Synopsis: Matthew would give anything to save his brother; Gilbert will do anything for a price. They were living the greatest fairytale of the twenty first century but, sadly, the last chapter had already been written.

Hetalia does not belong to me. Neither do any of the countries mentioned. Get back to me after 'World Domination Phase 3' is complete

Crossroads

Chapter One

Matthew fell to his knees and dug through the dirt with his bare hands. His cheeks were streaked with dried tears and his eyes were bloodshot and red. He hiccupped and buried his fingers into his makeshift hole, testing the depth.

Deep enough.

He tossed in a baseball card, a childhood stuffed animal, and a photograph. He held up his palm and dragged a knife across it, letting the blood drip into the hole. He felt like he should say something but he did not know what to say. What could he say?

Matthew covered the hole and leaned back, checking his watch. It was 2357h. It was almost midnight. He had finished just in time.

He stood up and licked his hand absentmindedly, looking down one long dirt road and then the other. It had taken him two hours to drive to this particular crossroads, but it had seemed like his best chance based on all of an hour worth of research. He did not have a licence but that had not slowed him down much.

It was quiet here. Matthew could hear a coyote in the distance and the wind was rustling through the tall grass. It was a new moon tonight, which meant he was relying on starlight to see, but his eyes adjusted.

He looked at his watch again. It was 2359h. Any second now…

He bit his lip and shifted from one foot to the other. He knew that this was the last refuge of a desperate man but he did not know what else to do.

He looked down.

Midnight.

Matthew scanned the prairies, looking for the demon he should have summoned. The coyote sounded closer than before but, other than that, nothing had changed. He waited as the seconds turned into minutes, nervous and on edge.

He ran through the steps in his mind. A photograph, a memento from the past; a dream for the future… Blood to seal the deal… Crossroads at midnight…

No, no, that was everything.

It was 0003h. He twisted his fingers into his sweater.

It was 0004h. He hiccupped again and tried to quell his disappointment.

It was 0005h. He burst into tears.

Hopeless. It was all hopeless. There was nothing he could do. He was too late… He had failed him. And now his brother was going to die.

"Gee, you're five minutes late and the whole world just falls to pieces. Chill out."

Matthew jumped in surprise and toppled backwards. He stared up at the man who had definitely not been there a second ago.

The man, no, wait, demon was pale and stood out in the darkness. He seemed larger than life and his eyes burnt red in the starlight.

Looking at him now, he was obviously not human and Matthew could not believe he had mistaken him for a man, however briefly. Yes, he walked like a human and talked like a human but he was not human. No, certainly not that. Never that.

There was something odd about him... Strange. Off.

He was a demon.

"What?!" Matthew yelped, at a loss for words.

The demon bent down to his level and cocked his head to the side, studying him.

"You did call me, didn't you? Otherwise, man, am I in the wrong place…"

He was wearing torn jeans and a dark cotton shirt with a grinning skull splashed across it. His shoes were untied and the laces trailed in the dirt. His hair, which was the exact same shade as his complexion, stuck up in all directions. He had smudged the slightest bit of kohl into his eyelashes.

He was a little pale, a little gaunt, but attractive in spite of that.

"Oh. Uhm. Yes. Are you a demon? The demon?" Matthew blinked and the demon mirrored his actions like a charmed snake.

"If I'm lying, I'm dying."

Matthew blinked again.

"Is that a 'yes'?"

The demon beamed at him and ruffled his curls before Matthew could push backwards.

"Yes."

Matthew bit his lip.

"... I need help."

The demon gestured to the hole he had just covered up.

"I gathered that much. It's sort of my gig. What d'ya need? Or rather…" He leaned in. "What do you want? Talent, fame, or fortune? Money? True love?"

Matthew met his eyes and they were deeper and more expressive than he had expected.

"I want my brother back."

"Your… Brother?" The demon seemed genuinely surprised.

"Alfred," he clarified. "He's sick. Cancer. The doctors don't think he has much time left. I want to change that."

The demon sucked in a hissing breath.

"Life, huh? That's a tall order."

"Can you do it?" Matthew tried not to let desperation colour his words but his voice quavered with it. The demon stared at him.

"I can," he whispered. "But it'll cost you."

"Anything," Matthew promised, and he meant it.

"Your life for his; your soul."

"Done," Matthew said without thinking about it. He did not need to. He had been thinking about it all day, ever since the doctor had pulled him aside with the bad news. "Where do I sign?"

The demon quirked an eyebrow and paused before bursting into laughter.

"Just like that, huh...? Tell you what, kid; I like you. You're different. No one bargains for love anymore; everyone is out for themselves. Mortals are cruel and selfish and disgusting." The demon took his hand and traced the bleeding lesion on his palm. It sealed itself. "... Except for you... So, I'll cut you a deal."

"… What sort of deal?" Matthew asked. He scrutinized his hand in awe.

"Ten years. I'll give you ten years to spend with your brother and when it's time to go, you'll go without a fight."

Matthew considered this.

"… And he'll stay?"

"He'll stay. He'll live until he's eighty seven and die, peacefully, in his sleep. He'll fall in love, and raise two sons, and live a long and fulfilling life."

"... Do you promise?" Matthew hated how small and unsure he sounded. It was half begging and half pleading but he was desperate.

"I promise." The demon crossed his heart and stood up. He held out his hand to Matthew and helped him up.

"Okay. So where do I sign?" He asked again. The demon shook his head.

"Aw, man, that's so old fashioned. No one writes up contracts anymore. Besides, I can never keep track of the paperwork," he shrugged.

"So how do we…?"

The demon dove forward and kissed him, full on the lips, and there was a flash of brilliant purple light.

It lasted longer than strictly necessary, Matthew thought.

When he pulled back, Matthew touched his lips in surprise. The demon cackled at his expense and flicked Matthew on the nose.

"There, it's done. Sealed with a kiss... A deal's a deal," he grinned. "I'm Gilbert, by the way."

"… Matthew."

Author's Notes:

There are a couple of belief systems that entertain the idea of a demon or spirit appearing at a crossroads, whether that be a literal or spiritual crossroads, to make a deal. In this piece, Gilbert most closely reflects Voodoo, with a little bit of British lore thrown in for good measure.

There are a handful of blues and rock songs about selling your soul to the devil, usually for musical talent, at a crossroads.

This is chapter one of a five chapter piece. It's complete, so don't worry, and I am going to post all of the chapters today. Because, hey, you guys deserve it.

Please remember to leave a review and feel free to offer opinions, advice, or criticism. All are welcome. You are free to leave an anonymous review; I do not mind. Please let me know what you think of this piece.