Chapter 7

The fields of Germany are beautiful this time of year... when the sun is shining brightly and the grass sways slightly with the wind, like the waves of an ocean. This particular field is littered with little red flowers, their petals so delicate that any strong gust of wind rips them from their home and sends them cascading into the air.

It's glorious...

And it would be so much more beautiful if it wasn't for the color red.

A young boy with short white hair sat in the middle of this field, hunched in on himself with his knees pulled into his chest. His eyes shone the color of the flower petals dancing around him and he despised them all. That color... the color of his 'unnatural' eyes. All the kids at his school were afraid of him, they called him possessed, a demon... a monster.

"Gilbert there you are!"

The boy looked up at the sound of his name, another boy was running towards him, blue eyes shining happily at having finally found his older brother. Ludwig was normal, Ludwig would never be called a monster.

"I've been looking everywhere for you bruder, why are you here alone?" Ludwig sat at his brother's side and Gilbert smiled brightly at him, hiding away his pain from his treasured little sibling.

"The awesome me was hiding from you West! But it seems that your brilliant little mind has managed to find me... How did you do that, huh?"

Ludwig's face glowed with happiness at being called brilliant by his older brother and his smile widened, showing off the rows of baby teeth behind his lips, "Because I'm more awesome than you!"

Gilbert widened his eyes comically, "You dare say you are more awesome than me West?"

"I dare!" Ludwig giggled, "West is more awesome than East!"

"Why you little dummkopf!" Gilbert laughed and tackled his brother, delighting in the little squeal of happiness he got in return as they rolled in the flowers. "Mein bruder is not more awesome than me! Take it back!"

"N-never!" Ludwig could barely breathe from laughter and Gilbert smirked at him.

"Then I guess you won't mind being tickled!"

"No! No tickling that's cheating bruder!" But Gilbert showed no mercy and began to tickle his little brother with no abandon as the little one squealed and kicked in his arms. "Alright you win bruder, you win! You are more awesome!"

"What was that? I didn't hear you, mein ears are bad."

"You are awesome!" Little Ludwig screamed it out between his laughter and his brother sat up smiling in victory down at him.

"And don't you forget it West."

Ludwig smiled at him, when he was alone with his brother like this he actually seemed like a little boy enjoying life and not like the shy and strict little boy his parents were working so hard on raising. Gilbert took it upon himself to make sure that, even if it was only with him, Ludwig would have some kind of childlike childhood. So far he figured he was doing a pretty good job.

"Come on then Luddy, we better get back home before Mutter gets worried." He ruffled the bright blond hair only laughing when Ludwig smacked the hand away trying to fix it so their mother wouldn't be upset over his messy bangs.

They walked home hand in hand for awhile, but Gilbert being much much taller than his younger brother for now and wanting to enjoy it quickly swiped the younger boy up into his arms before swinging him around for a proper piggyback ride. Ludwig squealed and clutched onto his neck tightly to make sure he wouldn't fall. Once he was sure he was safe with his brother Ludwig relaxed and they were quiet for some time once again.

"East?"

"Ja West?"

"You are the awesomest. Und you always will be."

Gilbert blinked, glancing over his shoulder at his brother, "... Thanks West."

But the little boy was already fast asleep as the sun began to set behind them.

The next day at school Gilbert was avoided like the plague, as always. He kept his shoulders slouched and didn't make eye contact with anyone, just in case they took looking him the eyes as some sort of curse that might scar them for the rest of their lives or something. He wasn't taking chances.

"Oh look, it's the monster. When is he going to realize that he doesn't belong with us humans?"

Freezing in his tracts on his way out of the school Gilbert turned slowly to see one of the older classmates smirking back at him. "What?"

"Didn't you hear me? We don't want you here, you're not normal. You're a freak." He spat the word freak at him and something... something in Gilbert snapped.

"I'm not a monster..." He took a step closer to the boy.

"Have you looked in the mirror lately?"

"I'm not a monster." Another step.

