Heat-Haze Days

Arthur Kirkland strolled through the park on the warm time of 12:28 of August 15th, emerald green eyes looking towards the clear, bright sky overhead as he walked, a small smile finding its way on his lips. His suit stuck to his skin because of the sweat droplets that attached it, though he didn't pay it any heed, instead just adjusting his green tie. He had always enjoyed coming out of summer meetings on days like this, for they always found a way to calm him and get rid of those annoying things that always popped up during the day, almost as well as alcohol did.

"Hey! Iggy!" an obnoxiously loud voice called out. Speaking of annoyances, Arthur thought, almost spuing out the tea he had been sipping.

"What do you want git? And don't call me that!" Arthur snapped, spinning around to face the tall, blond haired American, who seemed to be walking his dog and sucking on a popsicle at the same time.

"Nothing really, just walking Tony," Alfred F. Jones said, pointing to the small gray dog that sat happily by his feet. His sea blue eyes roamed over the British man in front of him. "And it seems that you have just gotten out of a meeting, right dude? Cool! That means we can hang out for a few minutes! Let's go to the park over there, kay?"

"Wha-? When did I say anything about spending time with a wanker like you?" Arthur shouted, irritation coating his voice.

"Just now!" Alfred answered with a large grin, grabbing Arthur's hand and pulling him over to the park. "Come on, dude! It'll be fun!"

Arthur scoffed but let himself be pulled into the park anyway and found himself on a swing with Alfred sitting next to him, rocking back and forth with Tony in his lap, a few minutes later.

They chatted back and forth for a little while before Alfred went totally silent, which was unlike him. Just as Arthur was about to ask the git what was wrong, Alfred finally began talking again.

"Well, y'know, I kind of hate summer." Alfred murmured, petting Tony and then looked up at the shocked Brit with a small, fake-looking smile. "Why are you looking at me like I've grown two heads dude?" he asked.

"Because…You LOVE summer, stupid! You always talk about it, what you're going to do during it, how nice the weather will be, how you enjoy warm weather so much more than cold! And your birthday is in the summer, which you always throw a huge, dumb celebration for! You've even invited celebrities and other famous people to them!" Arthur shouted.

"Have I? Funny…It's somewhat of a blur now," Alfred said, and just as Arthur was about to reply, a delivery truck roared down the street, startling Tony and causing the small dog to leap out of his owners arms, hurtling across the street. "Ahh! Tony!" Alfred shouted, leaping up and rushing after the dog.

He was halfway across the street when a bright red truck caught Arthur's eyes. Even though the light was red, the truck didn't stop, drunk and screaming voices coming from the inside of it. "Alfred! Watch out!" Arthur screeched, blind panic overfilling his senses.

Alfred's eyes looked up and meet with Arthur's for a spilt second before finding the fast approaching truck and widening as large as possible. "Arth-!" he began to scream, right as the truck slammed into his still body, cutting him off.

Blood splattered everywhere, and the smell of Alfred's scent and the metallic blood began choking Arthur but it didn't stop him from running closer, and dropping to his knees beside the mangled figure that was once Alfred.

"…Git?" Arthur asked, cradling Alfred's head in his lap as tears began flowing freely down his cheeks and onto the still, horror frozen face of Alfred. "Wake up…It's time for you to wake up now! GET UP ALFRED, NOW! IT'S NOT FUNNY ANY MORE!"

Over the screams of pass-byers, dialing of phones, and panicked voices talking to emergency services, Arthur heard someone laugh behind him. "This is all real, darling! All of it!"

Black spots started covering Arthur's vision, the summer day fading away. No! his mind screeched. No! No! No! Don't take me away from him!

-.-.-.-

Arthur's eyes opened and he became aware that he was lying on the table where his meetings were normally held.

"-ey! Arthur! Get up already!" Francis Bonnefoy, his colleague, shouted at him in his French accent, smacking the back of his head.

"I'm up! I'm up! Ow, ow! Stupid, stop smacking me!" Arthur shouted back, bolting up right. It…was all a dream? He wondered to himself. But…It seemed so real!

Francis stopped his smacking and sighed. "You ok, Arthur? It's not like you to fall asleep on the job."

Arthur nodded a couple times, "Fine, fine. It was just the boringness of this meeting that's all." He hurried out of the emptying meet room before anyone else could ask more questions.

