Chapter 6

Matthew stared at his hand, tapping his fingers against the white surface of his desk. When his fingers rose one of his veins would pop out slightly creating a skeletal look upon the back of his hand, so he continued to rise and drop his finger as watching the vein and listening to the tap tap tap of his nail against the desk was really soothing him, much more than the dull voice of his history professor. The old man was droning on about the Egyptian Pyramids with a large text book open in his palms as he paced back and forth in front of his less than interested class.

Feliciano had managed to get him out of school the day before but he had no excuse not to show up for his classes today. His teachers wouldn't exactly complain if he was AWOL but Matthew's marks would slip and if his marks slipped then his parents would yell and threaten to stop funding his education for him and for Christ sake, he already had enough problems. He didn't need to make his part time job a full time one so he could have no sleep and no boyfriend thank you very much.

Speaking of that... Matthew's eyes slid away from his finger at last and fell upon the open notebook also on his desk. For the main part of the class Matthew had payed attention and taken notes but it hadn't been long until his mind had started to wander and his pencil began to dip and curve in doodles instead of words.

Scowling at the scribbles he flipped the page in his notebook to a clean one and grabbed his pencil placing the tip against the paper and trying to concentrate on what his professor was saying so he could take notes. It was quite useless though really, no matter how much he furrowed his eyebrows and strained his mind to concentrate his brother's words from the night before kept coming back to him.

"Alfred and Arthur are doing research right now, to try and see if there's something they can do to fix this problem."

'Alfred was really trying so very hard wasn't he'... Matthew thought to himself sadly feeling the need to tap his fingers again but he ignored it. 'He must really love me...'

"This is Arthur here, the man is highly intelligent, he will figure out a few different plans. I have also agreed to add my own input as well. Between the three of us I think something miraculous could happen."

'Fuck they are all trying so hard... for me... Dammit why do I even deserve this!?' He closed his eyes. clenching the pencil in his hand tightly. No one in the class payed him any attention, partly because he was sat in the back and partly because very few of them knew he was there anyway.

In that moment Matthew made a decision and instead of paying attention and taking notes like he should have been doing all along he pressed the pencil to the paper to hastily scribble -

Ways To Resolve Romantic Issues

- Across the top of his page. Alfred wasn't the only one that could put sufficient effort into their relationship and Matthew was going to make sure he tried his absolute hardest to get his man back where he wanted him.

He really just hoped that nothing got in the way of his plans.

"Shouldn't you be in class?"

"No."

Arthur scowled leaning against the doorframe of the guest bedroom where his brother was staying for the next month or so. "You seriously want to pull that foolishness with me? I'm not Dad..."

Alfred flashed him a bright smile, "You sure do look like him though don't you eyebrows?"

Immediately Arthur's face paled and he rushed out of the room and into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him so he could stare in horror at the caterpillars on his forehead on his own. Chuckling Alfred went back to his note books, looking through the dramatically thought out plan and humming to himself as he crossed certain things out and added certain things here and there.

He was feeling pretty good today, much better than he had been for the past few days, and was finding it much easier to smile and laugh and just goof around while still, of course, thinking about how to obtain the love of his life and all that. But still he was feeling rather bubbly today.

"Mattie you aren't even going to know what'll hit ya," He cackled only to be interrupted by a burst out of "BLOODY HELL WHAT IS GROWING ON MY FACE!" which turned his cackling into full blown out laughter as his brother freaked out, very loudly, about his eyebrows.

Halfway through his rant and Alfred's laughter the front door swung open with a loud clang and Francis stepped into the house with a bright grin and a even happier twinkle in his eye at the loud brotherly antics he was hearing. He made his way through the large house and towards the bathroom where Alfred was sitting against the wall (having moved from the guest bed in order to be closer to the freak out) laughing loudly as he clutched at his stomach and Arthur screamed and hollered from the other side of the door.

