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.
