Arthur practically blew a gasket when he arrived back in the foyer to find the vase that Angus 'made a cluster fuck of' was the vase he had bought deep in the antique districts of London. "I'll have at it with some super glue later." Alfred offered as he carefully gathered the chunks of cracked porcelain in the dust pan and set it off to fix later. This seemed to calm Arthur down only by a small fraction if anything at all. But even if the Brit had seemed to become even the slightest bit calmer that was quickly gone when he saw the three very unwanted house guests dragging suitcases in behind them.

"What the bloody hell do you think you wankers are doing? This isn't a hotel." Arthur snapped at the three bigger men.

"Why waste our hard earn money on a hotel when our dear younger brother has such a posh house?" Mael said as he dragged in a medium sized navy blue suit case, placing it by the bottom of the staircase. Sure Alfred and Arthur's house was a bit on the well… bigger side, and maybe yes they did have more than enough room to fit all three men comfortably along with them, but that didn't mean in any way shape or form that Arthur actually wanted them to stay in his house.

"No, I can hardly stand the lot of you buggers as it is and besides Alfred and I are in the middle of construction. You can't just waltz in and expect a warm place to sleep."

"So heartless the wee baby is." Angus added as he also dragged in his suitcase.

"Always been that way, even when we were nothin' but a bunch o' youngins'." Carney added in once again also dragging in another suitcase.

"I don't give a damn if you think I'm cold hearted or not, I don't want you three in my house. Go find a hotel; I know you all have more than enough money."

"Oh come on Arthur, I'm sure it'll be fine. Why don't you and the guys go sit in the living room, I have to go make a quick phone call." Before Alfred let his fuming British counterpart protest he pushed him into the living room sending the other three trailing behind him.

"Hey any bars around here Artie, I'm dying o' drooth." Angus added in as he followed Arthur. Drooth, what the hell did that mean? Arthur

"I don't need you taking Elevenses! I don't want you running around my house with breakable things while you're air locked! " shot back. Okay, well Alfred didn't know what that meant either. But pushing that to the back of his mind Alfred headed off to the kitchen; snatching up the phone off the hook and heading outside to the back patio where the other home dwellers couldn't hear his conversation.

His fingers pushed into the light up keys, typing up the number of one very familiar phone number. "Come on… Come on…" Alfred chanted anxiously to himself as he pleaded with god to let the person on the other end pick up.

After a lot of nervous chanting, pacing and jumping from foot to foot the other end of the line clicked and a small timid voice sounded. "H-Hello?"

"Maaaattiiiiieeeeeee!" Alfred whined loudly into the receiver probably causing the person on the other end t flinch.

"A-Alfred?" Matthew replied. Yes Matthew, Alfred's younger twin brother (and only brother for that matter). He was a shy timid boy who almost always spoke no louder than a whisper due to bullying as a small child. He was smart, mature, and very level headed. If anyone could help Alfred in his current situation it would be him.

"Matt I need your help! I got myself into some real deep shit and I don't know what to do!" Alfred whined and cried like a child no older than seven.

"… You're not in jail… are you?"

"Wha- Jail?" Alfred replied back incredulously. "No of course not, it's worse, much worse!"

"… You didn't hit someone with your car and then drive away… did you?"

"I'm glad you think so highly of me Mattie…"

"N-No I-I mean… I-I just thought I'd rule out all the bad things first…" The other sputtered out an apology and an explanation.

"Well no I'm not in jail and I didn't perform a hit and run. It's worse than both of those things combined."

"What could be so horrible?" Matt asked curiously.

"'M SCREWED." Amazingly Alfred had managed to shout that all out on only one gulp of air (A new record if he said so himself).

The other end of the line was quiet for several seconds as Matthew attempted to process the jumbled mess of words that had poured out of Alfred's mouth. "… wait… what?"

