James, on the other hand, had a more relaxing activity in mind to celebrate Matthew's leaving of the hospital: a picnic. Nothing fancy, nothing over the top, just a relaxing day in a relaxing park with the group of them talking and simply enjoying a nice day.

The plan was that, when Matthew was finally admitted out of the hospital, James would be the one to pick him up and take him immediately to the park. After this, he would bring Matthew back to his house and the Canadian would go on with his normal daily routine from there. Alfred was originally going to tag along with them, but due to work, he was required to call it off. A sigh of relief was heard from both Canadians when they heard that Alfred was going to give up making that dreaded welcome-home cake for now. Maybe next James would go to the hospital with a sprained ankle, he'd save it for that. James didn't seem fond of the idea in the least.

Through the planning, Matthew learned that he lived alone. Him and Kumajirou lived in peace in a tiny townhouse just for the two of them, dismissive of any conclusion the lover-brother ordeal had to offer. At least Matthew had the freedom that he didn't have to kick anybody out of their home just because of his own change of feelings. That would have hurt more than just merely asking who was who...

At the same time though, this would have been a major discovery in the fact that Matthew was probably unmarried, and that James was probably the Canadian's brother and not his partner. However, as Matthew dismissed holding romantic feelings for Alfred already, this 'discovery' turned out to be less important than it may have been before. He felt confident addressing his present feelings for the other male, and even if Alfred was his past lover, it wasn't like he hated the American now. He still felt close to him, and he still wanted to be close with him. As a romantic interest? Not so much. This was a choice Matthew felt optimistic about, and he would address it as such even when his past memories conveyed something else to him.

James, however, was still grey territory.

It wasn't like James and Matthew were on unfamiliar territory, but the Canadian still wasn't entirely sure what his feelings were saying yet. The emotions for James, while warm and special, were different than with Alfred. Maybe it was just because they were different people, so they had a different friendship, but Matthew wasn't sure. This picnic was probably the experiment to bring that all to rest.

Like as planned, Matthew was picked up in the front of the hospital at around ten. After the verbal questions of items which Matthew could have forgotten inside, the two were on their way to the park. Luckily, their destination was just along their way to the Canadian's house, so going around wasn't much of a hassle at all. A half hour or driving exchanged with small talk, and the car was parked on the gravel lot in front of Riverview Grounds.

It wasn't the nicest day to be out for a calming picnic. The sky seemed to be rather cloudy and murky, and the promise of rain was an option, as the weather forecast described. It wasn't particularly wet yet, but it appeared as if most others had decided to stay in for the day, as the park was nearly empty. Sure, there were children running around, and a few groups of friends or families, but they was sparse and spread out along the large area. James promised there were umbrellas and coats in the car if needed, and that if it were to rain, the two of them could just continue eating at Matthew's house.

When they were parked and settled, they hopped out of the car and headed out deeper into the park.

Matthew had always found this park especially beautiful. The fields were wide and open, with a play area for children to climb around and occupy themselves with, as well as an array of tables to seat oneself at. The trees grew at their own pace, with the large oaks draping their leaves as a canopy over the area. There even a small wood growing along one of the trails nearby, leading off to a little hiking expedition. However, in the proximity of this park, large areas of grass was what occupied the most surface area, so people could run around, or even just relax with a nice blanket. Sometimes the city got together and had events in this wide area.

Despite how nice it would have been to sit in the middle of the open field on a sunny day and gaze up to the sky, it seemed as if James chose to pull Matthew to the trunk of a tree instead, where the thick branches hung over them as a shelter from the impending rain. A checkered blanket was unfolded and laid onto the grass, before the two Canadians took their seat on either side. The backpack James had dragged along, which was probably substituted for a basket, was placed in the middle of them.

"I made sure to make some pancakes," James admitted in his mumbling tone, unzipping the bag and reaching inside. A few tupperware containers were brought out and scattered along the white surface of the carpet, ranging from salads to Nanaimo bars and a few small sandwiches. The pancakes that were eventually brought out looked cold, but that was to be expected, considering they had probably been in James's car for a while. Hopefully the taste would still be there though. "And maple syrup."

