Arthur had never gotten very many birthday gifts. He remembered that the few he did get, his brothers had destroyed for fun. Most people he knew were too busy with their daily lives to remember such a fleeting little thing as the day he was born into the world, and then on top of it give him a gift. And frankly, he had started to forget too. He hadn't remembered to celebrate such a trifle event like that in many years, not since he was just a boy.

He may forget the day he was born every now and then, but he'd never forget that boy. That nice, loving, incredibly stupid boy.

Times had been fun back then. Even though Arthur's parents wouldn't give him the time of day and his brothers tormented him constantly, he still found joy in life when walking in the woods near his home.

The day had started out as an incredibly warm and sunny summer day, the sun shining through the green leaves and casting brilliant shadows on the ground and providing shade from the hot sun. The green of the forest reflected and illuminated Arthur's green eyes with a passion, and the sun gave his golden hair a beautiful glow. But the gorgeous day turned bad when the sky got dark and it started to pour down rain, of course, when he was farthest from home.

He knew of only one good place to hide from the rain and ran there as fast as he could to avoid getting anymore soaked than he was. Though try as he did, he was still dripping wet when he got to his hiding place. It consisted of a gigantic evergreen tree with a hollowed out trunk. Arthur thought that someone in the past must have carved out for the very reason he was using it for now.

Arthur settled down in the driest place on the ground, dirtying up his shorts in the process. He rested his head on the back of the tree and closed his eyes so he could enjoy the sound of the rain beating against the earth. Just as he was relaxing, Arthur heard a sound that disrupted the peaceful rhythm of nature. Wet footsteps were pounding loudly in the air and were getting closer and closer to him, so Arthur poked his head out of the tree and saw a boy about his age in the same state as he was: soaked and running for shelter.

Although weary about sharing his spot with a stranger, he called out to him and invited him in. After hearing him, the boy ran over and ducked into the tree and smiled a magnificent, pearly white smile at Arthur.

"Thanks man! I didn't think I was ever gana find cover!" said the boy quickly. "I thought I was gana have to find my way all the way back home through this, so really, thanks! Oh by the way my names Alfred, Alfred F. Jones! What's yours?"

Arthur was overwhelmed by this excessively excited boy for a moment; it's been a long time since anyone has talked to him so much. He recovered his senses and responded, "My names Arthur Kirkland. It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance." Arthur stuck out his hand towards the boy with the expectation of a handshake; however, Alfred instead gave a sideways high five that made Arthur's hand sting and he recoiled very quickly with an irritated face. "Well that was quite rude and—"

Alfred interrupted him saying, "Oh wow you've got a really cool accent! Where are you from huh? England, right? You guys sound so cool! What are you doing here in America then? Oh dude, killer big eyebrows you got there huh? You could block out the sun with those things!"

Arthur was a bit disgruntled, but he tried to stay polite and answered with a frown, "My parents were offered a job here, not that that's any of your business. My eyebrows are none of your business either you bloody twit." Arthur sat back down where he was previously and asked, "Alfred was it? Well it doesn't look like this rain is going to let up anytime soon so it seems we have time to kill."

"That's an understatement; it rains forever over here once it starts! Well hey, since we've got a lot of time why don't you and I be friends and see what we got in common huh? I bet there's a lot! I'm eleven and my birthday is the fourth of July! Exciting huh? My favorite food is hamburgers and my favorite color is red, white, and blue! Oh and I really like holidays!"

And on and on Alfred went. As he was talking, Arthur finally got a good look at this Alfred boy. He was a little taller and bigger built than Arthur was, had the same kind of golden hair, though it was a darkened a bit by the rain, and had the most pristine blue eyes that were framed by glasses. He was wearing an old bomber jacket and jeans that were all dirty and his shoes were an absolute mess, most likely the result of not looking where he was going and splashing into a puddle.

"Hey are you listening British guy?" Alfred asked, snapping Arthur out of his thoughts. "You haven't said anything this whole time. What, am I just that fun to listen to? I bet I am!"

"Well frankly, no. I wasn't really listening to much of it. And I do have a name, I told you before, it's Arthur" he said bluntly. At that comment, Alfred made such a hurt expression that Arthur almost felt guilty that he said such a thing to make such a bright and happy boy look sad. So to make up for it he put on a nervous smile and added "Just kidding, are you not used to British humor?"

Alfred's face lit up at that and he punched Arthur's arm lightly. "Aw dude you totally had me going! You looked so serious! Now tell me about you and let's see if we like the same things!" said Alfred, looking more excited than ever at the prospect of making a new friend with a cool accent.

Arthur rubbed at his arm (for Alfred had more strength than he thought), and said, "Yes, well, there's not much to say really. Sorry to disappoint. Oh but I do enjoy a hamburger every now and then."

"Well that's all I need to be friends with you!" Alfred said hopefully. "Oh hey look, the rain let up! I guess it was just a short drizzle today! Well I gata get home to dinner, wana meet here again tomorrow? And you can't say no!"

Arthur thought about it and decided that he really didn't have anything better to do with his life at the moment, so he responded "Yeah sure, why not," he shrugged his shoulders. "Tomorrow at noon then."

And so the days and weeks and months passed where they would meet in the hollowed out tree and share their stories. They made their little hideout in the tree more comfortable by bringing in a few blankets and six or seven pillows to stuff in there like a fort. They laughed and bonded and got together well enough for even Arthur to consider him a close friend. They didn't even say each other's full name anymore; that was changed within a few days. They nicknamed each other and "Al and Artie, the dangerous duo!" Sometimes Arthur brought some food he had made to share with Alfred, and Alfred tried his best to get it down even though he said it was the worst thing he's ever tasted. One time he got so sick from Arthur's food he couldn't come to the tree for three days!

Then one day, Arthur suddenly interrupted Alfred's lovely tale of how he won the school kickball tournament in third grade and said with a smug expression, "Oh, but I do suppose this might be considered 'exciting'; today is my birthday. I turn twelve today, so that means I'm a tad older than you."

