A/N: This story IS actually one of my few that are finished, so I will be updating more frequently from now on. Sorry for the wait!
Matthew was used to hearing one of two sounds first thing in the morning: Complete silence or very groggy arguing about who got caffeine first. This morning there was silence, as everyone else was still asleep. Slowly, Matthew got himself up and found the kitchen.
He set a pot of coffee on to boil and started making pancakes. Then he started making tea for Francis and Arthur. Alfred would have some (most) of the coffee. No one in the family was a morning person, but Matthew and Francis at least were a little more functional. That's why Matthew was so good at making breakfast food, because he always had to whenever Francis was gone.
Francis and Arthur slowly made their way out of their room as well. Arthur slumped into his place at the table and lay down his head, trying to reclaim his lost sleep. Francis meanwhile took over the tea-making. "Thanks, Matti, for getting breakfast started. Arthur? Would you like an omelette?"
Arthur turned his head to the side, "yes," he moaned still completely out of it.
Alfred came in soon afterwards. He resembled a zombie as he approached the coffee pot Matti had made up. He poured himself a cup and drank it slowly, standing right next to the pot. "Mmmmm, thanks Matti." He said, pouring himself another cup, this time taking it back to the table.
"Alfred," Francis asked, "would you like an omelette? or Matti's making pancakes."
"Mmmm, pancakes sound good," He said.
They ate their respective breakfasts in silence, all slowly gaining energy. Once Alfred had his fill of pancakes (which was nearly twice the amount of Matthew's fill) he got up abruptly "Where are you going?" Arthur asked.
"Swimming," he said. His surliness had returned with his energy, "We ARE at a beach."
"Well, that's fine, I suppose," Arthur said. Alfred didn't look back at him, "Make sure to wear sunscreen!" he called after him. Alfred closed his door without acknowledging he had heard Arthur. Arthur shook his head, and continued with his own breakfast.
A few hours later, there was no sign of Alfred. Matthew wondered if he was still swimming, so he got out his own swimming trunks and headed out to the water.
Sure enough, Alfred was out there, floating by the rocks. He gave a half smirk and began walking out to him, taking his floating board with him. As soon as he entered the water, Alfred started to look up. "I put on sunscreen for goodness sakes Ar—oh! Sorry Matthew."
Matthew swam over, leaning on one of the rocks Alfred had been floating by. "Have you been here this whole time?" he asked, pulling himself on top of the rocks.
Alfred nodded. "He just has this way of getting on my nerves, you know?" He looked frustrated out at the horizon.
"Arthur?" he said. Ever since they were little Arthur and Francis were never 'dad.' They were just Arthur and Francis. Sometimes Matthew wished he had called them 'dad' but it was too late now, that's simply how he thought of them.
Alfred nodded again. "Francis too, now that I think of it. The both of them just know every way to push my buttons."
"I think you're a bit harsh on them." Matthew said, "They are trying."
"Easy for you to say," Alfred said, he stopped floating and balanced himself on the same rock as Matthew. Matthew could never be sure, what with all the waves and the sea water, but it almost looked as if Alfred had been crying. "You're the favorite. All I ever hear is 'why couldn't you be more like Matthew?'*"
"Don't say that." Matthew said, shaking his head at his brother.
"It's true though," Alfred said wiping his face with water, "You're the good one, the one who stayed."
Matthew shook his head, "I'm just—there. You're all they talk about."
Alfred smirked, "That's only because of all the trouble I cause."
Matthew shrugged. "Maybe. Or maybe they're concerned about you."
Alfred shrugged as well. Then he shook his head. "I hate these family 'get together' things. All they do is remind me why I left." He picked up a shell from the rocks and began playing with it.
"You seemed excited when Francis suggested it." Matthew said looking at the shell in Alfred's hand.
Alfred smirked again, but this one didn't last long. "I thought that tight-ass" he motioned towards the cabin, "might just maybe loosen up a bit. But I guess that was too much to hope for, wasn't it?"
As if he had timed it, Arthur stuck his head out the back door. "You two!" he yelled, "Get away from the rocks, you'll cut yourselves!" Without waiting for them, he went back inside.
Alfred rolled his eyes as they swam away from the rocks. "See?" he said, "Always the overprotective tight-ass."
"He means well." Matthew said, "It's—It's how he shows he cares."
"How he shows he doesn't trust me, you mean." He dove under the water, lifting his feet in the air. He resurfaced with another shell, splashing water all over Matthew. "Oh, sorry man."
"I'm fine," he said rubbing the water out of his eyes. He looked back towards the cabin, "He seems more stressed than usual, I wonder what's going on in there?"
"Well," Alfred said, "I'm no expert on these things but either our dear old dads are having wild, passionate, gay sex or they're trying to kill each other.
Matthew snorted. "Yeah, that sounds about right," He said laughing while trying not to breath in salt water.
They laughed for a bit longer and then Alfred went to kicking the sand. Matthew watched him, "Do they—" Alfred asked, although it seemed he was having trouble getting the words out, "I mean, do they still fight as often, since I left?"
"W-well, yes, I mean, no, I mean sometimes, I mean, it's less of the 'I'm gonna kill you' kind of fighting, but that's not—that's not BECAUSE you left, it just happened that—" Matthew stumbled over his words until Alfred cut him off.
"It's alright," he said. "I get it." He bit his lips. "Hey," he said with a small laugh that died instantly, but he continued anyways "You remember when we were little, and they'd get into those arguments, so I'd pull you up into our room, and—"
"And you'd cover my ears and tell me it was just a game they liked to play?" Matthew said, "Yeah, I remember."
Alfred smiled at the memory, "Some game huh?" Matthew nodded. "You know, Francis gave me money to leave? Helped me out, you know. I still don't know why, I think mainly just to piss off Arthur you know? I mean he didn't have to, I would've left anyways."
"He wasn't giving you money to leave." Matthew said, "He—he knew you were leaving and he didn't want you to be all alone, without anything."
"When has Francis ever cared that much about anything, huh?" Alfred asked, "anything other than his stupid ass wine and his stupid ass drinking buddies?"
"A-Alfred!" Matthew said, "Don't say that, Francis cares about us, he does! He AND Arthur love us and they love each other, they just-they just have a weird way of showing it."
"Bull." Alfred said. "I'm telling you, Matt, I'll withstand this stupid vacation, and then I'm gone again."
Matthew stared at his brother, horrorstruck. Alfred had returned to floating on his back. Matthew didn't know what to say, nor what to think. All he could do was utter the first intelligible thing that came to mind: "G-gone?"
He might have been able to continue, but Arthur stuck his head out the door once again. "Boys? Dinner's ready," Alfred struggled and failed to keep in a groan, but Arthur continued, (very irritated) "Francis made it."
The twin brothers exchanged looks, then dived for shore, racing each other to get to the food.
*Why couldn't you provide free healthcare?
