Brother of Mine (Mathieu)

[thehero]

God he was tired...He was tired and irritable and feeling more than a little raw. Alfred did not like being up all night on normal circumstances, but when things like last freaking night happen, when someone he cares about gets hurt.....Alfred was not a happy man....to put it simply.

And now it was dawn. It was dawn and he was exhausted, trudging aimlessly down the street, probably looking like a drunken slob who was in a nasty bar fight a few short hours ago and really just needed to go home and shower and pass out. It wasn't too far from the truth. He wasn't drunk....and the sleeping part wasn't gonna be very easy to accomplish. The blonde was too tired. Not to mention he'd be worried about that stupid noble all damn day, but he knew he couldn't just sit around and do nothing. He'd just have to go visit him again later. And he'd have to deal with that red head too. When he wasn't so mad. God....funny how things could get so complicated over the course of just one night.

All that would have to wait, and it was gonna because Alfred was gonna get his butt off the streets, and get a few short hours of sleep. He hated being cranky, and so did everyone that had to deal with him. Yawning loudly it hit him he wasn't actually paying any attention to where he was or where he was going. No seriously. It hit him. Or rather he hit it. Literally colliding into another human being. Stumbling back, he sighed heavily, a grumpy pout forming on his face as he looked at the other. "Jeez, it's like five in the morn-" his complaint started off the perfect whine but quickly died while crossing his lips as his gaze settled on the face in front of him, almost a reflection of his own in both shape and shocked expression. Just the violet hue of his eyes, the difference Alfred immediately recognized, let Mr. Jones realize what had just happened. He'd just ran into one of the many faces he'd been avoiding for years, and it did seem like they all just kept finding him lately. He just wasn't prepared to run into this one yet. Not in this state.

Eyebrows drawing delicately together, his mouth clamped shut into a tight thin line as his eyes flitted about nervously, hoping he'd passed out in an alley somewhere and that his was just a bad dream.

[Mattie Williams]

As usual, Mattie had risen with the sun. Actually, Mattie had risen a little before the sun, so that he could get to Al's before his earliest customers. He was out of his house at five, and almost to the restaurant fifteen minutes later. The walk was nothing new to him... he'd walked this route so many times he could probably do it blindfolded. Kuma was in his arms, but this early, neither spoke to the other. Mattie was too focused on what he'd need to get done before six. His eyes rarely left the pavement.

Until he hit something... hard. Or, rather, someone. He'd have known to avoid a non-sentient obstacle. "... Oh! I'm..." Sorry, he'd started to say. But the person that he'd walked into, or had walked into him - Mattie wasn't going to nitpick - was one that he'd honestly never expected to see. Almost identical, save the haircut and the eye color... and maybe the fact that the one opposite him was a little more muscular, and wasn't carrying a stuffed bear. "... Alfred...?" Why was he asking? He surely knew his twin when he saw him.

Almost immediately, Mattie'd done something he'd never done before. He dropped Kumajiro. The bear protested, somewhere in the back of Mattie's mind, but the boy was too far invested in this action to care. Now that he had his hands free, he grabbed Al's arms, making certain to cement his brother to the spot. "Alfred!" A quick shake, and Mattie was convinced. "He wasn't lying. He wasn't... you're really here." He didn't let go, but his grip lightened a little. "You're here..."

But, realizing they were still outside, Mattie glanced at the door, then to his brother. He slowly released one of Al's arms and unlocked the door, hardly wanting to take his eyes off Al for a second - what if something happened to take him away? And he'd only just gotten him back... he had so much to tell Al, and he wanted to hear more about where his brother had been.

Only now did he note that he'd dropped Kumajiro. Quickly, he picked the bear up, then tugged Alfred inside the restaurant. "Are you hungry? I...I can make you whatever you like... I... Alfred, I can't believe you're really here..."

[thehero]

Alfred remained quiet as his brother grabbed him, and shouted his name in disbelief. He felt his heart lodge itself in his throat as the elder shook him. Guilt pooled heavily in his belly, hearing Mathieu murmur "He wasn't...you're really here" and somewhere in the back of his mind he wished something bad upon Arthur Kirkland. Nothing too bad, just something unpleasant.

Remaining silent, an unusual behavior for the boy, Alfred watched as his brother continued to talk to himself. He felt that he was at a complete loss for what to do, and a little sick to his stomach although he knew that could be from a lot of different things. Letting his brother steer him into the shop, (Hey he really did name it after him.) he duly noted the bear that he had both dropped and retrieved, pretty sure that Arthur had mentioned that Mattie was talking to the stuffed animal.

Looking around the inside he just pouted at his older brother as he offered him food. It sounded like a fantasic idea, always did, but he was already feeling extremely guilty and couldn't bring himself to so casually ask for a meal. Licking his suddenly overly dry feeling lips he scratched his head with his free hand, "Uhh...I...I could go...for some coffee...?" Was that okay? He hoped that was okay....He didn't really thing this would be so painfully awkward and weird....but then again he never really thought about this meeting. He'd been so sure that...it wouldn't happen.

[Mattie Williams]

Al had remained silent. That didn't bother Mattie... his brother looked exhausted. What had he been doing, to be out this early? That didn't matter. Al was here... here... yes, here... in front of him. The elder twin wasn't letting the younger out of his sight for a while. No, sir. Not until he had at least an honest promise that Alfred would come back. Mattie wasn't losing his only family (again, Kumajiro protested) again, not now, not ever.

But the hesitant suggestion of coffee confused Mathieu. "...Just... coffee?" When was his brother ever not hungry? ... He meant... when hadn't Al been hungry, right? Al had been away for so long... Well, yes, but... but... It was true. "... I can make coffee for you... how do you want it...?" Gently, Mattie placed Kuma on the counter, then began pulling chairs off tables and stools off the non-alcoholic-bar while he waited on his brother's answer. He was too antsy to focus on that for long, though, and stopped after about two tables and three stools.

"... Come back to the kitchen, Al... there's a table back here..." The one he'd dined with Elise on not altogether too long ago. He was doubly glad he'd thought of putting a table here now... it gave his brother somewhere to sit and talk to him while Mattie started preparing food. Quickly, the usually quiet blonde scooped his bear up again, then tugged his younger brother back and into the kitchen... regardless of what the other might want.

"... You're sure you don't want pancakes or... or anything?" If he was sure... well, Mattie would fix him the coffee and be done... but... but no buts.