JANUARY 18th, 2017, SOUTH FLORIDA

ARTHUR'S POV

When I awoke, Alfred was already up and smoothing the creases out of his jacket. He wasn't looking at what he was doing, rather he was staring back the way we came with furrowed brows. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and rose to my feet, ignoring the sharp twinge in my chest and the tight pulling in my muscles.

"Alfred, what are you looking at?"

The darker blond shrugged his jacket on and corrected the angle of his glasses on his nose. "There's someone heading towards the camp."

"Raiders?" I suggested, keeping the rising worry out of my tone.

"No, they ain't armoured up."

"I'd imagine it's a visitor then." I said airily, still lethargic.

"Are you okay?" Alfred asked wearily, striding up to my side and tugging at the fabric on my shirt. "Your wound, I mean."

"It's fine. Do you mind not stripping me, though?" I seethed as Alfred pulled the collar down to inspect my wound with critical eyes.

He fingered the loose ends of the bandages before letting go. "You'll have to get them changed." he said absent-mindedly.

"Thank you, doctor, but I'm more concerned about you. You seem a tad distant."

"I want to know who that is." he said as if it was the end of the discussion.

Before I could get a word in, Alfred took off at an incredible speed down the hill towards the camp. Growling in frustration, I held the blanket in one hand and held my side with the other before attempted a jog after the American. Alfred came to a halt long before I managed to reach him, winded and struggling for breath. My wound throbbed uncomfortably and blood hurled around my head, dizzying and painful. I glanced at Alfred through narrowed eyes, but he wasn't looking at me. He was looking at the lighter blond hovering about the entrance, who was looking right back. They said nothing.

Suddenly, I couldn't see straight. Things blurred before I felt an overwhelming numbness and I fell to the ground out of consciousness.

I awoke breathing in the familiar scent of the hospital in the camp, feeling the scratchy cotton of the sheets underneath me. I sat up groggily, eyes scanning the room. I looked at the chair to left of me that Alfred had sat in for the day I was bedridden. He was sitting there right now.

"Alfred..."

"Alfred is outside."

I squinted at him, vision still shaky. He had a rounder face and longer, lighter hair. His eyes were also a brighter shade of... purple? My mind had to have been playing tricks on me. I was sure this was Alfred. A tiny smile appeared on his childlike face.

"Matthew," he said quietly. "I'm Alfred's brother."

"Oh." I breathed dumbly.

"You, uh... passed out." Matthew said, adjusting his own pair of wire glasses, somewhat more circular than Alfred's.

"That much I know."

"I'm sorry," Matthew sputtered. "I-it was from exertion, or... I heard the doctor say. Exertion." he nodded surely.

"Right. And where is Alfred?"

"Talking with Francis outside. They started arguing before I came in." he said, gaze dropping to the floor.

"You're Alfred's older half-brother, aren't you? Canadian? You have some history with Francis, from what I've heard."

Matthew looked surprised at my knowledge of him, but he nodded, fingers curling around the sleeves of his shirt. He was nervous. We were all nervous.

"Yes. I haven't seen him in about a year. Or Alfred. I don't think either of them are going to very pleased with me."

"I should imagine Alfred would at least be empathetic. Were you still in Canada at the time?"

"Travelling through America, actually. I knew Alfred would end up somewhere in Florida, so I've been going from camp to camp. I followed a trail a few miles down from a destroyed warehouse. Was that where you was previously?"

I nodded. "Yes. How come you haven't kept in touch with your brother or Francis?"

"I don't know. I tried to focus on getting here, I guess." he shrugged. "It could have taken longer. I just hope they don't start arguing with me too."

"If Alfred starts anything, I'll make sure he's not on his high horse." I smiled slightly.

Matthew smiled back. "You know my brother well?"

I thought momentarily back to the previous night, and my face heated up. I bit my lip in thought. Were Alfred and I an item now?

"Yes, we..." I swallowed thickly. "Alfred and I... I- we're together..."

Matthew's eyebrows rose for a moment, then he smiled. "Glad one of us thinks he's bearable enough to be around."

I let out a small laugh, despite myself. "Yes, I suppose so. You and Francis, I'm guessing too?"

"After ignoring him for almost a year, I wouldn't be so sure."

I heard sadness in his voice. It made my heart clench.

Both of us looked up as Alfred calm storming down the corridor, fists clenched and face taut. He steps were heavy as he thundered past the curtains around my bed and paced about at the edge. He sent a fiery glare at his brother.

"I'd imagine Francis wants to see you now, Mattie." he spat viciously.

Matthew flinched before removing himself from the room. I looked back at Alfred, who was visibly shaking with anger.

"Who does he think he is?! He's acting like everything's my fault, that stupid... stupid wine-lover!"

I rose an eyebrow sceptically. "I take it it didn't quite go well."