"No way! That's so cool! Happy Birthday Artie!" Alfred exclaimed. He then gave a puzzled look, leaned over a pillow, and questioned, "But if it's your birthday then what are you doing out here? Isn't this a time to celebrate with family and friends?"

Arthur had on an expression of amusement. "Not really. I haven't had a birthday party in who knows how long. My family is too busy to notice something like that. Besides, you're my friend, right? So that counts as me 'celebrating' then, right?"

"Dude, that's not how it's 'sposed to go! You need cake and presents and a party!" Alfred protested. He then paused in thought, looking like the Thinker statue Arthur had seen in books and got a big smile on his face and said, "I know! How 'bout you and me hitch a ride to a place a few towns over and go camping all weekend! I know a great place over there that I visited last year!"

Arthur scoffed. "As if my parents would let me leave for an entire weekend. They may forget my birthday, but they'd notice if I was gone for three entire days with no word. And what about yours?"

"Well then how about this," Alfred proposed. "I tell my parents I'm going to your house for a big sleepover, and you tell your parents you're coming to my house for the same thing! That way they think we're at each other's house and won't worry!"

Arthur considered this a moment and responded, "Well actually…that's not a terrible idea Al. I didn't know you had intelligent thought in that brain of yours." He silently laughed at his own little joke. "And you're sure this place is safe? How are we getting there? When?" Arthur asked excitedly. This would be the first time he's even considered doing something so outrageous. And he thought that being outrageous every once in a while would be fun anyway.

"Friday at like, ten in the morning. There's this bus that goes straight up to the place. I've been saving up my allowance so I can totally pay for it. Plus, I've got a bunch of camping equipment in my garage at home! Not so dumb now am I!" exclaimed Alfred happily. "So what do ya say Artie? It'll be fun!"

"Yes actually, it sounds quite fun. I've never been camping before. So let's do it Al, let's go on this ridiculous, adventurous, weekend trip! I mean, what can go wrong with just innocent fun?" Arthur said with one of his rare smiles. He was genuinely happy and thrilled, which is very out of the ordinary for him. It was new and exciting and he absolutely loved it.

That smile was all that Alfred needed in return. The thought that he did that, that he himself made Arthur smile, made him all warm inside and he had a deep satisfaction from it. He grinned in return, unable to keep his excitement from bubbling over.

On Friday morning they did exactly what their plan called for. Alfred packed a bag full of camping equipment, told his parents his friend was having a sleepover, and left before they could say anything against it. Arthur instead left a note on the house's family whiteboard since he never saw his parents anymore. He then packed a bunch of snacks and blankets in his pack and set off to meet Alfred at the bus stop down the street. Arthur of course arrived early and Alfred of course arrived late. That was to be expected at this point.

"Alfred! You're late! I was about to head back home!" Arthur exclaimed while tapping his foot and crossing his arms with a look of irritation plastered on his face.

"Sorry! I had more stuff to pack than I thought. But I've got a whole twenty dollars and a bunch of ideas for what to do when we get there!" Alfred said with lit up eyes. He handed over a dollar to Arthur for the bus fee and took one for himself before putting the money back in his pants pocket. "Besides, I'm not late! Look, the bus is right there!" Alfred said pointing a few feet up the street.

Arthur crossed his arms in annoyance, but muttered an "I suppose" before stepping on the bus once it stopped. He fed the dollar into the machine and Alfred followed behind, laughing to himself about Arthur being such a stogy old man for only being twelve years old.

They both sat in the big seats at the back and settled down knowing it was going to be a long ride. At first they were both excitedly chatting about what they were going to do when they got there.

"Hey Artie, I bet you're gana be a big sissy when it gets dark!" Alfred decided.

"Am not! Now that I'm twelve I'm way more mature and grown up than you are!" Arthur exclaimed back.

"You are not!" Alfred proclaimed. "You're only a little older than me! That doesn't make you grown up! Besides, I'm a hero and heroes are always the coolest people!"

Arthur looked at him in disbelief, one eyebrow raised. "A hero? You? Hah! Says the one that screamed bloody murder when I snuck up on you last week! I doubt that Superman or Batman would ever do that!"

"Yeah, well! Shut up!" Alfred pouted and crossed his arms. "I may not be all that grown up and heroic right now but I will be! Just you see, I'm gana save people some day! That's why when I grow up I wana be a cool police officer and save people's lives and catch bad guys!"

"Oh wow, a police officer huh?" Arthur said with wonder. He was actually a little impressed by Alfred right now. But of course he wouldn't let Alfred know that, so instead he replied, "Yes well I'm going to be a big smart scholar at a university, you know. I think I'm going to teach English since it's my favorite subject. I absolutely love reading books like Sherlock Holmes and everything. It's so fun losing yourself in a book and interpreting everything as you wish and coming up with your own story ideas and writing them all out so everyone can read—" Arthur realized he'd been getting a little overly excited when he noticed his cheeks flushing and his sentences rambling. He looked down to his lap, embarrassed, and said "Ah, sorry, it seems I got carried away there."

"Oh, no, it's ok!" Alfred said quickly, waving his hands in front of him. "It's always really cool to listen to someone when they talk about something they're passionate about!" He actually wanted Arthur to go on talking like that again. He really liked seeing Arthur getting so happy over something and smiling and laughing and blushing. It was nice to see something different from Arthur's normal frown that seemed to be permanently stuck on his face.

"Oh, yes, I suppose huh." Arthur said awkwardly, still looking down. He felt weird having expressed his thoughts so much to someone; he'd never done that before.

A peaceful silence then fell over the two of them; they had nothing to say and they were ok with it. After a while, the quiet, added to the gentle rocking of the bus, made Arthur realize how tired he actually was. He didn't really sleep last night; he was too excited about the idea of today's events that he just stayed awake in silent enthusiasm. Before Arthur knew it, his head started nodding and he was out like a light, already asleep before he landed on Alfred's shoulder.

