Francis could say that for the most part his day had been perfectly normal. Go to work, scope out the restaurant, come home, start prepping for dinner… As per usual. His husband was due home in an hour, his sons were already home, upstairs in their rooms. No cause for alarm whatsoever. It was Friday, time for a lovely family dinner, where his husband would be at home on time for once.
Alfred had put off the unveiling of his pregnancy all week. He'd been nervous and afraid before, but now...he was still nervous and afraid. But it had to be done. Mattie would rat him out if he didn't just do it himself, and that would be so much worse. Biting his lip, Alfred hesitantly approached his pop, strategically deciding to tell him first before his dad got home. His dad would be super pissed for sure, but his pop would be...also super pissed, but probably more understanding. He'd rather take his chances with his gentler parent. Scratching the back of his head, Alfred muttered, "Pop? Can I...um...talk to you about something?"
Francis looked over his shoulder with a slight smile. "Oh? Come here, tell me all about it. What is it? It sounds dreadfully serious," he teased as he motioned for Alfred to come closer. He was fiddling with all the settings on the oven and the stove, trying to get everything just right.
Alfred swallowed thickly as smiled softly. "W-well...it...kinda is." His smile was awkward and pained. His pop seemed like he was in such a good mood too. Sure, that was the ideal condition...approaching him when he was in a bad mood would not end well, but Alfred knew this would ruin that mood. It was a lose-lose situation.
Frowning, Francis made sure everything was set before he turned around fully to give Alfred his undivided attention. "What's wrong, Alfred?" he asked as he reached out to cup his cheek. He felt rather warm- but Alfred had been sick a lot lately, it didn't surprise him.
"Well..um...promise me to not flip out or anything, okay?" Alfred smiled sheepishly, rubbing his neck. It was a pitiful effort, but he hoped it'd help. A little.
Francis looked concerned now, his gut beginning to swarm with suspicion. "What is it, mon cher? You just need to tell me, alright?" Was Alfred sick? Worse sick than he had already been? He came in closer and started to feel Alfred out for signs of further sickness.
"Ah..um..well..." Alfred bit his lip, clenching his eyes shut for a moment. He mumbled in a low, quick voice, "I'm pregnant."
There was a grace period where Francis seemed to not even hear the word pregnant, still searching Alfred for signs of illness, until he started to slow down. He stared at Alfred, not even blinking. His mouth was open, barely even breathing. It was like he was waiting for Alfred to tell him it was all a practical joke- and then he would gasp in relief and scold Alfred shakily, telling him not to joke like that. He was still waiting.
It never came. Alfred just looked at his pop expectantly, his heart beating erratically in his chest. He took a shuddering breath as he tried to swallow, his throat dry. He was afraid for the reaction that was to come.
Francis was the one to laugh nervously. "A-Alfred, mon cher, you shouldn't joke like that, you are going to run your papa's heart ragged." He clutched at his chest as if to dramatize it, sincerely hoping that Alfred would take the hint and expose his prank.
"I-I'm not joking, pop." Alfred said solemnly, his voice rough with anxiety. He trembled slightly, not liking the situation at all. He awaited the scolding that was to come.
There was a longer silence, and Francis backed away until he was leaning against the counter. "M-mon dieu…" He clutched at his head, as if to hope it was just a bad headache or a hallucination. "Alfred, we… You can't be, we got you shots and pills- I got you those birth control pills for- for a reason!" He regained his stature and came up close to Alfred once more, gripping him by the shoulders. "Who is the father? That beau that you have?"
Alfred wouldn't even mention how he got drunk and forgot his pills. Trembling with fear and anxiety, he shakily shook his head and said, "N-no...he..he was never really my boyfriend. Um...the father is my mate. We mated a few months ago, and...well..." Fuck he was so nervous.
"You mated?" Francis demanded, voice raising. It was unusual for him to be the one that got angry. "And you covered up your relationship? Who is it with, Alfred?" His grip on Alfred's shoulders tightly. "How did this happen? With who? I demand to know who!" He started to curse in French, pulling away and turning off the stove and oven. There would be no cooking.
Alfred flinched at his pop's tone. It was rare for him to hear that tone, and it was never directed at him. Shrinking under Francis's anger, Alfred took a step back, whimpering, "I-I'm afraid to say. You'll be angry, and...and I don't want to be separated from him!" He was on the verge of crying, tears welling in his eyes. His pop was supposed to be the understanding one.
