Chapter 12 – A Look into Normal Life
Warnings and Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.
X
No one entered the room until they came to get him out. He could tell he was being sprung because they had a grumbling air about them but weary of someone who was being pulled out due to diplomatic immunity. If they had only run his license they would have found that out much sooner and saved themselves all the fuss.
But it gave Matthew a reason to come down early to see him. Which was awesome. Everything had a sliver lining.
"Mr. Jones." Alfred perked up at his name as the cop from before entered the room. "I'm here to release you as long as you guarantee your compliance with federal law. Should you attempt to cross state lines again in a manner similar to your arrest you will serve the full sentence."
"Sure sure. Of course. Just show me where to sign officer. I truly did not know."
"Ignorance of the law is no excuse to break the law."
"Right."
The cuffs came off and Alfred was led out the front to the main lobby. Through the doorway he could see Matthew talking to a harried looking secretary. Alfred was paraded up to the desk but made no move to call out to his brother, instead taking in the sight of him.
Matthew was wearing street clothes – jeans and a patterned sweater. On anyone else the knitted monstrosity would look tacky and it was years out of style but it gave Matthew a cabin-going mountain man look. Alfred thought it was like urban camouflage or something. Underneath the cuddly, unassuming exterior resided a true badass that you didn't want to mess with. As he drew near Alfred could pick out the well-defined musculature of his brother's figure hidden beneath the ugly garment only truly visible if you knew what and where to look. His wavy hair was just like Alfred remembered. He really just wanted to run his hands though it to see if it was as silky as he remembered too.
For Alfred it was a sight to behold akin with finding an oasis in the desert. Not even the nasally voice of the secretary could detract from the moment although hearing his brother's voice instead would have been a slice of apple pie heaven.
Despite Alfred's slowdown at the sight of his brother the cop propelled him forward. Same old routine. Sign the papers and skedaddle.
"Sign these," the cop said as he reached behind the counter for the papers. Both the secretary and Matthew started a bit – the secretary at his stunning good looks and Matthew because sense when had his obnoxious little brother been able to be quite enough to sneak up on him?
The papers were quickly read and signed. It took a bit longer then it would've for the normal person but Matthew knew it was just Alfred's particular brand of paranoia to do so. He was more concerned that Alfred hadn't even spared him a glance the whole time. It was not like him and Matthew frowned.
"Here are your keys and directions to the impound lot sir," said the cop. "Have a nice day."
"Thank you," Alfred said but he was not focused on the words. His brother's reassuring body heat at his side was much too distracting for him.
X
Without fanfare they both left the station in perfect step with each other. Matthew led Alfred to his older-but-still-perfectly-functioning-thank-you-very-much car.
Before Alfred could get in Matthew pulled him in to a bone-crushing hug, which was returned with equal force. They embraced in the parking lot trying to convey 10 years of emotions left by the absence of a constant presence. The hug contained everything that should have been said but never was and all that was missed during lonely days and lonely nights.
It was a good hug.
Alfred buried his face into this brother's shoulder and breathed. He told himself he was not going to cry but wasn't sure he managed as the warmth from the hug seeped into his bones. Neither wanted to pull back but soon reality began to creep in around the peripheries of awareness.
They were in a perking lot in full view of a security camera and random people bustling though the day. Neither was quite sure who broke the hug and both wanted to take it back but couldn't without seeming to too horribly awkward.
"Hey," said Alfred. It was a pathetic opening bid but they both smile at the attempt.
"Hey yourself," Matthew said back. His voice was light but gruff. It disappointed Alfred because he knew that it was from disuse – Matthew didn't pester people so the calls he gets were few and far between when Alfred was not around, particularly after any form of "winter hibernation" period. Alfred was snapped out of his musings my Matthew's next question.
"Do I want to know?" he said arching his eyebrows and nodding at the police station behind them.
Alfred chuckled and replied, "Nope." Popping the "p" in just the right combination of cheeky and obnoxious that underlined not wanting to be messed with. Mathew shot him an amused but exasperated look.
"OK then. C'mon lets go," Matthew said. And just like that he dropped it.
One of the greatest things about Matthew, Alfred thought, was that he only pried at the right moment and he put up with Alfred being Alfred.
