Plump tears ran down the soft rosy cheeks of a boy in mourning. He was only five, and he'd lost his best friend in a horrible accident.

His best friend, his brother, his twin.

He clung to his mothers skirt as the casket lowered into the ground.

An uninvited guest sat unnoticed on the tombstone nearby. It was too nice of a day for an innocent child to be crying. The angel shook his head, and lightly stroked the golden hair of the boy next to him, "I'll take care of your brother, Matthew," he smiled and lightly poked his nose, "Go on. I promise everything will be all right."

Shyness still present even after death, the child simply nodded, and disappeared in the form of a dove, unnoticed by the family of the deceased.

The angel climbed off the tombstone and watched the procession in respectful silence.

The tears never seized, even after the boy was tucked in. His mother had lain down with him. She was also weighed down by the stress of grief, her fatigue increased and she slipped into an even silence. Alfred looked afraid, and quickly began trying to wake her, before he was stopped by a calming, "Shh," at the window. He looked over, lowering his hands from his mother's arms. A light was floating hazily in front of the window. One could hardly see it, but they could see it, as if it was drifting between reality and another dimension at incomprehensible speeds.

Slowly the light adorned features. A pair of arms, legs, a torso, a head, and finally a face, before the light softened and diminished to only a soft outline of the man before him, "Let your mother sleep. She is as sad as you."

Young, curious, and trusting, Alfred's eyes watered once more and he whimpered, "Bu' I miss Mattie," more tears slipped down the soft curves of his face, and the angel reached out and wiped them with is thumb.

"Matthew is safe now, Alfred. My name is Arthur, and I'm your guardian angel."

Alfred looked almost disbelieving, "If you are an angel, then wher'a ah you'a wings?"

The jade eyes hardened slightly, but the slight smile remained on the angel's face, "I must earn them, Alfred. Have you heard, 'Every time a bell rings, and angel gets its wings'?"

The young boy nodded and Arthur pulled his hand back, "When you turn thirteen, I will have obtained my wings, but only if I have helped you… Do you understand?"

Alfred nodded slowly, "I fink so. Wha' abou' a be'o?"

The angel's hand slipped into his belt, and he pulled out two bells attached to a string, the size of a newborn's palm, and held them out to Alfred. He whispered secretly, "Keep these safe somewhere, and when the time comes, it is your decision."

Alfred stared at the bells with wide eyes, not knowing how to handle all of this information. Arthur gently laid the younger down and pulled the covers over him, "Sleep, Alfred. You need your rest," he held the boy's face; "I will see you in the morning."

With a kiss to the forehead, the younger blond was carried off to sleep.

Arthur and Alfred had spent the summer together. Alfred's birthday passed, and after the celebration with his mom and friends, Arthur snuck Alfred outside to watch the fireworks, as the boy's birthday was on the Independence Day of his home country.

The boy had grown quickly, too quickly for Arthur's liking. He did well in school, a B average student, excelling in science and math. He played T-ball and later baseball. Arthur was always in the stands, sitting next to Caroline Jones so that when Alfred waved to his mommy from the field, he was also waving to his best friend, Arthur.

His mother had dismissed 'Arthur' as an imaginary friend to help him cope with the loss of Matthew. She didn't blame him. If she could, she would make an imaginary friend, too. He stopped talking about Arthur when he was eight. To her she figured he'd just disposed of this coping mechanism, but in reality Alfred had smartened up enough not to talk about his guardian angel around his family and friends.

He still kept Matthew's bear. He slept with it every night, not caring if any of his classmates made fun of him. He'd made two other friends beside Arthur; Kiku and Toris, though Kiku didn't talk much, and Toris was always off this boy that Alfred swore was a girl. He even wore those colorful hair ties and berets.

Through the years, Arthur really was Alfred's guardian angel. He helped him study for tests, and taught him what a growing boy needed to know. His mother was always working, so Alfred was often left home alone or dumped at Kiku's house for the evening. Alfred didn't mind though, Arthur was always there in those lonely times to keep him entertained and loved.

Arthur became the center of his world. And Alfred became the center of Arthur's.

"Alfred," Arthur sat next to the boy who was sprawled out on the baseball field, throwing the ball in the air with one hand, and catching it with his gloved one.

"Yeah?" he asked, continuing his game with himself.

"Do you remember those bells I gave you at our first meeting?" the ball fell out of the sky in his distraction and nailed the boy in the face. He sat up.

"Yes," he said, anxious of what would come next. He was twelve, and his birthday was in three days.

Arthur hugged his knees, and out came a muffled, "We need to find them."

Alfred stood up and held his hand out to him, "Okay," he muttered. They walked home together, holding pinkies, but Alfred kept his hand at his side. This way no one would think Alfred was a weirdo for keeping his hand out, pinky stretched, with nothing there.

