"I don't understand why you're even bothering to find your old telescope, Al. You haven't used the thing in years since you first got it." Alfred's twin brother Matthew protested as he watched his twin rummage through their shared bedroom closet.

He heard Alfred laugh from somewhere inside the cluttered storeroom as he continued throwing random objects carelessly over his shoulder. Matthew had a sinking feeling his brother would forget about the mess entirely and he would be the one stuck having to put it all back.

"Ah-hah!" and the noise of objects and personal possessions being thrown to the ground stopped as Alfred emerged from the mess he had created, grinning ear to ear at his find.

Matthew raised an eyebrow and peeked over his book, observing what his younger twin was to do next. He truly didn't care but Alfred sure seemed intent on finding his old telescope for a reason, so surly his brother was up to something.

"See! I told ya I still had it!" Alfred beamed as he began to de-dust the timeworn telescope device off. Last time he's used it was about 7 years ago when he received it as a gift for Christmas. That night he forced his brother to stay with him as they camped out all night, gazing through his new gift. Matthew thought it was pretty cool at the time but camping out in the middle of December was such a horrible idea. And of course it was Alfred's idea.

The older twin with the darker shade of blue eyes just stared at his brother. It was actually he who had said they still owned it; Alfred was the one who insisted that it was thrown away or stolen. Whenever something of the blonde's went missing, he'd blame it on everyone but himself.

Because apparently, 'Hero's don't lose stuff.'

"Sure you did, Al. So what was it again you said you needed it for? Last time I checked you gave up on becoming an astronaut when you were 10." he heard Alfred grunt at the comment and he grinned.

"Hey, I never said anything about giving up on going into space." he pointed accusing at Matthew, "I'm just looking at all of my other options that life can offer a hero like myself here on Earth. Plus, space has superman and Thor to watch out for them."

"I thought Superman protected the Earth?"

"He kinda juggles and does both-but that's not the point. This telescope has nothing to do with space. I'm using it as one of my heroic duties here on Earth." Alfred said as he carried the folded telescope with him over to their window. Matthew curiously watched, as his brother adjusted the scope not up at the sky like he thought, but instead straight ahead. Even more curious, the wavy haired teen set his book aside and walked over to the window.

"Uh Al?" he asked slightly confused when he noticed where the scope was pointed directly towards.

Alfred was busy adjusting the lenses so that they would fix the clarity for things not as far as space for stargazing like he'd originally set it on as a kid. He didn't need to look that far, just across the street would do.

"Yeah Matt?" he mumbled, busy turning several knobs back and forth.

"Why is it pointed at our new neighbors house?"

"Because Matt…" he pulled away from the scope to glance up at his twin. "He is what I need to protect Earth from." he stated like it was obvious.

"Uh, since when did Mr. Kirkland become an enemy of Earth? Is he an alien or something? No wait; he's secretly Darth Vader, isn't he? Good job Al, you've done your planet good." Matthew said sarcastically and gave his brother a pat on the back.

Alfred paused and looked up in disbelief. "No Matt! Isn't it obvious already what he is? Gosh you can't be that slow!"

"Ugh Al I was just kidding with you! Of course I know our neighbor isn't from space. So what is he that's so bad? I'm pretty sure English people don't really count if that's what you're implying." Matthew snickered leaning against the wall, crossing his arms while he continued to watch.

"You don't really know that about English people…" Alfred mumbled under his breath. "And I don't really know what he is specifically but I intend on finding out! That's why I'll be watching him every night before I go to bed. Soon enough his dark secrets will be revealed and the hero will take care of it!"

"Al, I'm pretty sure that's called stalking… If you have crush on the guy then I totally get it. Just because he makes you feel funny doesn't mean he's some monster. It's just your teenage hormones acting up." Matthew couldn't help but let out a laugh at the horrific expression on his twin's face.

"Pfft-what! I don't have a crush on Mr. Kirkland! He's like, old and stuff! That would be so gross! He even dresses like an old man for crying out loud! What's with those sweater vests anyways? And those caterpillars he has for eyebrows look like they belong in a zoo! Ugh gross!" Alfred sputtered while he hid a blush that was starting to creep onto his cheeks without his approval. He felt grossed out at the thought of that old English man anywhere near him. That guy was really weird and beyond super creepy. Pretty much a hero's worst nightmare!

"Caterpillars for eyebrows, that's actually a good one… But you do realize he's not that much older than us. He's only 23 you know?" Matthew shrugged, glancing out the window to the said neighbors darkened home. It did seem odd to the blonde that there was never any light coming from the inside of the house. Never once in the 2 months that the man had lived there that he'd seen any lights turned on. Even at night the house blended right into the darkness.

