Charlie looked like a little puffy marshmallow with the way Arthur bundled him up for the drive over to Alfred's parent's house. His coats was so stuffed and stiff that the poor baby could hardly move in it while the knitted hat on his head kept falling down over his blue eyes. "Good god Artie, we're just driving two hours away in warm car, not getting ready for the arctic apocalypse." Alfred commented as he took the liberty of fixing Charlie's hat as the boy had begun to whimper when he found he couldn't see through the material of the hat.
Arthur's cheeks puffed out slightly and he folded his arms over his slender chest, "Belt up, excuse me for not wanting our very fragile and sickness prone infant to contract some kind of sickness that could be fatal for someone his age." Arthur wished his much more lenient and laidback husband would understand that there were just some things they couldn't look past. Infants died from colds and such every year and there was no way and no how that Arthur was going to let his one and only child end up on that list.
Alfred pressed his lips together softly as he adjusted Charlie's hat, "Alright, alright but we should at least get him a hat that doesn't fall over his eyes. No one would ever wanna hide that gorgeous shade of blue." The American grinned down at the boy whose whimpering had subsided when he knit shroud over his eyes vanished.
The Briton smiled softly. Charlie indeed did have the most gorgeous eyes, courtesy of Alfred's genes no doubt. Both blonde's eyes were the same bright, enticing blue as the skies over the prairies in the west. There was no way Arthur would want to hide those, but at the same time it was special because they two matching gazes were special only for him. "No of course not, I can sew the hat when we return home later." Arthur compromised as he lovingly pat Charlie's little round head.
The American grinned happily at his husband and son, the smile reaching his eyes. "Well c'mon troops; let's get this show on the road. Don't wanna get caught in the Christmas traffic now do we?" Alfred grabbed the bag of Charlie's things while Arthur cradled the baby ever so gently in his arms as the trio embarked on the journey through the freshly fallen snow and to the car that was already warm, running, and ready for the drive. When everything was locked up and or switched off Alfred backed up out of the drive way and they were off to Grandma and Grandpa's for Charlie's first Christmas extravaganza.
The house Alfred grew up looked the same as it had when he was naught, but a little boy. Of course the house looked smaller nowadays since the American was pushing 6 feet 3 inches on the height scale, but seeing the beige ranch style house with the forest green shutters made him feel nostalgic of the years that had passed. The outside was decorated, but not in an overbearing kind of way. The banisters surrounding the porch were wrapped with light studded strands of garland while a wreath sat on the front door. If Alfred's mother had her way the entire house would be covered head to toe in Christmas decorations, but his father had a rule about how many glitzy Christmas decorations could go up. He always claimed that the corporate side of America took away the religious part of Christmas with its flashing lights and new products.
"I can hardly remember the last time I was in this house…" Arthur mused as he climbed out of the passenger side of the car; pulling his coat collar up around his neck as he realized how cold it was.
"Yeah me either." Alfred agreed. It wasn't often that he came home to visit what with the house being two hours away from where he lived now and seeing his father wasn't always at the top of his want-to-do list. "But I'm sure mom'll be happy to see us here again. You know how she loves to show off the way she's decorated the place." Alfred laughed. There was always a new knick-knack, piece of furniture, or painting job that Mrs. Jones loved to show off or flaunt for whoever happened to pass through her doors.
"There's my favorite family!" Kathleen's ever boisterous southern twanged voice echoed from the front door. There she was blonde curls, wide grin and all dressed in a festive red sweater adorned with a snow man and knee length beige skirt. "Well don't ya'll just stand out there and catch frost bite hurry up on inside." She called as she motioned for the trio to retreat into the warm house.
The snow crunched underfoot as Alfred and Arthur in team carried Charlie and all of his things into the house where they were each greeted with a big, red lipped kiss from a beaming Kathleen. Of course though once she had been over Alfred and Arthur she quickly tossed their company aside for that of the main attraction, little Charlie. "Well hello there baby," She grinned at her beloved grandson. "Look at you, ya got so big since I saw ya last and you're all bundled up and stuffed like the Christmas turkey." She laughed at the way Charlie looked at her strangely with those big blue eyes from under the rim of his hat. He attempted to move his arms, but he was so bundled even that was impossible. And so the baby began to whine in hopes that his protests would get that ridiculous coat off of him.
"Alright love just be patient." Arthur soothed the little boy as he started to whine.