As James opened the containers and unwrapped the pancakes, Matthew helped by pulling out the plates and cutlery, issuing one to the both of them. "I doubt there will be any leftovers," he breathed with a laugh, now finding a pitcher of lemonade within the sack and pulling that out as well. James shrugged at the remark, but took the first pancake for himself and shoved the rest over to the other Canadian.

After everything was settled and ready, and the two poured themselves and a much-needed drink, Matthew decided to speak up and start conversation.

"What have you been doing? Since I've been in the hospital?"

There was a silence as James finished a sip of his drink, and Matthew occupied himself by dumping the bottle of maple syrup over the pancakes that were pushed his way. "Work, mostly," his gruff voice muttered, before he turned to the sandwiches and collected a few of those for himself.

"I see... How is work?"

"Good."

James remained glancing over elsewhere, though the two did meet eyes for a second. Matthew smiled, and James gave a nonchalant nod before he pushed a few slices of bread into his mouth.

Was this something of an awkward start? James wasn't much to exactly talk anyway, but after being away for so long, the smaller Canadian had hoped for at least a happy conversation that they could celebrate to. Something upbeat, maybe, and that would convey how much they really missed each other while they were separated by the hospital. Not so much like how Alfred conveyed his emotions in hugging and shouting, but at least something positive. Maybe something was wrong? Maybe he should ask if anything was up?

Though, at the same time, when the male glanced up to James again, there was still that warmth. James was the rough, tough lumberjack who really didn't open up because he felt he didn't need to a lot of the time. Due to this, Matthew knew people treated him as cold and heartless, but as he noticed the other Canadian's mild gaze stray around the park, he knew that the other was just quiet. He didn't need to talk. He just felt being here and being with Matthew was enough, and they didn't need to yap about to enjoy their day.

Or, that was what Matthew hoped.

James caught him staring soon enough, and turned to meet their eyes. Despite the monotone expression he held for a bit, eventually the sides of his mouth did twitch slightly upwards. It was small and probably unnoticeable to the straying eye, but Matthew's heart glowed as the other's face relaxed.

Matthew beamed in return as he went back to his meal, shoving his fork into the soft sides of the pancake and plopping the pieces into his mouth. This was going to be a silent, soothing day. Nothing was wrong, and nothing needed to be wrong.

The next time someone spoke up, Matthew had finished off the first half of his stack and moved on to try a few of the other dishes. Maple syrup was covering his fingers, and he was trying to lick the sticky substance off when James spoke up.

"There was a deer." He didn't look over at Matthew, and instead appeared to be glancing up to the murky sky. "In the back, yesterday. We tried to bring out a carrot to it, but it was spooked and ran off before we could get close."

"Did you see any more moose?" Deer popped up here and there, but moose seemed to be the most exciting thing to see. Since James resided away from the city and nearer to the forest, he saw quite a bit of the wildlife around his house. It was even an inside joke that the male wrestled moose out there; despite how much he denied to doing such.

"One," he answered, taking the last bite of his sandwich and moving on to take a Nanaimo bar.

"Maybe you should leave more food outside," the Canadian suggested with a chuckle. "They'd come more often."

James shrugged to this, leaning back against the tree. "They're surviving in the wild, they don't need me."

"That's true. Though I bet they enjoy your company out there."

The Canadians went back to their silent eating soon enough, though Matthew couldn't stop smiling. Thesewere the slow-paced, easy-to-follow conversations that he enjoyed with James. And, throughout the rest of the picnic, this emotion remained. The conversations following were gentle and relaxed. There didn't seem to be any immense rush to leave-other than the ugly clouds roaming overhead-and the two could just catch up on each other. Unlike the moments with Alfred at the amusement park, this wasn't a high-paced rush to race into lines and to cram in as many rides as possible. Matthew could just live and breathe, talk about hockey and life and work... Sure, the upbeat lights and sounds of the parties Alfred threw were amazing, but the Canadian was an introvert at heart. James was just...relaxing. If he had the choice on an ordinary day, Matthew would probably choose the picnic over the amusement park.

