...
~(WMD)~
This chapter takes place entirely in the past. (Matthew's memory + 3rd person PoV) I wanted to elaborte how close the twins were when they were younger. This is also one of the memories Alfred can't remember. There will be a few chapters like this when I need to highlight something important. Some of them will also be in Alfred's PoV when he starts getting his memories back.
I have so many of these Colonial AmeCan scenes floating through my head, I might start a collection of them just for the fun of it. lol
The answers to the questions I asked last time are at the bottom of "A Spark of Clarity"
'Thoughts' "Speech"
Nanuk = Kumajiro (So you don't get confused.)
~(TS)~ = Time Skip
Warnings for - Sickening Overly Lovey Doveyness!, First Kisses, and The Start of Arthur's Worries!
xXx xXx xXx
French Kisses Under Maple Leaves
"Hurry up, Mattie!" A familiar voice urged.
An image of Alfred at quite a young age, appeared before Matthew. Messy wheat blonde hair fell into his face as he turned his head to look back at his twin brother, azure eyes shining with youthful innocence. "Come on, it's almost noon. We gotta get there before they close!" With that said, Matthew felt his brother's hand tighten around his and he was pulled into a run.
"Slow down, Alfie..!" Matthew exclaimed right after he witnessed Alfred's feet slide dangerously, almost slipping, as he charged through a muddy puddle, evidence of the recent rainstorm. Matthew frowned when mud was splashed onto his clothes as he narrowly avoided the puddle himself, while a disgruntled polar bear cub was grasped tightly in one arm. It wasn't really that he cared if he got dirty, he just didn't want to be scolded for it later. It was too late now however, as Alfred seemed to be aiming for the puddles on purpose, which really wasn't that surprising.
The indignant cries of two well-dressed ladies filled the air as the twins ran between them, emerging from amid their flowing dresses into the semi-crowded town square. Matthew looked back at them with a slight blush of embarrassment, but before he could call out an apology, his brother took a sharp turn to the left and they both disappeared around a nearby corner, leaving the two ladies to angrily yell.
"We made it..!" Alfred breathed, finally slowing his pace as they approached the bakery.
"We're going to get into trouble again, if you keep doing zat, Alfie." Matthew warned as he let go of his brother's hand, once the two of them had come to a stop in front of the brick house. "Remember last time?" He asked as leaned against the wall to catch his breath.
A few seconds went by without a reply from his energetic twin, prompting Matthew to find out why. "What are you looking at?" He asked when he noticed his brother staring through the bakery window, his face flushed ever so slightly.
"The Beliveau's are kissing." Alfred said, not looking away.
"Zey kiss all zee time, Al." Matthew argued, his lack of interest evident.
"Yea, but not like this.." Alfred replied, a small frown forming on his lips. Matthew's eyebrows rose slightly and he leaned in beside his twin to take a look for himself. A small gasp escaped him when he spotted the two bakers. They were lip-locked and kissing more passionately than he had ever seen a couple do before; it definitely didn't look proper. Without thinking, Matthew leaned even more into his brother to get a better view, unintentionally knocking him off balance in the process.
A loud clatter from outside brought the two bakers to their door to investigate.
"What do we 'ave 'ere, Ansel." Came a woman's voice from the doorway, it was heavily accented with French and coated in amusement.
"Ah, what fortune, ma mie, it looks like our shipment of flour 'as arrived!" An enthusiastic males voice responded. His voice, like the first had a thick French accent.
Both Alfred and Matthew blushed in embarrassment as they looked up from the old wooden crate that they had somehow managed to fall into.
"Zis shipment iz even better zan zee last~" A pretty young woman with chestnut colored hair gushed as she stepped out of the bakery and put a hand to her face with a smile as if she were staring at a crate of kittens.
Recovering first, Alfred started wiggling in an attempt to right himself, however with Matthew still sprawled out over his stomach, this endeavor was proving much more difficult than necessary. Not to mention, the small polar bear cub on top of Matthew was adding to the weight.
"What should we do wis zis gift zat 'as been zo blessedly bestowed upon us, ma belle, Evette?" A tall dark haired man asked lightly as he stepped out of the shop as well, wrapping an arm around his wife as he stared down at the two boys.
Evette gently pulled away from her husband so she could crouch down next to the crate. She then leaned in and smirked directly at Matthew. "I sink we should bake a cake." She replied, a light blush on her cheeks.
Matthew's violet eyes widened whereas Alfred paled ever so slightly.
"Ah, Bonne idee, Evette!" Ansel agreed as he came over to stand beside his wife, grinning. "Dacquoise would be nice."
