[Fic] Summer Camp: Holding Out - Day 23
Title: Holding Out - Part 15: Rain
Characters: America, England, Canada
Rating/Warnings: PG13, Sorta X-men-universe crossoverish kinda sorta except I call 'mutants' 'supers' so maybe The Incredibles crossoverish kinda sorta? Point is, some people have superpowers. And it's a pseudo-police state.
Summary: Matthew finds confronts Alfred and comes to a realization about them.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14
Matthew didn’t like the rain. It was raining the day they came for him, the day he ran, it was raining the day they finally caught him, it was raining the day he saw Alfred for the first time outside the orphanage, hand in hand with Arthur Kirkland, looking happier than he had ever seen him, and it was raining now, the day he had to turn his former brother in.
Matthew had found out the day they went to take Alfred away too; it wasn’t hard, considering he was technically one of them now, and had tried to give him some kind of warning or buy him time. When that had failed, he’d lost hope, something others in his situation warned him not to do if he could avoid it.
When he found out Alfred had not only successfully evaded his captures, but was also looking for him, Matthew was over the moon. He was also, unfortunately, too ashamed of his current situations, of the things the Bureau had him do, to see his brother again. When he finally did, it was to find that Alfred had moved on, replaced him with money and Arthur Kirkland of all people.
Alfred had become privileged, the very thing Matthew had grown to despise. Like it or not, Matthew had come to accept that the brother he knew was long gone.
Even when, a few years later, Alfred had found him in Nevada, told him that he had never given up on him, Matthew couldn’t believe him, not when he was living with the richest man in the city, who could easily have found and become his guardian as well. He told Alfred as much, and was stunned when he claimed that he had never thought of having Arthur sponsor both of them, that it was a great idea. Insincerity and lies were all Matthew heard, and that’s why he started the fight.
Alfred was strong, as always, and he had gotten a lot better at fighting over the years, but he still had trouble finding what he couldn’t see, and although Matthew took a few solid punches (he ignored how, with Alfred’s strength, they should have hurt more than they did), in the end, he managed to push him off the cliff.
He had hoped that would have been the last he’d ever see of Alfred Kirkland. But now here he was, face to face with the boy he used to call brother, the rain pouring down on both of their heads.
“Alfred,” he spoke after what seemed like eons of silence, “It was, you the whole time?”
Alfred, unmasked and on his knees in the rain, frowned and looked up at him with those big blue eyes, “Are you surprised?”
And when he thought about it, about the Alfred he used to know, it wasn’t that surprising at all, “But why?”
“People are getting hurt,” his frown was now accompanied by a glare, “Innocent people, getting hurt by your Bureau. I got tired of just sitting back and letting it happen, so I took action.”
“And the Freedom Fighters? The other ‘resistance’ groups?” Matthew found himself becoming angry, “Those were yours too?”
“No,” he had the audacity to smirk, “Hope spreads faster than fear, you know?”
Matthew went to punch him, but Alfred was able to stop and grab his fist. Making it vanish only made him hold on tighter.
“I never forgot about you Mattie,” Alfred looked at him with imploring eyes as he slowly stood up, “I’m not replacing you with Arthur or his money.”
“Then what is he to you?” Matthew grit his teeth, “Congratulations, you found me. Now why do you need him?”
“He’s not a replacement for you,” he repeated as Matthew threw another punch that he easily caught in his other hand, “He’s Arthur. He helped me and together we can help you too.”
That would be nice, that would be so nice if Alfred and his rich guardian could sweep in and take him away from the Bureau, but Matthew was too good at finding and bringing in Supers. They would never let him go, not even for the whole of the Kirkland fortune.
And Alfred, so optimistic, having unconditional faith in Arthur, just like he used have in him.
It was then that it hit him. Alfred hadn’t changed at all; Arthur hadn’t done anything to him except perhaps make him a better person. Matthew was the one that changed, and not for the better, he was starting to realize.
He went slack in Alfred’s grip and, noticing, Alfred released him, “We can help you Mattie. Arthur’s really good at working the system and-”
“There’s no point,” Matthew shook his head, “You can’t get me out of the system now Alfred, but, thank you for trying.”
“Mattie…”
“You need to get out of here,” Matthew looked over his shoulder, “The others are coming. I can try to buy you time but-”
His words were cut off by his brother’s hug.
“I’m sorry,” Alfred muttered in his ear, “I’m sorry I can’t save you.”
“You can’t always save everyone,” Matthew awkwardly patted his back, “Don’t beat yourself up over it. Just, take good care of yourself, and Arthur, if he means that much to you.”
Alfred nodded as he pulled back. After one last look, he turned and scampered up the fire escape, making his exit.
“Williams!” one of the other agents shouted as he ran into the alley, “Did you see him?”
“No,” Matthew shook his head, “He wasn’t here.”
“Well quit dawdling and let’s keep moving! We have to find him!” he barked as he turned and ran from the alley.
Matthew gave one last look to the man on the rooftop watching over him before he followed.
*~*~*
“Arthur?” Alfred called out as he entered the mansion, shaking the raindrops from his hair all over the place, “I’m back.”
“In here,” he called from the sitting room. Alfred followed his voice and found him sitting on the sofa, book in one hand and tea cup in the other, “You sound exhausted. Did everything go alright?”
Instead of answering, Alfred collapsed onto the sofa, upper body in Arthur’s lap while his feet dangled off the side, and wrapped his arms around his torso, burying his face in his chest.
“A-Alfred?” he heard Arthur set down his tea cup; “You’re a bit old for this aren’t you?”
Alfred responded by tightening his hold, but not so much that he hurt him, “Can I just, stay like this for a bit?”
He felt Arthur sigh as his fingers started running through his hair. Content, Alfred allowed himself to fall asleep to the sound of Arthur’s heartbeat.
