They went in Gilbert's car and Alfred realised his mistake a second after he already called shotgun! Gilbert got into the driver's seat and Alfred wished that if he had to be a passenger princess, it would be for someone else...

Who was he kidding? Was it too late to take his own car so he could offer the passenger princess seat to Francis? Yes - because then that would be suspicious. Why take two cars? Everyone knew carpooling was fun! But then his saving grace came in the form of Antonio being the designated navigator and kicking Alfred out of the front because his navigating skills 'sucked'. Alfred wanted to be offended, but now he was in the back with Francis so... he kept his mouth shut. Plus he was 90% sure that Antonio's pleased look on his face came from a place of knowing... (the other 10% came from having shotgun)

Gilbert played the music loud and talked with Antonio about what he was going to do after the situation was resolved and they found Matthew, which shouldn't take long because of his awesome detective skills. And what he'd do after was not chickening out on giving him the note and hoping for the best.

But Alfred could tease Gilbert for his feelings (that somehow Alfred had completely missed! Must've been because he was too busy... obsessing about someone) later and turned to Francis (perhaps the one he obsessed over).

"Arthur's really worried," Alfred said. "He feels guilty because Matthew didn't ask us for help when he moved out or something."

"Maybe Matthew didn't tell you? I'm sure you would've remembered if he did."

Alfred shook his head because that suggestion was just stupid.

"Matthew would've told us!" Alfred thought about it. "But maybe he didn't want to bother us with making us help... but he would've said something before he left and then we just fucking ignored him! If he said something I know we would've helped or thrown him a moving-out party or something! I just can't believe he's gone! How was he the first to move out? And how did he do without us noticing? We can't be that busy!"

Alfred realised he was ranting and felt a wave of shame come over him.

"Ahh, sorry, I'm just a bit stressed about it, y'know? He's my twin and I just always assumed he was there, y'know? And now he isn't..."

"It's okay. I'm sure finding Matthew will be easy and when we find him you can make everything alright."

"You keep saying that but we've still gotta find him first," Alfred grimaced before slapping on a smile so he didn't have to make Francis argue. "But yeah, I'm thinking positively!"

"That's the spirit! And besides, I'm certain this is all Arthur's fault anyway. Let's just agree to blame him."

"Yeah exactly, Arthur's right there so I'll blame him! He always acts like he knows everything so this is on him. Now I feel better."

Then Antonio turned around to talk to Francis.

"We're going to stop home after this to grab our things, should we stop by yours too?"

"I practically live at your place, I'll grab some things from there." Francis dismissed. "Besides, how could I turn down seeing my favourite twins~?"

That would be Lovino and Feliciano, not Alfred and Matthew, but Alfred still felt a little jealous, if only because he was sensitive from his own lack of twin. But he had to admit the Italian twins were his favourite twins too... and they'd never get into this situation.

Alfred pushed the guilt away.

Walking into the grocery store very much like an unsupervised child with $20, the group grabbed a basket each and started putting in anything they thought would be needed.

"Mango or passion fruit?" Gilbert asked, holding up energy drinks and Alfred gave him a mischievous look.

"Both dude!"

Gilbert had a chaotic twinkle in his eye.

"I should drink them both at the same time!"

"Better idea!" Alfred jumped in. "Energy drink punch! For everyone."

"That's awesome!" Gilbert cackled.

Alfred would later lie to Arthur about how much he spent at the store. The answer always being 'too much' in his older brother's eyes. But everything they bought was 100% necessary.

All the bags were piled into the back of the car, between Alfred and Francis whose job was to hold the bags. If Alfred really wanted shotgun, he could argue that Gilbert didn't need directions to the next destination and Antonio had his turn. But...

He and Francis had too much fun ragging on British people. Alfred loved that they both had the common motive to pest Arthur. Anyone who saw what a 'twat' Arthur was made a good friend in Alfred's eyes. And the way he and Francis spoke could have him joking forever, the way Francis was able to build onto anything Alfred said and they just kept going? Wonderful. Alfred loved to talk, and Francis loved to talk, and together they talked. Alfred loved it. He loved Francis.

Of course, Alfred wanted to come into Antonio's house when the car stopped. Since leaving school he missed seeing all his friends daily and the Italian twins were no exception.

"So how does it feel to be seniors?" Alfred asked as he hung over the back of the couch to annoy Lovino and poke Feliciano as they watched the news.

"Feels fucking miserable. Everyone's breathing down our necks 24/7 and we can't catch a fucking break."

"Don't be like that Lovi! It's great!" Feli cheered, always the optimistic one.

Hmmm, maybe Alfred should suggest that for their Halloween costume, Lovino should dress as Squidward and Feliciano dress as Spongebob. He'll keep that thought to himself until it was the right time to suggest it...

"Why are you here?" Lovi's irritation rose as Antonio blocked the view of the TV.

