Fear.

That was the only thing the small family felt in the atmosphere around them.

When the sun rose and the sky was a soft shade of orange and pink, Arthur had no time to admire it like he did every morning, he knew Francis was coming and he knew there wasn't going to be any chances for the children to survive the emotional pain if they stayed there when he arrived.

He rushed to their room and shook their shoulders. "Boys please wake up." He whispered anxiously. "What's wrong dad?.." Alfred yawned and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "It's so early daddy, are we going somewhere?" Matthew mumbled in annoyance as he sat up to meet his father's wide and fear filled eyes. "Yes, remember my friend Gilbert?" Arthur asked. Both boys nodded.

"Well we're going to meet him again right now, now come on. I need you both to quickly get dressed." Arthur glanced at his watch. "4:21..." He muttered to himself. "Got an hour left before..." He trailed off, realizing that both his children were listening to him. "U-umm...come on, I'll help you dress." He offered quickly.

With both boys still half asleep he managed to dress both of them. "Daddy, why do we have to go?" Matthew asked worriedly. "I'll explain in the car." He took both of their hands and exited the house. "...dad stop!" Alfred instantly stopped and stood his ground he grabbed ahold of his brother's hand and made him stop. "We won't go until you tell us what's happening," Alfred stated with a frown.

Arthur felt his heart drop in anxiety seeing how he himself worried his sons. "Look Alfred I promise I'll tell you everything just please trust me." Arthur desperately looked at him, almost pleadingly. Alfred was taken aback by his father's desperate glare and he reluctantly let go of his brother's hand and let himself be dragged. "Okay.." He mumbled worriedly.

Eventually, they were all sitting in the car, the atmosphere was tense almost to the point where it could choke them like thick smoke. Alfred couldn't help but feel scared, he didn't know what it was that was so scary to him but the way his father's hands trembled as they gripped the steering wheel was worrying. Terrifying even.

Dreadful hours passed, Matthew had dozed back to sleep but Alfred was now wide awake with his mind whirring with questions and thoughts, he looked at his father from the review mirror. "Mattie is asleep now...you can tell me what's wrong," he mumbled and winced almost regretting his sentence. "I don't want you to get hurt...I can't tell you." Arthur protested. Alfred frowned and balled his hands into tight fists. "Please, dad...I want to know. I need to know." He demanded.

"Alfred I will not argue with you," Arthur stated with a frown. "Dad, please...I need to know..." Alfred pleaded this time but with no success, instead, he got silence for an answer. "Why are you taking us to Gilbert's place? Why do you look so scared? You're shaking...something is wrong." Alfred explained in a hard tone. "Alfred I won't tell you again..." Arthur warned.

Alfred had enough. "Then I can't trust you anymore...if you won't tell me anything then that means you don't trust me too." He looked down in anger and somewhat fear, he but hid it very well. "Alfred please you have to understand.." Arthur tried to explain to him but was greeted by Alfred turning his head away from him and silently looked out the window. He sighed and brought his attention back to the road. "I'm sorry Alfred, but It's better if you don't find out." He mumbled glumly.

After a while they arrived at Gilbert's place, Alfred awoke his brother and grabbed ahold of his hand. "Come on Mattie, we're here." He forced a happy looking grin and hopped out the car, standing a few feet away from his father. Arthur knocked on the door with a shaky fist and glanced over his shoulder at both boys, he frowned when he saw Alfred looking down at his feet.

He was shaken from his stupor when a certain albino threw open the door and shouted a greeting. "Hi, guys! Welcome to the awesome Gilbert residence!" he grinned. His little brother arrived and clung onto the hem of his shirt with a tired looking face. "Oh, don't forget my awesome brother too.." Gilbert snorted and lifted him up. "Sorry Luddy, did I wake you?" he exclaimed apologetically.

Ludwig rested his head against his brother's shoulder and yawned receiving a chuckle from Gilbert. "So I see you brought the boys..." His smile then faltered. "I still don't think this is a good idea." He mumbled glumly, quickly noticing Alfred's glum expression. "Can we please not talk about this Gilbert...I understand what you mean but just let me do this my way." Arthur said in a warning tone.

Gilbert jumped back. "Okay, okay..sheesh, and I thought the only scary thing about you was your cooking..." He muttered fearfully and held onto his now sleeping brother. "Can you just take care of them until I return? I'm pretty sure it won't take that long." Arthur grabbed ahold of Matthew's hand since he was the only one closest to him, but when he tried to pull him closer Alfred had quickly held onto his brother's arm and stayed in place, unmoving.

Matthew looked at his brother and gave him a look of confusion. "Alfred?...what's wrong?" he asked worriedly. "Alfred please stop being stubborn." Arthur yanked on Matthew's hand, forcing Alfred to let go of his brother. "D-daddy you're hurting me!" Matthew yelped as his father's tightening grip became stronger. Gilbert quickly acted and grasped onto Arthur's wrist. "Calm down eyebrows...you're hurting more than helping." He muttered darkly.

Arthur looked at Matthew's pain filled face and Alfred's angry expression before he quickly released his son's wrist. "I..I'm sorry Matthew...I didn't mean to hurt you..I- I just..." Arthur struggled to find his words. His tongue was in a knot and his heart was heavy with guilt. "I need to go now..boys please behave and listen to Gilbert while I'm gone. I promise I'll be back soon." And with that said he rushed back to the car as tears threatened to spill from his eyes and drove off without a single glance or thought.

