Lucille

The two teen girls sit across from one another at the kitchen table, currently cluttered with ingredients. It's Leslie's turn to cook tonight, and aiming to get closer with the second oldest, she volunteers to pitch in. Lucille is instructed to peel the potatoes while the one beside her handles their freshly caught fish.

"You know, what I said earlier about my brother's change of attitude is true," Leslie starts a conversation, but she isn't sure what the girl is referring to exactly.

"What do you mean?"

"Alphonse was in an overall brighter mood when you accepted his confession. Given our closeness in age, we often share certain things with each other. That's why I already knew all about you during the earlier introduction," Leslie further explains, and she did make it clear their relationship was mentioned to her before.

"Well, it's purely good things he told you concerning me, I hope," she replies, only half-joking.

"I'd say a mixture of the two. Though when someone can see your faults and accept them, that is what matters most. Al probably never noticed this, but he always spoke about you way more than Kana. That's when I knew my brother fell for this girl, even if he hadn't realized it himself yet."

This information causes a scarlet color to flush Lucille's cheeks that match her hair. "I-I'm surprised to have occupied his thoughts so much."

"Yeah, but you didn't hear that from me. Honestly, he's been rather depressed ever since your courtship got split up. Alphonse tried to wave it off so we wouldn't worry, but regardless of whether they were fooled, I knew he was hurting." Leslie's hazel eyes break away from the task momentarily to glance at her brother relaxing on the couch. "Despite that, there was nothing I could do to cheer him up. Then you suddenly appeared at our doorstep today and finally brought a genuine smile to his face."

The noble visitor's hands begin to slow from her work as the shocking news causes her chest to flutter. Of course, Alphonse holds mutual affection, and he is the one who confessed in the first place. Still, she somewhat feared this whole predicament just hadn't fazed him as much as it did herself.

I was a fool to believe the heartache was one-sided.

"That really makes me happy. Not about him being down in the dumps, but I'm glad these past two weeks were hard for him too. I kinda came here on a whim after firmly deciding to see him last night."

"Wow, you have guts. Your personalities seem like they would clash, but it somehow mashes perfectly. I don't know the full details of the situation--which isn't my business, but I'm praying everything works out for you both in the end."

Leslie's warm, encouraging smile truly helps soothe her worries. She has one sibling's approval for sure, and that alone gives the older teen motivation. How tomorrow will play out remains unclear, but she refuses to allow them to keep dictating every aspect of her life.

"Thank you, Leslie. Alphonse has also told me a lot about you too. I was a tad nervous to meet everyone originally, but I feel the two of us will get along just fine," Lucille replies, and the girls continue light conversation as they resume their cooking.

When the dishes are finished and the table is set, the five gather around to eat. Truthfully, all she did was prep work, as most of the real cooking Leslie handled by herself. Once everybody holds hands for a short prayer Alphonse says, they begin digging into the meal. However, Lucille jabs at the evenly sliced, unknown fish on her plate. The aroma coming from the catch isn't very appetizing, but you can't judge food by how terrible it smells.

"You're staring at it as if there's a live, flopping fish presented for you to eat. You did say you have this occasionally, and my sister's sashimi is the best. Just give it a try, and if you don't like it, Javier will take care of that problem," Alphonse assures, the younger boy eagerly nodding in approval.

"Well, I should have at least one bite of the fish I caught. I can be childishly picky when it comes to these sorts of things, so pay little mind if I don't care for this." Lucille picks up a small piece using her wooden fork and slowly inserts it into her mouth. The fish is well-seasoned and elevated to a far higher level, considering the few items she had to work with. Such culinary talent for a person her young age is amazing. "It's actually good!"

"Feels nice I was able to please your noble standards. Fish is an absolute favorite for me, so I've had tons of experience over the past few months. Though Alphonse is practically a natural in the kitchen," Leslie informs, and she wouldn't have guessed that of him.

"This is news to me! I'd love to taste your cooking sometime. My food palate might be a tad complicated, but I have faith your recipes may impress me."

"If it's another date with just the two of us, then I'm on board. You can request a menu ahead of time, and I'll even throw in a dessert. As long as you don't expect me to whip up any fancy dishes I've never touched," Alphonse suggests this with the faintest smile, and again, his terms are completely acceptable to her.

