No One's POV:

Arthur had his hand over his mouth, staring wide-eyed at Maeve.

"...Okay, that's not what I meant." Maeve whispered.

"I-I don't know what to say." Arthur continued. His voice felt foreign. He hadn't used it in a while, it was worrying him. Would he lose his voice again after just getting it back?

"Arthur calm down. Your scent is really distressed." Maeve spoke up worriedly.

Everything emotion he had seemed to flood him. Anger, fear, anxiety, and even a bit of hope. He had his voice again.

"I'm sorry Maeve." He sobbed. Crying felt like a good way to express everything he was feeling. "I'm so sorry. You all needed me and I wasn't there for you even though you were all there for me and I-I-I kept everything in until that day five years ago and I never apologized and I'm so sorry." He cried and hugged her. "I'm sorry I said that."

"Arthur it was five years ago. You were angry and afraid. I'm not mad. I was never mad. I was...I was sad for you." Maeve hugged him back just as tight and cried with him. "You changed a lot, Arthur. But people change don't they? They grow and they change when life throws them an obstacle they don't want."

Arthur let go first to wipe away her tears. Maeve smiled, looking at Arthur with her deep green eyes like his, like Alister's, like Mum's.

"You look like Mum, so much like her."

Maeve smiled some more. They rarely mentioned Mum since the incident and she had almost forgotten how much she resembled her.

"So why are you afraid?" She asked unsure if it was overstepping a few boundaries.

"I...don't want to talk about that right now," Arthur whispered.

"So let's talk about something else."

They began to talk.

Arthur talked with the voice that he had hidden for a long time, rejoicing in the fact that he was speaking and he had the energy to. Other times in therapy when Vash tried to get him to speak he'd tucker out after three attempts. It's not easy to do something that you have no motivation in doing then are forced to do it. It takes all your energy and forces you to recharge at the worst time.

"What triggered you that day five years ago? Do you know?" Maeve asked.

Arthur frowned, thinking back to the day of his meltdown.

It was a normal Tuesday. That's how it felt like anyways to him. He was 13 now but he acted more grown up. Maeve, Jett, and Peter were looking up to him, he had to be a good role model.

The school put him in charge of a child, a young beta named Davie who was deaf, and he had done an amazing job caring for him until the family that adopted him came. He had to show he was responsible, and he did just that. The school was starting a new program where they'd give omegas children to care for so they'd be prepared for parenthood and when they get married. Arthur loved Davie and treated him like he was his own, but kept in mind he couldn't get too attached since he was going with a new family.

Davie gave him a hug the night before he left since Arthur wouldn't be there to see him off.

'Thank you for everything Arthur.' Davie signed after he let go. Arthur smiled and gave him a small goodbye present. It was a picture of the two when he and Davie went out to the city with some other kids. They went to the mall and took pictures in a photo booth. It was an enlarged version of the one Davie liked, which was the one where both of them were making hearts to the camera. Davie thanked him again and ran off to his room, ready to sleep the night away to go with his family.

Arthur remembered the next morning when he caught a glimpse of Davie leaving with his family, smiling brightly. It was a pair of betas, both male, that adopted him. Arthur was happy for him. Happy for nice little Davie with dark skin and dark eyes, who never fought with his peers or argued about chores.

But his mind said otherwise.

That Tuesday that Davie left, Arthur was not yet aware how much he had grown attached to the beta-boy and was feeling like something inside him was missing, making him distressed and snappy. Like an omega mother who had their child taken away.

Which is exactly what his instincts were telling him happened.

He signed something angrily at Alister about him not finishing his food and the alpha growled.

"Stop being such a Mum."

That really ticked him off.

"WELL AT LEAST I'M NOT A LAZY ARSE LIKE YOU!"

And that's how it started.

He was screaming at them about being horrible brothers, and Maeve about how she wasn't a good sister, at his father-who wasn't there-because he didn't want to go back for his Mum, everyone that he could see. He yelled at Lovino too but the older omega didn't pay attention to him because he knew from a whiff of his scent that he was just using this as an excuse to let out some feelings and rage that was pent up inside him.

The staff had to drag him away and to a conference room. He was in there by himself until Vash arrived.

"Arthur? What happened in there?" Vash asked, looking concerned. One of the omega staff walked in with him, his scent helping calm Arthur down further.

Arthur looked at the beta and opened his mouth, ready to tell him, but he suddenly lurched forward, covering his mouth. Vile was crawling up his throat and at the back of his mouth, ready to come out. The older omega quickly handed him the trash can next to the door and Arthur released the vomit into it, tears running down the younger man's face. The older man rubbed Arthur's back to comfort him as Arthur continued to throw up. His anxiety was through the roof, he could tell that much.

"...We need to start doing speech therapy, Arthur." Vash told him. Arthur looked up from the edge of the trash can with blurry eyes and began another round of vomiting.

"I think it's because Davie left that day." He whispered. Maeve nodded.

"I liked Davie, I thought he was adorable."

"He was close to your age."

"Still."

The two omegas smiled at each other and Arthur felt a buzz come from his pocket. He pulled out his phone and made a surprised noise.

"What is it?"

"Alfred texted."

"What does it say?!" Maeve began jumping in her seat.

