forcing Matthew to lie down as well.

"This is nice," Feliciano said. "Do you still have work to do today?"

Both of them were a lot busier than they used to be, though Matthew's schedule would conspicuously become clear whenever Mathais Kohler would come for a meeting with master Romulus. Arthur specifically told Matthew to make himself scarce whenever it happened, and Feliciano's schedule would also become clear. And Arthur urged Matthew to try to get Feliciano outside as much as possible.

When Matthew was younger, he had always been intimidated by Arthur, who didn't allow anything to go wrong, and who could be harsh towards the servants if there was a mistake. But ever since that day a year ago, Matthew realised that Arthur took care of the servants in the best way he could. Yao revealed that he had specifically called Arthur because he was the only one that would have been able and willing to help if a servant was being harassed by a guest.

"I finished my chores for today," Matthew said. "What about you?"

"…I still have to do arithmancy homework before my tutor comes tomorrow," Feliciano groaned. "Why do I have to learn this stuff? Lovino's going to take over the family business. It shouldn't matter if I know how to count or not."

"Maybe it's to give you a better chance on your own. You could start a business of your own. And then you wouldn't have to rely on your father at all anymore."

"I guess so…"

They normally avoided speaking about the future. The two were very aware of the differences in their stations. Matthew especially didn't have much of a future. As long as he could be useful to master Romulus, he could carry on the way he normally did.

"Hey, look at those clouds," Feliciano exclaimed, pointing up. "Don't you think it looks a bit like a cat?"

Matthew's eyes scanned the sky, finally finding the clouds that Feliciano was referring to. He smiled.

"You're right," Matthew said. "And that one looks like a flower."

The two proceeded to look at the clouds, pointing out what they believed to be interesting designs. Matthew smiled. No matter what, Feliciano could always make him relax.

He looked over towards Feliciano, and blinked when he realised that Feliciano had turned onto his side so that he was looking directly at Matthew.

"Is something wrong?" Matthew asked.

"No," Feliciano said. "Your hair is glowing. It looks a little like the sun."

Matthew reached up to touch his hair. He tried to bring some strands into his view, but they were just too short. Feliciano giggled.

"I'm going to have to take your word for it," Matthew said, before he turned to Feliciano. "Your hair has a bit of red in it. Did you know that?"

Feliciano reached up, but his hair was even shorter than Matthew's. The two laughed. Feliciano then placed his hands on the ground and pushed up.

"I think we should get something to drink," Feliciano said. "It's the only disadvantage of a day like this."

Feliciano moved to stand, but for some reason, he stumbled a bit and ended up on top of Matthew. Matthew grunted at the sudden weight, but didn't push Feliciano off.

"Ouch," Feliciano groaned. "I think I hurt my…"

He looked up then, and amber eyes locked with violet. Matthew held his breath. He had looked at Feliciano's eyes many times, but for some reason, they looked brighter this time. Feliciano's breath tickled Matthew's face. It still smelled of Feliciano's dessert. Feliciano stared at Matthew, and Matthew stared at Feliciano. Then Feliciano bent down.

Feliciano's lips were soft and sweet. It was a simple touch of lips, and it was nothing like the last kiss Matthew had. The kiss was shy, but when Matthew didn't push him away, the kiss became more confident, with only the minimum of movement. Matthew closed his eyes, after Feliciano closed his as well.

The kiss came to an end when Feliciano pulled away with a gasp. Matthew opened his eyes, and he feared that Feliciano might have been suffering from heat stroke, since his face was flushed.

"I-I'm sorry," Feliciano said. "I-I shouldn't have…"

Feliciano started to scramble up, before he winced. Matthew pushed himself up as well, concerned now.

"What's wrong?" Matthew asked. "Are you hurt?"

"My ankle," Feliciano said. "I stepped too hard, and it hurts."

"I'll take you back to your room." Matthew completely stood, and he threw Feliciano's arm around his shoulders. "I'll tend to your ankle then, and I'll fetch the refreshments."

They started to go back to the manor. Feliciano bit his lip, before he looked over towards Matthew.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"You had no intention of getting hurt," Matthew said. "You have nothing to apologise for."

"No, not… not that. I meant… The kiss. I-I don't know why I did that. I'm sorry."

"Oh."

"You don't seem bothered by it?"

"It… It wasn't the first time," Matthew admitted. "And it doesn't hurt."

"Hurt? Why would it… Matteo, is there something you're not telling me?"

Matthew bit his lip. He hadn't intended to reveal as much to Feliciano. But now that the initial shock wore off, he kept thinking about the last time he was kissed. It wasn't like the kiss from Feliciano. Feliciano was tender and shy, while Mathias Kohler kissed him to assert dominance, without a care that it was hurting Matthew. And unlike what happened last time, Feliciano stopped. For some reason, that meant more to Matthew than anything else.

"It doesn't matter," Matthew said, before his eyes widened. "We can't let anyone know about what happened in the garden. We can get in a lot of trouble because of that."