Alfred sighed and calmed himself, making sure he spoke slowly and clearly this time around. "I called Arthur's brothers a few days ago to tell them the good news because Arthur hasn't yet and for some reason I don't quite understand they all flew over here and are now sitting in my living room. Arthur is super pissed at me and probably won't speak to me for the next week, and I need your help on how to fix this."

The other end of the line was silent for a few moments. Alfred was sure that he had explained things clearly enough this time so why wasn't Matt answering him? "… What do you want me to do? I'm not really sure how to fix this…"

"Can't you come over or something? Try to, like, ease the tension or whatever?" Alfred suggested.

"I don't know if that's a very good idea-!" Alfred cut Matt off. He wasn't going to give his brother the chance to say no.

"Great I'll see you soon, thanks Mattie! You're the best Bro ever!" And with that Alfred hung up on his poor younger brother leaving him no other choice, but to come and help him out.

Alfred hoped that the four inside the house hadn't torn each other apart as he walked back inside. Of course that hope was pretty much lost as he walked back through the French doors from the back porch. "You were always nothing, but a nasty brute Angus! You would steal all my toys, clap them all out, and then hand them back to me in pieces!"

"Ah, quit ya' faffing Arthur. It's because you were nothin' but a whiny little ankle biter who'd go all a cryin' to ma every time one of us did somethin' to ya." Angus grunted back.

"I had perfectly good reason to! You three were horrible to me!"

"You're so f-en chopsy Artie! Can't you learn to just button your trap?" Mael said.

"He always had a cob-on about everythin' no matter what it was." Carney added very matter of factual like.

"Well your all nothing, but a bunch of Alkies who are about as useful as a chocolate fire guard."

What in the lord's good name were they even talking about! All the slang terms that Alfred had no clue as to what they meant. It was confusing and beginning to give the American one hell of a headache. Angus noticed as Alfred stepped into the room. "Ah, the Americans' back." Alfred gave a curt nod and a small smile and sat in the nearest empty seat. "Pob'aly doesn' know that the hell we're takin' o'bout."

That was indeed true but Alfred didn't tell them that. "So who're ya callin' Alfie? Your secret girlfriend?" Carney inquired with a sly smirk.

Alfred was going to laugh it off- seeing as the comment was most likely intended to be a joke- but Arthur answer before he could even get out on syllable. "No of course not. Our marriage is a perfectly happy one and we don't need you to tell us otherwise." The Brit snapped back.

"Right, I often forget Alfies' bent. He's such a tough guy, unlike Mr. Frou-Frou over here." Mael commented jabbing a thumb over at Arthur. "What with his embroidery, hate of anything dirt ridden, and those frumpy clothes he wears all the time."

"Ya want me to knit ya a new sweater vest Artie?" Angus asked sarcastically as he reached over and pulled on the knitted dyed green material of Arthur's sweater vest. The other two brothers burst out into uncontrollable boisterous laughing. Alfred only laughed nervously- not sure really what to do- while Arthur silently steamed; pale cheeks becoming blotchy and red with his growing anger and frustration.

Oh god Mattie, please come soon. I'm dying over here! Alfred thought to himself.

There really wasn't anything Alfred could do. He definitely couldn't laugh and joke along with the three guests lest he want to be denied any shape or form of affection from Arthur for the rest of their lives. He also couldn't really stick up for Arthur and yell at them because quite frankly a punch from a guy as big as Angus seemed like it would cause some serious damage. Not to mention once one of those three started fighting all of them did (Alfred had seen that domino effect in action in a bar deep in the heart of London. As soon as Mael started throwing punches with some guy, Carney joined in, then Angus and soon it was a three to one match. That poor dunk bastard never stood a chance).

But like a god send the front door bell rang and Alfred catapulted himself out of his chair- pushing himself up and off from the arms- exclaiming, "I got it!" as he all but sprinted from the door in desperate need of salvation.

As soon as he opened the door Alfred almost cried with relief when he saw it was indeed his brother standing there and not the mailman or something. Matthew looked nearly exactly like his brother and people often mistook Matt for Alfred. He was the shorter of the two. He had wavy chin length golden blonde hair with one long strand protruding from his forehead-growing down in a neat curl and violet eyes peeking out from behind round wire rimmed glasses. "…I-I came as soon as I could…" He spoke quietly.

"Hey, hey would you look at that, it's a freakin' family reunion!" Alfred put on an act of painfully obvious fake surprise. "What a weird little coinkidink. Check it out Arthur, Mattie dropped by for a visit."

Arthur just stared over at Alfred with half lidded emerald orbs; one thick brow arched in question. "Oh yes I bet he did." Arthur thought sometimes he knew Alfred better than the American knew himself. He was very well aware of the fact Alfred had called Matthew; it was often what the ash blonde did when he got himself into trouble with his better half. "Lovely to see you again Matthew, have you been well?" Arthur inquired politely.

"I'm fine thanks. It's very nice to see you again too." Arthur nearly sighed. Why couldn't his brother's be this pleasant?

"Well I'll be gobsmacked, it looks like another Alfie." Angus commented in surprise as he laid his jade green eyes on Matthew. Carney and Mael both leaned forward in their seats and scrutinized the flustered man's face.

"You're right Angus; he's nearly Alfie's doppelganger." Mael added his opinion.

"Blimey… I think I'd 'ave to kill me self if I looked like ol' starch britches there." Carney snorted a laugh and pointed to where Arthur still sat; cheeks slightly puffed and arms folded tightly across his slender chest.

Angus and Mael burst out laughing along with their younger brother. "Careful Carney, super brow might go spare on you!" Mael added and the three of them burst out into more laughter. Okay this was starting to get a bit out of hand.

"Hang about, who'd granny who?" Carney gasped out in between laughing fits.

"Is that even a question! Artie'd be hocked to hell!" And once again all three of them burst into laughter; hugging their sides and wiping away tears from their eyes.

Alfred casted a sideways at Matt who looked just about as confused as the American felt. Alfred leaned down to him slightly, "Did you get any of that?" Matt only slightly shook his head.

Suddenly Arthur shot straight up from his seat; hands clenched tightly at his sides and emerald orbs gleaming with fury. "Fine! Keep at it you bloody tossers! I hope you all laugh yourselves to death, at least then I'll finally be rid of the lot of you!" Arthur had finally reached his boiling point. All his held back anger was all coming out. "You come uninvited to my home and impose yourselves upon me like a bunch or ungrateful buffoons! Then you all just sit around and poke fun at me together- all of you ganging up on me just like you all did when I was little! What would mum think if she saw the way all you bastard were treating me? God rest her soul, but I know if she was still here she'd smack the living day lights out of all three of you!" He took a short breath before continuing. "I want you all out of my house, now! I don't give a fucking damn where you go- sleep on the streets for all I care- just get the hell out of my life!" He screamed and shouted almost like a teenager mad at his mother because he wouldn't let him go to a rock concert on a school night.

Arthur soon proceeded to run out the door out back to patio where he could let his anger fester in solitude and silence. Alfred was just about to run after his darling husband when Matthew stopped him. "Let me handle Arthur, you handle these three." For once the smaller man's voice was stern and demanding instead of quiet and shaky. As much as it pained Alfred to just let his husband go like that he knew it would be best if he handled the three larger men.

Alfred turned to the other three; still pretty unsure of what to really say but none the less he gave it a shot. "I'm sorry, but that was really cruel of you guys… I didn't call you just so you could come over and make fun of him. You three should all know more than anyone how sensitive he can get." Alfred said; the disappointment apparent in his tone. "Arthur's been under a lot of stress lately and you guys aren't helping. Maybe you three should stop acting like group of self loving jerks and be nice to your little brother."

All three men were silent. Not a hint of laughter showed in any of their expressions. Angus gazed briefly at his two younger brothers, conveying a silent question of whether it was okay if he spoke. The large Scotsman turned his blue-gray gaze to meet Alfred's. "Look here Alfred..." Angus began his voice gruff and one hundred percent serious. "What we've done over the years to Arthur hasn't been out of spitefulness to our younger brother." That came as a shock to Alfred. Alfred always thought that they picked on Arthur because he was the youngest, but for what other reason could there be for all the things they did? "We don't do what we do because we hate Arthur; we do it because we care about him."

