Washington D.C., nine years later

"La geografía de México es muy único. En el norte, hay dos desiertos. La Chihuahua y La Sonora, ambos de cual amplía en los Estados Unidos."

Alfred could feel himself falling asleep. He had barely gotten any sleep earlier that day due to staying up all night and watching this television show. Matthew had warned him that if he stayed up all night, it would be a pain in the morning, but did Alfred listen? Of course not. Mattie had been right about too many things lately, maybe Alfred really should start listening to him…

He was so tired; his glasses were on the end of his nose, about to slip off. Where was he again?

Oh, right. Spanish.

Alfred picked his head up from the desk, eyes fluttering open and closed, open and closed. How much time had passed? Only one minute… It had felt so much longer. When was this class going to end? What if he imagined something in his head to keep him awake? Oh! If he could get through this class without falling asleep, he would take himself out for burgers! Burgers did sound really good… His stomach was growling just at the thought of those delicious… juicy… meaty burgers...

"Alfred, it would be very much appreciated if you did not fall asleep in my class. If Spanish is boring you that much, you can leave."

Alfred's eyes widened and he immediately felt himself sink in his seat. How embarrassing, to be called out by the professor like that. He shook his head, "No, I just blinked."

"That was an awful long blink, hm? If you were listening, then can you translate this sentence to Spanish?" The professor raised her eyebrows.

Alfred looked toward the projector. The present subjunctive? Oh great, a new tense… How many tenses were there going to be? This was such a pain…

Alfred frowned, looking down at his notes. He had some conjugations down, but aside from that, it was just little doodles. Oh, great. He was really in for it. And then, a little piece of paper was passed his way, hidden from the professor. The answer!

"Uh, es fácil que vaya a llover."

The professor brushed a lock of blonde hair behind her ear and once more raised her eyebrows. "Gilbert, I'd appreciate it if you'd not pass Alfred notes with the answers on them during class. Especially those in which are wrong. I'd like both you and Alfred to leave this class for the day, I do not permit cheating in this room."

Alfred looked to his right at the guy who passed him the note. He had never seen him before, he must have been new. He did look a bit strange, as if his pale complexion, red eyes, and silver hair didn't tell him otherwise.

Alfred could practically feel his professor's eyes burning through his skull, so he decided to leave the room before any more unfortunate events could take place. While Alfred scrambled to pick up his stuff and leave the room, Gilbert smiled coolly, making a show of how not in a rush he was. Who was this guy?

When Alfred was finally out of the room, Gilbert followed slowly, the door closing behind them.

It was silent, and Alfred couldn't help but feel awkward.

"That was the right answer."

"Huh?" Alfred turned around, now facing Gilbert.

The albino continued on, "it was the right answer, I looked off of the kid on my right's paper. You know, the one that was actually born and raised in Mexico? It was right, but I guess she just wanted to make you look like a fool in front of everyone. That's Wyatt for you."

Alfred looked toward the ground, "Oh."

Gilbert laughed, "Yeah, I know," and then moved the collar of his shirt back and forth, "damn, it's hot."

"Huh? Is- Is your soulmate here or something?" Alfred's head lifted from the ground and he looked at the man in curiosity.

Gilbert nodded, "Yeah! Believe it or not, but I just moved here from Germany. Like, literally just arrived yesterday, started some classes today. I had to learn English for my soulmate! As soon as I turned ten, I began learning."

Alfred blinked, staring off into the distance. So this guy was about to meet his soulmate? Huh. How was he feeling, should he even ask? Was it rude to ask someone questions about their soulmate? Gilbert was a stranger, after all; he had just met the guy! Maybe he shouldn't.

"What about you?"

"Me?" Alfred said, "Oh, I haven't met mine yet. I haven't gone to the doctor for it since I was fifteen. They're still in their country, because the temperature hasn't changed for me ever since my Soulmate Effect happened."

Gilbert nodded, "Hm, I see. Hey, so you're Alfred, right?"

"Yeah, Alfred Jones."

"I'm Gilbert Beilschmidt," Gilbert held his hand out for a handshake, a very strange introduction for a university student. If it wasn't obvious before that he was a foreigner, it would be obvious now.

Alfred shook his hand firmly. After all, they say you can tell a man by his handshake. Alfred wanted to give a good first impression.

"Oh! Do you want to go get some hamburgers with me? I wanted to after class, but well, I got kicked out. So, do you wanna come with me?"

Gilbert about brightened up at the idea. "Yeah, sure!"

