Dinner was halfway over by the time Arthur finally came home. He had spent hours walking aimlessly while the came to terms with what happened at Kiku's place. His hair was messed up from running, and his clothes were covered in dried sweat. He tried to make himself look a bit presentable before coming into the apartment, but he still looked rough. "I'm home," he called.

"Dad!" Alfred shouted. He came running and grabbed Arthur's leg. "Papa made pancakes, and they're so yummy! Mine's shaped like a dinosaur!" he said. Arthur smiled and knelt down to pat his head.

"That's great, sweetheart. Are there any left for me?" he said. Matthieu walked over. His head was down, and his bear was nowhere in sight.

"Uh, there's a few left, I think," he mumbled. Arthur thanked him, stood, and headed for the kitchen. Francis was sitting at the head of the table. He smiled at Arthur but said nothing. A spread of pancakes, fresh fruit, and sugars and syrups of all sorts sat on the table. Alfred's plate had one giant pancake that was in the rough shape of a T-rex while Matthieu had a few silver dollar pancakes. Alfred sat down and started tearing into the T-rex's head with his bear hands. Arthur went to sit down, only to find that Matthieu's bear was in the empty chair. Arthur smiled and picked it up.

"Awe, was he keeping my seat warm for me?" he asked. Matthieu nodded and held out his hands. Arthur gave him the bear and sat down. "Thank you very much, Mr. Bear," he said.

"His name's Kuma- kumama- ku- uh…" Matthieu stammered. "Darn, I forgot again." Arthur held back a chuckle.

"Well, I'm sure he doesn't mind. Now get eating. Francis put a lot of work into this meal," Arthur said. Matthieu was quick to comply.

"Oh, most of the trouble was in the shopping. Pancakes are easy," Francis said. "Well, at least for me. You might need some practice, still," he teased. Arthur rolled his eyes. He took three pancakes and coated them in fruit and powdered sugar. After a few bites, he started to eat faster and faster until the whole plate was cleared. He wiped his face and started serving himself seconds. "My, aren't you hungry," Francis commented.

"Well, I got a lot of exercise today," Arthur replied.

"I see." Francis stood up and put his empty plate in the sink. "Could you handle cleanup tonight? I think I need a nap." Francis walked off without bothering to hear the answer. Arthur felt a bit of concern, but eating was his main focus. After finishing his food, he sent the kids off to bed and started to clear the table. He set the dishes in the sink, ate the leftovers, and put away the toppings. Wiping the syrup globs off the table was difficult, but he managed to get it done. He filled the sink with water, but he only scrubbed about half of them before getting tired.

"Well, I think I've earned myself a nap, anyways," he said to himself. He dried his hands and headed for the bedroom. He opened the door and found that the room was totally dark. Francis was curled up on the bed. His eyes were wide open and slightly puffy. Arthur took a step towards him. "You alright?" he asked. Francis sat up slowly. He sighed and shook his head slightly.

"I'm fine. Just some silly little thought," he said. "Don't worry about it."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure. I just… I got a little worried about you." Arthur shut the door and sat down beside him. He took him by the hand and leaned against him.

"I'm alright, love. I just need a bit of sleep," he said. Francis kissed his cheek.

"Alright. Just let me know if you need anything, alright?" Arthur nodded, laid down, and closed his eyes. He felt Francis get out of bed, but he was too tired to go after him.

Francis sat on the couch with his head in his hands. He felt sick to his stomach, though he had no fever. Arthur had gotten out of work a few hours ago, but he still wasn't home. This was the fourth time this month that Arthur was inexplicably late. He was always sweaty when he came back, and his hair was usually matted. Every time Francis asked what happened, he said that he had just had a jog. But Francis didn't believe a word of it. Ever since Arthur met with Kiku, Francis had a sinking suspicion that Arthur wasn't loyal. The matted hair, the sweat, and the ruffled clothes were all indicators that Arthur was sleeping with somebody else. No matter how much Francis wanted to believe otherwise, he just couldn't ignore the facts.

The apartment door opened. "I'm home," Arthur called as he stepped inside.

Francis looked up at him. He let out a long, heavy sigh before saying simply, "Close the door. We need to talk."

Arthur felt his stomach churn. He closed the door and dragged the nearest empty chair in front of the couch.

"What's wrong?" he asked. He tried to make eye-contact with Francis, but Francis refused to look at him.

"What happened while you were with Kiku?"

"Nothing," Arthur insisted. "We just had a talk. Everything's fine."

"Tell me the truth."

"What do you mean?" Francis shot him a look that sent a shiver down his spine.

"I'll give you one more chance to tell the truth." Francis was starting to sound irritated, though he did his best to hide it. Arthur sighed and looked down at the floor.

"Kiku wanted to get back together with me. I tried to tell him I wasn't interested, but he just wouldn't get it. He started getting all upset, and I just wanted to make him feel a little better…" He started to fidget nervously with his hands. Sweat was forming on his brow. "And then he kissed me," he finished.

"Did you sleep with him?" Francis asked. Arthur's eyes got wide. He looked up at Francis, meeting his eyes at last. The reality of the situation finally set in.

"What?" was all he could manage to say.

"You heard me."

"Why would I do that? Francis, you know I would never-"

Francis snapped, "Then why do you come home looking like that?"

"I've been going on jogs to clear my head. Trust me, cheating is the last thing on my mind."

"I wish I could believe you. I really do. But it just doesn't add up." Arthur started to panic. He couldn't lose anybody else, let alone Francis. He reached out his hand to touch Francis's shoulder.

"T-this is just a big misunderstanding. I love you so, so much." Francis stood and headed for the bedroom.

"I'm sorry, I just- I just need some time to think," he said. He paused for a moment before adding, "Maybe you should sleep on the couch tonight."