I reluctantly walked into the bar as I tightly held onto Alfred's hand, lots of men and women argued and chatted with each other, yells and laughter filled the place. The many people crowded both me and Alfred making it hard to look around and breathe as a sense of claustrophobia swelled into my chest. "It's alright Mattie," Alfred reassured me and soothingly rubbed my back.

I took a shaky breath and forced a small smile, I could see the fear in Alfred's eyes and I knew he saw fear in my eyes too, I reluctantly let go of his hand. "I think we should split up so we can find him easier," I suggested as I looked around the full tables and stools. "Alright Mattie, I'll be at the tables okay? Be careful." He kissed my cheek and flashed me a quick smile before leaving.

"Hey, buddy you had too much to drink! Go home!" an annoyed filled voice yelled, I whipped my head toward the direction of his voice and saw the familiar blonde hair of my papa, a bartender was glaring daggers at him. "No..bring me another drink.." He groaned as if he were in pain. "Oh papa...I'm so sorry," I whispered under my breath.

Francis slammed his fists against the counter in anger. "I said bring me another!" he yelled, his voice was sluggish and there I knew he was beyond drunk. "Hey calm yourself down man!" a man who sat next to him warned him with a cold glare, I was about to go to him until another man stood in front of me and roughly lifted my chin so I could meet his gaze. "You look like a delicate boy..what is someone like you doing in a place like this?" he asked as he inched his face closer to mine.

I panicked, Alfred was separated from me thanks to the large crowd and this man that was hovering above me was way too big for me to push away, I rested my hands against his chest and tried to push him away but that lead to him slamming me against a wall. "I asked you a question." His breath reeked of alcohol. "P-please leave me alone.." I stammered in fear.

I looked away as he inched even closer to me. And suddenly I felt his weight disappear from above me. "If you ever touch him again I'll end your life." I looked up to see Alfred holding the collar of the man's shirt in a tight fist. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it honestly!" the man's eyes were filled with fear as he met Alfred's hard and fierce ones, Alfred scoffed and released the man turning to me and pulling me into a safe embrace against his chest.

The sound of glass shattering made me jump in fright and before I knew it my papa was fighting with the bartender. Everything then became chaos, it was like the butterfly effect happening as fast as the speed of light. Tons of men and women began to fight each other, bottles were thrown and furniture was tipped over and demolished I once again pulled away from the safe embrace Alfred held me in and made my way through the crowd, I knew I had to get to my papa.

As I made it to the counter where my papa was struggling to stand on his feet as the bartender beat him senseless I quickly ran to pull them both apart. I grabbed a hold of my papa's arm. "Papa please stop it!" I begged aloud, he turned to face me and shot me an angry filled glare causing me to flinch in fear. "Leave me alone! You ungrateful child!" he yelled and shoved me away from him I landed on the ground with a sharp cry escaping my lips as tears formed in my eyes.

I stayed in a shocked silence the pain in my chest only spreading, the people were still fighting and showed no intentions on stopping my vision was going hazy and my breathing quickened up to the point where my breath came out in short breathless pants, I was having trouble breathing.

I squeezed my eyes shut and tightly covered my ears with my arms I started to silently count in an attempt to calm me down but it was hopeless, by now I was wheezing for breath trying desperately to calm down as people tripped over me not knowing that I was on the ground. I was now on the verge of breaking down, I couldn't take it anymore so with a final anxious wheeze I gathered as much breath I could muster and let out a scream mixed in with a strangled sob.

I didn't know how loud I screamed but by the time I began to whimper and rock myself in anxiety I felt a pair of arms wrap around me, another person's hands slowly eased my arms away from my head and I could hear quietly concerned mumbles. "Mattie. it's okay, calm down just breathe.." Alfred's voice quickly eased me of my worries. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to." I mumbled under my breath and repeated my apology until Alfred scooped me up in his arms and held me close.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and hid my face in his shoulder as he quietly walked out of the bar with my papa following close behind. "Calm down Mattie...it was just a little panic attack, I should've stopped you from entering there," Alfred explained in regret his grip on me only tightening. "I'm okay now, I promise," I reassured quickly. "Just catch up on your sleep, I know you didn't sleep well last night." He soothingly rubbed my back and slightly began to rock back and forth treating me as if I were a baby.

I blushed darkly but somehow I did get sleepy, my eyelids felt heavy and they began to droop my arms went limp and dangled on Alfred's back, I rested my head against his shoulder and let myself drift off to sleep I felt a light peck on my forehead before I fully submerged into slumber.

Alfred's Pov

I sighed in relief when Mattie finally fell asleep in my arms as I walked to the car, I glared at Francis who looked like he was hit by a bus. "You know it's your fault he had a panic attack, you told him something that broke his heart.." I trailed off not wanting to finish my sentence since hot boiling anger was already filling my chest. "..you told him he was an ungrateful child...do you have any idea what that might've triggered?" my voice rose almost to a shout but I was careful not to wake Mattie up who honestly didn't deserve all this emotional and physical pain.