"Yeah Matt and we're only 16! He's prehistoric compared to us! Plus I'm pretty sure that's illegal…." Alfred grunted then stood up once he finished his adjustments.

The telescope was positioned directly at Mr. Kirkland's manor like home, and the zoom on it worked perfectly. Now all he needed to do was wait and see what he will catch from that creepy 23-year-old man. He'd find out his secrets whether he liked it or not. Hero's always did catch the bad guys after all.

Just then the boys mother yelled both of their names in a voice that alerted them that they were wanted. But as stubborn as Alfred was, he asked why they were needed to come down. Matthew rewarded him with a smack to the back of the head.

"We have a visitor I'd like both you to meet! Now hurry up and come down here please!" Their mother called again but sounded a little more agitated. They probably had Alfred and his little comment to thank for that.

The two twins looked at eachother for a silent moment before they both took off towards their bedroom door, racing to see who could get down stairs first. Alfred would have won the short race but laughing and looking over his shoulder at his twin caused him to slip and tumble down the remaining steps when on the stairs.

Matthew laughed at his foolishness and leaped over the other blonde who landed face first at the bottom of the non-carpeted steps.

"Asshole…" Alfred muttered, before picking himself up and limping to catch up and finish like a champ. He jogged down the hall and turned the corner a little too quickly and smacked right into the back of his twin's head. The American cupped his noise in pain after having hit his noise for the second time within a two-minute span. Of course Matthew, being a hockey player and all, didn't seem the least bit fazed from the clash and actually smirked.

"Ah fuck!" Alfred wailed loud enough for everyone to hear.

His mom spun around and smacked him on the shoulder. "Watch your mouth while our guest is present!" she hissed then turned to their guest with a polite smile on her pretty face. "I'm so sorry that you had to hear that. Please don't think that kind of language is allowed in this house!" she assured the man standing across from her and her boys.

"It is no problem. We all let it slip every now and then without our better judgment. I'm certain that you run a very well-mannered house, Ms. Edelstein." The man said smoothly with his accent dripping off of every word that escaped his thin lips.

Alfred forgot the pain entirely in his nose and froze. It couldn't be he thought. Slowly, he peeked his head from around his twin and paled at what he saw.

Standing there right before them all was the very man that Alfred had sworn to defeat and save everyone from one day.

Mr. Kirkland.

The light in the room practically shimmered off the man's pale, silky appearing skin. His smile was soft and seemed polite but Alfred knew better. It was defiantly the smile of a man who was hiding something dark.

"That is very kind of you to say. Well then, I guess I can introduce you to my other son now that he has gracefully chosen show up." Ms. Edelstein said and grabbed Alfred by his wrist, pulling him out from hiding behind his brother.

"This is Alfred, Matthews younger brother by 4 seconds!" she smiled merrily and Alfred wanted to gag. Why did she have to tell everyone that when she introduced them? "He can be a handful at times but he truly is a good boy at heart."

"At heart?" Alfred mouthed the words and narrowed his eyes. What exactly did she mean by that? He was good in and out!

The American teen did his best not to look his guest in the eye, but he could feel the older man's gaze burning into head. He was for sure to find two red marks on the side of his head after he went back upstairs, which he hoped was soon.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Alfred. I've been wanting to meet you and your family for quite some time now since I've moved in." The English man said smoothly, sticking out his hand to the younger boy.

But Alfred kept his gaze elsewhere and acted as if the hand weren't even there. Like hell he was going to be touching that creep and his scaly hand.

The room filled with awkward silence as all awaited for Alfred to return the friendly greeting. All three just watched the boy with all different expressions. Their mother looked absolutely furious, Matthew was biting his tongue to keep from bursting out laughing and Mr. Kirkland just grinned at the boy with a hint of amusement.

"Oh for heaven's sake just shake the man's hand already, Alfred! Stop this nonsense and be polite!" his mom instructed angrily into his ear.

Might as well get it over with Alfred thought as he stuck out his hand quietly and gripped the smooth gloved one of the well-dressed Englishman's.

"Nice to meet you…or whatever…" the teenaged blond grumbled in the nicest voice he could possibly force himself to say.

"Indeed it is, Alfred." Mr. Kirkland smirked as he held the boy's hand firmly within his own, curling his longer fingers around Alfred's noticeably smaller ones.

Touching the man sent shivers straight down Alfred's spine. There wasn't a hair on his body that wasn't on end at that moment because of the green-eyed man. Even through a glove he could feel that the man's hand was cold as ice. Even the way he held his was a bit too uncomfortable.

