Skyline

305

This. This was inspired by a hotel that exists in New York City. I will link you to the pictures I took of it when I went to New York this past October.

Disclaimer: Long story is long. And yes, CHRISTMAS SONGS ON THE RADIO, WOOT!

Characters: Canada, America, Prussia, England

Skyline

Matthew Williams was sitting at his brother's kitchen table. He had a mug of coffee in front of him and a half eaten muffin on a dish to his left. He was playing, or more like fidgeting with the napkin and half listening to what Alfred was telling him; something about rhubarbs if he was hearing correctly. He couldn't even remember why it was that he had to be here; oh right, Alfred had called him; something about wanting to see "his favourite little bro."

"Mattie, you sure you're okay?" Matthew snapped out of his reverie and focused back on his brother, or at least, tried to.

"Yeah, sure, whatever Al, rhubarbs are great." Alfred did not even look impressed.

"Dude, that was like, four conversation subjects ago, spill, what's on your mind?"

"Nothing, I just have a lot of work to do and Gilbert was visiting this past week so my place is a mess. That's all, nothing more, nothing less." Alfred made a face at the mention of the Prussian. Even though it had been almost a year that they had been seeing each other, Alfred still didn't like the idea of his baby brother being so close to the older man.

"You mean he's still in the picture?" Matthew rolled his eyes. Somehow or other, this conversation always came up whenever they saw each other.

"If anyone would have told me you guys would end up together, I would have shot them. Who woulda known?" Matthew simply politely smiled. There was a moment of silence that followed those words.

"So, have you guys done the nasties yet?" Matthew almost spit out the entirety of the gulp of coffee he had just taken.

"That's none of your business!" He could feel the heat coming to his face, his cheeks burning up.

"C'mon, you can tell me! He's always going on about taking vital places, or something or other, you can't tell me that you haven't done the indecent." Matthew took a deep breath to calm his nerves.

"Alfred, first of all, you're not twelve, you don't have to use these bogus terms. Second of all, whether or not Gilbert and I have done anything is none of your damn business and if we had, why the hell would I share my PRI-VATE life with you, eh?" There was a moment of silence as Matthew tried to regain his composure and Alfred tried to mull everything over in his head.

"So… have you slept with him or not?" The younger man let his head hit the table.

"No! happy now?" Another pause.

"Really?" Sometimes he wondered why he bothered with his brother.

"Yes, really."

"But you've been going out for like, a year!"

"Eight months, not a year."

"How is this even possible? You're going out with Gilbert for crying out loud!" Alfred was getting frantic and Matthew exasperated.

"I've been busy with work and your frequent drop by's haven't been any help either." He glared at the older North American. It's not as if they hadn't had their almost moments, but for some strange reason, Alfred had always come in at those times and completely ruined the moment. It was infuriating, but that's how it was.

"Alright, this is what we'll do." Alfred started.

"What? What do you mean "we"? Alfred, no, I don't want you meddling."

"Nonsense, I insist. Trust me on this one; I know what I'm doing."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Alfred ignored him and went on.

"When was the list time you took some time off?"

"Eum, February, I think."

"Too long. You have some accumulated time, or sick days, or some shit like that you Canadians have?"

"I think I do."

"'Course you do. Well, here's what you're gonna do. Friday morning, you're going to fly to New York with your boy toy, spend the day doing touristee and romantic things; Time Square, Lady Liberty, Central Park, whatever the fuck it is couples do, then you'll have a nice meal at a good restaurant and then you'll go to this nice fancy hotel and have a good shag." Alfred smiled triumphantly at his own brilliant plan.

"That's the worst idea I've ever heard. How the hell am I even supposed to pay for all of this? My boss won't allow me to use that much money for a little weekend escapade." Alfred shook his head.

"As if I'd let my baby brother pay. Really, Mattie, d'you think I'm that big of a scrooge?" The short answer to that would have been yes, but he abstained himself from saying it.

"I'll call in a favour with Continental and I'll get you either in first class or a private jet. When you'll get there, I'll have my private chauffeur pick you up and bring you to wherever you want. I suggest you use the subway afterwards. Don't worry about the luggage; I'll make arrangements so that it gets to your hotel room so you won't have to worry about it. And I think I can pull a few strings with the owner of the hotel. The only thing I can't really do for you is the restaurant; unless you let me choose for you then I can make arrangements."

Matthew looked from Alfred's hopeful face to his mug of coffee. His brother had really thought the whole thing through, (or at least he seemed to have done so) and it would be nice to have some alone time with Gilbert. He wasn't opposed to the idea, but his brother's plans seldom ever made any sense or worked out.

"I don't want to inconvenience you." Alfred scoffed at the idea.

