Title: Blood

Prompt: Steampunk story idea of mine

Universe: Steampunk future

Setting: Steampunk future on a spaceport

Genre(s): Sci-fi, family, angst

Characters: America, Canada, France

Pairings: FAC family

Rating: T

Warning: angst

.-*-.

The first thing he noticed when he opened his eyes was that everything far away was blurry. He looked around, blinking a few times, trying to bring things into focus. He doesn't know where he is and he's scared.

"You're awake," something besides him whispers. He jerked, turning wildly to see a person sitting close to him. The person had wavy light hair and purple eyes, and he was smiling brightly. "Hello."

"Hello," he repeated. He blinked at the man. "Hello."

His smile got larger still. "Hello. My name's Matthew, and you're Alfred. We're brothers."

He, Alfred, blinked. "Matthew. Alfred. Brothers." He didn't understand what any of these words meant.

Matthew smiled and took his arm before pulling him off of the table. "Let's find you some clothes, eh?"

Alfred blinked as he was pulled off of the table. He stood unsteadily on his feet and held onto Matthew for stability. "Clothes eh?" He repeated mindlessly.

Matthew nodded and lead his brother to his room.

.-*-.

Alfred had learned a lot in three weeks. He learned how to walk without Matthew to lean on. He learned that he should put clothes on every morning, especially if Matthew said he was having guests over. He learned to eat, drink and talk like every person his age.

He learned that Matthew was a robotist, and was currently developing a robot with emotions. Many thought him crazy. He learned that he and Matthew were brothers, twins in fact, which meant they both had the same Mommy and Daddy, and they were together in their mother's womb.

Alfred got tired two times a day. Once in the middle of the day and once at night. When he got tired at day he was supposed to find Matthew so he could wake him up, and at night he was supposed to lay down until Matthew woke him up.

Alfred spent a lot of his time learning, and he had a lot of questions too, but Matthew always answered them. ("Mattie if we're brothers then why are you teaching all of me this instead of Papa?" "Because Papa's really busy." "Mattie why don't I dream?" "I'm sure you do. You would go insane if you didn't." "Mattie if Kuma's broken why don't you fix him?" "Kuma's not broken. Sure his memory circuit is a bit damaged, but that's the way he is. Why should I fix him?" "Mattie why do you use a key to wake me up?" "Because that's how you wake up. Everyone's different.)

Alfred got to meet his papa two months after he first opened his eyes, and he spent the whole morning excited. He broke several things ("No Al. It's not weird that you're stronger than me. We are different people, even if we are twins."), and when the doorbell ran to announce his arrival Alfred bounded out of his seat, opened the door, and threw himself at the man standing there. "Papa!"

Francis blinked when he was suddenly hugged by a young man who looked a lot like his son, but he only shrugged it off. "I'm afraid you might have the wrong person."

He smiled brighter than the sun at the Frenchman. "Nope. Matt showed me pictures of you. You're our papa. I learned that most of the time the parent teaches their kids stuff, but Mattie told me that you're really busy all the time, so I forgive you!"

Francis blinked slowly and turned to look at his son, who was standing in the doorway, pale and pleading with his eyes. Francis blinked twice and stared at the man hugging him before smiling. "Thank you. It was very regrettable that I wasn't here more, though I hope to be," he said, his eyes casting a looked at Matthew, who only nodded.

They walked back inside, Alfred chatting Francis' ear off, while Francis did his best to keep up with his speed-talking. Matthew only watched their interactions, and as the day turned to night the small, hopeful smile on his face kept growing.

Finally Alfred got tired and went to bed, and Francis took that opportunity to corner his son. "Mathieu, who was that?"

Matthew looked his father straight in the eyes. "That's my twin brother Alfred."

"Mathieu, you do not have a brother."

"Yes I do. He died in the womb, remember?"

Francis groaned and sat down. "Mon petit, please not that again. It hurts me to think about that."

Matthew nodded. "Yes, I know, but now he's back."

"Just because you make a robot and call him your brother does not mean that he is."

"But he is. You saw how he acted today. Would you call him any less than your son?"

Francis shook his head. "He is flesh wrapped over gears..."

Matthew sighed and sat down, trying to make him understand. "You say how exited he was. He wants you in his life Papa."

"Because you told him I fathered him."

"You always said you wanted a more outgoing son."

"I just meant that you should get out more." He sighed and pushed his lovely blond hair out of his face. "How did you do it? A robot with a personality and emotions?"

Matthew smirked and crossed his arms. "Trade secret. Now, I know this is going to be strange, but can you at least try?"

Francis sighed, and Kuma decided to walk by them and proclaim 'Who?' at Matthew. Francis only sighed again when his first born scooped the robot bear into his lap. "His memory is broken. I don't understand why you don't just fix him."

Matthew smiled and snuggled into the soft fur. "Because he's perfect the way he is."

Upstairs Alfred laid in his bed, perfectly still. In the morning he would complain to Matthew that he hadn't had a dream, and Matthew would only shrug. Francis would make them breakfast and smile when Alfred calls him 'Papa'.

One day Alfred would find out what he really is, and he would run away, taking the key that kept him moving with him. News of the master robotist who made a robot with emotions would spread until one day someone finally discovered Matthew, and Francis would search frantically for his missing sons, but right now they are happy, and would be that way for a long time.

.-*-.

Kind of a prequel for this steamtalia story that I'm planning on doing. The ending is really bad, but I have no idea how else to end it. Maybe I'll come back and look at it later. Please review.