May 16th, 2014 - Hero's Guardian

ARTIST: stephyhime

AUTHOR: justa-fangirl

May 16th, 2014 - Hero's Guardian

Once, when Alfred was two years old, he fell from a third floor balcony and survived.

Then when he was six, he was climbing a tree and fell head-first to the ground. He walked away without a scratch.

Two years later, Alfred dashed out into the road to save his friend from being hit by a car. He pushed his friend out of harm's way, and the car hit him instead.

But he was fine. As if it had never happened.

No doctor could explain it, so Alfred's parents worried that their son wouldn't understand the danger he was in sometimes. They lectured him constantly, and kept a close eye on their bold son, trying to help him stay out of trouble.

But it only took one second for them to look away and disaster to strike.

It was after a terrible storm hit their town. Alfred, who was ten now, had gone to see how the gentle river near their house had turned into a raging torrent. As he watched the debris being swept away by the current, his heart stopped in fear when he noticed a little bundle of wet fur. It was a dog, snagged on a branch that was stuck near the riverbank.

Alfred was a good swimmer – he'd won many races in classes at the local pool. So he didn't even bother calling for help before he leapt into the river to save the dog.

And that was the day Alfred drowned.

Yet somehow, he survived that, too.

This time, though, when he woke up in the hospital he wasn't the same loud, lively boy he had been before. Drowning had been very different to falling out of a tree or being hit by a car. He remembered feeling helpless, being pulled under the water and struggling for air, wondering what would happen to that poor lost puppy he hadn't managed to save…

Alfred knew he was lucky to be alive, but this time he understood the horror of what he'd been through.

He was quieter after that. Alfred went through junior high talking more to therapists than his peers, and the only thing he really enjoyed were comic books.

That was probably how he got the idea. By the time he'd started his freshman year of college he'd started to wonder…maybe he had powers!

He became obsessed with the idea. He wouldn't be able to get on with his life until he just tried it out. As soon as he saw the right opportunity to test his theory, he knew he would have to take it.

So one day, when he was walking home from work and saw a building on fire, he didn't even think about the danger. A little boy was screaming for help from an upper window, and Alfred dove straight in.

By the time he reached the fifth floor, he was choking so badly he could hardly walk. His chest hurt just from breathing, and his eyes stung painfully. He urged himself on, but an ominous groan overhead made him stop and look up. He stood, frozen, as the ceiling above gave in and plaster and wood cascaded down.

"Alfred! Get back!"

Two hands pushed him hard against wall, and Alfred witnessed in shock as a man appeared before him, a pair of white, feather wings whipping out behind him to blast away the falling rubble. The word 'angel' burst instantly into his mind, but it just couldn't be possible!

"Who…" Alfred croaked out, before crumpling in on himself with hacking coughs.

The strange man lifted Alfred's head with a gentle touch of his hands.

"Sorry about this," he said, and Alfred didn't have time to wonder what he meant before the man was leaning in and pressing their lips together.

Alfred's eyes widened in surprise, but that soon flicked to confusion as he felt all the smoke emptying from his lungs.

He stared at the man in amazement as he pulled away, a sheepish smile on his face. Alfred could feel himself blushing, even above the heat of the burning building.

"Wh-who are you?" he stammered again.

"I'm Arthur. Your Guardian Angel," the winged-man said. His smile darkened quickly into a frown – an imposing sight with such thick, dark eyebrows. "And I'm only showing myself to you now because I know exactly what's been going on in that head of yours!" the angel accused. "I can't read minds, but I've seen the way you get when you read those comics. You think you have powers or something, and I know you've been dying to test your theory. Well, let me tell you right now: don't be an idiot!"

He shouted the last part so vehemently that Alfred actually cowered back against the wall. He opened his mouth to defend himself, eyes dark and heart bristling angrily, when he realised there were tears in Arthur's eyes.

"You're not immortal, Alfred, you're a normal human being, and you can't be so reckless! I wasn't supposed to save you when you fell off that balcony. But I just…I couldn't let you die! And ever since then you've been getting into accidents, and you don't understand what it does to me. I'll save you every time, Alfred, I promise, but please don't put yourself in danger. I just can't take it…"

Arthur wasn't angry. He was worried about him.

The anger melted away inside Alfred's heart, and affection and gratitude flooded into its place. This man – this angel – was the reason he was still alive today. Alfred may know nothing about this strange, impossible person, but he couldn't help but feel Arthur was very precious to him.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know. I promise I won't do anything like this again. Just help me find the kid stuck in this building."

"Of course!" Arthur nodded. "I have to…um, disappear. But I'll be right here protecting you the whole time. I'm always here."

Alfred found his heart twisting painfully, wondering whether he'd ever see Arthur again. Arthur, too, looked strangely reluctant to go. Maybe he liked being seen, for the very first time.

"Hey…" said Alfred, touching Arthur's arm before he could disappear. "Can we see each other again?"

Arthur flinched, looking uncertain and worried. Maybe this was supposed to be a onetime thing. So Alfred offered a wry grin, and squeezed Arthur's arm. "If we don't, I'll keep throwing myself into danger so you have to keep coming to lecture me like this."

Arthur blinked in surprise, and then a delighted smile lit up his face, as bright as the halo hovering over his head.

"I suppose it can't be helped then," he smiled. "See you later, hero."