Sorry this took a while to get out - I've had an ear infection. Anyone who's had one can tell you they're bad news. For anyone else - it feels like a knife is stuck in your ear, you can't hear anything and need antibiotics and strong painkillers to get through the day. I'm feeling better now, but I'm still on the antibiotics and can't hear out of one ear.

As such, please forgive that this chapter is a little short, but I felt like I had to get something out.

An Unwanted Conversation.

Romano punched Jacques in the face. He had come around to check on how Alfred was feeling the morning after, and clearly word had spread. Jacques was bigger than willowy Romano, but being punched in the face still hurt. The smaller man glared daggers at him before trying to slam the door in his face, but Jacques held it open.

"I only came to apologise!" he swore "I know I took things too far last night – is Alfred here?"

"No he's not!" Romano barked furiously "And you're a fucking dead man! Ivan picked him up! Fucking Ivan! The only way you'd be deader is if it was my old man!"

"Who is Ivan? That giant?"

"That recovering alcoholic married to Alfred's brother giant, yes!" Romano confirmed "What the fuck where you thinking?! Who the fuck acts that way?! You're a fucking creep! Don't come by here anymore, you're not welcome! Get your fucking hand off my door!"

"Romano, I don't-"

Romano kicked Jacques hard, only just missing his vital regions, and slammed the door in his face.

When Jacques finally found Alfred, he was coming out of his afternoon lecture, still pale and haggard from his hangover (he hadn't drunk that much, what kind of lightweight was he?). He took one look at Jacques and took off in the other direction, but the Canadian was quickly on his heels.

"Hey, Al." he started.

"Go away." was the immediate response.

"I wanted to talk to you about last night."

"After last night I have every right never to talk to you again."

Jacques jumped in front of him, stopping him in his tracks and leaning against the wall in a nonchalant fashion so as not to attract the attention of the milling students.

"Your brother-in-law sure is scary." he started again "I thought he was going to kill me."

"He's a recovering alcoholic." Al pointed out "Seeing me like that wasn't exactly good for him – you're lucky he didn't throttle you!

"I'm sorry, Alfred." he said "I didn't realise you were like that."

Al pulled a face.

"Like what?" he asked.

"Well... a virgin."

Alfred went scarlet, and Jacques couldn't help but think it was adorable, especially as he started to stutter in disagreement.

"It's okay, it's okay." he assured, waving his hands "There's nothing wrong with being a virgin."

"I'm not a virgin!" he shrieked "And that's not the issue here!"

"Alright, calm down." Jacques laughed "I just meant that if I knew you were so inexperienced, I wouldn't have come on so strong."

Alfred was clearly more embarrassed than he had ever been, clutching his bag straps as his ears turned red. His eyes started darting around at the other people in the hallway, so Jacques laid a hand on his shoulder.

"I really am sorry." he said again "Why don't we start over? I don't want our relationship to end on such a sour note."

Alfred gave him a serious look, annoyed but thinking. Jacques felt optimistic until he opened his mouth.

"At best, you tried to take advantage of me while I was drunk." he pointed out "At worst, you got me drunk so that you could take advantage. You don't see anything wrong with that?"

"I think you're overreacting." Jacques admitted "It's not like you're a girl."

Al punched Jacques in the face. By the time the Canadian had regained his balance, Al was gone.

Al had never felt more alone in his life. Matty was across the other side of the ocean, thanks to his stupidity there was a rift between him and Romano, and he couldn't trust his new 'friend' as far as he could throw him. He felt like a wreck. He wanted to drop out of uni, go home and live like a hermit in his childhood bedroom, watching cartoons and playing videogames until everyone forgot he ever existed.

Instead, he went to Carriedos, sat in the corner table, and ate everything. Pizza, paella, garlic bread, tomato dishes, pasta dishes, all washed down with a side of diet coke. He got worried looks from the waiters when he ordered his third main dish, but they bought it all the same. He didn't care when he started to feel physically sick, since it covered up the aching, hollow feeling in his gut.

"Hey cutie, you'll lose that trim figure if you keep eating like that."

Alfred looked up, knowing Felix's voice well enough at this point (he had been Francis' boss when he was a child). The spa owner smiled at him, friendly but concerned, his skirts thankfully a bit more modest now that he was getting older.

"Hey, Felix." he said "Sorry, I don't really feel like company."

"Yeah, I can tell." he replied, sitting down anyway "I can see what you're eating, but what's eating you?"

"What makes you think anything is?" Al snapped, hoping his harsh tone would drive the older man away.

