Arthur's POV
I woke up to music. Loud music. Allistor usually didn't turn his music up this loud. Actually, he wasn't usually up this early. The clock on the nearby desk read 9:37. It was definitely early for him to be up. I dragged myself out of bed and down the hall. On my way I checked the driveway. My mother wasn't home.
However, as I approached Allistor's door, I realized the music was coming from somewhere else.
Seamus.
Why would there be music coming from his room? He moved in with his girlfriend in some field somewhere. Even then, he got up even later than Allistor.
Either way I couldn't deny that there was music coming from his room. I walked over cautiously. I was aware that the first time I would see Seamus in years, assuming that it was actually Seamus in his room, and I was wearing old track shorts and a tea stained the shirt. I decided not to even think about my hair. I couldn't control it anyway.
But standing in the hallway with my hand on the doorknob, I did. My entire family was blessed with nice hair. My mother's hair was long and beautiful. My father had hair was like silk. All of my brothers had hair that was easy to tame and make it look nice. The there was me.
Family legend stated that once when I was little my father had tamed my hair. He had styled it just like his. Everyone agreed that it definitely did not work for me.
I shook my head. I didn't need to think about this now.
Swinging open the door I saw Seamus and Allistor laying on the floor with the tops of their heads together. Seamus looked over and sat up.
"Artie!" he yelled, jumping to his feet. He wrapped me in a bear hug that left me struggling to breathe.
"How hard did you hit your head?"
Seamus pulled back and put his hands on my shoulders. He looked at me quizzically. He turned his head to look at Allistor, who was now sitting up. He looked back at me. Then Allistor. This pattern continued on until he finally broke the silence.
"So you didn't say anything to him?" he asked Allistor with obvious shock in his voice. He cradled my head as I tried to squirm away from him.
"Oh I'm so sorry Artie I thought he would've talked to you."
I finally shook myself free.
"Well could you just tell me now or-"
"Of course, of course. Now come sit." He sat down next to Allistor and beckoned for me to sit across from them.
"Why should I? I have no way to prove that this isn't a trap. Besides, all you've done these past years is make me miserable. Before you disappeared without even bothering to say goodbye, that is."
Allistor looked shocked. Seamus took it all in stride. He looked up at me.
"You're right."
I didn't remember the last time Seamus had admitted to something. His eyes shone a little more than usual. There was no way he was crying. No way. He pulled me into another hug.
"It's not your fault. It's not anyone's fault, really. He used Allistor as an excuse, but worse than that, he tricked us all. Flame Boy over here found out his dirty little secret, so he decided he should leave. No, he had already decided. It was just a good opportunity. And then he blames you. Because he thought we would forgive you. And we didn't. You've suffered for nothing because of us. It's not you fault, or Allistor's, no it's no one's fault but his own. I'm so sorry Arthur. If you can't forgive me or Allistor then I understand. But I'm still sorry."
This very well could be the most shocking thing that had ever happened to me. Yes, it could be a trick, but I was willing to take a risk.
"It's alright. I get it. I won't interrogate you now, but there's one question I'm going to ask. What was Father's big secret?"
Allistor sucked in a large breath. Seamus wiped his tears. I still didn't believe that he was crying.
"Well, I was avoiding the topic but Seamus has asked me, too... I might as well just say it. We have a half brother."
Seamus looked at me. I looked at him. What? It took us a while, but slowly it dawned on us. We gasped and fell into a sitting position across from Allistor in perfect synch. It was just like we used to, all for of us. But this was risky, so I decided to cut the sentiments out of my mind for the time being.
"He had left to go to someplace or the other. I wasn't home when he left, I was out on my bicycle. I was going around town, when I saw him. He was talking to this woman and her little boy. The kid looked a lot like him. I made my way over and hid, where I could see and hear them but they wouldn't notice me. He kissed the woman just like he did Mother. He picked the little boy up just like he did to all of us. It took me a while but eventually I realized "that woman" that the lady Father was talking to kept mentioning was our Mother. She questioned his love for her and whether she favored this child over Arthur, who apparently is the exact same age as him. Repulsive. And then he said it. He told her that he was leaving us and that he cared nothing for us."
