well I kind of suck since I've only been updating this story and discontinued two of my others, but this is the internet and I can do what I want. I absolutely adore writing this fic and I hope you all enjoy reading it!

Francis held Matthew on his lap as they lounged in the recliner together the next morning. Matthew drank slowly from a Sippy-cup of orange juice, dark eyes drooping closed before he opened them sharply again. The news played on their television, volume turned down low as Alfred was still sleeping in Francis's room. When Matthew cuddled closer to Francis's chest, nuzzling his head underneath the Frenchman's chin, his father shifted him until the boy was relaxed and only occasionally sipping his juice.

It wasn't long before Francis's gentle patterns on Matthew's belly had the child asleep once more. He smiled softly down at his son, brushing downy blond hair away from Matthew's face and reveling in the gift God had given him. Despite being angry at his God for taking away his wife, Matthew was still something to be cherished and protected.

A warm hand smoothed Francis's hair and the older man jumped, looking up just in time for a pair of soft lips to press against his forehead. Alfred smiled lazily, padding over to the coffee pot as Francis recovered. It had been far too long since someone had shown such open affection to the Frenchman and it still startled him when Alfred kissed him without prompting. He was beginning to enjoy it, actually.

"Oh, God," Alfred whispered, eyes trained on the television when Francis looked up at him.

"What is it?" Francis asked, scanning the screen for the story.

"That's the street we would have been on last night. That's the restaurant I was going to take you to," Alfred breathed, looking down at Francis and Matthew. "But Matthew told us not to go."

Francis chewed the inside of his cheek as he watched the television. Police were swarmed around the restaurant where a fluke killing had taken place the evening before. His breath came a bit quicker and his grip on Matthew tightened. The boy stirred a bit, but settled soon after and stretched out in his father's arms "He couldn't have known. It's just a coincidence."

"He has always been much attuned to the atmosphere of situations. It's possible that he felt something bad would happen," Alfred said, sitting on the arm of the couch beside the chair and bending low to kiss Matthew on the forehead. He smoothed downy blond hair back and smiled when Matthew sighed softly in his sleep.

Without an acknowledgement to Alfred's statement, Francis cradled the boy close and pressed his lips to Matthew's hairline. Thoughts of leaving the child with no parent and no family besides the restaurant staff swirled in his mind. He muttered an almost inaudible prayer in French although he hadn't prayed since before Matthew was born. At a tentative touch, Francis looked up to find Alfred watching him a little worriedly.

"Don't think about what could have happened, Francis. We're all safe and sound," Alfred hushed, kissing Francis until he relaxed against the chair and looked more willing to listen. "I love you."

A sated smile and Francis sighed, "I love you, too."

"What do you want for breakfast? I'll cook," Alfred offered, sipping from his mug of coffee.

"Mathieu will probably want pancakes," Francis started.

"No," Alfred cut in sharply. "That's not what I asked. What do you want for breakfast?"

Francis smiled. "Your best American breakfast: eggs, sausage, and toast. Everything."

"I can do that," Alfred replied with a grin. He kissed Francis full on the mouth, delighting in the way the Frenchman almost melted against the chair. When he pulled back, panting gently against full lips, Alfred whispered, "Stay here and relax with Matthew. Do you want more coffee?"

"No, thank you. If you need any help, just ask." Francis stole one more kiss before Alfred stood and made his way back to the kitchen.

Matthew was very reluctant to let Francis and Alfred out on another date, but was eventually peeled away from the couple by Gilbert. The albino held Matthew close, rocking the boy and hushing any of his pitifully weak sniffles as Francis kissed him goodbye.

"We'll call you when we get to the movie theater, I promise," Francis assured them both, smoothing a hand down Matthew's back and smiling at his son. "We won't be gone very long, sweet, I promise."

Gilbert kissed Matthew on the head and nodded. "We'll be just fine here. I'll keep him busy."

Francis kissed Gilbert on the cheek and sighed, "Thank you for keeping him. He feels much safer with you than any of the others."

"It's not a problem. I'd rather spend my evening with him than alone in my apartment. We'll have fun, won't we, buddy?" At the question, Matthew nodded a little miserably but seemed to relax in Gilbert's arms.

"Be good, Mathieu, and we'll be home in a few hours," Francis crooned, kissing Matthew once more before he stepped out into the hallway.

Alfred, holding the apartment door open for Francis, smiled comfortingly at the child and gave him a little wave. "Bye, sweetheart, we'll see you in a little while."

When they were gone, Gilbert tucked some hair away from Matthew's face and patted him on the back gently. "It's just you and me, little one. What do you want to do tonight?"