"Okay, it's a deal-well, a date. I'll choose more practical foods we've both eaten, but in exchange, I want you to knock my stockings off with what you cook. I can hardly wait!" Lucille is already giddy about a day so distant in the future that could never occur. Regardless, she doesn't plan on thinking anymore about her controlling parents. This special night won't be ruined by the two of them, and they aren't even present.

After dinner is done, three of the family members next tidy up the small kitchen. Refusing to let their willing guest lift a finger, Javier keeps her company on the couch. Once the mess is taken care of, it's not too late as they have enough time left to entertain the noble girl. The group has fun playing a game of jacks, listening to the record player, and then sharing funny childhood stories. Even bashful Pamela gradually warms up to her just like he said she would. The child allows the redhead to braid her curly hair into a style matching her own.

Soon the high energy fades as their typical bedtime approaches. Leslie and Pamela say goodnight before departing into their shared room across from the boys. However, a single bedroom stands alone at the backend of the dark hallway. This reminds her just what she had asked him when being interrupted. It is rather awkward to bring the topic up now as Alphonse calls the visitor inside.

"You'll be using my bed tonight since I made a spot here to sleep on the floor. I know it's not gonna be comfortable compared to your own back home. Still, I tried adding extra hay for you to at least get some rest."

"I appreciate the kind gesture, but we should swap places. I'm the one who came here without giving any notice. Besides, it won't kill me to endure this for just the night."

"No. What type of guy would I be if I left you on the cold hard floor? Look, it's far from the first time I've slept this way so I'll manage better than you, okay?" he insists with a softer smile that she is one of the few privileged to witness.

"...Kay, thank you." Lucille hops in the bed; it feels unusual for her to curl up with hay instead of a blanket. It also feels odd to sleep at the very place Alphonse rests his head every night. Such a factor does add a comforting touch, despite lying on a flat wooden board.

Honestly, Lucille can't guess how late it has gotten while she continues to toss and turn. Snoring comes from the other side of the room as little Javier is out like a candle. If it were only that simple for her to drift off, but this change of scenery isn't the reason she is wide awake.

"Something on your mind?" Alphonse's question throws the girl by surprise as he finds her staring at her.

"It's just that our earlier conversation was interrupted when your siblings arrived. How are you guys allowed to live here on your own?"

"Right, I never answered that. Well, the explanation is simple really... The authorities don't know about this."

"W-What?"

This response causes her to jerk upright while his gaze remains glued to the ceiling above.

"When my dad got taken away, they asked me if we had another guardian at the household. Telling them the truth would have resulted in us being put in an orphanage. Naturally, these three can be a pain to deal with sometimes but..." Alphonse's gaze switches toward his younger brother sprawled over his bed. "At the end of the day, home is a place where we're all living together under one roof. If any of us got adopted, even more likely for the younger two, then we'd be split up. And if the foster family chose to leave this kingdom, we probably wouldn't see each other again."

"That's true. Some people can't afford to raise all of the siblings, especially the more children there are," Lucille mumbles, unsure what she would have done in his shoes.

"This is one concern, the second because of countless cases reporting kids who were abused. I didn't want them to have a possibility of ever experiencing that nightmare. So I fibbed and told authorities my loving mom would be coming home soon. In reality, I haven't talked to that woman for half a decade..."

Lucille quietly listens, able to grasp his reckless course of action as this is indeed a trait the girl shares. Things are so difficult for his family and she was left completely oblivious to it. He works nonstop at the lumberjack until sunset to provide for their many needs by himself.

"They bought it and our neighbors offered to watch us in the meantime. I believe the elderly couple is aware I was lying, yet they volunteered which gets them in trouble, if the truth gets uncovered. I am extremely grateful for what the two of them did, but I guess that's about it. Heh, I'm not the honest guy you made me out to be, huh?" Alphonse dryly finishes, and he couldn't be further from the truth.

"Na-huh, you're just jumping to conclusions again. I understand you took these risks to protect those important to you. Your siblings are fortunate to be gifted with such a dependable older brother." Lucille grins down widely at the male who is rendered speechless.