Snow covered shoes and puffy jackets alike were all removed and stored by the door where the fallen flakes would melt away with the warmth. The fireplace was stoked full of logs and was crackling away on the chunks of wood while soft Christmas music drifted in the back ground. The place was decorated with little strands of garland here and there along with statues and figurines of snowmen and Santa Clause. The three was on the shorter side, but was still decorated in that charming old country style that Mrs. Jones was so fond of. "Make yourselves comfortable on the couch and hand over that little guy to me, I feel like I haven't seen 'im in ages."
Arthur surrendered Charlie- who was much happier now that that annoying coat had been removed- to his Grandmother who instantly began cooing and fawning over him. "Did little Charlie enjoy his first Christmas mornin'?" She inquired curiously as she held the little boy close.
"I think he was more interested in the paper than the presents." Arthur laughed as he watched his son once again become fascinated with a shiny snow flake shaped necklace Kathleen was wearing.
Alfred's blue eyes scanned the room, down the hallway as far as he could see, and around into the kitchen (Where the most heavenly scent was wafting from). It was odd, Alfred's father wasn't anywhere within his sight. "Where's dad…?" Alfred questioned hesitantly.
"He said he's not feelin' so well this mornin'." Kathleen explained, not taking her eyes off her darling grandson. "He's been under a lot of stress at work lately and I think it's getting to him though he'd never admit it." She muttered a brief word to herself about how she wished how her husband would finally retire and relax for once in his life.
"Oh." Was Alfred said in response as he turned his gaze to the same beige carpet he had been looking at for years. Alfred was worried, not so much so about his father's condition since it was most likely nothing more than a stress headache, but about his brother. Matthew would be arriving to the house soon, but he'd have a little bit of information that Alfred was certain their homophobic father didn't want to hear. Matthew had told his older brother that he would try to avoid the subject for as long as possible, but when it happened it happened and the younger man only hoped he'd be able to live to tell the tale.
The room was quiet except for the sounds of Charlie's burbling and Kathleen's cooing over the baby. Arthur looked over at Alfred with worried eyes. Where had that cheerful Christmas gusto gone to? The Briton reached over and placed a soft hand on his husband's leg, "Everything alright, love?" The Briton inquired.
Alfred blinked. "Yeah of course, just thinking is all." Arthur's mouth formed the shape of an 'O'.
"Well alright then, so long as you're alright." Just then of course the man who Arthur believed to be the most unlikeable man in the world came sauntering down the hall from his study and to the living room. He gazed over everybody with his sharp grey eyed gaze until they fell onto Alfred and Arthur sitting on the couch. The room was silent until Kathleen noticed her husband standing in the doorway.
"There you are Lou! I was wonderin' when you were gonna crawl out of your little man cave and come join us." Kathleen laughed as she adjusted Charlie in her lap. The man grunted slightly in acknowledgement.
"Morning dad," Alfred said somewhat nervously. "Merry Christmas."
His stormy grey gaze shifted over to the sky blue one of his son. "Yeah, Merry Christmas…" His eyes shifted again and came to a rest on Charlie sitting in Kathleen's lap and happily burbling as he attempted to grab her necklace. "Did you take that boy to church this mornin'?" Alfred had been raised in a strict Christian household and as such Lou expected Alfred to raise his boy the same. Just because Alfred was raised with the word of god hanging over his head didn't mean he was devout when he was on his own, but that also didn't mean he had stopped believing in said being.
Was he serious? Alfred hadn't said more than four words to his father and already he was prepared to go on and ridicule him about the way his was raising his son. "No, I didn't. He's only three months old, he wouldn't understand anyway."
"I was still takin' you to church when you were young, hell you were still goin' when your mother was pregnant with you." He crossed the room, his stride steady and elongated, and then sat himself down in the same favored armchair he had had for years.
"Oh Lou, leave the boy alone. You haven't seen him five minutes and already your startin' with 'im." Kathleen chided her husband. "Charlie is his son and he and Arthur will raise 'im they way they want to." At least Alfred had one parent that understood.
The room was quite again save for Charlie who began to fuss over what was half from the tension of the room and half from the fact it was about his lunch time. "Kathleen, do you mind if use the stove to prepare Charlie's bottle?" Arthur asked as he reached into Charlie's back and pulled out one of the plastic containers and the can of powdered formula.