Alfred jumped a bit in surprise and reddened at the thought that that really just happened. He looked at Arthur's sleeping face, so calm and relaxed, and he smiled, thinking to himself that Arthur can be kind of cute when he wanted to be, but only kind of. He then realized that he himself was moderately sleepy, having gone through the same sort of night that Arthur had. Deciding it was ok since their stop was the last one on the route, Alfred rested his head on top of Arthur's and let his eyes close. Then just like Arthur, he was sleeping too.

They were both woken up by the bus driver shaking them gently telling them they had to get off the bus. Alfred lifted his head and adjusted his glasses, which had gotten crooked, and Arthur left his head on Alfred's shoulder, rubbing his tired eyes before he noticed where exactly he was leaning.

He bolted up and off Alfred and said hastily, "Oh my god, I'm so incredibly sorry Al! I didn't know I was there! Oh god I must've been heavy and annoying and oh bloody hell, why did I do that—"

Alfred burst into laughter and gripped at his sides at the sight of Arthur being so flustered. He recovered his breath and said to the bewildered Arthur, "Wow dude! It's ok really! It wasn't like you hurt me or anything, calm down man! Though you did drool on my shirt a bit."

Arthur face palmed himself, half because he was scarlet from the neck up and was trying to hide it, and half just from disbelief. "How embarrassing, I'm really sorry. You should've pushed me off, I wouldn't have minded."

"Nah, it was fine, I didn't mind you sleeping on my shoulder. I bet I've got the most comfortable shoulders ever too!" Alfred joked. Though he faltered a bit seeing the expression Arthur was wearing. It was almost a mix between happiness and confusion and embarrassment and fear all together.

"You didn't mind?" Arthur asked quietly.

"Nope. I was your pillow and you were mine, it was an equal trade! Now we better get going before the bus driver guy gets mad at us" Alfred said, looking wearily at the old bus driving glancing at them through the mirror.

"O-Oh yes, let's do that" Arthur responded, remembering where they were again.

They both grabbed their bags and Alfred grabbed Arthur's hand to lead him off the bus. Alfred felt Arthur tense up when they made contact and asked "You alright? What, are you getting scared now that we're actually here? Don't worry! I'm a hero remember? I'll protect you with my life just like a great hero would!" He laughed obnoxiously and walked off the bus with Arthur.

And Arthur was scared, but not because he was far from home. He was scared because he was wondering what this odd feeling of acceptance was in his chest. It was so alien to him, so new. It was frightening to think that one person could make him so happy. But, terrified as he was, he slowly relaxed and loosened up, gripping Alfred's hand back.

They didn't have to walk long before they found the town that Alfred had mentioned. It was a cute little place, with old school, cottage like houses, a few family restaurants, and some mom and pop shops. Arthur quite liked it the look of it, it seemed very cozy.

"Hey Arthur, wait right here! I've gata go get something ok?" Alfred said, letting go of Arthur's hand and running off into a store before Arthur could respond.

"Well ok then" Arthur said to himself, missing the warmth of Alfred's hand almost instantly. He then wandered over to sit on a bench at the end of the sidewalk and waited for Alfred to come back. He didn't have to wait long though, for only a few minutes later Alfred was walking towards him with a plastic bag in his hand. Curious, Arthur asked, "What did you get over there? Camping supplies or something?"

"Yeah, something like that I guess?" Alfred said nervously. "You'll find out later, kay? It's nothing special."

"Right…" Arthur narrowed his eyes, not entire convinced Alfred was telling him the truth. But he let the matter be for the time being.

Alfred laughed nervously and led Arthur up a steep road that lead to the camp site. They were quiet for a while until Arthur decided to break the silent tension that built up between them by pulling out the snacks he brought from his bag and offering one to Alfred.

"They're store bought, so don't worry about getting sick off them" Arthur said, handing a wrapped up sandwich to Alfred. "Thought we might as well eat something on the way up here."

"Yeah thanks! I'm starved!" Alfred took the sandwich gratefully and took a big bite out of it. With food still in his mouth he said, "Though you know, I don't mind the food you make. I somewhat like it actually."

Flustered by such a comment and doing his best to hide his feelings once again, Arthur just scolded him and said, "Alfred, don't talk with your mouth full!" and listened to Alfred laugh it off.

Arthur thought that it really was alarming that such simple comments and compliments from Alfred could always give him that odd feeling every time. He rather enjoyed the rising sense of bliss and happiness he got from it, but he hid his face and stuffed the sandwich in his mouth to distract himself and made sure Alfred didn't see how much he was smiling.

They were quiet for time again, but this time because they were too hungry to say much and were stuffing their sandwiches in their faces. But by the time they finished, they had reached the ridge that the camp site's clearing was on.

It was unlike anything Arthur had seen before in his life, it almost looked like something out of the story books he read. The ground was covered in soft, green grass, there were overhanging trees that shaded the area, and the view was absolutely amazing. From where they were, they could see the distant mountains with snow dotting the peaks, a clear blue sky, and evergreen covered hills all in one spot. Arthur just gazed at it with awe, for he had only ever seen such scenes on television, never in person like this. And he instantly decided that the real thing was much better than anything else.

"So whatcha think Artie? Pretty cool, huh! I told you I knew the perfect camping spot and I was totally right, huh?" Alfred patted Arthur's shoulder, startling him. Arthur had been too wrapped up in the scene to notice Alfred coming up behind him and dropping his bag next to him.

"It's amazing Al!" Arthur said with joy in his voice and a grin on his face. "It's absolutely amazing! I've never seen such a perfect place!" Arthur noticed his cheeks warming up as a result of him getting carried away again, but he didn't care this time. "It's so beautiful! I mean look at that!" he gestured to the view, "Just wow! Thank you for bringing me here Al; this is the best gift I've ever gotten in my whole life!" Before Arthur could comprehend what he was really doing, he ran up and gave Alfred the biggest hug he could manage.

Alfred hunched his shoulders up in shock by such a sudden show of emotion in Arthur, for it was very abnormal of him. But he felt such pride from being able to make Arthur happy, and his cheeks became all rosy and pink. He hugged Arthur back and lifted him up with the abnormal strength he didn't realize he had yet, before saying a quick and embarrassed "No problem" to Arthur.

