Cupcakes on the Doorsill-Chapter 4
Sorry, yes there is still a bit of blood and gore in this chapter, but hey, what do you expect with the 2P's around?
Al had a silver ball bearing tongue stud and plain piercings around his eyebrows that Matthew hadn't seen before, he noticed as he clung to the darker-haired daredevil not-quite twin of his brother, Alfred. Al had grabbed him about half an hour earlier, pried him from the chair where his blood had encrusted him to the surface, and in the process ripping open a few of the cuts that had refused to close as fast as normal. Mathew hardly even noticed this with any alarm anymore, and Al was still a lot gentler than he would normally be.
Or at least, Al had tried to be, as he noted with mixed disdain and pride in himself later. He was beginning to think about Mathew a lot, and particularly of helping him escape from Oliver, and his being gentle when he never was hinted something to him that he truly didn't want to pursue any further. He didn't want to finish the uncompleted thought, he didn't think he'd like it. But he did know that subconsciously at least, he was starting to really like Mathe-
Goddamn it.
Presently, they were on his motorcycle.
Mathew may have imagined it, but he could have sworn he heard Al mutter that he wanted to calm him down and make him feel better, and to be quiet so Oliver didn't hear them leave the house… but then again he was even more sure that he'd blacked out at some point along the way, so that may have just been a happy little dream. And maybe the seemingly gentle nature and concern Mathew could see peeking out of the hulking figure directing the vehicle was just his imagination too. Maybe he was just seeing the Beauty where there was only a Beast, and he should really know by now just to stop trying to think at all and instead concentrate only on gathering his strength because this reprieve likely wouldn't last.
But the last half hour had left him with far less wounds than even five minutes with Oliver would have, so Mathew was grateful for the situation no matter its motives.
It was a sweet respite from the goddamned place they'd left behind.
Only for the tables to turn and Al to shove him into a warehouse with an apologetic shrug.
"Sorry, man." Al shrugged. "But Olly wants to test ya."
He nodded over to a group of people bound up and tied at the far end of the room that Mathew hadn't noticed until then.
"See them there? Ya have to kill them."
At that, Mathew's head whipped back to stare at his brother's doppelganger incredulously. "Why? What did they ever do? Aren't I just your toy? Why do I have to k-kill them?"
Al's bat found it's way to his hand automatically, and he started tapping it, warming himself up, careful of the tetanus laden blood-stained nails riddling its head.
"Do you really need a reason besides I told you to?" Al finally asked after a few beats of stare down, but Mathew wasn't looking away or being submissive. No, he was glaring at Alfred.
Oh, this wouldn't do. Not at all.
Alfred picked up the phone on its fifth ring. The ID said it was Oliver, and hey, Al was strong enough he could afford to deal with a bit of the petite man's temper in exchange for thoroughly annoying the sadist.
Oliver went straight to the point. "Did you have any trouble with our little charge?"
Al grinned. "Sweet little Mathew? Naw. As soon as he what I was going to do to them with my bat, he was only too happy to do the deed himself, or rather deeds, considering how many I had him kill, ha ha. It was a breeze, and super hot to see him in action. We always did suspect the Nations of their world could possibly be as strong or stronger than us, and we're just squeamish weaklings when it comes to killing, but damn. Who knew even in their world the peaceful Canada could be that strong. He made it look effortless."
Oliver hummed, then sweetly spoke into the phone, "That's why our house is be-spelled to reduce the strength of all but our family in the house. It would be a shame for my plaything to be our downfall due to short-sighted stupidity."
Al nodded, a bad habit while talking on the phone, and glanced at the pale and silent Mathew. "'Kay, well, I'll be back to the house in a few hours. Need to get rid of the bodies. See ya."
Al snapped the phone shut, jammed it in his back right pocket and stalked toward Mathew, snatching his nail-studded bat off the ground as he passed it by.
From the look Mathew gave him as he came nearer, Mathew had become more aware of his surroundings. Particularly his bat, judging by the cautious looks thrown at it. Al was confident that he wouldn't have any problem getting him to help with the bodies, and hey, if they had time later, maybe they could sneak off together and maybe he could convince Mathew to kiss- NO
'Kay, fine. Al sighed, and Mathew flinched. Fuck. He hadn't even touched the smaller man. Why couldn't Oliver have sent Mathieu out to try and acclimatize the innocent looking blond to their family? Honestly though, Al wasn't sure it would work. Yeah, psychology could do some weird and to put it bluntly "psycho" things, but Oliver had just spent the past three weeks torturing the guy on a daily, almost hourly basis. What was with the sudden shift in Oliver's attention, wanting to change his treatment of Mathew from torturer to "loving," by their family's standards, family member?
Fuck, but the gentler version of Canada was confusing him. In a different way but almost as much as the dramatic shift in his "Dad's" thoughts.
Al growled, yanking Mathew up by the wrist and throwing him over to the motorcycle. Let him wait over there while Al worked. Hopefully it would help him clear his mind. If not, he could carry the six people easily enough by himself.