"Not at all go ahead. Here," She stood up with Charlie and walked over to Lou, placing the baby in his arms. "Lou, hold your grandson while I go help Arthur." Arthur stood still and Alfred could see the tension in his green eyed stare. Alfred sent a silent message of assurance to his partner and reluctantly the Briton disappeared into the next room along with Kathleen. Lou seemed a bit unsure as Charlie was handed to him, but it wasn't as if he hadn't taken care of a baby before.
Alfred pressed his lips together, "Uh… do you want me to take him…?" The young American moved to retrieve his son, but Lou shook his head.
"It's fine. It's not like I've never held a kid before." Alfred hesitated before slowly he lowered himself back down into his seat and let his father take Charlie. There was no smile on his face as he looked down at Charlie, there was no expression at all. Charlie burbled and wriggled, but Lou didn't play with him, he merely stared at him. It was uncomfortable for Alfred to watch his father merely stare down at his grandson and not even have the decency to humor the boy with a few words or even a finger to try and grasp onto. He was about to try and convince his father to give Charlie back when the doorbell echoed out in the small cozy living room.
"Alfie, would you be a dear and answer the door?" Kathleen's southern twanged voice rang out from the kitchen. Alfred shifted his weight forward to his feet and hauled himself up from the couch with a small grunt before he strode to the door to let in their next guest.
The American swung the door open to reveal Matthew bundled up tightly with rosy red cheeks and an unparalled look of relief in his eyes when he saw it was Alfred who opened the door. "Oh, h-hi Alfred, Merry Christmas." The younger man smiled at his older brother, violet eyes glittering behind his rounded glasses.
"Hey little Bro. Merry Christmas to you too." Alfred grinned, relieved to see his brother as well seeing as how the previous atmosphere with only his father was a bit too heavy for his tastes.
"Oh, hon, hon bonjour Amerique! Joyeux Noël!" That voice… Alfred knew that voice. Lo and behold from behind Matthew popped out Francis, gold blonde hair as shiny as ever and his smile just as bright. "Then I suppose l'angleterre and ton enfant is here too, non?" The Frenchman inquired, over half his sentence in his own native tongue.
"Yeah uh… we're all here…" Alfred leaned out of the door lowering his voice to a whispering hiss. "Are you crazy Matt? Dad's gonna flip when he see's Francis!" he said.
"Don't worry, Mom knows that I'm bringing him. She knows everything and she's okay with it. Now's as good as time as any since we'll all be here and everyone's behind me on this."
Alfred worried his lower lip slightly. Christmas day would be a pretty bad day for Lou to explode but, it seemed as though there was no stopping Matthew now that he had brought Francis all the way here. Alfred guessed that maybe Lou wouldn't react as harshly is he was out numbered. "Well… okay, but be careful. I don't want to drag Charlie into a bunch of fighting on his first Christmas." That was the last thing Alfred wanted and Arthur would agree. The couple only wanted good memories for Charlie's first Christmas even though the baby would be too young to remember it in the future. "Mom Mattie's here!" Alfred called as he opened the door wider and allowed Matt in with his boyfriend close in tow.
"Oh! My baby Mattie!" Kathleen practically tackled him as she popped out from around the corner and grabbed her youngest son. "C'mere baby, Merry Christmas!" She said leaving two big red lip marks on both his cheeks. Kathleen had always had a soft spot for her youngest.
"H-Hi mom…" Matthew greeted back, cheeks burning with a bit of embarrassment over his doting mother.
"Bonjour Madame, it is a great pleasure to have been invited to your lovely home for this holiday." Francis turned on the charm, taking Kathleen's hand and giving it a soft polite kiss.
She blushed like a teenaged school girl. "Oh no, no! The pleasure is all ours." She said, giggling.
"It is very difficult to get by during the holidays when all my family is back in France." He said with a small, but overly dramatic sigh. "Luckily our dear Mathieu said I could spend it with all of you. I also took the liberty of baking a Buche de Noël for dessert. It's in the car."
Kathleen smiled. "Oh my how thoughtful, I heard you French make the best darn pastries in Europe."
"I'd argue that." Arthur's voice flitted into the conversation. He stood in the doorway to the kitchen, newly warmed bottle in hand. "What's the frog doing here?" He asked, one thick brow arching.
"Ah, l'angleterre, Joyeux Noël, mon ami." The Frenchman smiled in a bittersweet way.