"Because I can't go one day without saying I love you two!" Antonio forced Lovino into his arms.

"I'll fucking bite you."

Meanwhile, Feliciano was more than happy to be hugged by Francis, and even happier to claim he was his big brother too. The scene was too cute and Alfred tried not to react as he stared. Well, tried. His face kinda hurt from how violently he was smiling.

"Can I be your big brother too?" Alfred said as he leaned into Feliciano's space.

"Of course! The more the merrier!" Feliciano claimed and pulled Alfred in too.

Gilbert had a duffle bag slung as he came back into the room.

"Lud's not here?"

"Thankfully-fucking-not," Lovino said as he brought his mouth off of Antonio's forearm, which now had teeth marks. Antonio didn't seem to care as he wiped his arm on his pants. No matter what, Antonio was always the chillest dude in the room and Alfred respected it.

"Yeah, he had to go," Feliciano whined and Francis patted his head before going to pack his stuff.

"Is Nonno here?" Antonio asked.

"No, still at work, that bastard."

"Well, tell him that we won't be coming back tonight, we're sleeping over at Alfred's."

"Do I look like a fucking messenger pigeon, you fucking idiot? And you're an adult now so who cares? Send him a message, your phone works. Idiot."

That last 'idiot' was personal, but as always drove Lovino's point home.

"Okay Tonio!" Feliciano agreed and gasped when Lovino threw a pillow at him.

"Great! I knew I could count on you!" Antonio made a heart shape with his fingers. Lovino made the most generic gesture known worldwide with his fingers. Alfred knew they loved each other and awwwwed, cut off when a pillow was thrown at him.

"Okay, okay, I know we're bothering you and stopping you from watching TV," Alfred said as he went around the couch to block Lovino from seeing the TV. "But as an adult, I can tell you that TV's very bad for you."

"Fuck off, I can make my own choices."

"Also, random question, do you guys know where each other is at all times?"

"Are you seriously asking if we have twin telepathy?" Lovino scowled. "You? Are you fucking-"

"We do!" Feliciano nodded. "Well, we don't have twin telepathy but I always know where Lovi is. Why wouldn't I know where Lovi is?"

"I don't know," Alfred shrugged. "Would you go somewhere without telling him?"

"No!"

"What about you, Lovi?" Alfred asked.

"I fucking wish, this idiot follows me everywhere!"

"Except for the bathroom!"

"I should fucking hope so!"

Alfred could not imagine arguing with Matthew like this. Was it weird he kinda wished he did? Maybe it would mean they were close, just like this pair of twins were.

Because Alfred and Matthew weren't close...

They were once, a long time ago when they were children. But Alfred can't imagine what happened... He got busier, that's for sure. Too busy, maybe? His life got too full and demanding and somehow Matthew was drowned out.

Alfred stepped to the side, out of the way of the TV as he thought.

"I'll meet y'all at the car," Alfred commented as he went past Gilbert, who gave Alfred the keys before helping himself to the fridge.

Alfred shut himself in the car. It was quiet and cold. He pulled his phone from his pocket and opened his contacts. He had a lot of contacts but with everyone appropriately labelled it wasn't hard to find Matthew's. Alfred just stared at the contact with his finger hovering. He was hesitating to call. Because what if Matthew picked up? Alfred never had calling anxiety before. But Matthew had, so he wouldn't pick up and Alfred wouldn't have to talk and admit and apologise that he was a piece of shit brother.

Maybe a piece of shit person in general. Because even just as friends... how did it come to this?

Matthew wouldn't pick up but at least Alfred could say he tried and he'd know if he had the same weird voice thing that Arthur got. Because he really wouldn't blame Matthew if he blocked Arthur.

So Alfred called and his stomach dropped.

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

What the fuck did that mean? Alfred could feel his breathing getting heavier as he Googled it. Because when he didn't know something his first instinct was to Google it.

what does it mean this number is disconnected

'It means the person you are calling either changed their phone number or didn't pay their bill and it was shut off.'

What?

So did Mattie just forget to pay or decide not to pay? That had to be it. Because the alternative was he changed his number and told them, but they just forgot!

Matthew wouldn't forget to pay his phone bill. That shit was automated... Alfred just didn't want to admit the latter was much more likely-

Alfred couldn't- thoughts weren't coming to him. He kept scrolling.

'Disconnected phone numbers mean the customer is unreachable, and continued communication attempts with that disconnected number is time, money, and energy wasted with no return.'

He clicked a suggested search with trembling fingers.

Am I blocked or is their phone disconnected?
'If the call ends after one ring (or, in some cases, half of a ring) and you are diverted to voicemail, you are either blocked or your contact's phone is dead. If the phone immediately hangs up or beeps rapidly, then either the line is busy or the contact blocked you through their carrier.'

Well that didn't happen so he wasn't blocked. He went back to looking at what the fuck a disconnected phone number meant.