"Zuch fine flour shouldn't be wasted on a zimple Dacquoise, Ansel mon amour~" Evette argued as she reached out and lifted Nanuk off of Matthew then took the small bear into her arms. "A Mille-Feuillet 'owever.. Now zat would be perfect." She purred as she walked past her husband and back into the bakery.
"Mille-Feuillet it iz zen." Ansel nodded after a light chuckle, he then, much to their chagrin, reached down and lifted both boys, one at a time and slung them over his shoulders.
"Put me down!" Alfred yelled out indignantly as he squirmed for his freedom. "Tu sens le pain brule et echec!" Matthew turned his head to give his twin a faint smirk as he watched him resort to French as if to insult the baker directly. Ansel only laughed loudly as he carried the two children inside the small brick building.
A warm and inviting atmosphere filled the small bakery while the sweet scent of freshly baked breads wafted through the air. When they were finally set down, Matthew spotted his polar bear companion sitting on a wooden chair contently munching on a cookie.
"You two came just in time." Evette informed as she returned from the kitchen, carrying a small stack of plates. "We were just about to 'ave zome lunch, would you like to join us?"
"Really?" Alfred asked, his eyes lighting up at the thought of yummy food.
"You don't mind..?" Matthew shyly asked as well after he had walked over and scooped Nanuk up into his arms again.
"You came all zis way, it would be terrible if you couldn't ztay for awhile." Ansel replied as he accepted the plates from his wife. "'ere," He said as he bent down and handed half the plates to each boy. "you go zet zee table and you are entirely welcome to 'ave zome lunch wis us." He proposed with a kind smile.
"Alright!" Alfred exclaimed as if he had just accepted a mission. He then ran off to the small dinning room that was attached to the kitchen.
"Be careful, Al." Matthew warned quietly as he rushed off after his brother. "Don't break anysing..!"
Once the table was set, Evette came into the room carrying a large plate of sandwiches. She gave a satisfied nod of the head at the set table before placing the plate down in the middle.
"Coming s'through." Ansel said as he carefully walked into the crowded dinning room, toting two stools for the boys to sit on. He put them at opposite sides of the modest wooden table, beside a small chair at the far end.
"Rosette~!" Evette called. "Your future 'usbands are 'ere! Come down and 'ave zome lunch wis zem!"
Alfred, who was in the process of sitting down, looked over to Evette in horror, while Matthew, who was already sitting down, frowned and lifted Nanuk up a tiny bit as if to hide as soft footsteps came running from the other room.
Both boys let their gaze turn to the doorway, where a moment later a young girl with curly light brown hair timidly peeked into the room as she hid behind the wall. Her hazel eyes instantly lit up when she spotted the two houseguests. "Alfred, Mathieu, Nanook~!" She gushed, saying each name with an angelic voice as she fully stepped into the room. The little girl then, much to Alfred's clear displeasure, rushed over and wrapped her arms around his waist, nearly knocking him over.
As his brother complained loudly at the small girl, Matthew caught the discreet smirk Mr. and Mrs. Beliveau gave each other as they sat down at the table.
"Now, now, Rosette," Evette cooed as she gave her daughter an amused look. "release poor Alfred and zit down zo we can all 'ave zome lunch."
The little girl turned to her mother with a small pout. She then, still refusing to let go of the distressed boy, turned to look at her father as if to get a second opinion.
"Listen to your maman, ma fifille." Ansel said, as he lifted an eyebrow and nodded towards Evette. Rosette gave an over exaggerated sigh as she released her hold on Alfred and went to her seat.
Before long, a curious conversation had started up between the three children as they ate their sandwiches.
"Zay 'ahh' Alfred~" Rosette instructed as she pushed her sandwich at the boy to her left.
"No way, quit it, Rosette." Alfred frowned as he leaned away from the unwanted offering.
"But it's a wife's duty to feed 'er 'usband!" Rosette retorted sulkily.
"You're not my wife!" Alfred shot back in exasperation. Matthew held back a small laugh at the look on his brother's face.
Yes I am…" Rosette pouted before turning her attention to Matthew, instantly taking away his hint of mirth as she held her sandwich out to him instead. "Zay 'ahh' Mathieu." She urged with sugar coated words.
Matthew suppressed a cringe before shaking his head ever so slightly. "I sought Alfred waz your 'usband." He said softly in an attempt to dissuade the young girl.
"You both are." Rosette reasoned with a smile, taking Matthew's rejection a little bit better than Alfred's.
"You can't have two husbands." Alfred stated as he pushed his empty plate away.
"I can't..?" Rosette frowned. "Why not!"
"Alfred's right, ma chou. You can only marry one of zem~" Evette informed with a giggle from the other side of the small table.