"Artie, Mom invited Francis to spend Christmas with us and Mattie… apparently." Alfred felt a little hurt that his dear younger brother hadn't even told him.
"Oh joy, what a pleasant surprise." The sarcasm in his voice was apparent. "Well yes, yes Merry Christmas to you too. Now Alfred would you kindly bring me our son so he can be fed." Alfred nodded in understanding and walked over to his father in his chair where he was still holding Charlie. When Alfred walked up to him his brows were furrowed and his gaze was completely fixed solely on Francis. It wasn't a good look either.
"Uh dad… I need to take Charlie…" Alfred was nervous, really nervous. He didn't like that look burning in his father's eyes when Charlie was still in his arms. He didn't really move or even look at Alfred for that matter, but the blonde just quickly scooped his son out from his father's arms and handed him off to the much safer grasp of his husband. Lou didn't even seem to notice.
The air in the room became very heavy. "Ah… I'll go get the cake from the car, I'll be back in a minute." Francis ducked out the door for temporarily be released from the tense atmosphere which was no doubt a result of his presence.
The room remained quiet for a few more moments. "Matthew…" Lou finally spoke, voice calm and monotonous yet menacing at the same time. "Would you mind telling me why in the hell you brought that man here with you…?"
Matthew fidgeted softly, his darting back and forth as he nervously played with his hands. "Well uh… y-you see Dad… I-I brought him because… uh…"
"God damnit boy stop y'er stutterin'!" He shouted angrily, bringing his fist down on the arm of the chair he sat in.
That only made Matthew even more nervous. "W-well… I'm… I-I'm sorry, but I…" It almost looked as though he may cry. Matthew was always such a shy timid boy and never had a heart that took yelling very well.
"Oh for the love of the lord!" Kathleen finally interjected, upset by the standstill the conversation had been postponed at. "Lou Matthew's dating the man for Christ's sake."
"Mom!" Matthew shouted, his cheeks all red and flustered.
All gazes turned to Lou, each one both double blue, green, and violet alike worried and apprehensive of what his next reaction would be. It was what Alfred excepted, but also what he had hoped wouldn't be. Lou shot up out of his chair, face as red as a ripe tomato and steely eyes burning. "What is wrong with the world! Here is raised you two boys in a perfectly normal HETEROSEXUAL household and yet you both grow up to be goddamn queers! God must hate me for sending me you two a children!" He shouted furiously.
"Lou! Stop insultin' our children! They're perfectly fine the way they are, why can't you accept that?" Kathleen protested in defense of his kid, hands held firmly on her large hips.
"I'll accept them when they marry WOMEN and have kids with them!" He shouted back.
"Dad! That's totally uncalled for! Why can't you just be happy that we're happy with who we're with!" Alfred interjected next. By that point in time Charlie had given up on lunch and started wailing from all the sudden loud noises. Arthur shushed the baby and held him protectively against his chest. Alfred walked over to Arthur and whispered a small apology for yelling to his wailing son as he gently pat the boy's head.
"Because! There was so much stuff you were supposed to do! I had it all planned out for you since when you were nothin' but a fetus! You were gonna go to school, play sports, get a scholarship, play in the NFL, get a trophy wife and have beautiful grandkids along with a super bowl championship ring on your finger!"
"But that wasn't what I wanted Dad! Stop trying to force the life you never had on me! I've had it up to here with your plans! I'm happy now Dad! Much happier than I've been in my entire life and I don't give a damn whether you're happy with my life or not!"
Lou looked like he was about to interject to Alfred's statement when his face suddenly went as pale as a sheet and his eyes spread as wide as a scared rabbit's. He stopped where he stood and time seemed to slow for a few split seconds. Lou reached up and clutched his chest, mouth hanging open in a desperate attempt to get air before he collapsed right there on the living room floor.
Time stood still for a few moments and Alfred thought.
What a Christmas this turned out to be. Alfred had just killed his father.
Dun, dun, DUUUUUUNNNNN! So I finally got off my lazy arse and finished this chapter! Hooray! Very dramatic Christmas is it not? Dear god… Well in any case…
Please do not take my words about religion offensively . I myself am I Catholic who believes in God and I mean no offense to the spirit of God or those who follow the religion. It's only for dramatic effect and not meant to be an attack on Christians. I mean no offense at all.
So in any case reviews are always lovely. Thanks for all the wonderful support so far, you guys are all super amazing! :D :D