History Fanfic / StitchingHearts

* OverprotectiveDad: Arthur to the twins. Again, this is something they eventually come to appreciate.

* AllOfTheOtherReindeer: The kids at school are less-than-accepting when [[AmbiguousDisorder Matthew]] first arrives, and shortly afterward they turn on [[HairTriggerTemper Alfred]] too.
* AmbiguousDisorder: Matthew when Arthur first adopts him, which is terrifying. He grows out of it.

* IneffectualLoner: Later on, Alfred.
* InferioritySuperiorityComplex: Also Alfred.
* InsufferableGenius: Arthur, often; Matthew seems to get this from him.

* KidsAreCruel: During the twins' elementary-school-age chapters, many of their classmates don't understand Matthew's AmbiguousDisorder tendencies and are less-than-nice to him.
* KnightInSourArmor: Arthur to a tee.

* MeddlingParents: Arthur during the 'teenage' chapters. Alfred eventually learns to appreciate it.

* GoodParents: Arthur.
* GrumpyBear: Also Arthur.

* DeadpanSnarker: Arthur, [[UpToEleven even to small orphaned children]].

* AdultFear: Barrels of it, especially nearing the end. The entire idea that Alfred and Matthew were wandering the streets on their own is enough, especially when combined with the fact that Matthew was in a state of medical emergency.
** Perhaps the most poignant of these comes later in the story, as [[spoiler: an older Arthur is succumbing to his poor health and must come to terms with the fact that he'll no longer be able to be there for his boys.]]

* AmbiguousDisorder: Matthew when Arthur first adopts him, which is [[AdultFear terrifying]]. He grows out of it.

* BrokenTears: Alfred is [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness very alarmed]] that his words of condolence [[spoiler: about Arthur's sickness]] make Arthur cry. [[spoiler: Arthur tries to explain that he's just upset that [[AdultFear he can't be strong for his kids anymore]], though the poor old man [[{{Determinator}} tries damn hard]].]]

* BrokenBird: Both Matthew and Alfred, in a clear deconstruction of the HeartwarmingOrphan archetype; Arthur takes them in, but then discovers [[RealityEnsues just how much he's going to have to deal with]].

* ParentsAsPeople: Seemingly a major point of the story.

* RealityEnsues: The story doesn't stop when the coldhearted Arthur adopts the {{Heartwarming Orphan}}s; now he has to actually maneuver two damaged children through real life, despite being nearly a stranger at first.

A loosely-based ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'' AU found [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9648416/1/Stitching-Hearts here]]. Very readable for those who've never seen ''Hetalia''.

* RebelliousSpirit: Alfred, especially in his teen years, again [[Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia unsurprisingly]].

* {{Adorkable}}: Matthew, also combined with HeartwarmingOrphan for some serious cute.

-->''Maybe, you're gonna be the one that saves me...''

A short summary: Arthur Kirkland is a cynical, snarky, [[DrJerk jaded doctor]] living in New York City, who's entirely content with his secluded lifestyle. That is, until he finds himself unwillingly treating a pair of seven-year-old orphans in the emergency room one Christmas, and in a [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness sudden bout of sentimentality]], takes them home. The fic follows the little patchwork family as Arthur guides the boys through the ins and outs of life, and in the process, finds that there are more wounds to be healed than just the physical ones.

-->'''Matthew''': [[spoiler: You did stitch up the tears in Arthur's heart... Stupid Alfred, you were all wrong. The way I see it, [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming you saved him]].]]

Most of the fic could easily be taken as a CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming, though - predictably, as it follows the twins through the ''entirety'' of their adventure with Arthur - the elements of TearJerker heighten further and further as the story ends.

!!This FanFic contains examples of:

** Another, cuter example: teenage [[DumbassTeenageSon Alfred]], after his HeelRealization, admits to Arthur that he's been smoking, because he can't quit and [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming knows Arthur will help him]].

* TheCameo: [[ObnoxiousSnarker Gilbert Beilschmidt]] makes a short appearance as an X-Ray technician at the hospital.

A loosely-based ''AxisPowersHetalia'' AU found [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9648416/1/Stitching-Hearts here]]. Very readable for those who've never seen ''Hetalia''.

* TheBigSleep: [[spoiler: Arthur goes out this way]].

* ICantDoThisByMySelf: Arthur questions whether he can raise the boys ''at all''. At first, Francis is there, though ultimately Arthur ''does'' do it almost entirely on his own.