Rosette's frown deepened as she looked from Matthew to Alfred and back again. "Fine…" She said, finally making up her mind. "I'll marry Alfred."
Matthew slowly frowned as he watched his brother visibly cringe at Rosette's decision. He didn't know why, but this conversation was becoming less and less enjoyable. He did know however, that Alfred being chosen over him, which was normally quite frustrating, wasn't actually the cause of his disappointment this time. It was something else entirely…
"Who says I even want to marry you." Alfred replied sulkily as he crossed his arms and looked away from the young girl. A strange sense of relief came over Matthew after hearing his brother's words.
Rosette huffed in annoyance at the response she had gotten before snapping her attention to the boy on her right instead. "I'll just marry Mathieu zen!"
Matthew gave the small girl a doubtful look. "Well I-"
"You can't do that!" Alfred exclaimed, interrupting his brother as he stood up from his stool and placed his hands onto the table. Matthew's violet eyes widened at his brother's sudden actions.
Rosette shot a glare at Alfred as she stood up and copied his moves. "Yes I can! I'm going to marry Mathieu, and you're not invited to our wedding because you're a big stupid 'ead!" She hissed.
"No way, that's never happening." Alfred informed as he pointed a finger directly at his twin without taking his eyes off Rosette. "I'm going to marry Mattie myself, that way you can't marry either of us."
"But zat's not fair.." Rosette whined. "Zen who am I going to marry?"
"You can marry Nanuk." Alfred smirked as he sat back down.
Rosette looked over to Matthew's pet, who was now chewing on her forgotten sandwich and frowned. "But I don't want to marry a dog…" She pouted before looking back to the smug boy on her left. "Can't I just marry you instead?" She asked with pleading hazel eyes.
"I'm sorry, Rosette." Alfred replied solemnly as he shook his head. "I can't marry you, I'm already engaged." He informed as he formally rejected her proposal. "Don't bother asking Mattie either, since he's already been spoken for." Matthew knew his twin was only joking around at Rosette's expence, but ..even so, he couldn't help the strange fluttering feeling that had started up inside his stomach.
Rosette instantly pouted as she pointed a finger at Matthew without breaking eye contact with Alfred. "But you never even asked 'im!" She reminded grumpily.
"Oh yeh, you're right.." Alfred admitted as his eyebrows rose in realization. He then turned to look at his brother. "Hey, Mattie-"
"Why's your face zo red?" Rosette asked as she and Alfred stared at the flushed boy. Matthew couldn't find the words to reply with as he unconsciously bit down on his bottom lip before lifting Nanuk to hide his face from view.
"Ha." Rosette chirped before she could hold back her giggles. She then turned to her parents. "Papa, Maman look at-" Her expression of glee was instantly replaced with a look of disgust as her sentence trailed off before she could finish. Alfred looked over to see why and blushed at what he saw. Matthew, who was still flushed himself, also covertly took a peek at the Beliveau's from behind his polar bear companion. The two bakers were once again lip-locked in a passionate kiss and completely ignoring the three children.
"Ew, zat's zo gross!" Rosette whined as she covered her eyes trying to block the image.
Evette broke the kiss as she turned to give her appalled daughter a light smirk. "But, Rosette, zis iz what married couples do." She reasoned, amusement lacing her words.
"Seriously?" Alfred asked skeptically.
"Oui, you zimply must kiss if you are married." Evette stated as she slid her green eyes over to Alfred and smiled.
"You also need to-" Ansel started to add but he was silenced by his wife's hand.
"Don't ruin zee zurprise for zem." Evette scolded as she hushed her husband. Ansel simply shrugged and gave his wife a guilty grin.
"What else do you need to do..?" Matthew asked shyly, gaining the attention of both of the adults.
"Well, Mathieu,.." Ansel started, giving the young boy a thoughtful look as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Zere's zis and zat, and zis and zat, oh and zere's definitely zat.." Evette smirked as she rolled her eyes at her husband's evasive response.
"I'm never getting married!" Rosette gasped in horror. Both Ansel and Evette laughed out loud at their daughter's turn of conviction.
~(TS)~
"What do you sink, Mr. Beliveau meant when he said "zis and zat?'" Matthew asked as they approached the front door to their large house.
Alfred paused as he tilted his head in thought. "I'm not sure." He admitted before a grin broke out on his face. "Let's ask Arthur!" Alfred suggested as he pulled the door open and ran inside.
"Arthur..?" Matthew asked as he followed his brother at a more casual pace. He felt his feet slow to a stop as he remembered something vital. "Oh no…" He whispered under his breath. "We forgot to buy zee bread! …Alfie, wait!"
