Till there was you (Fruk)

16

The boys still weren't around, so I'm sure they wouldn't mind if we left for a moment. Arthur and I walked outside beside each other and began walking in silence. Arthur held his hands behind his back, and I couldn't help but smile as I watched him do this. He looked like such an old man, despite looking physically young.

"Francis, what happened to us? I feel like I can't even recognize myself anymore. We are both different people. You aren't the same Francis I used to...."

He paused, and I looked at him concerned. "You used to?" I asked. He smiled slightly and nodded. "Not the same as I remember back then. I am far from the same too, and we seem to rather be around other people now. I'm friends with Portugal, and you are friends with many better options," he laughed. I tilted my head, looking at him. Well, compared to everyone else, they lacked the connection I had with Arthur.

"Well, they aren't the best options. Options, yes, but not the best. In truth, I think I'd rather be friends with you. However, I seem to screw up too much for my own good," I admitted. I laughed at what I said, seeing Arthur smile. He tilted his head at me as we continued to walk, and I felt defeated. No matter how much I tried to get away from him, there was no way I could. We completed each other, even in our worst.

I had stopped suddenly, thinking. I never did say anything nice to him when I saw him in sixty-seven. Maybe, my baby steps could make up for a lost time? "This is long overdue, but I enjoyed Romeo and Juliet. It was how I pictured it would look. I didn't want to think about you when I watched it, but I did. I thought of how much I hated you for not being in my life and wanting to be around me. I was jealous of you, and it was because I didn't want you to be better than me...because if you were...then you would forget about me, and fighting with you was the only thing I could think of that would make you give me attention!"

He looked at me, stopping. His face was shocked, but I wasn't lying. I was only dealing with my emotions toward him and aggressively handled them.  "I miss you...I miss you so much...and I am once again...asking for your forgiveness...I want to have fun with you! Dance with you! Laugh with you, and enjoy everything this decade has to offer us!"

I felt my face getting hot, but he didn't give me a snarky look. He looked at me as if understanding. "My forgiveness will always be yours...I have said that before, and I will say it again. I understand how you feel. Change can be scary, and the past few decades have moved fast for us. This is the first time in a long time that we have not been plunged into war. I am sorry too...I did not make anything better when I first saw you. In a way, you could say being mean to you was also my way of dealing with the change," he laughed.

Arthur came closer to me, holding my hands. He looked at me sweetly, and I loved it so much I wanted to cry. "I mean...look at you...You've changed so much. I like it, but it is different. You...wear your shirt open for everyone to see, and you think I wouldn't give you a bit of attitude?" he laughed. I laughed at what he said, shrugging. I have no idea what he meant by that, but it was funny.

"I understand that you were dealing with whatever it was you were dealing with, but please...talk to me...I thought we were done taking it out on each other," he laughed. I nodded at him, sadly and held his hands tighter. "Is it too late to take everything I said to back? I am willing to work extra hard to patch up our relationship."

He laughed at me and stuck his tongue out at me in a sexy way. "Depends on what you want to take back," he smiled. I rolled my eyes at him, and we began walking again. "All of it! I want to start over if you'll let me," I asked.

"All of it? Everything you've said to me? Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"Hmm? Even the flirting you did earlier?"

"WHAT??! THAT WAS NOT FLIRTING!"

He began laughing at my reaction, and I breathed out, defeated. "It's quite rubbish, innit?" he asked. I rolled my eyes at his ridiculous slang and tried not to laugh. "If we are to be friends again, please go easy on the slang; you make me feel as if I am losing my mind," I laughed. I nudged him a bit, and he rolled his eyes at me. "Well, we have to start again somewhere," he smiled.

Arthur stopped one more time and crossed his arms. "What is it?" I asked. He shook his head once more, trying not to smile. "It seems that no matter how much I try to get away from you, I can't seem to do it. It seems the two of us might be soulmates or something," he laughed. Soulmates? Such a silly thing to say. I would not consider us to be, especially after all our fighting.

"Soulmates? Platonic soulmates are the best I can do. I believe your expectations are too high."

"My expectations? Mr. France, the last time I checked, you always put me on such a high pedal stool. Ridiculous if you ask me."

"Ah, well, you always amaze me, especially with your pop culture; I am impressed. I hear Elton John, and many other things have become famous. I believe it is time for me to ask you something," I started. He looked at me as if I were messing around with him, but I wasn't. "What is it now? Do you want to get married?" he teased. I shook my head with a smile. "No, but I would like to get to know you again. I want to hear everything you have been through over the past few years. So...how about it?"