Arthur let go first and said giddily, "Let's not set up the tent tonight, we should just sleep under the stars since it's so clear out!" And he was right, the night was slowly approaching and the first starts were just coming out.

"Yeah! Absolutely! Besides, tents are annoying to set up anyway" Alfred chuckled. "Let me start a fire before we get other things out, I'm gettin' cold and its gettin' dark. Can you go gather some wood while I find the lighter?" He wrapped his coat around him more.

"Okay, I'll be right back then" replied Arthur, excited and glad to be of use. He then dropped his bag to the ground and ran off in the opposite direction of Alfred, looking for the appropriate kind of firewood.

Alfred's lighter was right in his pocket, where it had been the whole time. So in the meantime, while Arthur was gone, he used the time to find a hiding spot for what he had gotten at the store. He tied the plastic bag closed and hid it in a bush across the street from the camp, making sure it couldn't be seen and was safe where animals couldn't get to it. He ran back just in time to see Arthur coming back with little logs and twigs in his arms.

"Cool! Now I just need some stones to make a little fire pit and we can get this started!" exclaimed Alfred. So he got some stones and placed them in their spots, put the firewood in a teepee form, and skillfully lit the fire in one try.

They both set out their sleeping bags side by side next to the fire, and Alfred went to go tie up the food in a tree so bears wouldn't get to it in the night. They were still pretty full from the sandwiches and decided to save the food they had left for breakfast. By the time everything was done, it was already dark out with plenty of beautiful starts and a half moon shining down on them.

Alfred came and sat down, exhausted, on his sleeping bag to face Arthur.

Arthur was pretty awed by all the outdoor skills Alfred had and questioned, "How are you so good at this? Were you stranded in the woods as a kid and forced to fend for yourself or something?"

Confused and amused by such a question, Alfred barked out laughing and just said, "Boy Scouts dude. Don't have those where you come from?"

"Well I don't know! It's not a priority to know how to live outdoors for most people, you know! Too much bloody rain over in Britain for camping" Arthur commented. He got quiet, remembering his old home and country, and looked to the ground.

It didn't get pass Alfred either, he noticed the instant change in Arthur's expression. He always seemed to know what Arthur was thinking these past few weeks. He said to him, "Do you miss Britain?"

Arthur looked up to him with a half, forced smile. "Every day. Things had been much different over there: that's when my parents were still around the house to talk, and my brothers weren't quite as mean. Although they're always mean. Maybe they just got older and in the process got meaner." He held his knees up to his chest, for it was getting colder out, and continued with, "Although I didn't have friends over there either, so the one good thing about moving over here is that I got to meet you, Al." He glanced up and saw that Alfred had a sympathetic smile on his face. "I may be surrounded by people all the time, but I always felt really lonely. But that just went away when I was with you. So…thank you for making me feel like I'm not alone anymore Alfred, I really am happy. Meeting you by chance was the best thing that's happened to me."

Alfred handed him a napkin from his bag. Arthur took it, confused. "Why are you giving this to me?"

"Huh? Well, because you're crying." Alfred said, concerned.

"What?" Arthur brought his hands up to face and sure enough, there were tears all down his cheeks, shining in the firelight. He hadn't even noticed. He hurriedly cleaned up his face and said, "Sorry Al, that was stupid. It's silly to cry over something like that, huh? Hahaha, w-well I'll just go to bed now!"

Arthur swiftly opened up the sleeping bag and dove in, pulling an extra blanket over his head and covering his face with his hands. He'd always felt like crying was such a pointless act, that it never solved anything, just made him look more weak than usual. So of course he was ashamed to have shown Alfred his crying face. What he must think of him! Arthur just really wanted to forget that just happened and hoped Alfred would too.

All was quiet for moment and Arthur thought that Alfred really had just gone to bed, and was relieved. That is until he heard some movement from under his covers. He peaked out of a little hole in the fabric and saw that Alfred took his glasses off and was moving his bag next to Arthur's.

Alfred had gotten into his sleeping bag too, and then scooted right up close to Arthur and with his back faced to him, said quietly, and almost shyly, "Meeting you was the best thing that's ever happened to me too, Arthur. I don't have any problems at home, but kids in school always thought I was annoying and stopped talking to me after a while and called me names. But you never stopped talking to me, and I was always super glad about that! So, let's stay best friends forever ok? If you wouldn't mind that is…I'd be really happy if we could. A-and you can't say no!"

Arthur's heart just about skipped a beat at that. He never knew that Alfred had ever felt loneliness too, since he was always so happy and laughing all the time. He never knew that he helped Alfred in the same way Alfred helped him. And again, that feeling of absolute acceptance rushed through him and the happiness and joy that came with it too. As much as Arthur hated crying, he had started again. Just a few tears were shed by him, but this time it was for a different reason. He realized he hadn't responded to Alfred's question yet, and said with a choked up voice, "I'd love to, Al. Let's be friends forever and ever."

Both boys were blushing profusely at this point with embarrassment, happiness, and joy, neither knowing the other was just as bad as they themselves were.

"Thanks" Alfred said, a big grin on his face, hidden from Arthur's sight.

"Not a problem" Arthur chortled. He nudged closer to Alfred and said, "Goodnight Al, see you tomorrow morning."

"Yeah, I'm gana make the best and tastiest breakfast in the world tomorrow!" Alfred declared.

"We brought prepackaged bagels, Al" said Arthur directly.

They burst out laughing with little giggles and tried to hush each other for a bit until they eventually fell asleep, both with smiles on their faces knowing they had just made a lifelong friend.

Arthur was awoken the next morning by the warm light of the rising sun on his skin. He stirred, coming into consciousness and relishing in the warm cocoon he had created during the night. He slowly opened his eyes to see Alfred's face, only inches away from his.

"Gyah!" screamed Arthur, flinging himself back and landing in the ashes of the dead fire. He quickly scrambled out of his sleeping bag and got up, trying to brush the soot out of his hair.