No answer, but Matthew did sigh heavily before nuzzling his face against the crook of Gilbert's neck.

"Let's sit down and have a little chat, okay?" Gilbert moved to the sofa and stretched out with Matthew resting against his chest. "Has Alfred been good to you, Mattie?"

Mentioning Alfred had Matthew perking up quickly. He sat up and little hands gripped Gilbert's T-shirt. "Alfred's really nice. Why?"

"I just want to make sure he's treating you and your papa like you should be treated. What have you guys been doing together?" Gilbert asked, tucking one arm behind his head.

"While Papa was working, Alfred took me to the park and helped me find leaves and rocks and even told me what kind they were. He likes to watch, um, hockey sometimes, too, and it looks really cool. He said that he played once but he hasn't in a while. He promised to take me and Papa ice skating sometime. I really hope we can go soon," Matthew spouted off quickly, practically vibrating with excitement.

Gilbert smiled genuinely at Matthew, who couldn't help but grin back. "That sounds exciting, Schätzchen. I'm glad you two are having so much fun together."

Matthew was much more pliant and easier to manage after their talk. He picked out a movie for them to watch while Gilbert heated up two portions of leftover spaghetti that was in the refrigerator. Francis usually was not one to keep leftover food, but Alfred almost always insisted if the meal was good enough to warrant keeping the rest.

The phone rang while Gilbert was leaning into the refrigerator so Matthew bounded over to the nearest telephone and picked it up with only a little difficulty. "Papa?"

"Hello, mon ange, is Gilbert there?" Francis replied sweetly.

"Mmmhmm," Matthew hummed, and then called, "Uncle Gil!"

Gilbert was at his side and taking the telephone in a moment, scooping Matthew up to kiss him on the cheek. Matthew giggled and held onto his caretaker's neck.

"Hallo, Francis. Are you and Alfred at the theater?" Gilbert asked, bouncing Matthew a little to get the child to laugh again.

"Oui, everything is fine so far. What are you and Matthew doing this evening? Did he finally open up to you?"

"We had a little talk after you guys left and now he's just fine. We're going to eat dinner and watch a movie," Gilbert said, sitting Matthew on the counter beside the refrigerator and giving him his Sippy-cup of juice.

"If he starts to get upset again, just give me a call and I can talk to him. Give him my love." Francis whispered something to Alfred, a breathy laugh, and Gilbert couldn't help but smile. It'd been a long time since he'd heard Francis laugh.

"Matthew," Gilbert crooned, smiling when those indigo eyes met his. "Your papa loves you. Tell him you love him, too."

"Je t'aime, Papa!" Matthew cried happily, almost wiggling on the counter.

Gilbert laughed and returned the phone to his ear. "I'm sure we'll be alright. You two be safe."

"We will. See you in a few hours," Francis said, and Gilbert agreed before they hung up.

"Alright, buddy, this spaghetti looks about done. Why don't you put in the DVD and we'll get this party started," Gilbert suggested, helping Matthew down from the counter. The boy pattered over to the television and Gilbert focused on plating their dinner.

Settling on the floor at the coffee table, the pair ate as Finding Nemo played on the television. Matthew occasionally pointed at the television, wiggling excitedly on his stack of pillows, and Gilbert just smiled, indulging him with his attention. When Matthew ate his fill of pasta, Gilbert finished off the child's plate and cleaned the dishes before scooping the boy up and plopping them on the sofa. Matthew snuggled up against Gilbert's chest, hands tucked underneath his cheek as he watched the animated fish.

Just as the clown fish made it to Sydney, Matthew was dozing fitfully. The slightest shift woke him and Gilbert cupped the curve of his skull, stroking his hair to soothe him back to sleep. The albino flipped through TV channels once Matthew was more peaceful until he settled on a how-it's-made show. It wasn't until another hour-long episode that Gilbert got a text to say Francis and Alfred were on their way home.

When the apartment door opened, Matthew jumped and peered over the couch blearily. Gilbert shushed him and stood, cradling the child against his chest.

"How was everything?" Francis asked, taking Matthew when the boy reached for him.

"We did just fine, as I told you we would. He was very calm and even dozed off while we watched that Pixar fish movie. He was a sweetheart as always," Gilbert replied, running long fingers through Matthew's curls. His voice turned into a sugary coo, "I just can't get over how precious he is."

Matthew smiled tiredly, snuggling against his father's throat. He propped his chin on Francis's shoulder and looked at Alfred, who smiled at him. The American swooped in, cupping Matthew's face in his hands, and kissed the boy on the forehead.

"I got your papa home safe, just like I promised. Everything's alright now," he whispered, touching his lips to the tip of Matthew's nose. "I love you."

