****Quotev exclusive! I'm not overly pleased with this chapter so I won't post it on Ao3, but I wrote it so I want to share, so only quotev will get this chapter while I work on the next one*****

Mathew doesn't answer Alfred, though he doesn't know if it's because he "can't" or because he "won't". It's ridiculous, no way righteous or warranted, but Mathew still feels the seething resentment and inferiority towards Alfred writhing in his chest. His self-loathing only grows when he recognizes this.

Even though Alfred is still waiting for his answer, even though his twin had begged him for another chance, Mathew can't make himself answer. He doesn't think he has the right. Alfred, kind and gentle Alfred, doesn't understand the nasty thing that Mathew is, not at all. His twin who is so kind and pure as to even offer someone like Mathew a second chance cant understand the depth of the horribleness in Matthew's heart. He doesn't deserve to have to suffer from it.

Even so, Mathew can't say "no". Alfred doesn't deserve that either. He wipes at the tears on his face to stall for time, wincing as he brushed his swollen eye. Alfred twitches, and when Mathew blinks his good eye, he flinches too. There are tears in Alfred's eyes, glittering on the corners and creating a film over his twin's eyes, moments from spilling. Mathew knows he put them their, and suddenly he can't be in the same room as Alfred anymore. He's afraid of any answer he can give, anything he might say or do. Mathew doesn't want to hurt Alfred anymore.

So he chooses to ignore the question, and instead, he only responds to Alfred's most recent statement with a slight dip of his head. Alfred meets his eyes, and Mathew sees a tiredness in his twins eyes, a look he's seen many times before on the same face.

"Ah, Alfred!"

The familiar accent draws Mathews attention immediately, and even though he knows it's not calling for him, he turns to look anyways. To his surprise, he sees Arthur looking directly at him.

"Alfred!"

Arthur demands again, and Mathew automatically scans the room for his twin, before he realizes what's going on. He feels his heart sink as Arthur approaches.

"Hi Arthur."

Arthur doesn't even acknowledge Matthew's greeting.

"Alfred! You said you were going to drive me home half an hour ago! If you've decided I'm not worth your time, you should have just told me, you wanker! I could have asked France!"

Mathew hesitates. The words are on the edge of his tongue, "Arthur, I'm not Alfred,"but he doesn't bother to say them. What's the point? Even if he does, Arthur will just apologize politely and walk away. Mathew knows from past experiences that even if he offers to drive Arthur, he'll only decline and go looking for Alfred instead. He always does.

Something twinges in Matthew's chest, and he can't tell if it's guilt or jealousy as he speaks.

"Sorry Arthur. I got distracted. I'll drive you home right away."

Arthur lights up, beaming triumphantly, and Mathew feels a heavy sense of loss when he sees that.

"About time." Arthur huffs, "Let's go!"

Mathew does his best to mimic Alfred's smile.

"Go ahead, I'll meet you there. Just need the bathroom real quick."

Arhtu doesn't question it, and Mathew slips into the bathroom and pulls out his cellphone to call his twin. Alfred picks up on the second ring.

"Mattie? What's up?"

Alfred sounds excited as always, and Mathew feels both irritated and frustrated. His response is a little colder and more accusatory than he'd like.

"Arthur is waiting by your truck for you to drive him home."

"Oh."

Alfred's enthusiasm dies down instantly.

"Actually.. I'm really busy... Could you drive him home for me?"

Alfred's flippancy is scraping Matthew's sore spot like a rusty nail, and there's something nasty and infectious stirring there. Even though Mathew knows this is always Alfred's personality, it irritates him. How Alfred, who has everything Matthew's ever wanted, can't even take care of it. How he treats everyone around him like nothing. No, maybe to someone as perfect as Alfred, they are nothing, both Arthur's and Matthew's feelings.

Mathew releases a bit of his venomous thoughts in his words, though he knows Alfred won't catch it.

"You never change." A deep, steadying breathe. "Fine, I'll do it."

He hangs up before Alfred can have the chance to respond with something stupidly kind or nice. Before Alfred can make Mathew feel worse. Mathew doesn't want to face the nastiness that makes him feel even lower than he usually does.

Mathew meets Arthur in the parking lot, and Arthur lights up.

"Alfred, you're finally here! About time!"

Arthur doesn't seem to notice when Mathew leads him to his truck instead of Alfred's, and he's already nagging a mile a minute as he climbs inside, in a way he never does to Mathew. Mathew tries to mimic Alfred's annoyed expression, but the reflection in the window just look tired.

Mathew wonders is that's what the face of a liar looks like.

He climbs inside the truck.

The weariness in Alfred's eyes is exhausting Mathew too, and he feels trapped and hopeless. In the end, what does it matter? If this situation could be fixed with only a few words, then what was the point of his beearing it all these years? The answer is as threatening as it is obvious. If their relationship can be fixed with nothing but a few words, then Matthew's efforts and quiet suffering were pointless. Mathew doesn't think he can face that.

He breaks eye contact with Alfred, and the spell is broken. Alfred moves in a whirl, and Mathew thinks he hears a muffled sob, but he can't make himself move. Just like all those years ago, Mathew remains frozen by choice. Just like all those years ago, Mathew doesn't look at Alfred's back as he leaves Mathew behind again.

"Enough, Arthur."

There's a stoicness in Alfred's frame that makes him seem as unbendable as a rock, as Inmoveable as a mountain. Alfred looks directly at Arthur as he speaks, not mining his words.

"I have nothing to do with you anymore. I'm in control of my own life now."

Francis nods approvingly from behind Alfred, and though Alfred can't see him, Mathew can, and Mathew can't shake the feeling something is breaking. Arthur gasps for air as though he's suffocating.

"Alfred, you-"

Alfred interrupts Arthur, cutting off whatever he might have said.

"Goodbye, Arthur."

Arthur sputter, but the words die when Alfred says his last words, and Mathew knows that Alfred isn't just taking to Arthur when he speaks.

"I refuse to be your family anymore. You've lost the right for that."

Mathew knows that Alfred is saying that to him too, and somehow he finds he can't gather the courage to look at Alfred as he walks away, instead focusing on a random tree in the distance. Mathew has a feeling that if he looks at Alfred's strong back as he leaves victoriously, he'll have no choice but to admit Alfred is the better of the pair, and Mathew is scared of what he might do if that happens. Instead, Mathew watches the tree as he hears Arthur break down in broken sobs next to him as the heavy rain that's falling becomes even more torrential.

Mathew is scared of what he'll see if he looks.