Syrup & Beer

Chapter 2 - Bonding

Matthew's POV and a lil time skip

So much has happened in the past month, which is the time I visited Germany's house for the first time: I got to know Benedikt better and he introduced me to the business man of the Germans: Hesse, or just Heinrich. A true workaholic, but we three often bake together, mostly cake or bread, and sometimes Gilbert joins us.

He always acts cheerful and quirky but at the same time he seems to avoid talking to me a bit. I don't know why though, but I guess he has trust issues and things like that from before the reunification, but I don't know. I'm too shy to approach him myself anyway.

But anyway I got invited to a party by the Germans to celebrate the year of Danish-German friendship 2020.

I was a little excited for this to be honest, a bit very excited. Prussia would be there, and Benedikt, Heinrich, but also some Nordics.

So now I was standing before my large wooden closet, my best friend Romano beside me, he was invited as well by Veneziano although he wasn't that excited and hoped he could escape the party or drink.

"What am I supposed to wear?" I asked him.

He was already wearing his perfectly fitting Italian suit, but I didn't want to look this formal.

"I don't know, but you can't go like this." He stared at the worn-out Hoodie I was wearing.
"Maybe a fine shirt?" he asked. He looked like a mafia boss with that neck tie.

"Yea you're right. I'm sure I have some good trousers somewhere here." I grabbed deep into the kinda messy closet, hoping not to end up in Narnia.
"Got 'em" I said, pulling out black trousers and a white shirt with a fine stitching on the collar I embroidered myself. It was a small maple leaf on the right and a Prussian-blue cornflower on the left.

"Looks good. I'll probably leave early tonight, hope that's alright." the small Italian said. He was a bit more than a head shorter than me.

"That's not a problem, I'll be okay. But Lovi?"

"Sì?"

"Maybe you should take off that tie. You look scary with it."

"Hm, fine, if you think so. Toni and Feli said it looked alright."

I chuckled shakily, I wasn't prepared for this evening. But why? Was it because Gil would be there? No, that couldn't be.

When Lovi and I got to Germany's house, I drove by the way because I didn't want to floofing die, we already heard Magnus' loud voice being all excited and cheerful.
Originally my brother was invited as well, but he had to do a lot in his politics right now.

The door was open and we stepped in, greeted by a sign at the wall, saying "Året for dansk-tysk venskab" and under that "Jahr der dänisch-deutschen Freundschaft."

We saw Benedikt coming towards us with his usual smile, hugging me and friendly hitting Lovino's back who seemingly tried to hold back his usual "Don't touch me you bastard."
I grinned at that, I really loved Lovi for that, he was such a good friend/fashion God.

After taking our shoes off, or at least me since Lovi refused to (his shoes were clean anyways), we got into the living room, were Heinrich approached us and gave us - I smelled at it - champagne. Very classy. I smiled at Heinrich and we held a bit smalltalk, while Romano was elegantly sitting on a couch, carefully so his outfit wouldn't get wrinkles.

Short after this I heard a few light and high 'plings' from behind me.

I turned around while the room got silent. Denmark and Germany stood in the middle of the room, obviously about to give a speech. Magnus spoke up: