Chapter Six:

Alfred was positively pleased – today was MUCH better than yesterday. Yesterday he was tired, sore, hungry and practically abandoned by his parents. Today was easily better, and it was only the morning too. The blue eyed American tried, best he could, to hide his grin – sure, breakfast was only a bowl of cereal with a lashing of milk... but it was the thought that counted. And clearly it counted; Alfred's bowl was filled much higher than Arthur's, and, if he wasn't mistaken, Arthur's breakfast had a particularly dry crunch to it.

Part of Al felt bad for putting Arthur out like this, but the rest of him (the hungry part of him) tucked in. He hadn't had Fruit Loops in so long. He hadn't had them since the last time he'd slept over Arthur's, actually. And that was, what, eight years ago?

The morning news played on the television, Arthur kept the volume low, turning it a little lower when the programme finished. "Can we watch Hannah Montana now?" Alfred asked sleepily, looking over from his patch on the Turkish rug by the coffee table to Arthur in his favourite chair.

The dark-blonde teen just blinked. He was not a morning person.

He was not a morning person who liked morning people.

Alfred was a morning person.

The kind that liked Hannah Montana.

*******

Ludwig, "The German", was also a morning person. He was up at a quarter to six, showered by ten to six, out the door and commencing his morning run by five to six and, to top it off, back home again with the morning paper by seven – only to shower again. Sometimes, if the weather was looking fine (or if it was still dark and a little scary) he would take his dogs.

They were very nice dogs, but for some reason people seemed afraid of them. Maybe it was because they were big? Pedigree Alsatians were a little large, he supposed.

The blonde boy loved his dogs very much. Sure, he had to clean up after them and take care of them a lot, but it was worth it. They never teased him, disrupted him or annoyed him. It was a nice relationship. So, on the days when he did take the dogs with him, Ludwig would return home at half past seven – after stopping at the Dog Park.

They deserved to have some fun while out.

Ludwig huffed, readjusting the headphones in his ears as he rounded the corner of his street. The dogs ran besides him happily.

Sometimes, he thought, he wouldn't mind having a bit of fun too.

That thought flew out the window though as he approached home.

"Gilbert! BROTHER!" He yelled, bolting down the road to the car parked shabbily in the driveway – a pale haired young man half hanging out the open door. As Ludwig approached he was filled with dread. Gilbert, the boy with a shocking case of albinism, was always causing him grief.

He used to cause his father grief too, but never this much.

"Gilbert? Gil?" Ludwig repeated, letting the dogs loose in the yard, his knees bent as he carefully pulled Gilbert back up into the driver's seat. "Are you alright?" he spoke so softly, but there was still that rough German accent in his voice.

"Yeaah~ I'm awesome" smiled Gilbert, eyes flickering between open and shut. He reeked of whiskey.

Ludwig gagged, a frown even bigger than his usual one stole its way across his face, "you're drunk. You drove home drunk. I can't believe you'd be so stupid, Gilbert".

"Naw, it's not stupid if you make it back okay!" Gilbert was so loud when he was like this, the blonde just wanted to get him out of sight.

"You're going to be the death of me"

"Already the death of Pap"

The two fell silent.

"I want beans on toast..."

Ludwig proceeded to drag his older brother inside, cursing himself as he did. Ludwig always had to be the responsible one. "Ja, I'll get you some soon. Just come on".

Inside – one serving of beans on toast, three servings of porridge with dog-safe lactose-free milk, and an apple with a shot of wheatgrass and a protein shake later - Ludwig was frustrated, smelt of booze, covered in vomit and trying desperately to get ready for school.

Between shrieks from Gilbert for help and the strictness of the schedule Ludwig had imposed on himself for the last four years of his young life, the poor blonde was working himself into a mess. "This is nuts" he muttered, trying to heave a naked, wet, Gilbert onto a bed. Gilbert just groaned.

"Hah, I'm sorry, I do this everytime~" Gil laughed, brushing back his silver-white hair. His normally vivid red eyes were half closed.

"Forget it"

"Naw, I'll buy you dinner tonight. Chinese good? Maybe you want Mexican? I love a good taco, especially the ones with lots of sour cream, those are my favourite!" Gilbert rattled on for a while, Ludwig payed no attention. He was too busy.

Cleaning, washing, showering, throwing books into his bag, making his own lunch. He was ready.

"You should actually go to school, you know" he said in course German to his brother, smiling slightly as he leant against the doorframe.

"I know" snorted Gilbert, "but they don't want me there anyway. Assholes".

"Because you have to try when you're there, brother. You know, do your work and participate in class!" Ludwig looked at his watch – he stilled had time. Slowly, he crept into the room.

Gilbert, still wet and naked, rolled his head over to look at the prim and proper blonde. He had to smile. Ludwig, for all Gilbert's teasing and taunting, was a good boy – a good brother. He watched his younger walk closer; formal slacks and a clean white shirt (freshly ironed), a leather satchel and smart shoes. Ludwig was a good boy.

The smile faded a little as the blonde got close.

"Bro, you never participate in class" Gilbert snickered, looking up at the ceiling again.

"Pfft, as if you'd know – I always answer questions and do my work. Unlike you, you're getting too lazy. Too much trouble" laughed Ludwig, poking his brother in the side with a solid finger. Gilbert squirmed, trying to bat the blonde away.

"Eh, yeah, but you don't hang out with anybody! Do you even have any friends?" said Gil snidely.

"..."Ludwig didn't know what to say, so he just stood there.

"You don't do anything fun, do you!? What a killjoy!" Gilbert was really digging into him now, his own finger reaching out to prod Ludwig in the belly, just about his belt. Ludwig, for all his grades and athleticism, looked down – Gil was kind of right.

Gilbert also had strange marks on his arm?

Ludwig blanched, arms shooting out to grab his brother's extended one. "Shit, let go! Fuck off, West! Fuck off!" screeched Gilbert suddenly, flailing about. Ludwig pressed him down into the bed, holding up his arm into the light.

There were tiny pinpricks, all around the veins.

Without saying anything, he threw down the arm.

"I have to go to school".

"Bro! Bro! It's just once, I swear, I've been clean for ages. They talked me into it, you gotta believe me..."

Ludwig paused mid stride, briskly going back to the bed. Gilbert nearly cried for joy.

"Aw West, aw, you're so good to me!"

The blonde pushed away Gilbert's grabbing hands. He bent over, lightly brushing his lips over Gil's forehead.

"When you clean up your act, then I'll believe in you".

Gilbert began to blubber; Ludwig left the room.

AN: I sprained my ankle. Falling over in a public toilet.

Because I am just that awesome.

But yes - I'm sorry that I've done this to Gilbert! Poor thing he is, but having him like this may be essential the future storyline.

So, thank you to Syous99 (Gawd, I'm so glad you liked the fairy... words cannot explain how stressed I was about having a made up side character!). Thanks Andreaeb182, glad you liked it and I'd be happy to Beta you anytime! Thank you Kami011 (is it strange that I imagine Kami from Dragonball Z on a laptop when I read your name? LOL), haha, I think this might be under 36 hours – but I'm bad at maths, so it doesn't count.

Also, thank you foxyaoi123! And Sweetpea12767, glad you like it thus far!! And CocoxLadybat, hope you enjoyed it, stay tuned!

EDIT: Cardboard boxes pointed out an error! I wrote "Da" instead of "Ja" - this is what I get for writing late at night. Sorry guys! It's fixed now.