We sat in silence for a little, before leaning towards each other in a little brotherly support group hug.
"I-I gave myself up after she left. I was crying b-but he didn't care. He said to say nothing. You know the rest, he came home, said he couldn't handle another child, and that he couldn't handle any of us and wanted a fresh start. But he made sure it was Arthur's fault. And now that I think about, he didn't care if we forgave you, Arthur. It was just a way to get around the truth. T-that he had been figured out."
We sat there for hours. We didn't speak, we all suffered together. The music had been shut off at some point. I was in shock. Another child. A half brother. My age. Who was he? What if I knew him? No, I didn't know anyone who looked like Father.
I looked around the room. It was mostly bare. Seamus was also looking around, probably remembering all the time he had spent here. Allistor was on his back, his hands covering his eyes. He flopped one arm under the bed.
All of a sudden he sat up, his green eyes holding a strange curiosity. He pulled a small leather bound journal out from under the bed.
"Hey Seamus, what's this?" he smirked.
"I have absolutely no idea," he responded, genuine confusion in his eyes. He took the book from Allistor and opened. He flipped a page, then flipped back. Allistor leaned over his shoulder.
"Alfred F. Jones," he read. I gulped. What? Seamus turned the page.
"Vladimir told me to write this. He told me not to let anyone near it. Especially Arthur.
"You know an Alfred F. Jones, Arthur?"
I gulped.
"Yeah... I do... Let me over there."
I squeezed in between them and we read it together. It went all the way up to a few days ago, when Alfred stopped showing up a school.
I fell backwards, unable to comprehend what had just happened. The future? Alfred, that strange, quirky, idiot was from the future? No, he was a lunatic.
"How did this get here?" asked Seamus.
"When Mother and Allistor went to visit you for I invited him over for a few days. I swear I didn't know he was crazy."
"I don't know Artie, I kind of believe him."
"You WHAT?!" I screamed at Seamus. "You're telling me you find a weird journal from someone you don't know under your bed that says he's from the future and you believe it?"
"Arthur, who would make this up? And besides, he was concerned about you. About what happened with Father. And I mean this is a lot of detail about a future you. Did he say anything that could prove this?"
I thought about it for a second.
"He mumbled under his breath asking Vladimir for something... He kept pulling out a vial of this weird liquid when he thought the I wasn't looking... He said that I was 'always a gentleman'... He disappeared the day he stopped writing in this... I don't know though...He could just be legitimately crazy. And the dream… the drawing from art... "
We stared at each other. Then I remembered something.
"Hetalia Academy... I was a magician... Well, it's the only lead we've got. We have three names, mine, Alfred's, and Vladimir's to start with, plus the other's he mentioned. Also, we need to get that drawing. Time to do some work.
(Le time skip)
We spent hours in the library, gathering information about Hetalia Academy, its students, its requirements, anything we could find.
I was dumbstruck. So this is where I ended up. Alfred's roommate. At this strange school.
And apparently I was a negative idiot who didn't know how to smile. I would've believed that before meeting Alfred. When he was here though... I kept it to myself but I was happier. I couldn't imagine rooming with him and not having the same emotion. I mean, it wasn't like it didn't show when he was here.
I was so confused. I sat with my head in my hands at the table. I felt the presence of Allistor and Seamus on either side of me.
What could I do? I didn't want to live like that. I craved the joy I felt being around the right people. I was going to have to do something, but what?
"You know," Seamus whispered, "you could always just prove him wrong."
"How?" I croaked.
"Learn to cook. Find joy. Be a happy magician. When you meet him at the Academy let him see that his efforts weren't for nothing. Come on, let's go find some cookbooks."
And with that we set off, three brothers on a mission.
It was strange. Under twenty four hours ago I had believed they had both hated me. Now they were helping me fix my future. I felt hope. Hope like no hope I had ever felt before.
We walked off into our imaginary sunset, which happened to be the cooking section of the library.
They were on either side of me as we strode down the aisle. This was going to be good. We were going to do it.
We were going to prove Alfred F. Jones wrong.
Together.
