Epilogue: December 25, 2014

Matthew was trembling, though the tuxedo he was wearing hid it well. Gilbert would have noticed had he not been across the room, showing how much he loved his brother by outright harassing him. Matthew would have shaken his head at the familiar sight, but he was too distracted by his boyfriend laughing. A tension that always built within him as he spent long periods from Ludwig had dissipated and this was the most comfortable Matthew had seen him in weeks. It was enough to make him feel guilty in off moments that he pulled him half a world away from his family, though Gilbert himself was quick to nip that in the bud whenever he noticed. He insisted that he was happier than he had ever envisioned himself being and had proved it often, but that didn't stop Matthew from questioning his utterly self-serving actions. Still, he never regretted what he did, what he was doing, what he was about to do.

Unless, of course, he finally pushed Gilbert too far and drove him away. It didn't seem likely that that would happen, that Matthew would finally cross a yet undiscovered line that separated reasonably intimate and too much with Gilbert. He frankly hoped that he would never find that line, that his needs and desires never truly exceeded what Gilbert was willing if not eager to give, but he wasn't naive enough to believe there wasn't a line. Time would tell, he supposed. It might even tell in a few minutes.

Matthew tore his gaze from Gilbert to find the free-flowing bar that always accompanied Alfred's holiday party. He strode purposefully in that direction, so focused on his destination that he was startled to run into someone. Matthew barely looked at the person, saying, "Oh, please excuse-"

"Bro. Bro, bro, bro." A worryingly strong grip held his right arm steady and forced him to meet painfully familiar amused eyes. Alfred was shaking his head, smirking at him. He was wearing a pale blue shirt that had been accompanied with jacket and tie at the beginning of the night but had at some point been abandoned and loosened.

"What, Alfred?" Matthew said, nerves turning his voice sharper than intended. Matthew winced. "Shit, sorry. What is it?"

Alfred gripped both of his shoulders and forcibly turned him around. "You're going the wrong way, my man. You told me to keep you from drinking and that's what I'm going to do."

"I just wanted a glass of water…" Matthew said weakly, lying through his teeth.

"You don't even sound like you believe that. What's the problem here? You know what he'll say." Alfred started pushing him through the crowd towards Gilbert and Matthew resisted.

"What are you doing?! You can't push me over there—"

"Watch me, bro." To Matthew's horror, he kept being moved. Alfred continued, in a surprisingly quiet tone, "Seriously, you should just do it. You got his whole family to like you, which I swear is some kind of black magic. Trust me, I would know. You would not believe the shit Arthur likes to try in—"

"Alfred!"

"Anyway, Ludwig likes you! Lovino likes you! What is that? Gilbert loves you! He fucking lives with you. He left Germany for you, Mattie! He agreed to live with that snow beast you call a pet and deal with your hellish winters! If that's not devotion, I don't know what is!"

Softly, Matthew replied, "But that doesn't mean he'll say—"

"Yes, it really does. Look," Alfred stopped pushing and walked around to face him. With his face more serious than Matthew had seen in a long time, he said, "I won't walk you over there completely because, hey, I love embarrassing you but this something important. I will walk with you, though, as far as you need. You can relax, Mattie, because I know he'll say yes."

"How are you sure when I'm not?"

"Because I see how he looks at you, how he treats you. Also, I've seen that medal that you've barely taken off since he gave it to you two years ago, which I find a little nauseating but whatever. Not the point right now. I did some research, so I know that that medal is. He asked you for your hand a long time ago and you've been saying yes every time you put that necklace on."

Gilbert's eyes scanned the room for Matthew almost as a reflex as he was harass—speaking with his brother. He frowned minutely in spotting him with Alfred, face hidden but posture anxious. He quickly focused on Ludwig again, realizing that he had yet to respond to his teasing over Feliciano staying in Italy for a time at his boss' insistence. Ludwig was staring at him with what Gilbert recognized as his brother, why must you embarrass yourself like this look. "What?"

"Gilbert, you are painfully obvious at times. You have been attempting to tease me all night—"

"I think I was doing an excellent job at it, thanks."

