Everyone was in the kitchen. No one knew what was going on. It bothered everyone, but some more than others. Specifically the twin of the missing, though he did his best not to let it show.

"Okay!" Alfred's voice rang out above everyone's. "First order of business is proving Matthew exists and we're not all just imagining this shit!"

Arthur rolled his eyes.

"I'm sure we all know your brother exists-" Antonio was drowned out by an opinionated Arthur digging a pointed finger into Alfred's chest.

"No! You're not leading this investigation. I will-"

"What makes you qualified to lead?" Francis scoffed.

"Yeah, this is a democracy!" Alfred added. "So we should be voting-"

"I vote this is stupid," Arthur scowled. "And if you wanna prove he exists go find your birth certificate-"

Alfred snapped his fingers and ran off.

"Finally," Francis shook his head. "Something reasonable coming out of your mouth."

"Oh sod off-"

"I can guarantee that Matthew exists because my eyes might be bad but I am down bad for him and it wouldn't be awesome if I just imagined him this whole time-"

"Obviously we know Matthew exists!" Arthur asserted. "This isn't an actual debate and it's certainly not helpful-"

"Found it!" Alfred was short of breath as he slapped in on the counter. "He exists! So now what?"

"How can you lead when you're asking for what comes next?" Arthur challenged.

"I know I'LL make an awesome leader so everyone should listen to me and we'll figure this out," Gilbert claimed.

"Who's going to vote for you?" Alfred grunted, annoyed that he was being challenged on an investigation about his own twin brother! But then Alfred gave his question some thought and immediately pictured Gilbert's closest friends voting for him (which included his crush and how could you Francis!?), then Alfred and Arthur for themselves. Rigged popularity contest...

"How about we let Arthur talk first," Antonio suggested as a compromise. "He's the oldest and might have some ideas. If Matthew's missing do you want to waste time arguing?"

The answer was yes, but if anyone said it out loud they'd look bad. So everyone collectively said no.

"Thank you," Arthur sighed and rubbed his head. "Now, can anyone recall when they last saw Matthew?"

Everyone ummmed and uhhhhed.

"I've been trying to catch him since graduation night so I could talk to him..." Gilbert said. "You know what about. If only I grew some balls before school ended."

"I think graduation was when I last saw him," Antonio shrugged apologetically.

"That's so long ago and very not helpful, thanks," Arthur muttered.

"I know when I started coming around, occasionally Mathieu would pass through," Francis said thoughtfully. "He had some helpful suggestions for recipes and had much better constructive criticism than Alfred."

"Oh yeah I remember that..." Alfred remembered begging Matthew to teach him how to taste food better so he could be just as helpful- "Wait! You say that like I wasn't helpful! It's not my fault I could only say 'damn that tastes good' because damn your cooking tastes good!"

"Focus," Arthur chided with a distasteful and judgemental glare. "When did you last see him?"

"Okay," Alfred cocked his head. "Uhhhhh... a few weeks ago? Shit, lemme see my calendar..."

"It was whenever I attempted to make macaroons..." Francis rubbed his chin. "That... was over a month ago."

"Yeah, I remember cus I saw him when I was making dinner..." Alfred used to only stick to frozen meals but he didn't want Francis to think he was some hopeless slob like Arthur said he was so Alfred learnt how to meal prep. But that was irrelevant. Think Alfred! When was this instance? "It was... sometime... I showed him a meme and it was a trending meme so it was whenever that was trending... a couple of weeks ago? Maybe more... I don't know."

Guilt was starting to weigh heavily in his stomach once he said the words out loud. Once he admitted he didn't know when he last saw his own twin brother.

Meanwhile, Arthur knew he had to consider the answer for himself but honestly, he didn't know. So many things happened in a day, he really couldn't remember. But remembering when they last saw him wouldn't really help so Arthur proposed a better question.

"Alright, so between a month and a few weeks ago but never mind that. Because for all intents and purposes, he seems to have moved out. Did he say anything to anyone here? Alfred?"

"Not that I remember... oops?"

Arthur sighed. "Surely he just moved out into a college or university dorm-" Arthur wanted to slap himself! "Blimey, there's a simple answer we just haven't considered that would no doubt sort this all out. His number! I'll just call him and have him give us some sort of explanation and we'll have this sorted out in no time!"

Everyone's shoulders slumped as a wave of self-pity hit them for being so stupid and needlessly escalating the situation. And for what? Clout?

"Yeah! That's an awesome plan!" Gilbert jumped in. "Then you can call him here and I can talk to him in person!"

"Yeah, see?" Antonio looked encouragingly at Arthur. "You didn't have to worry at all!"

As an older brother himself, Antonio could imagine how stressed and ashamed Arthur was, for this happening in the first place and for him not noticing. It had started making him stress too...

"Well now I'm just worrying if I'm a bad brother," Alfred huffed. "Like, Mattie's my twin? And he just moved out and I just somehow forgot about it?"

"You've been so busy, surely it just slipped your mind," Francis insisted.

"You are a bad brother, but you could become better," Antonio said apologetically. "When it comes to Lovi and Feli, they always know where the other is. Even if you weren't a twin I don't know how you just don't know where your sibling is..."