Alfred woke with a start at Arthur's scream and rapidly put on his glasses and jumped up in an attack position, putting his hands up like a boxer. "What?! Who is attacking you Artie?! What's going on?!"

"Nothing! Nothing! It's ok Al!" Arthur yelled, putting a hand on his racing heart. He had forgotten where he was when he woke up. He had expected to see the inside of his room, not Alfred's face. He then got red thinking that he was really that close to Alfred's face, they were such a short distance apart. Arthur wasn't used to such close contact with anyone.

"What? Then why did you scream?" Alfred asked, dropping his hands and wearing a mask on confusion on his face.

"It's nothing, you just surprised me was all. You got turned around in the night and you were just really close to my face and I got freaked out is all" rambled Arthur quickly.

"Oh, well, if it was just that then…good morning then, I guess. What a start to the day, huh? Didn't think I was gana have such a heart attack first thing when I got up" Alfred laughed. He was extremely worried when he had heard Arthur screaming, he thought maybe Arthur had injured himself in some way. But knowing it was just because they were too close to each other made him relax about it. Although, he was bit rosy in the cheeks knowing that it was him that caused Arthur to react so strongly.

"Good morning indeed" replied Arthur. "Well, I guess that counted as a morning exercise don't you think? We should get the breakfast out then, I'm starved."

Alfred's stomach growled, responding for him. They both giggled at the good timing and Alfred got the food down from the tree he tied them up in. Handing a bagel and a packet of cream cheese to Arthur, he said, "Whatcha wana do today? Maybe find the river and get that black stuff out of your hair first?"

"Oh I thought I got all of that!" Arthur answered annoyed, bringing a hand up to his dirty hair. "Yes, I suppose I should take care of that. And you could use for a bath too, you smell to high heaven even from over here."

"Wha— I do not!" Alfred said defensively, he crossed his arms and looked away from Arthur. "I don't stink, I smell like a man! And men sweat with all the manly things they do!"

Arthur jeered at him. "Yeah, well, man or not, I don't want to smell you. I'm sure I could go for a good cleaning too, so let's go over there first and foremost."

"Yeah yeah, can't have the prince being dirty now can we?" said Alfred in a mocking tone.

"Why you! Shut up you prat! There's nothing wrong in enjoying being clean" retorted Arthur, an angry expression on his face.

But then again, when didn't he look like an angry and old man, thought Alfred. He chuckled at Arthur and ate the rest of his bagel. He packed some up some clothes and snacks while he waited for Arthur to finish, and got all ready to go.

Once Arthur was done packing his own clothing, they set off down the trail that led to the road that was close by.

They didn't talk much on the way there, aside from Alfred's complaints, because they were both already getting tired and thirsty. The day was turning out to be an extremely hot and muggy afternoon and they had already emptied their water bottles. Then, when the sun was high in the sky, they had finally heard the sound of the rushing water and ran the rest of the way to it.

"Finally!" exclaimed Alfred, exhausted. He threw his bag down, shed his overly clingy and sweating clothing (keeping only his boxers on), and ran into the water's refreshing grasp as fast as he could manage.

Arthur on the other hand had to regain his breath before he could do anything. He had a fleeting thought that Alfred had no shame flinging his clothes off like that. He himself had quite a pale and skinny body, so he was apprehensive about showing it off. He slowly but surely did the same routine Alfred had just done and walked into the cold water, inching his way in like one would do with a swimming pool.

"Just jump in!" said Alfred, only a few feet away. "It's a lot faster that way you know."

"Yes, I know Al, but I'm not going to. It's absolutely freezing and I'm adjusting, ok?"

"Yeah, sure, absolutely" Alfred said, right before he splashed Arthur over and over, getting quite the humorous reaction out of him.

Arthur put his hands up trying to block the water from his face and stepped back to try and get out, instead slipping and falling right in. He sprang up and gasped at the cold, spewing, "You bloody twit of a man! Why did you do that! I could have hit my head and drowned you absolute git! Jesus, Al!"

With Arthur still fuming, Alfred just said with a proud expression, "It's ok Artie! If you did that, I'd go save ya! They taught us CPR in the Boy Scouts too, so I could totally do it!"

Arthur got flustered and questioned, "CPR? But isn't that where you have to…well…practically k-kiss the other person to give them air?" Arthur was flushed red by the end of his sentence.

Alfred shrugged, "Well yeah, but if it meant life or death then I wouldn't really care. Besides, a CPR kiss wouldn't mean anything! It's totally not the good kind of kiss."

"Oh, so have you kissed anyone before?" Arthur asked. He dunked his head in the water to hide his face and get his hair clean.

"Only once, but it was a CPR kiss to some girl at school who almost drowned. Plus, she faked it just to get a kiss out of me!" Alfred said frankly. "But I don't think it counts, ya know? What about you Artie? Ever kissed anyone?"

"No…" Arthur said with a pout. He looked down to the clear water, crossed his arms, and continued with, "I've never had the chance. I'm just waiting for the right person! Nothing wrong with that, right? Don't want to hook up with a tart who just kisses anyone."

"Well, I'm guessing your version of 'tart' isn't a flavor?" questioned Alfred, eyebrow raised. "But I get what you mean; I'm doing the same thing! I'm gana wait for the right person that's totally cool and awesome and I'm gana make it super romantic like they do in the movies!"

"How fitting for you" Arthur said with a laugh in his voice, "You seem like the kind of guy that likes that stuff."

"Well yeah! People dig that stuff, ya know? I think its super cool!" Alfred excitedly decided, blaring his pearly white smile. "How about you? You like that romantic stuff?"

"I think it's nice, a little cheesy, but nice all the same. Sometimes I could use a little cheesiness I think, change it up a bit, ya know?" Arthur smiled over to Alfred.

Casual as Arthur thought that smile was, it impacted Alfred deeper than he knew. Alfred's heart skipped a beat and his cheeks were on fire and he just stared at Arthur. After a few seconds though, he realized Arthur was giving him a confused look with his head tilted to the side.

