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

CH 8: Realization (edited)

Alfred awoke with a start, he felt around the bed searching for his brother's warm fingers. "Mattie?" he quickly sat up and looked around the room. He froze when he saw the tiny figure of his brother leaning against a corner of the wall, his legs were hugged to his chest, his arms resting on his knees, hiding his face. "Mattie?..." Alfred slowly climbed off the bed and walked toward his brother.

His shoulders rose and fell signaling that he was asleep. "You'll hurt your back like this." Alfred gently shook his shoulder and noticed the clothes he wore were from yesterday. "Why are you still in your old clothes?" worry began to settle in his stomach. Matthew awoke with stiffness and groggily lifted his head. "Alfie?..is something wrong?" he asked as he wiped away the sleep from his eyes.

Alfred frowned. "Of course there's something wrong!" everything was wrong when he found his little brother sleeping on the ground. "Why weren't you sleeping with me? Why aren't you cleaned up?" questions popped into his mind. "Daddy forgot about me..." Matthew mumbled as memories of yesterday played back in his mind. "What? No. I'll talk to him right now!" Alfred fumed angrily and stormed out the room marching toward his father's room.

He slammed the door open and hopped onto his father's bed where he was recently sleeping. "Dad.." He whispered harshly. "No Alfie stop!" Matthew was standing at the door frame and worriedly tried to convince his brother to stop. "No way, a hero is always there for the people they love." He grinned at him and continued to shake his father's shoulder. "Dad wake up!" he shouted loudly this time.

Arthur jumped and yelled loudly Alfred yelped and fell off the bed in fright. "Oh! Alfred are you okay!?" Arthur quickly helped Alfred up from the ground and kissed the top of his head. "What were you doing? Why did you wake me?" confusion muddled his thoughts. "Dad, you...you did something really bad," Alfred exclaimed causing Arthur to panic. "What did I do wrong?" he asked quickly.

Matthew was shaking at the door, he wanted to run away and hide but his legs refused to move. His feet felt as if they were glued to the ground. "You forgot about my brother...you treated him like a ghost. Can't you see that he's important too?" Arthur was struck with all kinds of emotions. Anger, guilt, hatred, selfishness, and sadness. He hated himself for forgetting his own son who barely spoke a word, who didn't ask for anything but his father's love.

Arthur turned to Matthew with a pang of regret hitting him like a bullet to the chest. "Matthew..is it true?" he asked quietly. Matthew didn't respond, instead, he finally regained the control of his legs and ran away. He ran to his and his brother's room and locked himself in the closet, his breathing became short and quick as he heard the worried and quick footsteps moving towards him.

There was a moment of silence before Arthur made his way to the closed closet door and leaned against it. "Matthew..please open the door." He pleaded anxiously, Alfred was standing behind his father in worry. "Alfred, may I talk to Matthew alone?" Arthur turned to him and softly patted his head. "Yeah sure." Alfred nodded and smiled glumly. He turned and walked out of the room, before he closed the door he glanced at Arthur. "..thank you, dad." He mumbled happily.

He then closed the door leaving Arthur and Matthew who was still in the closet alone. "Matthew, Alfred's gone now can you please unlock the door?" Matthew was hesitant at first but with a shaky hand, he reluctantly unlocked the closet door. Arthur lit up at the click of the door unlocking and almost instantly yanked the door open and engulfed Matthew in a tight hug. "Matthew...I want you to know that I love you with all my heart." Tears filled Arthur's green eyes, they shimmered like polished emeralds.

Matthew wrapped his tiny arms around his father's waist and buried his face in his shirt. "I love you too daddy.." He kept his face hidden and whimpered, feeling his father tremble. They both stayed like that for a while until Arthur pulled away so he could meet with Matthew's purple and puffy tear stained eyes. "Will you ever forgive me?.." Arthur mumbled and placed his hand on his soft son's cheek. a single tear trailed down his own cheek.