APH: The Good Twin
Title: The Good Twin
Author: grosse_averse
Characters: emotionallyunstable!England, WTFmoment!colonial!Canada
Rating: PG-13
Summary: For prompt #22, "crumble". Near the end of the American Revolution, Arthur makes damn sure that he still has a hold on part of North America. Matthew's "holy hell my family is whack" issues begin to emerge.
When Arthur returns to Matthew's cabin after a long day of work, it is early evening and the young colony is there waiting for him at the kitchen table, slumped in his chair, taking shallow, hitching breaths. He jumps when the door closes and Arthur smiles benevolently at him.
"Good afternoon, lad!" he greets, slipping his jacket off his shoulders and hanging it on the coat rack as he does so. "I brought home some vegetables to go with the dinner tonight."
Matthew manages a shaky smile. "W-w-welcome home, Mr. Kirkland," he stammers. "Thank you very m-much!"
Arthur gives a happy sigh and crosses the room to where Matthew sits.
"Such a well mannered child." he praises, pressing a kiss to the top of that downy head, ignoring the boy's surprised flinch. "Did you miss me? I'm sorry I was gone all day - your brother was being a nuisance, as always."
There is no answer, but Arthur has already moved off towards the kitchen stove. "You must be hungry." he remarks. It isn't a question.
Arthur hums as he peels the vegetables, reveling in the comfortable silence, broken only by the curious little sobs that escape Matthew's mouth.
Finally the colony speaks up, in a voice thick with tears. "Please, M-Mr. Kirkland," he whimpers, "C-can you take the blindfold off now? I-it's just, you've been gone all day and I don't l-like it when I can't see..."
Arthur puts down the knife and walks over to Matthew, who looks terrified. There are spots of wetness on the strip of burlap that has been roughly tied around the colony's eyes. Arthur clucks his tongue in disapproval and kneels down.
"You know I only do it for your own good," he tells Matthew softly. "Your brother is doing some very bad things right now, Matthew, and I don't want you to see that. I don't want him to give you any foolish ideas."
"I k-know." Matthew mumbles miserably, but as Arthur rises he exclaims, "Oh, please Mr. Kirkland, just this once!"
Arthur pauses. "Were you a good boy today?" he asks. Matthew nods frantically.
"Y-yes, I was!"
"You didn't wet yourself, like last time?" is Arthur's next question. The boy flushes a deep pink.
"No," he replies. "I didn't, I promise, Mr. Kirkland."
Arthur lays a hand on Matthew's thigh and the young colony knows he is to part his legs, which is tricky when his ankles are shackled to the chair legs. Arthur places a palm over the blonde's groin, feeling for any wetness.
"I was so upset when you did that." Arthur chuckles, fondly. He does not remove his hand. Matthew whimpers. "You're usually such a good boy. Alfred, I would expect to do something like that. You never wet your bed, not once, not even when you were little. Alfred always did, Alfred would come running to me nearly every night, apologizing..."
"Mr. Kirkland." Matthew's voice is soft in his ear but it brings Arthur back to the present and he removes his hand.
"Yes, well." Arthur smiles at the boy. "Just this once, then."
When he unties the blindfold the boy takes a moment before opening his eyes. When he does Arthur has to take a moment - Matthew's eyes are nothing like Alfred's, they are violet and endless and so unlike the blue he is used to seeing every day...
Well, not every day now. Alfred has betrayed him, but what does Arthur care? He is the British Empire, his reach extends farther than a puny few colonies. He has not lost his hold on the New World, he has Matthew...
Matthew's eyes are bloodshot from crying and Arthur kisses his forehead tenderly. "Just wait there." he tells him in a paternal tone. "I need to get dinner started."
Matthew looks like he is about to ask, How can I go anywhere when my hands are shackled to the chair?, but he has learned by now that such questions do not sit well with Arthur, not now, not when he is like this.
Arthur serves dinner and releases one of Matthew's hands so that he can eat - they sit in silence, Arthur gazing adoringly at his colony and Matthew sitting in icy, terrified silence. Arthur does not notice this, though, and insists on Matthew having seconds until the colony finally gives in and offers up his plate.