"...Thanks, I sweat day to night for them and Leslie is a great helper too. In a couple of months, I'll turn seventeen, and then we'll have nothing to fear. The thought of those other outcomes scared me more than whatever punishment I'll receive for lying."

"I appreciate you opening up and your secret is safe with me," she promises and though Alphonse is a mysterious guy, it's moments like these that close up their distance.

"I'm confident you'll stay true to your word but enough talk on our situation. You're scared about meeting with your parents tomorrow, right? That's the major issue keeping you awake."

"Am I that easy to read?" Lucille flops on the bed with a loud groan, partially from hurting her back. Stressing over all these worst-case scenarios will prevent her from getting a wink of sleep. "Yes, I'm internally panicking about where we can flee once this goes downhill. What if we can't change their stubborn mindset?"

"I can imagine your strict parents are gonna be a challenge to persuade. We did initially lie with the soulmate stuff, so they have an excuse to doubt us. But that was before we realized our feelings, and hopefully, they'll come to accept how genuine mine is for you."

"Alphonse..."

Another syllable doesn't leave the girl's mouth when his lips suddenly press against her own. He removed the gap between them in mere seconds, and this tender sensation causes her anxiety to dissipate. Their sweet kiss stretches on until they soon break away, leaving the redhead a blushing mess.

"That granted you something else to occupy your anxious thoughts, thus erasing tomorrow's problems so you can fall asleep."

Lucille can sense Alphonse's smirk even in the low-lit room where she can hardly make out his face.

"Jeez, how can you be awkward one minute and so bold the next?! It just isn't fair though I suppose my mind does feel a teensy less scattered," she mumbles, receiving an amused chuckle in response.

"Night, Lucille."

"Goodnight."

The redhead's eyelids soon grow heavy and future worries off Lucille's chest rewards her with pleasant dreams.

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The mornings in this household are quite lively with two hyper children with loads of energy. Alphonse sets oatmeal bowls in front of them for breakfast, alongside a glass of milk. Leslie already departed for her schoolhouse lessons an hour beforehand.

"I gotta make a trip to the market later, so this is all you get. You can grab a snack if you're hungry, though please steer clear of the sugar. I'm getting ours started now, Lucille."

"Alrighty, no need to rush." The girl scans the newspaper when there is a knock at the front door."

"I'll get it!" Javier declares, and leaps from his chair with feet scurrying toward the noise.

"Maybe Kana dropped by for a surprise visit?" Lucille guesses, but he shakes his head.

"I doubt it. Kana doesn't stop through often and always gives notice when she does. There are no other deliveries today either, so it might be the elderly folks next door."

The door opens though given the angle, she can't spot who's on the other end. However, a certain woman's voice has all the color drained from her face. She exchanges glances with Alphonse who has completely frozen from his cooking.

"...the Golding household, correct? Where is Lucille?"

The unwanted guest's tone is so low and chilling that it sends a shiver down her spine.

W-What do we do? I never imagined them actually showing up on his doorstep! I should keep quiet but I highly doubt they'll just walk away!

"Sorry, wrong house." Javier slams the wooden door shut on their faces--and if she wasn't already terrified--that would've surely done the trick.

"Why? Javier, why?" Lucille cries, sinking low in her seat as the boy resumes eating his food.

"Well, those guys looked pretty mad, so I thought it was smart to act like you're not here. Was that bad?"

His innocent question is answered as bamming now emerges from the opposite side.

"You need to learn some respect, young man! Just as rude and filthy as your burglar of a father!"

The child's shoulders slouch at this remark, and she can feel the man's unseen glare move to her next.

"And Lucille, we know you can hear us, so best march out this very instant! Don't force me to destroy his property!"

Her father's threat doesn't sound like a bluff, and with that, the girl leaps up beginning to pace.

"Must think fast, must think fast... I got it!" Lucille snaps her fingers with a slim chance that the plan could possibly succeed. "I'll dart around through this back door while your siblings use their cuteness to distract them. Then, stealthy sneaking when the coast is clear, they'll never prove I was even here!"

"I know neither of us was prepared for them to pop up like this. Regardless, that doesn't change the fact we're supposed to sit and have an honest conversation. You just fleeing again won't solve anything in the long run. It's best we face them here and now rather than make matters worse."