"Yeah, you suck." Gilbert said blatantly. "It's not very awesome to not notice if he's moved out! You could've told me where he moved and-"

"Quiet!" Arthur barked. "I'm calling."

Arthur felt his blood go cold and he took the phone from his ear. Everyone else noticed his reaction so with the phone on speaker, he attempted to call again.

"The number you are trying to reach has been disconnected-"

No one had to say it, but they were all worried, confused and tense.

Matthew was missing, no one knew when he went missing, clearly for some time and no one could reach him. And somehow, to guilt them all, they didn't notice until now.

The night had officially been derailed into an investigation. An ameture investigation. Alfred had very quickly suggested they report this to the police under 'missing person', if only to suggest anything at all without thought, but Arthur had just as quickly shot that down. From the underwhelming level of depersonalisation in Matthew's former room, it seemed he had left of his own volition.

Probably.

They didn't know anything.

They all had a stake in this now and needed to know something. Anything.

Arthur didn't blink at the suggestion that everyone should stay for dinner to have a break before getting back into the investigation.

Francis cooked and Alfred jumped at the opportunity to help or at least try, even if he wasn't wholly present to enjoy it. Because what kind of brother was he to just... not notice that his twin brother just disappeared?

Did Matthew think he was ignoring him? Because Matthew probably said something but Alfred was probably studying at the time and just gave 'hmmm' as a reply just to seem like he was listening but very clearly wasn't!

Fuck.

He spent the majority of eating dinner just reflecting on every interaction he had with Matthew, trying to find anything that would tip him off to just what the hell happened?

Was it his fault?

Arthur was thinking the same, far too concerned for his youngest brother to actually express any distaste for eating the food Francis prepared. But Arthur spoke up when Gilbert suggested turning this investigation into an all-nighter sleepover!

"No. We'll discuss what we can until we reach a reasonable hour but I cannot afford to be sleep-deprived-"

"Come onnnn Artie!" Alfred whined. "This is important! Where's your sense of mystery? Of adventure? Of-"

"Is this a joke to you?" Arthur snapped. "Because something very serious is going on here and-"

"I know, I know," Alfred threw his hands up, mock surrender. "I'm just putting it positively! How about you go to bed when you have to, I understand you've an old man who's got work and stuff but I'm just saying, we might as well investigate as much as we can while we have help!"

"That implies we'd leave you to your own devices!" Francis sounded aghast and pushed a palm against Alfred's chest. "I could never! Not when that would leave you with Arthur!"

"We could do without his so-called help," Arthur scoffed.

"No, the more the merrier!" Gilbert insisted. "Besides, I'm invested now and I'm not leaving until I find Matthew and give him this super awesome letter!"

"I'll stay too because if that were one of my brothers, I'd want all the support I could get," Antonio added. "I'm sure we'll get to the bottom of this soon enough."

"I hope so!" Gilbert cackled. "Now let's go buy some sleepover shit!"

Arthur couldn't help but feel like only he knew the real weight behind this situation he found himself in. Surely Alfred should be feeling like something here was amiss. The two of them were Matthew's brothers and that meant they should know him the best. Clearly, they didn't because Matthew just disappeared and yet the intruders here were treating the situation like it was just something that happened and was completely trivial. Arthur made himself another cup of tea. This sort of thing did not happen every day!

Something happened and whatever it was it was completely serious. Why couldn't they see that?

"Right, you three can go to the shops, feel free to leave Francis there by mistake. Now Alfred, can I speak with you in my study?"

Alfred just sighed in response, because obliging his brother was just so damn hard to do. Arthur's building tension did not like the disrespect.

It was frustrating how everyone had just convinced themselves this would all turn out fine in the end! Regardless of if it did, it was not fine now. Matthew had left! He would've told someone prior and not one person knew a thing! How couldn't anyone else see how their neglect was now aired out like dirty laundry?

Things were not fine now because they were in this situation of uncertainty. If Matthew had moved out... wherever he went he likely expected them to visit. And they never did. It didn't sit right with Arthur. That simply wasn't proper.

But it irked him that Matthew's phone was disconnected. That little detail meant more than Matthew simply not having social media. It meant more than him being unavailable. It meant he was out of reach. It meant something and Arthur dreaded to find out what.

"So. What?" Alfred had his hands in his pocket and Arthur pushed down his anger.

"I just hope you're taking this seriously."

"As serious as I can. Promise."

"Because I think when we find out what happened with Matthew things won't be like they were before. We didn't even notice he moved out. That means were weren't there for him like brothers should be and he did it all alone-"

"Yeah, I know! I know we're terrible brothers, alright? Don't need to rub it in! I'm just thinking optimistically that we'll find out soon enough and then we'll make things right with Mattie, alright? Then things won't be like they were before because they'd be better."

"Fine." Arthur had to restrain himself from saying more. From attacking Alfred out of frustration... and from sharing Arthur's worries because if Alfred could think positively why should Arthur ruin that? Even if deep down he worried this wasn't going to end well and everyone should be prepared. "Bring back some of the teabags I like from the shop then, would you?"

"You're not coming?"

"No, I'll start investigating, or at least think of what we can do to figure this out."

"Suit yourself," was all Alfred said before he left.