They were together again. Talking and smiling and laughing.
He hated it.
Clenching his fists, he walked away.
Why did she have to exist? Why?!
The sole reason she was born was simply to annoy him and steal his attention away.
He knew that.
Reaching his home fairly soon, Alfred ran out to greet him.
"Daddy! Daddy!"
Arthur smiled wearily and knelt down as Alfred ran towards him with his arms open.
The little boy jumped into his arms and hugged him tightly.
"You're acting like you haven't seen me in years," Arthur said with a laugh.
"Well you went away for such a long time!" Alfred pouted.
Arthur ruffled the boy's hair.
"It's not like you were alone though, lad. Wasn't Wea here?" he asked.
Alfred nodded.
"Mommy was here but she was busy."
Arthur raised an eyebrow.
"Busy? She was supposed to be watching you."
"She was, but she had to talk to these two guys first. I didn't want to talk to them with her so I just played in my room."
Arthur frowned and stood up.
"Stay here Alfred. I'm going to go have a word with her, okay?" Alfred sat down, crossing his legs, and nodded. "Good boy."
Arthur walked through the rooms of the house until he found the woman he was looking for in the backyard hanging up laundry.
"Wea?" he called as he stuck his head outside. "Sacagawea?"
The woman turned around to face him.
"Oh hello Arthur," she said in her language with a mixture of broken English.
"Were there some people over while I was out?"
She processed his words in his head and translated them for a few moments.
"Yes. They were looking for someone to show them through the land."
"You mean the land to the west that everyone wants to explore?"
She nodded.
"The men wanted me to lead them, but I said I couldn't because I had to stay here and watch Alfred."
Arthur tried to decide what to do.
On the one hand, exploring the West would be very good for Alfred and his nation, but on the other hand he needed someone at the house to watch over the boy while he was away.
She noticed his confusion and put a hand on his arm.
"I have another reason for turning them down."
Arthur looked up at her.
"You do?"
She nodded.
"I am expecting a baby from my husband."
Arthur stared at her for a moment before smiling.
"Congratulations." She nodded again. "I'm going to go and work. Please tell me if anyone else turns up."
She nodded a final time and Arthur walked back into the house and to his office so start working on the documents he had brought home.
Arthur was neck deep in paperwork when someone knocked on his door.
Glad for a reason to stop, he looked up wearily.
"Come in," he called in a tired voice.
The door opened and a face he didn't want to see stepped in.
"Who let you in here?" he growled.
The man smirked at him.
"You did."
Arthur ground his teeth.
"What do you want, git?" he asked as he gave up on getting rid of him.
Francis's smirk dropped off into a worried face.
"I came to see how you were doing."
Arthur frowned.
"What would possibly posses you to check up on me."
Francis walked closer.
"I saw you earlier. I was about to go and talk to you when you left. Why?"
"Why would you care?"
Reaching his side, Francis put a hand on his cheek.
"I was worried about you. You seemed very upset. What's wrong?"
Arthur smacked his hand away.
"Don't touch me."
Francis was confused.
"Why not, cher?"
Arthur leapt to his feet in anger at the last word.
"Don't call me that! Don't you dare call me that!"
Francis's eyes widened in shock and took a step back.
"W-What did I do? Why are you so mad at me?"
Arthur advanced on him and pushed his pointed finger into his chest.
"You were with HER again! I saw you! You saw me too and I know it so don't even try and say you didn't!"
"I did see you cher but it was not what it looked like."
"So I didn't see you with Joan?"
Francis shook his head.
"You did, but we weren't doing anything. We were just talking."
Arthur sat down and looked back at his papers.
"Sure. Whatever you say."
Francis walked around behind his chair and leaned over the back of it to hug his shoulders.
"We were, cher. She wanted to ask how Mathieu was doing."
Arthur frowned and tilted his head backwards to make eye contact with the other blond.
"I thought she had Matthew."
Francis sighed.
"She did, but she's going to die soon so she finally gave him to me."
Arthur stared at him.
"D-Die? She's going to die? And she actually gave you Matthew?"
The man nodded.
"She knows about you and trusts you to make sure he's raised correctly."
Arthur's eyes widened.
"Me? She trusts me?"
"Oui." Francis leaned down and kissed him gently. "I was not cheating on you, mon amour. I swear." Arthur blushed. "She just wants to make sure Mathieu is taken care of before she's gone. I promise I am dedicated to you and you alone."
Arthur's face reddened considerably.
"I'm sorry Francis," he whispered.
The Frenchman rubbed his cheek gently.
"It's my fault. It did look bad, but she's in the past." He kissed his forehead. "It's just you now. Je t'aime. I love you, Arthur."
The man's face turned an even deeper shade of red.
"I love you too Francis. Sorry for doubting you."
"Don't worry. It's fine."
He picked the man up and carried him out of the stuffy office and into the attached bedroom.
"Il vous sera toujours mon seul véritable amour," he whispered to the other man as he laid the man down on the bed and crawled over him. "Je vous aime tellement."