My Brother's Best Friend • Prucan

Oceans of Color

The next day at school Matthew was incredibly grateful that he didn't have chem. Though he was really grateful that Gilbert stuck up for him yesterday, he still felt a little awkward about the whole situation. At lunch, Arthur and Lovino avoided talking about it and instead ranted about the upcoming play. Lovino was stage manager and was in no mood to put up with Alfred's shenanigans backstage. Arthur was the male lead and had no interest in kissing the female lead in the final scene. Matthew wasn't in the play, but his job was to paint the set. He loved spending hours alone in the auditorium painting, it was really relaxing. 

"How many days until the play again?" Matthew asked, wondering how much time he had before he had to finish his mural.

"One week, two days, 6 hours." Lovino grumbled, obviously not excited about how soon the play was. He was constantly complaining about how no one knew their lines except Arthur. Matthew cringed in sympathy and took a sip of the hot chocolate in his thermos. Arthur was about to say something when the three friends noticed Alfred approaching them from the other side of the cafeteria.

"Hey Al, what's up?" Matthew asked, wondering what his brother was doing at their table.

"What class do you have next?" Alfred asked, glancing at Arthur before locking his eyes on his brother.

"Math. Why?" Matthew responded, tilting his head in confusion.

"UHHHHH.. I have study hall and I need to talk to you about something.. I'll talk to you on the drive home." Alfred groaned, turning back around to his lunch table.

"Actually Alfred I won't be home until 6 because I'm painting the set today!" Matthew called out after his brother. Alfred groaned in frustration even louder and continued walking back to his friend group. After Alfred walked away the bell rang, signaling that lunch was over. Lovino groaned in frustration and Arthur and Matthew got up and headed to math class.

~

After school ended Matthew excitedly walked to his locker and put all his books away before heading to the art room to grab some supplies. The play this year was the Sound of Music, so Matthew had the pleasure of getting to paint the beautiful Austrian Alps on the backdrop. The past week he had spent his time outlining what he was going to paint in pencils now it was time to fill all the beautiful colors in. 

There was no play practice that evening so Matthew had the auditorium all to himself as he began to paint. Or so he thought. As he mixed the green and white paint and brushed the first stroke onto the soon to be beautiful mountains, he heard the double doors of the auditorium squeak open. He wasn't expecting any visitors, so when he turned around he nearly fell off his step stool as he locked eyes with none other than Gilbert Beilschmidt. 

"G-Gilbert?" Matthew stammered, wondering why the boy had suddenly entered the empty auditorium. 

"Wow! Detention just got a whole lot better." Gilbert muttered, laughing as he noticed the surprised Canadian wobbling on his step stool. 

"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in detention?" Matthew questioned, stepping off the stool and putting his paintbrush down as Gilbert hopped onto the stage. 

"The detention monitor got really frustrated with us and decided we all needed to be separated in empty parts of the school. I guess she didn't figure out that the auditorium isn't so empty." he explained, a grin on his face as he approached the artist. 

"Oh.. Well I'm painting the set-" Matthew began.

"Hey, Matthew? I'm sorry about yesterday. It's just.. I don't know. Francis was pissing me off. Sorry if I sounded crazy or anything I just didn't want you to feel uncomfortable." Gilbert spoke.

"It's okay. It did go a little too far." Matthew laughed, placing a hand on his neck awkwardly. 

"Are we good?" Gilbert asked, holding out a hand for the Canadian to shake. Matthew nodded and shook his hand, chuckling at the formalness of Gilbert's handshake. Gilbert's lips curled into a grin as he pulled his hand away and eyed the paint on the ground. 

"Can I help?" Gilbert asked, looking at Matthew with hope in his eyes. 

"No way José." Matthew shot back, knowing for a fact that Gilbert was not a good painter. Matthew's paintings and other art projects were like his children. He did not want anyone except himself being able to work on them. Gilbert's mouth dropped open, looking offended as Matthew shielded him from the paint supplies. 

"I'm the best painter at this school!" Gilbert cried jokingly, reaching for one of the paint brushes behind Matthew. Matthew quickly blocked his path to the paint and Gilbert let out a squeak in protest.  "Move!" Gilbert demanded, looking up at the determined Canadian with a fiery look in his eyes. 

"Make me." Matthew shot back playfully, looking at the defeated German with a smirk on his face.

"You're so on." Gilbert responded, quickly shoving past Matthew as he picked up two paint brushes, holding them up victoriously. Matthew put his hands up in defeat as Gilbert approached him, paint brushes loaded with green and white paint.

"Don't do it." Matthew cried jokingly, shielding his face and the German approached him. Gilbert just laughed and flicked the paint brushes, sending paint flying all over Matthew. Matthew squealed and Gilbert grabbed more paint, throwing it at him as Matthew ran and screamed in protest. Picking up a gallon of blue paint, Matthew uncapped the top and let out a battle cry, dumping an ocean of blue all over Gilbert's head. Gilbert yelped and grabbed a gallon of green, chasing after the paint-covered Canadian as he wiped the Blue paint dripping down his face. 

"YOU'RE GOING DOWN!" Gilbert yelled as Matthew grabbed another gallon of paint, this time purple.

"COME AT ME GILLY!" Matthew teased flirtatiously, holding up the gallon of purple in his arms like Simba from the Lion King. Gilbert continued to chase him and Matthew dumped the purple all over the stage in an attempt to divert the laughing German. Matthew set down the gallon of paint and grabbed a few paint brushes, splashing the colors onto Gilbert from far range. 

From across the lake of purple paint, the two were covered head to toe and flinging paintbrushes at each other, neither of them wanting to lose the war. It wasn't until Gilbert ran out of paint that Matthew decided to charge at him in an attempt to take him down. Crossing the purple lake of paint, both of them ran at full speed towards each other. In what seemed like slow motion, Matthew slipped and fell on his back, splashing purple paint all over the stage. Gilbert yelped in surprise as he found himself flying forward, tripped by the fallen Canadian. 

After a loud "OOF!" from the German, Gilbert found himself on top of Matthew, inches away from his face. Doe-eyed Matthew's face turned bright red as he noticed Gilbert's lips so close to his own. Leaning in, Gilbert smiled and closed the gap between them, connecting his lips with Matthew's for the first time. Matthew's heart pounded as he kissed back, blushing slightly as he felt the softness of Gilbert's lips. Though laying in a pile of cold, wet paint, he felt a warm spread through his body. As Gilbert pulled away, Matthew looked up at him with half-lidded eyes and pursed lips, trying not to smile too hard as his dream finally came true. 

"I think it's time to clean up." Matthew whispered, giggling slightly as his face turned red. 

"I agree"