"Because you and Francis are just the same." Felix replied, smirking a little "Every time he gets upset he stuffs his face."

"He does?"

"Yeah, but he's way vainer than you, so he won't eat for like a week afterwards. So, what's wrong? Girl trouble?"

Felix put his head in his palm, prying intently. Al looked around to see Toris sigh unhappily, take away bag in his hands, knowing their dinner would be cold before they got it home. Noticing he didn't reply right away, Felix cocked an eyebrow.

"Boy trouble?" he asked.

Al felt his ears start to burn. Felix smirked happily, Toris honestly surprised.

"I'm not surprised." Felix almost sung "Good looking boy like you – any gay man with a brain would snap you up. So, you caught between two hotties, sugar?"

"Nothing like that..."

"Perhaps you're still on the fence?" Toris suggested, leaning over the table "Not everyone accepts their sexuality as easily as Felix did."

"Yeah, it took me eight years to wear this one down." the blond agreed, slapping Toris' arse "Worth every second."

"Felix!" he scolded.

"It's nothing like that." Al admitted, swirling the pasta on his fork.

He didn't really want to open up to these people – not that he disliked them or anything, but they were much older than him and family friends at best, so anything he said might get back to his brothers. However, the two men waited for his answer, eyes locked on him. He was afraid he would cry if he opened his mouth, so stuffed it full of pasta. Felix and Toris looked at each other, then the blond shifted to the next chair so his husband could sit down. When Al just kept eating, Toris seemed to come to a conclusion.

"I bet you're missing Matthew like crazy." he supposed "You two have never been apart this long before, have you?"

Alfred's throat suddenly got tight, eyes stinging. He couldn't bring himself to swallow his mouthful of food, instead trying not to choke on the masticated mass.

"Bingo." Felix realised.

"How is Matthew getting along in Canada?" Toris asked "Is he making friends?"

Alfred finally swallowed, eager tears disappearing along with his food, allowing him to compose himself.

"He's got a girlfriend." he told them.

"That's great!" Toris enthused.

"Is she cute?" Felix asked.

"Yeah." Alfred admitted "Like the cutest girl that ever existed."

"And you're jealous?" Toris asked.

"I guess."

"I'd be jealous too." Felix admitted "Matthew's a total teddy bear, I'd hate to have to share him."

"You're awful." Toris sighed.

"I'm right, though. Look at his face, you can see I'm right."

Al wiped his mouth with his napkin, hoping it would hide whatever expression he was pulling that let Felix read his mind. He was expecting judgemental looks from Toris, but instead he nodded understandingly.

"Makes sense." he thought "You two have always been together, and now there's suddenly someone else. It's only natural that you would feel lonely."

The young man was touched – with just a few words, he felt vindicated, like it was okay for him to miss Matty so much. Remembering himself, he sighed.

"But we're not little children anymore." he pointed out "I shouldn't be so attached to him still."

"Says who?" Felix challenged "Who told you that you have to feel a certain way at a certain time? They're liars, whoever they are."

"Felix." Toris sighed again.

"No, I'm totally right." he insisted "The world's full of people telling you how you should feel, and they can all kiss my arse. You miss Matty like you lost a leg? You miss him for all the people who were ever told that they shouldn't miss anyone! You jealous of his new squeeze? You be the biggest green eyed monster that ever roared! Fuck those people trying to tell you how to feel!"

"Felix, we're in a restaurant." Toris pointed out "Stop swearing."

"That's not the whole thing." Alfred admitted quietly "There's other things too."

"You did something stupid." Felix somehow knew, making Toris sigh again "What, you're surprised? That's the privilege of youth. We all have people we regret sleeping with then we were young."

Toris gave up caring, going to his happy place and leaving the conversation behind. Alfred sympathised with him, but what Felix was saying was pretty reassuring too.

"I'm not sure what I should so about it, though." he admitted "It just seems like I keep making bad decisions. Or they're being made for me..."

"I say you do a 'Matty.'" Felix suggested "He saw a little cutie he wanted, and he went out and snagged her! You gotta find your cutie!"

"His words are a little off, but his message is true." Toris agreed "He's a great advocate for grabbing what you want with both hands."

Felix smirked, making Toris go very red as he rubbed his ear lovingly, subtly hinting that Toris was one of the things he grabbed. Toris leaned a little away from him, but Felix just leaned with him.

"Perhaps not a person, but a future goal." the brunet went on "You want to join the police, right? Do you have anything else going on? Perhaps you need something like that to focus on, keep your mind on track. You'll probably make better WE'RE IN A RESTAURANT!"