"Seriously I'm just waiting for you to grow claws to match those hideous red eyes of yours-"

"I'M NOT A MONSTER!" And with that he swung his fist back and brought it forward with as much force as he could to slam into the other boys nose and sent him crashing backwards into the wall behind him. A few girl's in the hallway screamed but Gilbert could barely hear them as all his rage and hatred and loneliness came out and he punched this boy, over and over and over despite the pleads for him to stop.

"B-big bruder?"

The world froze and Gilbert's eyes widened as his vision came in to focus on the bloodied face of the boy he had just beaten to a pulp. The boy was flinching away from him, sobbing in pain and there was blood on Gilbert's fist... red...

"Y-you killed him... you... you monster!"

Gilbert's heart cracked at the tiny wail and he straightened quickly, turning around just in time to see Ludwig dart out of the school. Of all the days for him to want to go and meet him so they could walk home together... "West! West wait!"

Ludwig had refused to speak to him the entire night, but instead stayed hidden in their mother's arms. He had been grounded of course and confined to his room, but none of it mattered. West was frightened of him now too... Maybe he really was a monster...

He really hated the color red.

Red... red... red... The same color as his own damn eyes was seriously all over the fucking place and it was very much unawesome. Gilbert had to clench his teeth to keep his smile in place as he walked through the restaurant balancing two silver trays with bountiful plates of pasta sat atop them. But it was ok, he was willing to work for his money and the job was good in the general sense of his paycheck and the fact that he got to torture Roderich every other day.

"Here are the awesome specials you have ordered!" He smiled widely at the family of four that was sat eagerly in one of the side booths of the restaurant. The two children had been very taken with Gilbert from his first 'awesome' and therefore giggled in delight at his return.

"Thank you!" The youngest a little girl with pretty blond curls smiled at him and Gilbert grinned at her when he set down her plate.

"Anything for such an awesome bunch of birdies."

The kids fell into a bout of giggles and even the parents smiled at the compliment before they tucked into their meals and Gilbert waltzed off to take the silver trays back to the kitchen. He smiled and nodded at the people that met his eye, ever the gentleman at his job, but as soon as the swinging door with the words 'Employees Only' shut behind him his smile slipped and he tossed the silver trays onto a counter carelessly.

"Gott... I am tired," He sighed dragging a hand through the whiter than snow locks of hair and stretched his back groaning in relief when it popped.

"If you don't mind, we do still have hungry customers you know."

Gilbert smirked, stretching just a bit more sensually at the voice and cackling when he heard a huff come from the general direction of the speaker. He lowered his arms, "Oh lighten up Lizzy, I was just stretching mein muscles."

Elizaveta scowled at him tossing her head back to get the long auburn bangs from her eyes as the skillet in her left hand tapped against her hip and ruffled the red of her apron, "I don't care. Get back to work."

Opening his mouth to shoot off a sarcastic 'Yes Ma'am!' Gilbert was suddenly interrupted by the swinging door which had just been pushed open and smacked him directly in the face. A flash of pain ran from his nose to his brain and Gilbert yelped jumping back from the door with his hand over his nose as the teenager that had just smacked him stepped into the kitchen and Elizaveta began to convulse with laughter.

"Oh um, oh my god was that my fault?" The teenager, a black haired and overly perky boy with a few zit scars on his cheeks named Mark, who also happened to be Gilbert's relief, looked terrified at the thought that he might have actually hurt someone, but Gilbert waved him off, pinching his nose shut to stop any bleeding with one hand as he untied his apron with the other. Elizaveta was still laughing, her arms now wrapped tightly around her stomach as she howled and panted, far too distracted to care when Gilbert tossed the apron over Mark's head and immediately tore off his name tag so he could make a mad dash out of the work place and hopefully not be stopped on his way out the door.

Luckily no one paid him any attention as he scuttled out of the restaurant, though the children from his last table did eagerly wave at him and having a tiny soft spot for children Gilbert waved back at them before exiting his workplace and making his way to the run down apartment he lived in across the street.

He was going drinking with Francis and Antonio tonight, Antonio having called his cell before his shift to inform him of the wonderful news. Francis had been thrilled when he heard that his old friend was indeed in the neighborhood and had actually went out of his way to clear his schedule so he could join the two of them, so of course there was no way that the albino could say no. Not that he would, they were his two closest friends after all.

