A Butterfly's Life

Author: Dark Void Princess 21

Prompt: Butterflies and Blushing

Butterflies don't count the months but the moments. Sometimes there just aren't enough.

Kagome, stood up when the doctor exited the emergency room. She was in a panic no matter how hard she tried to remain calm. Her fist was clutched above her heart which was beating rather fast.

The surgeon shook his head and apologized, "Sorry, we did everything we could."

Kagome understood the implications. She couldn't stay strong anymore. Not even for him. Kagome's knees gave out causing her to fall to the ground as she broke out into tears.

The doctor left. There was nothing he could say or do that would make the situation any better.

"Why? Why did you have to die? You promised that we would grow old and die together. You can't be dead. You just can't be. I love you," she whimpered as she continued to sob. Her right fingers brushed against the diamond ring on her left hand.

We all begin as small and insignificant even though it is our existence that allows us to become great. The first phase—the egg—of a butterfly is always overlooked for the end product.

Arthur Kirkland had a fuzzy memories of his childhood. He wasn't old. It was just that with time the past begins to blur. It happens to everyone. However, it was sometimes annoying when remembering parts of a memory when you cannot recall the rest of it. The memory had randomly came to the blond, green eyed brit when he noticed a blue butterfly landed on the plant he was watering.

All he could remember was walking into a field to see a child twirl among the butterflies. Arthur shook his head. It was irrelevant. Though, he did wonder why he remembered that now. Perhaps it was because of the butterfly. Although he had seen so many already this year. Well, either way he had things to do, places to go, and people to meet.

The caterpillar has all the hard work; he must so he can survive.

"Thanks a lot Kiku." Kagome gave the Asian a bittersweet smile before redirecting her gaze to her steaming tea. She took a small sip.

Kiku Honda looked at his cousin in worry. He couldn't possibly imagine how she felt. But he liked her and she was family—he would make sure she would recuperate. "There is no need to thank me, Kagome. I tord you that you are wercomed here anytime. You can stay here as rong as you want."

"Arigato." They sat in silence for a moment. Kagome sighed and pulled a chain out from beneath her shirt. Her wedding ring was on it. Kagome's eyes glazed in tears. five years of marriage and now she was a widow.

Kagome felt a hand touch her shoulder. Looking up she locked her eyes with the sympathetic ones of her cousin. "It's arright to be sad."

"Yeah, but I'm a mess. I can't just hang out at your place and mope all the time." Although she spoke such words, she knew she could do little to prevent herself from constantly moping. She needed a hobby. Something to get her mind off her dead husband.

The Caterpillar forms a chrysalis to conceal itself as it goes through changes.

Arthur was sure he was hallucinating. He swore he didn't need glasses, but he was certain that his half-brother, Alfred F. Jones wasn't in his house.

Arthur had just gotten home from his shift at the library. There were a few problems. First, his door had been locked. Two, he hasn't spoken to Alfred in nearly a decade when his mom would drag him overseas to America for family reunions. Though Arthur did have a small picture of him somewhere in his house. As annoying as he is, he was a good kid and Arthur needed to make the house looked like it was being lived in somehow (so a bunch of pictures it was). Third, the Alfred he saw looked too serious to be his brother. He doubted the fool had a serious bone in his body.

His hallucination seemed to notice the presence of someone else. Alfred looked at Arthur and was about to look away when he noticed that Arthur was staring at him.

Arthur closed his eyes and counted down from ten. When he opened his eyes everything would be back to normal, right? Arthur hesitantly opened his green eyes to be relieved when Alfred was gone.

What was with his brain lately?

The beauty of the butterfly attracts attention. Very few recognise all the other qualities that make it a magnificent being.

It had been a year since Kagome became a widow. As repayment for Kiku, she had been doing all of the housework. While she was allowed to be in Britain, he didn't actually have the authority to work there, and she respected their laws.

Since then, Kagome became friends with one of Kiku's friends. His name was Arthur Kirkland. They were supposed to meet up at a small café, however, things didn't go as planned. Kagome had been waiting and Arthur had finally arrived but with some company.

"But mon cher, we have not seen each other in such a long time." A Frenchman was headed towards her with Arthur. The French guy wrapped an arm around the angry brit.

"Sod off you bloody git!" Arthur was failing at shoving the other guy off.

"Zat iz not very nice. After I made such a long trip, you treat me this way. We haven't seen each other since graduation—"

"Who's your friend Arthur?"

Arthur went pale at the accusation that he would be friends with the frog. Eternal rivals would probably be a better term. They had gone to the same post-secondary school. It was four years of hell. "He's not my friend!"

