Gil's POV (a few days later...)

I was watching the news before school when Luddy spoke to me for the first time in a week. While the weatherman droned on about rain all week, Luddy walked in looking sick with a blanket wrapped around and his hair a mess. I immediately set down my bowl of cereal.

"Luddy, are you okay?" He shook his head. "Did you puke?" He nodded. "You want soup?" He nodded. "Okay, go sit down." I quickly grabbed my bowl and put it in the sink. I still had an hour until I had to leave so I had to make the soup quick.

I don't think I ever cut vegetables, prepared the noodles and chicken, and made the broth faster in my life. I would give Gordan Ramsey heart attack if he saw the way I prepared it.

While it boiled, I went upstairs to quickly change.  I was packing up the stuff I needed for school when my phone buzzed. It was a text from Matthew.

I was up until 3 am last night in deep thought about which one of your dogs is the softest.

I giggled a bit. I looked at the three dogs that just so happened to be peeking into my room. I quickly responded that Aster is the softest. He really is too. He's got a really long coat too.

Fuck I would kill everyone in the room and then myself for those dogs

What a response. I was going to reply but then I remembered the soup. And I ran out of my room and downstairs, almost falling a few times. It was just right when I got to it so I switched off the stove and served the good old chicken noodle soup. I placed it on the coffee table. Luddy only looked at it with a dazed look.

"There's more in the kitchen, microwave it if it's cold." I gave him a small peck on his head.

"This reminds of old times." He rasped.

"You're still my brother no matter what, you know."

"I know."

~

I walked into the library and I found someone else in Lovi's place. A head of black hair hunched over reading something. I casually slip my huge stack of books in the return slot on the side of the desk. I wasn't even given a glance.

I went off and looked for more interesting books. I ended up in the comic section for some strange reason. I guess every once in awhile I need some pictures in my books.

I found myself with about three comic book (at least that's what I thought they were) and four regular books. I accidentally slammed them down onto the desk. I couldn't help it because it was a slightly heavy load. The guy didn't even flinch though. So, I stood there.

For about a minute. I was getting impatient and I was about to speak up when he put his finger up. He flipped to the next page then looked up. The expression on his face was mild amusement despite his cold dead stare.

"Is that all?" He asked looking to my pile of books.

"Yes."

"I see you got a few manga." He said as he picked up the comics at the top.

"Manga?" He looked at me, his amusement only increasing with the smile that was building on him.

"You have opened up a magical world with that question."

"Oh-"

"My name is Kiku." He slightly bowed his head for a second then held out his hand. I was left dumbfounded but to avoid making it awkward I took it and shook it.

"My name's Gilbert." I said slowly. He pulled his hand back.

"Oh, I've heard of you, you're new, right?"

"Yeah." I shrugged.

"I was the newest before you." He went on to scanning the books. "So I can understand what it's like."

"Where are you from?"

"Japan."

"Really?"

"Mhm." He hummed. "Where are you from?"

"Pr-Germany."

"Makes sense from your accent."

"I honestly can't believe I couldn't tell with your accent."

"Well, it's not too noticible since I've learned to control it slightly."

"Hm, you remind me of someone."

"Here are your books." He slid them to me. "I know you're here often so I'll see you later."

~

"You really love my dogs, hm?"

"Well, yeah." Matthew chuckled. "I've always wanted a dog but my dad doesn't want one. The closest thing I have is a stuffed bear or my brother either one counts."

"Your poor thing."

"Yeah..." He frowned, quickly finishing a math problem on the sheet we were given.

"I have an idea." I said. "How about you come over my house later and you can meet them, hm?" I saw his face light up faster than the speed of light. And he nodded just as quickly. It was actually adorable. "You're lucky to have met the best person in the world then." I sat back in my seat. "I guess we're walking to my house after school then."

"Awesome." He smiked. God, he's absolutely adorable with that bright smile. He might as well be the sun.

Suddenly, the bell rang. He was faster than me in packing up his stuff and he stood up.

"I'll see you later then." He said and walked off. It was right then that it hit me.

Matthew is coming over to my house.

~

The rest of the day was pretty much uneventful. It was mostly filled with my mind in space at the idea that I literally didn't hesitate to invite Matthew over to my house. I was basically having a meltdown.

I composed myself the second I saw him in art though. I don't know how but he cleared my mind fast. I guess I'm just comfortable around him. Maybe I really am losing it.

We went on with our usually conversations of nonsense moving from topic to topic. The second the final bell rang, his face lit up like before. He looked like a kid ready to jump as he was being taken to a toy story. That attitude didn't change as we made our way off school grounds.

"It looks like it might rain soon." I passively said, looking at the dark clouds above.

"I guess we'll have to hurry." He seemed to be trying really hard to hide his excitement. Jokes on him, his voice was an octave higher and slightly louder.

"I guess so." Just as I said that, I felt a cold drop of water fall on my face. "What if it starts pouring?"

"Then we can go to my house, it's closer." Another drop.

