This is gonna be late! For not telling me what you want to read, your punishment is… A SHORT CHAPTER! Just the chatting between teens and padres.

Chapter 13: In the Silence, It Became So Very Clear

Part One: Matthew and Arthur

Matthew breathed in the evening air, letting out a long breath as he stood next to the stoic British man. He glanced over, then back in the kitchen where Francis was speaking to Alfred seriously. He sighed again. "I'm sorry." He finally said.

Arthur gave a start, apparently not realizing he was there while lost in thought. "Sorry?" he asked after a moment. "What for?"

They didn't look at each other as Mattie replied, tugging on his sleeve self-consciously. "Well, I got your son in trouble again. And… I'm sure this isn't what you were imagining for your son. After all, I may be girlish, but I'm still a boy." He laughed halfheartedly, the sound dying in his throat as Arthur was silent.

"I'm not disappointed or anything. To be completely honest with you, Matthew, I've never been fickle for gender. Don't tell Alfred, but I actually went out with a couple guys when I was younger. Experimenting youth, I suppose. As for getting in trouble," he continued, turning to look at Matthew straight on. "I was quite the delinquent at his age. I guess it's in his genes."

Matthew smiled broadly, trying not to cry at Arthur's openness. "So you support us?"

Arthur laughed in the back of his throat. "You are better than any girl Alfred has dated. There may have been some issues at school, but I support you both all the way. Welcome to the family."

Mattie looked away to hide his face because he couldn't stop grinning and crying just a little bit. Arthur patted him on the back and pushed him gently towards the house. "I would have done the same thing in his position. I can't imagine what you two went through."

"I told Alfred I wasn't scared." Mattie admitted. "But I was terrified from the first moment."

"I understand."

Part 2 will be Alfred and Francis and Part 3 will be the dinner together okay bye bye!