Gilbert

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"This is lame." Birdie slurred. Only two beers vere left on zhe counter und Mattie vas holding his liquor vell. He vas pretty loopy, zhough, so I planned on hiding zhose last beers vhen I got zhe chance.

"Ja?"

"Jah." He imitated. I smiled.

"I can't get drank without music."

"Jou're already...Drank...Birdie." I vas spending mein time on zhe couch, vatching him face zhe tiny space zhat vas mein home.

"Do you have a stereo?"

"Nein." I didn't see zhe point of music after Mattie died.

"Aw man." He slouched into zhe couch.

"I have music on mein laptop." I spoke up. "Vell...Youtube at least. I can steal Wifi from mein neighbour."

"Sweet!" Mattie jumped up. "Where is it, Gilbart?"

"Gilbart?"

"Giiiiiil-bart~" He purred. "Vhere is zee laptawp?"

Gött, I loved zhis kid.

"On mein coffee table." I ansvered.

"Merci beaucoup." He found zhe laptop und began typing avay vith one hand vhile using his ozher hand to drink.

Soon, a song came on. It vas a rugged folk song.

He stumbled mein vay und fell into mein lap.

"Birdie." I vrapped mein arms around his vaist und set mein chin on his shoulder. His long hair tickled mein cheek und his back vas varm against mein chest.

"Matthew." I vispered. "I don't vant jou on zhe front lines zhis time."

"Wha?"

"I vant jou to stay in zhe safest place possible in zhis plan. If I lost jou again...zhat vould kill me." I told him.

"But the safest place...that's..."

"Medic. Jour good vizh medicine."

I heard Matthew let out a tiny breazh.

"Okay." He vispered. "But not just for you. It's for Alfie and Papa and Arthur. I don't want anybody to be sad anymore."

"And zhey vont." I assured him. "Not anymore."



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