"Non! Tell me!" Francis was getting frustrated now. "No one gets my little boy pregnant and gets away without me punching zhem in zhe face!" He grabbed Alfred by his wrist and started to pull him to the door, grabbing his coat from the rack. "You are coming with me and we are going to see him- who is it?" His accent was thickening with his anger, spouting out French here and there between his words. Mostly curses.
"I-Ivan, Ivan Braginsky." Alfred cried, pushing away from his pop. "H-he's a great guy, and he loves me. And I love him." His face was red and tears were streaming down his face at this point. Dammit, why had Mattie made him tell?
The angered French increased tenfold as Francis yanked him out the door. "I am going to kill zhat man!" He tugged Alfred out and shoved him into the car as he got in and drove them out onto the road, without bothering for his buckle. He was going to give Ivan Braginsky what he had coming.
Alfred cried out, fighting against his pop as he dragged him out to the car. "S-stop! He's a good guy...what are you doing, are you serious?!" He was mortified at the idea of going over to his mate's house with his pop. He'd known his pop would be upset, but he didn't think he'd take action about it.
Francis was speeding- speeding recklessly. He knew where Ivan lived- he had given them his contact information with his address on it in case they ever needed to take Alfred over for extra tutoring. Now he knew why. He skidded in the parking lot and jumped out, not even bothering with Alfred at this point as he stomped up to the man's apartment door, banging on it, shouting, "Come out here putain! Nique ta mere-" Francis went off in more curses, more and more, until the door opened, and Ivan was promptly greeted with a punch to the face.
"Ivan!" Alfred cried out, rushing to his mate's side as he tried to pull Francis off of him. "Pop, stop! Don't hurt him! What are you doing?!" He cried, standing by Ivan as he helped him up. "Baby, are you okay?" He trembled, his face red and contorted.
Ivan groaned, clutching his face- specifically his nose. He had been punched square in the middle- and Francis knew how to punch. He didn't even know what was going on- but he could guess, "You told him you are pregnant…didn't you?"
"I am going to rip you limb from limb for getting mon enfant pregnant!" He gripped Ivan but the front of his coat and yanked him up, holding him in the air- his face was just as red and contorted as Alfred's. In different ways.
Damn, his pop was strong. Alfred tugged on Francis's arm, crying as he shouted, "Stop! He's my mate and I love him! You can't dictate my life forever, dammit! He's the father of my child, just...just stop..." Alfred cried, heaving as he rubbed at his eyes. This was embarrassing and horrid. He'd thought his pop would be the more understanding one...god knew how his dad would react.
"Non!" Francis shoved Ivan to the ground and gripped Alfred by his shoulders. "You are stopping this right now! You will come home and you will never see him again. I will not tolerate this." Damn him to hell if he was going to let Alfred slip up with this and get away with it- he was not being lenient on something so damn crucial. "You can 'ave the baby, but you will not see him again. I am taking you out of that school."
"No!" Alfred shouted, stepping away from his pop with sheer anger on his face. "You are not doing that to me! Ivan...Ivan is the father, he is my mate, and he should be able to see me still. For the baby's sake if nothing else." He couldn't believe how ill Francis's reaction was.
Hearing all of this, Ivan was up, coming behind Alfred with a frantic look. "You can not do this- that baby needs a father in its life- I am willing to be there, I am willing to support Alfred, to help him through school, with the child- he wants to keep this child, and he wants to also keep both parents involved. Who are you to tamper with that choice?"
"I am his father!" Francis shouted as he grabbed Ivan by the collar. "And I am not going to let some snotty child Alpha think that he has any right to put ideas into my son's head just because you had hair brained plans of messing up his life!" Alfred was supposed to go to college, become a huge figure in history, in movements…
Alfred backed off into the corner, falling to his ass as he cried, burying his head in his knees. He sobbed deeply, hating the situation. He refused to say anymore; his pop wasn't listening to him, what was the point. He just cried and sniffed, trying not to intervene anymore.
"Please, sir, I don't want to cause any problems- I just want Alfred to be happy, to be in his, and the baby's life-"
"Don't you dare say anything to me," he scoffed, glaring at the Russian from below. He wasn't intimidated at all by his size. "You will never see my son again- or zhat baby! Alfred, come on, we're going home." He had gotten most of his initial anger out, now they just needed to get home so that they could talk about…the future.
