Chapter Text
Matthew's phone was ringing. Loud and obnoxious, he was starting to get put off by his own ringtone as the sound started to grate on his ears.
He didn't need to look to know who was calling. Who had been calling all week without relenting.
Erzsébet.
Matthew liked to help people, he really did. He was a kind person and if there was something he could do to benefit someone else, he would do it without hesitation. But in this case he just felt like he was in over his head.
Give someone an inch and they take a mile. He really should've seen this coming. Really. There was no way it was ever going to be a one-and-done thing.
The phone rang out and he sighed a breath of relief at successfully avoiding what would've come had he answered, but he knew he was living on borrowed time. He couldn't run forever.
The thing was now he just felt guilty for getting caught up in this. Matthew had been complicit because what they had done aligned with their goals then, but now?
This was going way too far. Further than he had initially wanted to go.
The phone rang again and in a moment of spontaneity, he decided to bite the bullet and get this over and done with. He was going to put his foot down and get out of this mess before he got dragged down with her.
"Hey Erz-"
"Matthew! Finally!" From Erzsébet's worked-up voice, Matthew knew he'd have to fight to be heard. "Did you get my texts? Please tell me you've seen them because I've had the best idea-"
"Yeah, I got them. But um, about that-"
"So are you in?"
Matthew sighed deeply. "I only wanted to do this to help Francis and Arthur because well, you know how they were dancing around each other for years so-"
"Of course we helped them! And now we have to help Alfred and Ivan because can't you see they're doing the exact same thing??"
"Well no-"
"They're meant for each other, I just know it!"
Matthew sighed again. He knew there wouldn't be any convincing Erzsébet otherwise and he couldn't deny the chemistry between those two, so those sort of arguments would be weak.
So all he could do was find a way to wiggle out of this arrangement and somehow escape from being involved. Before it was too late.
"Look... if they're meant to be then they'll get together in their own time..." Matthew just hoped Erzsébet didn't bring up how his sentiment towards Arthur and Francis had been completely different, because he didn't have an argument for that. He wasn't the kind of person to be stubborn in the face of truth.
Well, usually. Against a hockey referee was a different discussion...
"Oh come on, as if that's going to happen," Erzsébet laughed, "You know what they're like, we just have to help them along...Just like Arthur and Francis."
"Well, I don't think you need my help. You can do it without me, eh?"
"Come on, don't you want the satisfaction of making it happen? I know you do, I saw how you looked at Arthur and Francis..."
"I was just so happy for them..." Matthew sighed as he weighed up his options.
"I've already made the potion," Erzsébet added proudly, smirk evident in her tone.
"What? Already?" Matthew felt his stomach twist a little as he realised this was moving faster than he anticipated. Oh no, if she had the potion, then it would be happening.
But if she had the potion, then why need him? Surely it wasn't because she wanted to share the fun with someone...?
"Yep! Now I just need to catch up with you and your brother~"
Ah, so that's why she still needed his help so badly. Matthew had just hoped she would just drop him and continue with her inspired ambition when he didn't show the same enthusiasm...
But it seems he wasn't that lucky.
Well... he figured that somewhere deep down, he wouldn't mind her being successful with her current fixation. In fact, when he lingered on the thought, he thought it would be quite nice if Alfred had someone...
Matthew knew his brother well enough to know that while the American was content with his life as it was... somewhere deep down, Alfred really enjoyed the fantasy of having a special, loving bond with someone in a way unique to any other.
Someone who understood the burden of America and loved him despite it. Someone who understood what it was like to have the country go through such a conflicting and complicated time... and not hold Alfred personally responsible for it.
His brother was quite the romantic... and so was Matthew.
Damn it. Merde.
Alfred didn't believe his fantasy could ever be a reality and was just happy to disregard it... only ever indulging through fiction because he was too ashamed to admit that deep, deep, down... he craved it.
Fuck it.
"I suppose I can give it a go, eh?" Matthew cracked a smile. "Whatever happens, happens?"
There was a chance it backfired. A big chance, considering the personalities of their targets. But if it didn't work then Matthew could at least forgive himself for trying instead of just doing nothing.
And if his involvement came to light, he could just brush it off with "it's just a prank bro" and go hide in the Canadian wilderness for a few weeks. Until Alfred got distracted by whatever new scandal or trend emerged. His brother was usually quick to forgive and forget. At least, when it came to his closest friends...