Matthew watched as the car drove off and tightly held his brother's hand. "...he didn't give us a goodbye kiss like he always does..." He mumbled in a sad tone. "Who cares, we don't need it. It doesn't matter to me anymore." Alfred stated and looked up to meet Gilbert's eyes. "What do we do now?" he asked. "Well it is pretty early, Luddy and I are still a bit tired...and by the looks of it I can tell you both need a nice nap." He held out his free hand to him. "Come on, I'm the expert at taking awesome naps. I'll show you my way." He grinned cheekily.

Alfred slightly smiled and took his hand. "Yeah..." He looked at his brother who still held a sad expression and turned back to Gilbert. "I think we really do need to take a nap." He mumbled solemnly, Gilbert led them to an empty room that had a single bed in the corner. "Sorry, this room only has one bed.." He apologized with a frown. "It's okay, me and Mattie sleep together at home anyways," Alfred reassured and sat at the edge of the bed and removed his shoes.

Gilbert smiled and made sure that Ludwig was secure and safe in his arms. "Looks like you already got comfortable. Well, I'll leave you two alone now. If you need anything I'll be down the hall." He stated. "Okay, thank you, Gilbert." Alfred smiled at him before he left. He turned to his brother who sat by him and saw that he was struggling to untie his laces, so he stopped his hand and moved them away before untying them for him. "Thank you, Alfie." He blushed in embarrassment.

He grinned. "No problem Mattie, let's go to sleep okay? It's like five o'clock that's really early." He lied down beside his brother pulling a blanket over themselves. "Will daddy really come later?" Matthew asked. "Of course he will," Alfred reassured with a smile. "...okay, I believe you, Alfie." Matthew yawned and wrapped his arms around his waist and rested his head on his chest like he used to do when they lived at the orphanage.

Alfred hugged him back. "I was wrong Mattie...we shouldn't forget about mom. She's our only mom." He mumbled. "At least she trusted me, she told me everything even if I was still a toddler." Matthew tiredly looked up at him. "Daddy trustes us too, he trusted us to behave while he's gone." He explained in a low murmur and intertwined their fingers together. "You don't understand Mattie...he's keeping a secret from us. And he lied and said that nothing was wrong when I asked him. Lying is wrong Mattie." Alfred explained quietly.

Matthew frowned. "...I guess you're right...he looked mad and was hurting my wrist...he never hurts us even if it's on accident," he stated. "It's okay Mattie when you wake up from your nap I'll tell you everything." By now Matthew was beginning to doze off and he struggled to keep his eyes open. "Really?...how will you know what's happening?..." He asked in a groggy whisper before drifting off to sleep. Alfred although knowing that his brother had fallen asleep still answered his question. "Because Gilbert knows what's happening." A mischievous smile spread across his face.

He drifted off to sleep as he held his brother's hand, his dreams were filled with his father's face and the angry but terrified look in his eyes. An hour later he was awoken by a loud thud coming from the hall followed by a German swear, he carefully released his brother's hand and ever so slowly made his way out of the room and out the hallway. He looked at each room until he was certain that he found Gilbert's room.

He pressed his ear against the door and eavesdropped into a conversation he was having through a phone. "Come on eyebrows this is the tenth time you called me! And for the tenth time, I'm telling you they're still asleep." The albino stated in annoyance. Alfred lit up at the mention of his father. "Has Francy pants arrived yet?" he heard him ask. Who were they talking about? He thought curiously.

He pulled his ear away from the door and rested his hand on the doorknob, he twisted it until the lock clicked signaling that it was opened and he pushed the door to reveal himself. "Umm Gilbert...I couldn't sleep." He stated in a feign tired voice. Gilbert jumped in surprise. "I'll have to call you later! Bye!" He quickly hung up and threw his phone on his bed. "Ah...what's up Alfred? Is something wrong?" he asked quickly with a shaky voice.

Alfred nodded. "I want to know what's happening. It's been bothering me all day!" He exclaimed angrily. "I can't sleep! I can't even focus on Mattie because I'm so worried about dad!" his face was flushed red and Gilbert felt guiltily seeing how small Alfred was and how much stress he must've gotten through just shattered his heart. He sighed and sat on the edge of his bed. "Alfred...I'll tell you. You should know what's going on." He patted a spot next to him and invited Alfred to sit with him.

Alfred climbed on the bed and looked at Gilbert. "Please just tell me the truth...I can't take any more lies." He pleaded. "Alfred look this may be hard to understand but...your father is going to try to end a relationship," Gilbert explained. "Who's the person?" Alfred asked. There was a moment of silence, Gilbert swallowed thickly and took a shaky breath. "...your papa." He muttered.

Alfred froze. "No...but dad said he never wanted to see him again...w-why is he coming now?" His heart raced. "I think your papa missed you.." Gilbert suggested. "Then we have to go home! Dad can't leave him!" Alfred exclaimed. "I'm sorry but I promised your father that I'd watch and take care of you." Gilbert apologized guiltily. "Please! Dad doesn't know what he's doing!" Alfred begged.

"I'm sorry, I can't," Gilbert stated, defeated. "...fine..." Alfred muttered and climbed off the bed, his chest bursting with anger making him want to scream. He stomped back to the room where his brother was still asleep and slammed the door shut which startled his brother awake, a sharp cry escaped his lips and tears of fear filled his eyes. Alfred gasped and quickly ran to him. "Mattie I'm sorry!" he apologized.

Matthew sniffled and looked at his brother. "W-what's wrong Alfie?.." He asked quickly blinking away his tears. "I need to tell you something Mattie," Alfred mumbled quietly and sat on the bed with his brother and hesitantly began to explain everything to him.