"Je t'aime," Matthew breathed, already dozing once more.

Alfred cradled Matthew's head and rested it on Francis's shoulder, smoothing the child's hair. He touched Francis's back and kissed the tender spot behind the Frenchman's ear. "I have to go. I'll come by and pick up Matthew in the morning."

Francis turned and grinned at the American. "He'll be waiting for you eagerly, I'm sure. Je t'aime, chéri."

"I love you, too." Alfred kissed Francis softly before giving Gilbert a wave and turning to leave.

"Bye, Alfred," Matthew rasped, not even acknowledging Alfred's departure by looking up.

"Bye, Mattie. I'll see you tomorrow morning," Alfred replied, leaning in to kiss Matthew on the top of the head before he left.

Gilbert left soon after, but not before he stole several kisses from Matthew. The boy smiled tiredly and let his "uncle" do as he wished. Francis held him close as he closed the door behind Gilbert and slid the locks into place. He kissed Matthew on the forehead, walking slowly toward the boy's room.

"I knew you and Gilbert would be just fine, chère. Alfred and I made it home safe and sound," Francis murmured, nudging Matthew's door open with his hip.

The boy blinked drowsily, making him alert enough to help his father dress him for bed. Francis tugged Matthew's sleep shirt over his head, a well-worn red T-shirt that Francis only loved because Matthew loved it. Although Francis loved the finer things in life, he never forced Matthew into fancy clothes. He let his son be a child and only sighed a little bit when the boy came back to him at the park covered in mud. Tucking Matthew into his bed, Francis sat on the side of the mattress and leaned down to kiss the warm forehead.

"Sleep well, mon trésor. Laissez le matin apporter quelque chose de délicieux." Francis smoothed Matthew's hair away from his face and smiled as the boy turned over onto his stomach. He stayed, perched on the edge of the bed, and rubbed the boy's back until he was sleeping peacefully. It wasn't easy to creep out of Matthew's room without waking the boy considering he slept so lightly, but Francis had long perfected that skill. He turned on Matthew's nightlight, placed his stuffed polar bear on the bed beside the boy, and left the door cracked to let a bit of light from the living room leak in. It gave Matthew a sense of safety when he wasn't in complete darkness and Francis would leave on every light in their apartment to make his child feel safe.

Nursing a cup of coffee and reading to Matthew from a French newspaper, Francis was still groggy when there was a knock on the apartment door. He rose slowly, laughing when Matthew immediately shot to the door and attempted to reach the locks for himself. The door was unlocked, opened, and Matthew threw himself at Alfred's legs. The American laughed, crouching to sweep the boy into his arms, and kissed Francis full on the mouth.

"Good morning, beautiful," Alfred purred and grinned rakishly at his lover.

Francis smiled a bit sleepily and let Alfred tug him close to his chest. "Bonjour, mon amour."

Feeling left out, Matthew curled his fingers into Alfred's dress shirt and tugged gently. The American glanced at him, still holding Francis around the waist, and smiled.

"Hey, pumpkin, are you ready to go?" Alfred asked, laughing when Matthew nodded excitedly. He shifted and closed the door behind him, already collecting Francis back into his arms.

"Get your shoes on, sweet, and you and Alfred can get going," Francis urged as Alfred stooped to let Matthew down.

Leaning back against the door, Alfred pulled Francis tight and kissed the corner of his mouth. "I still want to know how you manage to look so absolutely stunning at any time of day."

"And I still want to know how you manage to have so much energy this early in the morning," Francis bit back jokingly.

"I'm ready, Alfred, I'm ready," Matthew cried, hopping on one foot to pull on his shoes and make it back to the adults.

The American just laughed, and Francis pulled away to let him to pick up Matthew. He bent at the waist to grab the boy's backpack, and Alfred took it from him.

"Are you going to pick him up this afternoon? I need to stay late to organize some things," Alfred said, helping Matthew into his coat with one hand.

"I'll see if I can take a break to get him, or get one of the others to come," Francis replied, kissing Matthew on the cheek. "Be good, Mathieu, and I'll see you later today."

"Bye, Papa," Matthew trilled and leaned out of Alfred's arms to kiss Francis.

Alfred pecked Francis on the lips, smiling brightly with those dimples of his. "I love you."

"Je t'aime aussi." Francis stroked a stray hair away from Alfred's face and smiled lovingly. "Have a good day."

Alfred just grinned and bounced Matthew a little in his arms as he swept out into the hall.

Translations:

Laissez le matin apporter quelque chose de délicieux - Let the morning bring something delightful (literally delicious, but that wasn't my intention)