Francis flinched in regret. "I...I didn't mean it, I was just angry and drunk I didn't have control over my anger." He explained in a strained filled voice. "Right like I believe that." I scoffed and unlocked the car struggling to open the door so I could lie Mattie down, Francis stayed silent and opened the door for me and lowered the seat so it could be comfortable for Mattie. "Look Alfred I'm sorry." Desperation now filled his voice. I carefully lied Mattie down on the seat and buckled him in. "I'm not the one you're supposed to be apologizing to," I muttered and softly stroked Mattie's hair.

He looked at Mattie, a twinge of regret glazed over his eyes. "You're right.." He looked away from him. "I will make it up to him when he's fully rested, will that be okay with you?" he asked. "Sure..just don't ever hurt him again," I warned in a serious tone. "I don't plan on it." He reassured. "Good, now get in. You look like you need some rest too, and maybe a shower to sober you up." I ushered him into the car and got into the driver's seat. "Alfred...thank you for taking care of Matthieu." I smiled. "No problem.. I will always take care of him. He is my little bro after all."

Matthew's Pov

A while later I was awoken by Alfred who carried me out of the car and tightly held me against his chest. "A-Alfred?.." I yawned and tiredly rubbed my eyes. "Mattie it's alright you can go back to sleep we're home now." He reassured in a calm quiet murmur. "Where's papa?" I asked worriedly. "I'm here mon petit." He softly placed his hand on my shoulder, instantly my eyes filled with tears. "P-papa..I'm sorry if I upset you... I don't want to be an ungrateful child.."

Alfred held me tighter. "It's okay Mattie, please don't cry you're not ungrateful you're very special and beautiful." Tears slid down my cheeks as they turned a shade of pink. "..t-thank you Alfie.." I stammered and leaned my head on his shoulder. "Mon petit Matthieu, please forgive me I never wanted to hurt you-" Alfred quickly cut my papa off. "Mattie isn't exactly fully awake Francis." he chuckled.

I looked over at my papa. "I am awake... I forgive you, papa..." I reached for his hand but abruptly stopped. "You okay Mattie?" Alfred asked in concern noticing my tensed movement. "Y-yeah... I wanted to talk to papa but I think he needs to rest." Many questions filled my head causing a major headache to form which in response made me groan in pain. "You need rest too, I know it's been a while since you caught a fever but it looks like you're getting sick again."

I frowned and looked away from him avoiding his worried gaze. "I'm not getting sick.." I muttered. "Matthieu..when we spend too much time away from our country we can become very ill, I am afraid that maybe it's affecting you now." My papa explained worriedly as he softly ran his hand through my hair. "Look guys I'm not getting sick, I'm fine okay." I escaped out of Alfred's arms but quickly fell to my knees.

Alfred was quickly by my side helping me up to my feet. "Do you really expect me to believe that?" he asked and once again brought me in his arms. "I think you'd feel better if you went back to your country." He suggested as he rubbed my back. "No! I'm staying here with you!" I yelled out in fear and tightly grasped onto him trembling in fear of being alone and forgotten again. "O-okay..you're staying here, alright," Alfred mumbled in shock.

I buried my face in the crook of his neck. "Please don't make me leave... I want to stay here with you..I-I don't want to be alone..." I whispered my last sentence. "It's alright I promise you won't be alone, you can stay here for as long as you want." His voice was shaky. "..thank you.." My eyelids were getting heavy again, maybe I really was sick again? But that didn't matter I just wanted to stay here with Alfred where I knew I wouldn't be alone.

"Mattie?..hey what's wrong?" his voice was vanishing almost as if I were in a long tunnel and he was at the very end of it, my vision blurred and faded I heard the faint cry of Alfred yelling out my papa's name in fear. "Alfred... I'm fine, I'm just tired.." I carefully eased him out of his worry and kissed his cheek before resting my head on his shoulder again and tiredly closed my eyes "I love you, Alfred, I will always love you." A small smile formed on my lips.

"I love you too Mattie, sleep well." His soothing voice almost lulled into a comforting sleep, my arms were tightly wrapped around Alfred's neck my legs were wrapped around his waist as his own arms were holding them, my face was also buried in his shoulder. My eyes were closed but I could still hear a little, I was barely hanging on to consciousness but I was able to hear Alfred's and my papa's silent conversation.

"He looks a bit paler than usual, maybe he is getting ill." My papa said in worry. "Look I'm going to take care of him alright? I'm not going to leave him alone anymore, so please just let me take care of him while you take care of yourself okay." Alfred's voice was hard struggling to stay calm. "Okay...but if mon petit is hurt I'm going to have to force him to leave." And with that said I lost all consciousness and fell into an uneasy sleep.