"Alfred you twat! Why did you point this out to me!? I'm going to have to shave the damned things off just to make sure that I never have to be compared to that bastard ever again and bloody hell it looks like they might be growing bigger! Oh my god I am going to kill you! WITH the razor I use to shave these caterpillars off of my face!" Loud bangs were coming from inside the bathroom as he shouted this, Francis assumed the man was probably searching through his cupboards for a razor to shave/kill Alfred with.

"Ah... Sweet Arthur why must you scream so loudly and harm those beau vocal chords," He chuckled and Alfred's laughter began to calm down slightly as he wiped tears away from his eyes.

"Holy fuck man this is priceless! Do you really think he'll shave them off?" Alfred gasped out and Francis smiled at him grimly.

"Perhaps, but if he did he would certainly lose some of that charming Englishmen attitude we've all grown to love."

"Pshhhh yeah right," Alfred waved a dismissive hand at the Frenchman, "All that has nothing to do with his eyebrows." Francis raised an eyebrow at him and Alfred's grin started to fade slightly and he squirmed where he sat under that stare, "Right?"

Francis shrugged and turned on his heel, "When he comes out here acting like a prim and proper américain tell him that I am raiding his kitchen. Perhaps now he will eat all the burger's at the barbecues?"

Alfred's wide eyes followed the Frenchman for a few seconds before he jumped up and started pounding on the bathroom door, "Iggy! Open up, I'm so sorry you don't look like Dad at all! They're not that bad, don't shave them off!"

In the kitchen Francis patted himself on the back for his good work.

It took a good ten minutes for Alfred to finally coax his brother out of the bathroom but when he finally did Arthur looked very red and sulky, he had combed his bangs down over his eyes so his eyebrows couldn't be seen and barely raised his head up from the floor he was staring at.

"How did you finally get him out?" Francis chuckled lounging back against the cupboards of the kitchen as the two finally joined him, Alfred grinned brightly before taking a seat at the table, Arthur flipped him off.

"I just told him you were in the kitchen."

"Ohohohohoho~" Francis' grin widened, "So eager to see me mon lapin doux?"

"I am not a fucking rabbit," Arthur hissed back, "And no you frog, I just didn't want you stealing my food. Why are you here anyway?"

"Because Arthur, I am here to hear of this magnifique plan that Alfred has come up with to secure the heart of mon frère, am I not?" Francis' grin never wavered when the other man glared at him from where he sat at his own table, "Besides you cannot lie to moi, you are always happy to see me."

"Fuck off Frog..." Arthur grumbled, "What is this plan anyway you twat of a brother of mine?"

"Hurtful Arthur.. hurtful," But Alfred's grin didn't waver, "Let's just say it involves me being a hero!"

"What doesn't?"

"Well I am a hero... plus Melody said this was an awesome idea." Alfred laughed but Arthur's eye twitched at the name.

"You're taking advice from a girl that was naked in a public library?"

"Hush, let him speak mon ami."

"Oh so now you call me a friend instead of a rabbit?"

"Do you want me to call you mon lapin doux?"

Alfred rolled his eyes, "Will you two shut up for a minute? We gotta talk about my plan!"

The other men in the room froze only just noticing that Arthur had in fact been inching forward while still within his chair as Francis inched his way closer as well, both of them had completely forgotten Alfred...

Feeling his cheeks heat up Francis quickly stepped back to lean against the cupboards once more, smiling his usually bright and oblivious grin to hide the pink on his cheeks, "Désolé."

"Ah... Ahem," Arthur coughed slightly as he leant back as well, resting his elbows on the table surface as he faced his brother once again. "Right sorry... continue."

Alfred raised a suspicious eyebrow at them before going back to his bubbly over confident self, "Nah, I'll just show you instead, I wrote it all down! Come on my faithful sidekicks to the Guest room!"

"Alfred would you please act your -" But it was too late for Alfred had already stood and thrust a hand forward as he dashed from the room, making very childish flying noises as he went. "... age." Arthur finished with a sigh before shaking his head and standing to follow him. "Can you believe him? How ridiculous."

Francis smiled softly, pushing himself off the cupboards to head over to the Brit's side, "Now now mon lapin doux," He chuckled when Arthur scowled at this, "He is happy, I would like you to smile that large as well sometimes." He stopped right in front of the other man and Arthur stared wide eyed as the man's usually sexually devious smile melted into something softer and sweeter.

