Woohoo, I got 10+ reviews! Here's your uber long and fluffy-ish sequel to Christmas Eve. Please, if you haven't read Christmas Eve first, you might be a little confused. (only a tidbit, though.) I would recommend reading Christmas Eve before reading this. You can find it on my profile page, so go read! It's got smut in it! For real smut, too! Updated 1-31-12, added sex scene.

I sighed as I sat in the small but clean bathroom, watching him bathe himself. I've been invisible to him ever since the accident, but I didn't really mind it. Even if I couldn't touch him or talk to him, it was nice being able to watch him like this. He was reclined in the bathtub, running the water over his legs and sighing in content. His chest was barely sticking out of the steaming water, and it sunk and rose slowly with each breath. His hair stuck to his forehead and his cheek, lightly dampened. Sparkling black eyes closed as he relaxed in his white porcelain tub, resting his head against the tiled wall. His knees poked out of the water, only for a breath, then they sunk back in, and he smiled.

I felt at peace, watching over my boyfriend silently. I felt like I could just float up to heaven after watching this beautiful scene, and I swore I almost did. His eyes opened slowly, and he leaned forward, taking the soap from the small indent in the side of the wall, rubbing it between his hands like lotion, then running those thin hands over olive skin, lathering his chest. Then he propped one leg up on the other, slipping his soapy hands up his thigh, over his knee and past his ankle, rubbing in circles as he did this. I felt a shiver creep up my spine as I watched him, wanting to run my hands over his body. I knew I couldn't, though, so I stay seating on the closed toilet, staring at him longingly.

When he was done with his legs, he brought his hands back to his chest, rubbing slowly and gently. He slowly slipped his hands down, underneath the water, still rubbing. His face had turned a light pink, and I wondered if he was thinking of me while doing this. I couldn't see his hands anymore, but his eyes slipped close and he tilted his head back, sighing in pleasure. Oh how I wanted to touch him. To slide my hands down that soapy chest and play with him just as he was playing with himself. I wanted nothing more than the press my lips against him, but thanks to the accident, I just couldn't do it.

I sighed again, and Kiku's eyes snapped open. He looked over at me, gasping and turning a lighter pink, clamping his thighs together and sinking into the water. I stared at him in confusion, then I smiled.

"How long have you been there?" He asked nervously, pulling his hands away from under the water and rinsing his chest, still holding his legs together. Well, I guess my Dad's magic wore off, finally! I sat up straight and shrugged, amused with Kiku's embarrassed expression.

"A while. You were really enjoying yourself, huh?" I teased softly, and he blushed more, running his hands through his hair. Then he smiled and pulled his legs to his chest, silently inviting me in. I smiled too and started pulling off my shirt, but my phone started ringing and Kiku frowned, pushing his hair from his face.

"It must be your father…" He said, and I nodded, keeping my shirt on and exiting the bathroom, picking up my phone and sitting on Kiku's bed.

"Matthew! Are you visible now?" He said quickly before I even got to say hello.

"Yes, I am. I thought I said to stop practicing your weird magic on me, dad…" I sighed, feeling a little disappointed in him. He laughed apologetically, and I could hear Papa in the background, probably cooking.

"Anyway, I'm sorry for accidentally turning you invisible for a few days. I'll try not to do it again, okay?" He reassured me, and I just chuckled, peeking into the bathroom to see Kiku out of the tub, wrapping a towel around his hips and glancing at me through the mirror.

"It's okay. I had a little fun, anyway. Just don't do it again!" I added, trying to sound strict, but Dad just laughed and agreed.

"Oh, are you coming down for Christmas this weekend? Your brother said he would be here." Arthur asked me, and I looked up at Kiku, who raised a brow at me as he wiped his face dry with a small towel.

"Do you want to spend Christmas with my family this weekend?" I relayed the message to Kiku, and he thought about it. I got used to his thinking face. It used to make me nervous, because every time he really took something into consideration, he had that expression like he was going to turn the invitation down. After a while, I realized it was just his normal thinking face, and I found it to be much cuter than most thinking faces. I bet my own thinking expression was hideous compared to his.

"I don't mind." He finally said, rubbing his hair now and still looking at me through the mirror. I smiled when he said this, and I spoke into the phone next.

"We'll come down. We'll try and be there… Christmas Eve?" I said, glancing at Kiku and getting a nod of approval from him. I smiled again and affirmed my statement, "Christmas Eve. I'll see you then, okay Dad? Tell Papa I love him." I say, and we said our goodbyes and I hung up, putting the phone on the nightstand. Kiku had finished drying his hair and face, then took the towel from his hips and started running the fluffy brown cloth over his neck and chest, then his arms. His body was turned away from me, but I could tell he wasn't turned on anymore. Whenever he was, his cheeks would be a rosy pink colour and his fingers would be twitching cutely. Sometimes, if he was really aroused, his eyes would be darting from side to side nervously, like he just stole something, and he would be fidgeting and pressed his legs together tightly to keep anyone from seeing. He was so honest sometimes, it was just so adorable.

"So, did you miss me?" I asked him, and he glanced at me through the mirror, smiling a little. He walked into the bedroom, wrapping the towel tightly around his waist so I couldn't see his whole body and he went to his closet, sliding open the mirrored door and looking through his clothes.

"I was a little lonely." He admitted, pulling out a black shirt with his bookshop logo on it, then some jeans and underwear. I had bought him little green and red briefs with candy canes on them for his birthday not too long ago, and I remembered when he opened it, he had that expression that pretty much said 'Why would you even think of buying these for me?' I thought he threw them out or gave them away, but there they were in his hands, and he slid them on underneath the towel. I chuckled, feeling quite happy that he still had them, and that he was wearing them.

He pulled on his pants next, dropping the towel when they were secured around his hips, and he looked at me. "What did you do all day?"

"I watched you, mostly. You're really cute when you think you're alone." I said honestly, smiling at his embarrassed expression.

"Sometimes, you're just really creepy." He said with a laugh, and I laughed along with him. He pulled his shirt on, then pulled out that accursed marshmallow jacket. He slid it on, zipping up the cylindrical coat of hell and looked at me again.

"I'll be at the shop. Do you want to come, or do you have things to do?" He asked kindly, pulling on some gloves and slipping on shoes. I shrugged, getting my own shoes and slipping them on.

"I'll go with you. I think I might go shopping later, though. I have to buy Dad and Papa presents." I said, and I saw a flicker of anger flash through his eyes. I knew I was pissing him off, but I didn't want to ruin the surprise. I had his present at my flat, but I never even mentioned it. I was pretending I had forgotten to get him a gift, just so he would be extra surprised when Christmas came. I just hoped he wouldn't get too angry before then. I knew he wouldn't confront me about it, too, because he didn't want to come off as greedy or selfish. I thought that part of his personality was pretty cute, too.

"Well, don't spend too much time. I'll need help with some new books coming in later." He told me, and I nodded obediently. I pulled on my fur-lined tan coat and followed him out of his apartment and down the steps. As we walked down the snowy streets of the small town we both lived in, Kiku looped an arm around mine, holding my hand and squeezing it a little. I smiled and let him, rubbing my thumb against his black gloves in circles, looking down at the cute Japanese man. We reached the shop in no time, and he unlocked the doors just as the sun was setting. We went in, him turning on the lights and me turning on the heater, peeling off my jacket after and hanging it on the staircase railing.

I loved this little bookstore. It always smelled like old books, and watching Kiku work behind the desk reminded me of the first few times we met. I say first few, because last year on Christmas Eve, my dad used a spell on me to make the twenty fourth loop over and over until I got Kiku to stay with me at night. On Christmas day, Alfred, Kiku's ex-boyfriend and my brother, visited me because he and Kiku had gotten in a fight on Christmas Eve, and that's when we announced our relationship to the poor heart-broken guy. He kind of deserved it, though, since he thought it would be a good idea to cancel his and Kiku's plans on Christmas for a grand opening at a new McDonalds. I felt a little bad, though. I did steal his boyfriend… But to be fair, I didn't even know he was dating Alfred until we went on a date, so I think it was okay.

And even if it wasn't, I didn't mind. Kiku was the greatest person alive, and he was mine. His perfectly shaped face with beautiful black hair curtaining his forehead, a long slender neck that led to small shoulders and a thin torso. His arms were thin, but not bony, and his hands were soft and gentle. His body was light and his hips were a little larger than his waist, but it gave him a feminine look that just made him so much sexier. Plus, his butt was amazing. Both in size and feel.

I heard him clear his throat, and I snapped out of my daydream, looking up at his face to see him blushing a little and smiling.

"Stop undressing me with your eyes. We're at work." He teased me, stepping behind the counter and going through the cash register. I chuckled, a little embarrassed from being caught. I sat on the steps and looked at him through the bars on the railing, watching as he wrote down what he had made the day before in his check book, then organizing his desk. He was such a diligent worker, and he was really good with business and handling money. I was a little jealous of his smarts, but I knew it was something you had to be born with. At least I was smarter than my older brother. Knowing that much made me feel content, and I rested my forehead against the railing.

"I'm going to go and buy the presents now." I said, getting his attention, and a look of slight jealousy.

"Oh, okay. Be back before seven." He told me, and I nodded, getting off of the stairs and heading for the door. I checked my watch as I walked out, seeing it was only five thirty. The sun was already down, and the street lights were lit, making the town feel quite Christmassy and happy. I had enough time to run back to my flat and check on Kiku's present, which I did. I fumbled around with the keys in my hands, having a little trouble getting the brass metal into the lock with my mittens on, but I prevailed and was able to get to my flat. Stepping onto the wooden floor, I took of my gloves and shoved them in my pockets while looking around. I walked past the entrance to the kitchen and into the small living room, not seeing Kiku's present anywhere.

"Oh no…" I mumbled, thinking it might've gotten out or stolen, but then I felt something rub against my leg, and I looked down to see the small kitten rubbing its soft head against my ankle lovingly. I sighed in relief, bending down and scratching the top of its head. It purred loudly, trying to push its small head against my fingers, but it stumbled instead, falling onto its side and mewing softly. The baby Russian Blue rolled onto its back and started swatting at my hands, and I laughed a little, taking one of its paws and shaking it gently.

"Kiku is going to love you…" I sighed, scratching its little tummy and it tried biting my thumb but it couldn't get its mouth around me. I laughed a little more and picked it up, holding it in one arm as I got out its food and water, putting the bowl on the floor and placing it in front of it. I made sure it started eating before I went and cleared out the litter box, taking it downstairs and out to the dumpster so it doesn't stink up the house. When I came back, I saw the kitten laying on the recliner, curled up in a ball and licking its tail. I picked up the food and water and washed my hands, watching it clean itself. It was almost as precise with its cleaning as Kiku was… I smiled more, remembering watching him bathe and touch himself. He was just so beautiful. When I go back to the shop, I have to kiss him. I just have to. I don't care if he gets mad at me, I'm going to kiss him.

I gave the kitten one last pat, then took off, making sure the door was closed tightly and slipping on my gloves again, going down the stairs quickly and out the door, heading towards the shops to find something Papa and Dad would like. Dad would probably be interested in something related to mystical creatures, and Papa always loved a good bottle of wine. I went to the appropriate stores, looking for the best just for them. When I had what I wanted, I headed back to the bookstore, seeing it was only six thirty. I pushed the glass door open, smiling at Kiku who was wrapping up a book for a little girl and her mother. I put the gifts down behind the counter, and when Kiku handed the book to the customers, they thanked him and turned to leave.

"Kiku." I said softly, getting his attention. He turned to look at me, and I moved my head forward, trapping him in a soft and loving kiss. He pulled away from me quickly, blushing and looking angry.

"We're at work! What if a customer sees?" He scolded me, looking around the store to find it empty. I smiled, feeling happy I was able to kiss him, even if it was only for a minute. The raven-haired man let out a sigh, then turned to me again and kissed me once more, keeping his lips against mine for a bit longer before pulling away. His cheeks were red and he was trying to hide his smile. I smiled more and wrapped my arms around his waist hugging his back against my chest and I kissed his hair, getting a soft laugh from him.

"You just don't give up, do you?" He asked, and I kissed his neck to show I didn't. He let out a sigh and turned in my arms, giving me a scolding expression, but he was still smiling.

"Let's go upstairs at least." He said shyly, taking my arms and leading me up the steps. I followed happily, watching as his blush grew as he went up the stairs. He knew what he was getting himself into, and he was usually against doing these things at work, too. I felt a little proud of myself, being able to get him to do this with me when he would have probably denied his past boyfriends. When we reached the small room upstairs, he sat me down on his futon and sat beside me, touching my cheek with that soft, thin hand of his. I removed my glasses, looking into his eyes. He was so beautiful… I leaned forward, and he did too, tilting his head slightly to my left, closing his eyes as our lips touched. He pulled away shyly, and I smiled reassuringly.

I don't know why, but he was always a little shy to kiss me. I think some people would get mad about this, or a little self-conscious, but I thought it was really cute. He would get used to kissing me for a few days, and suddenly he would get nervous and shy, as if it was our first kiss. I asked him about it, but he would just act like he didn't know what I was talking about.

I leaned forward to kiss him again, and he let me, closing his eyes again and not pulling away this time. I could feel his heart pounding when I pulled him closer, and I ran my fingers through his hair. I carefully licked his upper lip, and he shivered and parted his lips slowly, keeping his eyes closed. He sighed softly when I slipped my tongue past his lips, and he moved a little closer, putting his hands on my shoulders and I explored his mouth. I moved my hands onto the futon on either side of his hips, lightly coaxing him to use his tongue with mine. He tilted his head again, and his hands slid up my shoulders and around my neck, intertwining his fingers behind my back and he slowly laid on his back, pulling me with him so I was bent over him. We kept kissing and I moved his legs so he was laying down more comfortably. I moved one knee onto the beige futon, running a few fingers through his silky black hair.

I pulled away from the kiss and he gave a breathy sigh, opening his eyes and looking up at me. I smiled again and kissed his cheek where it was tinted red, running my lips down his sweet smelling skin and onto his neck, licking and sucking the olive skin until I left a small kiss mark. Kiku ran his hand up to the back of my head, and I could feel his fingers twitching against my hair. I smiled more and I pulled his legs apart, sneaking in between them and rubbing his thighs, kissing his throat carefully. Just as my hands reached his zipper, we both heard the bell to the front of the shop ringing, and Kiku sat up quickly.

"Sorry." He whispered, getting out from under me, still blushing. He pulled his shirt down as he went downstairs, and I heard him greet a customer. I sighed and laid on the futon, grumbling to myself. I wanted to touch him more, just a little more. I waited patiently for him to come back up, and when I heard the bell to the door ring again, I smiled. I was expecting Kiku to come back upstairs, but I didn't hear him coming, so I went down. I saw him opening the boxes of books he got, and he no longer looked aroused. I sighed a little and went to help him, taking out the books and stacking them on the shelves. Kiku smiled at me, happy I was helping.

"Sorry for leaving like that." Kiku apologized, putting the books away beside me. I just shook my head, and I gave him a weak smile.

"It's okay. We're at work, anyway." I sigh out, still feeling in the mood, but not wanting to force myself onto Kiku. When the boxes were empty, Kiku broke them down and took them outside to recycle them. I stood behind the cash register, wondering if he would let me sleep with him tonight. When Kiku came back, he was breathing into his hands and shivering a little.

"It's so cold." He told me, and I smiled.

"I wonder why." I teased, and he stuck his tongue out at me. I laughed softly and he laughed too. He stood beside me, making me wrap my arm around him to warm him up. We closed the shop at nine, and as he locked the door, I wrapped my arms around him again, hiding my face in his shoulder.

"You have to pack tomorrow. We'll be leaving early on Saturday morning." I say, and he nods.

"How far is your parents' house?" He asked, and I shrugged.

"Just a few hours. We'll probably get there around noon. Did you want to stay past Christmas or leave Christmas morning?" I asked, and he made a noise.

"Let's stay past Christmas. I want to meet your family." He suggested, hugging me around my neck. I smile and move my arms around his waist.

"Past Christmas it is, then." I mumble, kissing his forehead and getting a soft laugh from him. I pulled away from his forehead and placed a light kiss on his lips, and he kissed back gently, making a happy noise in the back of his throat. When we pulled away, I smiled more and bid him goodnight. We walked in opposite directions, and I walked backwards for a while just so I could watch him. When he was quite a distance away, I turned back and continued to my flat, feeling happy with my life. I don't think I've ever been this happy since I was a kid.

Sometimes I would get a little worried about this happiness, though. I know it's bad to be worried, but I couldn't help it. I always got nervous that Kiku would just call me one day and break up with me for Alfred or some other guy. Sometimes when he called, I would get so nervous and wouldn't answer it, just because I thought he would break up with me. Even if we didn't have a fight. Actually, come to think of it, we never really fought before. This one time he did get angry at me, I forget why, but we made up almost immediately. We had a really good relationship, and I think if I ever lost him, I would go mad.

I reached my flat and pushed open the door, being greeted immediately by seeing the kitten's head pop up from the recliner. It meowed at me and I closed the door, putting some more food and water in its bowl for dinner. It heard the food and quickly ran over, slipping a little on the wooden floor as it scurried into the kitchen. It crouched down in front of the bowl, first drinking, then eating. I bent down and scratched its head again, then its back and tail. It lifted its butt as I scratched it, and I laughed softly.

I still didn't name it. I wanted Kiku to name it when he got it. I wasn't even sure of its gender, either. I guess it could be a boy, but I didn't know much about cats. This is the first one I've ever actually had in my house. There was no particular reason for it; no one in my family was allergic. I guess my parents just weren't cat people. I stood up straight and made myself something to eat, exiting the kitchen and entering my living sitting down on the recliner and putting my plate on the small circular wooden table by the recliner chair as I pulled the white small blanket over my lap. I turned on the TV and proceeded to eat my serving of Mac and Cheese.

After some time, the kitten hopped up onto my lap, purring and kneading my leg with its paws. When it was comfortable, it moved in a circle and plopped down, tucking its tail close to its body and watching me eat. I scratched its head as I ate and watched TV, and it fell asleep on my lap. After a while, I wanted to go to bed, but with the cat on my lap, I knew I wouldn't be able to get up and wake it. I was such a sucker for cute things. I just sighed and fell asleep on the recliner, knowing I was going to have a terrible back ache tomorrow.

I was pretty lucky, because Kiku told me yesterday that he didn't want to use his car. I was able to get the kitten in an inconspicuous box, putting food and water in with it, along with some litter box sand that was cut off from the rest of the box. I worked hard on this, and I was proud when the kitten seemed to like it. I put it in the trunk, along with the presents I got for Papa, Dad, and Alfred. I made sure the kitten's box was nicely hidden. I even put a coat over it, and my bag in front of it. When I was sure it was okay, I got in the car and made the short five minute drive to Kiku's. I went upstairs and knocked on his door, waiting patiently with a smile.

He pulled open the door and smiled back at me, grabbing a lighter jacket and pulling his bag out with him, slinging it over his shoulder. I frowned and took it from him, getting a questioning look from him.

"It looks heavy. Let me carry it." I said, and he smiled. He had a box in his hands, but he wouldn't tell me what it was. I brought him down to my car and he put the box in the trunk, right next to Papa's wine. I put the bag he brought with him in the trunk too, then closed it and got in the driver's seat. Kiku buckled up in the passenger's seat, looking happy and a little excited. When I started up the car, I leaned over and kissed Kiku's cheek, getting a small laugh from the man.

"Come on, I want to meet your parents already." He said, looking at me with a smile. I nodded and began the long drive. I had texted Dad yesterday, asking if he could pretend there was a rule in the house so Kiku and I could have different rooms. He asked if we were fighting, but I told him no. I wanted to have a separate room so that the cat could run around, then on Christmas day, before Kiku woke up, I would put the cat in his room and wait until he wakes up. He'll be so surprised… I even made sure beforehand that he wasn't allergic to cats, so I think he'll be happy.

The drive was a little boring, but whenever a good song came on Kiku would quietly sing it to himself, which I thought was really cute. One time, while he was singing, I turned off the radio, just to see if I could hear his voice. When I turned off the radio, though, he went quiet and looked at me curiously. He had the same expression as the kitten then, and I couldn't hold back from laughing a little.

"I just wanted to hear your voice." I explained, and he gave me a playful hit on the shoulder, then turned the music back on. He continued singing, and I didn't turn of the radio. I tried listening closer, but it was futile. He was just too quiet, and I didn't have my dad's supersonic hearing.

We arrived at the house just before noon, and I saw Alfred was already there. I helped Kiku with his things, and I carried the box with the cat in it and Papa's wine. Kiku eyed my box curiously, but he didn't ask. I was happy he didn't too, because I wasn't entirely sure what I would tell him.

We were greeted at the door by my Papa, Francis. He cheered happily and took our bags from us, kissing my cheeks, then doing the same to Kiku. I could tell he felt a little uncomfortable, but he was polite with it and didn't say anything.

"Ohonhonhon, Matthew, your boyfriend is so cute!" Francis cried happily, and Kiku turned red, looking down at his feet and fidgeting nervously. I laughed a little and took his hand, pulling him into the house and giving his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"I'm going to put these in my room. Yours is right across from mine." I told my boyfriend, and he gave me a curious look.

"We're not sharing a room?" He asked, and Francis cut in.

"Désolé, Kiku, but we don't really want… um… things to be happening at night." Francis said, making Kiku blush more.

"O-oh." He stammered, and I laughed softly. I let go of his hand and carried the presents up to my old bedroom. Kiku would be in the guest room across from me, and Alfred was probably still sleeping in the room right next to mine. I opened my bedroom door and saw it wasn't changed. I still had a bunch of band posters hanging on my wall, and even a Canadian flag. I wanted to move there so bad when I was younger. I still do, I just don't have enough money. I put the gifts down, then freed the kitten. It hopped out of the box quickly, running around the room in interest and excitement. I laughed more and took out its food bowl, hiding the box under my bed and filling the bowl up with fresh food and water.

"Stay up here, okay?" I whispered to the cat, putting the rest of the presents down and closing the door. I went back downstairs, hearing Kiku and Dad talking in the kitchen. Just as I got off the steps, I turned left and entered the kitchen through a small arch in the wall by the stairs, smiling at my boyfriend and Dad. Dad came up to me and hugged me tightly, and I hugged back.

"I haven't seen you in forever!" He said happily, chuckling a little and loosening his grip on me, "How have you been?" He asked, and I went and sat with Kiku.

"I've been great, Dad." I answered, then noticed the oven was on and I frowned, "Are… Are you cooking, eh?" I questioned, and Dad's smile dropped to a scowl.