While James was gazing to a far-away place, the other Canadian couldn't help but to look at him the majority of the time. Sometimes, the lumberjack glanced back, and the blonder of the two gave a small smile, and other times Matthew turned away before they met gazes. It wasn't awkwardly looking to and away from each other, it was like they could just lock eyes and convey a silent, mutual feeling of understanding. Even when James took one of the containers to issue himself a bit more salad, all he needed to do was hold the container up for offering, where Matthew waved a hand in dismissal for. Wordless, simple communication.

Though, maybe it was too silent, even for James. As they met eyes for the umpteenth time, the gruff male appeared confused.

"Something wrong?"

Quickly, the other Canadian shook his head. "Nope! This is perfect, James, thank you."

James blinked for a moment, staring at the happy male for a while before he, too, appeared to relax in expression. He reached over, then lightly ruffled the Canadian's head. "I'm glad you're feeling better," he replied, just as the warmth of the other's hand and the kind words made Matthew's face heat up.

No, this was definitely a different than what was with Alfred.

The rumbling of the sky drew James's hand away, and the two turned up to the air. The clouds were getting more ominous, with their blotchy surface tumbling over the treetops. Even this, however, didn't seem to phase the glowing emotion brimming inside Matthew.

It was so different, and the Canadian couldn't deny it. As they chatted before, Matthew found himself entranced by the little words, the things he said, the silences between them. It always seemed as if they were on the same page. Alfred was fun, dragging Matthew along here and there with fun ideas and the two got along, but with James, it was like there were some things they just didn't even need to say, and that they were just there, out in the open.

Because unlike Alfred, who was playful and happy and made Matthew feel like he was living the world, James made Matthew feel safe, at home, and like he was loved unconditionally.

"Did you want to head back?" James was the one who spoke up, though he gave a shrug afterwards. "It's not raining yet..."

The people who heard the same thunder appeared to be asking their groups the same question. Some decided to pack up and leave, whereas others stuck around and joyfully continued with their activities.

"I can stay for a bit longer," Matthew remarked, turning to smile at the other.

Maybe he should try something. He felt, yes, closer to James, but was it love? Maybe? Was this the hint to a growing spark, or just the closeness of a 'best friend' compared to a 'friend'? Either way, he should try. He should just take a chance.

Nervously, the male sucked in a breath, then turned to James. He caught his attention with a simple call, to which he followed with his little desire. "James, do you mind if I do something...?" What was the word? Unexpected? Weird? Outlandish? You might be my brother but I might love you? "Odd?"

James blinked, but eventually gave a shrug. "I don't see why not."

The Canadian still wasn't quite convinced. "You won't mind?"

"Depends what it is."

Matthew fidgeted, now biting his lip. That didn't exactly seem the most...promising. He just didn't want to ruin a friendship by testing out his feelings. For all he knew, this was just a side-effect of the drugs he was taking. Though, it also may not be this. He didn't know. He honestly didn't know how else to figure this out. Sure, he could let time go by and try and figure it out on his own, but that was like the 'regaining memories' ordeal all over again. He wanted to focus on his present feelings, not just wait for vague answers in future footsteps. He wanted to take action, find his true self.

"Alright." Matthew took a small breath in, then shuffled himself over to the lumberjack's side, pushing the knapsack out of his way to meet James shoulder-to-shoulder. After this, another deep breath was required before he could turn to meet his eyes with the deep, violet others that belonged to the other Canadian. A flutter twisted in the blonde's heart and he turned a light shade of red, just before he leaned up and pecked his lips to the other's.

In no way was this kiss compared to the kisses of his lover before. This was Matthew's new life, and he just wanted to feel this for a moment: the moist, tender lips of James Williams; no matter who he was or wasn't. The kiss made James tense up, but the male kept them connected for a bit longer anyway, his eyes remaining closed as he did so. Just after Matthew traced the tips of his fingers along the other's face, he finally pulled himself away.

When he finally opened his eyes to get a glance at the other's reaction, Matthew found James to appear shocked. He blinked rapidly for a moment, before furrowing his brows. "Why...?"

"I..." The look of shock wasn't entirely what he was looking for, but... James wasn't much of a touchy-feely person anyway, so maybe it was just too soon for something like this; especially if it was just after the hospital, and he might not be his lover. Yet...