When Arthur opened his mouth, but seemingly couldn't find the words to speak Francis reached forward slowly and brushed back the long blond bangs that were hanging over the other's eyes. "W-what are -"

"Your eyes are a very vivid green that I have never seen in any other person," Francis muttered, "Elles sont belles, ne pas les cacher..."

Arthur's brow furrowed at the unfamiliar language, "Just because I can pick up certain words and phrases in that silly language of your's doesn't mean-" But his rant was cut off rather abruptly when the Frenchman lent forwards and placed a tender, lingering kiss against his forehead. Heat rushed up to the now stunned Brit's face and Arthur's mouth snapped shut, words completely leaving him as he stared wide eyed as his long time friend pulled away from him and once again smiled that weird... tender, genuine smile...

"Just so you know mon lapin, I adore your eyebrows." Francis whispered and Arthur's eyes widened, if possible, even farther as he passed by and left Arthur there to stand wide eyed and confused in his own kitchen.

"What the bloody hell was that?" He whispered to the empty room, hoping perhaps that the fridge or the toaster could answer his question, but of course seeing as they were in fact nothing more than inanimate objects they did not reply and his heart continued to thud loudly in his chest, ridden down and confused by the actions of his long time friend. "Oh... fiddlesticks..."

Forcing his heart to calm itself he made his way to the guest room slowly, not bothering to move his bangs back into place over his eyebrows. Somehow... all of the anger and disgust he had felt towards the caterpillars were gone, in their midst a self confidence that had never really been there before was buzzing, flitting about him like one of the fairies he often saw in his back yard on quiet evenings reading before dusk. It warmed him, but not so much that he didn't avoid Francis' eyes altogether when he finally entered the guest bedroom to Alfred's cry of "What took you so long? This is important you know!"

"Don't act like a spoiled brat, it's not attractive," Arthur snapped back and Alfred stuck his tongue out at him before shifting slightly on the bed so that his brother could sit next to him against the head of the bed. This suited Arthur just fine at the moment as it would put the loud American in between him and the Frenchman. "So what is this oh so clever plan anyway?"

Alfred grinned, "I told you it involves me being a hero! I just need to find some sort of situation where I can be a hero for Mattie..."

"Mathieu will not easily admit to needing help you know Alfred..." Francis sighed, "He rarely even asks it of moi..."

"Indeed," Arthur nodded frowning as he checked out the sketches and detailed plans written all over the notebooks that were sprawled across the bed, "So unless you're going to have us do your dirty work for you and find some sort of situation that will allow you to seem like a great strong hero then I don't see -" He glanced up to be greeted with Alfred's happy face and his own paled, "Oh... oh bloody hell... I'm not going to like this am I?"

"Don't worry dear brother of mine, I just want Mattie to see me be heroic! Your life will only be in danger momentarily."

"W-what!?" Arthur gasped, eyes widening, "Why does my life have to be put in danger at all?"

Francis stayed unusually quiet though it looked as though he was trying very hard not to laugh.

"Because... obviously I'm not going to put Mattie's life in danger. That would just be dumb."

"Of course... that's what I thought," Arthur sighed, "My brother sucks..."

"Hey you take that back you Limey Jerk!" Alfred yelled and launched himself at his brother, sending the two of them flying off the bed and onto the floor where they proceeded to have a very childish wrestling match to the amusement of the Frenchman on the bed watching them.

"I wonder what Mathieu is doing now anyway... And if this ridicule plan will even work..."

He glanced down at the notebooks again, smirking slightly at the messy writing that belonged to the love struck blond. 'You do have to give him credit, he thought it out well... Still ridiculous though...'