"I'm not cooking. Francis made it." He sighed out, and I let out a breath of relief.

"I'm sorry, Dad, it's just-"

"I know, I know, I'm old, not stupid." He grumbled out, going through the cabinets. Kiku looked at me curiously, and I laughed a little.

"Trust me, you don't want to taste his cooking." I promised my boyfriend, and Dad gave me a cold look.

"Don't spread lies! He might like my cooking!" He attempted, but I just shook my head, smiling still. Dad sighed and nodded, "Yeah, you're probably right…."

Kiku looked worried, and shook his head, "It's okay, I don't mind trying it!" He said, and I stared at him in shock.

"Okay, Kiku, please think twice before affirming that!" I begged, but Kiku just nodded. Dad looked happy and he dug through the fridge. I guess he already prepared something in case something like this happened. He put the plate of whatever it was in front of Kiku, and the Japanese man's face paled a little. I watched eagerly, and so did Dad. Kiku took the fork and stabbed some of the food, lifting it up to his lips.

Dad was nodded slowly, wanting him to eat it, and I shook my head in worry, hoping he would just put the food down and change his mind. Francis walked in and gasped.

"Arthur, what did I tell you?" He yelled, going over to Kiku and tugging the fork from him, "Trust me, Kiku, you do not want to eat this merde…"

Kiku just blinked and looked at me in confusion. I was laughing a little and I shook my head, "We're keeping you safe, I promise."

Arthur whined and just put the food back in the fridge, but when Dad wasn't looking, Papa dug it out of the fridge and threw it away, washing the plate. After a while of sitting around and talking with my parents, we heard Alfred coming down the stairs, and I felt a little nervous. I knew he was probably still mad at me, since we haven't spoken to each other ever since last year on Christmas, and I was hoping he would have forgiven me by now. When he entered the kitchen, he spotted me and Kiku and frowned.

"Oh, hey Kiku." He said, staring right through me.

Well…. Ouch.

Kiku waved at Alfred and looked at me, taking my hand and giving me a gentle smile. I smiled back, but I still felt pretty hurt. I guess it was to be expected, though. Dad looked a little upset too and he crossed his arms.

"Alfred, say hello to your brother." He demanded, and Alfred snorted.

"I don't have a brother." He growled.

Double Ouch….

Kiku huffed and glared at Alfred. "Would you stop holding a grudge? It's not even Matthew's fault."

I was a little shocked Kiku stood up for me, but I was happy nonetheless. Dad kept his arms crossed and he looked at Alfred, who was drinking water from the sink out of a glass cup. His eyes were on Kiku, and he lowered the glass.

"So, when are you going to break up with him and come back to me? We all know you're dating him for his looks, so stop messing with the boy." Alfred said coldly, and Kiku narrowed his eyes more.

"Would you just shut it, Alfred?" Arthur scolded, whacking the back of my brother's head with his palm, "Be happy for your brother and stop being such a baby." Alfred yelped and rubbed the back of his head, glaring at Dad and putting his cup in the sink.

"You should tell him to get his own boyfriends, then!" Alfred growled, leaving the kitchen and going upstairs. Arthur sighed and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Matthew. That boy's been a real ass lately." Arthur apologized, and I shook my head.

"It's not your fault, Dad. I'll try and talk to him." I said, getting up and leaving the kitchen, followed Alfred up the stairs. I passed by Papa who was doing laundry, and we waved at each other. I went to Alfred's room and knocked on the door. When I didn't get a response, I opened the door and stepped in, seeing Alfred laying on his bed and using his laptop. He looked at me, then went back to his laptop.

"The hell do you want?" He grumbled, glaring at his computer screen. I sighed and closed the door behind me, standing against it and putting my hands in my pockets.

"Why are you still mad at me, eh?" I asked, and he looked at me again.

"I'm mad because you stole my boyfriend. Whatever happened to bros before hos?" He asked, sitting up and putting his laptop down. I rolled my eyes, shaking my head.

"First of all, Kiku isn't a ho. If you want to get technical, he has a penis, so he's a bro, too. Second, I didn't steal him. You broke up with him, then we started dating. Lastly, if you believe so much in 'bros before hos', then why the hell did you decide McDonalds was more important than Kiku?" I questioned, making Alfred narrow his eyes and cross his arms.

"Ronald McDonald is my bro. He gives me delicious sandwiches in exchange for all my money." Alfred answered first, pouting a little. Then he looked at me again and said, "You started dating him the same night we broke up. Isn't there a rule or something where you ask the ex to date the guy if the ex is your brother?"

"Oh, come on! I didn't even know until it was too late!" I tried reasoning with him, but he wouldn't have it.

"Didn't know until it was too late? You slept with him! You could've waited!" Alfred yelled, but I blushed a little and shook my head.

"No, I couldn't. His body was too amazing…" I mumbled, and Alfred growled more.

"Look, if you're just trying to rub it in, you can just leave!" He grumbled, and I frowned.

"No! Look, Alfie, I really want to make up with you!" I said, going over and sitting on his bed, "Please? I don't like having you mad at me!"

"Then break up with Kiku." Alfred mumbled, and I sighed.

"I'm not going to break up with Kiku. I could never break up with Kiku." I sighed, looking at my brother sadly, hoping he would just let it go.

"Then you're not going to have a brother." He said, getting up and leaving the room. I sighed again and laid back on the bed, fuming silently. I felt like punching something, so I started beating up one of the pillows, and when I was tired of it, I just dropped it and got up, going downstairs to find Kiku and Alfred talking. Kiku saw me and smiled at me, and Alfred turned and frowned, then got up and went to a different room.

I went over to my boyfriend, sitting with him and kissing his cheek, "What were you two talking about?" I asked, and he shook his head.

"It was nothing. He was just ranting." He told me, then kissed my lips. It surprised me a little, but I was happy being kissed by him. "Oh, your father, um… the one with the curly hair, he said he wanted to see you outside."

"Oh, okay. And that one is Francis." I said, smiling and heading for the glass door just outside the kitchen. I slid it open and stepped outside, closing it behind me so bugs didn't get in. Dad and Papa had a pool, but it was covered right now since it was winter. I wonder if it was frozen? I wanted to check, but it took a while to uncover the pool.

"Ah, Matthew, there you are! Come, asseoir avec moi." Francis called out, sitting at a glass table they had for summer and patting one of the wicker chairs next to him. He had a glass of wine with him and he poured me some. I sat beside him and thanked him for the wine, and we tapped the glasses together and sipped.

"I heard you and your frère fighting. Want to talk about it?" He asked, and I smiled, nodding a little.

"Well, last year on Christmas, I met Kiku and started dating him. But, the day before, when we met, he had just fought and broke up with his ex, who turned out to be Alfred. When I realized this, I felt bad, of course, but then Kiku and me ended up having rapports sexuels, and that's how we got together." I explained, then sighed and sipped more wine, "And now Alfred hates me because of it. I mean, Papa, you would never turn rapports sexuels down, right?" I asked, hoping it was reasonable.

Francis nodded slowly, "I would never turn down the opportunity. Well, now I would, but that's because je suis marié. But back when I was still single, I would sleep with anyone and everyone, no matter their relationships with my siblings…."

"Right? So it's not just me!" I sighed out, relieved. I drank more wine, still feeling a little upset though.

"Well, your frère is a little complicated, you know. He might be a little stupide sometimes, but he probably really loved Kiku." Francis explained to me, and I frowned.

"Papa, he treated him like crap." I mumbled, and Francis laughed.

"And how did I treat Arthur the first time I met him? We put stink bombs in each other's backpacks when we were in high school, Matthew! Now look at us! We still fight over some mineure things, but we still love each other." He said, and I frowned more. I swirled the wine in my cup, staring into the red liquid.

"So… does that mean Alfred and Kiku are going to get married?" I asked nervously, and Francis sighed, leaning forward and putting his glass down. He only put his glass down when he was being serious. I made sure I was ready for what he was about to tell me, looking at his stern face. He needed to shave…

"Non, Mathieu, I am not saying that. I am saying that Alfred was really in love with Kiku, no matter how bad he treated him. You and Alfred always competed for things when you were children, and I guess this is one of those times. He probably feels cheated that you got his ex boyfriend. He probably thinks it is unfair. Do you understand?" Francis asked, looking into my eyes. I nodded a little, thinking over what he told me.

"So… he's jealous?" I ask, and Papa nodded a little, picking up his wine and pouring himself some more.

"He will only stop being mad when he gets a new love interest, or if you and Kiku break up." He finishes, then drinks his wine. I sit back in my chair, sipping my own wine and thinking some more.

"That doesn't seem fair." I mumble, and Francis laughs a little.

"Life isn't fair, mon petit Mathieu." Papa says softly, patting my head, then playing with my hair, "At least you have my hair."

I laughed now, and shook my head, "Yes, I got the best traits from you. At least I didn't get the gene that made me a complete womanizer, though."

"That gene is precious, Mathieu!" Francis defended it, chuckling and drinking more. I smiled and kissed his cheek sweetly, then I finished my wine.

"Thank you for the help, Papa." I said, getting up and getting a smile from the man.

"Je vous en prie." He replies, lifting his glass of wine to me. I smile more and go back into the house, washing my cup and spotting Kiku on the couch, watching TV with my Dad. They were talking about cricket and other British games. Dad looked really excited to talk about it, and Kiku just sat there with his polite smile on. I laughed softly, knowing my boyfriend had no clue what Arthur was talking about. He was good at pretending he knew, though, and I went and sat with them.

"Oh, Mattie, we were just talking about cricket!" Arthur said, and I nodded.

"I heard the Essex won against Hampshire?" I asked, and Kiku looked at me with an expression that said, 'please save me from this.'

"Yes! Oh, it was a bloody mess!" Arthur gasped out, whining a little, "Then Essex went and beat Nottinghamshire!"

I laughed at Kiku's confused but polite expression, and I wrapped an arm around his hip, "Don't worry, I'm sure Somerset will blow them out of the water."

"Oh, ho, they had better!" Arthur said excitedly, turning to the current cricket game on the television. Kiku gave me a confused look and I laughed some more. I kissed his cheek and he smiled, leaning against me as we watched television. Soon after the game was finished, Francis came in and announced that dinner was ready, taking out some meatloaf from the oven and plating it. He had to go upstairs to tell Alfred dinner was ready, and while he did that, the rest of us sat at the wooden table between the kitchen and the dining room. Dad was still able to see the TV, and Kiku and I sat next to each other.

Kiku was inspecting the food like always, poking at it at first with his fork. I pierced a piece of the meat loaf, eating it and watching Kiku as he took his first bite. His eyes widened slightly, but he didn't say anything. I laughed a little, watching him take a bigger bite quietly.

"Papa is a really good chef, eh?" I chuckle, and Kiku nods quickly, enjoying the meatloaf. Alfred came down from the bedroom and Francis was behind him, pushing him towards the dining table and whispering something to him. Alfred just nodded and sat down next to Arthur, digging into the meatloaf quietly. Francis sat beside me and Arthur, glancing at Kiku's reaction to his food. When he was satisfied with my lover's quiet enjoyment, he began eating too.

It was a pretty quiet dinner. I didn't like starting conversation, Alfred was still too angry with me to speak, Arthur was caught up in TV, and Kiku was focused on his food. Francis seemed to be enjoying the silence, and he poured himself a glass of wine. When everyone was almost halfway done with eating, Alfred cleared his throat, getting Kiku's attention. They made eye contact for a second, then Alfred looked back to his food.

