-Alfred's POV-
I walk into the studio my apartment it was fairly clean and seemed not only old but untouched. The floor was cold and the wall paper was bleak but it was homier than home really was.
I set my stuff down and reclined on the ripping sofa the punk music fading into the next song each note, each twang of a guitar string lulling me closer to sleep.
-Time skip-
The food tasted strange and…sweet Matthew was looking at me as if I was a joke. "What?" I snarled "You know that that's maple syrup not barbeque sauce right?"
Let's just say my mouth didn't appreciate the surprise and promptly spit it out.
Matthew laughed "What? Too sweet for your taste?"
"Yeah just a bit" I said sarcastically.
"Alfred" Matthew suddenly turned serious "You haven't changed one bit."
"You saying I act like a hormonal, misguided fourteen year old?" I chuckled.
Matthew pondered it for a few moments "Exactly!" He smiled with his bright white teeth once upon a time that smile had been so rare and so elusive I almost killed myself trying to make him laugh (We had just seen Tarzan and Matthew claimed he could swing from tree to tree of course I took this as a challenge rather than a statement…I broke both my arms and he held it against me for years.)
I finished what was left of the pulled pork sandwich (still drenched in maple syrup mind you) and got up from my seat beginning to wash the dishes.
"Alfred?" Matthew asked his voice shaking growing more and more timid in each syllable.
"Yeah, what's up?"
Matthew sighed and placed the silverware on the counter "Are…mom and dad…okay?"
I nearly dropped the glass dish I was washing I suppose I had always been under the pretense that Matthew hated no despised mom and dad.
My stomach dropped and just thinking about mom and dad hurt. "Yeah they're…they're okay I mean they wouldn't make us leave if they weren't okay…right?"
Matthew placed a hand on my shoulder "Let's sit down we have a lot to catch up on" He smiled warmly as he sat down at the wooden dining table.
We chatted for a while about trivial things like Matthew's gallery, his crushes and Alfred's newly developed skill to cook meatloaf.
Matthew went quiet all of a sudden and narrowed his eyes "Arthur I see you, you don't have to stalk us."
I turned and saw the most handsome man I had ever laid eyes he was wearing a painted stained band shirt and white (now almost black with color) jeans. His golden hair ruffled and out of place.
But his eyes they reflected the forest, the earth and something I could not place in their beauty. He was beautiful.
But his eyebrows…those were a piece of work.
He shuffled awkwardly inside and handed Matthew a slip of paper Arthur looked extremely uncomfortable and was staring at me unblinkingly.
I was too stunned to say much so I returned the favor.
Matthew read the note his expression darkening with each passing moment.
"What's up?" I asked confused still trying to tear my eyes from the gorgeous creature in front of me.
"Oh…uh…Alfred this is Arthur…Arthur this is Alfred" Matthew said Arthur looked at me I felt like he could read my mind and was suddenly embarrassed knowing that I blushed I turned away.
Matthew coughed a bit "Arthur can't talk" He said quickly as if trying to cover up his words Arthur shot him a ferocious glare.
If looks could kill the whole city might as well be a graveyard.
Arthur blushed profusely embarrassed by his disability he refused to look at me. Matthew looked up "Arthur are…are you okay? You don't seem…very emotional about all this"
Arthur rolled his eyes and gestured to me I supposed this must have meant something along the lines of 'I don't cry in front of others' or 'get him the f*ck out' I'm hoping it's the first one…
Matthew glanced back at the note worriedly "Is he still on the phone."
Arthur bowed his head a single tear falling to his shoes as he nodded shakily. When I saw him cry it felt as if I had been punched in the stomach because he was too beautiful to stain his face with tears.
I blinked to make sure I didn't cry myself.
Matthew reached for the cracked flip phone that seemed untouched, a relic of a time before he couldn't speak.
Matthew sighed "Alfred you might want to leave this isn't going to be pretty…"
I noticed out of the corner of my eye Arthur was silently racked with sobs shaking violently as he crouched into a ball.
"I'll stay" I muttered I sat down on the floor and slowly rubbed Arthur's back he shied away from my touch at first but leaned into me when he realized I couldn't stand to see anyone much less him cry.
Matthew sat in a chair and slowly took the phone off hold on the other end there was an outburst of profanities and screaming Matthew calmly brought the phone to his ear.
"Francis?" He snarled "This is Matthew. Remember me? You once called me your best-friend?"
The voice on the other end grew quiet and menacing Matthew's eyes narrowed in fury "That's…That's terrible! How could you say that I-"Matthew looked shocked and close to crying.
Wait was this that Francis The one we had snowball fights with during winter break, the one we could count on for help with anything, the one that let me cheat on his math test seven times, the one that tore our family apart.
Arthur looked up to see Matthew's hurt face anger flashed through his features he snatched the phone from Matthew's hand and snapped it in two across his leg.
The hateful accented voice disappeared, the remains of the phone falling to the cold floor.
Matthew looked stunned, Arthur was angry and I…
"What just happened? Was that Francis the Francis?"
Arthur looked at me defeated and slowly walked towards the door without a sound.
