A/N: Don't worry, this is not the end yet. It'll also get better...I promise? And again I'm terribly sorry for the short chapter. But because everything is falling apart so quickly...
Warning: This chapter is so bad you guys shouldn't even bother to read it...
It has been a couple of days since Arthur learned the harsh truth. And to neither of the brothers' surprise, he hasn't come back.
"I'm sorry…" Matthew bowed his head. "I shouldn't have asked you to do that for me…"
"It's okay," Alfred immediately accepted the apology. "I was stupid enough to agree to it…it's also my fault,"
Neither brother said anything for a while.
"So…what now?"
Matthew walked over to the living room table to grab an apartment catalog he ordered through the mail. "I'll start looking,"
Alfred tried to smile. "So we're gonna run away just like that? Sounds rather cowardly,"
"It has worked many times for you before right? Wasn't that why you left this state?" The younger quipped, but upon seeing the other's hurt expression he quickly added "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to bring that-"
"It never gets any easier ya know?" Alfred cut him off, looking out through the window near the kitchen. His expression was somber as he continued "They'll learn to live past the pain..."
"So...what are you going to do about…How will you..."
The older sighed heavily before saying "I'll think of something…you think we should just leave it at this without another word?"
"...I'm not one to advise you on what to do anymore," Matthew shook his head. "But if you want my honest opinion, I think you should at least apologize."
And I should too...he thought to himself.
"I guess so…" Alfred responded flatly, poking at his half eaten pancakes with his fork.
The two remained speechless for the rest of their lunchtime, wallowing in their own guilt.
X.X.X.X
Alfred slowly trudged up the stairs to the dreaded third floor and eventually made it in front of his brother's landlord's apartment. He took a deep breath to muster whatever wit and courage he had left and with the spare key slowly turned the doorknob, making sure that the person on the other side heard him enter.
"Welcome back, whore. How was your 'trip'?" Arthur greeted the American who was still standing outside.
Alfred winced at the word but took the insult.
Ouch…
Peering into the living room from a safe distance, he noticed that Arthur wasn't in tears – casually having some tea while staring at the television across from him even though it wasn't turned on. The calm expression on his face perturbed him. "The jig is up."
"So it seems."
There was tension in the air, but Alfred decided to brush it off and commented "You're taking this very well; I'm glad."
Arthur gave him a sideward glance. "Hurry up and state your business; the sight of you sickens me," he spat.
"Time's changed huh? Because not so long ago you were thrilled to see me," Alfred folded his arms together and tentatively crossed the threshold. "Oh, how love can quickly change to hate eh? Makes me wonder if you actually loved me at all from the beginning," he mused aloud.
This earned him a glare from the other, but the landlord remained where he was on the couch.
"A-anyways, I'm only here to give you back your keys,"
"…"
Alfred may only be keeping up a collected front, but on the inside he was anxious to get the hell out of there. The fact that everything about this scenario was off (the neat living room and placid person who just got deceived) made him wonder if Arthur was actually a psychotic killer who murdered his boyfriends whenever they dumped him.
After he thought it was safe, he cautiously made his way into the living room, going into the kitchen area to return the keys Arthur had given him. The whole time he kept an eye on the Englishman – he felt like he was in a cage with a lion! And during the whole journey from front door to kitchen, nothing was exchanged between the two.
So it made the blond jump out of his skin when Arthur suddenly said "The world is cruel, isn't it?" When the American said nothing, only stared at him with wide blue eyes he continued "I told you everything about myself, only to really know nothing about you in return…only false affection." Arthur bit his bottom lip at the last part, tightening his grip around the teacup.
Alfred finally said what he came here to say. "I'm sorry…I know it's too late to say that and by doing so won't change a single thing. And I'm not going to ask you for your forgiveness, for what I did is undeserving of that. But I just wanted you to know that…I…didn't do it for fun…" he finished lamely.
"Then why?" Arthur growled, his patience wearing thin. He didn't want to see Alfred right now; the person who ripped his heart right out of his chest. And although the answer he will get from the man might very well be more lies, he needed some sort of reply; because the question gnawed at him ever since that day - keeping him awake at night and leaving him in shambles by day.