Matthew did feel it. He did. A pulsing emotion of shame strung through at the moment, but the truth was that if he was given the option, he would kiss James again. This mix of emotions made the Canadian stutter, red-faced, as he tried to explain what was going on.

Now was as good a time as ever to explain his dilemma. It may not have even been what James was looking for, but...

Matthew took a deep breath before he began talking about it. First, not knowing who was who, then trying to figure it out, followed with him talking to Gilbert and wanting to figure out his present feelings on his own. He realized that he must have sounded insane as he tried explaining this, and meeting the stare of the person he was explaining to was now extremely difficult, but he pushed through. Even as the thunder rattled and the Canadian's face began to feel drops of water caress his cheeks, he remained on the blanket and tried to pull his sentences together, the logic, everything.

"But...I love you, James," he finally admitted, after the words poured out of his mouth and into the damp air. "I...feel strongly about Alfred, but...as a friend. A close friend. A best friend, maybe, but..." His eyes flickered up to the other male, but soon pried themselves away to glance elsewhere. "I know that, in my heart, I chose you. I would have chosen you no matter what."

He couldn't look. The Canadian's breaths were heavy as he watched the field, anticipating the answer James would provide on the whole ordeal. Though he attempted not to focus too much on the other, his ears all too easily heard the sigh that came from the gruff male's throat, even through the drumming raindrops surrounding them.

"Matthew," he began, his voice more quiet than usual. The Canadian could feel his presence there, and that terrified him. It made his body feel heavy, drooping down to the inevitable answer. "Would you love me, even if you heard the wrong answer?"

"Yes." He already knew this, and Gilbert had gone over it before with him. There were worse things to happen. If Matthew loved James, then he wanted to love James, no matter who he was. This wasn't the labels guiding him, this was the pure, genuine emotion of butterflies in his chest, tugging him towards the one person he was sharing a blanket with.

Another pause rang through the silence. The rain started picking up, which made Matthew hold his arms to his chest and tilt his head downwards. After a few large drops slapped onto the Canadian's scalp, he felt a hand place on his shoulder.

"I love you too, Matthew." It took a minute for these words to finally register through the smaller male's ringing ears. However, when this came through, the blonde glanced back up, eyes coming into contact with a wet James, whose hair was probably just as limp and stringy as Matthew's was in this ongoing rain. "There's no way I couldn't."

He loved him. James loved him. The Canadian froze for a minute, before his heart took control of his body. His smile returned, upturning even as the rain crashed onto his body to make him shiver. On the other side of the blanket, it seemed as if even the lumberjack was replying with a light smirk.

No words needed to be said after that. As Matthew shuffled forward once again, their wordless, simple communication allowed them to get closer and closer. James tugged the other onto his lap, while curious hands traced over the gruff male's wet chest. They only needed a moment of sheer curiosity and infatuation in their closeness, before James took the other's chin and connected their lips once again.

As the raindrops continued to fall, Matthew and James fell deeper and deeper through the exchange of their kisses.

Gilbert had been right. Even when Matthew finally spoke up about his dilemma to the others in the days passing, the true answer of who was who really didn't impact anything. Yes, there was shock and distain at the Canadian forgetting who his own lover and brother were, and Alfred seemed the most disappointed through all this, but after explaining the situation, there seemed to be a begrudging understanding. Time would settle things, hopefully, and this would all just be a past experience; something to look back on as an experience, but also something that wouldn't interrupt the future.

In the days following, Matthew invited James over to experience more days like the picnic with him: quiet, ordinary days where they could just live, breathe, and enjoy each other's presence together. His past popped up through photographs and later epiphanies, but even that didn't seem to obstruct the passion the blonde felt when James simply pat his head to thank him.

Thus, the incestuous relationship between James and Matthew Williams grew anew.

Plot twist: Matthew was having an affair anyway, so him mixing up memories wasn't actually him mixing them up, because he actually did have them sexy times with both.

Plot twist #2: Neither James nor Alfred were the brother or lover. Francis and Arthur burst in out of nowhere from a business trip and shower Matthew with love. The end.

Thank you for reading! :D