It was so nice to meet more people! Alfred, despite popular belief, didn't have as many friends as people thought. He spoke to a great number of people, but really, the only person he spoke with on a daily basis was Matthew. He was friends with the whole world, but, when it came down to it, the only person he actually hung out with was Matthew. It would be nice to make some new ones for a change!

As the two began to walk (the burger joint was a fair distance away, only half a kilometre), something buzzed from Alfred's pocket. His mobile phone? Hadn't this died during Spanish class? Pulling out his phone, Alfred stopped, leading Gilbert to stop as well. It was a text from Matthew.

Mattie just now

It's really hot! Omg!

"You get a text?" Gilbert asked.

Alfred looked down at his phone again. Then back at Gilbert. "Hey, didn't you say that you came here to find your soulmate? And that it was really hot?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

Alfred stopped. What were the chances that this guy was Mattie's soulmate? There were over 680,000 people living in Washington D.C. How many of those people were looking for their soulmate? It was best not to come to conclusions like this. But still… It wouldn't hurt to try?

"When did you start feeling the Soulmate Effect?"

Gilbert paused, "Well, not on my birthday. A year after that. A year and a six months, I think. I don't know exactly. The first of July in 2007, I remember."

Alfred's eyes widened. There was no denying it now, this guy was definitely his brother's soulmate.

"Why do you ask?"

"My brother," Alfred unlocked his phone, "just texted me this." He showed the text to Gilbert, whose mouth tilted into a grin. "He turned ten on the date of your Soulmate Effect, on his birthday."

Gilbert put his hand on his chin, "Really…"

Alfred nodded.

"I think I should be more excited about this but, agh, I don't know, man! It's kinda unreal, you know?"

Alfred tried to smile. He didn't know. He hadn't found his soulmate yet. Of course, he was more than glad that his brother did. Gilbert seemed like a really cool guy; Alfred was beyond ecstatic for Matthew! This… was the guy his brother was going to spend the rest of his life with, standing right in front of him. Matthew's soulmate. Alfred… could not help but to think about his own soulmate. Where were they? What did they look like? What was their gender? All of these questions were flooding his mind.

"So, this Mattie? That's what it said on your phone, at least. What's he like? What does he look like?" Gilbert's voice brought Alfred back to his senses. Oh, right. That.

"Matthew is his name, I've just called him Mattie since we were kids. He's really nice. Kinda soft-spoken and quiet. He wears glasses like me, except his are a little different. He has hair about the same colour as mine, brownish-blondish? But his is longer and wavy," Alfred looked up at the ceiling.

"Oh my God, Alfred. We have to take Matthew to eat burgers with us. Does he have class right now?"

Alfred thought for a moment, then replied, "No, most of his classes are online. I'll text him to see if he wants to come!"

To: Mattie

Hey! Do you want to come to that burger place with me?

A reply came almost instantly.

Mattie now

Yeah, of course! I'll be there in a few, I'm nearby

Alfred read the text over and back before slipping his phone into his pocket. "He said he'll be there in a few. We should probably go now then."

Gilbert nodded, following Alfred's steps. The building was a bit old, but some modern renovations had taken place in the summer. There were brightly coloured flags hanging on the brick walls, each with a different academic-related word on it, all leading up to a flag with their college mascot plastered onto it. The floors had also been redone, now a translucent silver, rather than the old, musky grey. It was nice to have some new things, but Alfred couldn't deny that he sort of missed the old college. There was something charming about the smell of antique books sitting on a shelf.

He and Gilbert walked in silence, pushing open the doors of the building and stepping out into the cool winter air. There was a thin layer of snow upon the ground, a few footprints in it already. What a shame. Fresh snow on the ground truly was a beautiful thing, Alfred couldn't deny it fulfilled him a little inside.

"There's the place," Gilbert pointed to a small building, a big, plastic burger sitting atop, just a short way across from the university.

The two crossed the street, making sure no cars were to come (that would be tragic - especially to Matthew).

"God, I don't remember what cold like this feels like. It feels like it's burning to me," Gilbert rubbed at his arm a bit. Alfred couldn't help but frown; so badly, he wanted to meet his soulmate, feel the burning temperature of the close proximity they were in. Unfortunately, it's been nine years and he's yet to feel anything other than early spring weather. All of his classmates had already met their soulmates, leaving just Alfred and Matthew together, unbeknownst of who they were destined to spend the rest of their life with. Now, Matthew has found his (presumably), leaving Alfred, once more, alone. He didn't mean to sound depressing, but… he just really wanted to meet his soulmate, to feel that adrenaline rush when lying eyes upon them for the first time. He had heard it from so many people: friends, his parents, and soon enough, Matthew. Alfred didn't think he had enough patience to wait another second; he just wanted to meet his soulmate now.