~(TS)~
"I told you to wait…" Matthew mumbled softly as he sat back to back with his brother on a small wooden bench. They were under the protection of a large maple tree, shading them from the warm summer rays.
Alfred sighed deeply as a light breeze blew through the leaves overhead. He then leaned more heavily against his twin's back and stretched his legs out over the bench. "Why'd he have to get so mad? ..It's only bread.."
"Well.. You did loose zee bread money too, Al.." Matthew reminded as he pulled his legs up and wrapped his arms around his knees.
Alfred frowned as he unknowingly mimicked his brother's actions. "I just don't know where I could've dropped it.."
"Maybe it fell out of your pocket when you were running s'through zee puddles on zee way zere…" Matthew said as he looked over to his polar bear companion. Nanuk was sleeping soundly at the end of the bench beside his feet.
A few minutes went by quietly, as the songbirds filled the void with their tunes. "Hey, Mattie..?" Alfred finally asked, breaking his silence as he pushed against his twin's back to get his attention.
"Mm?" Matthew responded as he lightly pressed back.
"You know, you don't have to be out here with me." Alfred said depressively. "I'm the one who got into trouble, not you."
Matthew turned his head and looked at his twin from the corner of his eye, before smiling softly. "It's ok, I'd rather ztay out 'ere wis you." He replied honestly. "Besides, I also forgot about zee bread, zo it's my fault too."
"You're an idiot." Alfred smirked. "You could be having fun right now instead of sitting out here with me." Matthew huffed at that as he unwrapped his arms from around his legs and turned his body so he could face his brother. "Whoa!" Alfred yelped as he fell backwards due to the lack of support he was relying on.
"I am not an idiot..!" Matthew replied sulkily as he glared down at his startled brother, who was now sprawled across his lap. "You're zee idiot."
"How so?" Alfred asked doubtfully as he stared up at his twin.
"You know you would be lonely if you were out 'ere all by yourself." Matthew said as a serious expression fell into place.
Alfred copied his brother's expression before giving him a reply that sounded a lot more confident inside his head. "No I wouldn't…" Matthew chose not to respond to that as he shoved his brother back into a sitting position so that he could stand up and leave. Before he could however, a hand reached out and grabbed hold of his forearm, stopping him. "Don't leave, Mattie…"
Matthew, who had been about to pull away, sighed when he saw the unhappy look on his brother's face and instead sat back down beside him. "Just zay you'd be lonely and I'll ztay." He bargained as he turned his head slightly to peer at his twin.
A few seconds went by before Alfred finally answered, releasing a sigh of defeat. "Fine." He started as he pushed his pride aside. "I'd be lonely if you left." Alfred admitted, taking his brother's hand into his. "So just… stay with me, ..alright?" He asked quietly as he laced his fingers between his twin's.
Warmth rose into Matthew's cheeks as he gazed down at their hands. This gesture wasn't necessarily uncommon between them, but right now, it felt different somehow. Special even. "Alright." He agreed as a soft smile appeared on his face. He then closed his fingers over his brother's hand and leaned against him once more.
Songbirds filled the empty void of silence again as the two boys watched the shadow of the large house inch it's way over the dirt road in front of them. Alfred's punishment was for him to wait there until the shadow had made it's way completely across the road. It was nearly there but not quite. Another 10 minutes maybe. Alfred groaned in bordom as he kicked his legs back and forth.
"I wonder what it's like to kiss zomeone." Matthew pondered aloud, distracting his brother from the tediousness of the moment.
Alfred tilted his head in thought as he stared up to the azure sky peeking through the maple leaves overhead. "I don't know. The Beliveau's sure seem to like doing it though." He chuckled, a carefree smile lighting up his face.
"I wonder why." Matthew replied as he looked up as well to watch the leaves sway back and forth in the light breeze.
"Not sure.. But there's no way I'm asking Arthur about it." Alfred declared as he lowered his gaze and eyed the large house warily.
"You know.." Matthew started as he gave his twin a side glance. "We could always find out for ourselves.."
"Huh?" Alfred replied as he looked over to his brother in surprise.
"Nevermind." Matthew said quickly as he looked away with a blush of embarrassment.
Alfred stared at his twin for a few seconds in silence before a grin broke out on his face. "Alright." He agreed.
Now it was Matthew's turn to look surprised. "Really?"
"Yeh." Alfred nodded as he released Matthew's hand. He then turned his body to face his brother's, dragging one of his legs over to rest on the seat of the bench in front of him. "Let's give it a try." He grinned.
Matthew felt his cheeks heat up again but turned his body to mirror his brother's posture anyway. "What do we do…?" He asked awkwardly.
