"Do you like it?"

"It tastes okay."

"Good."

Arthur and I sat next to each other, having a little drink before he leaves for who knows how long. Miss him? Of course I will. But for some reason, as we sit here by ourselves having small talk, there's this feeling I have bothering me.

I think that . . . . I actually hold him back.

Chapter 3: Forced into denial

As I slouch in my seat, I turn to him. He seems kind of sleepy. It is pretty tiresome having to travel across the sea to meet me. I feel bad, because he lives so far away. He didn't let me, as much as I insisted, for me to travel to him instead. He kept insisting that it was no problem. I still felt bad though.

"Hey Arthur, do you like me?" I asked him once, before all of this madness about wars, rebellions, seperations was ever even thought of.

"Hmm? What kind of question is that. Well yeah you act stupid and ignorant not to mention a weirdo sometimes but you can't change the way you are, now can you?"

I looked at him and it souded to me like he was advising me to. Since I always listen and take everything to heart, I decided to change my ways. So for about a good three days I stayed quiet and refrained from speaking anything unecessary. Around that time he noticed I changed.

"What do you think your doing?" He yelled at me once as I ate some pie. With a stuffed mouth and dirty face, I looked a thim confused.

"-swallow- What do you mean?"

"You're acting diffirent moron!"

"Am I not allowed or something?"

"Its not that, its just that . . . . I can't explain it. But yeah, its like illegal or something!"

I thought about it for a sec, then I looked at him even more confused.

"-facepalm- Let me put it this way, would you like it if I changed?" I look at him, then away and then right back at him.

"Nope."

"Why?"

"Well, because I like the way you are. That's the whole point of being together."

"Exactly! So stop whatever your doing and act normal!"

"O-okay!" I exclaim happily as I shove food into my mouth. The way he had spoken that with attitude had me smiling.

Thinking back then to that questioned just reminded me of something. I think he's able to predict what I'd do or say in any situation.

I look at his face, hoping for some clue as if he would know what I'm thinking. He lifts his small glass to his mouth and turns to me as he drinks.

"What?"

"Nothing," I turn my face away nervously.

He probably can.

"Hey Alfred, are you . . . . are you happy about me going away?" He asked me as he stared deeply into his glass. I look at him surprised and then looked into my own glass.

"W-well, not really," I mumbled.

"Me neither," he replied back. That gave me a little spark. A spark of what, I don't know. But a spark none the less.

"Are you going to miss me?" He asked.

"Well sure I am!" I replied in a seemingly calm excitement lifting my glass to him.

"W-what about you?" I ask nervously glancing at him. He laughs lightly.

"Of course you nit wit! I won't have you to laugh at when you do something stupid . . . . "

Before I could yell back in anger-

" . . . . or when you do something amazing."

That right there made me happy. Lots of people tell me I do unusual, admirable things. But coming from Arthur makes the compliment worth even more. I found myself smiling. He then turned to me and gave me a funny look.

"Why are you smiling?" He asked in a disturbed way. I panicked and said the first thing that came to my mind.

"Because I thought you disliked everything I did!" I laugh nervously.

"Oh," he mumbled somehow let down. Maybe he expected for me to say something else.

"-knock knock- Sir, there are some others here to speak with Arthur," said one of my soldiers that barely opened the door. Arthur got up from his stool and streched. I felt kind of sad, he looked impatient to leave.

"C'mon Alfred, they're probably here to see both of us," he said motioning me to follow him as he took one step in the stairs. I quickly finished my glass and unexcitedly followed him upstairs. I had to pretend that I was bored and miserable in the outside in front of everyone, but I was sad and miserable in the inside.

"Well well, if it isn't Mr. Arthur who just lost!Tell me now, are you going to cry any moment now?" Said Francis as he lifted a camera from 20 years from now.

"C'mon now! Me and him will go back at my place and get dead drunk to forget all his building depression!" Yelled Gilbert as he shoved Francis aside.

"I want both of you dead drunk in your own blood," smiled Ivan. Francis and Gilbert nervously stepped aside from him.

"Oh shut up you nit wits!" Hissed Arthur as he walked past all of them, shoving them away with his extended arms. The five of us stood outside at the back of my house. It was pretty big, one of those country side houses made with red bricks and lots of grass and trees everywhere. A big dirt road was in front of it, beyond the tall white fence I had installed. Behind, where we were, was a small, shaded table by trees were I used to drink 'tea' back in the day. But now I just use it as a substitute for a bed when I pass out drunk in a wild late night party. I might be drowning in all these emotions, but I need a little fun from time to time myself.

Arthur sat in one of the white chairs, crossed his arms and turned his head away from us, whom we stood about nine steps from him.

"What's the matter, your not as whinney as I thought you'd be," said Francis dissapointed as he placed his hands on his hips.

"Right, you did lose a war against this moron," snickered Gilbert as he made a thumbs down in disapproval of some kind.

"Not just one , but two," mumbled Arthur as he glanced at me and then away again. For some reason I slid my hands behind my back and slouched my body closer to itself, liek the way you do when you don't want a teacher to call on you and you make yourself unnoticed by making yourself as small and unnoticable in your desk.

"What's wrong Alfred? You'd usually be the one jumping everywhere laughing at this kind of stuff?" Asked Francis. They all look at me in curiosity. It makes me frown even more. The sets of eyes that burned most in me were Ivan's and Arthur's. Ivan's because, well, he was my rival and I should look my best, and Arthur, well, because I felt downright embarressed. I timidly walked towards Arthur as I scratched the back of my head.

"Hah hah ha! I was just analizing a new strategy to-"

"Enough with the war talk. Its over, there's nothing to be said about it. What's done is done," Arthur said with a disgusted voice. I stopped in my tracks, feeling an awkward tension between us. But if I don't keep walking towards him, somehow I get the feeling that I won't be able to bid him a good farewell hug when he leaves because it would be too awkward.

"Hey! Where the hell is Ivan?" Yelled Gilbert. All of us turn to the spot where Ivan had been standing. It appears he has gone into hiding.

"Um, I say we all go inside before he reappears," smiled Francis nervously. We all hurry to my living room inside. Before I come inside into the house, I can see Arthur, the last one of us, wipe a tear out of his eyes.

He is sad.

END.