Here's Another Kink In the Pipes

(Look At All These Problems!)

It was strange. He had not seen Alfred for many years, but the guy acted as if they were... well, brothers that knew each other. Matthew was not certain whether to be touched or bothered. Or both. But as Alfred did it, Matthew found that he could just as easily speak to him as if they had gone to school together.

"I know you aren't fond of staying at the inn," Alfred said. Matthew was beginning to recognize how Alfred spoke instinctively. Alfred was just one of those people whose tone gave away whether he had more to say or not. "I also know you want to get to know mom better."

"I never said–" Matthew began to protest, slightly embarrassed by it, but Alfred shook his head.

"I'm moving out. Take my room. I promise that I complain about Arthur more than is really necessary. Maddox is weird, but awesome. And you don't have to worry as much about Ivan."

"I don't worry about Ivan..." Matthew said truthfully. Alfred pulled a face. Matthew glared at him. Alfred started laughing. Matthew hit him in the shoulder. All of this happened right before Matthew wondered whether that was all right. "Sorry!"

"About what?" Alfred asked, confused. Then he seemed to understand. "So you lied!" Okay, he did not understand. "You do worry about Ivan!"

"No I don't, eh!" He saw something move from the corner of his eye, but when he turned his head there was nothing there. "What do you mean you're moving out?"

"Not out of Hearth," Alfred assured him. The (sad or happy?) fact was that it did assure him. After all of that time looking for his adopted brother he would have been very put out if Alfred had moved away. Even if he could be a little annoying at times. "Just out of the house. Get my own space. I haven't really had my own space since college."

"Which can't have been that long ago," Matthew said. Alfred shrugged.

"Long enough. So, what d'you think?"

Matthew thought about the room. He thought about what it would look like with Alfred's things not in it. He thought about actually getting to know Arthur better, for despite abandoning him and papa when he was young had been the perfect gentleman since the little comedy of errors had been solved. Matthew could not blame the man for leaving Francis, he could tell very well that the Frenchman had been a very difficult man to be married to. Though he often wondered what all might have taken part in his taking Alfred and leaving Matthew.

Then again he would not have traded being raised by Francis for anything. It certainly gave him really good stories to tell at parties.

"When can I move in?"

"Good man!" Alfred grinned. "Alright, here's the thing. I'm thinking about taking the house that is at the end of Pacific Street, that little fixer-uper. Gonna hire Gil and Ludwig to help me out. As soon as it's in any condition to stay in, I'll be out of here."

"Why there, eh? It's not going to fall apart any moment, but the place looks completely gutted."

"I dunno." Alfred stayed quiet for a bit, thinking it over. "I used to play in that place a lot when Arthur and I first moved here. Been empty all this time, I think it deserves to be a home again."

Matthew nodded. "And that has nothing to do with the fact that it is right down the hill from Kiku's house, eh?"

Alfred opened his mouth, closed it, and cocked his head. "It is!" he exclaimed, as if he had not thought about it. Matthew groaned. "Oh, and another thing! Don't tell Arthur."

"Um, I think he'll notice when I am the one living in this house, Al." At least, Matthew hoped so. Being a replacement for Alfred... He already knew how undesirable that condition was in this town.

"No, no... I mean not yet." Alfred grimaced. "I still need to break it to him. He's been keeping me from looking around at houses for a year."

Matthew saw that same thing in his peripheral vision again, but this time he had a better idea. It was Arthur. And Matthew could already tell that when Arthur did not straight up confront something, the entire situation would be nuclear at best.

That did not explain why he did not tell Alfred though. Probably payback for dropping all of that snow on him in bed during February.

'Welcome to Hearth' his ass.


Notes:

Shortly after the mess of CoE, Alfred welcomed Matthew by collecting a lot of snow, sneaking up into his room at six o'clock in the morning, and dropping it on him. Alfred is a good guy, but anyone who does something like that deserves to be walloped. More than once.