Matthew shook his head "He hasn't given me the whole story but it must be awful you have no idea how many tear laden paintings I've come across"
He smiled sadly "He cries with no sound I can't tell if he's really sad unless I looked into his eyes and even then they're so emotional sometimes it makes me want to cry just by seeing his pain."
I sat there unmoving on the cold floor. My throat felt as if it was filled with cotton balls. I looked down and at ground and tried to breath, but it comes hoarse and ragged. "That's…." I say, struggling as the words sat on my tongue, refusing to fall from my lips. It killed me that I couldn't help him, all my life all I ever wanted to do was help people, and now I feel I can't do anything to make Arthur happy.
Matthew looked at me "Alfred, I know what you're thinking and if I'm right, don't even try he's a lost cause if there ever was one!"
I looked at him maybe I should believe him he was always right before. But something told me that if Francis had hurt Arthur I could help him.
I could help him…
The weeks drifted by with very few sightings of Arthur and when I did see him he shot me wary glances and skittered away.
On top of that I had heard more punk music in one week than I had heard in my four years of high school.
"Alfred, someone's here to see you!" Matthew called up the stairs. I pulled on a new shirt and some ripping jeans and ran down the stairs. I didn't really care who it was just the fact that I had an excuse to leave the dingy studio apartment besides groceries was great!
At the bottom of the stairs I saw a tan man with large green eyes and an even bigger smile he and a smaller chestnut haired man were carrying some paintings. Behind them was a guy I hadn't seen since…since well I told my parents…
"Hey Alfred, Long time no see!" Gilbert smiled his albino skin crinkling under his ruby eyes. Matthew was trying to be discreet about his staring but he was practically drooling over Gilbert. I didn't blame him Gilbert was quite the looker.
I smile, happy to see a familiar face,
"It is nice to see you too Gilbert," I say
"How have you been? It feels like it has been forever since I saw you," he says, his face bright with excitement. I have seen him angry and happy, but I have never seen him sad.
I guess it takes a great deal to make him do so.
"Umm, busy" I say, I wasn't lying, but I wasn't telling the full truth.
"Good, busy keeps people on their toes!" he says and turns to Matthew "Well it was nice seeing you and Alfred again; but I promised Antonio and Romano that I would help put Antonio's paintings up. You should see them! They're awesome!"
"Do you ever get tried on the word awesome?" asked Antonio.
"And No! We don't need your help you the hundredth time! Honestly I don't know how people stand this little shit!" the chestnut haired man snaps coldly at Gilbert.
I look at Matthew who looks down for a while, his face looking brighter than a hot stove top.
"One day Romano, you we will be friends, just you wait," he says, like it's a mission of his.
"Fuck off," he mutters as Antonio leads him to the other put of the gallery to hang the paintings.
Gilbert follows them, Matthew watches him as he walked away. A wide smile spread across my face "You like-"I began
"Shut it!" Matthew says blushing bright red "He may hear you," he says quietly to himself. He quickly looked up at me and grabs my shoulders tight.
"Alfred you can't tell him okay," he says, his voice sounding desperate.
"…Why?" I ask, Matthew squeezes my shoulders so hard his knuckles turn white as snow.
"Please, Alfred, if he finds out I want it to be from me, okay," he begs me.
"Okay Matthew, if it means that much, I won't tell," I say.
"Thanks," he say smiling.
I look at down at my shoes chuckling "Was there a…" I keeps laughing and says "A little bird in his hair?"
Matthew elbows me in the hard in the rib with his narrow elbow. He hopped a way to go supervise their work and probably Gilbert.
-Arthur's POV-
I heard Alfred clumsily follow his brother to the ground floor I peeked out my door to view the calm silence. The brash American was quite the obnoxious one and it was beginning to get on my nerves.
He pitied you; he was kind to you why do you insist on this hostility?
The hall was basked in the overcast city grey light leaking from Alfred's flat. He left the door open I knew I shouldn't but curiosity always got the best of me.
I lightly padded to the open door straining my ears hoping to hear no footsteps I lightly pushed the door open with a musical creak.
The studio hadn't been touched by an artist and was clean as a room falling apart could get. There were blankets and clothes piled everywhere along with junk food wrappers. It looked like your classic teenage boys room nothing special really I don't know what I was expecting.
On second thought there was a simple picture frame of a young Matthew with two figures on the kitchen counter closest to the door probably their parents Matthew had told me most everything he tends to do that I think he just needs to talk to someone who will listen and won't talk back.
I heard footsteps coming back up the stairs I turn and freeze its only Alfred but his eyes they were just like…like….
"Oh! Hey Arthur finally came out of your studio huh?" Alfred smiled.
The same exact blue…He had Francis' eyes…
I ran across the hall back to my room all I could see was his eyes Francis' eyes…
When I finally reached the door I grasped the ornate handle and yanked it open shutting it quickly behind me. I sighed leaning against the door that was close, close to what? Would Alfred hurt you? You barley even know him!
I stood up and faced the door hoping he wouldn't be worried enough to come after me I don't know why I would react like that he can't have his eyes I must be hallucinating!
The door handle wobbled a bit as it flew open revealing Francis. I grabbed the closest object at hand and on instinct hit him over the head.
Authors Note
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