A/N: I'M SO SO SO SORRY! -prepares to do seppuku- I have failed all of you T_T It's been so long, almost a whole month since I last updated!

But I'm a very slow learner it seems. It's only now that I finally admit defeat; I can't write two stories at the same time (the "promised" sequel to my other fic) and juggle that with my school work. It is therefore, and I'm pretty sure that I already mentioned this in the previous chapter, that the updates for this story will be very slow. I'm also so sorry for replying to all your reviews slowly...but I promise I'll get to them because if you guys were able to give a bit of your precious time to write a review, the very least I can do is say my thanks personally to each and every one of you.

-sigh- This month has been very hectic T_T. I still have to work on my essay and prepare for a presentation in front of judges (hopefully I won't shat myself in front of them, because man that would suck!)...at least my topic was on history ^.~ Anyways, sorry for this small rant, kind of wanted to vent/express to you all of what is happening in my messed up life XD Hopefully by early March I will be able to write and update more often. In the meantime, here is a measly chapter to sedate you all.


"What are you, some kind of troll?" Alfred flicked the lights on in the living room that was now Matthew's bedroom. It was already the afternoon, but the weather outside was partially cloudy, shrouding the town in a temporary gloom.

"Turn out that light eh?" Matthew glared at his older brother and put the magazine down.

"How can you read in the dark?" the older challenged.

"It's called using a flashlight and squinting your eyes. I don't want to use the ceiling lights because it raises the electricity bill."

"Wow, are you stingy or what?" Alfred teased, but understood his brother's predicament.

"Do you need to tell me something important? That's the only time you actually come up to me instead of calling me over,"

"Oh yeah!" Alfred again had that bright smile on his face. "Uh, if Arthur comes over or calls, can you tell him I'm not here?"

"Is something wrong?" The topic concerned him, seeing as though it wasn't related to video games or other frivolous matters and complaints.

"Yeah…I think he's getting the wrong idea that I actually like him…" Alfred scratched the back of his head. "But you know…I don't."

"Well, that was the plan…" Matthew pondered over it. "But you can't stop now! What about Arthur?" He coughed nervously. "And...my rent..."

"That's why I'll just avoid him for a while, and then he'll forget about me," Alfred sounded like he had this all thought out. "And hopefully he'll keep your rent that way,"

"That doesn't make sense," Matthew retorted.

"What's not to get – Crap!"

Knocking from the front door sent Alfred retreating into "his" bedroom and locking it.

"Alfred? Matthew? Are you in there?" a voice floated through the door.

Alfred opened the bedroom door a crack to whisper to Matthew "Don't let him in!"

But it was already too late. The doorknob on the front door turned by itself and somebody was letting himself in.

Before the door fully swung open and the figure was able to cross the threshold, Matthew dashed through the door Alfred was hiding behind and locked it. He passed a whimpering Alfred to open a window close to his bed. "There's a fire emergency ladder hanging on the side of the building. I think it's right on this floor, so all you have to do is start climbing; it should lead you to the rooftop."

The older blond didn't need any further explanation as he slipped into a pair of shoes closest to him and headed toward the window. After poking his head out, he looked to his left and indeed saw that there was a rusty ladder drilled into the side of the wall. He took a deep breath before jumping out and hanging onto one of the rungs. Once his feet touched the other rungs of the ladder, Alfred started climbing up, seeing as though it didn't reach the bottom of the building and only the floor Matthew's apartment was on. By the time he was above the window and reaching the third and top floor, he could hear something in Matthew's room.

"Um…Mr. Kirkland, what are you doing here? How did you get in?"

A bit bashful for his intrusion, the Englishman held out a master key. "B-but what were you doing, Matthew? I was waiting outside for a while now," he tried to avert attention from himself. "And who were you talking to?"

Matthew looked from the window to his landlord crossing his arms over his chest at the bedroom doorway. "I'm sorry, sir. But I didn't hear you knocking," he lied. He may not have been as good as his brother, but he had to try! "I was talking to myself because I was practicing my acting…remember when I said that I would get a second job?" he added when the other male raised a thick eyebrow.

"You were practicing in your own bedroom?" Arthur asked skeptically, looking from the blond to the empty room.

"I…I'm self-conscious…" Matthew began and played with his wavy hair. "But was your reason to be here so urgent that you had to break in? Couldn't it wait?"

"O-of course it couldn't!" the older blond stuttered. "Alfred left something back in my apartment, and I wanted to return it,"

The photographer could tell he was not telling the truth, for there was nothing in the landlord's hands.

Alfred had nothing on him that day except his shirt and jeans, so unless…naw

Thump, thump, thump

"What was that?" the sandy blond raised his head sharply toward the ceiling.

