He bit the inside of his cheek and stared over the arm of the couch as Arthur bandaged his little brother's arm. Mattie had gotten hurt when they were climbing the trees outside.
A branch had snapped and they'd both fallen down a ways. Matt had clawed at the trunk, earning a few layers of skin shaved off his forearms. Al had busted his gut on the branch below them, managing to hold on, and eventually clamber back up. He had a bandage on his face from a few stray twigs scrapping him, but other than that, he'd decided not to show Arthur the bruise forming on his ribs.
No need to bother with his own mending when Matt was bleeding over there. Bruises were just colors right? And they went away on their own.
"He gonna be okay? You won't have to cut if off will you?" That crease hadn't left Alfred's forehead since the two had stumbled inside. He stared intently at his brother as tears spilled over his eyes. He wasn't sobbing, just in pain, but that statement scared him and he started shaking. Arthur ruffled the blonde curls on Matthew's head, smiling at the younger boy.
"Of course not. This will be all better in a week or so."
"Y-you prom-ise?" Matthew wiped at his red face with the bandages, wincing when it stung.
"Yes lad. Now, sit here and I'll fix you some flapjacks. How's that sound?" Matt's face lit up at the mention of his favorite food, and he nodded quickly.
"Please!" The smile lingered as Arthur walked around the couch, but soon fell when wide violet eyes caught bright blue ones. His eyebrows tugged themselves down at the edges, and his lips reversed into a frown.
Alfred raised his eyebrows, not lifting his chin from his crossed forearms.
"What?"
"Al, didn't you hit that branch below us?"
"No..."
"But I heard you smack it! I saw you climbing back up."
"It wasn't a bad fall, and I'm not a baby like someone." Alfred stuck his tongue out at Matthew, earning a cautious glare.
"Papa says that's rude."
Alfred stuck his tongue out farther, "ma'be I wath be'n ruu." At this, Matthew pulled his ever present Teddy bear into his lap and looked away from his jerk of a brother. Alfred, of course, chose this time to crawl onto the couch beside him, going on about how he needs to toughen up and stop crying so much.
"And I know it was a bad fall and everything but you didn't have to go running for that bear- YOUCH!" Alfred quickly pulled back the arm he'd been gesturing with, tucking it in his chest and glaring flaming daggers at Matthew.
"Matt! What was that for?" He looked down again from the smiling red face of his brother to the tiny semi circle of red dots that would match perfectly to Matt's teeth.
"You told me to be tougher, don't talk down on my Kumichiro." Matthew straightened the bear's white fur and Alfred huffed and puffed his way into the kitchen with an exclamation for Arthur.
"Arthur! Matthew's become a cannibal!"