"Trust me, it's no problem at all."

"Who says Gilbert will even want to come or that he has time."

"Please, he's an old has-been country. If anything, he has more time than the both of us put together."

"I don't know…" Alfred smirked.

"Call him up, find out." He pushed the phone towards his brother. Matthew hesitated to take it and Alfred nudged it even closer.

"Come on, it's not like you've never called him before; this should be super easy!"

"If I do it, will you shut up?" Alfred smiled victoriously completely ignoring the insult.

"Yes, but you have to put him on speaker phone and you can't tell him I'm here." Matthew rolled his eyes.

"He's not stupid, Alfred, as much as you'd like to think he is. He's going to figure it out."

"Just do it."

"Okay, okay, fine!" Matthew took the phone and dialled the familiar number. Part of him was hoping that Gilbert wouldn't pick up or that he would get the answering machine, but as luck would have it, Gilbert answered on the second ring.

"Hallo?" Great, he sounded as though he had just woken up.

"Gilbert, are you still sleeping?"

"Mattie! No, I was just resting."

"Sure you were. Am I bothering you?"

"Nah, did you change your phone number? I don't recognize this one. Where the hell are you actually?" Of course it would figure that the older man would have caller ID.

"Eum, no, I'm at my brother's." Gilbert laughed at that.

"What, you too bored at his place that you called the awesome me to brighten up your day?" Again, Matthew found himself rolling his eyes at that.

"No, but I had something to ask you." That seemed to peek the Prussian's interest.

"Oh?"

"Are you doing anything on Friday?"

"No, are you planning anything?"

"How about Saturday?"

"Nothing Earth shattering, why?"

"What of Sunday, you free on Sunday?"

"Matt, I'm free on all those days, what are you planning?" Matthew took a deep breath. He might as well get on with it. He looked at his brother and glared at him. Alfred simply smiled brightly and laughed silently in his sleeve.

"Well, I was thinking, it's been a while since we've done anything just the two of us and I have some free time left so why not go to New York for the weekend?" There was an awkward pause. Matthew knew this was going to end up badly. Gilbert would probably laugh at him and then he would never hear the end of it. Why did he have to listen to his stupid brother, why?

"Really?" He did a double take. This was not the answer he had been expecting. "That would be awesome!" Alfred fist pumped and he silently groaned. He made the final arrangements with Gilbert before hanging up the phone.

"Don't say it."

"See, I told you this plan would work out!" He groaned for real.

After making some arrangements with his boss, Friday morning came by faster than expected. Before he even knew it, he found himself throwing some clothes into his suitcase and getting picked up by a cab that brought him to the airport. Gilbert was to meet him there and Matthew was still hoping in parts that the Prussian wouldn't be there.

It wasn't that he didn't want to spend some time with the other man, but he didn't like it when other people, or when his brother, decided to meddle in his love life. He could have very well planned his own romantic getaway if he had wanted to.

At this point though, he supposed he should just quit being so pessimistic about it and try to enjoy whatever it was that Alfred had planned for them. He was hoping that he would be pleasantly surprised in the end.

Gilbert was already waiting for him by the time that he arrived and he seemed to be in a good mood. He greeted him with a warm kiss before they made their way to the check-in counter. Once that was taken care of, they went to their departure gate and waited to board.

Matthew had noticed that Gilbert had brought his camera along with him and was already on his snap happy mode. It always amused him to see just how many pictures the older man could take in one day. Even though most of them were of himself or of things he dubbed "awesome", Gilbert also took many shots of Matthew, whether he was posing for them or not. Some of his candid shots were quite stunning and even though Matthew didn't consider himself to be a very interesting subject, he liked looking at Gilbert's pictures.

The flight was uneventful and went smoothly. By the time they arrived in New York, they had enough time to do some touring. Just as Alfred had promised, there was a driver that picked them up and drove them to the nearest subway station before wishing them well with the promise that their luggage would be at the hotel when they would get there.

Matthew was glad that his brother had once given him a crash course on how to use his public transportation system in New York since it was quite vast and could be confusing for people who weren't used to it.

They had decided to visit Central Park first since Alfred had told Matthew that not only was the place really beautiful, but that it was also ideal to set the mood for their whole weekend. He had refused at first, but when he had asked where Gilbert had wanted to go, he had been surprised when the older man had told him Central Park.

Either he was on to the little charade or he had never thought Gilbert to be the type of person who would enjoy parks. In any event.

And as much as he hated admitting it, Central Park truly was beautiful. They started off by simply walking side by side with Gilbert occasionally running up ahead to snap a picture of something he found particularly interesting and after a while, they brought down their pace and walked hand in hand together.

