Lured into the Danger

Huit

Alfred had a long story to tell, one that was woeful and heartbreaking.
"I haven't been able to speak to Mattie in two years. Being around me hurts him too much."
"Why?" Gilbert asked, sipping the fast food smoothie Alfred had brought him.
"I don't know. It's just...whenever I'm around he just starts crying and can't stop. I had to cut my ties with him for both of our sake."
"Do you still keep in contact with Francis?"
"Yeah. I call sometimes to see how he's doing. It's just hard, you know? Me and Mattie were so close growing up but after he left Ivan, everything went to shit."
The toddler in his lap whined.
"Whoops. Sorry little guy."
"I wanted to help him get back on his feet, to make up for what I did to him...but Francis won't let me anymore."
"So, you were the reason, then?"
"Yeah. You didn't know?"
"I knew he had felt pressured to marry Ivan. But that's all anybody told me."
"Me and him...were a thing."
"Thought so. Francis gets really defensive when he thinks heartbreak is coming."
"What should I do? If Francis takes charge again, Matthew won't ever come back to us."
"I know." Alfred fed a bit of hamburger pickle to his child, face sombre. "You know...when the accident happened...I felt it. I knew he wasn't okay. It was like that twin connection everybody talks about. I was the first person at the hospital but he didn't want to see me when he woke up."
"That must have been awful."
"I felt like part of it was my fault. I always told him that I was gonna beat him and take the family business. I didn't even want it that bad."
"It's okay. I'm sure he feels like it was his fault more than anything."
"Hey...uh...what you were doing...was it helping him?"
"Ja. I got him to start taking his meds again and he's more responsive."
"Do you think you could honesty get him back to normal again?"
"I do."
"Great. Then I'll talk to Francis. But you have to promise me something."
"Anything."
"Make sure you take care of him. Forever."
"I want nothing less." Gilbert agreed.

Alfred had given Gilbert his number and had told him to wait for a call back, but that didn't stop him from worrying.
What if Francis was never won over? Not even by Alfred. Gilbert might never see Matthew again.
He still didn't want to go home. He just wanted to drink until his brain turned to mush, and the only place he could do it right now was the bar up the road.
Bottle to lips, and eyes to the soccer game on the tv above the bartender's black, smokey head that really held no shape apart from the dark mass filling out his suit and the piece of armour on his neck, Gilbert filled his body with beer until his head was fuzzy and his legs were everywhere.
Only then, could he return home.

I don't know what the fuck the last paragraph was but yes the bartender is the portal dude from BNHA.