He took Arthur to his backyard and discarded his glove, then began to dig. Arthur watched him, shocked by how calm he was being…

Three days passed with not much fanfare. They acted as normal, only now the bells were moved to the drawer in Alfred's nightstand. They still slept in the same bed, though Alfred didn't cuddle up to him. He'd stopped that a few years prior, finding it a little more awkward to cuddle up to another man. Arthur didn't mind; this always happened.

The last night before Alfred's birthday, Arthur went into the boy's nightstand, and pulled out the mute bells, "They will only ring if you answer yes."

Alfred watched with wide, sad eyes. The bells were gently placed in his palm and Arthur stepped back, "Alfred Jones, over the past eight years, have I protected you?"

He looked down, his hand fisting around the bells. Trying not to let his eyes water, he licked his lips before mumbling, "Y-Yes."

One bell chimed and Arthur's smile grew, "Have I made you happy?"

The boy didn't want to say yes. He didn't want to lose his best friend again. Never again, "…You… You won't leave me right?" he looked up at Arthur, who looked a little surprised at the question.

"No, Alfred," he leaned down and held his face, "No, I won't leave you. But you… You will leave me."

"I would never leave you!" Alfred defended, his heart constricting in his chest, his throat closing up, "I wouldn't do that!"

Arthur put his hands on his shoulders and started into his sparkling eyes, before gently hugging him, "Alfred," he whispered calmingly, "Have I made you happy?"

Alfred closed his eyes, and didn't bother hugging Arthur back. He gently pushed him away and threw the bells, "Yes!"

The second one rang as they slammed against the wall. Their chime in unison caused a reaction inside Arthur, and he looked at Alfred as he began to glow again, just like when they'd first met. As wings sprouted and grew from Arthur's shoulder blades, drops formed in Alfred's eyes before streaking down his face; no longer making individual beads of tears, but flowing in a small, salty trail. His eyes turned a light pink as did his cheeks, and he hugged his knees, "Yes, yes, yes," he whimpered pathetically.

Arthur sat next to him, his new wing wrapping around Alfred's shoulder like a feather blanket, pulling him close, "I will always be here, Alfred," he wrapped his arm around him, holding onto his shoulder and letting him weep into his collarbone, and sat with him for a few moments. He glanced at the digital baseball clock by Alfred's bed, crimson letters displaying 11:48. "Sleep, Alfred," he stood and tucked Alfred in, "You need your rest."

Alfred stared up at him, "No, Arthur," he whispered weakly, and the angel leaned down and kissed Alfred's head, putting him, once more, to sleep.

Knowing what was going to happen, Arthur knelt by his bed and choked up. His new wings, as if sensing his sorrow, wrapped around him and cocooned him from the world. He cried all night, arms on the bed, face in arms, whimpering and shaking, never letting them stop.

Alfred woke up the next morning and yawned, scratching his head. Arthur looked up, hoping that maybe… Maybe this one was different.

Alfred touched his face, still damp from tears, and raised an eyebrow, "Why was I crying in my sleep? It's my birthday!" he looked shocked and when he heard his mother call, he slipped out of bed and left the room, "Mom it's the weirdest thing, I cried in my sleep…"
His voice trailed off as he walked down the stairs and Arthur's heart dropped like a rock to the pit of his stomach. He stood, feeling empty, and looked over to see his new wing stretched out beside him, then fold onto his back so that he could walk without hitting anything. He smiled and touched them, "Thank you Alfred."

He went to the bells that were still sprawled out on the floor and picked them up. He made Alfred's bed, kissed the bells, and laid them on the middle of the sheets as a small token of thanks.

...

As Alfred watched the fireworks that night, he couldn't help but feel something was missing. He bit his lip as he watched the red dissolve into the night sky. A star winked at him. He tilted his head and watched it, before a blur of light streaked across the sky. Then another, and another. Alfred watched in awe, the fireworks stopped, and everyone watched the sudden meteor shower in confusion and delight. Alfred felt something twist around his pinky and he quickly looked to examine it. It was a familiar feeling, but he didn't know where from.

He fisted his hand on the air and squeezed it tight. He didn't know why, it just felt natural.

Arthur held the hand of the boy he loved and smile. More tears streamed from his emerald eyes, but when he looked over, he could see through the blur of his own tears, shining droplets slide down Alfred's face.

"I live to let you shine, Alfred."

A/N: I HOPE IT MADE YOU CRY 8D

No I'm serious right now.

It came out different than I originally invisioned it, I hope it's enough…

Thank you to my Forum Vietnam for showing me the song that inspired this one-shot!

(Take out the spaces)

http:/ www . youtube . com/ watch? v=Pz5H3iVjAlw