The two arrived inside a short moment later. The restaurant was not empty or full, but had a few people sitting at the corner tables. The building itself wasn't a luxurious castle, but once one had a taste of those burgers, it made it seem like heaven on earth.

And then they saw him.

Matthew,sitting at a table across the restaurant. He was waving, his blond hair falling down in little curls at his cheeks. His cheeks were a little rosy, an effect of the chilliness of the weather. And suddenly, he stopped. His mouth opened a bit and his eyes were caught - on something. He hadn't blinked in a good ten seconds, still staring at Gilbert. Alfred looked to his side and Gilbert, who was previously acting cool and manly, was now gawking at Matthew, a look of pure adoration in his eyes. Of course, this was only for a few seconds, but the two came back to their senses and came back to reality.

Alfred and Gilbert quickly made their way over to Matthew, taking a seat. Alfred, as always, sat next to Matthew, while Gilbert sat across, still staring at him, but with full consciousness of what he was doing.

"Oh, uh, it's - it's gone. My temperature, I mean. Or, eh, the Soulmate Effect?" Matthew stumbled over his words, still (jeesh!) not breaking eye contact with Gilbert. If Alfred didn't know any better, he'd think the two were having a staring contest…

"Wait, what? It's gone? Just like that?" Alfred put his elbows on the table, the cold marble against his skin making him shiver.

"I guess… I found my soulmate then, ha…" the troubled boy grinned weakly, a bit unsure of what to do about the situation. He was ecstatic - more than that, really - that he found his soulmate, the person he was going to spend the rest of his life with! It was just… shock. Complete and utter surreality.

"I'm… Gilbert Beilschmidt," Gilbert finally spoke, a small smile on his face. Although Alfred had just met Gilbert, he could tell that this was odd behaviour for him. Gilbert had a "cool" persona and sort of gave off that ambience. Well, here… GIlbert was acting like some sort of lead in a cheesy Hallmark film.

Alfred looked at his brother and his newfound friend. Their eyes couldn't leave anywhere but each other, it was disgustingly sweet, the lot of it. But, that was the magic of the Soulmate Effect. It was something no scientist would ever be able to evaluate - and they have definitely tried. Alfred just couldn't wait until it was his time. His mind couldn't help but wander to his soulmate… What were they doing? What did they want to pursue? Hopes, dreams, and aspirations aside, what were they like? Alfred really did hope they were lovely...

London, Present Day

"Are you bloody kidding me? I have to pay that much just for rent? This is ridiculous," a man with scruffy blond hair and average height paced around his living room with a telephone, combing his fingers through his hair, now a disheveled mess.

"No, it's gone up every month by a good £50! This is actual robbery here, you know!" Arthur put his hand on the wall, continuing his aggravating conversation, "Ye- yes, of course I do. Well, I'm trying to - No, it isn't likely, but - Yes… I understand. Thank you for your consideration. Mhm, yes, goodbye."

Jesus. What a horrible day. Not only did he have to pay extra for rent this month, but his landlord was most likely angry at him. Just perfect.

"I need a break, I swear," Arthur muttered underneath his breath, setting his phone down onto the coffee table. Work was exhausting, bills were exhausting, life was just exhausting in general. Couldn't he have a break for just five minutes, not having to worry about anything? But… alas, the world didn't work that way, and instead probably hated him. Brilliant.

He should call someone to hang out, forget about the problems he has for at least two seconds, if he could ever get a break.

Actually.

He should just surf the internet.

The frazzled Brit once more ran a hand through his hair in an attempt to deter the stress engulfing him. Arthur walked over to the computer, sitting down in the chair and moving the mouse a bit. After a few moments, the screen was displaying a nicely photographed scenery of a body of water Arthur couldn't quite place (how strange… he prided himself on his geography abilities).

Arthur swiftly typed in his password and proceeded to wait for the computer to log in. Once it did, he opened up the browser and immediately checked his email. He was expecting an important announcement from his work… They had closed for quite the lot of time due to construction and whatnot and Arthur was expecting an email to tell when they were going to be open once more. No new emails. Of course… But, just to be sure, he refreshed the page, and, much to his delight, there was a new email. And from who else would it be than his work?

Arthur clicked the email, eagerly awaiting the words to be read.

