Everyone tensed when a sound rang out. Such a normal sound that it felt foreign and intrusive, taking Matthew a second to realise it was the doorbell. Alfred first calmed from the sudden noise before reluctantly leaving Gilbert crying on the toilet and Matthew stuck his head down the hall out to see who was there as his brother answered. Unsurprisingly, someone Alfred knew. But surprisingly, someone Alfred wasn't expecting.
"Oh, Kiku? Hey!" Alfred cleared his rough voice. "What are you doing here? You doing alright?"
"I'm sorry, I did text in advance. I understand if you couldn't reply and I can leave if you'd like-"
"NO!" Alfred shot a hand out to grab Kiku's shoulder. "I mean, no, stay. I know you want to stay too so just come in."
Alfred stepped back and pretty much yanked Kiku inside before locking the door behind them.
"You're stuck here now!" Alfred said as he forced his friend into a hug.
Kiku had brought a bag that was slung over his shoulder and his face was completely blank, somehow more so than usual. It must've been his eyes, which held more emotion than Matthew had usually seen from him. But it made sense, Kiku was close to Ludwig too.
"So are you okay? I mean obviously fucking not but uh, can I get you anything?"
"No, I'm fine. Thank you." Kiku kept his gaze down as his hands wrung around his bag strap.
Alfred just nodded exaggeratedly before striding over and sticking his ear to the bathroom door. The shower wasn't running anymore but the others hadn't come out yet. Alfred rubbed at his chin as he thought about something.
"Alright, new sleepover arrangements," Alfred turned to Kiku. "You spoon with Feli on the couch. That alright with you?"
Kiku nodded stiffly.
"Cool. I'll share with you, Mattie."
Matthew was a little surprised at this turn of events but figured it was the obvious solution to the situation Alfred found himself in. Matthew nodded but Alfred was busy knocking on the bathroom door and didn't see his answer. He probably wasn't expecting one and Matthew was just supposed to go along with it. Lucky for Alfred, Matthew truly didn't mind. Otherwise, he'd be able to worm his way out of it just like Gilbert and the spiked shake. Maybe a little cowardly, but Matthew had to look out for number one. He wasn't willing to get used.
"Guys, just letting you know that Kiku's staying the night."
Alfred must've expected a reaction because he jumped back and not a second later the door was flying open as a half-dressed Feliciano threw himself at Kiku and wrapped him into a tight hug.
"I'm so glad you're okay! You're okay, right? Are you okay? I'm so sorry I know you don't like hugs and all but-"
Feliciano would've kept jabbering if Kiku hadn't cut him off.
"It's fine." Kiku wrapped his arms around his friend. "I'm sorry for your loss."
And then Feliciano was crying again while an unphased Kiku held him.
"It's your loss too! I'm sorry for your loss! Why did this have to happen? It's not fair-"
Alfred acted before it could spiral.
"Group hug! We're glad you're here!" Alfred sandwiched Feliciano and squeezed. "Anyways, change of plans. Feli, you'll be spooning Kiku tonight and not me. So you can make sure he's feeling alright too. If everyone uses the buddy system we can get through the night."
Antonio came out of the bathroom fully clothed and completely dry, and joined in the hug too. Alfred didn't notice Antonio's state until after the hug broke up.
"You didn't shower? Did you want to?"
"No, it's fine... I'd rather keep an eye on Gil." Antonio's eyes widened when he saw where Gilbert was.
"Yeah uh, you missed out, he had another thing," Alfred explained. "It wasn't violent this time so I guess it's okay but I bet his voice is sore as fuck."
Gilbert made a sound of agreement, sounding like nails on a chalkboard and wincing as he rubbed his throat.
"Sheesh amigo, what are you doing there?" Antonio said as he went to fuss over Gilbert before hastily adding- "Don't answer!"
"He cried and threw up," Alfred gestured with his arm to make up for his lack of explanation. Not that his explanation was even necessary. Alfred shook his head before walking off and brought back a glass of water to give to Gilbert. Then Alfred checked his phone.
