" Arthur?"

" It's not okay anymore, Alfred."

The man blew his bangs out of his eyes. He was known as Arthur. It's been awhile since he last used his name. Sadly, the use of his name was to say his final farewells.

He gave Alfred one last chance. Only one. But Arthur saw this choice as the best for them. They lived a fake world, where Alfred pretended to care while Arthur pretended to appear content. The lies were ultimately done. Alfred never bothered to apologize to Arthur about anything anyway...

Arthur proceeded to travel on the street. He lost Alfred some time ago. It should count as victory for Arthur, yet he felt empty. Where should he go?

His horrible parents own the dump they call home. To Arthur, he never considered the apartment a welcomed home. Nothing was owned by him. All his relationships vanished, except one.

" Arthur, is everything okay?" Mathias blinked as he drank some alcohol in his hand.

" When did you get here?"

" You made it all the way to my town."

Arthur scanned his surrounding and confirmed Mathias's statement. This was where Mathias told him the harsh reality of the universe.

Mathias brought a warm smile to his face and invited Arthur to stay over tonight. There was no where to go anymore, therefore Arthur agreed without a single argument.

"You did the right thing." It was wonderful Mathias could read people so well.

"... I know." Arthur felt free as well. A void in his heart but without chains. " Though, I thought releasing him would bring me joy. Instead, I feel empty."

" Why do you think that?"

" I wish I knew for sure. Perhaps, I'm going to miss the times I helped him when he was down. I felt lonesome without Alfred near me. It's so different now."

" Hey, he never once stopped and took the time to listen. Your opinion, your life, and your voice was never heard. You were alone at the very beginning. The only regret I have is not being able to hear your voice when you needed it the most."

" It doesn't matter anymore. I want to start anew. I don't desire for a happy ending. This time, I plead for a happy middle and an immensely happy beginning."


People do change. For the better or for the worse.

A married couple placed posters on walls, and online for a missing man. The problem with their method was the fact that nobody could remember the name of the man. It was rare for a parent not to know their own child's name. Yet, there were exceptions to this statement.

Still, there was one person who did know the man's forgotten name. The person was the only one in the town to recollect the face, personality and name of the man. But what he couldn't recall was the man's voice. It's been years since he last saw the man.

His existence fell apart when he realized how heavy dependent he was on the man. His grades plummeted during the last two years in university. Astonishingly, he got both of his degrees. It took many years of training to finally get a position in the pilot field. He swore to protect the people of America from harm or danger. No more failure was his essential idea.

Besides, he was waiting for the man's return. Someday the man will come back and he will repair his failures.

After a whole day of checking the area in an airplane, he took a lunch break at a local restaurant. He ordered his food and sat on a chair. His food arrived in a matter of minutes. As he ate his food, he glanced at the television. This restaurant had the wrong news channel. If people live in the east coast, then they wouldn't see the Los Angeles and Southern California News. He was going to tell them about the news channel, but something caught his eye.

A male news reporter showed up on the screen. He discussed the problems of drought in California. The male reporter spoke in a passionate tone, like he cared about the issue.

" It's him."

There was no denying it. The news reporter was his beloved Arthur from all those years ago.

He finished his food and paid the bill. Everything was luck. He found Arthur, and he knew what to do.

The airplane ticket was bought by him. He gave the ticket to the woman at the counter and headed into the plane station. Many people of all sorts of backgrounds waited patiently for their plane to arrive. Soon, he heard his plane was ready so he promptly ambulated to his destination.

California may just be the change he desperately yearns in his life.

Some hours later, the plane stopped at Los Angeles airport.

He had his luggage and went to explore the new state. Luckily for him, he found a hotel and began his day in search of Arthur.


" Great work everyone! Works over. Go ahead and visit your loved ones." The woman laughed as her workers scattered around. " Oh, but Arthur! A fan of yours is here to greet you."

Arthur turned around. " Another one? Okay."

He walked to the front lobby and looked around for his fan. What he saw brought displeasure to his afternoon.

" Lovely to see you again, Alfred."