"What was what, Mr. Kirkland?" Matthew asked quickly.

"A noise, it sounds like it's coming from the rooftop,"

"I don't hear-"

Thump, thump

Damn it Alfred you dunderhead!

"M-maybe they're construction workers…" the other blond offered feebly.

"That can't be it; I never called for them, and whoever it is should know that it is a violation to go on the rooftop without approval." Arthur whirled around and was out of the bedroom.

Once the landlord's shadow was out of view, Matthew made for the window and yelled out "Arthur's coming up to the roof-!" He stopped with his warning when the photographer felt like he was being watched.

"Ahem." The landlord was at the doorframe again, tapping an impatient foot on the floorboards. "What are you doing?"

"Eh? Trying to get the person's attention…"

"Don't bother with that, now, if you'll excuse me," Matthew had no choice but to move aside and let the landlord climb out his window and onto the ladder himself.

"What the?" Arthur reached the top of the ladder only to find no one on the roof. Other than the nice breeze blowing and grey clouds parting to reveal slivers of sunshine, not a living thing was the source of the footsteps he heard when he was in the apartment. He turned his head left and right to view the rooftops of other neighboring buildings, but nothing was there.

"Do you see something, Mr. Kirkland?" Matthew strained to see what was happening from where he was poking his head outside the window. "The sound stopped, maybe it was just a cat or dog," he tried his best to hurry the other man back inside.

How did he…?

"I…suppose it was…" Arthur still sounded dubious, but nonetheless turned around from the vacant area, descended the ladder, and climbed back into the window.

I'm totally cut out for the CIA!

Hanging on the side of the building with only his hands grabbing the edge of the wall, Alfred was scaling along the side to avoid getting caught. When he heard Arthur going back inside Matthew's bedroom, he quickly made his way toward the wall with the ladder on it to safely perch there until the landlord left the apartment. He was smart enough to stay out of sight while still being able to listen in on the conversation.

"Sir, if you would just give me Alfred's belonging, I'll give it back to him when he comes home. There's no need to come all the way here just to return something Alfred forgot; it's not worth your time,"

"I guess…" Arthur's voice was tinged with disappointment. "I'm sorry for the intrusion…I hope you didn't find it rude of me to do such a thing…"

"Of course not, sir. In fact, I think you're a-"

"Motherfucker!"

"Eh?"

The two in the room turned towards the window just in time to see a flash of blond pass by the frame and come crashing down to the ground below with a tremendous thud.

"Alfred?" Arthur was already out of the apartment.

The would-be-CIA was doing so well clinging onto the ladder until the rusty bolts just so decided to unscrew themselves from the brick wall and broke, sending someone down with them. Still clutching to the detached ladder in front of him, Alfred laid sprawled next to the bushes surrounding the building. "Ow…my aching-"

"Alfred! Are you alright?" the injured blond looked up to the window where the source of the voice was. "Can you get up? Arthur's coming down right now,"

"What!" he freaked, and tossed the rusty piece of metal aside to spring onto his feet. By the time he did this someone rounded the corner of the building and stared at him.

"Alfred, are you hurt?"

The taller blond didn't even hear a word from the landlord, for he was already one block away from where he originally was on the ground and still going.

However, Arthur did not give up on him so easily and chased him down the street.

"Run Al, run like the wind!" Matthew piped up from where he was at the window, watching the comical scene.

I have to hide!

It was a good thing that Alfred was at the top of the track team back at his college, for he was still ahead of Arthur by at least five blocks and gaining. But because of his fall from two stories, his back was killing him and he had to rest somewhere.

I have to hide at a place he least expects me to be in…he still thinks I'm classy and all that…He thought as his eyes restlessly glanced from one store to the next on both sides of the street.

There!

The athletic blond ran across the street without even looking both ways and barged into the safe haven that was McDonald's. When he was sure Arthur passed by the fast food restaurant (sneakily peering at the glass doors and windows), he thought that because he was here, he might as well buy an early lunch. Smiling at the cashier who, like everyone else in the place, was giving him odd looks, he casually strode over to her and ordered "Hi, can I have a double-cheese burger, large fries, and a super-sized Coke?" When he settled down on a table, still vigilant for a certain Englishman, Alfred thought about his future plans.

Hm, I shouldn't go back to Matt's apartment for a while…maybe this is a good time to visit some friends


Endnotes: What can I say? Arthur is literally chasing after the one he loves -gets shot- And is it me, or is he becoming more like Belarus? o_O

Also, I don't know squat about apartments, but as far as I know the fire escape ladder in my apartment building only hangs from the second floor and doesn't reach the ground. Why is that? Am I going to be any safer if I stay on top of the roof of a burning building or something?