"D-do you think I could go outside and look at the stars tonight, Mr. Kirkland?" Matthew asks as he rubs his ankle and looks up at Arthur. The empire is in a chair, reading a book in front of the fire and Matthew is at his feet, trying to concentrate on his own paperback.
Arthur, a pair of reading glasses on his nose, blinks owlishly down at him. "Why?" he asks shortly. "Don't you want to stay in here, with me?"
Matthew flinches. "Y-yes, but - "
The sharp edge of Arthur's novel catches him across the face and he cries out involuntarily. In an instant Arthur is on the floor beside him, wrapping his arms around his shoulders, soothing him.
"Ssh, ssh, it's all right, my boy..."
Matthew starts crying and Arthur's arms tighten. "I - I'm s-s-sorry, Mr. Kirkland!" he wails, burying his face in the empire's shoulder, and Arthur rocks him like he is a child.
"Ssh, it's all right," he repeats. "Alfred, it's okay, I forgive you, everything is forgiven, I love you..."
He does not realize his mistake. Matthew does not enlighten him.
Tonight, Matthew sleeps in Arthur's bed. The Empire looks so vulnerable when he is asleep, hair tousled, hand clasped around Matthew's. Matthew turns his body slightly to stare out the window. The ground is brightly illuminated by moonlight.
He thinks, as he does every night, that it would be so easy to get out of bed, open the window, climb out. Arthur does not know this land as well as Matthew does; he could find refuge with his natives by morning and Arthur would be none the wiser.
But no. Arthur is crumbling and this would break him. Matthew rolls back to face Arthur and dares to wipe a hand gently across his brow. Arthur stirs and mumbles in his sleep.
"No matter what you do to me," Matthew says, quietly. "I'll be there for you, Arthur. I'll be the good twin."
Somewhere out there Alfred is fighting to be free, but Matthew has been so lonely all his life that freedom is just another word for "on your own". Arthur cages him, but being a prisoner makes him feel wanted. And that is all Matthew wants.
Author's Note: IDK, I just wanted to write crazy!Arthur D:
Author: grosse_averse
Characters: emotionallyunstable!England, WTFmoment!colonial!Canada
Rating: PG-13
Summary: For prompt #22, "crumble". Near the end of the American Revolution, Arthur makes damn sure that he still has a hold on part of North America. Matthew's "holy hell my family is whack" issues begin to emerge.
When Arthur returns to Matthew's cabin after a long day of work, it is early evening and the young colony is there waiting for him at the kitchen table, slumped in his chair, taking shallow, hitching breaths. He jumps when the door closes and Arthur smiles benevolently at him.
"Good afternoon, lad!" he greets, slipping his jacket off his shoulders and hanging it on the coat rack as he does so. "I brought home some vegetables to go with the dinner tonight."
Matthew manages a shaky smile. "W-w-welcome home, Mr. Kirkland," he stammers. "Thank you very m-much!"
Arthur gives a happy sigh and crosses the room to where Matthew sits.
"Such a well mannered child." he praises, pressing a kiss to the top of that downy head, ignoring the boy's surprised flinch. "Did you miss me? I'm sorry I was gone all day - your brother was being a nuisance, as always."
There is no answer, but Arthur has already moved off towards the kitchen stove. "You must be hungry." he remarks. It isn't a question.
Arthur hums as he peels the vegetables, reveling in the comfortable silence, broken only by the curious little sobs that escape Matthew's mouth.
Finally the colony speaks up, in a voice thick with tears. "Please, M-Mr. Kirkland," he whimpers, "C-can you take the blindfold off now? I-it's just, you've been gone all day and I don't l-like it when I can't see..."
Arthur puts down the knife and walks over to Matthew, who looks terrified. There are spots of wetness on the strip of burlap that has been roughly tied around the colony's eyes. Arthur clucks his tongue in disapproval and kneels down.
"You know I only do it for your own good," he tells Matthew softly. "Your brother is doing some very bad things right now, Matthew, and I don't want you to see that. I don't want him to give you any foolish ideas."