"Hey are you ok? You're face is really red, do you have a fever or something?" Arthur walked in the water over to Alfred and attempted to bring his hand to Alfred's forehead to check his temperature. But before he could get there Alfred stumbled and fell in the water, quickly acting like nothing happed and tried to put it off as him diving gracefully backwards.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Arthur yelled angrily, clenching his fists by his side. Alfred could hear the muffled noise while underwater. "I was just trying to see if you got sick or something! If you are we should go back home, I don't need you ending up in a hospital because I didn't look after such a dumb person as you!"

Alfred popped up when we ran out of air and walked back to shore with a small frown on his face. "It's nothing! We should get out and dry off" He said to the still confused Arthur. To think that again with such a small thing like a smile from Arthur could make him feel so weird! He would definitely have to look up whatever that weird feeling was later on. It was bugging him beyond compare that he didn't know what it was.

Arthur could see right through that façade Alfred was putting up, but decided not to push it. He's learned that you can't get anything out of Alfred that Alfred didn't want to say. So instead of putting the energy into an argument he knew he'd never win, he just followed Alfred up to the bank and took a towel that Alfred had brought with him.

They both dried off and got into clean clothes, silent and awkward. Alfred too busy with his thoughts of this odd feeling in his heart, and Arthur too concerned about Alfred saying nothing. It's a very rare occurrence that Alfred's quiet. Even when eating, Alfred would be rude and talk the whole time.

Arthur being much better at reading atmospheres, spoke up and said, "Hey Al, want to take a hike or something? I know you like that kind of thing right? But nothing with big hills ok? There's only so much I can take being as I'm not an athletic person, unlike you."

"Hm?" Arthur broke Alfred's trance in his mind, even though Alfred didn't really know he was thinking so hard. He turned to Arthur and said, "Oh yeah, sure! I know a lot of pretty places since you like that kind of thing. And don't worry, the trails aren't that bad!" he finished with a cheerful smile.

"Great, let's go then" Arthur replied smiling, happy to have the normal Alfred back even though he was being unusual for only a few minutes.

"Yeah, let me go fill up the water bottles first so we don't almost die like last time" Alfred commented.

"Alfred, we weren't dying, we were just thirsty. Stop being dramatic" Arthur said, waving him off and rolling his eyes. Really, what was Arthur going to do with him?

They explored all over the place, seeing vast fields full of deer and small birds, gigantic trees in full bloom, and they even got to see the ocean from a cliff they found. They relished in warm sun and fresh air and enjoyed every moment of the time they spent together.

"Hey, Al! Slow down!" Arthur yelled at the far off Alfred. Alfred had started a game of tag that Arthur wasn't going along with at first, that is until Alfred bet he could beat Arthur back to the camp site. Alfred was right of course, but Arthur was still going to put up a fight over it.

"You idiot! Slow—"

Before Arthur could finish his sentence, he fell face first into the ground after tripping on a root.

Alfred ran back as soon as he saw Arthur fall. Worried, he said hurriedly, "Hey Arthur, are you ok? You hit pretty hard, did you hurt yourself at all?"

Arthur lifted his head up with a scowl, cursing the earth for having roots that just stick up in people's ways. "I'm fine" he said. He attempted getting up, but it just resulted in him toppling over again, this time to his side.

"Bloody hell! Really? What did I do to fall twice?!" Arthur ranted. He rolled to lie on his back, gave an exasperated expression, and crossed his arms angrily. He huffed, "Well Al, I've gone and twisted my ankle by the feel of it."

Alfred face was that of intense distress. He rambled out, "Oh gosh Artie I'm really sorry! If I weren't running and ignoring you you wouldn't have fallen and I—"

"Al! It's ok; it was my fault for not paying attention. No need to fret over it, kay? Now as much as I don't want to be a bother, I'm going to need help getting back to camp so I can fix this. I know you brought a med kit for this very reason so stay calm and help me up" Arthur explain calmly, looking Alfred in the eye to make sure he understood.

Alfred was impressed by Arthur's leadership ability and stared back for a while before stuttering out a confirmation. He turned around and bent down with his arms behind him, waiting for Arthur to climb on. "C'mon Artie, don't want you putting pressure on that ankle of yours."

"I-Is it necessary to carry me? Can't I just lean on your arm or something?" asked Arthur, his face red again for umpteenth time this weekend. He was debating the idea of gritting through the pain or being in such close physical with Alfred. He tried with the first thought but once he got up on his feet his body gave him an automatic response that he was obviously not going anywhere like that. "Well, maybe not. Fine, I'll get on" he said, climbing unto Alfred's back. "I'm not too heavy am I? Because if so I can get off whenever you want."

"Nah! You're light as a feather Artie" said Alfred, getting up and heading back towards the camp.

Arthur's heart sped up a little at the compliment. He was sure Alfred had felt it by the way he tensed up a bit, which just made Arthur's heart race even more than before. He was embarrassed that he was so easy to read even when Alfred couldn't see him.

Alfred coughed awkwardly, "It's a long way back to camp, so we won't get back until night. Is that ok?"

"Yeah, it doesn't hurt when I'm up here. Nothing to bother it and all" Arthur said, glad Alfred noticed the mood for once and broke the tension before it could be built.

"Good, good. I'm glad you're ok Artie; I thought I caused you to get really badly hurt back there. I'm happy I was wrong" Alfred smiled.

Though Arthur couldn't see it, he could tell by Alfred's tone of voice that he was happy. Arthur's grip tightened as a kind of acknowledgement to Alfred's comment. He didn't feel like he really needed to respond with words to Alfred anymore, they both knew each other's body language well enough to communicate without it.

Arthur was happy and content at the day, even though he had hurt himself. Besides that it was fun and adventurous, everything he'd wanted out of the time he spent with Alfred. And boy, did Alfred deliver. Arthur never knew life could be so enjoyable! His only view of fun up until now had been staying inside and keeping to himself. He'd be sure to value life more now than ever before. There was so much more fun to be had with Alfred after all. Arthur could just imagine what entertaining shenanigan Alfred would get them into next time!