"You shouldn't yell at such a pretty girl. Bonjour, I'm Francis Bonnefoy." Francis handed Kagome a rose as he winked at Kagome. "And what is your name dear mademoiselle?"

"Kagome Higurashi."

Arthur karate chopped Francis's extended arm and began another argument. He didn't want the bloody bastard anywhere near her. And while he would claim he was just trying to be a good friend by protecting her from the pervert, Arthur knew he held some feelings for the girl. Arthur didn't have to return to fighting Francis, though.

"And I'm not interested."

Francis pouted for a moment before leaving the two when he spotted a group of giggling school girls.

Arthur smiled. He was glad that she didn't fall for the pervert's wooing tactics.

"Who was that?"

Arthur sighed. "Francis Bonnefoy, an old classmate I'm afraid. Where would you like to go?"

"You're house." Arthur froze and blushed extremely bright. He looked away so Kagome wouldn't see. Her statement had so many implications. Kagome continued, "I've never been there. I'm curious as to where the bookworm lives."

Arthur's blush died down but began to sputter. "I'm not a bookworm."

Kagome giggled. "Right, you just have a personal library to heat your furnace." Kagome continued to giggle when Arthur gave an amusing expression in revolt.

They are vulnerable.

They were having a good time when Kagome's eyes settled down on a particular picture.

"And this weekend there is—why did you stop? What are you looking at?" Arthur walks over to Kagome to see what picture she was staring at. Arthur was staring at the picture so he never noticed Kagome begin to tremble or the look of pure shock on her face. "Oh that's my brother." Kagome felt something within her stir. "Well, actually half-brother. Haven't talked to him in a decade. He's American—"

"He's dead," she said in a minute whisper.

It wasn't until Arthur heard the door slam shut that he realized Kagome ran out. He blinked. Why'd she run? He was about to follow when Alfred appeared before him just like he did the year previous. Arthur closed his eyes and began to count again. Only this time Alfred was still there when he opened his eyes. "You wanker! What are you doing here? How'd you even find my house?" Arthur went to shove Alfred when his hand went right through him. Now he knew he was hallucinating.

"Stay away from her."

"Stay away from who, you twat."

"Kagome. Stay away from her?"

Arthur brushed himself off. "I don't know how you know Kagome, but I'm not about to let you boss me around. You have yet to answer any of my questions."

"I'm here to protect my wife. And I've been in the U.K. for a while now. Joined the American military, sent to the American embassy here in London and brought my wife with me. You will not hurt her." Alfred still had a deadly expression on his face. At first Arthur was confused. He thought it was a joke and didn't know how Kagome came into the equation.

"Since when were you married?" Before Alfred could say anything. "Actually, who would marry you?" Arthur still hadn't been able to connect the dots. To give him some credit, he was thinking himself crazy for talking to a hallucination.

Alfred's serious expression rapidly turned into a love-struck goofy expression. "I got married a month after my 18th birthday." Alfred sighed dreamily.

"What did you do? Wait for you both to be of age then run off to the alter?" Arthur played scenarios in his head. He knew Alfred was eccentric, but to go as far as to rush into marriage—the brit thought the American had more sense than that.

Alfred pouted. "Dude, I wish we did. I wanted to get married on my birthday, but she said no. I mean, she might have been cool with waiting, cause, well, she was 21 by that time; she was already use to waiting. But I gave in, so we got married a month later."

"What?!" Arthur couldn't see how an older woman would want someone younger—more specifically Alfred who acted younger than his age most of the time.

"Yeah, Kagome is the best."

Arthur felt the blood drain from his face as Alfred's words replay in his head like a broken record. More specifically the name he muttered. Now he was certain that he was going mad.

"But I'm dead, so she must be lonely without me being around." Alfred was quite whimsical

Arthur didn't know what to think. Apparently, he was talking to a ghost. Gee, didn't his family just love keeping him updated in family matters. Then there was the fact that apparently Kagome, the girl he kinda, sorta, really likes was married to his half-brother. And while he wanted to immediately dismiss the idea, it explained a lot of things. For example: it would explain why Arthur hadn't heard about any of her relationships, why she didn't show signs of wanting a relationship, why Kagome ran out of his house after seeing a photo of Alfred, why Kagome seemed to keep a certain distance between her and others.

Arthur sat on his couch and slammed his head against the coffee table. This was screwed up.

Butterflies have wings to fly, to expand their world.

Kagome heard a knock on her door. Kiku opened the door to notify Kagome that Arthur was here to see her. Kiku left the premises as Arthur shut Kagome's bedroom door. "We need to talk."

"Yeah, sorry about the other day." Kagome looked up to face her friend from her position on her bed. The blond sat down on the edge of the bed. Looking at Arthur, Kagome stiffened. Something wasn't right. When she looked at Arthur, it was as if it should have been Alfred instead. But the thought was preposterous.