At some point or another, they stopped by a tall tree and sat by it. Gilbert placed himself with his back to the bark of the tree and Matthew sat between the space between his legs and rested his back against Gilbert's chest.

They remained like that for a good while, enjoying the tranquility that seemed to come with the area. Matthew buried his head in the crook of Gilbert's neck while the older man loosely wrapped his arms around the younger man's body.

"The view is truly beautiful." Matthew found himself saying after a moment of comfortable silence passed between them.

"Yeah, it really is." Gilbert replied looking not at the endless sky that could be seen through the foliage, but rather at the face of the man in his arms. Matthew looked up and locked their gaze before Gilbert bent his head down until his lips brushed against Matthew's.

They exchanged a kiss or two, or maybe even three before the air got chilly around them and they decided to continue with their walk. They browsed the surrounding area and stopped every now and again to poke their heads in some shops, but they didn't buy anything.

At some point or another, Matthew took out the list his brother had made him of recommended restaurants and consulted it discreetly while Gilbert was busy snapping pictures. He checked for a restaurant that was close to where they were and was pleased to see that there were quite a few and that they served an array of different foods. Maybe he hadn't been giving Alfred his due credit.

When their bellies started grumbling and protesting that they wanted to be fed, Matthew led Gilbert to one of the restaurants and told the other man that he had heard great things about the place. Gilbert gave him a suspicious look, but said nothing and followed Matthew in.

If anyone was to ever tell him again that his brother did not know how to be classy, he would have to remember this restaurant and the setting. The dining area was wide and spacey, yet each table seemed to be in its own little corner and provided an air of cosiness at the same time.

Their waiter led them to a table near the windows and handed them menus once they were seated. Matthew couldn't help but give furtive smiles to Gilbert and the older man returned them over his menu.

Matthew ended up taking the lobster dish while Gilbert took the lamb chops. Both were quite good and the meat was tender to a fault. They sipped at their wine in a companionable atmosphere and weren't afraid to exchange a mark of affection here and there.

Once they had finished with their main meals, they decided to splurge and indulge in dessert and ordered a crême brulée and a chocolate apricot torte.

Gilbert made Matthew taste a piece of the torte by feeding it to him and didn't miss the chance to make sure to spread some of the chocolate ganache on his nose. Matthew shook his head and made sure to reciprocate with some of his crême brulée on the chin.

When they had finished eating and paid for their meal, (Gilbert had insisted on paying while Matthew had been adamant about it as well. In the end, he had paid for Gilbert and Gilbert for him), they headed back outside to go to the subway in the direction of their hotel.

On the notes Alfred had given him, it said that before going to their room, they should take a walk on the Highline since it also lead to the hotel. Since so far his brother's instructions had proven to be trustworthy, Matthew decided to go for it and he could also tell that Gilbert was just itching to get some pictures.

It was strange how quiet it was up here even though they were in the downtown area, but the quiet of the area just brought on this sense of closeness and romanticism. They stopped by this opening where there were benches on which people could sit and observe the oncoming traffic.

They did so and remained there for a few moments, simply sitting side by side, Matthew resting his head on Gilbert's shoulder until the older man kissed him softly. There was just this air about this place that called for such actions and proximity. They lazied about the place a while longer before the cool night air pushed them to the hotel's main entrance.

Matthew checked them in and after retrieving their keys, they made their way to the ninth floor to their hotel room. He opened the door and walked in first. He was struck by the grandiose aspect of the room; from the lush carpets to the tall windows with dark rich coloured curtains. There was a nice seized king bed in the center of the room with big pillows and a golden coloured comforter on top of it. Their luggage was resting against the opposite wall next to the desk.

Matthew noticed the expensive looking champagne bottle that was in an ice bucket on top of the desk on a little silver tray with two tall flutes and a little folded note addressed to him in his brother's handwriting.

"Hey bro, I hope you found the place alright and took my advice for the day. Apparently, champagne adds to the ambiance or some shit like that so I figured I'd get you some delivered to your room.

Also, I forgot to mention, but I'd suggest you keep your curtains closed during the night, unless you want to flash everyone. If you don't understand what I'm talking about, just peek out the window yourself.

In the desk drawer, you should find some lube and condoms. (Protection is important, Mattie! You don't know where Gilbert's been!) Also, I have no idea what sizes the two of you are (and no idea who'll be topping and I DON'T WANT TO KNOW, OKAY?) So I took a box of each.

That's all now, so go ahead and go get laid!

Your super cool hero of a brother,

Al."

Matthew blushed crimson after having finished reading the note and crumbled it up before chucking it in the wastepaper bin and turning around quickly to get away from the bottle of bubbly, but unfortunately for him, Gilbert chose that moment to walk to him and he ended up going straight into the other man's chest.

