The Forgotten Maple

Matthew hated Alfred. Everything the American did seemed to hurt him, either directly or indirectly. Alfred used Matthew as a way to do whatever he wanted, without any of the consequences.
Whether it was drugs, partying, harassing women, Alfred got away with it all, leaving his younger brother to take the blame. He was one of the most feared people in school, often beating up the weaker kids, if he bothered to show up.
When he didn't come to school, the stronger athletic types mistook Matthew for the bully they hated and took it upon themselves to teach him a very painful lesson.
It was only thanks to Gilbert that he was able to endure it. The albino had done his best to defend him, but he couldn't always be there to protect his "Birdie."
Matthew knew that and understood, but it didn't lessen the pain of the beatings from the other teens at their school.
One day, he was trying desperately to avoid being seen by Ivan, who had taken it upon himself to make sure the person he thought was Alfred wouldn't hurt anyone else ever again. Matthew managed to slip through the back door and out into the school yard. He'd lost Ivan, but ducked behind a wall when he saw Arthur and Kiku talking together. "If you're tired of him stalking you, then just go to hell girl at midnight tonight! He'd burn in hell and we'd all be free. You wouldn't have to stay close to Ludwig and Feliciano all the time." Kiku's voice held a tone of frustration. "Arthur, how many times do I have to tell you, hell correspondence is not real! It's a myth!" "Then explain what happened to that Damien fellow a week ago. Nobody's seen or heard from him and that Kyle chap has been happier then I've ever..."
Matthew heard the rest of their conversation fade as they began walking away. Hell Girl? He'd heard of the website before, but Kiku was probably right, it was probably nothing more than a creepypasta. Still, if it was real, he could finally be free from this nightmare! A hand on his shoulder yanked him out of his thoughts and he almost screamed in panic. His arms covered his face and his body tensed up reflexively in preparation for the blows he thought were coming. "Whoa, whoa, Easy there, vogelchen. It's just me." The familiar Prussian voice instantly calmed him. Matthew lowered his arms and saw the bright ruby red eyes staring at him. "Oh Gil, thank Christ it's you." Strong arms pulled him in for a hug. Matthew eagerly returned it, feeling safe for once. "Mattie, who were you running from this time?" 

The Canadian didn't respond immediately, wanting to forget everything just for a moment. "Ivan." His voice came barely above a whisper, Gilbert tightened his grip just a bit, Matthew knew that his albino lover was terrified of the Russian, even if he pretended not to be. "Gil... please kiss me." Matthew needed the feeling of their lips together, he wanted to lose himself in the pleasure, just for a little bit. Gil's lips curled into a smirk. "My birdie needs his fix of awesome, is that it? Don't worry, I've got a fresh batch just for you." Gilbert tilted Matthew's head up and pressed their lips together. Matthew couldn't hold back the moan that ripped from his throat. It was short and sweet, exactly what he needed before he had to go back home. When they separated, Gilbert continued holding him close. "Stay with me tonight birdie. Don't go back to him. I'll take care of you, I promise." Matthew wanted to, he really did. Gilbert's house offered a safe haven from his brother's cruelty.

"Alright, Let's go." Gilbert's eyes lit up. "Really? AWESOME!" 

It was one of his better nights, A night of passion and rough lovemaking, it made Matthew feel much better.

The next morning, he began the weary trek to school, passing by the newspaper club and noticing how Kiku moved a little closer to Ludwig. Why didn't Ludwig just deal with him? The German could easily teach his brother a lesson, but he didn't want to get in trouble. He automatically braced himself when he felt someone pull him into an alleyway. An Irish voice he'd never heard before growled at him. "Where is he?" A man wearing a dark red hoodie and an Irish cap was holding the collar of his shirt, preparing to punch him. "What are-" "DON'T FOOKIN PLAY DUMB! Ya knew Mark was alone last weekend!" His anger thickened his accent. A larger man put his hand on the Irishman's shoulder. "Calm down Jack, this isn't him. It looks a lot like him, but there are a few very keen differences." Jack turned his attention to the larger man. "Well if it ain't Alfred, who is it then?" Matthew took this opportunity to answer the question. "I'm his brother, Matthew. Who's Mark?" The one called Jack whipped his head back around. "None o' yer fookin business!" The larger man rolled his eyes. "Sorry about that. Jack's been like that ever since Mark went missing. However, if you're Alfred's brother, maybe you can help us." Matthew breathed a sigh of relief as his collar was released. "What can I help you gentlemen with?" A third man began explaining. "It all started on Monday. Mark always walks with us to school on Monday. We're from Youtube High, it's just down the road a bit." Matthew knew about the rival school to the World Academy, what did three students from that school want with him? "Well, anyway. We approached his house and saw that the door was open. We were all a bit worried, so we went inside. There were signs of a struggle and Mark was nowhere to be found. We notified the police and continued to school. It's Wednesday now, and they haven't found him. Everyone's starting to get worried." Matthew remembered that Sunday night, he had heard Alfred dragging something to the cellar, and telling him not to go down there if he valued his life. "I think I know where he might be. Let's go back to my house." Matthew led the trio to his home, not knowing what he would find there.