"No, no, no, and no!" Alfred howled at his mother when she had told her two sons that she had invited their shadowy neighbor Mr. Kirkland over for dinner that evening. Matthew froze at her words momentarily but continued eating his cereal and took the invitation more calmly than his twin.

Their mother rolled her eyes at her boy's objection while she continued pouring her morning cup of coffee. "I really don't see what you have against him, Alfred? He truly seems like a nice man and I think having him over will be a wonderful way of getting to know him better." She smiled while taking a sip of her coffee that she begged would help wake her up.

"But we all shook hands and met yesterday!? Isn't that enough!?" Alfred complained.

"Well, most of us shook his hand." Matthew muttered while taking another spoon full of cereal, smiling when his twin cast him a warning glare.

"Alfred." Their mother said, setting her coffee on the kitchen island. "I think out of all of us that it is you who has to be more willing for this. The way you acted in front of him was immature and embarrassing for us all. Tonight you will on your best behavior and treat him with respect."

"Respect my ass…" Alfred mumbled, crossing his arms stubbornly.

"Do I make myself clear?" she demanded. Matthew gave his brother a look that told him to knock it off already and listen to their mom.

Alfred rolled his eyes at them both. "Yes, yes! I'll be on my best behavior and all okay? Ughh, but I'm not sitting next to him or else I'm eating in my room." he groaned before getting up from his chair and putting his full bowl of cereal in the sink to wash it all down. He completely lost his appetite as soon as his mom muttered the name of the man across the street. Later on in the day he'd probably regret not eating but at the moment he couldn't eat a thing if he tried.

"You may have to if you keep that attitude up." She mumbled into her cup before leaving the room to go and get ready for work.

Their mother worked at the town's art gallery as any job that she pleased thanks to her husband, Mr. Edelstein, who owned the gallery. Most of the time she preferred giving tours and decided what art is be hung and what not. She loved her job very much but not as of late since her husband was not there with her. The boy's father was across seas on a business trip, looking for works of art to be bought and brought home with him to hang in his gallery. Mrs. Edelstein insisted that she was fine with the weeks of separation from her loving husband, but her boys could tell that she missed him very much while he was gone.

Alfred was standing by the front door with his arms crossed and head against the wall. His morning was not going as smoothly as he would have liked but when did it ever? Getting horrible news, going to school, and coming home to a freaky old man siting at your kitchen table and eating your food. His stomach started turning with the thought of what happened the previous night with his British neighbor. The way he eyed him was wrong… He eyed him like a piece of meat and pretty much treated him as much when he licked his face clean of blood. That night he fell asleep in his brother's arms because he was so shook up about the event to be alone.

Mr. Kirkland didn't just scare him, but horrified him to no ends. The man's green eyes would burn themselves onto your skin while he smirked at his claim. And that's what Alfred felt like, a claim waiting to happen. There was nowhere he could hide. Mr. Kirkland was going to do something to him and Alfred could just feel it in his bones. What was he going to do…?

"Alfred." A hand reached out and touched him on the shoulder.

"Pedophile!" Alfred screamed and karate chopped the unknown hand as he spun around and continued in his assault.

"Alfred! It's just me! Stop would ya!?" Matthew yelled and slugged his brother right in the stomach in anger. His twin gripped his stomach and bent over, gasping for air because it was knocked right out of him.

"Damn… you…" he hissed.

Matthew rolled his eyes and slung an arm over his brother's chest to help the other blonde up properly. He didn't mean to hit his brother as hard as he did but at least it stopped him from whacking him like an old woman would do with her purse. He could only hope his brother wouldn't be this jumpy for the rest of their school day.

As soon as they said their goodbyes to their mom, they together left their house and started making their way down the street to their bus stop. It wasn't that far from their house but it was enough to annoy Alfred and have him complain about it everyday no matter how times he repeated the routine.

Matthew had his hands in his pockets and eyed his brother every so often as they walked. He thought that Alfred looked exhausted. Bags were under his eyes and he slouched his back over when he walked. Punching him in the stomach was starting to make the slightly older twin feel guilty and regret the somewhat good-humored beating.

Coughing to clear the silence, Matthew nudged his brother's arm sympathetically. "You've been quiet since we left. Everything all right?" he asked. Alfred didn't look at him but he grinned and snorted before stopping in the middle of the road.