Part 16
Characters: America, England, Canada
Rating/Warnings: PG13, Sorta X-men-universe crossoverish kinda sorta except I call 'mutants' 'supers' so maybe The Incredibles crossoverish kinda sorta? Point is, some people have superpowers. And it's a pseudo-police state.
Summary: Matthew finds confronts Alfred and comes to a realization about them.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14
Matthew didn’t like the rain. It was raining the day they came for him, the day he ran, it was raining the day they finally caught him, it was raining the day he saw Alfred for the first time outside the orphanage, hand in hand with Arthur Kirkland, looking happier than he had ever seen him, and it was raining now, the day he had to turn his former brother in.
Matthew had found out the day they went to take Alfred away too; it wasn’t hard, considering he was technically one of them now, and had tried to give him some kind of warning or buy him time. When that had failed, he’d lost hope, something others in his situation warned him not to do if he could avoid it.
When he found out Alfred had not only successfully evaded his captures, but was also looking for him, Matthew was over the moon. He was also, unfortunately, too ashamed of his current situations, of the things the Bureau had him do, to see his brother again. When he finally did, it was to find that Alfred had moved on, replaced him with money and Arthur Kirkland of all people.
Alfred had become privileged, the very thing Matthew had grown to despise. Like it or not, Matthew had come to accept that the brother he knew was long gone.
Even when, a few years later, Alfred had found him in Nevada, told him that he had never given up on him, Matthew couldn’t believe him, not when he was living with the richest man in the city, who could easily have found and become his guardian as well. He told Alfred as much, and was stunned when he claimed that he had never thought of having Arthur sponsor both of them, that it was a great idea. Insincerity and lies were all Matthew heard, and that’s why he started the fight.
Alfred was strong, as always, and he had gotten a lot better at fighting over the years, but he still had trouble finding what he couldn’t see, and although Matthew took a few solid punches (he ignored how, with Alfred’s strength, they should have hurt more than they did), in the end, he managed to push him off the cliff.
He had hoped that would have been the last he’d ever see of Alfred Kirkland. But now here he was, face to face with the boy he used to call brother, the rain pouring down on both of their heads.
“Alfred,” he spoke after what seemed like eons of silence, “It was, you the whole time?”
Alfred, unmasked and on his knees in the rain, frowned and looked up at him with those big blue eyes, “Are you surprised?”
And when he thought about it, about the Alfred he used to know, it wasn’t that surprising at all, “But why?”
“People are getting hurt,” his frown was now accompanied by a glare, “Innocent people, getting hurt by your Bureau. I got tired of just sitting back and letting it happen, so I took action.”
“And the Freedom Fighters? The other ‘resistance’ groups?” Matthew found himself becoming angry, “Those were yours too?”
“No,” he had the audacity to smirk, “Hope spreads faster than fear, you know?”
Matthew went to punch him, but Alfred was able to stop and grab his fist. Making it vanish only made him hold on tighter.
“I never forgot about you Mattie,” Alfred looked at him with imploring eyes as he slowly stood up, “I’m not replacing you with Arthur or his money.”
“Then what is he to you?” Matthew grit his teeth, “Congratulations, you found me. Now why do you need him?”
“He’s not a replacement for you,” he repeated as Matthew threw another punch that he easily caught in his other hand, “He’s Arthur. He helped me and together we can help you too.”
That would be nice, that would be so nice if Alfred and his rich guardian could sweep in and take him away from the Bureau, but Matthew was too good at finding and bringing in Supers. They would never let him go, not even for the whole of the Kirkland fortune.
And Alfred, so optimistic, having unconditional faith in Arthur, just like he used have in him.
It was then that it hit him. Alfred hadn’t changed at all; Arthur hadn’t done anything to him except perhaps make him a better person. Matthew was the one that changed, and not for the better, he was starting to realize.
He went slack in Alfred’s grip and, noticing, Alfred released him, “We can help you Mattie. Arthur’s really good at working the system and-”
“There’s no point,” Matthew shook his head, “You can’t get me out of the system now Alfred, but, thank you for trying.”
“Mattie…”
“You need to get out of here,” Matthew looked over his shoulder, “The others are coming. I can try to buy you time but-”
His words were cut off by his brother’s hug.
“I’m sorry,” Alfred muttered in his ear, “I’m sorry I can’t save you.”
“You can’t always save everyone,” Matthew awkwardly patted his back, “Don’t beat yourself up over it. Just, take good care of yourself, and Arthur, if he means that much to you.”
Alfred nodded as he pulled back. After one last look, he turned and scampered up the fire escape, making his exit.
“Williams!” one of the other agents shouted as he ran into the alley, “Did you see him?”
“No,” Matthew shook his head, “He wasn’t here.”
“Well quit dawdling and let’s keep moving! We have to find him!” he barked as he turned and ran from the alley.
Matthew gave one last look to the man on the rooftop watching over him before he followed.
*~*~*
“Arthur?” Alfred called out as he entered the mansion, shaking the raindrops from his hair all over the place, “I’m back.”
“In here,” he called from the sitting room. Alfred followed his voice and found him sitting on the sofa, book in one hand and tea cup in the other, “You sound exhausted. Did everything go alright?”
Instead of answering, Alfred collapsed onto the sofa, upper body in Arthur’s lap while his feet dangled off the side, and wrapped his arms around his torso, burying his face in his chest.
“A-Alfred?” he heard Arthur set down his tea cup; “You’re a bit old for this aren’t you?”
Alfred responded by tightening his hold, but not so much that he hurt him, “Can I just, stay like this for a bit?”
He felt Arthur sigh as his fingers started running through his hair. Content, Alfred allowed himself to fall asleep to the sound of Arthur’s heartbeat.
Part 16