Anyone could sense the bitterness in Arthur's voice. Nevertheless, Alfred chose to ignore it. " Hey, it's nice to see you too, Artie. I missed you."

Arthur made a gagging sound. He displayed a disgusted expression directed to Alfred. " Do not make me sick. If you could not tell, I was being sarcastic. But because you're quite dense, I should not even try to be sarcastic."

" We should catch up. I'm staying at a hotel far from here. How about we go there."

" Did you not hear a single thing I said? Forget it, you're a lost cause. Good day."

Alfred grabbed Arthur's hand and refused to let go. " Please stay. I spent most of my money coming here. Everything is overpriced but I don't care. I had to see you."

" Go."

" I will miss you if you leave again."

" What the hell is wrong with you? I do not recall you acting this clingy."

Alfred delayed the conversation as much as he could so Arthur wouldn't leave. He talked about the sky, his boss, absolutely anything to keep Arthur with him.

Arthur, however, was about to explode. " Why don't you go with your girlfriend or something. Just stay out of my business like you did in the past!"

" I-I am, I-" Alfred forced himself to speak. He couldn't spit out what he wanted to say.

" You had these years to recover but look at you. A stupid apology can't get out of your mouth. I want to left in peace."

Arthur kicked Alfred in the stomach and walked away.


" You did what now?" Mathias couldn't believe what he was hearing. Arthur had guts to do stand up against Alfred.

" I kicked him in the stomach and went on with my daily routine. He wasted his cash on coming here to see me. An idiotic move on his part. I completed my rambling today. I'm off to the San Francisco Daily Journal."

" Alright. Do your best."

The blue mustang outside was one of Arthur's most expensive possessions. He considered himself lucky enough to buy such an impressive car. He turned on the engine and drove to his job.

Two careers always kept Arthur busy. His office had all the materials he needs to create a satisfying story for his audience. The topic today was the outlook on different jobs for college students. Well, he better get researching and writing.

It was ten o'clock on the dot. Arthur took his work seriously. He made pages of notes but he had to cut it in half so he doesn't bore his readers. Patting himself on the back, Arthur headed back home. His jobs were far away but he loved them. Plus, both of his bosses provided some extra money so he could pay for his gas. Arthur felt as if he was on top of the world.

A loud sound dissipated through the quiet night.

Arthur brushed it off and kept his hands on the wheel. Seconds after the first sound, came another one.

" What is going on out there?"

Before Arthur could park his car, a bullet flew a few inches away from his face. The bullet left one hole in each of his front windows. " Crap." Arthur sped past the speed limit. He had to get out of there otherwise he'll end up dead on the street.

The shots didn't stop. Arthur asked why this had to happen to him. One final blow caused his tire to deflate. He couldn't drive his vehicle once the other tire deflated. Arthur closed his eyes and hoped for the best. He hid underneath the wheel and prayed he didn't get shot.

" LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

Guns fired from all directions. Left, right, behind, and in front. He heard a piercing scream of pain from the back. The shots slowed then they were gone. Things were normal again. Arthur did have one question in his mind: Who ended this insane shooting?

" Artie, are you okay?"

No, thought Arthur. He took a glimpse at the stranger. As he feared, it was Alfred.

Arthur spoke in a soft tone. " How did you get here?"

" I-I came from my daily flying. I heard the gunshots from a mile away. And I saw you frozen at your seat as I was driving closer to your car. It's pretty dark outside, I should go. Excuse me for intruding." Alfred gazed at Arthur. " But you should head home first. I'll be behind you to make sure no one else hurts you. I want you to make it home alive. Gosh, I'm sounding like a stalker. If you feel uncomfortable about this, maybe,"

" Alfred…" whispered Arthur.

" Yes?"

" You are possibly the most confusing person I have ever meet. Everyday I think to myself about the past. The agony it inflicted to me but you kept a warmness inside of my heart. I know you as a hero, just not my- nevermind."

" No, it's my turn to do something I should have done a long time ago." Alfred deeply breathed in.

" I am sorry."