Kiku adjusted himself in his seat, then dug through his pocket and looked at me.

"Matthew…" He mumbled, and I looked at him curiously. I was definitely wondering what Alfred and Kiku seemed to have mentally agreed on in that split second, but I was also very curious as to why Kiku was wearing such a nervous expression with a hand in his pocket.

"I know it's only been a year, and that tonight is technically our anniversary, and I was going to do this tomorrow, but…" He bit his lip, then looked up into my eyes. I glanced over at everyone else, and both my parents watched in interest. Francis had this knowing smile, and Arthur looked just as confused as I was. Alfred kept his eyes on his meatloaf, looking a little disgruntled.

"Matthew." Kiku said, getting my attention again, "I… oh, um…" He mumbled, blushing and getting off of his chair, pushing it back and getting on one knee. I gasped a little, realizing where this conversation was going. I felt my brain stop and my heart quicken, and I stood up unconsciously, bringing my hands to my mouth to cover it.

"W-Will you… Marry me?" He asked, holding out a velvet black box. He opened the lid, revealing a very slick platinum wedding ring with a decorative design etched in along the edges. I couldn't think properly… I glanced at my family again for some sort of help. A nod or a shake of the head. First I looked at Francis, who was smiling and sipping his wine. My eyes went to Arthur, and he still had a very confused, but happy expression. He was probably just like me in this situation, not expecting this to happen at all. Finally, Alfred came into sight, and he stared at me with a blank expression. I couldn't tell if he was angry or jealous or happy…

I looked back at Kiku, and he was still on his knee, holding out the ring. Was I ready for this? We've been together for a year already, but was that too short? Did I love Kiku that much that I could marry him? Would we be happy together? Would he be happy with me? What if I say no? Would we stop dating altogether, or would he keep trying? Oh, this was just so confusing… I wish I had more time to think! I can't just decide on something this big in a matter of seconds! I haven't even thought about it before! I mean, I did imagine that we would be together for a long time, but would we get along in a relationship like this? Would things change?

"Matthew?" Kiku whispered, and I blinked, realizing I still haven't given an answer. I needed time to think! I started rubbing my head, trying to figure out what to say. Francis must've noticed my anxiety, and he put his wine down and put his hand on my shoulder.

"Matthew, are you okay?" He whispered, and I covered my face.

"I… I don't know… I don't know." I whimpered out, shaking my head, "Papa… My head hurts…"

"Why don't you sit, oui?" Francis said with a worried smile, trying to get me to sit, but I just couldn't do it. I felt another pair of hands on my arms, and Kiku's voice came in a panic, "What's the matter?"

Francis was about to answer, but I couldn't hear his voice anymore. I felt their hands tighten on my arms, and my legs finally gave out.

"M-maple…" I managed to blurt out before I fell unconscious. I heard a few whispers when I was out, and I felt someone carrying me. When I finally came to, I saw Francis and Arthur leaning over me. Francis was waving a spoon filled with what I assume was maple syrup under my nose.

"Is he waking?" Arthur asked, and Francis nodded a little.

"Slowly, but he's fine." He responded. I brought a hand to my face, rubbing one of my eyes and sitting up.

"What happened?" I mumbled, taking the spoon of syrup and eating it quickly. Francis smiled a little and handed me a bottle of maple syrup, and I took it happily, filling up the spoon again.

"You just fainted. We brought you to your room, and we made sure Kiku didn't come in." Arthur explained, patting my head as I ate more syrup. Maple syrup was the greatest. Whenever I fainted, that was one of the only things that could wake me up. The other thing was hearing hockey on the television.

I sighed a little, lowering the syrup and rubbing my head, "Right…. Because he asked me to marry him…" I mumbled, and Francis frowned.

"Do you want to marry him?" He asked me, lifting my chin and looking into my eyes. I bit my lip, and I shrugged.

"I don't know, papa. I love him, I really do! I just… I'm not sure if I'm ready for that right now…" I mumbled, and Arthur patted my arm comfortingly. "I just wish I could figure out if this is what I want."

Francis and Arthur looked at each other, and Dad smiled a little.

"Non, Arthur, non!" Francis quickly said, and Arthur just nodded slowly, "Arthur, we talked about this! You are not going to do it again!"

"Please, Francis, I've had enough practice, and it'll help him!" Arthur tried, but Francis shook his head even more.

"Non! I will not allow this!" Francis denied Dad, shaking his head more and crossing his arms.

"What is it, eh? What're you talking about?" I asked, wondering if it'll help me decide.

"Well, I know this one spell I can use on you. It's a little scary, but it'll definitely help you decide whether or not you should marry Kiku." Arthur explained, and Francis shook his head even more.

"Don't listen to him, Matthew, he did it on me, and it is not worth it!" Francis tried to convince me, but right now, I would do anything to figure out what I wanted. I hate not knowing what the answer was, or should be, and now that it included Kiku, I knew I needed to figure this out straight away.

"What happens? What does this spell do?" I asked, and Francis scoffed, shaking his head even more. He was probably going to give himself a headache if he kept shaking his head.

"Well, it puts you to sleep, and in your dream, it will put you through an alternate universe that will show you things you fear and the opposite personality of the people in your immediate life." Arthur explains, "It's a little scary, like I said, but it is very useful. You'll be able to sort out your feelings definitely. Also, you'll awake an hour before everyone else so you can sort out what you went through."

It all sounded a little terrifying, but accurate. I nodded quickly, sitting upright, "Okay, I'll do it. But please make sure you keep Kiku out of this room. I don't want him seeing the present." I mumbled, looking around the room for the kitten. It was eating quietly, not caring that there were people in the room. Papa let out an annoyed sigh and he stood.

"I'm not staying for this. And don't you come complaining to me about this, because you agreed!" He scolded me, then left the room. Arthur shook his head a little and smiled, "Okay, close your eyes."

I nodded and closed them, taking in a deep breath to calm myself before he worked his magic. He put his hands on my shoulders and started chanting nonsense words. I kept my eyes closed as he spoke, gripping the maple syrup bottle in my hands. I started feeling a little lightheaded, and my heart was thumping again. I started thinking I was going to pass out, but then Dad stopped chanting and he told me to open my eyes. I saw him smiling, and he made me lay down, putting the spoon and bottle of syrup on the nightstand.

"Go to sleep now. I'll keep Kiku out of your room." He promises, getting up and heading for the door, "And remember, everything you'll see is just a dream!"

After that, he left. I pulled the blankets up around my neck, and the kitten hopped up on the bed and curled up in a ball right next to my face, purring loudly and licking my cheek. I smiled and scratched his head, and I suddenly started feeling really tired. I couldn't hold back a yawn, and my eye lids felt extremely heavy. I let them slide close, and I drifted off to sleep quietly.

I awoke in my bed, the cat nowhere to be found. I sat up slowly, looking around the dim room in confusion. I scratched me head and got out of bed, scanning the floors for the kitten, but I couldn't find it. I assumed it was under the bed, and sighed to myself, rubbing me neck. It felt a little sore, and I felt a little sore at Dad. Wasn't his spell supposed to help me sort out my relationship problems? And here I am, awake and up with a sore neck.

Crappy magic… I'll give him an earful for this. Now I had no clue if I should marry Kiku or not. I decided to go seek out Dad to question him about this, and I headed down the mahogany staircase, running my hand down the polished handrail along the side of the steps. When I got to the wooden floor, I turned to my left and entered the kitchen, seeing my Dad standing at the stove with a pan and spatula in hand. In the pan was probably a lump of food, but it looked more like charcoal. It smelled like it, even, and I gagged a little, then went to my father and gripping his wrist, getting his attention.

"Dad, why are you cooking, eh?" I questioned him, giving him a fearful look as the food caught fire. Arthur tilted his head back in a loud laugh, his hair bouncing with each guffaw.

"I'm making dinner, silly!" He teased me, pinching my cheek and smiling, "You are hungry, right, mon cher Matthieu?"

I gaped at him, still gripping his wrist tightly. This was Arthur, right? He had the eyebrows and the hair, and his smirk was Arthur's… But Dad hated speaking French! He even hated it when papa spoke French! And he was cooking, on top of all that!

"What happened to you?" I asked grimly, staring at him as if it were the end of the world. He laughed again, shaking his head and stabbing his lump of charcoal with the spatula, trying to scoop it and flip it, but it was burnt to the metal.

"What happened to you, Matthew?" He retorted, raising a bushy brow at me, "You're acting so different today."

"Different? Dad, I think you're the one who is acting different!" I whimpered out, letting go of his wrist. Arthur gave up on his 'dinner', and he tried getting the lump of burnt meat out with water, but it held on strong. It didn't even budge.

"Come on, Matthew. Are you feeling okay?" Dad asked me, drowning the ruined pan in soap, then wiping his hands on his pink apron and touching my forehead. He pulled his hand away with a curious look, shaking his head slightly, "Usually you're so energetic."

"Energetic? I think you're talking about Alfred." I suggested, trying to smile, but I felt my lips twitching from being forced to smile.

"Alfred? Energetic and Alfred are two words that shouldn't be used in a sentence together, mon fils." Arthur scoffed, taking the pan-burnt-meat-soap mixture and shoving it in the trashcan forcefully.

"Stop that!" I whimpered, shaking a little. Dad looked up at me curiously, trying to push the pan further down.

"Stop what?" He asked, and I shook my head, running my hands through my hair.

"Stop being so weird, Dad! You're scaring me!" I begged, feeling so confused and lost and worried that I was going insane. Arthur laughed at me, now trying to close the trashcan so he could pretend he didn't ruin the pan.

"Maybe you should go lay down? Kiku and Alfred will be back from Christmas shopping any minute now." He suggested, and I nodded a little, chewing on my lip as I sat on the couch in the living room. I started wondering why Kiku and Alfred would be out together, but I didn't get much time to think about it when a familiar face shuffled into the living room. He was wearing disgusting clothes that probably haven't been washed since last year, and he had died his hair black. I stared at him in horror, feeling my heart stop in its tracks.

"Papa?" I gasped out, and he glared at me, holding a bottle of gin and swaying lightly.

"Wussall the ruckus?" He slurred, shuffling over to me and squinting down at me, "Oi, git yur ass outta my couch, ya lazy hick." He shouted at me, hiccupping in the middle of his sentence. I shook my head slowly, too stunned to move. Francis rolled his eyes lazily, then grabbed the front of my shirt and tugged me to my feet.

"Oi! I said ta move!" He yelled, shaking me roughly. I heard Dad gasp from the kitchen.

"Francis, stop that right now! Don't hurt Matthew, mon cher!" He called out, and Francis turned his glare on the man in the kitchen.

"Yoo zink you're so great, eh? Yah dun know nuttin'!" He yelled, dropping me and patting his hand against his chest, "I'm da fuckin' god! I sleep wit women fer money! I sleep wit prostitutes fer money! Yah dun know me!"

I shook my head even more, covering my ears to block out this horrifying scene. Dad was speaking like Papa, and Papa was acting like Dad when he gets drunk! It was all too much to handle! All I asked for was whether or not I should marry Kiku! I didn't want all this!