"You seem oddly tense all of a sudden and what's up with this getup?" This was it, this was where the cards were put on the table, where he admitted to this… idiocy and Gilbert mocked him.

"Your brother put you to this, didn't he?" How he did not want to be here, how he did not want to be here, how he did not want to be here.

"Mattie? Hey, look at me." Gilbert pushed up his face so that he was looking straight in the Prussian's eyes and not on the carpet. They stayed like that in silence.

"Well?" Matthew tried looking away, but found that he couldn't.

"Okay, yes he did! Happy now?" He finally snapped.

"I knew something was off about this whole thing." He had been expecting many different replies from Gilbert, many different reactions, but this had not been it.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it's not your style. Last time you asked me to spend the weekend with you, we went up North. You always like spending time outside in the nature and shit like that; you just never struck me as the city type of person. Don't get me wrong, I've had an awesome day, but this room just speaks Hollywood romance movie." Matthew looked around him and couldn't help but smile slightly. It was true that there was a certain feel to the room.

"You know me too well then." He said, not as disappointed as he thought he was going to be about this.

"Maybe I do, but I think that we shouldn't let all of your brother's hard work go to waste. What do you say?" Matthew looked at him, not entirely sure if he was hearing right or not.

"Think about it, this time, I doubt your brother's going to gatecrash like last time." He smiled. Gilbert had a point.

"And we have bubbly too. We should make this as awesomely awesome as possible." He nodded his head as Gilbert wrapped his arm around his shoulders and brought their lips together.

The first kisses were tentative and short and they quickly led to longer, needier ones until their hands started roaming and clothes were being shed. Clumsy steps were made towards the bed and Matthew only stopped once by the window to make sure the curtains were indeed drawn.

Gilbert commented that they should leave them open just so that they could give the spectators an awesome show, but Matthew had yanked them shut saying that it wouldn't be necessary. They picked up the pace from there and fell upon the mattress. Gilbert was quick to push aside the decorative pillows and blankets to make room for them both.

If anything, there was no one to interrupt them this time. No one to come in just as Gilbert lowered himself on top of Matthew. No one to startle them as Matthew hitched his legs around Gilbert's waist. No one. Just them, this room and their passion for each other.

Matthew stretched luxuriously in the bed. The champagne had been consumed a while back, somewhere in the course of the night. He couldn't help but smile as the events of the night replayed in his head. He turned around hoping to find Gilbert, but the spot besides him was empty. Puzzled, he sat up in bed and looked around the room. There was very little morning light filtering in and he figured it was way too early to get up and do something; especially after last night.

Gilbert was standing by the window, curtains partially drawn open and he seemed completely relaxed. He noted with satisfaction that he had at least slipped on his boxers. Matthew got out of bed and walked over to where Gilbert was standing. He wrapped his arms around his waist and kissed his shoulder. The action caught the older man's attention.

"You're awake. How do you feel?"

"I'm fine. Come back to bed?" He asked as he nuzzled his face in Gilbert's back. The Prussian turned around and kissed him tenderly.

"Hmm, missing my awesome presence?" They both chuckled.

"Maybe." He took the other's hand and they both went back to get some rest.

About two weeks later, Arthur and Alfred were standing with their backs against Matthew's front door.

"That… that was just… wrong. I think I'll have to bleach my eyes and brain." Alfred said with a slight pant.

"When did this… when did this even happen? How did this happen?" Arthur asked.

"I think… fuck, I think it's my fault. I set them up on that trip. Christ, I didn't think it would last." Arthur turned his head sharply to look at the younger man beside him.

"You? You mean this is your fault that the damn failure of a man has tainted dear, sweet, innocent Matthew?" He nearly yelled.

"Hey, hey, chill, Artie. My intentions were purely heroic at first and don't believe that Matthew was so innocent and pure. Have you seen him on the ice?" They stayed silent and the only thing they heard were muffled sounds from the other side of the door. They looked at each other.

"Shall we not speak of this to anyone ever?" Alfred nodded. They left it at that, leaving Matthew and Gilbert to their own activities.

OWARI

Long story is LONG.

I started writing this one in New York actually.

Go here to see the pictures of the hotel: http:/ orangepencils. livejournal. com/ 60284. html

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Reviews, no matter how short, even if they are anonymous, mean a lot to me and let me know that my writing brings emotions to you readers out there. I see you, the ones who only favourite, the ones who add me to alert, don't think I don't. Even if it's just an exclamation point, it warms my heart.

Started writing: October 3rd 2010, 2:05pm

Finished writing: October 18th 2010, 1:34pm

Started typing: November 20th 2010, 1:12pm

Finished typing: November 20th 2010, 10:08pm