Gilbert had met Francis and Antonio while the three of them were in High School. It had been a fluke meeting though really, they didn't actually go to the same high school, they just so happened to be the biggest trouble makers at each of their own respective high schools and got stuck doing community service together because of it. As for the reason they were all in America? Well that conversation had been the drunken one that lead to them all being such good friends (besides how fun it was to get into trouble as a trio).

Francis's parents had been looking for a change of scenery at the time and with a son who was always eager for adventure and romance they had set off for Canada when he was only four where not long after they gave birth to another son. Of course being Canadian didn't last forever either for about 14 years later they moved to America hoping to find a new thrill to add to their day to day lives. Of course by the time Francis' little brother graduated high school the French couple had decided it was fair time that they returned to France, leaving their two grown men to fight on their own but checking in and helping out in whatever way they saw fit.

Antonio was a different story altogether. He had been a lowly orphan in Spain for the first ten years of his life switching from foster home to foster home but never really wanted by the parents of the homes. He was passed once to a Foster Home in Italy in fact when all the ones in Spain had run out and that was where he met Lovino and Feliciano, though unfortunately his time in Italy only ran about two years before opportunity arose and he made his way to America where he was taken into a wonderful program that housed and fed him and sent him to school every day. They weren't like real parents, but it was a home. Still Antonio had greatly missed his Italian friends and claims that most of the trouble he had gotten into in high school was because he was acting out on that feeling. Unlike Francis who did it for attention and the pretty girls or Gilbert who did it because he figured he was already a monster, why not act like one?

"It's amazing a trio as fucked up as us can still smile und drink together..." Gilbert sighed as he unlocked the door to his apartment and immediately headed towards his bedroom so he could change into something a little more drink worthy.

Gilbert had gone to America for one reason. His little brother. Ludwig had been sent off to a very special boys academy that was supposed to teach him discipline and leadership and instead of sitting at home waiting for his brother to return he followed him. After all he was already 16 and he saw no reason why he couldn't go and get a job and a crappy apartment so he could watch over his little brother and make sure nothing happened to him. Ludwig had been quick to forgive his brother after he learnt that Gilbert hadn't in fact killed the other boy but the knowledge that his brother had once thought of him as a monster still haunted him and made him want to be an even greater brother than he already was.

The decision to stay in America probably happened when Lovino and Feliciano decided to join them.

"Hey Gilbert!"

Before he knew it Gilbert was already stood in front of the bar he was meeting Antonio and Francis at. Seriously had he been that deep in thought this entire time? He smiled brightly at them as they waved him over to the entrance, "Hey you bastards, never thought I would see your unawesome faces again."

"Do not joke mon ami, we had only moved to this neighborhood two months ago and you were not long to follow, were you?" Francis rested his chin on his fist and winked at his German friend. Antonio only chuckled, smiling as brightly as ever.

"Well I couldn't stay away from you two, though you are not as awesome as me, I would get bored," Gilbert waved off the obvious answer of 'I would be lonely' and gestured to the bar.

"Shall we drink our faces off?"

"Si!"

"Oui!"

"Ohohohohohohoh~"

"Kesesesesesesesese~"

"Fusososososososos~"

The bad touch trio were seriously wasted. None of them were even sure why they were laughing at this point, but it might have had something to do with the bubbles Francis was blowing into his champaign with a straw, or the hiccups that Gilbert had just recently gotten over, or even the large red stain on Antonio's purple button down that had been caused when he forgot to close his mouth after taking a large drink of wine.

Yeah ... they were toast.

"I thinks we need more... more booze," Gilbert practically giggled as he turned his beer bottle upside down, showing his friends that is was empty, but the smile was very quick to fade when he himself realized that he had no beer, "Oh mein gott I cannot survive without beer!"

"Calm down mon ami I will get us drinks!" Francis' cheeks were a very bright pink as he stood, spilling half his drink down his front as he did, before stumbling over to the bar and slurring out an order to the amused bartender.

Gilbert leaned over to Antonio, "I love that French bastard."

Antonio shook his head, "I could never love anyone but my dear Lovi! Hey Gilbert... where is Lovi? Wasn't he just *hic* here?"

Gilbert's brows furrowed, "Maybe he left with a girl to fuck?"

Antonio's eyes suddenly filled with tears, "Lovi how could you do this to me!" He shouted before banging his head down onto the table and sobbing into the tile. Gilbert ignored him and turned to welcome Francis back with his beer.

"Beer!" Ok well he mostly welcomed the beer, "Oh how I love beer. Ich liebe dich, ich liebe dich..." And thus he began to kiss up and down the bottle happily instead of drinking the damned thing.

Francis just sat down and patted Antonio's head, "Antonio is a sad tomato..."

Slowly Antonio lifted his head, "Tomato is a sad Antonio..."

And they fell into drunken, but companionable silence.

From the corner of the bar a young woman started to scream at her boyfriend, "I cannot believe you would rather come here and get drunk instead of stay at my apartment! Honestly I swear that's it we are through you little alcoholic!" She hissed and stormed her way from the bar, most likely loving the amount of eyes that were watching her exit.

Gilbert whistled, "Ouch man..."

Antonio nodded, "He can be the sad tomato now."

Francis snorted, "That's not even bad." And then went back to blowing bubbles in his drink.

"What?"

Francis shrugged, "At least the sex was probabibly... wait..." He frowned, "Probably good."

Antonio and Gilbert shrugged and went back to nursing their own drinks for a while before Antonio glanced up at them and grinned widely. "I think it is time for the town to say Hola to me and my amigos!"

Gilbert and Francis exchanged smirks. "Streaking time!"

When Gilbert woke up he was cold and his head was killing him. He squeezed his eyes shut against the harsh light of the sun and tried to sense his surroundings. For starters he was definitely not in a bed... And he also didn't seem to be wearing any clothes...

Sighing Gilbert rolled over expecting to fall off a couch at Francis' or Antonio's but instead felt asphalt beneath his skin.

"Oh great... it was one of those nights..." He whispered, understanding very well suddenly why he was cold suddenly and hunching into a ball. What time was it? How many people had walked by and seen him...? Oh god... Ludwig was going to kill him...

Also... where were Francis and Antonio?

Gilbert opened his eyes, trying hard not to vomit when his head pounded in protest, and took a good look at his surroundings. He seemed to be in an alley, well that made his chances of going unseen a little better... but Francis and Antonio were not with him. Shit... he hoped they had gotten home alright.

"Um... excuse me are you alright?"

"GAHHH!" Gilbert screamed, scrambling into an upright position and covering as much as himself as possible to who ever had just walked in on him sleeping naked in an alley.

"Eeek! Oh maple, I'm sorry!" The voice came again from the very front of the alley, "I-I'll close my eyes ok? I can't see you um... being indecent in public?"

Squinting Gilbert could in fact tell that this stranger had gone and covered his eyes so as not to be able to see him, he relaxed slightly. "I was drunk..."

The man's lips twitched but he still didn't remove his hand from his eyes, "I guessed as much... Are your friends ok?"

"I assume they went home. Mein own problems are more important right now..."

"Yeah you are kinda naked in an alley..." The stranger hummed slightly and then grinned, "I know!" Still without moving his hand he unzipped the large red sweater he was wearing that fell down well past his waist.

"What are you doing!?"

"You don't have to give it back, just take it so you can walk home ok?" The stranger tossed the sweater to him and Gilbert caught it, gaping openly at the man who was now wearing only a t-shirt and jeans in the cold weather.

"B-but you'll get cold..."

The stranger burst out laughing, "My home is a lot colder than this. Or my original home that is. Anyway, have a nice day Mr Alley Man." And with that the stranger was lowering his hand, turning and making his way down the street, a book bag swinging at his side as he hurried to what Gilbert assumed was probably school. The albino stared down at the red sweater in his lap and then carefully swung it up and around his shoulders, slipping his arms inside and zipping up before getting to his feet, happy when the fabric fell low enough to hide his most private parts.

Suddenly he wasn't so opposed to the color red. But only because he didn't think he would ever be able to think of that kind stranger without making red his national color.

As he walked home he had no idea what he had just gotten himself into...