Chapter 20: Talking croissants
"Ugh..Il est trop tôt!" (It's too early) Complained Francis as he and Arthur made their way up a hill in the park to look at the sunrise. It had been roughly two years since they had met, and the cold March wind bit through their coats, making the couple shiver. Actually, Arthur was shivering about something else, and was grateful for the cold as an excuse.
"Oh belt up frog we're nearly there." The Englishman snapped, burying his face in his scarf and squeezing the Frenchman's hand. Arthur had dragged a reluctant Francis out for a morning walk, insisting that the now eight year olds Matthew and Alfred would be fine by themselves for a couple hours in the morning. "Look. The sun will rise soon." Arthur pointed out as they reached the top of the hill, gazing out to where the sky was streaked with reds and orange, showing the promise of a new day.
"It iz nozing I 'aven't seen before. Ze sunrise over ze cliffs of Corsica iz très belle, remind me to take you to France sometime." Francis remarked, putting his hands in the pockets of his overcoat and taking a deep breath, slight wind blowing his golden hair away from his face. Arthur took a deep breath to steel himself, it was now or never.
"Look darling a talking croissant!" He exclaimed, frantically pointing in the other direction.
"Quoi?" Francis asked, head whipping around to follow Arthur's hand. "Mon cher zere iz nozing zere, you must be tired..." he shook his head, slowly turning back to his boyfriend. "Oh mon dieu!" Francis gasped, hand flying up to his lips. Arthur was on one knee in the grass before him, taking the hand that remained at the Frenchman's side and clasping it in both of his own.
"Francis." Arthur began, his voice low and laced with the most exquisite accent. "Tu es l'amour de ma vie. Vous me complétez, et j'espère que je ferai la même chose pour vous. Je t'aime. Francis Bonnefoy, mon amour, mon ange... veux-tu m'épouser?" He asked, letting go of Francis's hands to take a small black box out of his pocket and opening it to reveal a rose gold ring with a large diamond set in the center. (You are the love of my life. You complete me, and I hope I do the same for you. I love you. Francis Bonnefoy, my love, my angel… will you marry me?)
Francis began to cry, tears pouring out of his sapphire eyes as he nodded, throwing himself onto Arthur. "Oui! Oui! A million times yes!" He cried, embracing his fiancé. A few overjoyed tears began to trace their way down Arthur's face as he beamed, slipping the ring onto his love's finger. As soon as the ring was on Francis grabbed Arthur and kissed him, both kneeling in the grass as the sun painted the sky above them, showing their love for the world to see.
The need for air separated them and Francis stood up, carrying the other in his arms. "Je t'aime Arthur." Francis whispered softly, the ends of his bangs just brushing Arthur's face. "You do realize zat when people ask who iz ze girl I'm still going to say you, right?"
Arthur groaned, head resting on Francis's shoulder. "Bloody hell I hoped that you would forget about that. Why do I have to be the girl? You're the one with the long hair!"
"Hon hon hon mon lapin but everybody knows zat I've got ze biggest-"
"FrANcis!" They laughed as they walked home together, hands entwined and rings glinting in the morning light. Unknown to at least one of them, a certain French-Canadian man crouched in the bushes, cigarette dangling from his lips and a large camera around his neck, wiping away tears.
As they approached Francis's house they spotted a dark figure on the porch, a baseball bat slung across his shoulder and a smartphone in his hands. "Hey Art! How'd it go?" Allen asked in his strong New York accent and with a grin, pushing his sunglasses to the top of his red-brown head. "Do I need to beat anyone's face in with a bat?" Arthur laughed and shook his head, holding up his hand while Francis's jaw dropped.
"Tu savais?!" (you knew)
"Both of us did, actually. Who do you think helped Arthur translate?" A bored voice broke in and Francis turned his head to see Matt leaning against the railing, smoking with a camera hanging on a strap around his neck, limp hair gathered into a messy ponytail and dull violet eyes smirking with amusement. "He asked me to take pictures." He showed the camera to Allen who took one look and started rubbing his eyes furiously.
"Fuck you Matt you're making me soft dammit." He growled, placing his glasses over his red eyes. Matt snorted, blowing smoke in his twin's face before extinguishing the cigarette.