"Anyways, uh, I really want to watch the news and I get if anyone doesn't want to, whoever doesn't can just get comfy in my room and I'll keep the volume down," Alfred announced before bending to help Gilbert up.
"Wha'-" Gilbert broke into a painful coughing fit that had everyone cringing.
"I think you should go to bed early because you must be so fucking tired and then your voice will get better-"
Gilbert was shaking his head and pointing at the TV. He wanted to watch it too and knew Alfred was trying to stop him. So with a sigh, Alfred stepped back and then turned to Feliciano. The Italian knew what was coming.
"No! I want to watch! I need to watch! Please-" Feliciano was pleading while shaking like a leaf and ducking behind Kiku. Alfred put his hands up in surrender.
"Okay, I won't fight you but you do know you'll get really upset so I just think it'll be for the best-"
"I don't care! I'm already upset so it doesn't matter and I need to know! What if I miss something important and I need to know! I want to know..."
"Not knowing would upset him more," Antonio wrapped an arm around Feliciano. "If we're here for him then maybe it won't be so bad."
"Yeah okay," Alfred sighed painfully. "Alright, does everyone wanna watch it then?"
Yes, everyone wanted to watch it. Matthew was just so eager to see how things developed as the day went on and as far as he was concerned, the more watching the merrier. The entertainment didn't stop at the TV.
The room was tense as everyone set up in the living room. There wasn't enough room on the couch so Matthew knew he'd have to be the one to stand. Fine by him, as long as he got to watch. Antonio also stood, allowing Kiku, Alfred and Gilbert to sit on the couch with Feliciano being pulled onto Alfred's lap and a tight hug.
Alfred turned on the TV and everyone waited in anticipation for the news to come on. They didn't have to wait long.
The police were doing yet another press conference for the media yet again and once again the Chief of Police made another appearance. Completely expected given the man's attitude about nationally scorning the Trail Killer but what Matthew didn't see coming was Gilbert's reaction. Gilbert made a strangled noise and pointed as a hand pressed over his mouth. Antonio leaned down to give him a hug and Gilbert fisted his hands into his friend's shirt as he kept his eyes on the Chief. Those eyes were full of emotion, barely contained and threatening to burst through.
"Uh, shit, isn't that...?" Alfred trailed off and cringed like he regretted bringing it up. He continued talking anyway. "Uh, has he contacted you at all... yet?"
Antonio answered for Gilbert by shaking his head at Alfred, who pulled a face of disapproval.
"Your poor grandfather," Feliciano's voice wobbled. The tearful Italian moved over to cling at Gilbert instead, who had a conflicted expression, twisted with malice and angst upon seeing his grandfather before tearing his glossy eyes away.
Matthew felt his eyebrows rise. He didn't know that the Chief of Police was Gilbert's grandfather, and by extension Ludwig's. Matthew could not have asked for a more cruel coincidence. That would certainly force the police to take everything seriously. Deadly seriously. Which was exactly what they were doing. Matthew bit his tongue as he watched on, hanging onto every development with morbid intrigue.
"We are diligently doing our best to ensure the safety and well-being of the city. We are working tirelessly to minimize the catastrophic damage from last night and put away the terrorist responsible for this chaos with the highest possible punishable consequences. We have our best and brightest focused on catching this despicable criminal who we refuse to be intimidated by."
Gilbert made to spit out a comment, but his voice wouldn't cooperate and so he just growled as he tried and failed to force it out.
Then Antonio looked conflicted as he made to move from Gilbert but reluctantly wouldn't untether his arm. Matthew noticed Antonio's twitching of uncertainty, Matthew had been trained well to recognise signs like this because he was trained to serve. What did Antonio need? Matthew just knew he was going to ask. It was going to happen.
Antonio was glancing around and saw him.
"Can you get some water?" Antonio asked.
Matthew couldn't say no. No reason to say no. No reason to expect hearing no because Matthew was nice and if anything he was probably expected to have thought to grab water for Gilbert before the albino even coughed.