"No, not quite," Alfred hissed. "He better be happy now his goddamned boyfriend is back."

"Alfred, you're being childish."

"Me? Childish? Francis is being childish! Acting like he's all above everyone else and throwing the blame at me. It's not my fault Matthew's waltzed back in so suddenly."

"Don't be so juvenile."

Alfred had stopped pacing, but he was wringing his hands together, glaring at the wall. He screamed a string of curses and thrust his fist into the wall. I gasped at the sickening sound of his fist on the brick and abruptly got out of the patient bed. Alfred turned on his heels and held his hands up.

"You, sit back down. You're not fit enough to be up just yet." he said with a bite in his tone.

I glared daggers at him. "If anyone is going to order anyone around, Jones, it's going to be me telling you to stop being so bloody callow! Simmer down and don't let the urge to wring someone's neck overwhelm you."

Alfred violently shoved his hands into the pockets of his bomber jacket and stared at the floor. Like a child. I heaved a sigh and walked over to him, hands resting on his upper arms, rubbing soothing patterns into them.

"Calm down." I whispered.

Alfred let out a shaky breath. "Sorry." he muttered grumpily.

"What the hell has gotten you so heated? Tell me what happened."

Alfred sat down in the chair and I sat on the edge of the bed. "After you passed out, I told Mattie to help me get you to the doctor. 'Course, when we got inside, Francis had to come sauntering over and spot Matthew. He called me out, saying a load of trash that wasn't even true, so I told Mattie to get you in here while I went over. We argued for ten minutes straight."

"You didn't even say 'hello' to your brother, let alone hug him after not seeing him for a year or so." I said accusingly.

"Yeah, well..."

"Alfred..."

"I'll go and straighten things out with my brother soon. But with Francis being so crazy over him, I won't be able to pry them apart for two seconds to get a word to Matthew."

"That's no excuse and you know it."

"Stop being mature." Alfred said airily.

"Stop being a twat to your family." I said seriously.

Alfred looked surprised, most likely expecting a more affectionate response. I didn't deliver. I stared him down until his ego visibly shrunk and his shoulders began to sag. The room seemed to quieten when Alfred fell silent and a frustrated expression crossed his face.

"It is my fault."

"Humility is better, but it wasn't truly your fault, was it?"

"Still..."

ALFRED'S POV

I'd sat with Arthur in relative silence for about half an hour before he'd told me to try and even things out with both Francis and Matthew. But even now, as I dragged my feet across the camp towards the lunch hall, I still felt resentment towards Francis. It wasn't my fault that Matthew hadn't been in contact with either of us for that long. It just sort of happened. Obviously Francis didn't want to hear it that way and assumed otherwise. I pushed the door open and scanned the hall. It wasn't full and it was quiet, save for occasional conversation and the clinking of cutlery on plates. The sight was pitiful. I felt like I was back in school.

"Alfred!"

I looked to the right of me and saw Gilbert waving me over to his table. He was sitting next to Roderich and a blond man who I'd seen around a few times. I headed over, grateful for the distraction and promptly sat down opposite them. Gilbert looked as if he was holding Roderich's hand under the table.

"Hey you guys." I said, forcing a smile.

"Yo. This is my little brother." Gilbert motioned to the blonde.

His brother nodded formally. "Ludwig."

"Alfred." I responded robotically. "So, uh... did you want anything?"

Gilbert shrugged one shoulder. "My brother has a friend up in another state, and we've heard it's safer up there. All three of us are going to leave tomorrow."

"You're leaving?" I echoed dumbly. "Which state?"

"Maryland. Gay marriage is legal there too." Roderich put in, glancing at his left hand.

I nodded slowly. "Well, good luck then."

I listened to the others talking for a while, before I saw my brother out of the corner of my eye. I watched him make his way towards me, but he stopped a few feet away and pointed to a vacant table. I shot the others a glance and found they were paying no attention to me, so I slipped away and sat at the other table beside Matthew.

"Hey." he said quietly.

"Hi." I murmured back.

"It's been a while."

"Mm."

"I'm sorry."

"I forgive you."

I glanced up at Matthew. He was looking at the table. He seemed anxious.

"Mom and dad are in good health."

"Still in New York?"

"I think so. I haven't kept in touch with anyone."

"Of course you haven't."

"I am sorry." Matthew said guiltily.

I jumped when a hand rested upon my shoulder. I looked up and saw Arthur giving me a stern look. He looked tired. He looked slightly pained too.

"Small-talk isn't how you make up for being an idiot, Alfred."

"It's okay Arthur." Matthew said quickly. "I imagine we're all used to Alfred by now."

I realised that Matthew was attempting to lighten the mood. I sent a sideways glance towards Arthur. He was still glaring at me. I smiled a genuine smile at my brother and laughed a little. Arthur sat down beside me and gave me critical looks every now and then while Matthew and I caught up. I could deal with Francis later.