All the thoughts of the future, combined with Alfred's steady heartbeat and breathing so close to him, made Arthur drowsy. He had had a long day of running and laughing and playing like he never had before. So weather Arthur found it embarrassing or not, his body was telling Arthur to sleep, and he couldn't really fight it. So for the second time, off he went into slumber land lying on Alfred.

Alfred didn't mind much, he had gotten used to being Arthur's pillow. He did feel immensely proud that the stogy Arthur felt so comfortable around him though. Based on what Arthur has told him, he never does that, so Alfred felt pretty accomplished. So he continued carrying him back towards the safety of their campsite with a big smile on his face feeling like such a great hero for helping Arthur when he was in need.

Arthur woke when Alfred gently placed him down next to a tree. He looked around and noticed they were already back to camp. How time flies when you're asleep, Arthur thought. He said with a sleepy voice, "Thanks for carrying me Al, sorry to trouble you."

"Ah darn, I was hoping to not wake you up," Alfred said. "Looked like ya needed the sleep so I didn't wana bother you."

"Ah its fine, I need to bandage up my ankle anyway" Arthur said. "Where's the med kit?"

"Oh its right there but let me do it."

"Another Boy Scout trick?" Arthur said, raising one eyebrow.

"Hah, yeah. They teach a lot of useful stuff! We should see about you getting enrolled in my group!" Alfred said with a grin.

Alfred got the kit out of one of the bags and took out some wrapping tape from the assorted bandages and medicines packed in. He then went back to Arthur and slowly took his shoe off. Arthur's ankle had gotten swollen after leaving it untreated for a couple hours, so it was really hurting Arthur when Alfred was touching it. Alfred could see that bright as day in Arthur's face, try as hard as he did to mask the pain. He repeated the process with the sock and gently wrapped the bandage tape cautiously around Arthur's ankle.

"Well that should about do it, you did great Arthur! You're much better than the crybaby football players I had to practice on the first time I did this!" Alfred said cheerfully.

"Uhm, thanks? Good to know I have a higher pain tolerance than football players, Al" Arthur chuckled. "So what's for dinner? I hoped you packed something filling, you must be starved after carrying me all over today."

"Oh before that, I just wanted to run back up and get something I dropped on the way here before I forgot where it was."

"Can't it wait a bit? It's getting dark out you know," Arthur pointed out. For it had, Alfred was spot on when he said they'd make it back late, for the moon was coming over the horizon and the first stars were coming out. Arthur felt a tad guilty for slowing him down so much.

"It's ok; it's just across the street here. I'll be back in ten minutes, tops!" Alfred said with confidence.

"Whatever, fine. I'll be here. Not like I'm going to be going anywhere," Arthur shrugged. "Be careful, don't want you falling like I did. Then we'd be in real trouble."

"Right, then I'll be back in a sec!" Alfred said, already running off to his destination.

Arthur waited, and waited, and waited, and still no sign of Alfred. And after a good fifteen minutes Arthur was fed up and worried. He hopped around on his good foot until he found a suitable enough walking stick to support himself on and traveled up the trail Alfred had gone up. He muttered to himself, "That idiot better not have gotten hurt like I told him not to."

Arthur reached the road and could see Alfred though the dark running back on the other side with a bag in his hand. He yelled, "There you are! You took way longer then you said you would you moron! I thought a bear had eaten you!"

"Arthur what are you doing?! You could've gotten more hurt than you are walking up here on that ankle!" Alfred shouted back.

"Yeah, yeah," Arthur said to himself, walking across the road to meet Alfred halfway. He had gotten to about the centerline of the road with Alfred just on the edge of the street when he heard the sound of an engine blaring.

He looked up just in time to see a car speeding in the darkness, and to feel Alfred push him as far as his strength allowed.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion to Arthur. He couldn't hear the metal collapsing in on itself, he couldn't feel his injury, but he could visibly and vividly see Alfred's eyes staring back at him, full of fear, right before getting hit, skidding and crumpling to the asphalt with a sickening crunch of bone.

Arthur's own eyes widened with more fear than he thought to be possible, his heart beating out of his chest with adrenaline and panic, he felt sick.

Then everything came back to him at once. The sound of the car alarm, the smell of blood and smoke, the sight of the dead man in the car that had swerved and hit a tree. Everything hit him in an instant.

Oh by the way my names Alfred, Alfred F. Jones! What's yours?

He sprang up, running with all his might, though he felt so slow. He came to a sliding halt next to his broken and bleeding friend. Arthur cradled Alfred's head that was soaked with blood and saw a gushing wound on it. His glasses had been crushed on his face, pieces of glass embedded into his skin. His arm was bent at an angle it wasn't supposed to be in, and there were cuts all over him. Alfred wasn't conscious, he wasn't opening his eyes, he wasn't smiling and happy and cheerful like he always was, he wasn't there!

So, let's stay best friends forever ok?

"Alfred! Wake up! Alfred!" Arthur started sobbing uncontrollably, bending over Alfred and shaking, every limb telling him to run. But he couldn't do that, not with Alfred here. Not with his best friend in the entire world here. Not the friend he had just begun to know just saved him and was dying in his arms while he did nothing!

I'm gana save people some day!

But what could he do? There was no one around; they were in the middle of nowhere, by the time someone reached them, Al might-

Arthur couldn't bear to think of it. The reality of the situation took over him and he just bent over Alfred and started to cry his heart out. He couldn't stop. He cried for Alfred, for himself, for the cruelty of fate, for everything.

Then suddenly, a weak voice broke through the sound of Arthur's sobbing. It called out, "Arthur…it's ok…don't cry." Alfred lifted his good arm to touch Arthur cheek.

Arthur's eyes shot open with shock and he looked down to Alfred's face. He spoke! He was conscious again! He grasped Alfred hand with his own and said with a strained voice, "Alfred! Oh thank God! But…why did you do that for me? Now you're hurt because I was being stupid and I just, I'm sorry Alfred. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." The tears started to flow again, stronger than ever, as he clenched his eyes shut.

