The sizzle of the pan overtook the tweeting of the birds from the outside. The sun shining nice and bright having no need for the light to be on. The fan smoothly and slowly drifted clockwise to offer some comfort from the smoke and heat of the stove.

Alfred grabbed his mug of coffee from the counter nearby and watched the eggs carefully. He didn't quite mind burning them but everyone else surely did.

On the old radio played a love song meant for no one. It didn't fit the old radio. Alfred could only think of the days of jazzy and poppy songs made to dance or sit around to. The very passing thought of dancing had the image of way back when. The good days when Toris was stuck with Alfred. And one day they ended up dancing around this very kitchen. Toris' skill was surprisingly masterful. He could easily be a professional if they're lives were normal. Maybe it was all the centuries of practice that got him there. Either way, they were making music all on their own due to the shaky new radio connection.

The smile Toris wore as Alfred tripped over himself was unlike any other smile Alfred had ever seen. The moment felt almost dreamlike. So much so, he literally questioned whatever God would listen if it was. And now here he was. God, how he missed Toris. It was desperation meant for a teenager. He understood very well that it was for the best. Alfred needed to learn his lesson but it felt like torture rather than a lecture. Maybe he was just looking at it all too negatively. There were good things to come out of this week. This was the most he would be outside for a long time that's for sure.

"Alfred!" It's a shame there's no pity given to those who live such a lavish lifestyle where paperwork is the hardest work ever gets. Then again having known every pit humanity could go into, paperwork is absolutely nothing. "Alfred!" It was all contradictory. Messy, even. Messiness usually led to situations like these. "Alfred, you twit! You almost burned the house down!"

"Wait what?" Alfred blinked back into reality, his vision slightly hazy by the smoke from the pan. He made out Arthur in front of the stove fumbling with the pans.

"Are you high or something? You almost burned the house down!" Arthur essentially slammed all the pans down in frustration.

"Oh," Alfred couldn't help the amused smile. "that's not the first time."

"You absolute madman."

"C'mon you've done worse." He nonchalantly sipped his coffee once more as Arthur attempted to refute that fact with jumbled words.

"You're a real prick, you know that?"

"Takes one to know one."

"God, I feel like a dad trying to stop his teenage daughter from having attitude."

"Now that's a good one!"

"Don't patronize me."

"Whatever." Alfred shrugged. "If the food isn't too burnt then breakfast is ready, first come first serve." He moved to make his way out of the kitchen. "If I hear fighting, there will be consequences." With that he walked off to the back porch. A good dose of the morning sun would do him good.

He had simply minutes sitting down when the back door creaked open and slammed back shut. Arthur stepped up to the little table and sat in the chair opposite to Alfred. A long stretch of silence filled the space between them. Birds from the forest filled the background juxtaposing the quiet creak of the house from the breeze.

"Are you alright?" Arthur finally asked.

"Perfectly fine, why do you ask?"

"Where's Toris?"

"Home."

"Is that good or bad?"

"What?"

"You heard me."

Alfred paused for a moment, staring off into no where, "I'm not sure."

"You don't like the situation." Arthur observed. "It's more for him than it is for you."

"What's your point?"

"You've been selfish and you don't want to admit it."

"Arthur, why've you been so pissy all week? You're usually not that bad."

"Don't worry about it."

"Can you at least tell if it's because one of us?"

"It's not because of any of you." Arthur sighed. "I don't have it very easy back home."

"Then quit acting like it's our fault. It's annoying."

"Right back at you, you prick." Arthur frowned. "Unlike you I accept the fact that I'm doing wrong."

"You don't know a thing about me."

"Yeah, sure. You're an easy one to figure out."

"Or really?" Alfred looked the man dead in the eye. "Then I suppose you can figure out that I wake up every fucking morning feeling empty. You can probably make the connection that I use even people to fill the fuckin' void I feel in my chest every second of being alive because without some kind of distraction all I would think of was how to kill myself knowing full well that I can't even do that. Alright, Mr.Know-It-All." He shook his head. "You can barely figure out how to cook let alone how any of us function."

"I know you hate us all."

"Congrats, it's almost like we all hate each other." He rolled his eyes. "You might as well say that it's been stressing me out because-gasp-it's almost like being around all of you is obnoxious."

"Then why do you act obnoxious."

"Because someone has to take all the shit or the world literally falls into chaos."

"I suppose you're right." Arthur murmured.

"I feel like a babysitter half the time and most of you are far older than me."

"No one asked you to help."

"You did, twice." The words held a bite of warning. His irritation clear in his tone.

"Both times were towards the end."

"Because I ended those wars!" He snapped and stood up. "God, talking to you is like talking to a kid." He walked off the porch and towards the forest.

"Ironic." Arthur shook his head with the slightest smirk. It wasn't a battle but it felt like he won.