The guy seriously had some strength for a slim old man. Alfred was first to pull away and take a step back, eyeing the man as if he'd just seen what he truly was under that small smile and gleaming emerald gaze. Something for sure was wrong with this creep. Alfred knew it all along and hopefully Matthew noticed it too when he touched him.

"Hey Al, are you okay?" his twin asked out of nowhere, appearing at his side with a concerned expression on his face. This brought his mothers attention to them both and she looked to his sons.

"Oh dear you have a nose bleed honey. How did this happen?" she asked, grabbing her son's chin and pulling his face close so she could examine it.

"Probably got it from running into Matt's thick skull…"

"Or from face planting the floor when you fell down the stairs." Matthew shot back.

"That's enough. You stay here while I go find the first aid kit. Matthew would you be kind and help me? It's probably hidden somewhere too high for me to reach thanks to your father." She left down the hall and disappeared around the corner with Matthew close behind.

All Alfred could do was stand there in shock. Did his brother seriously just leave him alone with this creep!? Once again he could feel those stunning emerald eyes burning holes into the side of his head.

"Listen Mr. Kirkland, I don't mean to sound rude, but glaring daggers into my head kinda is. So stopping would be really awesome." The American turned to look at the man and flinched at the look he was being given.

The look on his pale face was hard as stone as his nostrils flared ever so slightly with his breathing. Alfred noticed that his eyes weren't on his head like he had thought, but right under his nose where his blood was still falling.

The look in the man's eyes made the younger take a step back only to have the older man follow take a step forward of his own. It continued on like this till Alfred eventually came into contact with the wall on the other side of the room. Nowhere else to run. But why was he running in the first place?

Alfred gulped and laughed nervously as his blood started to line his upper lip and run into the corners of his mouth. The Englishman watched and grinned at the frightened look on the younger boys face.

"I can help with that you know." he commented as he crept closer.

"H-how?" Alfred squeaked while pressing his back into the wall wishing he could just faze right threw it. Now would have been awesome time for his hidden super powers to make themselves apparent.

"All you have to do is simply hold still." he had finally caught up to the younger and was now pressing his chest right up against his.

Alfred gasped at the sudden meeting of their two bodies being pushed into one another's. He could feel his face heating up and his hands start to shake. God why was he so nervous? He was a hero not a scaredy-cat!

The older gentleman set one hand on the side of Alfred's cheek and leaned his face close into the younger's fretting one.

"M-Mr. K-Kirkland?" Alfred squeaked out as his he began to feel the breath of his neighbors on his own. His chilly breath made his face go numb as he shivered again and thought about how cold the man truly was.

Without another word, the older man leaned in and swept his tongue slowly under Alfred's nose, licking up the blood that flowed there. He smiled as he let his tongue go lower and dance over Alfred's upper lip and in between the corners of his mouth where the blood pooled, getting every drop of the warm red liquid.

Alfred was frozen in place as his neighbor was literally licking up his blood. He felt his pulse quicken and was afraid that would cause even more blood to leak from his nose. The others tongue was cold and hard against his skin, even as it dipped softly and shortly into the creases of his mouth. He didn't notice he had stopped breathing until the paler man pulled away and Alfred let out a long shuddering breath of air.

"We couldn't find any gauze so I just got you some toilet paper-Al?" Matthew then came into the room and paused at the sight of his twin. "You okay?"

"W-what?" he squeaked, looking at his brother then to his neighbor who was somehow already across the freakin' room. Alfred narrowed his eyes at him while he was given a wink in return.

"Hey what happened to your bloody nose? Oh god Al… Did you wipe it off on your shirt again? You know that it stains your clothes!" the older twin went to his brother and started inspecting his shirt, looking for any red marks that he could scold him over.

"What? No! It was-"

Then a coughing came from the door and the two brothers looked up in surprise. Their neighbor had his hand on the doorknob and a hat already on his sandy blond head. "I'm sorry to interrupt but I really must get going. Please tell your mother that I thank her for her invite and that I wish her well." he smiled, flashing his pearly white teeth. This time both the boys got shivers at the sight.

The grown man opened the door to let himself out but stopped when halfway out the door, looking back to Alfred. "It was nice meeting you today Alfred, though I do hope you are more careful with yourself or else you might be getting us both in trouble." Mr. Kirkland gave him a grin and winked one last time at boy before seeing himself out the door.

Out of instinct, Alfred bolted forward and locked the door behind the man who had just assaulted him. Matthew crept forward and rested a hand on his brother's shaking shoulder. "What the hell was that all about, Al?"

Alfred didn't answer his brother and bolted up the stairs, passing his mother as he went flying by.

