Matthew rubbed his eyes and clutched at his polar bear, stumbling out of his room and into the hallway. The house was quiet, which probably meant that son père was asleep... but that was okay. He rather enjoyed wandering around the house at night - that's when the people showed up.
He had noticed them about a year before, when France had come and taken him in. They were always floating around, some of them speaking in rapid French, which he was just beginning to be able to understand, a few of them floating above and looking down at him, and one, his favorite, just floating in the hallway, looking down at him and then up at France's portrait in the hall.
She hung in the air, still feeling unable to leave him all on his own with a child and the murderous others who stayed as of late. Her face was soft and pale as she stared at the portrait in the hall, just like always, waiting for him to wake up. "Francis..." She muttered, floating over to the door and waiting, there were sounds from within.
He woke, stumbled out of his room and down the hall towards the kitchen. Once he reached the tile, he leaned against the wall and exhaled softly, rubbing his head. "Mmm..."
She followed, staring at him. "Un autre mauvais rêve, Francis?"
"Such a strange dream..."
Matthew hung back in the shadows, watching them interact, and blinked sleep out of his eyes. He wondered who she was, a lot of the time, because most of the other people avoided Francis and Francis never seemed to notice her... or hear what she said. He wanted to ask her who she was, sometimes, but never could work up the courage to say a word to any of the people.
He watched silently, sitting down and cradling his bear (what had he named it again? Kumafasa?) in his lap.
She drifted down and landed before Francis, who leaned back and closed his eyes. After several moments of heavily breathing, he stumbled to the counter and splashed himself, being carefully quiet.
"Francis...pourquoi est-ce que tu est silencieux? Il est éveillé..." She smiled at him softly.
Matthew bit his lip and buried his face into what's-his-name's fur, cheeks flaring red. She always noticed, even when he didn't bring her attention to him. The action made the bear shift from sleep and blink up at its master.
Before he could stop the bear from making a noise, it let out a low, questioning growl before going back to sleep.
Matthew froze, knowing that Francis had to have heard the sound. And that would mean he had been caught. And that meant that he'd probably get in trouble...
Francis looked up, through the young girl standing before him. "Mon fils? Are you awake?"
"Je te l'avais bien dit." She muttered softly, laughing at him before floating around Francis and gazing at the boy.
Francis gazed at Matthew, eyes soft. "Come here..."
Matthew pushed to his feet; face still mostly buried in his bear's fur. His eyes were just barely visible, and he inched forward as though expecting Francis to yell or something. The Native lady he had stayed with had been very strict and snapped at him a lot... He snuck glances toward the floating woman, eyes wide and questioning but at the same time unsure. He returned his eyes to Francis, coming to a stop a few feet in front of him, face still buried.
"Est-que tu as eu un mauvais rêve?" Francis asked slowly, reaching out for his son and smiling softly, "Is that why you're awake, mon fils?"
She stood behind Francis with a smile still on her face. "Il n'est pas toi...Francis." She said with a chuckle.
"N-N-Non." Matthew mumbled, tightening his hold on his bear. "J-Je n'ai pas..." he still somewhat expected to be snapped at, or something. He had grown used to most aspects of living with Francis, but...
He glanced again toward the woman, "Q-Q-Qui est-elle?" He couldn't help the question. It just popped out.
She gasped, blinking at the boy and looking around in confusion. He could see her? But that meant that he was just like...like... "Angleterre..."
Francis blinked slightly and rubbed his eyes, glancing over his shoulder. "Qui?"
Matthew bit his lip and his shoulders migrated toward his ears, "R... rien... Ce n'est rien..." He whispered, slightly apologetic as though he had done something wrong. Francis couldn't see her...
"Mais..." he mumbled, before looking up, violet eyes wide, "Pourquoi vous êtes éveillé, papa?"
Francis stared at Matthew, "J'ai eu un mauvais rêve...au sujet de mon passé."
She sat down on the table before Francis, "Quoi il s'agit?"
"V-Votre passé?" Matthew inched toward the table, "Q-Quoi il s'agit?" He glanced again at the woman, biting his lip and lowering his gaze.
Francis shifted in his chair, nodding for Matthew to sit down. "Une belle fille forte et gentille." He said quietly, looking over his shoulder again before smiling softly. "Elle s'appelle Jeanne."
"Jeanne?" Matthew glanced again at the woman, as if wanting to ask 'Is that you?', and took the far chair (since the one nearest to him was... occupied, as far as he could see.).
Jeanne nodded slowly, still gazing at Francis, who looked as if he would cry as Matthew repeated her name. "Francis, qu'est-ce que tu as?" She said softly.