Alfred's Super Awesome Heroic Plan To Get Back Mattie

Step 1! Disguise Arthur so he looks nothing like Arthur

Step 2! Have Arthur like... hang from a tree or a cliff or something
(WAIT, better Idea! Have Francis dress up and pretend to rob him! HAHAHA)

Step 3! Make sure Mattie is around to see because this is going to get EPIC

Step 4! Beat up Francis and save the day in a sexy way that will make Mattie totally want me

Step 5! Make sweet sweet love

(Dammit why did I write this in pen! Ugh... Note To Self Step 5! is now Step 6! Because Step 5! is now buy condoms... Actually... make that like... Step 1!)

Heh, there was no way that this plan could fail, the simple idea of it failing at all is hil-ar-i-ous. Ha ha.

Seriously...

Francis sighed as the wrestling match continued thinking to himself silently for a moment before his eyes widened and he bolted up, "Attendez un moment! What naked girl at the library!?"

Feliciano stared blankly at his temporary roommate trying futility to figure out why he had been furiously scribbling in a notebook for the past hour and a half. Perhaps longer though, as Feliciano had arrived at the apartment after having visited Ludwig at the shop much later than when Matthew was due to arrive home from school. So really who knew how long the boy had been writing away in that notebook. But he seemed really concentrated on it, Feliciano imagined that him and Ludwig could literally have sex on the kitchen table right next to where Matthew was working and the Canadian still wouldn't have looked up from whatever he was writing.

"Mattie?" He called out just to sort of test the waters but the other man did not look up or acknowledge that his name had been called at all. He tried again, this time a little louder, "Mattie?"

Still nothing... hmmm...

"Mattie, ve~ Alfred is at the door with roses and maple syrup!"

"What!?" Matthew's head snapped up and the pencil he had suddenly gripped a little too tightly snapped in his hand, "Has he already thought of something!? Fuck, I was finally getting somewhere!" His eyes were frantic and Feliciano actually backed up slightly in surprise as his best friend suddenly flew from his seat, knocking over the chair he was sitting in in the process before he swung open the front door with a loud bang.

There were then about ten painful seconds of silence before Matthew took a step back into the apartment and shut the door.

"You lied..."

Feliciano blinked, watching in shock as Matthew trudged his way back to his chair, lifting it off the ground slowly before sitting back down and hunching over the notebook again before he frowned and lent back, staring at the useless pencil in his palm like he had no idea how it had ended up in so many pieces, and really he probably didn't...

"Do you have a pencil Feli?"

Snapping out of his shock Feliciano quickly shook his head before sliding into the seat across from his friend at the little table, "Mattie... what are you writing?"

Matthew's fingers tapped gently against the notebook, he was still staring at it instead of meeting Feliciano's eyes but after awhile he did whisper, "I just want to do as much as I can..."

"As much as you can for what Mattie?" Feliciano whispered back, sensing the sensitivity that had suddenly fallen over the room.

"To fix this... Right? I'm a part of it, I'm going to do something too."

Feliciano blinked and then smiled brightly, "That is a wonderful way to view things Mattie! Ve~"

Slowly Matthew glanced up and smiled back at him, "Thanks Feli... I thought, maybe I could like... talk to someone about it you know? Not like you or Francis though someone who doesn't know me well and can give me like a fresh view of things or something."

"... Sounds like Therapy Mattie. You don't seriously think it's that bad of a problem do you?"

"I dunno..." Matthew whispered, "I'm so... so fucked up. This whole thing is fucking me up, I need to do something."

"I think you're thinking too much, ve..." Feliciano sighed, turning to stare at the fridge with his brow furrowed as he tapped a finger against the table, "We got to get your mind off things for a little while before you go mad..."

"Meh who cares..." Matthew sighed and lent back in his seat just as his stomach gave off a loud growl, "'m starving..."

Feliciano's face brightened, "I know Mattie let's go out to eat!"

"Where?"

"That new place downtown, I was there last night with Ludwig and Antonio and Lovino! The food was really yummy! Ve~" Feliciano sighed happily at the thought of all that pasta and Matthew smiled slightly getting to his feet.

"Alright, let's go then, but you're paying."

"Yay!"

"...Honestly you want to pay?"

"Not really, but I get Pasta!"

"..."

"Ve~"

"Hurry up Feli."

Elles sont belles, ne pas les cacher... = They are beautiful, do not hide them.