[oneshot] Confidence
Let’s go to a bar tonight, he had said. A club with a dance floor. They had fully agreed, each taking out cell phones to call in dates from their significant others. But he did not. They both had looked up, questioning his lack in effort at procuring a date. He just shook his head, grinning and promising them thoroughly that he had the most fantastic date in mind.
Everyone knew that Gilbert couldn’t land a date to save his life. He had been rejected, sometimes violently, time and time again but that never seemed to kill his confidence. In most cases it only made his desire to succeed all the stronger. But this… This was simply ridiculous.
“What do you want to drink? … That sounds good! The awesome me will have one as well! … No, I’ll pay. I insist! … Don’t you dare take out that wallet!”
Antonio and Francis eyed their friend, sending a worried look at each other. Had Gilbert finally lost it? It was certainly a possibility, something they had been expecting for years but seeing him loose it now at the top of his game was a tragedy. Especially like this.
Gilbert had been talking to the empty barstool next to him for over an hour. He laughed, agreed with and looked dreamily at the air. Not that Antonio and Francis hadn’t been preoccupied by their own dates. Each of them had been on the dance floor at least twice, once leading into a complete make-out session for Francis. But there was no way they couldn’t notice Gilbert’s odd behavior.
Both excusing themselves from their dates two-thirds of the famed Bad Friends Trio cornered the third. Francis put a hand on Gilbert’s shoulder while Antonio stared at the air the albino appeared to be talking to.
“A word, mon ami?” Francis said.
Gilbert clapped him on the back, “Sure. One second,” he winked at the space above the bar stool, “Be right back. Don’t go anywhere.”
Intervention was obviously in order. Francis grabbed Gilbert’s arm and dragged him and Antonio to the far side of the bar. Once they were secluded Gilbert sighed, closing his eyes, “Did I luck out or what, guys? He’s a real looker, don’t you think?”
“Oh…” Antonio said knowingly, “So it’s a boy…”
“I know right? So attractive you’d think he was a girl!”
“Gilbert,” Francis tried to cut in.
“I think I’m in love guys!”
“Gilbert!” Grabbing his jacket Francis pointed at the bar, “There is no one in that seat! You haven’t been talking to anyone all evening!”
Gilbert frowned, “Look, just because he has a few self-confidence issues doesn’t mean he’s downright invisible!”
“Actually,” Antonio chipped in, “I can’t see anyone.”
“You…” Gilbert looked back and forth between them, then pointed, “Right there! At that stool! You can’t see anyone?!”
Sadly Francis shook his head, “Non. Gilbert you should maybe get some help about this…”
“Oh screw you. He exists, he’s right there, and I’ll prove it goddammit!”
Pulling away from his friends Gilbert went back to the bar just as a slower song was starting. He shoved his anger aside and smiled, “Dance with me? I’m pretty awesome at it.”
Antonio and Francis could only watch as Gilbert walked onto the floor alone, put one hand on an invisible waist and started dancing.
“You know you should really have more confidence in yourself,” Gilbert said, finger tightening around an invisible hand, “Like me! Of course you won’t be as awesome as me but I bet you could come pretty close…… Don’t say that, I’m telling you you’re hot! Shit, you’re so hot you make me want to cook pancakes on your body! …… Um, if you tell me what eloquence is maybe I’ll do it…… Well I don’t know. That blush looks awfully adorable on you!”
Antonio nudged Francis, who had fully given up on Gilbert and was busy necking his date. The Frenchman looked up, obviously annoyed at the interruption, but Antonio just pointed at the faint outline that had formed in front of their friend.
“I mean honestly. You’re as cute as hell, your cooking is freaking fantastic and hey,” Gilbert wiggled his eyebrows, “You have the awesome me by your side now! How much more of a confidence booster do you need?”
Little by little the shape of a man started to materialize in front of Gilbert. A hand resting on the albino’s shoulder, wavy blond hair, sky blue eyes framed by small wire glasses. An apple-red blush spread across pale cheeks.
