Breaking point (F.A.C.E) [Under Editing]

CH 3: Hateful memories (edited)

Five months...five months and Alfred was still surprised that when he opened his eyes to see the morning sunlight he had realized he had survived another night, he was surprised that after all the nightmares he had gone through, he was still breathing.

Matthew was beginning to become more distant than usual, Alfred had noticed that he would jump at any loud sound and that his face would go completely pale for no reason. Matthew was starting to feel lonely, he missed his mother dearly, he yearned to see her smile and feel her soft touch. But he was no longer allowed to ever see his mother again.

Arthur and Francis could sense a heavy and sad feeling in the atmosphere, they tried their best to find a way to bond more with the children but their work always got in the way. Arthur sighed sadly and leaned against the door frame of his room where he began to think deeply as he looked out the window, the sky outside was filled with dark gloomy clouds matching the mood making Arthur frown in response.

Francis quietly stood behind him and rubbed a tense spot at Arthur's shoulders. "Do not stress yourself out mon amour." He said wearily and kissed Arthur's cheek. "The children are depressed...what do we do now?" Arthur asked with a tired groan as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "We will figure something out, go lie down, you're pushing yourself too hard." Francis grew worried for his family, his lover had lost lots of sleep due to work and stress and now even the children were something they both had to worry about.

Francis slowly led Arthur to the bed and gently tucked him in giving him a kiss on his forehead. "I'll be back soon, rest up you hear?" he demanded with a small smile. "Alright...now go leave before I make you.." Arthur mumbled sleepily. "Fine, get well soon," Francis whispered before leaving the now sleeping Arthur.

Alfred was recently sitting up on his bed that he shared with his brother, he quietly watched the steady rise and fall from Matthew's small chest as he slept. But he then noticed that his breathing got heavier and sharper, his face was scrunched up in discomfort, and that's when suddenly the screaming began. Alfred had quickly brought Matthew into his arms and held him in a tight embrace, he hummed and soothed him just how his mother used to do. When Alfred and Matthew still lived with their mother they had always relied on her to protect them.

Alfred would sometimes observe how she soothed him when he was upset, he sadly looked down at Matthew who had lowered down his wailing to quiet whimpers. "Shh Mattie it's alright, no one will hurt you," Alfred said in a soft voice. This was the usual routine Alfred had to go through now.

Alfred was often awoken at night by Matthew's screaming that he had already gotten used to it, the night Matthew had his first nightmare frenzy and started crying and screaming he had thought that Matthew was being strangled, but after weeks of his panic attacks at night he was now used to waking up to his brother's screams.

"I'm sorry Alfred.." Matthew apologized every time feeling guilty that he always woke and startled his brother. "It's okay Mattie I'm not upset." Alfred understood his brother's struggle, he himself had nightmares of his own but he would never yell out or cry, instead, he would be frozen with terror waiting until the sun had risen signaling that the scary shadows were demolished by the rays of the sun.

The shadows are just shadows... He would tell himself constantly, they're not real, he reasoned, but it didn't seem very convincing to him. All this thinking brought up the topic of someone he never wanted to remember...his old father.

A faint scar was still imprinted on Matthew's soft delicate skin that rested just barely below his collar bone, but to Alfred's relief, he will never be able to know where he got it from because Alfred would make sure that his brother would no longer suffer any emotional damage ever again. Alfred, on the other hand, knew how he got his scar because it happened when he was just two years old.

Even at a young age, Alfred knew what was happening around him, his mother lived with a hateful and black-hearted man. Matthew was barely an infant at that time and Alfred was happy to be an older brother, all seemed well until one day his father had come home with a lit cigarette in his mouth. "Go outside with that! The children will get sick!" his mother complained to his father.

"Why should I!? I don't care about them, I bet that baby isn't even mine!" he roughly pointed at Matthew who was cradled in his mother's arms. "How can you say that!? He is your son!" his mother exclaimed in terror. "This is how much I care." Their father huffed and without warning, he grabbed his cigarette and jabbed the lit part on Matthew's soft skin.

Alfred's mother shrieked with fright as Matthew started to cry aloud from the sudden burn. "Get out! Leave!" she demanded and practically shoved him out of the house. "Alfred come here darling, carry Matthew while I get the kit. Please calm him down." She carefully placed Matthew in Alfred's arms and hurriedly rushed to the kitchen.

Alfred tried his best to calm down his brother but when he saw the angry red burn he cringed and felt tears fill his eyes, it looked painful it was probably even worse than painful, it was unbearable to even look at. "Alfred...are you okay?" Matthew's soft voice had shaken Alfred from his thoughts, he looked at his brother and smiled. "I'm okay...we're both okay now." He whispered and hugged him tightly.

Matthew had stopped crying and he noticed that his brother was silent as he looked blankly at the wall, he knew that look, when Alfred would be asked to remember about his past his eyes would wander and his mind was somewhere else. Matthew silently rested his head on Alfred's shoulder feeling his eyes go heavy, he yawned softly and intertwined his fingers with Alfred's before falling into a somewhat peaceful sleep.

Alfred snapped out of his thoughts as soon as he felt Matthew's tense body go limp in his arms, he looked at his brother and frowned at the dark circles that rested under his closed eyes, sleep was now a battle for the two twins and Arthur, it was so difficult to sleep peacefully especially with the stress and traumatic dreams.

The boy's bedroom door was suddenly thrown open revealing a worried looking Arthur. "I-I heard screaming, is everything alright?" he asked with a strained and worried filled voice, Alfred froze and glanced at his brother who surprisingly didn't stir awake by the sudden crash of the door colliding with the wall. "Yes, Mattie had a bad dream but I think he's okay now," Alfred explained with a ghost of a smile.

Arthur sighed in relief and headed toward the boys engulfing them both in a hug. "I'm glad you both are alright." He said with a slight smile. A sense of relief crashed down onto Alfred, quickly relaxing him, and to his surprise, he felt safe in Arthur's arms, he felt...at peace.

But when he noticed that Arthur wasn't pulling away he grunted and tried to move him away because of Matthew who was still in his own arms, he was afraid that we would be squished under the weight. Arthur, who had quickly fallen asleep, rolled to his side and laid on the edge of the twins' bed "Alfie?..what is Arthur doing here?..." Matthew had stirred awake with his eyes opened slightly showing only his clouded purple irises.

"He's tired Mattie, I think we all are, let's get more rest okay?" Alfred reassured Matthew nodded slowly and groggily crawled out of his brother's arms, he laid next to Arthur and quickly fell back to his slumber. Alfred rubbed his eyes with a tired yawn and laid next to his brother and Arthur slowly falling into a deep sleep.

Hours later when Francis returned from his job he entered the room to see a sleeping Arthur holding the two sleeping children in his arms as he snored softly, Francis' eyes went wide with surprise, but he then closed them and looked down. "My new family?...it's perfect..." He smiled to himself.

"...if only it could last longer.." A small frown began to form on his lips as tears filled his dark blue eyes.

"I'm so sorry my dear family."