Then, it hit me. This was the dream! I felt a huge wave of relief rush over me, and I dropped my hands. Dad said that it would show me my worst fears and everyone's personalities would be altered! Of course! That's why Dad was cooking! Everyone fears his cooking, so it's completely reasonable! And he would be talking like Papa because that was his opposite personality!

I felt so much better about the situation, even as Papa and Dad got into a heated argument. They continued yelling at each other, Dad hissing in French and Papa slurring out swear words and stumbling about like the drunkard Dad is. I pulled my knees to my chest as I sat on the floor, watching the duo yell and scream. I couldn't help it now, I just had to laugh.

It was so ridiculously funny that I started laughing. Dad and Papa stopped their fighting and looked at me curiously.

"What're yah laughin' 'bout, eh?" Francis grumbled, running his hands through his hideous black hair.

"Francis, leave Matthieu alone, he is sick today." Dad piped up, and Francis snorted.

"Aye, he is! Look a' 'im! He's laughin' 'is ass off!" Papa stumbled over his words, hiccupping now and again. I laughed even harder and shook my head, finding their altered personalities much more hilarious now that I knew they weren't permanent.

I heard the front door open and close, and my laughter died. Oh, I just had to see Alfred's alternate personality. I bet he would be the biggest wimp ever!

"Dad! Francis! We're back!" I heard Alfred call out. Weird, he didn't call Francis papa. Well, this is a different universe. I saw Alfred enter the living room with his arm looped around Kiku's hip, and I sucked in a sharp breath. All the humour drained from me when I saw my brother touching my boyfriend like that. Kiku looked happy, and he had his arm around Alfred's shoulders. He was holding a bottle of champagne, and Alfred was holding a few bags.

"Oh, Alfred. How was shopping, cher fils?" Dad asked from the kitchen, washing the spatula and looking at his son as he set the presents down on the kitchen table. Kiku was clinging to him like glue on jeans, and I felt myself getting quite angry and feeling a little betrayed. But, this was just a dream, and this must prove that Kiku wouldn't go cheat on me or ditch me for my brother. Yeah, that must be it.

"It was nice. I even got little Matthew something." He said happily, taking a bright pink bag and he held it out to me. "Hey, Mattie, are you okay? Here's your Christmas present."

He was being so nice! And he wasn't even yelling or jumping off the walls! I took the present from him and smiled at him weakly, watching as he wrapped his arms around a giggling Kiku once again. I looked down at the present and opened it to find a McDonald's burger in it. I scowled a little, and Dad smiled.

"Aw, you got your brother a burger!" He said cheerfully, as if it was the greatest present in the world. "I hope he keeps it down!"

My head snapped up and I stared at Dad in shock, "What're you talking about, eh?" I quickly questioned and Alfred frowned and hugged Kiku tighter.

"Well, you're bulimic. You told us a few months ago." Alfred said with a shrug, as if it was a natural thing, or a lifestyle choice everyone made.

"Bulimic?" I asked in a high voice, "I'm not bulimic! I hate throwing up!"

Alfred just laughed and Kiku gave me a small smile that made my heart flutter and ache at the same time.

"Come on, Matthew, let's not joke right now. Why don't we sit around the fire place and have a nice family Christmas?" Alfred suggested like a real adult, and Kiku nodded happily and kissed Alfred's cheek. I felt my heart snap at that, and I got to my feet quickly, startling everyone. Even drunk Papa was shocked.

Alfred looked at me curiously, then smiled and raised a brow, "What's the matter? Not used to seeing two guys kiss?" He questioned me in a playful manner, but I didn't have the patience for it right now. I bit my lip to keep from yelling at him, and I started rubbing my hands together nervously. It was just a dream, Mattie, Kiku and Alfred aren't really together. Kiku is yours, not Alfred's.

I let out a slow sigh, then nodded. Alfred smiled wider and everyone gathered in the living room. Papa was lying on the couch, slurring out incoherent words and rocking his head back and forth as he sipped from his bottle of alcohol. Alfred and Kiku were by the fireplace, sitting much too close for my comfort. Alfred's hand was on the inside of Kiku's thigh, and every time he moved his hand, I felt myself ready to jump the man and start pummeling him.

Everyone was opening presents and smiling and talking to each other cheerfully. Everyone but me. Apparently, I didn't get any presents, aside from the hamburger Alfred gave me a few minutes ago. I guess I didn't get anyone else presents either, and I started feeling a little worse about this situation. Everyone looked so happy like this. Hell, even drunken Papa looked pleased with this life.

I felt like crying. I almost did, too, but I didn't want to drag attention to myself. Alfred and Kiku looked so in love, Papa went back to drinking, and Dad was trying to make some cake in the kitchen. I wasn't too upset with Papa and Dad. I wasn't even entirely upset with Kiku.

All my fury and depression was directed at my brother. I wanted to hurt him so badly… I wanted to just grab a fistful of dirty blond hair and slam that pretty boy face of his into the brick fireplace repeatedly. Over and over and over until there was blood and bones.

I blinked. When have I ever been so violent? Even when I was mad at someone, I was never violent like that! Even in my thoughts! I felt fear bubbling in my chest, and I started to chew on my lip again. Maybe the universe is showing me how I would be in this universe too? God, I hope this violence doesn't stay with me when I wake up… I hate thinking about such vicious things like that!

Alfred looked at me and smiled a warm smile.

"Hey, Matthew, me and Kiku will be upstairs. If you want to join us, you can." He said, then took Kiku's hand and led him to the steps. I didn't want to join them. I was still trying to fight off this violent rage going through my mind. Maybe this was how Alfred felt when he saw me and Kiku together? We were acting pretty lovey-dovey in front of everyone… Was Alfred's personality my opposite personality?

I feel even worse now, if that's the case… It must have been horrible for him, seeing me and Kiku so close and touchy. I stayed on the carpet in the living room, watching the fire flicker and dance around as I tried to figure out if this dream was helping me at all.

I wasn't sure how many hours passed, but it certainly felt like a while until Dad sat beside me and hugged me gently.

"Hey, why don't you go upstairs and play with your brother and Kiku? I'm sure they wouldn't mind." Arthur suggested, and I looked at him blankly. The last thing I wanted was to see more of them, but I guess I had to if I really wanted the full experience of this dream. Which is what it was, definitely. Completely a dream, nothing more, nothing less.

I slowly got to my feet, and Dad smiled at me, patting my shoulder reassuringly. I scuffled across the wooden flooring, then up the stairs. I heard Kiku giggling from Alfred's room, and I heard whispering and sighing. When I got to the second floor, I went straight to Alfred's room and, without knocking, I shoved the door open.

There to greet me was probably one of the most horrifying sights, aside from Dad cooking. I found Kiku and Alfred together in that room, Alfred lying on his back on the bed, and Kiku straddling him. Kiku was stark naked, and Alfred had his pants pulled down to mid-thigh. Kiku was riding my brother, and he had that light pink blush and his fingers were twitching against Alfred's shirt as he moved his hips. Alfred was thrusting his own hips up to meet Kiku's movements, and they were both gasping and moaning and grunting.

I couldn't bear to watch this, and I slammed the door shut, covering my eyes and shaking my head. No, no, no, this is all just a dream! It's all just a dream! Dad said it was a dream, and he warned me I would see things I didn't want to see!

But come on, really? Was this supposed to help me decide? The only thing I've decided on so far was that I hated this place! I hated this universe and the strange violence in me! I hated my brother and everything he did! I hated my French-speaking mess of a chef Father and I hated my drunk, hideous looking Papa! I hated this whole thing! I just wanted to wake up and run to Kiku and kiss him and make him promise this would never happen!

I felt the tears running down my cheeks as I cried silently, and I forced myself to stop immediately. I would not cry because of this! I was a man! This was all just a dream! When I wake up, everything would be back to normal!

But my heart felt broken from seeing my brother and Kiku copulating so naturally. I knew he hadn't actually cheated on me, but it felt just as bad. I was shaking and trying my hardest to keep from breaking down, and I stomped down the stairs loudly, waking up the drunken Francis and throwing him into a drunken and tired rage. He started yelling at me to not make so much noise, but I didn't listen to him.

I sat by the fireplace again, hugging my knees to my chest and trying to calm myself down. This is just a dream, it's just a dream, just a dream. I kept thinking that over and over. Just a dream, just a dream. When I wake up, I'll see Kiku and he'll love me just like always. When I wake up, Dad will hate the French language like always. When I wake up, Papa would be blond and pretty again, and he would cook instead of Dad.

When I woke up, Alfred wouldn't be the one with Kiku.

After a while of sitting by the fireplace, Kiku and Alfred came back downstairs. I felt my chest tighten when I saw them. They just looked so perfect together. Maybe I'm not supposed to marry Kiku after all. Maybe Kiku and Alfred were really meant for each other?

"Dad, Francis, Matthew, I have big news." Alfred said happily, getting everyone's attention. He had a wide grin on his face, and he held out Kiku's hand to show a fat silver ring with a huge diamond in the middle of it.

"Kiku and I are getting married!" He announced, and that's when I saw red. I got to my feet and marched over to them, barely thinking about what I was doing, or what I was about to do.

I grabbed Kiku's wrist and tugged him away from my brother, standing in between them and glaring at the surprised and confused brother of mine.

"Listen here, you Yankee brat! I don't care who you are to me, and I don't care who you are to Kiku! I don't care what universe this is, or what personality you have, or what personality everyone else has! No matter what, when, or why, Kiku is mine and will always be mine! I will burn down the chapel you plan on marrying in, and I will hunt you down until the end of time just to keep you away from my Kiku! I love him way more than you'll ever be able to love, and he loves me back! You are shit to him! Shit! C'est l'avertissement que vous aurez, Alfred. If you lay even a finger on my husband, I will tear you limb from limb and leave you to rot!" I yelled, panting heavily when I was done. Alfred stared at me in shock, and so did everyone else. I was even a little surprised, to be honest.

I was about to apologize for what I just said, when I felt Kiku's grip tighten around my hand. I looked back at him curiously, and he gave me a warm, heart-melting smile. Everything around me faded to black, except for Kiku. He held onto my hand, then stepped in close to me and kissed my forehead, then my lips. It was long and loving, and I felt my anger vanish and my heart mend.

Then he faded too, and I started to fall. It wasn't a scary fall, though, and I just accepted it. I was about to hit some sort of ground, when I jerked awake in my bed, sitting upright and sending the kitten by my head tumbling down the blankets. I was panting heavily, holding a hand on my chest and looking around in fear.

Was I back? Was everything okay now? I heard an annoyed meowing, and I looked to find the Russian blue kitten getting to its feet and going to me, stretching while on its way. I let out a slow breath, then scratched behind its ear. It purred happily, and I adjusted my position on the bed so I was leaning against the headboard in a sitting position.

I looked over to my nightstand to see the bottle of maple syrup and spoon, and I quickly filled the spoon and shoved the syrup into my mouth, savoring the taste of reality. The cat mewed at me, pawing at my shirt. I poured a small bit of syrup on my finger and let the kitten lick the syrup from my finger. It purred more and rubbed against my hand in thanks afterwards. I smiled a little and scratched its oversized head again.

Then I remembered Dad telling me that I had an hour before everyone else woke up to think about what I went through. To be honest, I didn't really want to think about it. I understood what I wanted with Kiku now, even if I was still nervous about wedding him. It was obvious I loved him enough to be with him in that kind of relationship, and he probably felt the same.