"Hey dickwad who do you think took the fucking pictures? I cried my eyes out like a little girl too, but unlike you I'm not a pansy and am willing to admit it." The newly engaged Arthur chuckled and clapped Allen on the back.
"Thank you so much for helping me with this, I couldn't have done it without you." Arthur thanked Matt, shaking his hand with tears in his eyes. Matt smiled softly, quite a rare sight.
"De rien. I had to make sure it was translated correctly, but the ring was the correct choice. Now aren't there certain kids inside that have to receive the news? I have to print out the pictures and this idiot is driving." He hinted, grabbing his brother's arm and dragging him down the steps despite his protests.
Francis and Arthur walked into the house hand in hand, climbing the stairs together.
"You know mon cher," Francis began "since we are getting married, 'ow would you and Alfie like to live 'ere? You do spent 'alf of ze time 'ere." He offered, twirling the ends of his hair around.
"That would be lovely." Arthur replied, blushing lightly. The boys did have sleepovers every other day, and spent nearly all of their time together. Arthur often stayed himself, so much that the toothbrush resting on Francis's counter was used more often than his one at home, and you would almost always see two book bags when you walked through the door.
Francis knocked on his son's door, hearing two identical groans respond. Two heads popped up as he opened it, Alfred yawning and getting out of his, rubbing his eyes. Francis had decided to move the spare bed into Matthew's room after the sleepovers had become more often than not, fed up with entering in the mornings and finding one of the boys on the floor.
"Hi dad." Alfred said glumly, staring at the floor. "Do we have to go home? Can't I stay a bit longer?" He pleaded, Matthew dragging himself out of bed to stand next to the other boy, rubbing his eyes with one hand and the other holding his bear.
"Alfred you are 'ome." Francis stated with a grin, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet. "I 'ope you don't mind sharing a room with your frère." Alfred just looked confused while Matthew looked shocked, startled into awareness.
"Quoi?"
"On va se marier!" Francis shouted, beaming as he showed the hand that was hidden behind his back, grabbing Arthur and kissing him. (We are getting married)
The boys yelled in happiness as Alfred grabbed Matthew and began to dance around the room with him, shouting "MATTIE MATTIE MATTIE YOU'RE MY BROTHER NOW! AWESOME!" Both of them tackled the couple in bear hugs, beaming grins on all of their faces.
"Arthur?" Matthew asked, looking up at Arthur. "If you and papa are getting married, can I call you dad?" He asked, hopeful amethyst eyes meeting emerald ones. Arthur nodded, hugging the boy. "Merci beaucoup dad." Matthew said, embracing his new stepfather.
"If Mattie is calling dad dad, can I call you papa?" Alfred asked, Francis nearly crying out of happiness at that simple request.
"Bien sûr mon cher Alfred. Now we 'ave to tell everyone." Francis remembered, a sly smirk curling the edges of his lips. "But I will need your 'elp." He began to tell the plan to the others, trying his best to keep a straight face despite the kids howling with laughter and Arthur screaming 'you want to do bloody WHAT?'
Francis set his laptop down on the edge of the coffee table, sitting so he could just be seen, but Arthur, who was standing to the side, could not. He made a group video call to all of his friends, planning to tell his sisters and Arthur's family separately. Gilbert and Elizaveta's faces appeared on one third of the screen, Feliciano's and Ludwig's blinked into existence next to them, and Antonio along with Lovino followed soon after.
"Buongiorno vino bastardo."
"Hola Francis!"
"Guten Morgen Francis. Izn't it very early zhere?"
"Sup Frenchy!"
"Ve~ Ciao!"
"Jó reggelt Francis!" they all greeted in a mix of languages, faces cheerful with the exception of Lovino, who was scowling as usual. Francis hung his head, biting his lip to stop a smile.
"Salut mes amis." He replied without his usual flair, needing to appear sad and disinterested. "I 'ave some news." He took a deep breath, looking up at the ceiling dramatically. "Arthur et moi… are no longer dating." multiple screams and questions greeted this, as well as the shattering of something.