He was on a mission to get home now and sort through the dream he had, sort through all the blind panic that still lingered inside of him, and most of all, call that git to make sure he was alright. He checked his phone, the time and date on it read 12:27 on August 14th, just as he started typing in Alfred's phone number though a loud voice interrupted him.

"Oh! Hey Iggy!" the voice calling out from the swing in the park was unmistakable, nor was the hand the reached up and waved to him, or the sea blue eyes that pierced into him.

"Ah! Alfred!" Arthur shouted, relief overcoming him and he rushed to the swing set.

"Hey, dude!" Alfred laughed, and pointed to the seat next to him while being careful not to disturb the small dog in his hands. "Why don't you sit for a while?"

Arthur complied without a second thought, too overjoyed to see that Alfred was ok. The two of them talked for a while, but suddenly a delivery truck appeared, frightening Tony and the small dog leaped out of Alfred's arms, bounding across the street.

"Ah! Tony!" Alfred shouted springing up, but, remembering the scene from the dream he had, Arthur grabbed his hand and didn't allow him to go.

"Hey! Dude, I go-!" Alfred started to yelp, but stopped upon seeing the worried look on Arthur's pale face. "Let's…go somewhere else," Arthur said slowly, and Alfred hesitated before nodding in agreement. "Alright then."

They started for the sidewalk but the second Alfred stepped off the pathway, screams of fear filled the air.

"Sorry Arthur," Arthur thought he heard Alfred mumble before iron spears rained down from the sky, one of them piercing straight through Alfred. Again, blood splattered everywhere and Arthur had to cover his mouth and nose to keep himself from hurling.

Alfred's screams filled the gaps in the trees around them, louder than anyone else's and Arthur wondered how he could still be alive, his head buzzing from the sight of all that crimson fluid that flowed freely from him.

Arthur heard the same laugh as before, unnatural for such a situation. "This is the real thing!" And as his vision blurred away once more, Arthur swore he saw Alfred smiling.

-.-.-.-

Arthur figured out what was going in the time of the August 14ths that followed one right after another.

Alfred just wouldn't stop dying, no matter how Arthur changed his efforts to save him, no matter how he tried to stop every bloody death from occurring, they always happened somehow.

Alfred falling down the steps of his apartment…Alfred stepping in between Arthur and a vicious gang…Alfred drowning after falling into a local pool…

Until finally, Arthur seemed to find a way to stop Alfred from dying. It was so simple! So obvious! He didn't know how he didn't figure out before. All he had to do was…

Die.

So Arthur simply let things go the way they did the first day. He and Alfred talked on the swings for a few minutes, Alfred petting Tony, until the delivery truck flew by, scaring the small gray dog and causing him to jump out of his master's arms and across the street.

"Ah! Tony!" Alfred yelped, standing up and running after the dog, Arthur closely following behind him.

Alfred stopped in the middle of the street just as he had before, wide eyed and smiling at the truck, but this time Arthur was ready. He pushed Alfred away from the road, jumping into the street and suddenly the truck was upon him, slamming into his body.

Pain exploded throughout Arthur and his eyes meet with widened blue ones. Alfred's eyes and his own twisted body were like reflections of the blood that flowed freely into the air.

I've finally won! He's not dead! Arthur's hazy mind screeched in joy, but there was no laughter this time, like there would be normally. No voice calling out that this was what he deserved, no heat haze taking away his vision. There was only blood and the sight of Alfred's terrified face getting closer as he hesitantly approached.

"I'm so sorry, Artie. I'm so sorry."

And once more, everything turned to black.

-.-.-.-

On August 14th, Alfred woke up in his bed, tears streaming down his face and clouding his vision. "Looks like I couldn't be the hero this time either," he mumbled, choking on a sob as he pet Tony softly then hesitantly stood up, preparing for the day full of death that rested in front of him for eternity.

-.-.-.-

Author's Note: Well...Here it is! My first fanfiction...I feel like I should appoligize for it sucking so horriblely ._. -le sigh- Anyways, reviews are accepted and appreciated! Though an hateful comments with no reason (ex: "It sucks." "That story was stupid!" etc.) will be deleted _ I like criticism but I need to have a reason why you don't like my story and maybe a couple tips on how to get better...?