He might leverage Matthew's guilt to make him cook but that wouldn't be so bad.
"Perfect!" Erzsébet cheered. "Now let's make a plan!"
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Matthew didn't know if this plan was plain stupid or just so simple it seemed stupid.
But he had agreed to it for a reason. It had some plausibility to it and Erzsébet had been really convinced it would be successful so Matthew was hesitant to doubt it. He just felt like she was fueled solely by hopes and dreams, instead of the real pitfalls of reality.
Maybe Matthew was just nervous because there was room for things to go wrong and he didn't trust Erzsébet to have accounted for that. For all he knew, she thought she could just handle anything that propped up on the day and push things forward with her usual headstrong attitude.
Maybe Matthew was just hyper aware of the extremely delicate stakes. Once Alfred took the potion and it kicked in, the first person he looked at had to be Ivan. No one else. Or Alfred would be completely infatuated with some innocent bystander and Matthew wouldn't know what to do. Plus if Alfred ever found out about this attempt, he wouldn't take it well-
He needed to stop thinking about it. There was no point in backing out now. Not when Erzsébet was walking beside him and slung an arm around him to discreetly whisper.
"Come on, keep your cool," She smirked as she eyed their victim, walking a few paces in front of them. "This is going to work, I can feel it."
She was probably just feeling an eagerness to see this play out, but Matthew didn't say anything. It was easier just to nod. Because in the grand scheme of things, his job was pretty easy. All he had to do was carry around this almost empty can of coke and bide his time.
"Oh!" Erzsébet spoke up, putting on a voice of exclamation as she began her act. "Let's go down here! I think there's one of those secret places in the wall!"
"Oh really?!" Alfred pivoted immediately and glanced down the alleyway she was pointing at. "Like a rave or something?"
"I'm not going to say," Erzsébet giggled mischievously, in a way that Alfred would not be able to resist.
"I guess we'll find out," Matthew said supportively, although pointlessly as he wasn't needed at all to sway Alfred's opinion.
They roamed down the alleyway and Matthew could see Erzsébet's reason for picking this spot, being that the area was secluded and highly unlikely to have someone else wander in and become the light of Alfred's life.
"Oh, hold on..." Erzsébet paused as he checked her phone, eyebrows furrowing as she fussed over it. "I've got a text from my boss... I should probably sort this out. Stay here, okay?"
"Of course, do what you have to dude! Just make it quick because I wanna see this super cool underground rave or whatever it is!"
Matthew watched as she turned and left, Alfred completely oblivious to the smirk on her face. He knew she was leaving to lure Ivan here... somehow. He didn't even know how she had secured having him in the area at this time but he was certain there was a lot of stalking and manipulating to get things to work out...
Now with Erzsébet gone and Alfred checking his own phone to pass the time, Matthew knew it was his turn to do his part.
Somehow it felt like the equivalent of being a tree in a school play...
"I'm going to use the bathroom," Matthew announced, getting his brother's attention.
"Oh? Alright then, I won't look," Alfred shrugged without looking up from his phone. Matthew sighed.
"No... I'm going to go to a public toilet..." He really wished he had a different alibi but unfortunately, simple was best.
Simple was stupid.
"Would you like to have the rest of this?" Matthew held out his Coke can.
What kind of question was that? It was so stupid it was simple. Yet at the same time Erzsébet had given Alfred too much credit. She really somehow believed that given the incident with Francis only a few weeks prior, Alfred would be suspicious of any food or drink offered to him.
Little did she know, Alfred would always accept an offering from a friend without thinking twice. He was just that trusting.
"Fuck yeah dude, you're the best!" Alfred snatched the drink predictably, skulling the rest.
Matthew quietly backed away and Alfred didn't even look up from his phone.
So stupid...
Everything about this was so stupid and it was even more stupid that it was working.
Matthew let out a sigh of relief and crept away, thanking his general ability to be overlooked. Maybe that's why Erzsébet assigned him this part of the plan... the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. He sighed again, this time in exasperation and disbelief.
Well, Matthew had checked off part one. Now he just had to linger to see the rest unfold. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't looking forward to it.
Hopefully it worked out, otherwise he'd be stuck in the Canadian wilderness for a couple of weeks...