"I'm a fairy of perception."

Arthur began running. Truth be told, he has already shred whatever pride he has left. He was soaked to the bone, his hair was a mess, his skin was muddied, and his cheeks were tear-stained. He didn't care, though. He's too busy running towards the Jones manor.

Whether it took him several hours or just a few minutes, he didn't know. Time seemed to have become quite misleading.

"I want to talk to the young master of this house." He said to the footman by the door when he arrived. "I demand that I see him right now."

Of course, the servants inside raised their eyebrows at his current appearance but nonetheless held their tongues as the footman called for Alfred. Arthur stood there waiting, anxious of what will happen next.

His heart was pounding against his chest again from running so much. Soon, however, there would hopefully be...something more. He was hoping, desperately hoping that his conclusions were right, that he was in love with Alfred after all, that it would be worth giving up what he has to in order to gain back his ability to love.

There was anticipation right then and nothing more. Just the emptiness he wanted so bad to fill. He took a deep breath, it felt so wrong-

"Artie?" He was snapped out of his thoughts. "Art- what on earth happened to you?"

Arthur blinked before breaking into chuckles, understanding what he meant. Leave it to Alfred to leave out the awkward bits. "I was a bit preoccupied, trying to get here as fast as I could. Pardon my carelessness."

"Arthur...seriously." Alfred gave him a sad smile. "It's because you've received the letter, right? It flatters me so that you actually care for me. Even though you're way of caring is different from mine, of course."

Arthur looked up into Alfred's eyes. They were blue, so blue, like the sheen of the sky and the glimmer of the ocean. Arthur tried to take in as much as he could before replying. "Alfred, I want to confirm something. If something becomes wrong with me after I've done what I have to do, please don't freak out too much, all right?"

"Confirm wha-" Alfred was shushed when Arthur's lips landed on his own. It was just a peck, enough for what Arthur wants to know.

For the first time in his life, Arthur saw sparks fly.

And suddenly, as Arthur felt Alfred deepen the kiss, he could see rays of light seeping through his closed eyelids. He felt Alfred pull back in shock, calling out his name with a worried, shouting voice, but he just stood there, letting Elizaveta's magic have its way. He could feel the magic seeping through his eyes, and there was more light; perhaps his whole body was glowing in front of Alfred, after all-

Then everything went dark. Arthur calmed himself down as much as he could, trying to make sense of what just happened. Eyes still closed from the broken kiss, he brushed his fingers against Alfred's cheek. He felt the lad's smooth skin, so his sense of touch has been spared. He could still hear Alfred's anxious breathing, smell his cologne, and taste the remnants of the tea he has drunk from the roof of his mouth.

Which only leaves one thing.

Arthur, ever so slowly, opened his eyes.

Nothing.

Alfred gasped.

"Y-Your eyes." Arthur heard Alfred's voice again and felt the lad pull him into an embrace. "Arthur...your eyes, they've changed after you glowed...oh, Arthur, please don't tell me that..."

Arthur leaned into the embrace. "Yes, Alfred. I believe I have just lost my sight."

Something intense replaced his sight, however. Arthur could feel it; the warmth from inside that came from simply being hugged, the butterflies in the stomach that signified faith, happiness, happiness, happiness...

Arthur knew he's very much in love.

He regrets nothing.

"You see, Arthur," Elizaveta said, "we fairies tend to steal from our contractors the things that they take for granted. For instance, I think Francis managed to steal your ability to love from you because you were thinking that falling in love and loving makes a person vulnerable at that time."

"I see." Arthur nodded. "Can you tell me what you'll steal from me, then?"

"I'm not entirely sure what sense would be taken away from you." The fairy sighed. "I have a hunch of what it would be, though. Because of your lack of real emotions, you've never really cared to use that one way of perceiving for several years now. You're uninterested...even until now. It's better if you don't find out until later, though."

Elizaveta whispered into Arthur's ear: "Make sure that you remember as many details about your loved one as possible, dear. You would want a mental image to hold on to after the contract is sealed by a kiss from you to him."

It's true. Because he can't love back then, he really didn't care much for the beauty around him...beauty that can be seen.

Arthur has no regrets about the contract, yes. But as he stood there, the smell of the ocean filling his nostrils, he knew that he had other things to feel sorry for.

"I'll write to you, Artie." Alfred said, kissing his forehead. There warm drops of water falling from above; were they tears? Arthur smiled; honestly, Alfred could be such a handful.

"I'll hold on to that promise, love." Arthur brushed away Alfred's tears with the back of his hand. Inside, however, he was mentally screaming in agony. He wasn't able to persuade Alfred's father to let him stay in England, not even to postpone the lad's departure.

Arthur felt himself being pulled into a tight embrace. Closing his already unseeing eyes, he imagines what Alfred would have looked like, then. His hair must still be the shining strands of wheat he remembers them to be; he must be dressed up in formal clothes, a suit that hugs his figure nicely; his eyes, his eyes must look so shiny with all the tears they've been shedding.

"I love you, Arthur." The lad whispers into his ear. Not that he needs to be discreet, however. They hid themselves in some alleyway to evade being seen by passersby.

Arthur's heart clenched at Alfred's words. Yes, he was happy to hear those words but...

"America is far away from here, dear." He replied. "You ought to find a wonderful young darling over there so don't hold back, all right?"

He'll be a fool to think that Alfred's love would last forever.

Pathetic, pathetic. Arthur thought. He was able to feel happiness for only a short while but he can't find it within himself to regret something. Anything.

"Arthur, listen to me." Arthur felt two warm hands cup his cheeks, tilting his head upwards. "Look, you might think that I would fall with somebody else out there but I'll be damned if I really do. Arthur," he brushed his thumbs against Arthur's eyelids, "you're the only one who owns my heart. Remember that."

And then the kiss. It was something that Arthur refused to forget even after so many years. It was warming, loving. It helped Arthur forget for a second that the connection they might be having right then could just be a mere illusion. There's no such thing as 'forever' anymore, after all.

"I'll come back." Arthur could hear Alfred holding back a sob. "I'll come back for you, Arthur. Just wait for me, okay?"

Arthur did his best to not shed a tear. "I will, my love, I will."

And as Arthur stared on, the ship he wasn't able to see departing in front of him, he asked himself again:

"What is a 'feeling'? How would you know if you have one?"