Francis sighed heavily as he pulled Arthur out of their room. "Come on amour.." He mumbled and took him to the kitchen.

Arthur refused to eat now, he mostly slept, and for Francis, it was getting hard to wake him up every morning. Arthur trudged along with Francis who pulled him to the table and sat down with him sitting across. "Is there anything you'd like?" Francis asked him. Arthur shook his head in response. "I'm fine." He replied in a quiet voice.

Francis frowned he knew he couldn't force Arthur to eat it, but he just couldn't stand and do nothing as Arthur grew weaker and weaker with each passing day, it was literal torture for Francis. He bit his lip and looked around searching for something that Arthur might not refuse. "Would you like something sweet instead?" he asked anxiously.

Arthur looked at Francis with dull eyes his heart clenched in pain when he saw how scared Francis looked it was utterly heart wrenching. "Francis.." He mumbled and reached out for his hand. "I'm sorry." He apologized in a broken hoarse voice and pulled him into a tight hug that he much needed. "Francis I'm so sorry I'm doing this to you. I really don't want you to be in pain I don't want to hurt you." He explained in a low murmur.

Francis held Arthur in a tight embrace burying his face in the crook of Arthur's neck. "It's okay love, I don't care if I get hurt. I just want you to be happy and healthy...but I know it's difficult." He slightly pulled back to meet with Arthur's eyes, seeing how dull his green eyes were made his heart literally shatter. He remembered when they would shine so bright he would compare them to glistening green emeralds, but the emeralds were gone now replaced by a dull green color.

He cupped Arthur's face in his hands and pressed their foreheads together.  "...you're running a temperature..." He stated in a worry laced tone. "It's nothing I'm fine," Arthur responded sounding exhausted. "I'm just tired." He said and pulled away from Francis' grasp. "Arthur you are unwell," Francis stated with a worried frown.

Arthur looked away. "I'm fine." He muttered again. "You're not eating, you're sleeping a lot, Arthur you are so thin I'm terrified," Francis explained with a trembling voice. "Please, I want you to take care of yourself. I'm scared amour.." He whimpered. "Francis please don't." Arthur quickly and anxiously tried to cheer Francis up, but it was too late.

Francis lowered his head and tried his hardest to hold back the negative feelings within himself, he forced himself to look up at Arthur. "No it's okay, don't worry about me." He said and grabbed Arthur's hand. "I'm okay really." He smiled and kissed Arthur's cheek despite the pained look in his eyes. "Francis-" Arthur was cut off when Francis stood from the seat in front of him.

Francis continued to hold onto his smile not wanting to let it falter, he had to stay strong.

Arthur held a concerned look. "Francis.." He started again hoping not to be distributed again. "T-they haven't called." He stammered. "I gave Alfred my number I really thought that maybe he would have called after being taken away." He explained with a tight throat. "If you really think their father is bad why haven't they called?" he asked.

Francis sighed and kneeled in front of Arthur taking hold of his hands. "I know it's difficult, but we need to give it some time. I'm terrified honestly I am, amour you have no idea how much I want to break down and scream and cry, but I need to stay strong for our children. We can't just give up on them now while we know that their father is bad." He explained to his distressed lover.

Arthur nodded and looked down at his hands his fingers intertwined with Francis' own. "Thank you, Francis." He whispered to him. "I really am weak when it comes to my emotions, I'd honestly be dead by now if I didn't have you by my side." He brought Francis' hands to his lips. "I'm so happy to have you by my side, and I want our family to be by my side too." He looked into Francis' eyes.

"I want all of us to be happy again, I want to see Alfred and Matthew grow up, and I want to wake up every morning with you lying beside me sleeping soundly looking like an angel and then be woken up by our children's giggles." His voice cracked. "I want to hold them tight, just how I did when they were just tiny children still partially new to the world, and even so they were still so smart." Francis had to stop Arthur, he couldn't handle it.

The pain in his heart was growing with each sentence Arthur spoke reminded him just how lonely and broken they were he embraced Arthur in a protective manner as if to shield him from any harm that could hurt him. "We will all be together again love, I promise you we will." That was all Francis could say to calm him down.

It was all he could say...

---------------------------------------------------------

Both boys were reluctant to move from their spot, both of their rooms were empty, not that they had anything in them in the first place, and now Alfred had just finished helping Matthew pack his clothes.

Since they didn't have a washing machine their clothes were stained with dirt and grime. "Alfred I'm scared." Matthew whimpered and grasped onto Alfred's hand hugging his bear to his chest with his free hand. "I don't want to leave papa and daddy. What if papa gets sick or daddy gets hurt?" he asked anxiously.

Alfred shook his head. "None of that will happen because we're protecting them from our...." Alfred took a breath. "Our 'dad.'" He grimaced. Matthew frowned. "Is that really true?" he asked, Alfred nodded.

It wasn't a lie, their father could hurt both Francis and Arthur if they interfered with his money-making. "So..." Matthew started. "We have to leave.." He mumbled it wasn't a question, it was realization settling in on him. Alfred stayed silent not wanting to make things worse for his brother, Matthew was already shouldering a lot of stress and exhaustion, adding more problems would break him.

Instead, Alfred held his brother's hand and led him out the rank room, it still reeked of cigarettes. Alfred felt sorry for the next family that would move in, he hoped they didn't have children. The stench was permanent, possibly stuck in the carpet and walls and it was definitely harmful, as Alfred stayed silent he could hear Matthew's raspy breath, it was like he was struggling to breathe properly.

Which he probably was, after spending long weeks in the horrid house without any proper care both boys grew ill. Alfred caught a small cold, and Matthew was barely showing symptoms of common fever, it was possible that if they didn't get medicine soon the worst could happen.