Frustration was pushed aside in the face of the TV still running, Matthew knew he would have to put up his facade for the meantime no matter how conflicted it made him. Drastic times allowed for drastic measures. He gave in. Matthew didn't want to miss anything happening so he'd have to be quick.
As he filled a glass, he heard a reporter ask about who would take over the official investigative task force now that the lead detective was gone and Matthew held his breath as he listened.
"I will personally take over Officer Beilschmidt's position as lead detective on our dedicated investigation."
Something was thrown and everyone made noises of shock before Gilbert's voice drowned them out.
"O' course!" Gilbert's rough voice exclaimed as he threw his hands up. There was a pillow sitting in front of the TV, one he presumably threw. Gilbert went to say something else but his voice was too harsh and it came out hoarse. With frustration, Gilbert slapped his hands on his thighs and balled them up with a grunt.
"Isn't that good?" Feliciano asked. "Your grandfather's really smart, maybe he'll-"
Gilbert ripped his hands from where his palms were digging into his face as he twisted to seethe at Feliciano. Feliciano whimpered and Alfred jumped in as a shield. Kiku made to stand and somehow put himself between the two with a pained expression. Antonio jumped into action to wrap Gilbert into a constrictive hug.
"Amigo- hey, hey," Antonio grabbed at Gilbert's hands to stop him from digging his nails into his own arms as Gilbert apparently realised he had gone too far by being aggressive towards Feliciano. Matthew lingered off to the side with the glass of water in hand as he tried to figure out just what the problem was.
Gilbert didn't like his grandfather, for some reason. It seemed to have been an ongoing thing that didn't just occur in the past 24 hours. Thought that event might've made things finally explode.
"We assure you-" Gilbert's grandfather continued in his unwavering authoritarian voice, "Surveillance measures will be furthered-"
"Are they just sucking up cus they lied all this time?" Alfred sneered as the Chief continued to openly list the police's plans. "Like, they fucking lied to us and the whole-ass public and look what fucking happened!"
"We will be changing our approach. If this killer won't back down then neither will we," The Chief added. "We refuse to be intimidated by this terrorist. We are looking into reorganizing the police and securing more funding to improve and protect the city. There's a lot of developments to look forward to that are in discussion-"
Gilbert kept making noises in place of words, likely curse words, to show exactly how he felt while watching the broadcast. How he felt about his grandfather. He tore a hand free from Antonio to grab another pillow and ditched it before his friend restrained him again.
So Ludwig was in the same profession as their grandfather and Gilbert was not. Gilbert had not heard from his grandfather at all since the event last night. Was he upset for that last reason alone?
A reporter asked if the police were confident in the curfew and naturally, the Chief of Police exuded that confidence.
"The curfew comes into full effect in a few short hours and it is pivotal that the city complies during these trying times. Anyone found on the streets during these restricted hours will be spending the night in jail and risking fines. Consider this as the motivation if your safety is not enough."
The Chief then began ranting, proclaiming not a single person would fall victim under these circumstances and Matthew just had to wonder how the police could sound so sure... It was almost like the challenge was being dangled right in front of him. Daring him to find a way around it like he'd done with everything else that had come before. Matthew imagined that after last night, the surveillance would be more extreme than he could imagine. He'd certainly have to be careful as he became comfortable with the new status quo... wait.
Maybe that's what the police wanted him to think, that this was a challenge and taunt him with it. He wouldn't be surprised if Ludwig had been conspiring with the Chief. From his limited knowledge of their relationship, it seemed quite plausible. Plus Matthew had to factor in the profile Ludwig had made and how accurate even the draft had been. Matthew would have to think about how he would react to this news and do the opposite because he did not want to be played again. His first thought had been 'how will I get around this' so clearly the police were expecting him to adjust just like that. If he couldn't resist it and went out wouldn't he be giving into their bait? He refused.