Alfred shook his head, crying as he sat in the corner between the couch and the wall, huddled up and sniveling. He wasn't going anywhere if his pop had that mindset. "N-no. I'm not leaving. Not like this. Ivan's the father, I love him. I won't let you cut him out of my life...I'm 18. You have no say over me."
"You don't know what real love is, Alfred! You just said, you're 18, you have no idea!" Francis was frustrated, face getting red. He grabbed Alfred by the arm and yanked him up. "We're going home and you're going to tell your father what is happening, and then we're going to take you out of that school." Whether it means take Alfred out of school completely or just switch schools remained to be seen.
Ivan stopped Francis, grabbing him by the shoulders. "Sir, please listen to your son. I have no right to tell you how to be a parent- but seeing as he is eighteen, he can decide who to be with on his own."
"If you touch me I am going to shove your head so far up your own ass-" Francis broke into more uncontrollable French slurs.
Alfred yanked away from his pop, backing up into Ivan. He grabbed a hold of his mate's arm, sniffling as he shook his head, "N-no. I know what love is; you can't tell me I'm ignorant to such an emotion just because I'm 18. I love him, and I won't let you tear me away from him. I won't let you. You were ready to marry me off just a few years ago, I don't see what the problem is."
The more Francis shouted in French the tighter Ivan held Alfred. "An arranged marriage has nothing to do with getting pregnant while you're in school, a place you've worked so hard to get, just to ruin it with a child! Alfred, you are coming home right now! Your father is going to be even angrier than I am, do you really want to prolong that until you decide to come home, whenever that may be?"
"It doesn't matter when, it matters that he has the choice," Ivan snapped as he stood between Alfred and his father. "Now, I'm all for keeping family together, sir, but I do think that you should get off my property. Alfred is eighteen and he is choosing to be here. So please, just either wait for him to agree to go with you, or please leave."
"I'm not leaving knowing you're going to try to keep me from him." Alfred stated, tears caking his cheeks and he relaxed in Ivan's arms, sniffling. "He's my mate and the father of my child, I think I should be able to see him."
Francis was boiling with rage, but he just shoved away and stomped to the door. He reached into his pocket and laid his phone out. "I'll call you later." That was the last thing he said before slamming the door.
Ivan turned to Alfred and cupped his cheeks. "Are you alright?" he whispered, pulling him closer. "What happened before you got here?"
"I just told him that I was pregnant and he demanded to know who the father was." Alfred whined, still crying. "I didn't think he'd react that badly. He's usually the more understanding parent." He wiped his eyes.
"Don't worry about it, Alfred…" Oh god, Alfred always said that his other father wad flying off the handle. If that was the 'understanding' parent then he couldn't even think about Alfred's other father. "You just stay here as long as you need- do you want anything?"
"Some w-water. I'm getting a headache." Alfred fell back on the couch, getting cozy and comfortable as he sniffed. "Then come back and hold me."
Ivan did just that, caressing Alfred into his arms after handing off the water. "I'm glad that you're able to stand up for yourself like that, even if he didn't listen to you. It's good to stand and let him know you're putting your foot down." Even if Ivan had to have the final say.
"I really didn't think it'd come to that." Alfred whined, snuggling up to his mate. He frowned as buried his face in the other's shoulder. "I thought he'd at least respect my request. I understand if he wants to limit my access to you, but I didn't think he'd really pursue removing you completely from my life."
"Don't worry, I think he is just greatly surprised and upset. It will be perfectly alright." Ivan squeezed his mate and gave him a peck on the lips. "I love you, I won't let them do that. And I know you won't let them either. Give them time."
"Yeah, I figure that's the case. But I didn't want to leave without knowing for sure." Alfred leaned against Ivan. "I love you. I won't let them do that to me. I just won't. Come on, let's go back to your room. I'm kinda tired from all of the crying...a nap sounds nice." He got up to his feet and dragged his lover back to the bed, flopping onto the mattress, exhausted. He drifted off to sleep in his mate's arms, snuggled up into his warmth.
Francis was stressed until his husband came home. He was fretting and scared and concerned and so angry. It was hard to really conceive the anger flowing out of him. When he heard the front door open to his husband's return, he ran out to see him, blurting everything out, "Your son is pregnant and refuses to come home!"
Arthur had not expected to come home to that. He brushed Francis out of the way, walking in the door and setting his things aside before plopping onto the couch. He'd hardly heard his husband's comment really. Going about his business, he acted like he hadn't even heard the statement, not taking it seriously. "Good evening to you too."
Francis shouted out curses to his husband and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Did you hear me? Merde… Your son is pregnant and refuses to come home from his teacher's house- Ivan Braginsky got your son pregnant!"
Arthur was stunned for a moment, staring at his husband wide-eyed. He seemed unable to speak, every so often opening his mouth before shutting it again. He didn't respond, verbally, instead sitting there in silence for a good 5 minutes. He just wasn't sure how to react.
"Are you going to say anything? Did you hear a word I said?" Francis demanded angrily, face going red from the frustration. He couldn't believe this- he couldn't actually believe this. He covered his face and groaned. "Where did our sweet boy go?"
"I...where is he?" Arthur asked, managing some word. "B-braginsky? That name sounds familiar...who was that again?" He was slowly coming back to his senses, though he was evidently shaken up. A slick feeling pooled in his gut.
"His teacher!" Francis crowed, flustered and angry with his husband for being so out of touch and spacey. "Oh god… Oh mon dieu, all those tutoring sessions make sense now. Alfred is being- being taken advantage of! He is pregnant! He wants to have this baby, and- and have that man be in his life…"
"Tutoring sessions..." Arthur just rubbed his temple, bending over and perplexed. He wasn't sure how to respond. He was angry, surely; however, he wasn't sure what he could really do about it. What had been done had been done. He sighed, muttering, "Where is he now?"
"Over at that man's house- I tried to get him to come home, I…" Francis groaned and held his face in his hands. "I am a failure as a father- I can not even protect my own son from the biggest dangers- I always thought he would be safe…"
"You're not a failure of a father, Francis." Arthur groaned, leaning back and holding his husband close. "He's a teenage brat, it was bound to happen. Well...not really, but I suspected that no good could come from that school. Why is he at that man's house again?"
"Because he's the father- have you not been listening?" This wasn't helping. "I went over there to kick his ass, and…well, Alfred stayed there and I went home. I tried to bring him home, but…" He couldn't believe this. "Alfred is pregnant…by his teacher…"
"Why'd you do that?" Arthur asked, turning to Francis. "I understand you're upset, but...you went over to his house? Don't you think that's a little irrational?" He sighed, leaning back on the couch. "Yes, it's a horrible situation, I understand. His teacher knocked him up...honestly we should have been more suspicious when he continuously left the house every weekend. And stayed after everyday for tutoring, really, who's that enthusiastic about tutoring?"
"Don't remind me." Francis rubbed at his temple and his eyes. "Oh god, we could have stopped this… I should have listened to you." He never thought he would say that. "I was irrational, mon cher. Very irrational. Still irrational. I am just…so frustrated."
"Why wouldn't Alfred come home?" Arthur asked, suspicious. He couldn't figure out why he would choose to simply stay with his lover instead of with his family.
"Euh… Because I punched sat man in the face. I am not sorry." Francis laid his head down in his arms with a deep sigh. "Ohhnnn… We need out boy back, but…" he feared that he had done irreparable damage.
"Francis..." Arthur moaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I thought you were more eloquent than that...So how can we get him to come home?"
"I don't know… I said some things that I probably should not 'ave. French excluded." He sighed deeply and picked his head up. "We just need our boy back, because I need to- to help him. He is pregnant, he can not be away from his family! Especially since I said he can not see his mate again."
"Wait, what?" Arthur snapped, looking rather agitated. "You told him that? No wonder he doesn't want to come home. No, he will see his 'mate' again. That fucker is going to help support that baby, at least. It's not going to be just a fuck and flight. He decides to mess around with our child, he has to pay the consequences."
Francis sighed again. "I suppose I did say that out of spite… He seemed like he wanted to be in she baby's life." Earnestly too. He couldn't ever say he'd seen Arthur look like that. Not that he'd say it out loud. "Oh, mon cher, this is one big mess…"
Arthur nodded, holding his husband close. "It'll be fine...well, maybe not fine, but we'll work this out. Do we know anything about the child? When it was conceived? Anything?"
