Maple Syrup and Unrequited Love. Chapter 2: Promises
Maple Syrup and Unrequited Love: Chapter 2, Promises
[fanfiction.net link]
0o0o0o0
The warm morning sun creped slowly through the window and into the room, jolting Gilbert from his peaceful slumber. The Albino man groaned as the bright rays rudely hit his eyes. He reckoned Ludwig probably went through and cleaned his room again, leaving the blinds wide open…But he'll deal with that a bit later. At the moment, all Gilbert could feel was his head pounding from the hangover last night. Desperately trying to get a good extra hour of sleep, he buried his face deep against his pillow.
Gilbert was sure he had slept in his bed long enough to memorize its every scent and texture by now. It usually smelt like wurst, sweat, all that good stuff - his scent. Right now, however, couldn't help but feel something was different. A strange feeling spread all throughout his stomach. It was almost as if everything on his bed had been replaced. About damn time that brother of his went out and bought some new sheets, he quickly assumed, taking a deep waft at his pillow - except the sheets didn't exactly smell new. They were soiled with a strange scent…different, but quite pleasant too- like some wonderful combination of honey, fresh pastries, and the great outdoors.
Wait, that couldn't be right. Gilbert bolted straight up, feeling his will to sleep slipping lower and lower every passing second. Blinking the sleep out of his eyes, the red eyed man observed his surroundings. He was definitely in a room, all right. But it wasn't his room. Shrugging to himself, Gilbert wondered if he could have possibly been so drunk and exhausted last night, he just accidentally slipped into Ludwig's bed and passed out.
Exploring the room setting, he spotted a life sized polar bear leaned against the nearest wall. Gilbert frowned. That sure is Strange…He didn't remember Ludwig ever owning a stuffed animal like that. Heck! The last time that brother of his had a toy of any shape or form, he was barley a whiney, crying four year old. A few feet from the bear, he noticed a hockey stick and helmet. Something was definitely wrong here. Gilbert was sure. A wave of panic struck through the silver haired man's body. There was simply no way any of that stuff could belong to him or his brother. He probably wasn't even in his own house anymore.
'Now what the hell exactly happened last night?' Gilbert thought, trying to keep himself calm and focused. The last thing he really remembered was heading out the bar, and going back to the apartment complex…The rest of the night felt like a total blur.
Crap! He mentally cursed, hoping the situation wasn't what he thought it was…Gilbert felt his heartbeat quicken as the sudden realization struck him…Had he gotten so hammered last night that he followed a complete stranger home and then slept with them?
Glancing down, the albino man managed to relax a bit once he realized he was still fully clothed with the same garments he wore last night. Thankfully, the other side of the bed was empty as well…
Quickly sprinting out of bed and rushing out the door, there was no time to rest. He still had to get down to the bottom of this mystery- where the hell was he and how the heck did he get here?
Gilbert promptly found his way down the hall of the small house and onto the living room. Something about it felt familiar, almost like he'd been there before…
Spotting the scene in front of him, the silver haired man understood why he felt so well acquainted with the place. Slumped against the couch and dozing peacefully, was a small blond boy. It was that kid again, the one he had fatefully met on the roof only yesterday.
Gilbert frowned for a moment, still slightly feeling a bit off after the whole encounter that day. For a good minute, he was unsure if he should wake the other, especially after their horrible brawl. But like typical per say, Gilbert just forthrightly settled that his awesome presence was more important than that brat's sleep any day. And plus, he still needed to find out what the hell he was even doing here in the first place!
"Oi! What is the meaning of this, kid!" Gilbert questioned, roughly shaking the boy awake. Trying to cover his nervousness, he tried to feint as pissed off as possible.
"Oh, you're up. Good morning…" Matthew rubbed his eyes sleepily, before reaching for his glasses on the table.
Amethyst purple met blood red for a few seconds before the albino man broke the silence.
"So, what happened? How the fuck did my awesome self end up in your crappy house again? You better give me a good explanation for this, kid!"
The blond stifled a yawn before speaking. "Well, I don't know how you managed to make it up here without having an accident…but you came stumbling at my door at one AM last night,"
"Wait…what?" Gilbert tried to protest, but his hangover still loomed over his head like a huge cloud of smoke. Too tired to argue, he thought of all the events that could have happened after leaving the bar.
"Look, I know this looks a bit suspicious on my account and everything," Matthew continued "But believe me, you were completely drunk when you came in. I couldn't let you walk back by yourself so late at night and in that state, so I let you sleep on my bed for the night, alright?"