It didn't mean anything good...

The car felt a little colder when Alfred put his phone in his pocket. Now he really had no way of contacting his brother.

It was frustrating. He felt helpless. And so so guilty.

But then the other's came back and he distracted himself with the promise of making energy drink fruit punch... with alcohol!

Having friends around always cheered him up, but having distracted himself so often due to his study... he knew what a distraction felt like. He was distracted, but he fully embraced it.

The four of them in a car was a terrible concoction of:
-lack of common sense
-enthusiasm for chaos
-disregard for rules
-eagerness for a good time

So they all just agreed to not tell Arthur about the alcoholic energy soup. It wasn't like Arthur would try energy drink punch anyway and therefore find out, but Alfred could just feel it in his soul and make an educated assumption that Arthur would have a problem with it regardless if it had alcohol or not.

Arthur didn't have to know about the alcohol. It only took 5 minutes to stop and buy some alcohol with Gilbert's fake ID because this was America and despite being 18-year-old adults (legally, definitely not mentally) they couldn't have alcohol, which if Alfred thought about it would be weird for any non-Americans but the concept was just normal to him.

They left with more alcohol than necessary, but that really should've come as a surprise considering the list describing them. The group decided to store the excess alcohol in the car for another occasion without Arthur. Or maybe even offer it to Arthur once they succeed in reaching Matthew. Call it preparing for success. Manifesting destiny, or something.

When Alfred got home he noticed that his makeshift study area had been scrapped and everything was shoved off to the side. There were whiteboard and markers, notepads and pens, Arthur leaned on the counter entirely focused on his laptop.

"You certainly took your time," he chided. "And now that you're back we can begin."

Arthur didn't say they had to begin immediately, so after 10 minutes of setting up all the snacks and then throwing the sleepover gear into the spare room, because, despite offers to use the couch (or share Alfred's double bed if your name starts with F), the guests were more than content to fit into a double bed. Antonio insisted that when they slept at his house they always just crashed in his bed and never had a problem with it so clearly they'd just do that here.

"European descent, Alfred," Arthur reminded before Alfred said something weird or offensive without even knowing it. "They don't see things how the feeble American mind does."

"HEY!" Alfred was going to pretend he forgot Arthur's tea bags as punishment for that.

"Alright!" Gilbert captured everyone's attention as he came into the room, concealing the drinks for his concoction in the grocery bag. "Are we ready?"

"I think that if anyone needed to do anything before we start, now's the time," Francis said with a spark in his eye.

"I just went to the bathroom so I'm all good," Antonio added, barely withholding a mischievous grin.

"Hmm, that's a good idea actually," Arthur mused as he put down his mug of never-ending tea. "But once I come back we really shouldn't put this off any longer."

"You guys are geniuses'!" Alfred fake whispered as Gilbert started unpacking the energy drinks and alcohol the millisecond Arthur went around the corner.

"Tell me something I don't know!" Gilbert cackled. "Now where's a big enough bowl?"

Alfred almost ripped a cupboard door from its hinge and basically threw the bowl at Gilbert.

"We'll need some ice," Antonio reminded and helped himself to the freezer.

"Go go go go," Alfred withheld laughter as everyone scrambled to put together the punch.

"We'll need this," Francis placed a soup ladle on the counter, along with some glasses, "and these."

"Fuck, lemme see if we have any cool straws!" Alfred pulled open a drawer to find some colourful curly straws he bought for graduation.

"Oh fuck yeah!" Gilbert exclaimed and finally added the alcohol into the mix. The second he was done Francis was taking the bottle from him and shoving it, along with the empty cans into the grocery bag and then running out the front door.

"I dub this punch the 'something awesome Matthew'," Gilbert stepped back with his hands on his hips. "Because this night is dedicated to him! I'll come up with a more awesome name later."

That's when Arthur came back in and saw the punch bowl. He just looked between everyone individually before sighing and turning on the kettle.

Francis walked back in and Alfred could barely contain laughter when-

"What's that?" Francis pretended he had no idea what was going on.

"I don't want to waste time by asking," Arthur said, having given up a long time ago.

"It's just fruit punch! Here, have some!" Alfred scooped some into a glass and quickly handed it to Francis without spilling it. "Did you want some too Arthur?"

"No thanks, I'll stick to tea."

"Your loss," Alfred shrugged and tried to keep his smile as unsuspicious as possible.

"I saw there wasn't that much room in your fridge so we'll have to be responsible and drink this all tonight because we won't be able to put it away," Antonio said and Alfred couldn't keep his smile sane after that. No one could.

And because Arthur very clearly could pick up that something was going on, they had to 'admit' that there were energy drinks in the punch. That it was entirely energy drinks. Nothing else.

Arthur sighed into his tea.

Once everyone had a drink in hand they could finally begin their investigation.