"Are you an angel?"
"...Yes."
"Okay." And the little boy smiled at him.
Arthur blinked. No one on Earth had ever smiled at him, let alone seen him. He had just been standing in a field, gazing at the horizon, when a little boy with bright blue eyes and blond hair, wearing a...gown...?...had curiously touched one of his feathers from behind, startling him. He didn't know what to make of the boy, since he didn't seem to be human, but looked a lot like one.
And he has a rather adorable smile, he thought. Maybe I should smile back...
He smiled a little, and the boy smiled wider. "Yay!" he laughed, running forward and hugging his legs. He giggled, "I met an angel! Cool!" Arthur blinked and slowly, tentatively, reached down and patted the little boy's head, making him giggle even more. He smiled, ruffling his hair a bit. "That's right, I'm an angel...and what's your name, hm?"
The boy looked up at him, still smiling. "My name's Alfred! Hahaha! What's your name~?"
Arthur really didn't know what to do then except chuckle and kneel down on one leg, smiling at Alfred at his eye level. "My name is Arthur," he said. He didn't really think it would be a problem if he told him, since nothing bad had happened yet. He really liked the boy, and he wondered where he had come from. He asked him, and Alfred shrugged. "I dunno~ I've been here for a while, can't remember~!" He smiled and spun around a bit, singing, "La la lala la lalala la lala~...!"
Arthur laughed, thinking that was probably the cutest thing he'd ever seen a little boy do, and smiled at him. "Well, do you know where you are?"
The boy stopped singing and spinning, thinking. "Hm...nope!"
He frowned slightly. "Well, do you have any family nearby? Any friends? Are you alone?" He wasn't sure a boy this young should be alone in the middle of a vast field like this. It couldn't have been safe. The boy just shook his head, replying, "Nope, I'm alone~! At least, I think I am~" He hummed and wandered around a bit, looking down at the dirt and oohing and aahing at bugs and flowers.
Arthur leaned back on his heels and watched him, thinking for a minute. Was he sent here to help this boy? Had he been through an accident and lost his family? Was he simply lost? Why was he able to see him? He knew there were some people who had been given the rare opportunity to see an angel, but only at the angel's will and, of course, God's. He hadn't heard anything or been told about this, so he wondered if...
Oh no.
He stared at the boy, then gulped slightly and spoke. "Alfred, could you...come here, for a moment...?" He hoped it wasn't true...he was so young...
Alfred looked up and tilted his head, then smiled and skipped over to him. "Yeah~?" he trilled. Arthur bit his lip softly and reached out, putting a hand on his small shoulder. "You...feel me, right?"
Alfred nodded. "Yeah, I feel you~! Why?"
Arthur took the hand away and held his fingers in front of Alfred's forehead, flicking him with a nail. "Did that hurt?"
Alfred shook his head. "No, it felt nice~! What didja do~?" He giggled and rocked back and forth on his heels.
Arthur took his hand away and thought for a moment, then scanned the ground and found a twig covered in thorns. He picked it up and held it out to the boy. "Do you know what this is?" Alfred nodded. "Yeah, that's a stick, and those are thorns!" He frowned a bit, eyes slightly widening. "They don't hurt you?" Alfred shook his head, not smiling or frowning at all, keeping his face clean of emotion. "No, it doesn't hurt. If it's alright with you, Alfred, I want you to...touch one of the thorns, and tell me if it hurts, alright?"
The boy looked at the twig with thorns, then back up at him. "Why? Thorns hurt, right?" He looked a little scared. Arthur smiled, trying to reassure him, almost. "They do, but I want you to trust me. If it hurts, I can make it feel better, alright? Just poke one, and tell me if it hurts you..."
Alfred nodded and tentatively lifted a finger. "You can make it feel better...?"
The angel nodded.
Hesitant, the boy poked one of the thorns. He paused, then poked it again. Then again. "Hey, it...it doesn't hurt! Woah, cool!" He giggled. "You're right, you can make it feel better, haha!" His finger wasn't bleeding, nor was his skin even cut. Arthur watched him, his expression growning sad, then sighed and put the twig down. Alfred looked at him, slightly confused. "Hey, what's wrong, angel?" he asked, showing genuine concern. Arthur almost sighed again, thinking he was so innocent, but instead he smiled. "I have...good news, Alfred. I know where you're going next."
Alfred widened his eyes, blinking once. "Really? Where am I going? Is it fun?" He looked eager, and so very happy, it almost hurt Arthur to tell him. He reached forward with a hand and gently pressed it against Alfred's chest, asking, "Do you feel anything here, Alfred?"
The young boy was still for a moment. "No, but I feel you hand. Is there anything else?" He looked curious now, and Arthur smiled softly. The boy didn't have a heartbeat. "No, there's nothing else..." He took his hand away, resting his arms on his knees. "Alfred, I think I'm supposed to take you to my home. Do you know where that is?" he asked gently.
Alfred looked like he thought hard for a moment, then smiled and pointed up. "Heaven, right? That's where angels live! Am I gonna go there?" He looked genuinely excited now, and Arthur smiled more, giving him a pat on the head. "Yes, you're going to go to Heaven with me..." he looped his arms under Alfred's, lifting him up. The young boy smiled and giggled, lifting up his arms. "Weeee~!" Arthur chuckled softly, and he almost felt glad that he was going to spend more time with him. He was still a bit sorry the boy had to die so young, but, as he had always known, everyone's time must come eventually, and all humans have to move on. At least Alfred would be happy in the house of God.
"Are you ready?"
"Yep~! Let's go ta Heaven, please~!" he looked up, almost like he expected to see a cloud with a shining pair of golden gates held up in the air. Arthur smiled, spreading his wings, holding Alfred close to his chest. He was so young...but at least he would be happy.
"Alright, let's go home."
Fin.