It had gotten the point where nether had to explain much upon a jail retrieval. Where most people had a vacation fund jar, the brothers' had a bail fund jar instead.
The rest of the world would probably do a spit take if they knew how often Alfred wound up in the slammer. They'd pass out if they knew Matthew always doubled that number every year (during hockey season).
Alfred wondered who'd been picking up the slack while he'd been away.
Matthew opened the passenger door for Alfred like he was some kind of princess. Alfred responded with a distasteful snort but in reality his heart soared at the usually hated token gesture. It served to reaffirm the normalcy of the situation.
Matthew turned on the car and they both nearly jump out of their skin when the radio blared to life. They both scrambled of the controls and managed to turn it down and then shut it off.
"Shut up," Matthew said with a slight blush staining his cheeks.
"I wasn't gonna say anything."
"Sure you weren't."
They fell into companionable silence.
Matthew didn't ask questions and Alfred for once was perfectly content to simply absorb his brother's presence. He didn't want an information overload again.
They hit a main road and Matthew asked if Alfred wanted to pick up his car from the impounder.
"Naw," said Alfred. "It was one of those government ones not mine. They can retrieve their own car when they feel like it."
"Wasteful," Matthew retorted under his breath but Alfred heard and responded.
"Spread the money around."
There was eye rolling and silent glances tossed back and forth but they soon settled once again.
Alfred complained when Matthew took the back roads to the conference because it was so much longer but rescinded his argument when they found a fantastic Mom-and-Pop diner for lunch.
They talked for some time of small things like the food at the diner, the weather, Matthew's car. Of familiar topics that stayed well away from uncomfortable subjects and sticky issues they knew were there. They talked of big things sometimes too, of sports, the upcoming conference, things Alfred had missed.
"Arthur called," Matthew said suddenly. "He said that –" he swallowed loudly. "That you didn't get any of our mail when you were … over there." They were both cringing and this was not a conversation Alfred wanted to have right now (or right ever).
"He tried to explain it to me," Matthew continued. Matthew's fingers drummed on the steering wheel and Alfred fingers clenched into his trousers. "I was really mad you know." Alfred looked ashamed at Matthew's omission. But Matthew was not done yet.
"I still am mad," said Matthew. Alfred felt like his insides were plunged in ice. "But. But not at you."
Alfred knew he should say something but he didn't know what.
"Yeah," Alfred started but had to clear his throat. They were having a chick flick moment and he wanted nothing to do with it. "I know it was weird but I moved around a lot and lag time and we were busy, but, yeah."
They both knew the excuse was pathetic, just – at least now they both knew that they were both hurt by the lack of exchanges. It was as good as it got though and the conversation drifted back to more steady ground.
It didn't make things much better but at least they knew where the other stood. They would have to have more conversations at a later date but not now. Not while the words were too fresh and the experience so sharp in their mind's eye. This would not dampen their first meeting after a decade apart but the small headway did help clear the air, if only a bit.
X
By nightfall they approached New York City. Because Matthew was a master at back roads Alfred hardly noticed until they were right on top of it. Matthew for all his quintessential Canadian-ness and somewhat skewed view of American happenings had given Alfred a fairly decent rundown of what had been going on with both him and the world at large while Alfred had been off the grid.
The smarmy bastard even managed to imply that Alfred's absence was part of the reason for so much upheaval in the past few years. Alfred though was most interested in the music he'd missed and decided that it will all be immortalized forever as awesomeness and iconic and unforgettable. Matthew ribbed him a lot about Arthur and England's musical explosion in America after that statement.
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Author's Notes: Lots of subtle headcanons in this chapter. Also, complain all that you will but I firmly believe that APH Canada is the single hardest character to "get right" in the entire show. Hopefully I didn't glom him up too bad. (Then again it's difficult for anyone to write a character who knows the person they're interacting with are not on the straight and level emotionally or mentally and is doing their best to be normal but be supportive while also doing their best to try and understand yet mask the hurt over the whole thing that they feel over the problem in general.) I also have a big soft spot for fluffy fluff of any kind even if I had to railroad it a little bit with general historical/story angst. North America brothers all the way. Last chapter next – thank you in advanced for getting this far.