"I k-know." Matthew mumbles miserably, but as Arthur rises he exclaims, "Oh, please Mr. Kirkland, just this once!"
Arthur pauses. "Were you a good boy today?" he asks. Matthew nods frantically.
"Y-yes, I was!"
"You didn't wet yourself, like last time?" is Arthur's next question. The boy flushes a deep pink.
"No," he replies. "I didn't, I promise, Mr. Kirkland."
Arthur lays a hand on Matthew's thigh and the young colony knows he is to part his legs, which is tricky when his ankles are shackled to the chair legs. Arthur places a palm over the blonde's groin, feeling for any wetness.
"I was so upset when you did that." Arthur chuckles, fondly. He does not remove his hand. Matthew whimpers. "You're usually such a good boy. Alfred, I would expect to do something like that. You never wet your bed, not once, not even when you were little. Alfred always did, Alfred would come running to me nearly every night, apologizing..."
"Mr. Kirkland." Matthew's voice is soft in his ear but it brings Arthur back to the present and he removes his hand.
"Yes, well." Arthur smiles at the boy. "Just this once, then."
When he unties the blindfold the boy takes a moment before opening his eyes. When he does Arthur has to take a moment - Matthew's eyes are nothing like Alfred's, they are violet and endless and so unlike the blue he is used to seeing every day...
Well, not every day now. Alfred has betrayed him, but what does Arthur care? He is the British Empire, his reach extends farther than a puny few colonies. He has not lost his hold on the New World, he has Matthew...
Matthew's eyes are bloodshot from crying and Arthur kisses his forehead tenderly. "Just wait there." he tells him in a paternal tone. "I need to get dinner started."
Matthew looks like he is about to ask, How can I go anywhere when my hands are shackled to the chair?, but he has learned by now that such questions do not sit well with Arthur, not now, not when he is like this.
Arthur serves dinner and releases one of Matthew's hands so that he can eat - they sit in silence, Arthur gazing adoringly at his colony and Matthew sitting in icy, terrified silence. Arthur does not notice this, though, and insists on Matthew having seconds until the colony finally gives in and offers up his plate.
"D-do you think I could go outside and look at the stars tonight, Mr. Kirkland?" Matthew asks as he rubs his ankle and looks up at Arthur. The empire is in a chair, reading a book in front of the fire and Matthew is at his feet, trying to concentrate on his own paperback.
Arthur, a pair of reading glasses on his nose, blinks owlishly down at him. "Why?" he asks shortly. "Don't you want to stay in here, with me?"
Matthew flinches. "Y-yes, but - "
The sharp edge of Arthur's novel catches him across the face and he cries out involuntarily. In an instant Arthur is on the floor beside him, wrapping his arms around his shoulders, soothing him.
"Ssh, ssh, it's all right, my boy..."
Matthew starts crying and Arthur's arms tighten. "I - I'm s-s-sorry, Mr. Kirkland!" he wails, burying his face in the empire's shoulder, and Arthur rocks him like he is a child.
"Ssh, it's all right," he repeats. "Alfred, it's okay, I forgive you, everything is forgiven, I love you..."
He does not realize his mistake. Matthew does not enlighten him.
Tonight, Matthew sleeps in Arthur's bed. The Empire looks so vulnerable when he is asleep, hair tousled, hand clasped around Matthew's. Matthew turns his body slightly to stare out the window. The ground is brightly illuminated by moonlight.
He thinks, as he does every night, that it would be so easy to get out of bed, open the window, climb out. Arthur does not know this land as well as Matthew does; he could find refuge with his natives by morning and Arthur would be none the wiser.
But no. Arthur is crumbling and this would break him. Matthew rolls back to face Arthur and dares to wipe a hand gently across his brow. Arthur stirs and mumbles in his sleep.
"No matter what you do to me," Matthew says, quietly. "I'll be there for you, Arthur. I'll be the good twin."
Somewhere out there Alfred is fighting to be free, but Matthew has been so lonely all his life that freedom is just another word for "on your own". Arthur cages him, but being a prisoner makes him feel wanted. And that is all Matthew wants.
Author's Note: IDK, I just wanted to write crazy!Arthur D: