PruCan - Meeting the Families

PruCan - Meeting the (FACE) Family

"I-I don't know how this will go, Gil, and they-they might react badly or something, and you how Al can get, and Dad might be odd with it, and oh gosh, Papa might-"

"Birdie, shh, liebling," I soothed him, grabbing his hand and pressing a soft kiss to it and earning a bright blush and a shy smile in response as he kissed my cheek in gratitude before I rang the bell.

"It'll all be alright," I promised. "I'm so awesome, you know they'll love me!" He just rolled his eyes, and softly gave me a chaste kiss on the lips, obviously seeing through me - he always had - and effectively easing my own nerves.

"You're right," he muttered, as the door was opened and we walked in, "They will love you. It'll be okay, Gil."

We were greeted by France in the doorway, and chose that as an opportune moment to remember we were still holding hands, which caused blushes to paint both our faces as Francis noticed this and raised an elegant eyebrow at, though after a semi-panicked moment, Mattie gave my hand a squeeze and cleared his throat, gaining Francis's attention as I breathed a sigh of relief and chastised myself for the silliness of even contemplating dropping Matthew's hand in embarrassment - we were here for a reason, after all, and there was no way I would be able to do it without mein Birdie with me.

"Uh, Papa," he started. "We need to talk."

His eyes still fixed on our hands - and his mouth thinning from a smile at seeing his son and best friend to a line at seeing his son and best friend together - Francis led the pair of us into the living room from the front hall, and in short time he had gathered his husband and his other son to sit down and listen to the pair of us.

"Uh," Mattie began, looking at the floor with a blushing face, trying not to lose himself in tracing with his eyes the pattern of the carpet he had played on as a child, but really looking far too embarrassed to continue with the conversation we were supposed to be having until I squeezed his hand the way he had with me moments ago, and he looked up to meet my encouraging eyes before he took a deep breath and faced his family again, smiling.

"So, Gil and I are dating. Thought you ought to know."

And all hell broke loose as three voices started yelling all at once and Mattie sighed and leaned against me, resigned to the shouting match and I thought that it was no wonder mein Birdie was so quiet coming from such an incredibly loud family....

Finally, Alfred's voice popped up above that of his two fathers'.

"Mattie, no!" he declared, his gaze fiercely locked on his younger brother's. "You can't date Prussia, he's a jerk and a player and a complete ass!"

"Hey!" I shouted indignantly. "You're not all that amazing yourself, America-"

But Francis cut me off. "No, he is right, mon ami! I have known you for many centuries, and you have had more than your share of rough dealings and strings of lovers-" Here, I felt Mattie shift uncomfortably, and France locked his eyes onto him. "Mon petit Mathieu, sil vous plait, I'm begging you, don't, I don't want you hurt."

"Mais, Papa-"

And England cut in.

"Yes, you can't go defiling my son, he is so sweet and innocent, you two have nothing in common, it won't work out anyway, so just leave out, bugger!"

"Dad, really-" Birdie tried again, but his twin had more to say.

"Mattie is far too good for you, and you know it, you wouldn't deserve him in a million years, he's-"

Mein Birdie slumped against me, resigned to waiting it out. But I wasn't.

"Shut it!" I yelled, and all eyes were instantly turned on me in anger and reproach. "Mattie has something he would like to say," I announced. "If you're quite done speaking for him," I added in an undertone.

Birdie blushed with all eyes on him, but again we tightened our fingers, and he finally got his voice heard.

"I love Gil, and he loves me. And I know I'm not-not his first-" That look, flushed and a little lost - damn, if I wouldn't take back every single person before him- "But the fact is I'm his now, and he is mine.  He respects me and takes care of me and does everything in his power to ensure that I am always happy and feeling loved and being recognized. And we have a lot more in common than you think, like being neglected or forgotten... But we have each other, and honestly, this was less of a persuasive debate and more of an informative meeting. I'm not asking your permission, I was just telling you here we are. And I love all of you, so I imagine this will all sort out soon, or I'm sorry only some understand, but there we are." And he leaned back into me, grateful for the support I provided as I wrapped my arms around him, holding him to me, as an incredible phenomenon happened: his family was quiet.

And then they smiled.

"Welcome to the family," grumbled Alfred, but he smiled to see Matthew breathe a sigh of relief and grin up at me, and I couldn't help but grin back and kiss his lips lightly.

"Of course, there are rules..." Francis started, and I groaned quietly.

Damn, so close...

But Birdie laughed and kissed me back, wrapping his arms around my neck and turning so we faced each other in order to give me a proper kiss, and I smiled to know everything was right in my world.