First things first, though, I had to properly apologize to my brother. I knew now what he must have been feeling when he saw Kiku and I, and it hurt like an over aggressive hockey player. I pecked the kitten's forehead, then got up and quietly and went to my brother's room, carefully sneaking in.

I sat on the bed beside my sleeping brother, then I took his shoulders and lightly shook him awake. He groaned a little, then rubbed his eyes and looked up at me, squinting his eyes.

"Wassup?" He muttered, sitting up slowly.

"I'm sorry." I said first, getting a confused look from him, then a smile.

"Oh, dude, I'm not really mad at you." He said, stretching a little. I was shocked, and it showed on my face. He laughed a little at my expression, and he ruffled my hair happily. I shook my head, grabbing his hand to stop him from ruining my sleep-hair.

"Wait a minute, you're not mad? How can you not be mad? I stole Kiku!" I asked in a whisper, not wanting to wake up anyone else. Alfred chuckled again, then nodded.

"You did steal him from me, but after a long while, I realized it didn't matter. I mean, from what Kiku told me yesterday, you've been treating him ten bajillion times better than I ever had." Alfred explained lightly, yawning and stretching his arms above his head, then sniffing his pit and grimacing.

"Why did you act all angry with me, then?" I questioned, grimacing myself from imagining what he could possibly smell like. I didn't really want to know, though, so I backed up to make sure I wouldn't accidentally catch a whiff.

"Oh, because Kiku told me he wanted to propose to you, but he wasn't sure what your reaction would be. So, I pretended to be angry to see if you would think about ditching Kiku to keep me as a brother. I mean, to you, family is most important, and I figured if you cared for Kiku more than family, you were really in love with him." Alfred explained, and I was even more shocked at how clever the plan was. I opened my mouth, then closed it thought, going over his words a few more times in my head.

"Kiku came up with that plan, didn't he?" I guessed, knowing Alfred would never be smart enough to really plan all that out. Alfred gave me a cheesy grin, ruffling his own hair and nodding.

"You're just as smart as he is, bro. Oh, so did you decide? You kinda fainted before answering, and Kiku's been going crazy all night with worry." Alfred mentioned, and I grimaced again. I never wanted to worry Kiku, but I seriously wasn't sure at the time.

But now I was, and I nodded at my brother's question in confidence.

"I'm going to marry him." I answered, and Alfred smiled and patted my head.

"Good. 'Cause if you didn't, I would so jump at that." He chortled, and I gave him a playful sock to the arm.

"Go back to sleep." I chuckled, and he smiled and laid back down, tugging the blankets over his shoulder and closing his eyes. I got up to leave the room, but I heard Alfred call out to me first. I looked over my shoulder, one hand on the doorknob and the other on my hip.

"What is it, eh?" I asked, smiling lightly.

"Treat him good, okay?" Alfred requested, and I laughed softly.

"I'll treat him like he should be treated." I said, affirming his request and leaving. I didn't want to wake up Papa and Dad, since it still felt pretty early in the morning. Instead, I settled for waiting for Kiku to wake up instead. I went to my room and scooped up the kitten, scratching its ear as I carried him to the guest bedroom. I opened the door slowly, wincing at the groan it gave. I stepped into the room and found Kiku curled up on the bed, the box with the ring in his hands, and a few tissues by his head. I felt a pang of guilt. I never wanted Kiku to fret over this…

I sat by the bed, putting the kitten on the sheets beside Kiku's knees. The cat crawled over to the sleeping Japanese man, sniffing him cautiously and tapping his cheek with his paw. I figured it would smell my scent on Kiku, and soon it started purring and rubbing against Kiku's neck and nose, licking his cheek and dragging him out of his slumber. He frowned a bit and went to rub his eye, but the kitten thought he would pet it and it rubbed against Kiku's wrist affectionately.

"Eh… what?" Kiku mumbled, squinting at the cat and raising a brow. He scratched the kitten's head, gripping the ring box tightly and smiling a little. "Ah… hello, kitten… Are you Matthew's?"

"No, it's yours." I whispered, startling poor Kiku. I smiled weakly at him, and he sat up completely. He looked confused and a little nervous, then he looked down at the cat.

"What do you mean it's mine?" He asked softly, petting the loving Russian blue and I knew he was in love with it already.

"Well, it's Christmas. So, this kitten is my present to you. It's yours. You have to name it, though." I explained, pulling my knees to my chest and hugging them, smiling at the kitten in Kiku's lap. I glanced up at Kiku to see him smiling guiltily, holding the ring box to his chest and playing with the kitten.

"I… I thought you-"

"Forgot to get you a present? I would never." I said with a smile, and Kiku smiled even more. He looked so happy now, and whenever he was happy, he looked ten times more beautiful. I slowly lifted myself onto the bed by Kiku's legs, scratching the kitten's belly and making it squirm and meow in a playful manner, swatting at my hands and purring.

Kiku smiled at me, then looked down at the ring box and frowned. He fingered the velvety box and let out a wavering sigh.

"Um, listen… If you don't want to marry me, that's fine. Can we still be together, though? We could pretend it never happened…" Kiku suggested, and I frowned and watched him. He looked so sad and worried, it was a little cute. But it wasn't as cute as he was when he smiled and laughed. I moved closer to him, tilting his chin up and looking into his dark black eyes.

"Just because I fainted doesn't mean I don't want to marry you." I scoffed, kissing him lovingly and getting an eager kiss in return. I could feel a warm tear from him roll down, and I wiped it away with my thumb.

"Hey, don't cry. I love you." I whispered and he nodded and smiled, taking my hands and pressing his forehead against mine.

"I love you too." He mumbled in return, rubbing his thumbs over the backs of my hands. Then he lifted each hand to his lips and kissed my fingers, letting out a shaky but happy sigh as he did this.

"Meow!" We both heard, and we started laughing softly. Kiku wiped his eyes and turned his attention to the adorable kitten in his lap, scratching its exposed belly and playing with its tail.

"What gender is it?" Kiku asked, and I bit my lip and blushed.

"Um… cat gender?" I guessed, and Kiku gave me a blank look. I smiled at him, and he just rolled his eyes. He smiled in return, however, and he kissed me again.

"You're so funny." He mumbled, wrapping his arms around my neck and shaking his head. I smiled more and ran my fingers through his hair, looking over his happy expression. This was definitely my husband. This would be my partner for life, through thick and thin, and sickness and health, and maple and mochi, or something like that.

"I can see it now," I mused, pulling my cute soon-to-be-husband onto my lap and hugging him tightly, "You walking down the aisle in a beautiful white gown, the kitten as our ring bearer, and a nice, three tiered blue cake!"

Kiku's face paled, and he shook his head quickly, blushing and laughing nervously, "If that cake is blue, I will not eat one bite! I will not go near it!" He quickly protested with a smile, and I laughed evilly and kissed him again, holding onto him tightly.

"It will be blue!" I swore, rubbing my nose against his, getting another laugh from him. God, I loved it when he laughed…

"Fine, but you'll have to wear the dress!" Kiku demanded, and I scoffed and stood up, carrying him bridal style in my arms and spinning around the room carefully, not wanting to bump into anything.

"You're my husband, now! You'll do everything I want you to do!" I teased, and he laughed and patted my arm in a weak hit.

"Yeah right! We'll see how long that lasts!" He joked back, and I laid him on the bed after. I climbed on top of him, kissing him again. He kissed back happily, wrapping his arms around my neck and smiling in delight.

"Hey, when did you first want to marry me?" I asked him, leaving a few butterfly kisses around his neck and collarbone. Kiku let out a comfortable sigh and thought about it.

"After we first had sex." He answered, and I pulled away and looked at him in confusion. Kiku's cheeks flushed and he looked away, embarrassed, "It's… a cultural thing. I was raised to only sleep with who I was married to, so after we had sex, I immediately wanted to marry you to make it okay."

"How long have you had the ring?" I asked, pretty shocked that he had wanted to marry me this whole time. Kiku blushed more and bit his lip, looking extremely embarrassed.

"Um… about ten months." He mumbled, and my eyebrows shot up in amazement.

"And you said I was creepy!" I teased, poking his sides and making him squirm and laugh beneath me.

Then, there was a loud knocking on our door, and I heard Dad call out, "You children, keep it PG-13!" I laughed softly, and Kiku's face turned pink from embarrassment.

"Don't worry, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't mind if we had sex." I whispered to Kiku, making him gasp and redden further. He wacked my shoulders with an embarrassed smile, then slid out from under me, petting the kitten again before getting to his feet and dropping the clothes from his body.

I stared with wide eyes, watching him dig through his bag in only briefs. He glanced at me and raised a brow.

"What? We're going to be married, so I don't have to be so modest." He explained, and I smiled softly, shaking my head. I went over to him as he pulled out various articles of clothes and I ran my hand across his butt, smiling at the feel of it. Kiku gave me a slightly uncomfortable look, his cheeks heating up again and I laughed softly.

"You might want to be modest when we're in someone else's house." I teased, and Kiku quickly pulled on some pants, giving me a half-hearted glare, then kissing my cheek.

"Maybe you should learn to have a little more control over your hormones." Kiku shot back, and I laughed softly. He finished dressing, and we both went downstairs to find Dad and Papa downstairs already. Dad was cleaning the table while Papa made breakfast, and I felt at peace.

"Dad, I had the weirdest dream." I said, making Arthur look up at me and smile in curiosity. Francis scoffed and shook his head, flipping over a pancake and looking disappointed. Kiku sat at the table and he and Papa started talking, so I went to Dad and helped him clean.

"I want to hear about it." Arthur told me, wiping down the table with me.

"It was horrifying." I mumbled with a shiver, "You were cooking!" Dad narrowed his eyes at me and I laughed at his angry look, scrubbing a small stain from the table.

"You were also speaking French. And Papa looked hideous. He had jet black hair that was horribly dyed, and he was drunk and yelling like you would whenever you got drunk." I told him, and Dad laughed softly, shaking his head.

"That truly sounds quite terrifying." Dad agreed with me, and I smiled and leaned in closer.

"That's not even the worst part! Alfred was polite and calm! And apparently I was bulimic!"

"Bulimic?" Arthur snorted, raising a brow at me while smirking.

"Yeah! And for Christmas, I had gotten a hamburger!" I chuckled, and Dad laughed with me. When we finished cleaning the table, he hugged me and kissed my forehead.

"I'm glad the dream didn't overwhelm you. The first time I used it on someone, they wouldn't come out of their room for days." He told me, and I looked at him in surprise.

"Who did you use it on, eh?" I asked, and Arthur smirked and pointed at Papa. I raised my eyebrows as I watched him teach Kiku how to flip a pancake, then I looked back at Dad with a doubtful gaze.

"I'm serious! It was in high school, and he told me he couldn't figure out who he wanted to take to the senior prom. He asked me to do him a favour, and I used the spell on him. It scared him so much, he locked himself in his room for three days straight." Arthur told me, winking and chuckling, "But don't tell him I told you."

"Did he miss the prom?" I asked, thinking how it must've sucked to not go, mostly when you were as flamboyant as Francis. Dad shook his head no, smiling at his husband and sighing.

"He went with some bird." Arthur muttered, a reminiscent look in his eyes, "But, when he got to the dance, he ditched the girl and made a beeline for this wall flower. He didn't dance with the girl all night."