Arthur caressed Kagome's cheeks before resting his forehead on her own and sighed in content.

"A-Arthur?"

"Do you really believe that?" The looks, the voice, it all belonged to Arthur, but there was something obviously different that Kagome could not deny. Kagome bit her lip. She didn't want to say it. She didn't want to get her feelings riled up.

"A-Alfred."

Arthur smiled softly. Or to be more accurate, Alfred who decided to possess Arthur's body. Alfred pulled Kagome into a hug and kissed her forehead. "I missed you."

"H-How? How are you here? What happened to Arthur?"

"You don't have to talk about my bro right now. For now it's just us." Kagome rested in his arms for a while longer before Alfred spoke again. "I'm sorry. I'm supposed to be your hero, but I only made you cry. For the record, I totally called ghost were real. Me possessing Arthur is proof of it."

Kagome cracked a grin. Alfred was still Alfred. He was still her light. "I—" Kagome was promptly cut off when Alfred directly kissed Kagome despite being in another's body.

Kagome panted as they broke apart. "Alfred, we can't—"

Alfred moved in for another kiss. This one deeper and more intimate. "We can."

"You're in Arthur's body!"

"He won't mind."

Kagome slapped Alfred which meant that Arthur's cheek now had a huge handprint on his face. Alfred brought a hand to his cheek in surprise.

"I love you dearly, Alfred, but I cannot do this. I miss you but you're dead." Tears cascaded down her face.

"That's the next thing I wanted to talk to you about." Alfred brought Kagome close to him and whispered in her ear.

Butterflies can and will be caught in nets; the only thing that can be done is move on.

Arthur's face was entirely red as he threw stuff at Alfred in the security of his own home (despite the fact that all objects thrown are going straight through him).

"I can't believe you did that you bloody git! First you steal my body then you do—then you do that with my body!"

"Whatever you say Iggy! You know you liked it!" Of course, Alfred was testing Arthur. His half-brother blushing was the first hint. The second hint was when the green eyed, British man touch his lips with his fingers. The third hint—well Alfred didn't need one. The fact that Arthur was showing interest in his wife was so not cool and was already scheming things to make his life hell.

The butterfly cycle will continue on. From an egg, to a caterpillar, to a pupa, to a butterfly. The cycle shall never falter.

Another year had past and Alfred had recently returned to chill at Arthur's just to peeve his brother. Arthur had thought he had finally gotten rid of him, but he was sadly mistaken. Arthur was still good friends with Kagome. In fact, he was waiting for the day she felt comfortable with dating again so he could ask her out. He would wait though because he was a gentleman, after all.

"Hi Arthur. I've got something to tell you. I've already told Kiku, so I thought I would tell you next since you're such a great friend." Kagome still remembered the words Alfred whispered to her a year ago. He told her to move on. That she shouldn't stay sad on his account, but to never forget him. "I'm going to start dating again. Nothing serious for now, but I've given myself time to figure things out."

"That's great!" Arthur was quite happy. The only thing that could make the moment better was if Alfred wasn't trying to distract him and if Kagome had been finished speaking.

"Thanks. I'm glad you think so. It's because I knew you would be supportive that I want you to meet him."

Arthur turned a ghastly white. This was not how this played out in his mind. Alfred was laughing at his suffering.

"Arthur meet Matthew. Matthew this is Arthur." For the first time, Arthur saw the boy who stood next to Kagome. He only looked to be 25. What was with Kagome and younger guys (even if only by a few years). Arthur had to wonder if Kagome wouldn't look at him in a romantic way because he was two years older. Conspiracies wandered his head.

"Oh, hey there. Nice to meet you, eh."

Then there was another factor.

Arthur's eye twitched. Matthew looked like Alfred. Was around the same age Alfred should be. Only some mild difference. Heck, they were even from the same continent.

Even Alfred's laughter stopped as he starred at the guy. He wasn't pleased either.

"I'll see you later. Let's go Matthew," said Kagome.

Matthew blushed. "A-Alright. It was nice to meet you Arthur."

The two of them began to walk away when Alfred loud but silent to most yells began. "I take it back! I take it back, Kagome. I want you to be mine forever," Alfred wailed.

Arthur smirked. Well if Alfred was miserable, at least one good thing came from Matthew.

YAY! I go the story done before the deadline (though narrowly). It's a bit rushed so sorry for any current mistakes. I'll probably come back and edit this later. Preferably a week where I don't have school and work 37 hours on top of that.

Also, thank you for taking time to read this story. I had a bunch of snippet ideas in my head, so I'm just hoping it is coherent for the readers.