"I didn't bother to find out… I don't think he can be too far along, he isn't quite showing yet." Francis couldn't believe he was even thinking about this. "I overreacted." Big time. "But I want our boy to be safe… What happened?"
"Yeah, you sure did overreact." Arthur grumbled, leaning back. "Couldn't even wait for me to get home before you went over to punch the father. But I suppose it's...understandable. I was surprised as well. And I am angry; however, we...we need to look at this rationally."
"Look who's saying that," Francis muttered. He took a deep breath and shook his head. "Well, I left him my phone- he is going to have to call us… Or us call him. It… We need to get him to come home, we need to make sure he is safe." He couldn't just let his boy out there, pregnant, without his parents to protect him.
"Yes, making sure he'll come home is probably our priority. I would also like to meet the father of the child...and have a serious discussion with him." Arthur sighed, standing from the couch to go grab his bottle of whiskey. "He is the father of the child, we shouldn't push him out of the picture. I would like to get to know him, however. Make sure he'll be responsible for the child."
"Well, it is Mr. Braginsky- you did meet him briefly, I remember." Francis sighed and rubbed at his temple. "Should we call him? I don't want to push him away anymore. Or should we wait?"
"I know I met him briefly." Arthur groaned, pouring a shot at that. "But I didn't meet him meet him. I don't know anything about him except for the facts that he's Russian, he's Alfred's English teacher, and he's now the father of our unborn grandchild. I want to know more about his character." He took the shot and shook his head. "No. He's probably upset tonight. Just leave him be until morning. Things will be more settled then."
"I suppose you're right." Francis reached over to touch Arthur's hand, looking for reassurance. "I just hope they're ready for this. Do you think they're ready for a child? Either of them?" Alfred must be so scared… And Ivan looked hesitant despite how he stood up for him.
"Alfred?" Arthur gave a bitter laugh as he sat back down on the couch. "Hell no. He's a child himself, he's not ready for this sort of thing. As for the father...well, he's a bit older isn't he? I don't know him personally enough to speak up for him, but he's surely more mature than Alfred. He is a teacher after all. He must have some experience with children, if not small ones."
"I'm just afraid they'll be in over their heads. I want our boy to be happy. We're going to have to help them a lot with the baby!" If Alfred still intended on attending school and then college? He was going to need to have outside help.
"Well, we'll be here to help. And being here to help means that we can't push Alfred away by restricting him from his...He really mated with the man?" Arthur asked cynically, rolling his eyes. "The young fool, but he is our son, and we need to be here and support him. He must be far more fearful about the situation than we are." Arthur wasn't happy with the situation. He didn't like how Alfred had single-handedly ruined his life by doing something so stupid, but what was done had been done. They just needed to stay strong and pick up the pieces now and hope for the best.
Francis took a deep breath, trying to think thoroughly. "Well, I still want him to go through school. We can help him through this, non? He will probably have zhe baby before next school year. We can keep his record clean."
"We'll keep him in school. A baby won't deviate his plans for college; I won't let it. If that means that we need to take care of the baby moreso than the parents, then so be it." Arthur wouldn't mind taking care of an infant. Despite his crabbyness, he was good with young children. Memories of giving his two little twins piggy back rides and reading them bedtime stories before bed came back to him. They were much simpler times.
"well, I think when Alfred is out of school he can take night classes while the father is teaching school, that way one of them will always be with the child." Francis had a relatively free schedule, so he could help babysit- and he could help give money to pay for a babysitter too. "Well… It's better we support them than damn them, I agree. I just hope Alfred will accept it- he can be so stubborn."
"I think he'll be grateful for our help, Francis." Arthur sighed, resting his head on his husband's shoulder. "He must be panicking about this. I think he'll be relieved if we support him. Yelling and scolding him will drive him away. Let's be rational about this in the morning when we call him."
Francis nodded and turned to his husband to hug him properly. "I lost it today, I need to apologize… But Alfred is thinking that you will be a lot angrier. Should I make the call?" He wondered if he should just back away for a bit, since he had completely blown up.
"I think we should wait until morning to talk about this, though I don't see what harm there could be if you called him tonight to apologize." Arthur nodded, lying back on the couch.
"I'll go do that," Francis sighed as he picked up his husband's phone and dialed his number. There was no pickup, so instead he left a message, saying he was sorry and that he and Arthur wanted to talk to both Alfred and Ivan later. They would see how it worked out then.