"Elle est mort..." Francis said slowly.
"E-E-Ehhh?" Matthew leaned back a little bit, eyes wide and unbelieving. He turned his head toward Jeanne, then back toward Francis, biting his lip. "M-Mais..." She's right there...!
His bear woke up again and blinked tiredly, before glancing up at its master, "Qui..." it yawned, "...êtes-vous?"
"C-Ca-na-da..." Matthew mumbled unhappily, still shifting his gaze between Jeanne and Francis.
"Matthew, qu'est-ce qui t'arrive?" Francis asked with confused eyes as he stared at his son.
"Matthew...je suis mort...c'est vrai." Jeanne smiled softly at the boy, standing up again.
Matt pushed the chair back, confused tears poking at his eyes. If she was dead... "How can I see you?" he asked, reverting to his native tongue in his distress. It probably looked odd; he would look like he was looking at nothing...
"Moi?" Francis demanded, looking confused to all hell. "Matthew!"
"Je ne sais pas..." Jeanne said softly, smiling slightly, "Mais, Angleterre peut aussi."
Matthew turned back to Francis, biting his lip, tears starting down his face, "E-Elle est... mort... Mais j-j-je peux la voir." his voice cracked in confusion and he buried his face again in Kuma-whatshisface's fur.
"Mais non!" Jeanne gasped at Matthew, "Ne le répète pas!"
Matthew's shoulders creeped up again. He was so confused, and so unsure and shocked and... what if he got in trouble for saying that? Wh-What if Francis didn't want to take care of him anymore...? "D-D-Désolé..." he mumbled miserably, starting to shake.
Francis didn't speak, still very confused. "Matthew, qu'est-ce que tu parle?"
"Ne le répète pas, sil tu plait." Jeanne said softly, "Tu ne peux pas voir me."
"R-Rien, papa... rien... Je suis fatigué...ce n'est rien." Matthew bit his lip, hating having to lie, but knowing that in this situation he probably had to. He was still so confused, though...
"C-Could I..." he tried to speak in English, frowning in concentration and trying to remember the words. "...eh... erm... c-coucher avec toi?" he finally finished when he couldn't manage the English words.
Francis blinked, "M-M-M-Mon fils?" He asked, shocked by the wording.
Matthew blinked in confusion. Had he said something wrong? He thought that was how Francis had put it... when he was talking to that... that... person with the things on his face.
"O-Oui, tu peux dormir avec moi, ne coucher pas..." Francis breathed out heavily.
Jeanne shook her head, "Francis."
Matthew glanced between them again, "A-Ai-je dit qu'il ne va pas?" 'Did I say it wrong' was one of the first things Matthew had learned to say when he was learning French.
"Oui..." Francis said slowly, rising to his feet and closing his eyes. He looked across the kitchen at the painting. "Elle, elle est belle..." He said softly.
Jeanne went red, "Ah...Francis..."
Matthew slid out of his chair, eyes firmly locked on the ground unsurely. He glanced once more at Jeanne, "D-Désolé..." he said softly, to her, though it would work directed at Francis as well.
Francis nodded slowly towards Matthew and helped him down the hall and into his bedroom. "Mon fils...est-ce qu'il y a quelqu'un tu aimes? Avec tout ton coeur?"
"Je... Je t'aime, Papa..." Matthew said slowly, though he had the feeling that Francis meant something else. "U-Un tas."
"Ah..." Francis lifted the boy up onto the bed and smiled at him. That wasn't quite what he meant. "Mon fils...un jour, tu vas aimer un fille."
"Une fille?" Matthew blinked, "Pourquoi devrais-je faire?"
"Parce que tu es un garçon!" Francis said with a small sort of grin, "La fille, elle va belle et extraordinaire...et tu...tu ne peux pas résiste."
"A-Avez... Avez-vous l'amour de Jeanne?"
"Oui."
"Avec tout ton coeur?" Matthew curled up close to his father, eyes wide and innocent toward the man. He let out a little yawn.
"Oui, mon fils...un jour...tu vas comprends."
Matthew let out another small yawn and closed his eyes, cuddling close to Kuma and Francis and drifting asleep.
Francis smiled and lay down slowly, also closing his eyes. He was asleep again in almost an instant.
Before he was fully, utterly asleep, Matthew felt a soft kiss placed against his forehead. Letting out a sigh, he smiled and whispered, "Bonne nuit, Jeanne…"
AN: Eventually, I'll add translations to this little bit of cuteness I found stored away in my docs. But for now, enjoy adorable!chibi!Mattie and Francis, with a dash of Jeanne d'Arc.
...gawd, Jeanne, you'd make a great mama for Mattie.