- - - - - - -
"Alfred..." A muffled but gentle, almost girlish voice groaned. "Go back to sleep, brother, it's only one in the morning..." A mop of hair raised off his chest and Alfred found himself being stared at by his little brother, without glasses and looking rather groggy. It seemed Alfred had been a bit noisy in his sleep.
Matthew's eyes widened in concern, noticing the sweat dripping down his brother's face and that he was still gripping onto the sheets like his life depended on it. "A-are you okay?"
"Nn," the American replied, "It was just a bad dream, l-l-let's go back to sleep."
Mattew nodded reluctantly but decided to listen, and he laid his head back on Alfred's chest and took a sigh before letting himself drift back away. Alfred took a good while to calm down, but feel back asleep too eventually.
- - - - - - -
His eyes were crying again, but these drops were a horrible crimson. It stained his already red hoodie a deeper red. The gun shone and clinked against his glasses as his hand shook, squeezing on the trigger slowly. This time, Alfred heard the words in little more than a whisper.
"Who needs to live a life in your shadow... Who needs to live without recognition... Who needs to dedicate their life to the person who lessens the value of their existance...? Who needs two?!"
The click sounded again, but no blast came once again.
- - - - - - -
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!" Alfred woke with an even worse start to match his heightened terror. The Canadian laying on him was jolted awake and immediately cringed away, with cries of 'whats wrong?' and 'alfred alfred!'.
"Matthew... Matthew don't die... dont...!" Alfred screamed in delusion. Finally his little brother gathered courage and his palm came across the elder's face. Alfred stared in fright, realizing the reality of where he was but still scared out of his mind. Matthew withdrew apologetically.
Alfred took his arms and wrapped them around the smaller person, tugging them close, letting his own tears mingle into his hair.
"Matthew, you are you and you don't need to die and theres no point in you dieing but there is a point in you living and dont commit suicide and where was Kumajiro?!" He burst out. Matthew got overwhelmed and had no idea what had just been said to him; though the sort of got the last part, and pointed out Kumajiro at the foot of the bed blankly.
Alfred sort of halted at this strange gesture.
Matthew halted at being halted at.
They kept a blank eye contact for a few long moments. Then the Canadian giggled. Alfread made an indignant look and pulled the sheets over Matthew's head. Matthew just laughed under the sheets.''
- - - - - - -
"I see, that's horrible, brother." Matthew shook his head, having gotten a detailed - gruesomely detailed - explanation of the fiasco. "That's not the way I think at all you know."
"It's not?" Alfred asked hopefully, blinking away the last childish tears.
Matthew shook his head again. "No way. Life is more fun with the two of us!" Alfread looked elated for a moment, but Matthew's look took on a slightly dark, depressed tone. "Although I really want other people to recognize me for me, not you." Alfread teared up again.
"B-but, you won't commit suicide, right?"
Matthew paused, considering, but quickly said no.
"...why did you take a moment to answer?"
"I was just thinking it through."
"You considered it?!"
"No! Well, yes, but I decided against it. The question was a prompt to consider both sides and make a decisi-"
"If you kill yourself I'll kill you, selfish bastard!"
Matthew shook. Now HE was the one terrified, and about to cry. Alfred stopped in shock and nearly suffocated Matthew in a hug.
"No, I mean, if you try to kill yourself I will STOP you..."
Matthew joined in, "...since I'm the hero and all!" they said together.
Alfred blinked.
Matthew giggled.
Alfred glared.
Matthew got afraid.
And the cycle went on through the night.