Toris jumped away from Felix, who had undone his collar and starting kissing his neck. Toris gave him the stink-eye and sat back down on the other side of the table, beside Alfred. Felix just smirked, waving at him flirtatiously.

"But seriously." the blond went on "You've had your little tantrum with all this food, so the time to make bad decisions is over."

As simple as that, eh?

"You say that like it's easy." Al sighed.

"It is." Felix insisted "Just ask Arthur and Ivan what decisions they made. Then do the opposite."

Al snorted with laughter, which seemed to be Felix's desired response. It was at this point that Antonio, having been told by the staff that some takeaway customers had sat down at the table, appeared to shoo them away, asking Alfred if wanted and dessert before going back into the kitchen.

Romano wasn't best happy with Alfred's little binge, laying on the attitude thick the moment he got through the door.

"I hope you realise I'm not cooking for you any more!" he barked, even as he furiously cut up carrots "If you're just going to flush all my good work down the drain, I don't care what you eat! Do as you please! And don't blame me if you throw up!"

"Sorry."

"Don't lie! You're not sorry at all!"

"Hey, Romano?"

"What?"

"Would it be okay if I hugged you?"

Romano looked around from the kitchen counter. Alfred leant against the arm of their little sofa, arms crossed over his chest awkwardly.

"Who so formal?" Romano asked "You never asked before."

"Well... yeah..." he admitted "I always hugged Matty whenever I wanted. Now he's not around, my arms feel kind of lonely."

"Well, he is bigger than me." Romano reasoned "But still, why so formal? Why don't you just do it?"

Alfred blushed awkwardly, looking away from him a moment.

"Well, y'know... after what happened, I thought it might be awkward for you."

"'What happened'? Good grief, try to make it sound less traumatic, will you?"

"Sorry."

Romano put the knife down, wiping his hands on his apron before turning to him, arms open to signal that hugging him was perfectly fine. Al nearly jumped at the opportunity, hoping it wouldn't be too weird as he wrapped his arms around the smaller man. Romano hugged him back, giving him a squeeze.

"It's weird." he thought "I thought fat men would be softer to hug – kind of squishy – but you're pretty solid. Not squishy at all."

"Well, I have been working out." Al laughed.

It wasn't quite the same, hugging Romano. He wasn't as tall as Matty, and was slimmer, and smelled subtly of cologne. It wasn't unpleasant, but it wasn't the same.

"Are you going to keep going to the gym?" Romano asked "I mean, with Jacques and all."

"Hm." Alfred hummed "I've decided to give him a second chance."

"What?!" Romano declared, releasing him from his hug just to glare at him "What the hell for?!"

"Well... people make mistakes." he reasoned "It's not like he actually did anything."

"So, what, he's actually gotta rape you before you cut him out?" Romano barked "Was what happened not a big enough red flag for you?!"

"Romano-"

"Romano nothing!" he yelled "If someone got Feli drunk and felt him up, I'd cut off their nuts! Tell your brothers, I dare you!"

"Romano." Alfred said again "Like you never did anything stupid and regretted it later? Everyone deserves a second chance!"

"Like hell they do!"

"Come on, be fair! You had a moment like that not long ago yourself!"

"I don't regret sleeping with you!" Romano admitted "You're the only one that regrets that! And neither of us got the other drunk!"

Alfred, whose hands were still on Romano's waist, went scarlet again as the gravity of what his friend said dawned on him. Romano seemed to catch his tongue too late, but being stuck between Alfred and the kitchen counter, he had nowhere to run too. He also blushed, looking anywhere but at him.

"Anyway, giving Jacques a second chance is a mistake." he insisted.

Alfred pulled him back into the hug, startling him. Romano's arms hung in the air a moment, not sure what to do, before Alfred spoke.

"I'm sorry." he said "I didn't give your feelings enough thought: I thought it was just as mistake. I'm sorry."

Romano was happy his face was buried in Alfred's shoulder: he didn't want him to see how embarrassed he was. Alfred could be pretty thoughtless – they both could – so knowing that he was thinking about his feelings made him happy. He sighed, aggravated, and tapped the bigger man on the shoulder to indicate he wanted to be released. Al let him ago.

"Well... do what you want." he said "But if Jacques does anything like that again, not only am I going to tell Antonio, but I'm telling Matthew as well."

"Consider me warned." Al chuckled "What's for dinner?"

I certainly wouldn't have made the same decision as Alfred, and it certainly may come back to haunt him. Not Matty and Maddie in this chapter, though.

Please review!