Feliciano frowned, before his eyes widened and he nodded. He must have imagined what his father's reaction would be. They didn't say anything else as they reached the manor, and Matthew guided Feliciano to his bedroom. A few of the servants that they passed paused at the sight. Feliciano bit his lip as he limped.

"Is everything alright?" Kiku asked.

"Master Feliciano took a wrong step in the garden," Matthew explained. Even though everyone knew that he and Feliciano were friends, he was still expected to speak formally about Feliciano to the other servants. "Could you please fetch the medical kit?"

Kiku nodded, before he went off. Now that that was settled, Matthew could focus on getting Feliciano to his room. He could also start to investigate the condition of Felicano's foot.

It took some time, but they were finally at Feliciano's room. Matthew helped him to the bed.

"Which foot is it?" Matthew asked.

"My right," Feliciano said.

Matthew nodded, before he started to remove Feliciano's shoe. Feliciano hissed.

"I'm sorry," Matthew said.

Once the shoe and stocking were off, Matthew could examine Feliciano's foot. He removed the shoe and stocking from the other foot as well and compared the two.

"It's definitely swollen," Matthew said. "I'm sorry about that."

"Why?" Feliciano asked.

Matthew opened his mouth, before he closed it. He didn't really know why he apologised. Perhaps, if he had been the one to fetch the refreshments, Feliciano wouldn't have gotten hurt. But Feliciano had stood while he made the suggestion, so there was no time for Matthew to react.

Would master Romulus see it that way?

Kiku arrived at that point, and Matthew shook himself. He removed a bit of gauze and a bottle of ointment that worked well with swelling.

"Is there anything that I could do to help?" Kiku asked.

"Master Feliciano wished for some refreshments," Matthew said. "Could you please fetch him some? I think that he needs something sweet. He looks pale."

Kiku glanced over towards Feliciano and nodded. Kiku disappeared, and Matthew started to rub the ointment on Feliciano's foot.

"Do I really look pale?" Feliciano asked.

"A little," Matthew admitted. "It might be the pain. If you feel sick in any way, just let me know."

Feliciano nodded. He fidgeted with the sheets under his hands.

"Matteo, I… I know some of the things that happen to servants," Feliciano said. Matthew tensed. "How… People in my position… I just want you to know… I don't want you to feel like I'm taking advantage of you. If I make you uncomfortable…"

"You don't," Matthew said. "And you're nothing like them."

"Still… About what happened outside…"

"Kiku could return at any moment. It's best not to discuss it now."

"But… I-I don't know why I did it. A-and I don't want you to be scared of me."

"I could never be scared of you. And… it felt nice. You tasted sweet. You don't have to worry about it."

Feliciano was silent. Matthew had finished with the ointment and started with the gauze.

"You… you were sweet too," Feliciano said.

Matthew's hands stilled. His heartbeat increased for some reason. Before he could do or say anything else, Kiku returned with a tray. There was a slice of cake on the tray and a cup of tea. Kiku put it on the table while Matthew continued with Feliciano's foot.

"Is there anything else I can do?" Kiku asked.

"You can leave," Feliciano said. "And close the door behind you, please."

"Of course."

Matthew waited until he heard the door close before he looked towards it and then turned back to Feliciano.

"Is there a reason why you wanted the door closed?" Matthew asked.

"We need to talk about it," Feliciano said. "I don't… I don't want you to think that I'm… I'm abusing my authority."

"I don't think that. Feliciano… It's really not a problem. It happened, and there's no reason for you to feel guilty."

Matthew finished with Feliciano's foot, and then went to retrieve the tray. He wasn't too surprised to see that there was only one slice of cake and one cup of tea. After all, Feliciano was the master, and there was no reason why the servant should be given the same treatment. He turned around and almost dropped the tray.

"Feliciano, you should sit down," Matthew said.

"Matteo, do you want to know the part I feel the guiltiest about?" Feliciano asked. "That kiss… I want to do it again."

Matthew's chest constricted. He put the tray down so that he could help Feliciano, and the moment he was close to Feliciano, the latter grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer. Their lips came together again, but while the previous kiss was shy, this one was hungry. It wasn't as bad as the one with Mathias Kohler, but it was still a surprise. Matthew clung to Feliciano, who pulled him closer as well. The two of them deepened the kiss, and when they parted, they were both breathless.

"Please," Feliciano whispered. "Don't hate me."

"I could never hate you," Matthew whispered. "You are the most precious person in my life."

This time, Matthew was the one that kissed Feliciano.

…

The two sixteen-year-olds sat across from each other, a chess board between them. Ever since Feliciano had taught it to Matthew when they were ten, it was a game that they would often play. Matthew had become rather good at the game, better than Feliciano in certain regards. However…

Matthew frowned at Feliciano's move. He'd ignored the unprotected bishop to take a protected pawn, a move that would immediately put Feliciano in check. This wasn't the first time that Feliciano had done something like that in this match.

