Arthur opened his eyes slowly. Where was he? It was surprisingly comfy and soft, and it smelled like Alfred. He took in a deep breath and sighed, then chuckled soon after. He started doing such weird things after meeting the younger man.

He sat up and looked around the darkened room. From what he could see, it was very messy...That meant, of course, that it was probably Alfred's room. Though if that was the case, it was strange that he couldn't see Alfred anywhere.

Arthur got up and went to the door, deciding he might as well look for him since he wasn't that tired any-more. He opened the door, and blinding sunlight immediately hit him, making him blink rapidly. How could Alfred's room be so dark while the hallway was as bright as day?

I'll just have to figure that out later. Now, where's Alfred...?

Arthur walked down the stairs and went to search the living room. Alfred was nowhere to be seen, but he did spot some suitcases in the corner. Was he packing?

After deciding to check the kitchen, Arthur stepped through the doorway to find Alfred slumped over the table. A closer inspection showed he was still breathing—he had probably just fallen asleep.

He carefully shook Alfred's shoulders. "Alfred? Come on, love, it's time to wake up," Arthur cooed.

Alfred's eyes fluttered open, revealing the ocean blue color Arthur had grown to love so much. "Mmm? Oh, hey, Artie. Did you get a good night's rest?"

"Yes, the best I've had in a while. It doesn't look like you did, though."

Alfred smiled and stretched his back and arms, flinching slightly at a twinge of pain. "I guess I'm a little sore, but don't worry. I'll be fine."

"What were you doing down here, anyway?"

"I was picking out some houses," Alfred said after another stretch and standing to head over to the coffee maker. "I found a few good ones, I have to say. Pretty cheap too. We'll be able to afford it, so that's good."

Arthur looked away guiltily. "I'm sorry I have to make you pay for it all by yourself. I still say we steal from my parents."

Alfred laughed. "They probably deserve more than that, but we're not going to risk it. You'll just have to pay me back."

"Deal." Arthur nodded. "So, have you picked one you wanted? A house, I mean."

"Not yet. I wanted to choose one we both liked. It's only fair."

"You're the one paying for it; it would probably be fairer if you decided."

Alfred turned to grin at him. "We're both going to be living there, so I want you to be happy too."

Arthur smiled. "How considerate of my young, handsome boyfriend," he said, earning a blush from Alfred.

"Well, how about I go ahead and show you the homes." Alfred walked over and turned his laptop back on. The screen showed a list of houses for sale. "You go on ahead and take a look. They're all near each other, so I went ahead and bought plane tickets for today."

Arthur snapped his head towards him. "Today?! What the hell were you thinking?!

"I knew you were going to freak out, but we need to leave as soon as possible. It's already been a day since you broke out; they're probably looking for you right now. It's booked later tonight, anyways, so just calm down and look over the list."

"But that's still too soon! I don't even have any proper clothes! I can't go out like this."

"That's why I think we should go shopping for you right before we leave. We can just get you around three outfits and buy more at our new place. Stop worrying so much—I've got this," Alfred said brightly. Arthur was still having trouble believing that this was happening so fast, but he knew they didn't have much time.

He looked up at Alfred's confident expression, somehow feeling a little reassured. With a nod, Arthur turned back to the computer, deciding he might as well look. They didn't really have much to lose, after all.

The houses he could see were actually all pretty cheap—how did Alfred find these kinds of deals? It really was amazing. He needed to take Alfred with him the next time he went shopping.

It was as he finished reading the description of the last house that he noticed something. "Er, Alfred?"

Arthur heard footsteps approaching until Alfred was at his side. "Yeah? Did you find one?"

"Not yet, but did you know that all of these houses only have one bedroom?"

Alfred was starting to turn an interesting shade of red. He scratched at the back of his neck. "Y-yeah, I knew that. Having one bedroom is cheaper and...I didn't think you would mind, uh...sharing," Alfred finished quietly. Arthur was shocked. He hadn't thought the younger would be so open to sharing a room.

"I don't mind at all."

"O-okay, that's fine. I need to finish packing, so, uh..."

"Right, I'll hurry and pick a house. You go on ahead."

Alfred nodded and turned to leave the room, and Arthur looked back to the screen with a smile that just wouldn't leave his face.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~..~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"So, are you going to say goodbye to any of your friends?" Arthur and Alfred were all packed and ready to go. They had already agreed on a house and put a down payment on it with Alfred's credit card. They were due to leave in about an hour, and they were feeling the rush.

"Already did—the night before, that is. They all wished us luck, and if they find out anything about Ivan being a threat they'll let us know."

Arthur nodded. "That's nice of them, but weren't you planning to change your number?"

"I'm going to stay in touch with them, just more secretly. They'll know how to reach me. So, are you ready?"

Arthur nodded, taking Alfred's hand in his. "Ready as I'll ever be."

Alfred smiled and squeezed Arthur's hand. They had said goodbye to their old lives and were now saying hello to the life they had with each other.

It was still so hard to believe everything that happened over the last few weeks. Alfred had met this wonderful person who changed his whole world. Always thinking that you should follow the rules and never stray from them, it was Arthur who showed him different. It wasn't about the rules—it was about doing what's right, to go out of your way for the people in need, no matter the circumstances. That was what it really meant to be a hero.

A/n: Finally the ending! XD it's kinda sad though that it is over... There will be a sequel to this story though, like i had said before. Thank you all to those who have been faithful to me through all of this story. I appreciate it. And i'm thankful for my wonderful beta, Sakuramorichan, for helping me improve more and more on my stories. Feel free to read my other stories while you wait for the sequel. Until i see you all again~

~Animeblackangel