"Matt… You don't think I'm crazy about Mr. Kirkland, do you?" his blue eyes looked weak as he eyed his brother soundlessly.

The question caught Matthew off guard but he answered it in the kindest method that he could think of on the spot. "Not crazy, just uh faultily swayed."

"I'm what?"

"Look, I know you think Mr. Kirkland is some horrible being but maybe he isn't? I too think he is a little odd but there are people out there like that. Maybe the man just doesn't get a lot of social interaction like us so he is awkward around people, orrr-"

"-It's a British thing?" Alfred cut in and grinned.

Matthew smiled because his brother was at least listening to him and was good enough to joke around. "Sure. Maybe it's a British thing." he knew it wasn't in anyway a cultural thing, but whatever floated his brother's boat floated his too some days.

"Now come on bro, we gotta catch that bus or else mom will be pissed if she has to drive us again!" they laughed about it before both sprinting in a mad dash to see who could reach the end of the street first.

Matthew had won the race but Alfred called him for foul play because he took his glasses from him and ran ahead. The twin reached the bus stop in a breathing mess while Alfred ran full speed past the spot where they were supposed to stop and kept on going down the road instinctively. Matthew watched and nearly fell over from laughing so hard till he remembered that his brother was running blind and on a road where there were other cars. He sprinted after his brother and hauled him back as he yelled in his ear about almost dying.

Finally the bus had come and the twins took their seats next to one another. Alfred chose to sit next to the window and made his brother sit on the outside and have everyone's backpack whack him as they passed down the aisle. The doors shut and the old buses engine spurted before growling and jerking forward and finally driving off and onto the next destination. Alfred had his glasses back on and could see far better as he watched the houses pass by in a blur. When it came time to pass Mr. Kirkland's house, Alfred couldn't convince himself to look away.

The teen nervously stared at the luxurious old-fashioned home in horror and awe. He had to admit it was a rather nice home compared to the others in their neighborhood but he wouldn't dare take a step inside for any amount of money.

The home looked empty for none of the lights were on (no surprise) and the usual black BMW was missing out of the driveway for the first time as far back as the American could remember because it was usually there every morning they passed by. Alfred just assumed the man must have gone to work like any other adult would and didn't think twice about for the rest of the ride.

~.~

The boys arrived at school and went their separate ways to their classes. Alfred and his brother were both in the 10th grade at their local high school. Not old enough to be considered upper classmen, but the two counted the days till they were. The school was fairly small with each classroom having 14 students or even less in some of the boy's other classes.

Since Matthew and Alfred were brothers, the two were not allowed to have any classes together because of some imprudent rule that their mother would call and complain about every year. At first they were quite upset about not having any classes together but they realized after a few weeks that being apart really wasn't all that bad. They were able to meet to new friends and try things that the other wouldn't usually want to participate in. Because of this, Alfred met a new transfer student all the way from Japan named Kiku. The two hit it off on the first day and became best friends ever since.

Alfred walked into his first class and plopped down next to Kiku who was reading something in the desk next to him. He looked up from his book and smiled at his blonde American friend. "Good morning Alfred-kun. You ready for the test today?"

"The whaa?" Alfred yawned.

"The teacher told us last class. You forgot, didn't you?" Kiku smiled lightly and shook his head.

"Yeah but how couldn't I? I've had so much shit going on that I don't even remember what I ate for breakfast this morning!" just then the blonde's stomach growled and both him and Kiku looked down at it.

"Scratch that… I just remembered that I ate nothing. And my stomach remembers also." He leaned back and crossed his arms over his stomach to keep it from growling louder.

"You always eat breakfast. Not have time this morning?"

"Nahh, just lost my appetite is all. I will regain it before lunch in no time." he grinned pompously.

Kiku watched and curiously thought what could ever make the blond lose his will to eat. It must have been something pretty horrible for the American to want nothing in his never-ending stomach.

"So Alfred-kun, what was it that made you displace your appetite?"

"Okay I know you probably wont believe me, but last night-"

Just then their teacher called out for the class to be silent and turned his gaze on Alfred grimly. "Mr. Jones, may you please make your way to my desk. Something has been dropped off for you."

"Uh, sure." He looked at his friend for a moment then stood to pass by the rows of his fellow students to make his way to the front of the class with the waiting teacher. He stopped at the end of the wooden desk and eyed a couple of items on it before looking the elderly man in the eyes. He always hated looking his teachers in the eye. It felt like they were judging him and if he made one slip up then his grade was pretty much doomed.