Once Alfred was near the front door again, he faced the landlord who was leering at him from his seat. "This whole time I've been telling you nothing but lies; I think it's time you knew the whole truth – I did it for my brother's sake."
"How is-"
"Everything was planned out from the beginning." Alfred continued monotonously. He gazed at Arthur evenly for his reaction as he explained "From the day I first came here, Matthew's rent was due. He couldn't pay it because of you,"
The landlord gawked at the American, the pieces already falling into place.
"I knew that you liked me the first time you saw me. The plan was simple: seduce you into lowering my brother's rent. It worked rather well, if I do say so myself," When the other blond continued to remain speechless, he went on. "I had hoped that after the job was done, I would break up with you slowly and easily…that part failed obviously."
"Then…" the Englishman slammed the teacup back onto its saucer, breaking both of them. "When you…" He didn't have the breath to finish his conclusion, his body shaking with anger.
Alfred winced at the broken china, but offered "It was a fair tradeoff wasn't it?"
Arthur did nothing but glared daggers at him.
Calmly he replied to Arthur's silent question. "We were both just using each other weren't we? I gave you what you wanted: sex, and in return you gave me what I wanted: a lower rent."
"…Was that what you were thinking?" Arthur hissed after a few moments of silence passed between the two of them.
Alfred dared to look straight into those blazing emerald eyes before curtly answering. "Yes."
A piece of the saucer immediately flew after the response, shattering behind the American into even smaller pieces. The taller blond didn't even bother to run his thumb over the cut below his right eye, letting the blood flow down his cheek.
"After all that you've said, you still have the gall to stand there!" the sandy blond roared.
"I'm merely answering your questions and telling you the truth," Alfred said flatly. "It's what you wanted, so why are you getting so upset? You saw it coming didn't you?" He had to duck his head to avoid another shard of saucer thrown at him. He then plastered on a smirk. "Oh, so now you're trying to kill me?"
"Shut up you whore!"
"Heh…" the taller blond couldn't help but chuckle. "Actually, I'm what you'd call an 'escort'."
"Get out!"
"No." Alfred leaned against the front door and crossed his arms casually. "There's still one more thing I'd like to admit."
"I don't want to hear it!" The Englishman covered his ears with his hands and shook his head vehemently. It was a wonder how he didn't stand up yet to remove the American himself.
"Too bad," Alfred smiled wickedly. "This whole ordeal was your fault – you did this to yourself."
"What! You dare accuse me!" By now the calm façade Arthur tried so hard to keep up crumbled and raw anger took its place.
"Yes, I blame you for this situation. And it's not because you walked into my conversation with Matthew; none of this would have happened if you simply didn't raise the rent."
"It's my job!"
"It doesn't have to be. You can always lower it as well." Alfred laughed bitterly. "Shame on you, only lowering Matthew's rent when I got here."
"You! It was because of you…!" Arthur gripped a piece of the teacup he intended to throw at Alfred so hard that it bit into his own skin instead.
The blond near the door only sneered at the remark. "All the more to be shameful – being tricked by a whore."
The gentleman finally snapped, throwing the bloodied china in Alfred's direction but missing entirely. "Get out of my sight!" he screamed in rage. "I fucking hate you! I never want to see you again!" He finally got up from the couch, quickly grabbing the final shard on the table to use as a makeshift dagger.
Alfred continued to smile.
That's right, hate me…hate my guts. It'll be less painful that way, because to hate is so much easier to do than love
Arthur approached the blond with shaky but determined steps, his eyes never veering from the man's sickeningly sweet face that now had a crimson rivulet running down one of its sides.
It wasn't your fault...I'm sorry...I only hope that you will be able to forget about me
He bowed slightly toward the raging landlord. "If that is what you wish. Matthew and I will be moving out in a couple of days so that you'll never have to see our faces again."
The news seemed to have shocked the sandy blond, for he stopped dead in his tracks.
Using the moment to open the front door and excuse himself, Alfred shot back over his shoulder "Goodbye, Arthur Kirkland."