"—and act like we have not seen each other in years when it has only been two months with near daily communication—"

"But, West—"

"—but you are clearly discomforted by your distance from Matthew. I would not be offended if you spent time with your boyfriend, Gilbert."

Gilbert sighed. "It's not that. Okay, no, it is that, a little. I'm still not used to being so far away from you, you know that." As easy as it was to move in with Matthew when he saw the toll the distance was taking on both of them earlier this year, he hated being so far from Ludwig. His brother could clearly take care of himself but it still felt…not quite right, being too far away to protect him if needed. "But I think something's bothering him. Like, seriously wrong."

Ludwig frowned at him, hinting at his sudden concern. "Has he been ill?"

"No, I don't think so. He's been jumpy for a couple of weeks and sometimes looks at me like I'm going to disappear. He was quiet on the way over…okay, more like silent. Then, almost the second we got here, he's avoided me. I'm just a little worried and—" Gilbert noticed a certain pinching around Ludwig's eyes and mouth that indicated he was fighting laughter. Instantly, Gilbert's temper rose. "What the fuck is so funny about this?"

Ludwig's lips twitched, which was the equivalence to snorting in mirth for other people. "You will see. But, I can almost assure you, East, nothing is wrong."

Gilbert narrowed his eyes. "What do you know?"

Ludwig's gaze shifted to the left and he said, "Maybe you should ask Matthew what is bothering him." Smiling in greeting, he said, in English, "Good evening, Matthew. Happy Christmas."

Gilbert turned to see Matthew attempt to smile in return, though it was weak and his eyes kept nervously flicking to Gilbert. "Merry Christmas, Ludwig. I trust you are enjoying the party?"

"As much as I can, with near constant harassment from this one." Gilbert didn't hiss at him, but it was a near thing. "If you would take him off my hands? There are some people I would like to speak to while here."

"Literally, right here, West." Gilbert promised himself there and then he would be pouring beer over Ludwig's head at some point in the near future. It wouldn't have to be that day or the next, but it was coming soon.

Matthew just licked his lips and nodded before focusing on Gilbert completely. "Hey, Gil, um. I actually wanted to speak with you? About something? In private, I mean. If you wouldn't mind?"

Ludwig left them quickly, but Gilbert barely noticed. All the alarm bells were going off in his head at once at Matthew's tone. He stepped closer to him and lowered his voice. "Of course, Liebling. Are you all right?" He ran a hand down Matthew's arm and was startled to find him almost vibrating with tension. He took his hand and squeezed it. "You're shaking."

"I-I know, but I'm okay." Matthew lowered his eyes and Gilbert didn't believe him.

"Matthew—"

"Please, angel. Let's just go somewhere?"

"Yeah, anything you need. You want to go to our room?" The holiday party was hosted in an upscale hotel's ballroom and each nation or couple had their own room here for the duration of their stay. While it was still relatively early in the night, Gilbert doubted they would be missed if they weren't gone long. Even if they were, he didn't particularly care, but he knew Matthew might. He had worked hard for several months to get his brother to make the party more multicultural than the usual "X-MAS" theme. For him to want to leave it so soon, something major had to be going on.

"Yes, that would be fine."

They quietly made their way to their room. It wasn't quite a suite, but it was surprisingly spacious, even with the king sized bed dressed in blue and cream. The room felt soft in a way that made Gilbert nervous that he might break something, though Matthew seemed unbothered as he released Gilbert's hand as soon as the door was closed and strode over to the window overlooking the city, the trees of Central Park softly illuminated before them. He seemed to be taking deep breaths and Gilbert resisted the urge to embrace him, in case he was feeling claustrophobic. They had each worked on dealing with their issues and had learned each other enough to usually know when distance was needed. Now, Gilbert wasn't sure.

Gilbert gave Matthew time and tried to find something to focus on. Their shared luggage was still packed, clothes mingling in the small suitcase as they did in the drawers of their home. He could unpack it…but no. He turned on the bedside lamp and began to loosen his tie instead. He removed his jacket and laid it on the bed before giving up and moving to the window. He took Matthew's now steady hand and raised it to his lips in a soft kiss before saying, "Talk to me."