Alfred shuddered, it wouldn't be the first time he would face death, but it was still pretty terrifying, and painful. And Alfred did not want Matthew to ever go through that, never.

Matthew coughed, his throat was raw and it burned. "Hurry and get to the truck." Their father ordered as he looked around the house once more checking to see if he hadn't left anything behind. Alfred grumbled and lead Matthew to the huge truck, he helped him up and climbed up after him. "There, you can sleep now Mattie," Alfred said with a soft forced smile.

As much as Matthew wanted to sleep he declined and leaned against Alfred's shoulder burying his face in his bear's plush. "I want to know where we're going..." He explained in a murmur. "That way we can call daddy and tell him where we're at." Alfred was surprised by his brother's brilliant idea.  "You're so smart Mattie I'm serious how do you come up with all these ideas!?" he asked and tightly hugged his brother.

Matthew grunted. "I'm not as smart as you Alfie." He said and tried to pull away from the tight embrace Alfred held him in. "Don't say that Matthew!" Alfred shouted and pulled his brother away from the embrace taking hold of his frail shoulders. "You are the smartest person I know." He stated with a reassuring smile.

Matthew blushed and looked away giving out a raspy cough in the process. "T-thank you." He stammered, Alfred grinned at his success and released his brother from his grasp. For a while they were both silent waiting for the horrid man to arrive, he was taking a long time in the vacant building. Alfred observed his brother and noticed how his chest rose and fell with each soft raspy breath he took, and how his fingers would sometimes twitch, or when he flinched at everything that moved quickly.

He then noticed the dark bags under his eyes, they were a bit concerning. It looked as if someone had punched him in both eyes leaving dark purple bruises under them. Alfred sighed. "Matthew you said that you would listen to what I had to say right?" Alfred asked curiously, Matthew nodded in response clearing his sore throat.

Alfred smiled mischievously. "Then I want you to go to sleep, you're really worrying me, Matthew." He said with anxious eyes that Matthew couldn't look away from, so he sighed in defeat and agreed.  "Okay, but you have to wake me up in thirty minutes!" he demanded wearily. "Make it an hour." Alfred retorted, Matthew needed lot's of sleep to decrease the chance of him getting a high fever, he needed to strengthen his body.

Matthew whined and agreed yet again. "Fine, but only an hour. No more than that okay." He pouted at his smiling brother. "Deal." Alfred nodded and pulled his brother close to him. "Lay your head on my lap, you'll be more comfortable," Alfred said with a light blush, he was never good at asking for affection and love, but he was getting the hang of it since Matthew was helping him.

Matthew smiled and lied down resting his head on Alfred's lap, he coughed before closing his eyes. "You have to wake me up okay?" he mumbled. "I will I promise," Alfred reassured and stroked his hair. It was starting to get hot in the car, sweat formed on his forehead and on the back of his neck. Their father soon climbed into the car and started it without uttering a single word.

Matthew had quickly fallen asleep. "..where are we going?" Alfred asked quietly not wanting to wake his brother who was obviously exhausted. The man on the wheel glared at Alfred and then turned his attention back to the road ahead. "You'll see when we get there." He answered in a gruff voice.

Alfred hated having to stay in a car with the dangerous man it made him nauseous and clammy, after a long while of silence his brother coughed and gasped for breath as he slept.

The man chuckled and took out a box of cigarettes from his pocket, and he looked at Alfred as he grabbed one, lit it, and brought it to his lips.

------------------------------

Alfred gritted his teeth as he rubbed Matthew's back, it had been a long while yet they still weren't out of the town they knew.

The car was filled with the horrid stench of cigars, Alfred was starting to cough too, but not as bad as his brother. Matthew was wide awake now trying to clear his lungs of the smoke. "Please open a window," Alfred begged anxiously, their father rolled his eyes and opened the back window a tiny bit. "That's not enough!" Alfred shouted.

The man stayed silent once again giving Alfred the silent treatment, though after a long while Matthew was able to somewhat breathe properly again. He ended up passing out from exhaustion. "...you're a monster..." Alfred muttered.

The car came to a stop, Alfred jolted up and looked out the black tinted window, they were parked in front of a flashy building, neon lights showcased alcoholic beverages and brands. "I'll be right back, don't make a mess in the car." The man unbuckled himself and opened his door to jump out. "Oh, and don't even think about escaping." He gave Alfred a smile before climbing out leaving both boys alone.

Alfred quickly scrambled to the front and tugged at the handles, his heart dropped when he found them locked. Child lock. He tried banging on the window but no one was there. The windows were all closed now, and both him and Matthew were struggling to breathe. Alfred panicked, having to go through so much brought him stress and anxiety, it was not treating him well.

Matthew lied unmoving, still, his chest rose and fell softly, slowly. Alfred looked around trying desperately to look for something, anything that could help.

He nearly cried when he found the flip phone from earlier, he grabbed the crumpled paper from his pocket and quickly dialed the number with trembling hands.

It dialed...

....

...

..

Someone answered.

Alfred cried out. "Dad! Papa! Please, I can't explain now, we're at some weird place that has neon lights, it's near the restaurant dad took us to eat."

Tears threatened to spill from his eyes. "We're locked in a car, Matthew can't breathe so please hurry!" he pleaded.

The phone was low on battery. "Hurry before he gets back, I love you!" He shouted and the phone died.

Alfred stayed silent he gripped onto the phone as if it were his own life. "Please hurry..."

A/N: Hi! I just wanted to ask if it'd be okay to show my ugly face in honor of this book reaching 20k reads and gaining 200 followers! I can't thank you all enough! Ily so much!💖💖💞❤💘 (Ps I'm sorry for making you all suffer.)