ALE Publishing Firm

To: Miranda R., Joannah D., Arthur K., Doris D., and 23 more

Hello. We regret to inform you that construction has been severely delayed to the profuse amount of rain we have received lately. It is not possible to renovate the building in precipitation such as this. We have already made an attempt to do so and in return, part of what the construction men have already completed was put into shambles. We take that it will be another six months for this situation to be cleared up and for the company to be open again once more. We apoligise for the inconvenience, and we will continue to pay during this time of absence. Thank you for your consideration. I hope to see all of you in due time.

Best regards,

George Dover | ALE Publishing Firm

"Are you kidding me…" Arthur groaned, placing the hand that was not on the mouse to his temple. What a pain… He had not worked in a considerable amount of time, 169 days to be exact (Arthur had counted, proof to how incredibly bored he had been) and now, another six months had been added, delaying his work once more.

Most would be ecstatic at something like this to happen, but Arthur, being the person he was, was merely irritated. Of course, he was getting paid during this time off, so that was a plus, but there was also the fact that he was doing nothing with his life, nothing with himself, for that amount of time. Arthur needed a sense of accomplishment to be able to be happy with himself; he was not content with lazing around.

Arthur moved his wandering eyes back to the computer screen, reading the email for a second time, until a large ad popped up and blocked the screen.

"Why are these ads always so big? This is ridiculous, I thought this email didn't have ads. They're always promoting everything nowadays…" the Brit scoured his eyes across the screen, searching for the 'X' button. When he thought he found it, he clicked the screen, only to be taken to another tab. A false X! Those were the worst… If anything it made one not want to buy whatever cheap product they were selling.

The tab, however, caught Arthur's eyes.

Find your Happy Place!

America is only a short ocean away!

The ad had the letters in design of the American flag with scenery from the country in the background. It was poor designing, but Arthur appreciated the notion. The pictures, however, were absolutely exquisite. There were photos of beaches, cities, small towns, the lot. Each and every one taken with such astoundment and simplicity that made it impossible for Arthur to tear his eyes from the screen. They were beautiful pictures, really.

Before Arthur knew it, he was clicking the link provided below, taking him to a different section of the website titled 'Why America?'

Why America?

The land of the free, the home of the brave, the United States is the perfect place to take a break and get away from it all. From the beautiful carvings of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota to the glamorous appeal of the Hollywood sign in California, the United States has everything you need.

Arthur furrowed his eyebrows and read on.

Starting at just £200, we offer a luxurious stay in one of the best hotels in these following cities: Chicago, New York City, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco, New Orleans, and many more! Visit the beautiful rock formations in Utah, have a blast at the casinos in Nevada, visit colonial-era history in Massachusetts, and take a boat ride on the Great Lakes! All for the low price of £200! Offer not valid in the Falkland islands.

Arthur scrolled down, looking through the remainder of the page. There were many links, with the representing photo below each. The first photo was of a beautiful beach, presumably on the west coast, most likely in the south of California, given the colours of the water. It would be very nice to visit California, everything was supposedly better there. The American Dream was still living strong in many countries today; Arthur couldn't help but wonder how it was viewed upon in the States? Were they aware of the American Dream or was it there simply known as Hollywood? Still, when push came to shove, Arthur could not deny the slight curiosity he had of the United States…

It was then when he had made perhaps the most brash decision of his life.

Quickly, thought still in mind, Arthur clicked through the website, locating the 'Purchase' tab at the top. It wasn't a bad offer, really. The tab took him to a travel agency, providing all of the information needed for a trip to the United States.

As he clicked through the website, Arthur thought for a moment. So…. this was it. He was really going, wasn't he? He did have a break… and he was going to be paid. The only problem he could think of was currency, but that dispute could be easily solved. The website had offered a wide range of cities to choose from; it would be preposterous for none of those places to have a currency exchange. But which place should he choose?

Arthur looked at the full list. It was pretty much only the major cities with a few bigger cities in there. Should he visit Los Angeles or would that be too much? Sure, it might appear glamorous, but in hindsight, it was most likely a mess (it was the same as London. Everyone expected London to be this beautifully royal place, but really, there's rubbish everywhere and it's an absolute mess).

New Orleans would be too far south, San Francisco would be too far east, Washington D.C,... What even was Washington D.C.? It was a city, but also a district? American government was too confusing, and frankly, Arthur didn't even think he could begin to understand, so Washington D.C. wasn't an option. New York… New York? Yes… Arthur supposed that could work. New York was a nice city, with much history and things to do. It was surrounded by a body of water, so Arthur could see the ocean as well…

So then it was decided. Arthur would travel to New York city, take a vacation in the United States. After all, a vacation was long overdue… Arthur had spent the past sixth months worrying about work and bills and anything of that sort, really. It was a pain, so saying that he needed a break was one hell of an understatement.