Matthew ignored the obvious move, and decided on another. This was Feliciano's turn to frown, and he made another bad move. Matthew did the same. It happened for a few more moves until they ended up in a stalemate, and the two burst out laughing.

"We should really stop doing that," Feliciano said.

"You say it," Matthew said, "but you're the one that started it."

It wasn't the first time that they'd ended in a stalemate because they both decided to sabotage themselves in order to allow the other to win.

"Shall we play another round?" Matthew asked.

Feliciano nodded.

"I'll set the board again," Feliciano said. "You can go get us something to drink."

Matthew nodded. He left Feliciano to it and went down to the kitchen, using the servant passages to get there faster, and to avoid the guest he knew was there for master Romulus. It wasn't Mathias Kohler, but Matthew still wanted to avoid anyone like that.

If Matthew remembered correctly, the guest this time was a man named Francis Bonnefoy. He never actually saw this man, but Arthur didn't like him much, so Matthew knew to avoid him.

When he arrived in the kitchen, Kiku and Yao were there. Yao was cooking while Kiku was washing dishes.

Matthew went to work, getting a pitcher of juice for Feliciano. He put the pitcher and two glasses on a tray, and just as he picked up the tray, Kiku spoke.

"What exactly is it that you and master Feliciano do every day?" Kiku asked.

Matthew blinked, before he looked towards Kiku.

"Pardon?" Matthew asked.

"You are with him every day," Kiku said. "Are you his personal servant or something?"

"Master Feliciano wanted him as a companion when they were both children," Yao sighed. "He couldn't do a lot of chores yet, and master Feliciano could be a menace when he was bored. It seemed that having the only person his age to keep him company was the best solution for the menace."

Yao couldn't say it for sure. He had arrived a year or so after Matthew, but Kiku had arrived even later, and he wouldn't question Yao about that assessment. Matthew recognised that Yao was just trying to keep the peace between them.

"Alright, that was when they were children," Kiku said. "And what about now?"

"Master Feliciano doesn't have many responsibilities," Matthew said. "At least, compared to master Lovino. And he can get a little restless. And you don't need to worry. I only go to keep master Feliciano company when I've finished my chores for the day."

"It seems that you have fewer chores than the rest of us."

"Believe me, keeping master Feliciano occupied is a chore in itself," Yao sighed. "It's always a nightmare when Matthew is ill. I am sure that master Feliciano knows how to navigate the passages by now."

Matthew continued to watch Kiku.

"Is there something specifically that bothers you?" Matthew asked.

Kiku turned around and scowled at Matthew. Matthew almost shrank under the gaze of the older teen.

"We all work our fingers off," Kiku said, "and the masters rarely know our names. You get to do a few chores a day and then spend time with master Feliciano, playing games, eating desserts, drinking beverages. And why? You're not of a higher station, so why do you get special treatment?"

Matthew flinched under the words. He looked around. A few of the other servants had entered the kitchen as well, and while they said nothing, it was clear that they agreed with what Kiku said. Only Yao didn't seem to be resentful towards Matthew.

"Are you saying that you would prefer to anger master Feliciano?" Yao asked. "Because keeping him company is Matthew's chore. Master Feliciano requires companionship, and he is the most familiar and comfortable with Matthew, because Matthew was the first child his age that he encountered. If you really have a problem with all of this, you can discuss it with Arthur, who will discuss it with master Feliciano. But as long as master Feliciano wants Matthew to entertain him, no one in this room has the right to say anything. We cannot defy the wishes of our masters."

Matthew closed his eyes and nodded. It was the only clear way to thank Yao. Everything he said was true, of course. The question was whether the others would accept it.

Seeing that there would be no further argument, Matthew took the tray and proceeded to return to Feliciano's room. But before he left, he managed to catch one last thing.

"What makes him so special?"

Matthew closed his eyes. None of them would understand, and if they knew, they would only be angrier with him. And they forgot that Feliciano was the only one that treated him better. Master Lovino always looked at him as though he was trash, though there was something else in his gaze now. And master Romulus didn't seem to know that he even existed. He was essentially like the walls as far as master Romulus was concerned. He was just there. And master Marcello ignored his presence as well, but then again, Matthew almost never saw master Marcello. He was too sickly to go out, most of the time.

Matthew returned to Feliciano's bedroom, and it was clear that Feliciano had grown tired of waiting. He drummed his fingers and looked as though he was about to fall asleep, but he immediately perked up and jumped up when he saw Matthew.

"What took you so long?" Feliciano asked.

"Sorry," Matthew said. "Some of the other servants… They think I'm getting special treatment, and they're not happy about it."

Feliciano frowned.

"It's not their business, though, is it?" he asked.

"They're just angry," Matthew said. "Maybe we should spend just a little less time together, at least until things clear up a bit. We should just make the time we do spend together count."

Matthew put the tray down, and pulled Feliciano closer for a kiss.