"Don't be sorry…it's ok Arthur…I got to live out my dream" Alfred said, pausing to regain his breath. He smiled and continued, "Remember what I...told you? I was gana be a hero…some day. I'm glad that…I got to be your hero."

"And you're going to live it out when you're older too! You said you were going to be a police man and save people every day! That's what you told me so you have to pull though ok?! Just don't…Alfred please. You're the only friend I've ever had so please be ok..."

There was a silence between them. Alfred's eyes were struggling to stay open and Arthur just kept gripping Alfred's torn and bloodied jacket with all the force he had.

When Alfred got some strength back he said, "Hey Artie, why does it hurt? My…whole body hurts and I can't move. What's gana…happen to me?" Alfred said quietly, gazing into Arthur's eyes with confusion.

Arthur just stared at him; he didn't have the heart to tell him. "You just fell down Al…you'll be back to normal in no time" Arthur said, looking away from him.

"Arthur…don't lie to me…friends don't lie to each other…" Alfred said with a pained expression. "I feel like one of those guys in the movies…right before they…go away…ya know? Where their life flashes before them…and they remember all the good times? …Well I'm remembering a lot of fun times you and I had right now...and I'm happy about meeting you."

"But if it weren't for me you wouldn't—"

"Shh" Alfred hushed, "If it weren't for you…I wouldn't have had such a fun time…You're my best friend Arthur."

"And we're going to be friends forever" Arthur said, his throat painfully tight, making his voice strained.

"Artie? Can you…can you do me a favor?" asked Alfred.

"Anything you want, anything at all, just name it and I'll do it" Arthur said.

"Will you…will you remember me? As long…as you remember me…then I'll be happy…" Alfred smiled faintly.

"Absolutely" Arthur choked out. "And I'll tell your parents and everyone at school that you're the greatest hero to roam the Earth ok? I'll make everyone remember you!"

"Good," Alfred closed his eyes in relief. "Thank you Artie…Hey Arthur…is it going to hurt…when I…"

"No Alfred, don't talk like that! It won't, don't worry about that because I'll be right here, right up until…until you..." Arthur couldn't say it, but he knew it was coming. Whether he could voice it or not he knew what was going to happen. He couldn't save him, and he felt completely worthless and horrible and sick, but he'd be dammed if he wouldn't be with Alfred until the very end with a smile on his face.

"Thank you Arthur…for everything…thank you for being my friend…" Alfred seemed to come to terms that this was happening, that it was real, and he let a few stray tears escape.

He felt Arthur's lips on his forehead. They felt warm on his cooling skin. Alfred opened his tired eyes to look up at him.

"That was for luck" Arthur said with a forced smile and tear stains on his face. "Now go to sleep. It will all be ok, I'll be right here."

Alfred smiled such a heartwarming smile that Arthur knew he'd never forget it for the rest of his years.

"Thank you Arthur…I won't say goodbye though…we'll meet again for sure….and next time we'll be friends again…So instead…goodnight Arthur." Alfred took his last bit of strength and squeezed the hand Arthur was holding.

"Goodnight Al," Arthur forced out. "Sweet dreams…"

Eventually, Alfred's breathing stopped, his heart beat no more, and his hand fell limp to the ground. And Arthur couldn't be strong anymore. He hugged his friend that was no more and yelled at the sky until his voice was gone and he had no more tears left.

I'm a hero remember? I'll protect you with my life just like a great hero would!

Epilogue

The service was short. Relatives all around him that Arthur had never met were crying, and Alfred's mother, refusing to be moved from Alfred's coffin, was on her knees and holding the hand of her dear child. Many people gave Arthur strange looks for that fact that no one knew him and that he did not shed a single tear.

Arthur had made sure to dress in his best attire, to comb his hair back, have his shoes shined. Alfred would probably say I look even more like an old man, Arthur thought.

After Alfred died on that road, Arthur doesn't remember much, just that cops came to the scene the next morning when they got a call that a boy was sleeping next to a dead child. He also remembers a fleeting memory of his parents. The cop must have called them. They ran up to Arthur and hugged him, which is weird, Arthur thought, because they haven't done that since before we moved away from England.

But he didn't really care about his parent's sudden show of affection, or how his brothers seemed to get very nice all of a sudden. No, all he cared about was that his friend was gone, and that he was alone again.

When the service was over, and Alfred was buried in his family's cemetery, Arthur sat in front of his gravestone until everyone had gone. He sat there until dusk, with a plastic bag in his hand. The cops had gone through it to check for evidence, but once they saw what was inside they decided to give it to Arthur, apparently it was addressed to him. Arthur stared at this bag on his bookshelf every single day until Alfred's funeral was to take place. He thought it rude to open it without Alfred presence.

So once Arthur worked up the courage to finally see what was inside, he untied the handles of the bag and saw what was there. It was a book, a Sherlock Holmes book. Arthur lifted it up; it was titled The Hound of Baskerville. He recalled his and Alfred's conversation on the bus. Alfred remembered what he had said he was passionate about.

An envelope fell out of the pages; it had "Artie" written on it in Alfred's horrible handwriting. Arthur opened it and found a cheesy card that said "Happy 50th Birthday" with the 50th scratched out in pen and replaced with 12th. It read:

Happy b-day Artie! I hope it's the best b-day ever! Which it totally will be because I'm here of course! I just wana say thank you for being my friend and that I hope we can be the bestest buds til the end of time! Like Sherlock and Watson in that book I got you! See? Because you're really smart like Sherlock and I'm super tough like Watson? Like that! I just know you'll be a super smart teacher in a university someday so keep working at it!

From,

The greatest hero ever! Aka Al! :)

Arthur was quiet. The only sounds came from the crickets chirping in the distance and his tears hitting the card's surface.

He hadn't spoken a single word after what had happened, not to anyone, but right then he said to Alfred's grave stone, "Thank you Al, you are the best person I've ever met and the greatest hero in the whole entire world…I'll never ever forget you. I can't wait to meet you again…"

Then, at that very moment, somewhere in a different time, a different place, a different universe, a spunky teenage boy clad in a bomber jacket and wearing glasses called out with a smile on his face, "England!"