“So I guess… What I’m trying to say Mattie is…” Gilbert bit his lip, “You want to get together?”
Matthew Williams smiled, “Yeah. I’d like that Gilbert.”
Everyone knew that Gilbert couldn’t land a date to save his life. He had been rejected, sometimes violently, time and time again but that never seemed to kill his confidence. In most cases it only made his desire to succeed all the stronger. But this… This was simply ridiculous.
“What do you want to drink? … That sounds good! The awesome me will have one as well! … No, I’ll pay. I insist! … Don’t you dare take out that wallet!”
Antonio and Francis eyed their friend, sending a worried look at each other. Had Gilbert finally lost it? It was certainly a possibility, something they had been expecting for years but seeing him loose it now at the top of his game was a tragedy. Especially like this.
Gilbert had been talking to the empty barstool next to him for over an hour. He laughed, agreed with and looked dreamily at the air. Not that Antonio and Francis hadn’t been preoccupied by their own dates. Each of them had been on the dance floor at least twice, once leading into a complete make-out session for Francis. But there was no way they couldn’t notice Gilbert’s odd behavior.
Both excusing themselves from their dates two-thirds of the famed Bad Friends Trio cornered the third. Francis put a hand on Gilbert’s shoulder while Antonio stared at the air the albino appeared to be talking to.
“A word, mon ami?” Francis said.
Gilbert clapped him on the back, “Sure. One second,” he winked at the space above the bar stool, “Be right back. Don’t go anywhere.”
Intervention was obviously in order. Francis grabbed Gilbert’s arm and dragged him and Antonio to the far side of the bar. Once they were secluded Gilbert sighed, closing his eyes, “Did I luck out or what, guys? He’s a real looker, don’t you think?”
“Oh…” Antonio said knowingly, “So it’s a boy…”
“I know right? So attractive you’d think he was a girl!”
“Gilbert,” Francis tried to cut in.
“I think I’m in love guys!”
“Gilbert!” Grabbing his jacket Francis pointed at the bar, “There is no one in that seat! You haven’t been talking to anyone all evening!”
Gilbert frowned, “Look, just because he has a few self-confidence issues doesn’t mean he’s downright invisible!”
“Actually,” Antonio chipped in, “I can’t see anyone.”
“You…” Gilbert looked back and forth between them, then pointed, “Right there! At that stool! You can’t see anyone?!”
Sadly Francis shook his head, “Non. Gilbert you should maybe get some help about this…”
“Oh screw you. He exists, he’s right there, and I’ll prove it goddammit!”
Pulling away from his friends Gilbert went back to the bar just as a slower song was starting. He shoved his anger aside and smiled, “Dance with me? I’m pretty awesome at it.”
Antonio and Francis could only watch as Gilbert walked onto the floor alone, put one hand on an invisible waist and started dancing.
“You know you should really have more confidence in yourself,” Gilbert said, finger tightening around an invisible hand, “Like me! Of course you won’t be as awesome as me but I bet you could come pretty close…… Don’t say that, I’m telling you you’re hot! Shit, you’re so hot you make me want to cook pancakes on your body! …… Um, if you tell me what eloquence is maybe I’ll do it…… Well I don’t know. That blush looks awfully adorable on you!”
Antonio nudged Francis, who had fully given up on Gilbert and was busy necking his date. The Frenchman looked up, obviously annoyed at the interruption, but Antonio just pointed at the faint outline that had formed in front of their friend.
“I mean honestly. You’re as cute as hell, your cooking is freaking fantastic and hey,” Gilbert wiggled his eyebrows, “You have the awesome me by your side now! How much more of a confidence booster do you need?”
Little by little the shape of a man started to materialize in front of Gilbert. A hand resting on the albino’s shoulder, wavy blond hair, sky blue eyes framed by small wire glasses. An apple-red blush spread across pale cheeks.
“So I guess… What I’m trying to say Mattie is…” Gilbert bit his lip, “You want to get together?”
Matthew Williams smiled, “Yeah. I’d like that Gilbert.”