I smiled a little, wondering to myself if that was when they fell in love. I looked back at Papa and Kiku in time to see Kiku successfully flip a pancake. He had this amazed look on his face and he looked up at Papa, obviously excited that he was able to do it. Papa cheered for him and patted his shoulder, letting Kiku do another one, just for the hell of it.

I smiled more and went over to them, waiting for Kiku to put the pan down before taking his arm and pulling him into a hug. Kiku gasped and complained a little, but I didn't care. I just kept hugging him until Francis finished breakfast. I let him go, and he sat beside me, looking annoyed. I was worried that I bugged him too much, but when I sat down, he held my hand under the table and I couldn't help but smile.

Alfred came down after Francis had to yell for him to, and he sat between Kiku and Arthur. He started shoveling the food into his mouth and Arthur raised a brow at him.

"Why don't you breath between bites, you git?" He scolded, whacking Alfred's back roughly and making him choke and start coughing.

"Can't you let me eat in peace, man?" Alfred complained, jabbing at our dad with his fork, but not injuring him.

"If you don't stop whining, you won't get your damn present, wanker!" Arthur scolded, and Alfred fell quiet. I smiled a little and continued eating, watching as my brother started playing with his food. Arthur scolded him again for this, and they continued fighting throughout breakfast. Even when Francis and I were washing dishes, Dad and Alfred were shooting insults and rude comments back and forth. Kiku was still at the table, just watching them in amusement as they fought.

I smiled and went over to my soon-to-be-husband, kissing the top of his head, then looking at dad and Alfred.

"Do they always do this?" Kiku asked, trying not to laugh at all the improper things they told each other. I smiled and nodded, kissing his forehead now and chuckling.

"They like to fight. It's their way of showing their love." I explained, and Alfred scoffed at me and crossed his arms.

"I don't love him!" Alfred said, and Arthur snorted in response.

"Yeah, well I don't love you, you tosser!" He shot back, sneering at his son.

"I hate you!"

"I hate you too!"

"You're the worst father!"

"And you're the worst adopted son!"

"Bite me!"

"Sod you!"

"You're adopted?" Kiku interjected, throwing them both off track and getting everyone's attention. He turned a little pink, and I knew he must be embarrassed about asking such a personal question. I smiled at his shyness, and Alfred and Arthur reclined in their chairs.

"Yeah, me and Mattie are adopted. We're really brothers, though. Just different dads." Alfred explained, and I nodded.

"Oh, is that why you all have different last names?" Kiku questioned, feeling a little more comfortable since his question was answered without a scolding. Arthur leaned forward, nodding and taking a glass of water off of the table.

"They had found their fathers when they were teenagers. They had insisted they be given their father's last name during a fight they had, and they still haven't made up. So, until whatever this fight is about becomes resolved, they go by Alfred F. Bonnefoy-Kirkland Jones and Matthew Bonnefoy-Kirkland Williams." Arthur went into detail, and Kiku nodded slowly, actually looking interested in the subject. At the mention of our little fight, my brother and me locked eyes, then looked away with a huff.

"Oh my god, was it really that bad of a fight?" Arthur scoffed, and I crossed my arms while my brother flicked his thumb against his nose.

"What was it about?" Kiku interrogated lightly, looking up at me from his seat, and I sighed. I would never be able to keep things secret from him, even if Alfred and I decided not to talk about it to others…

I looked at my brother, and he gave me a nod of approval. He must also be under the spell Kiku had. I think I'll dub that look the 'I'm-cuter-and/or-sexier-than-anyone-you-have-ever-been-with-or-will-ever-be-with-so-tell-me-or-else' look.

"Well, when we were younger, me and my brother got into a… heated debate about a very important subject…" I tried being vague, but Kiku kept his stare on me and I felt my defenses crumble within me. "It was about… whether or not Mrs. Butter-worth could beat Ronald McDonald in a fight."

"Ronald McDonald would totally kick her ass!" Alfred quickly said, and I stomped my foot and glared at him.

"Mrs. Butter-worth would drown that clown-freak in a pool of maple-goodness!" I protested, and we could've kept going if Papa didn't call out to everyone with a very loud "Ahem!"

We all spun our heads towards Francis, who was standing in the living room at the time with a smile.

"Well, are we going to open presents on Christmas, or will we have to wait until New Years again?" He teased us, and Arthur huffed and stood up.

"Right, right, we shouldn't be squabbling." He muttered, taking Alfred's wrist and pulling him towards the living room. Kiku smiled and took my hands, leading me towards the couch, then sitting beside me with our fingers intertwined. Papa started passing out the small stack of gifts, and Kiku seemed quite surprised to receive so many. I wasn't really surprised, I knew Papa and Dad would go out of their way to make the guest feel at home. And they were pretty extreme about their Christmas, too.

The rest of the day went by pleasantly. Kiku had returned to his bedroom after dinner to play with the kitten, and when I went to check on him, I was happy to see him so excited about owning a kitten. He had the thing in his lap and was letting it nibble on his finger.

"Do you like your present?" I asked, sitting beside him on the bed and stroking the cat's tail, watching it flick away from my palm. Kiku nodded happily, scooping up the kitten and kissing its nose.

"He's perfect…" Kiku mumbled, making some baby noises as he rubbed his nose against the kitten's nose. Oh, so it's a he? Huh, I guess that makes sense. Well, either gender, it's still a kitten, and Kiku still loves it.

"I was worried you would get mad at me." I admitted, and Kiku looked at me curiously. The kitten was now crawling onto his shoulder and padding across his back. The raven-haired man leaned forward slightly so he wouldn't fall off, and the cat curled up around his neck, holding himself steady.

"Why would I get mad?" He asked, scratching the kitten's head and looking at me. I shrugged and smiled, thinking how good he must be with children.

"Because you thought I forgot to get you a present." I explained, and Kiku turned a little red. He looked down, a guilty expression in his eyes.

"I'm sorry for doubting you." He apologized softly, and I chuckled and leaned in. I kissed his forehead, then I lifted his chin and kissed his lips. He shied away from me, which made me smile even more. I leaned in again, going slower and looking into his half-lidded eyes as our lips touched. He let out a soft sigh, as if it was his first kiss, and he let his eyes slide close.

He let me in after a short while, and I caressed his tongue with mine slowly and lovingly, earning a few more sighs and moans from him. We both heard the kitten purring on his shoulder, and Kiku pulled away from the kiss to giggle. I smiled too, then kissed the kitten's head, making him purr louder.

"Hey, when do you want to get married?" I asked him, kissing his neck now and gently scraping my teeth against his jugular, making him shiver and sigh.

"Hmm… Do you want it to be big?" He asked in return, and I drew a line up his neck with my tongue slowly, thinking about it.

"How about… just family?" I suggest, moving to his throat and sucking on one of his sensitive spots, right under his chin. He sighed again and I could hear his heart start to race.

"Y-yeah…" He agreed shakily, his arms moving around my neck as I continued to suck on that particular vein. "Then we'll have it… in June? Is that enough time?" I chuckled and moved away from his neck, kissing his lips again for a second.

"Well, it should be enough for some suits to be made. Unless you want to wear a dress." I teased, and he turned bright red. He playfully hit my chest, looking away from me and focusing on the cat that lay on his shoulder lazily. He carefully lifted him off, putting him on the bed beside us, even though he mewed in protest.

"If anyone is wearing a dress, it'd be you." He replied, and I laughed more and kissed him again, laying him back on the bed and kneeling over him.

"But, Kiku, I don't have the legs for a dress. Your legs are perfect. Nice and long and smooth and beautiful and-"

"Ah, stop, stop, we'll just wear suits!" Kiku cut me off, looking absolutely embarrassed but flattered. He always became flustered when complimented, which just made me want to compliment him more. He looks so cute when flustered, anyway.

"Then June it is." I replied with a smile, kissing him again, then a second time, for a bit longer, then finally a third time, and we didn't pull away. As we made out, the cat started meowing loudly and pawing my sleeve. I stretched my hand out blindly, finding the kitten's head and scratching it as I kissed my soon-to-be-husband. He started making those noises again, then gently pushed me back.

"But no blue cake." He added, and I chuckled and nodded. I moved in once more and nibbled on his ear, making him shiver.

"No blue cake, I promise." I replied, and Kiku smiled at me, pulling me away from his ear and giving me one last kiss before he got up.

"Hey, where are you going?" I whined, and Kiku laughed softly and ran his fingers through his hair, turning around while still walking towards the bathroom and giving me a playful smile. Ah, he was going to take a shower.

…. Wait a minute, what was that wink for, then?

Kiku stood in the doorway to the bathroom, lifting his shirt off of his body, then dropping his pants and turning on the shower. He looked over his shoulder at me, his thumbs hooking beneath the elastic of his underwear.

Oh maple…

I didn't even breathe as he lowered the red-and-green candy cane laden underpants off. When they fell to the floor, I got to my feet and tugged my own shirt off, fumbling with my pants as I headed towards the bathroom. I closed the door behind me, locking it tightly before following the naked and very turned on Japanese man into the shower.

When I stepped in, Kiku draped his arms across my shoulders, pressing his chest against my own as the water slowly heated up. We kissed passionately, our tongues mingling excitedly. I ran my hands up and down his sides, stopping at his chest to tease his stiff nipples. He broke away from the kiss to gasp, and I looked down at his lust-filled face happily, lowering my head to kiss the spot on his neck just below his ear.

I could feel his pulse beneath my lips. I could hear his breaths becoming rapid and shallow, so I slid my hands down his body, caressing his thighs and moving inward. His breath hitched and the pads of his fingers pressed against my shoulder blades. My fingers grazed his erection, but before I could grasp him, he gripped my shoulders and pulled me away from his neck. His cheeks were tinted that familiar pink, and his hair was sticking to his face from the shower. His eyes were half-lidded and his lips hung apart, and I swore I had never and will never see anything this attractive again.

"Matthew… Are you sure it's okay to do this in your parent's house?" He asked me, his shyness and modesty regaining control over lust. I smiled softly and kissed those light pink lips of his, getting a soft sigh in response.

"I don't think they'll mind. Let's just try not to be too noisy, okay?" I suggested, getting a nod from my soon-to-be-husband. I reclaimed his lips with mine, and he eagerly kissed back, relaxing his grip on my shoulders and threading those thin fingers of his in my hair, pressing his body against mine. Our groins rubbed against each other, and we both gasped in pleasure. I gripped his hips and rubbed against him again, making him moan lightly, then cover his mouth with his hands.

I kissed his shoulder tenderly, lifting my fingers to his lips in a silent request. His cheeks reddened and he gladly took my fingers into his mouth, rolling his tongue against them and moaning. He glanced at me for a second, and I peeked up at him. When we made eye contact, he became embarrassed and let go of my fingers, his eyes drifting to the shower curtains we didn't draw. I chuckled softly and kissed his cheek, lowering my hand to his backside.

I teased him at first, pressing my fingers against his entrance without penetrating him, and he whined softly in my ear. I circled one of my fingers around him, making him shiver and his mouth parted in a silent gasp. He looked at me with pleading eyes, and I gave in to his unspoken demands. Slowly, I slid in a single finger. His head rolled to the side, inviting me to bite and suck on his neck. He would have so many bruises when we were done, but that just made me feel like he was truly mine.

"Matthew…" He breathed out, tightening his grip in my hair as a second finger invaded him. I scissored and stretched the man, and when I thought he was loose enough, I pressed in a third finger in order to tease him. I found his prostate quickly from past experience, and I proceeded to rub it slowly, coaxing out low moans and light whimpers from the Japanese man. I could feel his legs shivering, so I gently pressed him against the wall, out from under the falling water. My chest pressed against his as I continued to smooth my finger against his sensitive insides.