"Oh! I found the first aid kit! Alfred?" she stared at her son as he disappeared into his room, slamming the door shut behind him. She turned to face her other son with a bewildered look. "Just what was that all about? And where did Mr. Kirkland go?"

But Matthew just shrugged his shoulders. He had no clue what just happened to cause his brother to act up like he did, but he had a pretty good feeling who had caused it.

Alfred slammed his door shut and ran over to his telescope. He kneeled down and peeked through the old scope and adjusted the lens to see more clearly.

"Where are you…" he turned the device to every window on the home that belonged to Mr. Kirkland, looking for any type of movement but found it hard since the man's house was always so dang dark. Just then he noticed movement from the upstairs window. Alfred felt his heart pick up and his hand's shake.

God why was he so nervous? He wasn't near the man anymore so why was he so scared? He refocused then when there was another movement as something moved and stopped behind the glass of his neighbors up stairs window. A pair of glowing green eyes was the first thing Alfred saw before he made out the shape of a body.

Then his heart stopped altogether when he saw Mr. Kirkland standing on the other side of the window, staring directly back into Alfred's room and into his telescope.

"Al!"

Alfred screamed bloodly murder when his brother kicked the door wide open, turning on the lights and illuminating their entire room. The teen wacked his telescope in shock and it went crashing to the floor with a loud thud.

"Dammit Matt! Turn the lights off! Hurry!" Alfred threw himself to the ground and did an army crawl over to his brother.

His brother flipped the lights back off and fell to the ground with his brother when he was tugged at. "What are you doing!? What the hell is going on?" Matthew hissed.

"Star gazing. What the hell do you think!? I was spying on the old mans house of course! And damnit Matt I don't want to say I told you so, but I soo told you so! Mr. creepy ass Kirkland really is hiding something! I knew it all along!"

"What are you talking about? Does this have to do with what he said to you before he left? What did he mean by you and him both getting in trouble? Did he hurt you?" Now Matthew was concerned for his twin.

"What? No. He didn't hurt me but damn I bet he was planning on it! Go look through my telescope! He's there and he saw me! Shit I don't know what to do Matt! I can't believe I've been caught!" Alfred panicked and crawled back to his scope and set it up for his brother. Once finished, he ducked back down and motioned for his brother to look through.

Matthew crawled over and sat up to peer into the old telescope and see the mysterious Englishman for himself. He slowly adjusted the lens and moved the scope around. Alfred was biting his fingernails as he nervously watched from his hiding spot and waited for the same reaction that he had expressed when he saw the other man. But his twin showed no sign of fear and just kept moving the scope around like he couldn't find anything.

"So? What do you see? Glowing green eyes right?" he asked almost hopeful that what he saw was real and he wasn't seeing things.

Matthew sighed and backed away, shaking his head with a small frown on his face. "Nothing. Just the same dark and empty looking house as always. Are you sure you saw him?" he inquired sitting down next to his brother.

"I'm positive! Here, let me look." Alfred climbed over his twin who sputtered under his sudden weight and peeked through the lens to check. But after scanning the house up and down over and over, he couldn't find any sign of their mysterious neighbor.

He backed away and sunk to the ground next to his brother. "M-Maybe I was just seeing things…" he mumbled and rest his head on the others shoulder.

"It's late so maybe your eyes are just playing tricks on you? We should probably go to bed now anyways." The older one grabbed his brother by the hand and helped him stand. After they both changed into more comfortable clothes, they both went to lie down in the same bed.

Alfred curled up into his warm older brother in seek of comfort to ease his mind. They laid in silence for a while just enjoying each other's calming presence and warmth. Being so close to one another always reassured the two blonds. They slept in different beds but would always share one if the other was distressed or when Alfred watched a horror film.

"Hey Mattie?" Alfred rarely used that name for his brother, except when he was in an emotional state or something frightened him.

"Yeah?" Matthew whispered softly back.

He waited as Alfred went silent for a couple more minutes. He said nothing and waited patiently in the darkness of their shared room.

"Never mind… I'll tell you tomorrow morning if I still remember..." Alfred hummed and then snuggled into the others side.

"Okay. Just get some sleep, Al." Matthew watched his twin fall asleep and pulled the covers up around them both. With his brother sleeping protectively in his arms, Matthew looked away from him and stared at the house across the street from outside their window.

For some reason he couldn't look away from it. As if something would happen if he did. He didn't know what, but the thought haunted him to no end. For the rest of the night Matthew had a hard time falling asleep. Each time he would rouse awake, he would glare at the dark and chilling home of Mr. Kirkland, not being able to shake the feeling something unseen was watching his brother and him in the comfort of their own room.