FACE family troubles from Alfred's perspective. Fem!France x England. Hetalia is the sole ownership of Hidekaz Himaruya, and Dollhouse is created by Melanie Martinez. This fanfic was created for entertainment purposes and I in no way make profit off this. ~ Redeyesofhell
Alfred sat down, still locked upstairs in his attic. Françoise had locked him up there, and threw a doll collection at him. The doll pieces had been made just one short year ago, custom made by Arthur as a wedding present to Françoise. The dolls were carbon copies of the family, except… not. It showed all of the good parts of them, but none of the bad.
Glancing at all the dolls, Alfred started crying. When the dolls had been made, they were a perfect family, but between Arthur losing his job and subsequent affair, Françoise's alcoholism, and Matthew being cut from the Hockey team, they became broken. The young boy wished his family would've been more like dolls… perfect.
Looking out the window, he could see the sun setting meaning that it had been four hours since Kiku had left. Walking away, not seeing the cracks in the dollhouse. Not knowing that this is when the family really plays.
Alfred sighed realising that, once again Françoise had forgotten him. He pushed the door lightly, minding his strength for once. The blonde saw empty wine glasses and then whole wine bottles when the drunk woman couldn't get the liquid out quick enough.
The smell was nauseating, and all Alfred wanted was to curl up next to his mother. Though that was the cause of the smell itself. Giggles ran throughout the house and another putrid smell wafted to the American.
"Maman, please wake up". Starting gently, soon the woman was being roughly shook. "Come on! Please, you have to fix this! Dad...he's with another woman, a slut! And Mattie's stoned. Fix this, please…" Alfred broke down realising that both probably caused Françoise's drunkenness. He tried to remove the bottle, only for his mom to strike him with the bottom of the bottle. Flinching, the boy fled from his mother.
He sought out his brother, hopefully he had only just started and maybe just maybe Matthew could talk to him like he used to even if it was Hockey's insults were thrown. As long as Mattie is back to normal somewhat.
He saw Arthur on the kitchen floor, the smoke from the cigarette making the wallpaper glisten. The kitchen window was open, but as usual no neighbour saw. Alfred wanted someone to see, maybe counselling could fix them?
"Alfred!" His mother's thick Parisian accent cut the air like a knife. He knew what that meant 'get in position'. He pulled on his dress clothes and put on foundation. He hated the stuff, but his mother, before she was sad at least, had always said pictures was where you needed to look your best. Somehow just that, not the family itself, had stayed lodged in her addled mind.
Alfred had to give it to his mom though, seeing the pictures all his friends said was that they were perfect, but please don't let them see a stoned Matthew through the curtains. No matter how imperfect they were, Alfred wanted to protect the one thing he could… their dignity.
"Here Alfred sit here and pose with Matthew...Matthew stop fidgeting! Be a good brother!" Françoise said, smiling and appearing normally. It took an expert like Alfred to see his Mom's flask, or smell his Dad to notice the female's perfume to cheap to be Françoise's.
Alfred's mom gets so many compliments from friends, but take away the pretty jewellery and you see the broken woman within. One who just noticed the perfume and was reaching for her flask.
Matthew wanted to pull his mother's hand away from the flask, but he knew what the consequences were unlike Alfred so instead he reached for his joint. Taking a hit before Françoise noticed, she was too busy drinking away the memory, so that it wasn't much of a challenge.
Arthur heard the footsteps of his son's (Al, Al something?) friend and so he smiled trying and failing to hide the depression and scratch marks from his whole family. Kiku appeared looking flustered. "Sorry, I forgot my laptop. I didn't mean to interrupt your picture...I'll just go now".
Alfred knew Kiku suspected something, the small boy probably sensed the weird feeling in the air. To distract he said, "Kiks, why don't you take the picture for us?" The boy nodded hesitantly. The distraction worked, but one day he'll see what goes down in the kitchen.
When the picture ended and Arthur sent Kiku away. Françoise locked Alfred away in the attic, again. This time the boy lied down to sleep knowing that in her own special way, Françoise was trying to thank him for helping them, as a plate of crêpes with maple syrup and earl grey tea sat at the door.
The dollhouse still popped in his mind, but Alfred knew that while his family was broken, it wasn't unfixable just needed time.
How was it? I can't do completely sad stories, lol, ~Redeyesofhell