It hadn't taken a considerable amount of time to find a ticket, thanks to the magic of the internet. One thought that couldn't help to escape Arthur's mind, however, was company. Should he take somebody? It would be a tad boring by himself, no one to talk to, no one to accompany him. He had plenty of friends - nevermind what Seamus always said. Of course, they would probably all be busy working. He couldn't invite someone he worked with, he wasn't very fond of any of them, or at least fond enough to spend an ample amount of time with them.

Lili was most likely busy, plus it's not like he could take Lili without taking Vash, the two were incredibly close. Lukas was an option, but unfortunately, he was back in Norway visiting family and was therefore, out of the country. The only option left was Kiku… Was Kiku doing anything? Arthur remembered him saying something about working on his art and him needing a break, which Arthur concluded was much deserved. He had seen Kiku's art; he was a remarkable artist, but, unfortunately, unrecognised at the same time. It was a shame, really. So many young artists these days were having their talents overlooked.

So, it was settled. Arthur would invite Kiku and leave for America in the next week. All that he needed to do now was contact his Japanese friend to ask him the question. Truth be told, Arthur didn't mind paying for both his and Kiku's tickets. Kiku had done plenty for him in the time they had known each other. (Actually, Kiku had painted him a magnificent Japanese art piece, in which Arthur had hung on his wall).

The Brit stared back at his computer screen, contemplating his decision one last time. He had already gone over this about a hundred times in his mind; the pros outweigh the cons. This was a good decision, it was going to be good for him, to get away from it all for a while. And if Kiku did decide to join him, it would be a nice time for the both of them to hang out together and see new things. Arthur knew for a fact that Kiku had always wanted to visit the United States. It could be a Christmas gift - although he knew that his friend didn't celebrate the holiday, Kiku would surely appreciate the thought.

So, with thought in mind, Arthur clicked Kiku's name on his telephone and held it up to his ear. He picked up on the first ring.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Kiku. How have you been?" Arthur decided to start off the topic with a question, he didn't want to dive right in with such a question as a big trip.

"I have been good, thank you for asking! How have you been?" Kiku's voice was cheerful, clearly delighted that Arthur had called.

"I could be better, a bit stressed lately, you know? Just stuff with work. Apparently I have a sixth month break…"

"Really? Aren't you happy?"

Arthur tilted his head in inquietude, clearly aware that Kiku could not see him. "A bit? But, agh, you know… Bored, I guess? I've been thinking about taking a trip, I've been looking at things."

"Oh, really? Where were you planning on travelling? Out of the continent?"

Arthur nodded (this is why he preferred to speak in person rather than telephone), "the United States! Speaking of… this might come off as odd and I apologise for that, but would you be interested in travelling with me? I do recall you mentioning how you have always wanted to visit; you're a good friend of mine, I wouldn't want to go without you."

Kiku sputtered a bit over the line, then quickly recollected himself to reply. "Well, I would hate to be a burden on you, Arthur. How much money is this going to cost? I would hate to be a bother."

"Oh, no! Of course not, nothing of that sort. Actually, it is fairly cheap. This could be your Christmas gift, if you will. Will you be able to come? You have nothing going on, I presume, given what you told me the previous week."

"I do not… Are you sure about this? Once more, I would hate to cost you anything expensive…"

"Kiku, don't worry! This doesn't cost as much as you would imagine. The real cost would be if you didn't go. Because you are worth more than all of the money in the world..."

There was silence for a few seconds, before Kiku snorted over the line, leading Arthur to burst in a fit of laughter.

Arthur was the first to speak again, "Sorry! The opportunity was there, I had to! But - hey, seriously, let me know if you'd like to go. It's getting late, I'm going to make myself a cup of tea and then go to sleep. Today was absolutely exhausting… God." He put his hand onto his forehead, looking up at the ceiling above him.

Kiku hummed, "...Alright. I'll go. Please get some rest, Arthur. You don't sound very well-rested. Please text me the details in the morning, if you are able. Thank you - much. And good night."

And with no further words, Kiku hung up, leaving Arthur lounging on the sofa - why did he move around so much when speaking on the phone?

Hm, so that was that. As much as Arthur would have liked to accede to Kiku's wishes, he couldn't. He had to look for tickets for the subsequent day. The sooner he and Kiku left, the better. Maybe then… he could finally be free from all of this stress. Or he could only hope.