The older man stood silent, a bit stunned by the new information he was receiving. He was surely heading back last night. Then... well, it wasn't exactly impossible that he accidentally waltzed by Matthew's house instead. No matter how ridiculous that idea sounded at first, the unwary circumstances of everything were starting to add up against him. And as much as he hated to admit it, if Matt was being truthful, then the brat probably just did him a huge favor.
Gilbert sighed. Once again, he was tangled up in an awkward situation with the kid. But oddly, he was starting to feel a bit relieved, almost as if a heavy weight had been lifted off his shoulders. 'So the brat wasn't mad or bitter over anything,' he grinned, almost letting out a loud chuckle. Fortunately, he managed to catch himself in the nick of time, quickly shaking his head in hopes that the other hadn't heard the weird noises coming from his throat. 'And since when did he care so much about what the brat, yet alone anyone thought of him?' Gilbert reflected, not quite sure what to think about that unsettling fact.
"Yo, yo, yo! Good morning! The hero is in!" chirped a loud, cheerful voice suddenly snapping the quiet atmosphere. Gilbert groaned as the corresponding face glided its way in the room. He had forgotten that annoying kid, Alfred lived here as well.
"Morning, Al" Matthew replied. "Can you please keep it down a bit? I have a friend over,"
"What? Did you just say friend? Wow! I didn't know you actually had friends, Mattie!" the blond exclaimed, taking a quick glance at Gilbert. "Hey, aren't you that albino freak that lives on the floor below?"
Gilbert growled, using all his will power to resist punching that stupid kid right in the face.
"I-I didn't know you two knew each other, eh?" Matthew quickly intervened, stepping between the two men.
"Yeah…Unfortunately we do,"
"Wow, Matt! I'm glad you made a friend for once...but does it really have to be this weirdo?" Alfred whispered, lowering his voice down a notch.
Gilbert hissed dangerously. "Say that again to my awesome face, Jones. I dare you"
"Haha! With pleasure, you ugl…"
"Uhh Al," Matthew swiftly cut in, trying to resolve the tension before it was too late. "You know, I heard they were having a fifty percent discount on Big Macs at McDonalds today,"
"Wow, are they really? I'm totally out of here, then!" Alfred promulgated, completely forgetting about the previous situation. And within five seconds upon hearing the news, he was long gone and out the door.
"Sorry about that, eh? My brother can be a bit too…outspoken at times," Matthew apologized.
'Yeah. That much I figured,"
"Well, that should get rid of him for a good two hours or so. Anyway, I bet you must still have a pretty bad headache from last night. At least let me get you some pain medication and breakfast before you head back," the younger man declared, before scooting off the couch and heading towards the kitchen. "I'm making pancakes again,"
And that was more than enough to convince Gilbert to stay a while longer.
.....
"Gilbert Beilschmidt, right? That's your name, isn't it," the blond stated, after the two had settled at the table over a fresh steaming stack of pancakes.
"How the heck do you…"
"Your jacket. You left it there last night, remember? I saw it on your driver's license,"
"Oh," he replied, feeling a bit silly. Gilbert watched the other man carefully, somewhat unsure of what he should say - though as if everything that just happened wasn't confusing enough already. And somehow, the boy's very presence gave him a strange, warm feeling. 'Could it possibly be happiness?' he was beginning to think. 'Why? Why? Just how did that kid bring about all those emotions?' After all, no one had ever succeeded in doing the same, or at least to this extent.
Despite being yelled at and nearly torn apart, the brat had given up his bed for the night and fed him another delicious meal the morning after. Perhaps, that was the most shocking factor in Gilbert's mind. He definitely wasn't used to such, compassion - such kindness. And all that from a stranger he met only yesterday. 'Yup, the kid was a weird one,' he concluded.
Only one thing was certain. Gilbert was sure by now, he should have treated that brat better the day before. Nothing was going to undo the damage at this point, but he vowed to at least be on his best behavior for the remainder time. With the first signs of guilt and remorse swarming through his head, Gilbert was determined to set things right - just for one day, at least. Maybe he should do something even more,' he pondered through his options. ' Maybe like working on some form of repayment for all this...'
'Hell no!' Gilbert quickly rebutted. No way was he going to do something so stupid! Now that would be going to far! He was a man with just decent enough morals, but by every means was ever going to submit himself to anyone in total humiliation! And whatever was happening next, there was no fucking way he was stepping a foot out of that protective box he had built around himself over the passing months. At this rate, he was going to have some kind of emotional attachment to the kid - and that was the last thing Gilbert wanted.