"CHE COSA? COME MAI?!" Lovino yelled, springing up from where he was sitting and running off screen, still yelling in rapid-fire Italian while his husband yelled for him to come back. "GET ME THE FASTEST FLIGHT VERSO GLI STATI UNITI ADESSO!" the Italian screamed on the phone, repeating himself in French, German, and Spanish when the person on the phone did not respond within five seconds.
"¡Lovi cálmese por favor!" Antonio pleaded, getting up and trying to wrestle the phone away from Lovino.
"VHAT? But vhy? I zought zhat jou vere perfectly happy!" Gilbert protested, sad look morphing into anger. "DID HE HURT JOU? I'LL KILL HIM!" he roared, Elizaveta not stopping him but crying about the loss of her otp. Arthur watched offscreen, happy but also mildly terrified at how Francis's friends reacted to the Frenchman possibly being hurt.
"Non non it's not like zat!" Francis protested, Lovino nearly drowning him out with yelling.
"IF THAT BASTARDO HURT MIO CUGINO I WILL MAKE PASTA OUT OF HIM DAMMIT I ACTUALLY LIKED THIS ONE!"
"LOVINO CALM DOWN BLOODY HELL YOU DIDN'T LET HIM FINISH WE'RE GETTING MARRIED NOW PUT DOWN THE RAPIER!" Arthur shouted, running to where he could be seen on the screen. "We're getting married." He repeated softly, Francis holding up his hand to display the ring. "I proposed to him today."
Stunned silence greeted this, before Lovino screamed in a mixture of relief and anger, throwing down his smartphone hard enough to form a crater. "You fucking bastard of a Frenchman." He spat, trying to scowl but ending up smiling.
"'E proposed to me en Français!" Francis squealed, grabbing his fiancè and hugging him tightly. Elizaveta swooned and fell back onto her own husband, who caught her with a yell of 'ANOZHER FANGIRL MOMENT? REALLY?'
"Congratulations. I vish jou happiness in jour marriage." Ludwig congratulated, a rare smile on his usually stoic face as his excitable husband bounced around the frame, talking nonstop.
"I CALL BEING ZHE BEST MAN KESEKESEKESE!" Gilbert shouted, grinning victoriously.
"I wanted to be the best man!" Antonio protested, green eyes wide and pouting.
"Nein jou vere zhe best man last time. Jesus Frenchie jour zhe first in everyzhing between us. First to move countries, first to get married, first to have a kid, first to have two weddings und zhe only one to do zhat, first to die… OW LIZZIE VHERE ZHE HELL ARE JOU GETTING ALL ZHE FRYING PANS?"
"I now have a daddy and a papa it's awesome!" Alfred squealed, jumping from behind the couch to land on Francis, Matthew following and landing on Arthur. "Hey Mr. Lovi why are you sad?" He asked innocently, seeing Lovino skulking at the corner of the screen. In reality Lovino was trying to hide his beaming smile at his cousin getting married to a great guy, but his head snapped up and he decided to play along.
"Che? Oh! Well ragazzo, your padre scared me very badly with the way that he said that they were getting married, and now i'm sad. But you know what will make me molto felice? If Francis lets me plan his honeymoon. HINT HINT HINT." He widened his amber-green eyes at Francis, putting on a winning smile.
"So subtle…" Francis muttered under his breath but gave in with a sigh, smiling fondly at Arthur. "D'accord Lovino. As ze Americans say, go nuts."
Lovino allowed himself a victorious smirk before settling back in his usual scowl, although the light in his eyes betrayed his happiness. "Tch. As if I care. Oi potato bastardo!"
"Ja?" Ludwig asked, looking fairly nervous as his husband's brother addressed him. Their relationship had only improved since Feliciano and Ludwig got married, with Lovino being the one to give Feliciano away and always being supporting, although he still called Ludwig names.
"Since you're the only one of these bastards that's organized and that I can stand, you'll be my assistant. I would ask Eliza, but I don't need blood and fainting everywhere" He explained, glaring at the German. "And incase you thought that was a request, it's not. You're helping me even if I have to drag you to Barcelona by your foot."
"It vould be a pleasure." Ludwig responded, nodding his head. Francis and Arthur looked at each other, pure joy and love in the sapphire and emerald orbs. They were finally getting married.