"This was dropped off at the front office for you this morning. There is a note on it that is addressed to you." The man pulled out a box from one of his steel drawers and placed down a little white box with a red ribbon tied nicely around it as a seal.

Alfred gulped at the sight of it. Something about it felt wrong and he didn't want to take it from his teacher's hands.

"Well, take it now young man. It was sent to you." He pushed the item at the blonde who almost dropped it several times from trying to handle it when it almost fell. He heard thudding from inside the box as it flipped around in his grasp.

Alfred held it far away from his body as possible as if it were a bomb that was glued to his palms. "Do you know who dropped it off?"

The old man perched his lips and narrowed his eyes at the thought but he just shook his head after a moment of laziness. "Nope. Just arrived in my mailbox in the front office that was addressed to my class. Now sit please so class can begin."

Alfred nodded his head in agreement and went to sit back in his seat. He placed the box in the middle of his desk and just stared at. He didn't want to open it and if he did, then something bad was sure to happen. What was it filled with anyways? Snakes? Or maybe it was filled with spiders as someone's cruel prank? But was it even from somebody in this school? A flicker of a certain someone flashed into his head but he shook it free before the cold memories could resurface.

Kiku looked at the box the same way Alfred did. The little white package had an odd feeling about it and he felt the urge to toss it out the nearest window.

"What do you have there?"

"I don't know…" Alfred mumbled in response to his friend's question. Finally agreeing that he might as well open the damn thing already, he reached for the ribbon that fell apart in one lax pull of the strings end. A little note came falling from the ribbons mess and lay atop them. He gently picked it up and caressed it with his fingers. It was a slim white slice of paper.

He flipped it over and saw writing on the other side in very beautiful cursive. It made him feel almost important that someone of this proficiency would take time to write to him.

"What does it say Alfred-kun?" Kiku asked as he eyed it, not wanting to touch the card or any piece of the gift.

Dearest Alfred,

A growing boy should never skip a meal.

Alfred let the card slip in-between his fingers and ignored it as it fell between the desk and onto the floor.

Someone knew that he skipped breakfast that morning. It couldn't have been Matthew because although his brother in deed had nice handwriting; it was horrible in comparison to this. His mother then perhaps? She plenty of times watched him skip a meal ad never once sent him food from home to school. This was someone else who had known about his morning events. But who? He glanced at Kiku for a moment and doubted that his Japanese friend could have called someone to send him food in the seconds after he told him.

Slowly, Alfred lifted the lid and set it down on his desk next to the pretty red ribbons. He put his hand into the box as if it were going to slice his hand like he had seen in the movie SAW with Kiku.

"What is it?" Kiku asked.

Alfred pulled the ruby object out and held it in both hands delicately. "It's an Apple…"

The ruby fruit gleamed at him and beckoned him to take a bite of it. His mouth began to water and the apples indulgent smell drifted to his noise. It was beautiful and he bet it tasted just as marvelous as it looked.

He brought the apple to lips and let it his tongue dance on its smooth and spotless skin. He wanted to bite into it and let the sugary water flow into his dry mouth and stream down his throat in satisfactory. Not caring whom it can from anymore, he opened his mouth for that one incredible bite.

"No!" Kiku slapped the apple from Alfred's hands and sent it rolling along the floor under desks and passing around the feet of their unaware classmates.

Alfred froze with his hands still in front of his face as if there was still an object held there. What was he about to do? Was he actually about to eat an apple gifted from a complete stranger?

"Alfred-kun? Are you ok?" Alfred looked at his friend and Kiku noticed how scared the other boy gazed back. "Who sent you that apple? Do you know?" he asked again but with more aggression.

The American just shook his head as a reply and danced his eyes on the apple still rolling around the room. "I-I honestly don't know…"

The Japanese boy frowned and watched the apple finally stop it's rolling and come to a stand still in the corner of the room in the dark, as if it were hiding. Its bloody skin was shining even from the distance that it set its self from the two boys. Kiku thought about picking gift up and disposing it himself but something in his head just told him to not touch it and let it be and the same went for Alfred. He couldn't let his friend touch the apple or anything sent from an anonymous stranger like that again.