"My apologies. I really shouldn't have yelled at you the day before…" Matthew suddenly began, breaking him out of his thoughts. "This is probably going to sound a bit odd…and we just met and everything, but I can't help but get the feeling that we might understand each other more than anyone else in this world right now. After our little spat, I'm now more than convinced that you're going through the same exact thing as me,"
Gilbert nodded. "You might be right, kid. Go on. Just don't give me any of that girly destiny crap, though,"
"Well, I suppose you are quite familiar with that feeling, eh? You know, all the stuff that's enough to drive you to the end of the line,"
"Yeah. That un-awesome shit,"
"Hmm. Where to begin, then? You have a brother too, right?" Matthew asked.
"Yup, regrettably so. We don't really get along anymore. It's been that way for a good year or two now."
"Eh, I understand what you mean." Matthew nodded. " As much as I love Alfred and everything, he can be a real trouble maker sometimes. It's a pretty bad enough our faces look so similar. That's probably why I end up taking the hit for all the stupid things he does…"
"What? That can't be at all!" Gilbert exclaimed.
"Excuse me?"
"You look way different than that brother of yours. I mean…Your hair. It's a bit longer and wavier. And your eyes, they're a few shades different. That's only the beginning of the list! I don't think you look a thing like him! Hell, you definitely look a lot better than that annoying face of his."
Matthew's face lit up automatically with that statement. "R-really? You really think so?"
"Yeah. I don't see how anyone can't tell you two apart. And if so, they probably just aren't awesome enough".
"Wow…I'm glad. I really am…Thank you."
"What are you thanking me for, kid? I'm just stating the obvious"
"E-eh…It's just that," the younger man fiddled happily. "Y-you really are one of the few people who've thought of me differently than Alfred. No one else has done that, no one since…" Matthew paused, suddenly feeling his blood run cold. 'No one since Francis Bonnefoy' he thought bitterly to himself.
"Hey, are you all right?" Gilbert asked, watching the other with concern.
"Y-yeah. Its fine…D-don't worry about me," Matthew frowned. He was really beginning to like the other man. Something about the albino man intrigued him. But somehow, just now he was beginning to feel uneasy.
Matt knew he was fond of Gilbert Beilschmidt… yet more than ever, there was something about the other man that was beginning to remind him of that Frenchman…that awful man Matthew wished he could erase from his past. Not to mention the fact he saw Francis's number on the older man's phone. Gilbert was definitely connected with that horrible man in some way…he just knew it.
"Sure you're feeling alright, kid? You look kind of pale. Just go lie down and I'll take care of everything"
"Mmm, thanks... I suppose" he gave a weak mutter, gazing blankly and heading back towards the couch.
As soon as Matt left the room, the silver haired man slapped himself hard against the forehead. 'Him, the awesome Gilbert Beilschmidt doing house work? No way! What the hell was he thinking?' No matter how Ludwig yelled and pleaded for him to clean at home, Gilbert absolutely refused to labor for his brother in any way…Yet right then just now, not only was he washing the dishes, he even volunteered to do them for a kid he barely just met… There was something about that brat…something about him was different than all those pricks in his life…something he rather liked. Something that made him happy. It was almost as if the boy was a complete mood booster for him. Gilbert had almost forgotten why he'd been so angry and depressed the day before - almost…
.....
Matthew dully stared at the ceiling above. Had he been wrong to befriend the older man? Was it a mistake? Would history repeat itself, just like last time? He might get hurt again. Gilbert could turn out exactly like Francis. And that was the last time Matthew remembered liking someone so much. But no matter how much he tried to convey himself otherwise, somehow he couldn't help but want to know the silver haired man better…to get closer to him. Perhaps, it wasn't right to judge one man based on another's sins - Even if Gilbert was probably deeply interlaced with Frenchman himself. But Matthew was convinced. He was sure that if the two of them put their minds to it, they could truly help each other. And maybe, just maybe it was a bit more than coincidence they had met on the roof that day.
Gilbert suddenly peered out from the kitchen, snapping him back to reality. "Well, kid. I finished with the dishes. Bout time I head back home. My brother'll probably get worried soon, anyways,"
"Y-you know, I rather enjoyed having you over..." Matt began, fumbling a bit to find the right words. "I wouldn't mind doing it again, sometime soon. Maybe you can come over for pancakes sometime in the future, if that's all right with you,"
"Hey, that's a pretty awesome idea," Gilbert beamed, giving a thumbs up of approval. "How bout once a week? Saturdays are the best, and around ten in the morning,"
Matthew smiled. "I'd like that. And I better see you here, alive and well next week," he stated bluntly, with extra emphasis on the last five words.
"You got yourself a deal, kid. And same with you as well," the other flashed a quick grin, before grabbing his coat and heading out the door.
( Previous Chapter ) , ( Next Chapter)