Blood and Tears

Dream, or Reality?

~Every human life is precious and means something to some one. Even if you don't realize it, there is always going to be some one that cares.

~Matthieu POV.

I woke up in my own bed with a splitting headache. I couldn't remember what happened last. I groaned and climbed out of bed. Gilbert opened my door. "Hi Gil. What happened to me? I feel like I was hit by a bus." Gilbert laughed and sat down next to me. "Nosing bad. Just a knock to zhe head, but jou'll live." He kissed my cheek. "Come on, let's get jou somesing to eat." He picked me up and I rested my head against his chest. When we arrived in the living room, he placed me down on the couch. "Stay." He ordered and backed away into the kitchen. "What are you doing Gil?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. "Cooking. Now stay! I'm making jou food."

He disappeared into the kitchen and some rustling around. His head peeked through the doorframe. "Uh, vhere's the flour?" I laughed and got up off the couch, walking to the cuboard and pulling out the bag of white powder. "Need anything else, chef?" He shook his head and pushed me out. "Nope. Now vait! It'll be ready soon." He shut the door, leaving me in the living room. I sighed and sat down on the couch, looking out the window. I wonder what time it is... Getting up, I knocked on the door. "Gil! What time is it?" I heard him shuffling behind the door. "Almost five!" I nodded and walked back to the couch. Some time later, the smell of pancakes filled the air.

~Gilbert POV.

I sat in the kitchen alone. The doctors told me I had to leave because visiting hours were over. A stack of cold pancakes sat on a plate in front of me. The house was quieter than usual and a dark aura filled the air. Matthieu's polar bear, Kumajirou came in the room and sat on the floor next to me. I reached down and put him on my lap, petting his fur absent mindedly. "Where is the other person that lives here?" He asked. Tears jumped in my eyes again. I got up and held Kuma close to my chest and walked up to Matthieu's room. I lay down on his bed, his maple scent filling the room. "Mister? What's wrong? Was it something I said?" Kuma asked innocently. I shook my head. "No."

"Well then what is it?" I sniffled. "He's at zhe hospital." Kuma nodded. "Why?" I felt a tiny flare of anger inside my body. "Zhat Arschloch Russia hit him over zhe head vith his pipe." As soon as I said it, I understood what happened. I buried my face in Kuma's fur and sobbed. "He blocked his blow. He jumped in front of Russia and took zhe blow for me." It was quiet for a while. "When will he be back?" Kuma said, breaking the silence. I looked in his eyes. "I don't know... Not for a long time... Maybe not at all." My throat tightened when I said the last words. "Why not at all?" Kuma continued to ask. "He's in a coma Kuma. His skull was dented and he might not wake up."

Kumajirou didn't ask any more questions. I closed my eyes and drifted into a dreamless sleep. I awoke to the sound of some one at the door. The knocks echoed through the almost empty house. Climbing off the bed, making sure Kuma didn't wake up, I walked to the front door. I opened it to see America on the other side of the door. "Uh, could I come in?" He asked. I stepped aside and led him into the living room. I put up pictures of Matthieu in the room to make it seem more homey... Now it felt like a shrine to a person who passed away. Some pictures had America or France in them, rarely all of them were in a photo together.

"Vhat do jou vant?" I asked when we both sat down. "I wanted to know about my brother." He said. I looked over at a picture on the wall and closed my eyes. I took a deep breath and looked back at America. Oh how he looks like Birdie. "Vhat do jou vant to know?" I asked, my voice unstable. America looked around at some of the pictures. "Well, uhm. When I followed you into the hospital room, I saw that he had, um, cuts on his wrists. Why is that?" I looked down. I was hoping he didn't notice those. I bit my lip, thinking of what I could say. "Prussia?" I looked back up. "I'll tell jou. But first sings first," I held out my hand. "My name's Gilbert." America looked at my hand then shook it. "Alfred."

~Alfred POV.

We sat up and talked all night about my brother I never knew I had. He told me everything about him, the cutting, the voices, the suicide attempt. All of this, and I had no idea it was happening. But the way Gilbert was acting, it was strange. Like it pained him to talk about Matthieu. "Gilbert?" He slowly looked up at me, his eyes partially glazed over and distant. "Did you like him?" He looked away again at another picture. "Ja. Ja I did. I'll go as far as to say I loved him. Watching him go zhrough all zhat pain and suffering vas horrible. But vhen he smiled, it vas all vorth it." He smiled slightly although tears fell from his eyes. "I took him to his country and vhen he saw zhe snow, it vas like a child at christmas."

Gilbert wiped his eyes with his hand and continued. "He vas so happy und stood out in zhe snow for a long while. Vhen I voke up zhe next morning, he vas covered in snow, so I said, 'Vhat happened? Vhy are jou covered in snow?' Und he just laughed. 'I vas watching zhe northern lights!' He said." Gilbert turned back to me and I could see that he was reliving that memory. "His eyes vere so bright, zhe brightest sun vas nosing in comparison! He vas just zhat happy." I looked down. He sounds like he was a good person. But being alone for that long? I would go crazy. "How did he do it?" I asked. "Do vhat?" I looked up at Gilbert. "Live." Gilbert's eyes twinkled. "He had me."

~Matthieu POV.

I lay down in my bed and fell asleep almost instantly. I felt strange though. While I was dreaming, I heard weird beeping noises and something that sounded like breathing. Stranger still, I couldn't move. What? Why can't I move? I meant to speak, but I didn't hear my voice. Why can't I speak? I heard something move beside me. I wanted to open my eyes and look around, but it was like there was a road block. My brain was giving the commands, but it never got there. I heard something that sounded like a door opening. "Excuse me sir, but you have to leave now. Visiting hours are over." A feminine voice said. "Can't I stay here? Please? I promise I von't be of any trouble. Just let me stay vith mein Birdie." Gilbert's voice said. Gilbert? What's he doing in my dream?

"I'm sorry sir, but it's the rules. All visitors have to leave now." I felt a tightening pressure on my hand and my forhead was kissed. "I'll be back Birdie. I promise. Sleep well." He kissed my head once more, then was gone. Wait! Gilbert! Come back! But my lungs refused to work. And so I lay still in the strange place, waiting to wake up from this strange dream. It was a long wait though. Eventually, I did wake up in my own bed wrapped in Gilbert's arms. I streched and heard my joints pop and sighed in content. "Jou voke me up." Gilbert mumbled. I laughed. "Awe, I'm sorry sleepy head. But, I had the strangest dream." He opened one red eye and looked at me. He smiled evily "Aboot?" I smacked him upside the head. "I do not say 'aboot'! I say 'about' like any other human being!" He laughed and rolled over.

~I bet you thought I killed Mattie. Nope. He lives! Kinda. Maybe. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!