Matthew seemed to steel his spine before turning to Gilbert and looking him in the eye, the intensity of his gaze all the greater for Matthew's decision to wear contacts for the party. Or then again, maybe for this, whatever this was. His voice was clear and only shook a little as he began speaking.

"Gil, do you remember when I first called you angel?"

Gilbert frowned at him. "Of course I do. It was after our first date." A ghost of a smirk crossed his lips. "You said it right after I had kissed you senseless."

Matthew's eyes smiled at him before slowly raising his hand to trace his lips. "Yes. Do you know why I call you that?"

No, I had assumed it was because you gave it to me when I made all rational thought leave your head and it just sort of stuck. I'm no angel, that's for sure, Gilbert thought. He said, "No, but I had wondered."

"It's because every moment I'm with you I feel like I'm flying. Since we've met, my heart nearly pounds out of my chest every time you look at me and I lose my grounding every time you touch me. I had never dreamed that I would feel like this, that I would find someone whose heart and mind could make me not only want to survive every day, but to live.

"You know me, Gilbert; my hang-ups and insecurities, my desires and dreams. And I know you. I know your regrets and greatest joys, your fears, hopes, and your love. You have shared with me your courage and strength, while trusting me with your scars and vulnerabilities. I thank you, with all that I am, for letting me know you, for it has been my greatest pleasure."

Matthew paused to take a deep breath and Gilbert felt nearly faint with how hard his heart was pounding. What was this? Was Matthew saying goodbye? No, it couldn't be. Then was he…?

"I have asked much of you, in the two years that we have been together. Before, I had learned to fear hoping for good things, to not ask for what I want. You have helped me unlearn that habit. What I want is to wake up beside you every day. I want the privilege of sharing my life with you, to be a constant at your side as the world changes around us. So, I ask you, Gilbert, my angel…"

Matthew sank to one knee, pulled a ring from his breast pocket and presented it to Gilbert. It gleamed in the low light of the room, a simple but elegant band of titanium that made his heart stutter in his chest.

"Would you do me the honor of becoming my husband?"

Gilbert blinked down at Matthew's wide, hopeful if nervous eyes and almost couldn't believe this was his life. He breathed, "Are you serious?"

Matthew exhaled sharply. "Yes, Gil. I am."

"Yes. My God, yes. Now, come here."

Mathew smiled, face alight with joy, and went.

"Hey, new bro!"

Ludwig shifted his now cold gaze to Alfred, hoping to discourage conversation but unwilling to say so out loud since Alfred was hosting the party, after all. "Are you speaking to me?"

"Yeah, dude! Our brothers are getting married and that makes us brothers! We're going to be in-laws!"

Ludwig was ashamed, but for a split second, he questioned giving his blessing to Matthew. He had not thought this far. Okay, no. He had, but then he had immediately blocked it out. A string of curse words went through his head, but all he said was, "Indeed."

"We should hang out at some point! But, listen, I haven't seen Mattie in a while and he was really nervous about tonight. Like, almost sick from how worried he was. I was thinking of checking on him but—"

Sirens went off in Ludwig's head. "No! I mean…that would not be wise. You have met Gilbert, yes? Believe me when I say to let them be. If you are truly concerned, then a text message will suffice." When Alfred still looked unsure, Ludwig mentally sighed before adding. "Stockholm."

It only took an instant for Alfred to blanch and say, "Point taken."

You are welcome, Gilbert, Ludwig thought before escaping the conversation to find Kiku. He didn't have to hope his brother was finally, finally happy; he knew he was.

A/N: *sniffles* these fuckin' nerds. I love them.

Just a quick little epilogue. As you can imagine, the outtakes will fill in some of my more favorite blanks in the timeline, but I just wanted to end the story with this little tidbit.

This is the official end of my first story (but not my last)! Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed! If you did, would you mind just dropping a review? It could be as short as a thumbs up emoji, y'all, I'm not picky.

Happy holidays, everyone.

Song: "Endlessly" by the Cab