Alfred shrugged. "Just kiss me." He directed as he put a finger to his lips.
Matthew blushed even brighter at the idea. "Why do I have to kiss you?"
"Because it was your idea." Alfred reminded.
Matthew looked to the side and pouted for a few seconds as he fiddled with a button on his shirt. His nervous habit was brought to a stop however, when Alfred reached over and took hold of his hand. He then laced his fingers with Matthew's once again as an unspoken form of encouragement.
Matthew let out a quiet sigh. "Fine.." He reluctantly agreed before turning his gaze back to his brother. He then pushed his shyness aside as best he could and slowly leaned in. Matthew closed his eyes right before pressing his lips to Alfred's. He then pulled away shortly afterwards, leaving his brother with a chaste kiss.
Alfred was quiet for a moment before a look of disappointment formed on his face. "That's not how they did it, you're doing it all wrong." He complained, though he was blushing now as well.
Matthew instantly frowned at the negative response. "What do you mean?"
"They used their tongues." Alfred reminded before sticking his own tongue out to add emphasis to his statement. "Here, like this." He said as he lifted his hand and placed it on his brother's cheek before leaning in. Matthew almost shied away before he caught himself. Violet eyes met azure as an unspoken 'go ahead' was issued from Matthew. Alfred gave his twin a quick smile before tilting his head and leaning in the rest of the way.
Matthew closed his eyes as he felt Alfred's soft lips press against his in a more confident manner. Without thinking he lifted his hand and curled his fingers into the fabric of his twin's shirt when he felt his brother's hot tongue slide over his bottom lip.
Alfred paused his actions as if he were waiting for something. He then gently squeezed the hand he was still holding as if he were urging his twin to react. Matthew hesitated for a moment before slowly opening his mouth in order to join Alfred in this bizarre activity.
Alfred took this as an open invitation and slid his tongue into Matthew's mouth to meet his brother's in a playful and curious manner. Matthew's eyes snapped open in shock at the intrusion. However when he found that Alfred's eyes were now closed just like his had been, he felt himself gradually start to relax into the kiss for some odd reason as he slowly closed his eyes again and let his own tongue respond to his brother's.
Nearly a quarter of a minute went by before the twins parted.
"That was weird!" Alfred exclaimed with a laugh as he leaned back and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
Matthew leaned back as well and did the same. "Really weird." He agreed with a small laugh of his own. "But it wazn't zo bad.." He added as an afterthought.
Alfred nodded and grinned. "I think it was kinda f-"
"Bloody hell, what in the world were you two doing down there?!" A loud and angry voice shouted, interrupting Alfred's sentence.
Both children looked up and spotted a blonde man with piercing emerald eyes leaning out of an open second story window looking quite cross.
Alfred bounced off the bench and beamed at Arthur before responding as if he somehow had trouble reading the atmosphere. "Hey Arthur!" He called. "Mattie and I just learned how to kiss like the French people do!"
The look on Arthur's face made Matthew unconsciously swallow as he paled slightly, a feeling of dread washing over him. "I sink we're in big trouble, Alfie..."
xXx xXx xXx
~(WMD)~
What do you think Arthur did after he saw that?
Also, did anyone notice Alfred said something in this chapter that matched what he said in the last chapter?
La French
Ma mie = Literally means "My female friend" However it used to mean 'My dear/love' (Old fashioned term) "Mie" also refers to the 'soft part of the bread' which is why I chose this term. It just seemed so perfect! lol
Ma belle = My beautiful
Bonne idee = Good idea
Mon amour = My love
Tu sens le pain brule et echec! = You smell like burnt bread and failure! (This translation might be wrong but that's ok since Alfred isn't that great at French at this age. Plus Matthew taught him the phrase to begin with, so it would make even more sense if he didn't say it right! :D)
Maman = Mom
Ma fifille = My little girl (informal/old fashioned)
Ma chou = My cabbage or My pastry(sweet) which is the reason why I chose it.
WMD's Cake Trivia~
Found on Wikipedia
Dacquoise is a French dessert cake made with layers of almond and hazelnut meringue and whipped cream or buttercream.
Mille-feuille, also known as Napoleon is three layers of puff pastry alternating with two layers of pastry cream. The top is glazed in white icing~
(Evette see's in "Cake Vision" XD)
The story's going to pick up in the next chapter when Arthur finally learns that Alfred has memory loss. I just love how things escalate when Arthur's involved. In my mind he's the type who doesn't easily give up when it's for something or someone he cares about, and who takes things to extremes if he has to. (Even if the person in question adamantly refuses help.)
Feel free to leave a review~