"Yeah, you're right..." Lucille weakly agrees, quite aware of these valid points deep down. Despite how afraid she is, if they can receive their permission, nobody can avoid life's storms forever. In later days, her parents will want them separated all the more, pulling such foolish stunts.

Alphonse unlocks the door and both adults immediately storm in with him stumbling backwards. The married couple searches the room for their daughter who meekly steps forward from the corner. Based on their watery eyes and popping veins, Lucille can't predict whether she's first in for comfort or a lecture.

"Lucille, do you realize how worried we were about you?! The two of us had a strong feeling you weren't at the Valentine household like you claimed. S-So we checked with her parents this morning, and they hadn't seen or expected you last night." Her mother's wavering tone has a sting of guilt surfacing in her consciousness.

"I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have lied, nor run off, to begin with. Allow me to explain why-" Lucille starts but is quickly cut off by her father.

"Explain what exactly? The reason you disobeyed and snuck off here at the first opportunity you had? He lives one step above poverty, and his father is a criminal! We're trying to guide you to marry a worthy man who will grant you a blissful lifestyle."

"No, you're not! Otherwise, both of you wouldn't have ever forbidden me from seeing him. Neither of you even try to understand Alphonse, because the only opinion that matters is your own!"

"...Look, we'll discuss this more at home Lucille, but we need to speak with your soulmate in private."

Her mother seems oddly calmer which triggers her previous nervousness to rise.

"W-Wait, but..." Lucille's gloved hands clench at her chest as the sudden pressure has it rather difficult to breathe.

"Sure, we can talk outside," he answers, choosing to ignore her poor objection. She latches onto him by instinct with this sickening feeling--almost too much to bear. Though Alphonse simply shoots the girl a reassuring smile and then follows behind them outside the cabin.

The redhead, overwhelmed by emotions, shakily reaches for the couch. Fear creates a strong temptation to eavesdrop when a sudden tap on the shoulder grabs her attention. Pamela stands wearing a shy grin, apparently finished with her breakfast.

"Um, Lucille, can you redo my braids? It unraveled over the night," she softly requests, and at least doing hair can keep her distracted.

"O-Of course! Come and have a seat."

Time ticks down so slowly when people are either dying of boredom or shaking in their boots--and for her, it's the latter. By everything her parents just said, does he have any luck in reasoning with them somehow? Disappointment sets in as she might not get to taste Alphonse's cooking, further yet enjoy his company after today.

The door creaks open just as she finishes fixing Pamela's hair. Lucille stumbles to the male whose face is now downcast, purposely dodging her concerned gaze. A total flip from the positive attitude he mustered minutes ago.

"What did they say?"

"Lucille...I think you ought to leave."

"Huh?"

The noble girl wishes she misheard him as her negative thoughts no longer are unreasonable.

"They explained to me that we won't be compatible with one another. This... was never gonna work between us, so it's best to just go our separate ways."

"You-You can't be serious. I knew they must've been plotting something when dragging you out there! Be honest, what did my parents tell you?" she pleads, but Alphonse jerks away, cracking her broken heart even deeper.

"...They only told me what I needed to hear."

"You're lying again! I refuse to believe it! Considering what Leslie shared while we prepared dinner, and the very words that came from your mouth last night. We both love each other deeply but you're denying this emotion because of them." Lucille gently wraps her arms around his waist as salty tears blur her vision. He was the encouraging rock when doubts clouded her about their future together. Now one pathetic attempt from her parents is where he decides to call it quits? "Please, Alphonse, open up to me like we just discussed the thieving involving your dad..."

"He gave his decision. Now it's time to go, Lucille. We have a carriage waiting to ride us back home," her father informs, both adults departing ahead which provides the two some space.

It's pointless how tight she squeezes him, with him limp, not returning an ounce of her affection. Even though their presence is absent, Alphonse still refuses to meet her eyes or answer additional questions. His younger siblings choke out hoarse goodbyes as she pushes herself toward the exit. One barely audible whisper is the final piece she hears from him before shutting the busted door.

"I'm sorry, Lucille."

A/N Here is the last connecting chapter update. All of the side stories in the next chapters will be their conclusion. Do you feel Alphonse is being honest or has something happened? Stay tuned.