Arthur glared at him.

" I'm sorry for stabbing you in the back. I'm sorry for the ignoring your bruises and your broken bones. Most of all, I'm sorry for being a shitty best friend. I'm a failure to you but that's all I've ever been to everyone. If I can't protect you then how can I protect a nation," Alfred removed his glasses and wiped his eyes as he said, " You were always the only supportive friend I had who could keep me happy. I don't expect any forgiveness from you. I just want to say this: I'm happy that you're happy and I wouldn't have it any other way."

At any given moment, Arthur anticipated someone to blurt out " Just kidding" or something along those lines. But nothing happened. He stared at Alfred who at this point was crying.

" I can't forgive you so easily. I'm thankful for your heroism but I can't excuse you of anything. You understand, right?"

" Yes, I do. I am still going to stay by your side and hear you out, even if you don't want me near you."

" Then, use that time to figure out what you want out of this mess. There might be some hope left in you."

" We'll have to see."

Alfred fixed Arthur's car with the spare tires in the back of Alfred's truck. The windows were left up to a mechanic but Arthur didn't mind.

Arthur put on his seatbelt and started his car. He thanked Alfred and placed his hand on the shifter.

Yet Alfred did one last thing before he departed from Arthur.

Alfred gently placed a kiss on Arthur's forehead and said, "I love you, Arthur. Please, stay safe."

" I-I will. See you later, Alfred." Arthur smiled and went home.

Happiness comes and go. But when it stays, everything's okay.


" You're moving out. Are you sure about this?"

Arthur looked at Mathias. Arthur stated he wanted to more change. Mathias shook his head and chuckled.

" Good luck on your journey, Arthur. Don't forget about me."

" I will not forget you, Mathias. Thanks for helping me in every step of the way. I could not have done this without you."

" Aw, you're making me tear up. Keep an eye out for yourself. Promise me to visit me when you can."

" Fine, if you insist. I think I'll be okay. Thanks again for packing some of my stuff."

" Yeah, anything for a friend."

" Mathias?"

" Hm?"

" Take care. And keep your positive attitude! I'm sure you'll find someone to love too!"

" I hope so. See you."

Mathias saw Arthur's mustang steady disappear from his view. He grinned and went out for a jog. So much things happened over the years. Arthur found a way to forgive people again and his partner, Alfred, found a way to apologize to others.

" Hi."

Mathias glanced at the person. He smiled as he joyful reply, " Hi."

" I didn't know you lived here."

" Well, it pays better here than in New York."

" I see. So, how's life?"

" Different."

" … Mathias, I just,"

" No need, Lukas. You never did anything wrong. I think I needed to learn how to forgive once more."

" Do not lie. I made you cry and I acted like a jerk when you were trying to help me. Your life was already hell before I came to the picture. I made it worse, adding to the harassment of your boss and the burns from your parents. Then you vanished out of the blue. I'm not going to hurt you, I'm not going to allow anyone to hurt you, and I'm not going to let you disappear from my life."

" I don't mind. Stay as long as you want, Lukas."


Ten years to the road of forgiveness. Five years of disconnection. Eight years of betrayal. Alfred and Arthur endured many hardships during their first years of their existence. But with every obstacle, they held on together.

" Artie! Are you ready to live the life in Washington D.C.?"

" No."

" What! Then why did you agree to this, dude?"

" I'm not ready to live there. However, I am ready to live with you."

" O-Oh. That's good."

" Of course."

" Thanks for forgiving me. I know this is like the ninetieth time I told you this, nevertheless I feel obligated to say it."

Arthur laughed. " I know, Alfred. I love you."

Alfred hugged Arthur as he whispered," I love you too, Artie."

Everyone has a voice. Some have louder ones than other and some softer than others. Every voice needs someone who will listen. No voice should be isolated. Above all, no one should abandon the idea of listening to any voice but no one should fear the idea of apologizing to any voice. Forgiveness, to them, is their happiness.


Holy crap I forgot to post the last chapter. So, the end! Hoped you liked the story!