Matthew mulled it over as he thought about it. He could just lie low without pushing the limits. The urge inside him was satisfied and if he wasn't hungry, why eat? Especially when the meal could be poison. He didn't need to challenge the curfew because he already got what he wanted and he'd won this battle. The Trail Killer had been launched into new heights of fame than he ever imagined and now everyone feared him. The heavy news coverage would give him entertainment for a long time. This wouldn't be going away anytime soon either. The public would be constantly wondering about the investigation and the police would constantly be giving updates. Since the police were so insistent on being vocal now, they would keep bringing up their every intent to catch him and the cycle of infamy would continue.
Matthew could be patient and just enjoy the new stage he set because he was satisfied.
"Are they fucking serious?!" Alfred practically growled. "The Trail Killer won't give a shit about a stupid curfew! Fuck! Can they actually stop this asshole?!"
Exactly, the police were trying to goad him into breaking the curfew and Matthew would never make a mistake if he could help it... Alfred on the other hand. Alfred just risked unwanted attention and Matthew really hoped his brother would know when to quit. But he also knew better than to place faith in hope because despite what he wanted, Matthew just had a feeling that like always, his brother would swing the other way.
Because fancy criminal profiler or not, Alfred just knew what the killer's first thought was going to be. Too bad he didn't consider a second thought.
"What makes you think the killer would go out after this?" Matthew gestured to the madness on the TV. "This is a bit... extreme. Surely the killer wouldn't be so stupid to go out after this is announced and get caught?"
"Surely the killer could see the odds were stacked against him now," Kiku spoke up with a calculating look aimed at Alfred.
"Yeah! They just need to scare the killer to make him stop, right?" Feliciano choked out.
"This shit won't scare him! It's a killer!" Alfred stressed. "One that won't stop until stopped so it looks like we're gonna have to keep going out because the dumbass police can need all the help they can get. What do you guys think?"
Alfred glanced at Antonio and Gilbert who had mixed expressions from the multitude of emotions haunting them.
"Fuck yes!" Gilbert rapsed out and Matthew was really surprised. He would've thought that Gilbert would at least have some hesitation after Ludwig told him off and told him not to do it and then died. But Gilbert wasn't exactly smart.
"I won't let you guys go out alone-" Antonio was cut off by a desperate Feliciano.
"NO!" Feliciano's voice broke in desperation and was flinging himself again. "You guys can't go out! Please don't! What if you- You can't- What if you get killed?! Please don't!"
Kiku said nothing but his eyes raked over everyone as he weighed up the conversation.
"No. You're right Feli, we can't. We won't." Alfred's eyes met Feliciano's he bit his lip. "Don't worry about it, we won't. We're just scared cus that killer won't stop and it's not fair. I said that without thinking."
Alfred met Antonio and Gilbert's eyes.
"Right guys? We're just saying this because we're upset. We're not actually gonna do it. Especially since it's illegal, y'know?"
Gilbert should be used to his voice failing him by now but despite it, he tried to argue with jerky gestures and broken noises that communicated his feelings of 'no, we NEED to go out' very clearly. Alfred turned his urgent eyes to Antonio and after a shared look, Antonio whispered into Gilbert's ear, making the latter change his tone and give in. Gilbert's voice gave in and so he just nodded vigorously to make up for his voice and Antonio looked down with shame.
"No, we won't. We have no intentions of breaking the curfew, Feli," Antonio reassured.
Matthew just knew what they were thinking. They were so predictable and so stupid. He actually felt an urge to try and curb their behaviour.
But that was a thing of the past... the old Matthew used to feel the weight of other people's actions and now if he did anything he'd feel bad for giving in.
"Good, there's no need for you to go out," Matthew made his tone sound relieved. "The police probably expect the killer to keep going out and this is their plan-"
"Fuck! What?!" Alfred cursed. "So this is all a big mind game?! A-fucking-gain?!"
Gilbert's face lit up and he jolted like he had been struck with lightning. His eyes were alive as an angry smile crossed his face.
Matthew internally sighed. That was supposed to deter them! They were supposed to just believe that the killer would be stupid enough to go on the streets where they'd inevitably be caught without their interference! And then believing that would make them feel better and none of them would have the urge to play vigilante for the foreseeable future and risk the full force of the law coming down on them!