"It says 'Hey Arthur, are you free later today?'." Arthur read.

"Answer him!" Maeve squealed.

"Saying what?!" Arthur felt panicky.

"Yes, iongantach!" Maeve yelled.

Arthur typed his response and read it to Maeve. "'Yes, why?'." Maeve nodded in approval and he sent it.

Alfred responded rather quickly.

"'I'm done with my test, do you want to hang out?'." Arthur read. Maeve screeched and fell off the bed. He helped her up and set her back where she was.

"SAY YES SAY YES SAY YES SAY YES!" Maeve screamed.

"How? Do I just say yes? Do I say okay? How do I say it?!" Arthur typed and retyped his answer times.

"Make it casual." Maeve hissed. Arthur bit his lip and nodded.

"'Sure.'" Arthur read the message. Maeve nodded.

Arthur pressed send.

"'Awesome, I'll come to get you soon. See you then! ;)'" Arthur read aloud.

Maeve awed. "You're going on a date."

"It's not a date. We're just going to...hang out." Arthur bristled.

"...Are you going to talk to him?" Maeve asked quietly.

"NO! NO WAY! He'll...he only knows me as a mute. This will be a big thing. I only barely started to talk, and only to you. I don't want to change everything." Arthur whispered.

Maeve nodded, holding her hand out. Arthur took it and she brought his hand to her lips, kissing it. "I can smell your discomfort. You can go back to signing now Artie, it's okay."

Arthur let out a shaky breath and nodded. He took her hand and pressed the tips of her fingers to her lips, then moving it forward, almost like she was blowing a kiss.

'Thank you.'

Maeve left Arthur's room before Alfred got there so he could get ready. He was wearing black skinny jeans, a Green Day Revolution Radio muscle shirt, a black jacket, and black and white converse. Emo phases never die, not with Kirklands.

He ran his hand through his hair, trying to fix it up some more but sighed in defeat. His hair was always going to stay messy.

There was a knock on his door and Arthur quickly opened it, expecting Alfred. Instead, he saw Lilo. He was a bit surprised. What was she doing here? Realization struck him and he frowned, raising an eyebrow.

Lilo snuck out of her preschool classes.

Lilo smiled at him innocently but he sighed and shook his head. He picked her up and walked out of his room, making sure his phone and key were in his pocket before closing the door. He was starting his trek to Lilo's class when Alfred showed up.

"Hey Artie. Awe hey Lilo." He cooed at the girl. Lilo giggled and held her hands out, wanting Alfred to carry her. Arthur transferred her over and took Alfred's free hand, dragging them both to Lilo's class.

Alfred was confused but didn't question it.

When they arrived outside the classroom, Lilo's teacher was talking to one of the security guards that worked on the campus. The omega man noticed them and immediately took Lilo out of Alfred's arms and scolded her.

"Thank you so much Arthur. I should have known to text you first. Lilo you can't just run away from the classroom when you're bored naughty girl." He scolded and took her back inside. The security guard left now that Lilo was back safe and sound.

Alfred was cracking up next to Arthur.

"Does she do this often?" He asked as he gasped for breath, doubling over to laugh some more.

Arthur nodded, smiling a bit. Alfred's laugh was contagious, he couldn't deny that. Even if it sounded very boisterous.

After Alfred managed to regain his composure, the pair started making their way to the car park where Alfred left his car. Alfred made conversation by talking about the 'test' he took and how he found it very easy. "I was stressing over nothing! It was an easy A." He smiled.

Arthur nodded, smiling back.

"So I thought we could head to the mall. There's a new movie that I've been wanting to see that's out that I thought you might like. Then we can just walk around the mall until you want to go home." Alfred explained, having planned it on his way to Arthur's.

Arthur nodded, liking the idea.

To the mall they go.

...Hey y'all. So, uh, I've been gone for a while. I'm sorry. I had school and projects and essays and ugh.

I know I know, it's kinda short. I promise I'll try to make the next one longer.

iongantach-stupid in Scottish Gaelic. I have a headcanon that England can speak all the languages of his brothers so he can communicate with them on a deeper level when he needs to.

In the next one I'm going to show the steps to courting as Alfred and Arthur are at the mall.

Artie talked! :D He's not going to talk to Alfred yet but he will soon. (It's because of his anxiety.)

So that whole Davie thing I wrote to kinda show how much instinct really affect Arthur as well. Instinct will also play a big part in courting so this won't be the only time they come up. (Yes, this Davie is named after that Davie.) What Arthur had was an anxiety attack, but he didn't know at the time. Vash, being his therapist, realized what it was and that's why he said they would begin speech therapy, so Arthur would stop connecting his voice to his anxiety. I mentioned before and will mention later, Arthur sings to himself when he's alone in his room songs he likes, especially his mother's lullaby. That will come up later on.

To me, Lilo seems like the kid who does random stuff and everyone is used to it. I bet one day she'll walk in wearing a chicken costume and no one would blink an eye. Sneaking out of class to hang with Arthur? Totally something she'd do. Arthur doesn't approve of course, but he's touched she wants to spend a lot of time with him.

That's all the notes I have right now. Thanks for waiting guys. I hope you enjoyed it!