Mein Vögelchen

Nine

"Holy shit! This place is so shiny!"
"Calm down, Mattie. Jou only just got here." Gilbert kept a sturdy grasp on Matthew's arm, not wanting him to slip away. Matthew only wanted to explore the venue and look at all the decorations.
"Weren't you the one to say you wanted to crash this thing?" Matthew teased.
"I vas joking, birdie."
"I'm starving."
"Jou can't eat until zhe ceremony is over." Gilbert pulled the blond over to a chair and sat the two of them down.
"This is a load of bullshit. I hate weddings now."
"Matthew!"
"What?"
"Gil? You came!" An excited voice piped up behind the two.
Matthew looked up and was surprised at who he saw.
"Francis?"
"Matthieu?! What are you doing 'ere?"
"Birdie is mein date...jou two know each ozher?"
"We're..." Matthew tried to find a suitable lie to use.
"Cousins!" Francis grinned from ear to ear as he sat down on Matthew's other side. "I 'aven't seen you in so long. What 'appened to you?"
Matthew had texted a few details about his newfound mission to Alfred over the past day or so. By now the whole agency probably knew about his identity of a person-turned-bird-turned-person-again and that he had been "missing" for a few years.
And thank the heavens they did because it really strengthened Matthew's cover.
"I've been around. I just needed space."
"You're lying."
"I'll tell you someday."
Francis nodded softly. The questioning was all part of the Frenchman's own cover. He had always been good at seducing people and acting.
"Who are your friends?" Another person appeared. This one was also blond and had massive eyebrows and a British accent.
"Ohh! Matthieu, zhis is Arzhur. Mon petite lapin!"
"Your little rabbit?" At the agency, the only language allowed was English. Matthew wasn't allowed to pursue French like he wanted to and he wasn't even allowed to spell colour and favourite with Us. But late at night, when the guards all left them alone, the boys would tutor each other in their native languages in secret. Matthew was the most fluent in French because Francis had been such a captivating teacher, but his Dutch and Russian weren't too shabby either.
"That's what that means? Why the hell am I a rabbit?"
"You fuck like one."
"Okay wait a minute! There are children here." Arthur gestured to a boy standing at his hip, looking confused.
"Woah, Francis! I didn't zhink jou vould date a guy vizh kids." 
"Of course I'm dating somebody wizh kids. I love kids." Francis reached behind him and pet the boy's hair.
"How long have you been together?" Matthew knew that Francis had started his last mission the month before and that he was quick to win targets over. He wanted to know how long this one took.
"Two weeks."
It had taken him that long to win Arthur over? Was Francis losing his touch?
Arthur rolled his eyes and sat down on Francis's other side, pulling his kid into his lap.
"Anyway, zhis is Peter. 'E's loves me."
Peter stuck his tongue out at the group and pulled on Francis's ponytail.
Francis laughed, but his face showed pain.
By that point, all the guests had flowed in and music had started to play to signal the entrance of the bride and groom.
Matthew didn't pay attention to the wedding at first. Gilbert had taken his hand and he was a little distracted by how nice it felt. He looked up at the albino's face, seeing a tear creep down his cheek. The Canadian had never had an ex and he certainly had never had two.
He couldn't imagine what Gilbert was feeling right now. He didn't know whether it was happy or sad.
He squeezed his target's hand tighter and watched these two people dedicate their lives to each other.
The man was a prissy looking brunette with glasses and a mole on his chin and the woman was stunning. She had mousy brown hair tied up with a flower. Both of these people had loved Gilbert at one point and Gilbert had probably loved them. Matthew wondered what it would be like to love somebody enough to want to do something like this. What did proposals feel like? What about kissing? Sex?
He knew he would never get to do these things because of this job. It hurt to think that his time with Gil wouldn't last forever.
Because, in his heart, he really wanted it to.