"Oh god, Matthew, please hurry!" He begged, his eyes clenched shut and his breath coming out in fast pants. I could feel his heart thumping against my chest, and I was sure he could feel mine, too. I chuckled softly and rammed my fingers against his prostate, making him cry out a choked moan.

"So… cruel… haa…" He panted, biting down on his lip to keep from being too loud while I abused his poor prostate. His body jerked with each thrust, and his hand resumed the position above his lips once more. I smiled a gently smile and removed my fingers, getting a lusty whine of protest.

"You want more, right?" I whispered into his ear, and Kiku nodded hastily, opening his eyes to look at me. God, that pleading look of his always sends shivers down my spine! I just loved the way he did it, too. I kissed him once more, then I lifted one of his legs and pressed the tip of myself against him.

"Ah! Wait!" He gasped, grabbing my shoulders and lowering his leg to keep me from entering, "Not in the shower."

"What? But we do it in the tub all the time at home!" I complained, pouting a little as he turned the knob so the water stopped falling. He shook his head and took my hand, pulling me out of the shower and towards the bathroom sink.

"We do it in the tub while sitting. There's a difference." He explained, then bent over the counter. His beautiful ass was presented to me with no modesty, and he looked back at me with a blush, "Will the water be enough?"

"It should be." I muttered, but I spat in my hand anyway, pumping myself a few times, just to be safe. When I was done, I groped his ass and spread him, smiling at how open he was to me. I let out a content sigh, then pressed the tip against him again. Kiku closed his eyes and bit his lip, looking absolutely impatient.

As I slid in, Kiku's mouth slowly opened up, and soon he was whining from the pain. I bent down and kissed his shoulder, pushing in so that I was to the hilt. He was panting again, and whenever he opened his eyes, he would turn bright red from seeing his reflection in the mirror. He tried to cover the reflection with his hand, but I took both of his wrists and pulled them behind his back, forcing him to watch himself.

"No, it's so embarrassing!" He complained, and I just laughed at him and I kissed his other shoulder.

"I think it's sexy. You're sexy." I complimented him, making him even more flustered. He bit his lip to keep quiet, and soon I started to slowly move in and out of him. My right hand was on his hip while my left held his arms back. He let out a soft moan when I began moving, and he closed his eyes to keep from looking at himself. I laughed again and quickened my pace, scraping against his prostate with each thrust. Kiku began moaning, and he tried to hide his face in the counter to keep from being too loud.

I pistoned faster, making him slide against the marble counter. His boner was rubbing against the cabinets, and he moaned louder. I ran my hand up his body, then slid two fingers into his mouth, hoping to stifle his moans and gasps so my parents wouldn't flip out. Of course, if the clattering cabinets didn't give us away, I wasn't sure what would.

Kiku was moaning against my fingers, and he licked and sucked on them hungrily. His shoulders jerked, trying to get his hands out of my grip, but I didn't allow him freedom. I kept thrusting, the wet slapping noise of skin on skin reverberating within the room.

"Mm-phew! Mma!" He slurred out, looking up at me through the mirror. I smiled and moved faster, letting go of his hands to grope his front and pump him in time with my thrusts. His moans became more desperate, and his hands pressed against the mirror without blocking his image. He stared at himself for a minute, moaning a little louder and turning even redder. As I worked his lower half, he nervously led a hand to his chest, circling a finger against his own nipple and moaning at the feeling. I think he was probably more turned on from watching himself being pummeled from behind, which made me pretty happy.

I felt him tighten up on me, though, and I groaned out his name and almost came, my body jerking from the sudden pleasure. Kiku whined against my fingers, biting down lightly as his body twitched. I felt him emptying in my hand, and I continued to ram into him as he came. I groaned again and kept thrusting, but I stopped when Kiku bit down on my fingers again and whined. I frowned and stopped thrusting, panting heavily and giving him a curious look.

"What's the matter, eh?" I asked between pants, pulling my fingers out of his mouth to let him speak. He blushed and lifted himself off the counter, making me pull out of him. He didn't say anything, and he got on his knees in front of me. My eyes widened in surprise, then I closed them tight and groaned when his hand wrapped around my erection.

He began pumping me, using his tongue to rub against the tip and tease the slit. My hips bucked at the feeling and I grabbed his hair, leaning back against the wall as he continued spoiling my dick. His other hand went to my sack, and he rolled them against his palm, giving a light squeeze every now and again. I whined softly and jerked against his touches again, slowly inching closer and closer to sweet release.

Kiku looked up at me with seductive eyes, pumping me faster and opening his mouth wide, milking me for all I've got. I groaned out his name, keeping my eyes on him as I spurted all over his face. I barely got any in his mouth, and he blushed more and sucked me clean, pulling away and licking his lips.

"Not what I was hoping for…" He muttered, but I could tell he enjoyed it. I laughed softly and reached for the toilet paper, snapping off a few sheets and helping him clean his face.

"Sorry, I'll practice my aim." I joked, making him giggle and shake his head. When his face was clean, he got back to his feet and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around his waist tightly. He washed his face off in the sink, just in case, then he started drying himself off. I just grabbed the second towel and ran it over my body quickly, only giving my hair a light pat.

When we stepped out, Kiku got dressed and I snuck back into my bedroom to grab a fresh set of clothes. I heard a soft knocking on my door as I pulled on my shirt, and I opened it quickly, thinking it was Kiku, but instead I was greeted with my Papa's face, smirking fiendishly.

"You should've left the shower running, mon fils." Francis teased, and I turned bright red.

Six months went by in a heartbeat, and then some. I remember at one time in February, Kiku and I got into a small fight over where we would have the wedding. He wanted to do it inside, but I wanted to be out under the sun for the wedding. He complained that it would get too hot, so I suggested a gazebo, but he still wouldn't agree. After some time and a few little spats, I found out he was actually nervous about having a bee or any other poisonous bug come and ruin it. He was allergic to bees, and he didn't want to have to be carted off to the hospital on our wedding day.

I had to find this out from Alfred, too, and when I confronted Kiku about it, he had the most adorably shy and embarrassed look. I couldn't believe I had been mad at someone so adorable at that time, and we made up quickly and decided to have the wedding inside, as long as we could go up to Canada for our honeymoon.

The rest of the planning went by smoothly. We agreed on almost everything, and for the small things we didn't agree on, we found a suitable back-up so that we wouldn't fight. He brought me to meet his parents in March, but it was a weird experience. Neither of them spoke English, and I only picked up a few Japanese words from Kiku, but most of them were from when we had sex, so I couldn't really say much other than 'Hello' and 'Thank you'. However, near the end of the day, I had dropped my cup and cursed in French, and his mother gave me a surprised and excited look. She had learned French when she was younger, and she was pretty fluent in it, too. Kiku and his father gave us confused but happy looks as we conversed in the romantic language, and she seemed completely heart-stricken whenever I spoke. Her French accent was a little choppy, but she made up for it with her humour and determination.

When we had to leave, she made me promise to take good care of Kiku, and I vowed on it with my life. When I had said that, though, she nearly swooned. She started talking in Japanese again, and Kiku rolled his eyes and led me out to the car. I pestered him about what she said, and after we got home and got busy, he told me.

"She said that if it doesn't work out between us, she wouldn't mind taking you instead." He answered me, and I started laughing. Kiku looked upset, though, and I had to remind him multiple times that night that he was the only one for me. Needless to say, he was quite sore the next morning. Which led to some time in the bathtub together.

Then it was May, and we started rushing to get everything left unprepared for the wedding completed. It was a little stressful, and Kiku joked that this would be an everyday thing if we had kids. When he mentioned that, I had to stop and think for a while. I still worked, yes, but I was less into it and more into thought.

Did Kiku want kids? I wouldn't mind them, of course, but I wondered if we would at least get a year or two to just be a married couple, instead of a family. Then I started wondering how many kids he would want, and if he would adopt or if we would get a surrogate mother? I was so absorbed into my thoughts for the longest time, that Kiku began getting worried and asked if I was getting cold feet.

I rushed to tell him no. I would never think about not marrying him! Well, at least I wouldn't now. He really seemed worried for me, though, so I just went out and said it, forcing back my embarrassment from the question. I had wondered what he would think of me if he didn't actually want kids and was just kidding but I took it seriously, and I hoped he wouldn't laugh at me.

He laughed. I felt a bit worse, but then I felt his arms around my neck and he kissed me a few times and ran his fingers through my hair.

"I wouldn't mind kids, but let's not adopt right away, okay? I want to be alone with you for a while, first." He answered me, and the load of questions that had been knocking around in my head for that whole week. We finished planning for the wedding, and soon enough it was June.

Our wedding day went on without a single problem, and I could tell that he was absolutely happy. His parents and a few of his siblings that I hadn't met were practically jumping in their seats in joy when Kiku said his 'I do.'

My small family, on the other hand, actually cheered loudly, and quite obnoxiously, when I repeated the same 'I do.'

I thought that our families wouldn't get along with each other, mostly because of the way they acted during the whole ceremony, but during the after party and dinner, they mixed and mingled. Kiku's mother got caught in a flirtatious but friendly conversation with Papa. Dad was somehow communicating with Kiku's father through some grunts and hand movements. They even laughed at one point, and I wondered if Dad had used a spell to let them communicate or something. I wouldn't put it past him to use his freaky magic on others without their permission.

Alfred had found his dinner partner in Kiku's older brother, who looked so much younger than thirty eight. They talked about various things that I didn't really care about, and Kiku's little brother just ran around energetically, popping up in all three conversations randomly. At one point, he had ran up to Kiku and gave him what he called 'A congratulatory breast squeeze for getting married' and I almost choked on my champagne.

"I'm sorry." Kiku apologized when his little brother ran off, "He doesn't really know boundaries." I just smiled and shook my head, deciding to think nothing of it. They were brothers, after all. I gave him a kiss, and he kissed back happily, silently telling me he was all mine now. And I was all his, too.

We danced and ate and conversed with one another that night, and it just felt perfect. Kiku was by my side, Papa and Arthur were chatting and flirting and having fun, and Alfred found a new friend who was just as strong as he was, and just as obsessed with Hello Kitty as Alfred was obsessed with McDonald's. Kiku's little brother had passed out in his chair, which made everything just a bit more relaxed.

Kiku even ate the wedding cake brought out after dinner. Of course, he only ate it after he smeared a slice over my face as punishment for making it blue. I apologized half-heartedly, more amused in his slight anger than sorry. Kiku just scolded me lightly, then smiled and kissed me, wiping the blue icing off of my face. I told him he didn't have to eat it, but he scoffed at me and forced himself to swallow the unnaturally coloured food.

Yeah, this relationship was going to be perfect.

Okay, now tell me, did you think Mattie was dead in the beginning? Because I just wanted to fuck with you all like that xD I was thinking 'hmm, how should I start this off?' I almost went with starting in the middle of them screwing, but then I thought 'let's see if I could give them the wrong idea :D'

So tell me if I did well! Please review, because reviews mean so so much to me :D Also, I wouldn't mind some nice, well-thought out critiques. (Apparently I have an issue where I switch from talking about the past to talking about the future while using verbs, ex. "I said to him" to "I say to him." So I'm working on it!