"Gil? Please don't- you won't actually do it, right? Gil?!" Feliciano trembled.
Gilbert's face looked like he wanted to be angry at Feliciano and lash out at him, but was barely resisting and barely hiding it. When he didn't answer right away, Feliciano lunged himself at Gilbert and latched onto him while pleading.
"He won't! I won't let him! Gil's just saying that because, well, we all want the killer to pay, right? Don't worry, we'll all feel better after a couple of weeks," Antonio said as he rubbed Feliciano's back.
Gilbert hugged Feliciano back tightly to comfort him and try to convince him.
"But I don't want to feel better!" Feliciano cried as he clung to Gilbert and no one knew what to do about that besides let him cry it out. Then Matthew passed the glass of water to Antonio, who passed it to Feliciano and tried to soothe him.
"I'm gonna check in on Ivan," Alfred said as he fished his phone out and began typing. Matthew just knew that was code for finding out if Ivan's seen this update too and was on the same page as the group.
Everyone watched in silence as the news looped the same stuff from lunch. Despite already seeing it, Matthew was more than happy to watch it for a second time. Though he let his eyes stray to the side to try and catch a glimpse of Alfred's phone and see Ivan's response, but he was too far away to make out the words in the text bubbles without leaning and having someone's attention turned to him. But he did have a feeling that Ivan was very much on board.
His view was obstructed anyway when Gilbert jumped up with a rough intake of breath and jerky movements, pushing Feliciano off and into Antonio. Alfred went to question what was going on but Gilbert just forcefully snatched the remote from his friend's hand and turned the TV off with a grunt.
Gilbert sort of shifted on the spot as he ran his hands from his face to through his hair over and over.
"Maybe we should all go to bed, it's been a long day?" Alfred suggested.
"Good idea! I'm very tired, aren't you amigo?" Antonio grabbed Gilbert's hand to try and grab his attention. Gilbert sneered at the friendliness before his face twisted further and his hands tensed in his hair.
Alfred bit his lip as he glanced between his pairs of friends. Kiku had a hand on Feliciano's shoulder as Feliciano clung to him on the couch. Gilbert and Antonio looked like there was a silent conversation passing between them.
"You guys get comfy, I'll getcha some blankets and pillows and shit and you'll sleep like kings!" Alfred shot some finger guns at Kiku and Feliciano before looping his arms around Gilbert and Antonio.
"Come on-" Alfred's smile dropped when Gilbert brushed him off and began pacing again.
"I'll look after him," Antonio reassured.
"No, I'll help," Alfred insisted. "Mattie, can you grab sleepover supplies for Kiku and Feli?"
Alfred didn't wait for a response as he turned his focus back to dragging Gilbert to his bed.
Matthew couldn't help but notice how his brother's attention was split and ever since he got home he was jumping from task to task. Hopefully, he appreciated Matthew being there but Matthew doubted it.
Considering they weren't draining bullies, Matthew didn't mind helping out Feliciano and Kiku so he found some blankets and pillows. When he brought them over he saw that Feliciano was crying again and clawing at Kiku, was who doing his best to comfort his friend despite the beads of tears forming in his own eyes.
Matthew went to find them a box of tissues after lowering the lights. Being sympathetic to other people's problems was a well versed skill. He couldn't say he didn't understand what they were feeling, he just couldn't feel it for himself. Which made sense, because Ludwig wasn't his friend. Feliciano, Kiku and Ludwig had been really close and made for a strange but somehow fitting close knit friend group. On the bright side, at least Feliciano and Kiku still had each other and should feel better with time.
Matthew had to wonder if he had someone he was especially close to, how would he react if they were taken away? He imagined he simply wouldn't allow that to happen.
With that thought Matthew made the connection to why everyone was ready to disregard the curfew. He understood it and what they were feeling, they were driven by desperation. Maybe it wasn't that stupid after all. Well, it was definitely stupid logically, but through the lens of being overwhelmed by their desperate feelings, it somehow made sense.