During the motorbike ride back to the house after dropping off the bodies in his usual location far out of town, Alex tried to steal a kiss.
However, his sunglasses had pressed against Mathew's face and alerted him, foiling his attempt.
"Oh c'mon, sugar. I just want a little kiss."
"No." Mathew replied, keeping his face far away from Alex's questing hands. He still had standards, and some morals. "Please, just keep your hands on the handles and get us back safely."
Alex pouted, but complied. He could always find another chance later when Mathew was less willing to fight. It was just a matter of time really. Everyone caves if you're persistent enough, or at least that's what he'd found with his and his family's reputation around to help him in his land of questionable morals.
He doubted he'd have to change his tactics just because Mathew came from a different mindset than himself, after all, he wasn't going to change himself just for a pretty little violet-eyed blond.
Al mentally scolded himself and concentrated only on his task as he bent over the figure he'd had to strap down on their basement's operating table nearly as soon as he'd brought Mathew inside.
He should have known he'd kept Mathew out for too long. Apparently, Oliver wasn't quite as dead-set on his "no more torturing Mathew and instead lather him in kindness to turn him into one of us" policy as Al had thought he was.
He should have taken advantage of his situation and taken he kiss he wanted before they got back.
Alex carved another pattern into Matthew's flash.
In the background of his thoughts, he could still hear the biggest psycho of their house...
"That's it, dearie," Oliver kept encouraging him.
"Now doesn't that look pretty?" He remarked. "A cute little star...right around your belly button! Now everyone can tell that Alex wants to keep you, too. Maybe I should bring Francois down here. He could always leave a few cigarette burns to leave his mark too. What to do for Mathieu though?"
Oliver giggled suddenly, then patted Matthew's cheek, leaving red fingerprints behind. Abruptly changing his speculative change of thought to a far different tone, he grinned. "Good boy, you didn't even make a sound! Such a good boy. Hmmm, I think we can take out his gag now, Alex."
Alex didn't look up from cleaning the blood off his knives.
"Do it yourself." He grumbled sullenly.
He couldn't look at how scared Mathew looked right then, he couldn't. It was selfish of him, and that was the first time he'd ever called himself selfish, but knowing that he could stop this at anytime, stop being the bystander, and yet wasn't…this was hurting him on the inside almost as much as Mathew probably hurt on the outside.
"Oh, pooh," Oliver exclaimed and walked away from the table. "I guess you're just going to have to be left like that, Mathew."
Mathew whimpered desperately.
'Please don't leave me like this. I can't breathe. Please I can't… If there's one thing I can't do, it's survive this…'
Thoughts continued to race through his head, making his breathing race faster as he struggled to get free and only exhausted himself more in the effort.
The suffocation was just making him hyperventilate more.
They didn't look back as the two went up the stairs, Alex trodding heavily, stomping away from the blond he really wished he'd helped but he couldn't exactly go back to now that he'd said no and he hadn't expected Oliver to leave him struggling to breathe when Oliver had found out that was the fastest way to get Mathew insane back when Oliver had tried gassing Mathew out, what with Oliver's new strategy of trying to integrate Mathew into the family and all…
And Oliver? Oliver was pretty much floating up the stairs, nearly skipping with delight.
Al really hated the sight of him and his cheery possibly fake madness that had never affected him like this before. But then again, Oliver had always just done what everyone in their family, in their world, did and targeted random people and never gave a fuck about them. But now Al had started to care for Mathew, and this had grown to a whole new level, and Al wasn't too sure how he could keep up with it or even if he would and if he would instead try to break the cycle, and save Mathew from here, from this psycho place that Al truly didn't understand with the same clarity as before now that he had someone he wanted to protect but was also so conflicted about it.
Mathew, however, felt no delight. He wasn't too sure if he ever would be able to again. But, really, who could?
Hiiiiiiiiiiii
Anyone seen the new Beauty and the Beast live action film yet?
Also, I have a poll up on my profile. I'd like it if you could check it out, because the number of stories I'm writing down is just not feasible to type up all of them, and while typing up what I like normally motivates me enough to get quite a bit of typing done, maybe a bit of focusing on shipping pairings that suit my writing style is advisable. Because really, while I make up these stories largely because it amuses me, I am also hoping it amuses everyone that is kind enough to read it. So...there
Still haven't found chapter one yet, sowry guys and gals and those elsewhere on the spectrum asfhkljgklgktlrwehedw
On the other hand, look at me updating so fast. Where did North go and who is this uploading all this sturf? -Sorry, can't answer that. Classified information. Jk. Still me, sort of.
I should really just name Tyto11 my Beta. Cux guess who edited up and helped me with this chappy? Yeah, that's who.
Thanks you so much Tyto11 for all your help!
HUGS and WUVS peoples, and please please please review! It lets me know what's going good and what people want to see updated, keeps it in the back of my mind, you know?
North