Care about him? How did constantly picking on him and making fun of him mean that the three of them actually cared about Arthur? In Alfred's world that kind of logic didn't exactly make any sense. "I'm sure you're well aware that the four of us didn't exactly grow up in the best part of London. Our mother… well she practically babied him to death. Had it not been for us Arthur would have been eaten alive by the kids in our neighborhood."

Mael suddenly picked up right after Angus finished. "We did what we did because we wanted him to be strong. We didn't want him having to depend on mum for the rest of his life because he couldn't take life in the real world."

Carney soon followed. "Don't ever think we don't care o'bout Arthur. Of course we do, he's our baby brother. We only ever wanted what was best for him."

The realization of it all was almost overwhelming. Ever since Alfred had met his in-laws he had always believed they were all stuck in some kind of sibling rivalry circle. But now as he stood there listening to them and feeling the sincerity hidden in the undertones of their voices he realized that underneath their touch exteriors the three of them were nothing but teddy bears who all had a soft spot for their dear baby brother.

Angus laughed a dry chuckle and ran a hand through his copper colored hair. "But don't you go tellin' ol Artie any o' this. We've all got an image to keep up." He grinned while the other two also smiled and nodded their heads in agreement. Alfred could only find himself able to smile and nod his head in silence, sending an unspoken agreement to his three in-laws.

"Well it's a bit too late for that." The four men all turned their heads up to all meet the same intense liquid emerald stare. Arthur was standing in the doorway of the living room, arms folded tightly across his slender chest and a nervously smiling Matthew close at his side.

Arthur puffed out his cheeks a bit in a pout. The frown on his lips not really one of hate, but of that stubborn attitude of his (that Tsundere attitude if Alfred remembered what his friend Kiku had described it as). "… I guess…" He grunted softly. "I guess… you're not all that bad…"

Angus, Mael, and Carney all just grinned mockingly. "D-don't get me wrong you're all still a group of alcoholic nitwits!" Of course Arthur just couldn't say something nice and not add some sort of bite to the end of it. "…But… I… I guess I could tolerate the lot of you… but only for a few days and that's it and then I'm kicking your sorry arses out the door!"

The three stared at Arthur, then each other, then Arthur and soon, "Oh, are dear baby brother has grown up hasn' he?" Angus whimpered as he chewed on the sleeve of his shirt.

"Aye, where have all the years gone…" Carney joined in on the act chewing on his fist.

"Oh god we're getting so old!" Mael full out burst into fake sobs as he latched onto Carney.

"Oh, belt up the lot of you! Keep this up and I'll kick you out right now!" Arthur shouted.

Everyone else shared a laugh and Arthur just steamed, but Alfred knew the Brit really didn't mean it. It was all just an act. Alfred looked over to where his own brother stood. The shy blonde shot him a comforting smile and Alfred gave one back in return.

His and Arthur's child was going to be born into one hell of a crazy family, but at least there would never be a dull moment. Alfred only hoped that one day when their first child had grown older he and Arthur could have more kids so that they'll be able to experience all the joys of having a sibling, and all the enjoyable insanity that goes with it.

Aw man… I wish I had brothers TT^TT I have a twin sister, but we aren't very close at all. *Sigh* what it must be like to have a cool sibling like them. Oh well in any case I'd really like to thank everyone who has relieved and shown their love for the story so far. When I thought of the idea for this story I never imagined in my wildest dreams it would be this well loved. I'm eternally grateful and thank everyone from the bottom of my heart.

But I'm gonna selfish now and ask everyone to please review. Help feed this author's ego! (lol) Seriously though your reviews really do help the creative juices flow so it's very much so appreciated. Thanks so much my lovies!

-Kirara2256