He didn't know who sent the neatly packaged little gift, but it reeked of wickedness and was determined to spill its malicious upon Alfred as well.

~.~

Alfred was lying in bed that evening after school had finally ended. His brother was on the other side of the room reading some lame Hockey magazine to himself while he just cuddled his pillow close to his chest. All day long Alfred couldn't deny the one thing on his mind, the apple. A gift sent from a stranger specifically to him. The note itself made him feel even more insecure about his beliefs that someone or something was out to get him. The way Kiku had acted towards the gift was the weirdest thing for the Japanese boy to do when he was usually well reserved and respected things that belonged to others. So what about the apple made him go from tranquil and cool to outrageous in a matter of seconds?

The rest of the school day was filled with Kiku asking Alfred non-stop questions about the gift and its donor when the blond knew just as little about it as Kiku did. It didn't help matters for Alfred when every few minutes his friend would ask of the apple when he was specifically trying so damn hard to just forget about it.

With the ruby fruit on his mind all day long and curiosity for its sweet watery taste at a never-ending high, Alfred had snuck back into the classroom and retrieved the apple to hide it away in his bag. He was more than surprised to find the fruit in the same spot where it had rolled and seemed as clean as when it did before being taken out of his bundle.

Matthew looked over at his brother from his magazine and noticed the weird gaze Alfred had fixed on the ceiling above him. He paused to put his magazine down and made a coughing noise to gain the others attention. "You're usually this quite when you're either sleeping or sick, so what's up?" Matthew asked.

Alfred didn't feel like smiling but he knew he better had in order to please his twin. "Nah dude, I'm just daydreaming is all. You can go back to reading about moose or whatever."

"Its hockey, Al. How does that even relate to moose? You know what, never mind." The older twin sighed and stood up to toss the magazine into his large collection by the foot of his bed. "So you ready for Mr. Kirkland to come over tonight?"

Alfred just scuffed and rolled over to face the wall, not wanting to meet the smug look on his brother's face.

"Oh come on Al, it will only be for a couple of hours. 3 at the most and the man will be on his way."

"3 hours too many…" the younger twin mumbled into his pillow that he still held close to his chest. Matthew laughed and sat at the end of his bed.

"I promise there won't be a single moment where the two of you will be alone. You have mom and I with you remember? It's not like the guy will try anything on you like you said he did last time."

Yes, Alfred had told his brother of what Mr. Kirkland did to him but he had a pretty hard time believing it because it just sounded so far fetched for something like that to come from the British man, despite Alfred's beliefs of him being some type of super villain.

Alfred groaned and sat up to face his brother who was smiling confidently at him. "First of all, that was all true! The man is a total creep! And secondly, you sure as hell wont dare leave me alone with him again!" he ordered, raising his voice as he spoke.

"You have my word Al. And a twin never breaks a promise to his twin." They both smiled at each other with the corny but true oath as Alfred let it sink in that his night may be ok after all.

"Alfred! Matthew! Come down stairs please and help me set the table!" their mother yelled from below to her sons hidden away in their bedroom.

Mathew was first to stand and held his hand out to assist his brother who stayed spotted on the bed. "You coming? Might as well get this over with you know."

"I need to change first but I promise to come down. Tell mom I'll be there in a second." Matthew nodded and left the room to give Alfred his privacy in changing attire.

Not even a second that his twin shut the bedroom door, Alfred sprung up from his bed in a flash and darted to his backpack that he had placed on top of his and Matthews shared desk. Picking up his Avenger themed bag, he carried it with him to his bed where he sat him and his bag down. Alfred could feel his nerves on edge as he eyed the bag intensely and slowing pulled the zipper open enough to fit his hand inside. The way he felt about this was similar to how he felt when he was sneaky a cookie from the cookie jar, never knowing just when someone may walk into the room and catch him in the act.

Would Kiku be mad at him for going behind his back and doing the very thing that he had told him not to do? But how would he know about it anyways? It could just be his little secret and his alone.

The teen reached into his bag and shivered as his fingertips came in contact with the fruits smooth skin. It sent shivers up his arm and down his spin. His mouth watered the closer he brought the apple out of his bag and into the evening daylight of his room.

Holding the crimson apple preciously cupped in his hands, Alfred closed his eyes and brought it up to his mouth to let his teeth sink into the rich harvest gift that had plagued his mind since he'd first laid eyes on it.