"Alright." My brain was kind of shot at the idea of going over his house. At rapid speed I wondered what his house might even look like. I slow descended into if he would have pictures of his younger self.

"Hey, Gilbert?"

"Yeah?"

"We might want to start running."

"What? Why?" It started pouring right then and there. "I see." I stopped walking trying to process it. I felt him grab my arm and pull. He lead me to his house which really was closer. It took about a minute to get there. I almost slipped when we got to the front door so I almost fell on him. He caught me though. I straightened myself, my brain finally catching up. It was kind of funny, really. Here we were in the pouring rain and I almost fell onto him.

I found myself laughing. My laugh must have been contagious enough to make him laugh. And here we were laughing like idiots in the rain.

"I am so sorry." I managed to say between laughing.

"It's fine!" He giggled. I then realized that I was holding onto him a bit too much. We were really close actually. He seemed to have realized it at the same time because both our laughter died down. And we stared at each other for the longest moment. The rain around us seemed to go silent and I could only hear his breath.

I noticed smaller things like how much taller than me he was and how pale he actually was. There was a rosiness to his cheeks from the cold rain. His glasses shined with drops of water.

Our eyes met and my breath seemed to stop.

~

"I'm soaked!" He laughed to himself. I couldn't help but chuckle along with him. He closed the door behind me. We both slipped off our shoes. He then showed me to his living room. "My dad's not going to be happy about the trail we're leaving but whatever." He slipped off his hoodie. His shirt riding up slightly-holy-he's jacked. Usually tall thin guys are like bones but damn, I guess I really shouldn't judge a book by its cover. He shook his head like a dog, water getting everywhere. His hair, although damp, shined. It was truly a beautiful sight.

"Holy shit you have arms!" Was all I could stupidly come up with. Though, his had some nice arms so it really isn't so dumb.

He laughed. "Yeah, everyone gets surprised by that since this hoodie is basically a second skin." I might say the same for his shirt. Why the hell would he wear such a tight shirt? "I could put both of ours in the dryer if you want?" I was hesitant for a split second but then I remembered that I was wearing a long sleeved shirt underneath so it was safe to take my hoodie off.

"Alright, cool." I slipped mine off. In the seconds that I didn't see his face, he got more colorful. He was already kind of pink from the cold but he was teetering on red now. Weird. Anyway, I handed him the hoodie and he was off quickly. Almost running actually.

I stood there awkwardly looking around the room while I waited. It was a weird looking living room. A fire place opposite to the couch. A singular grandiose and kind of worn out chair in the corner. The TV above the fire place with little knickknacks and three different flags below it on a stone shelf. Another couch in front of the window next to the door. The stair right behind me too. It looked almost like a grandmother's house. The framed pictures on the walls really adding to that feeling. The one under the TV on the shelf really caught my eye.

It was an obviously more recent one. Matthew and his brother with a familiar looking man behind them. I could swear I've seen those bushy eyebrows somewhere before. My attention was taken to the flags right next to the picture. They were small ones in a jar. The weirdest part was that there was a British, American, and Canadian flag. This is a weird family, alright.

"You're probably wondering what's with the flags." I nearly jumped when I heard Matthew. I twisted and found him leaning on the archway that lead to the dining room. He pushed himself off of it and made his way towards me. "My dad's British, I'm Canadian, and Al's American."

"You're Canadian?"

"Yeah, I've got the accent and everything."

"That's pretty damn cool."

"I guess so." He shrugged.

Suddenly, the door opened. Right then and there I froze. And did the very people walking into the house.

"Gilbert?" Right before me was Francis at the door.

"Francis?"

"Gilbert?" Then Toni peaked in.

"Toni?"

"Gilbert why are the hell are you in my house?" Then those familiar bushy brows came into sight and I realized who it was.

"Arthur?"

"Wait, you know them?" Matthew asked me.

"Oh my god..." I muttered connecting the dots. "So, you mean to tell me that my best friend is moving in my with my new friend's dad?" I laughed because that's all my brain could really think to do. "This is so weird!"

"I think we've broken him." Toni said, walking up to me. "Nice to see you, Gil." He pat my shoulder. I took a huge breath to compose myself.

"Never once I'm my life did I expect this but, yeah, it's good to see you guys." I turned to Matthew. "Looks like we were talking about the same British guy the other day."

"Oh, well, shit." He chuckled. I turned back to Arthur.

"Arthur, you still live like a grandma."

"Shut up."

"I'm never going to let it go, you know."

"Could you please not embarrass me in front of my son?"

"That's the most adult thing I've ever heard you say." He merely rolled his eyes at me.

"You talk like you're an old man yet you're the one still in school."

"I sure feel like an old man right now."

"You know what I can't believe?" Francis butt in. "The fact that you're friends with my fiance's son!"

"Fiance? Dad what's he mean by that?" Matthew questioned.

"Francis stop pulling words out of your ass..." Arthur grumbled. "He's not my fiance."

"Not yet." Arthur elbowed Francis right then.