Memories from the Other World

The Royal Couple

He hadn't expected Arthur to stir as quickly as he did. He felt Arthur's eyelids brush open as Alfred sat back up.
He looked up just in time to see Yao gather the rest of Arthur's notes and slip out of the room. He probably only stayed long enough to see if Arthur would actually wake up and now it was just him and a disoriented Arthur left in the room.
Arthur sat up slowly, holding his head in his hands, probably trying to tame an angry headache.
"What's the plan? " Alfred spoke up softly.
"I'm guessing you know now? " Arthur's voice was still hoarse. The statement was soft and hopeless.
"yeah. " Alfred mimicked his tone.
As much as Alfred wanted to be with Arthur, this was not the situation he wanted to be in with him. This forced them together and Arthur's stubbornness will do anything to fight this set up. Making their relationship nothing but professional. This was worse than being only friends with Arthur. At least as friends Arthur would willingly spend time with him.
"I don't know anymore. I can't... " Arthur paused as if he were apologising for something, but it took Alfred a moment to figure out for what.
"Take me home? " Alfred finished and Arthur stared at his hand in his lap.
"I'm sorry. " Arthur seemed near tears Now. Alfred swallowed. When he got here he was ready to leave, but with the chance to stay with Arthur he decided to stay. He had never thought of Arthur's motive to take him home. Alfred was a complete stranger to this Arthur and he was between the option of being intimate with this stranger or die. He was not necessarily apologising to Alfred for his failure. He was apologizing to himself.
"I wouldn't worry about it too much. I could be stuck in worse situations. " Alfred tried to comfort. Arthur looked up from his lap.
"Tell me about your friend. "
"Ah well..." Alfred tried to word his situation to not sound like Arthur was actually his friend and that the prophecy may actually be true. "He liked everything to be in order and he loved to be alone. I had this couch by the window that he would always read in. That was his spot and I wasn't aloud to talk to him when he sat there." He could feel his lip quiver. This was not the time to get emotional, but holy fuck did he miss Arthur. What he wouldn't do to hear Arthur yelling at him again and listen to Arthur mumble along to his book for hours. Right now he would take anything.
"What happened? You talk like he's dead. "
"He is. "
Arthur was about to apologize, but Alfred shook his head to stop him.
"May I ask how? " Was a nervous whisper.
"I invited him out to dinner, with a little hope maybe be more than friends, but he didn't make it there. He... "
Arthur looked considerably paler. He looked down in thought. Oh no. He came off as I-think-youre-my-dead-best-friend.
"Was stabbed." Arthur finished softly.
Alfred swallowed. He didn't expect Arthur to come off as i-think-im-youre-dead-best-friend.
"You don't think this profecy thing is real. Do you?" Alfred spoke up.
"I'm saying that it makes sense. I have these dreams about dying all the time and... "
"and what?"
"I was waiting for someone. That I knew if they came it would be all okay, but they never did. I don't know who I was waiting for. " Alfred sincerely did not want to be that person. The amount of guilt he would feel if he was would be unbearable. He felt the same empty wanting to do anything different that day.
"I'm so sorry. " Alfred grabbed a hold of Arthur's hand and surprisingly Arthur didn't pull away.
"Alfred, I only have fleeting dreams of that day. I don't know what you're apologizing for...do you really think I'm him? "
"you look identical. "
Arthur nodded in understanding. "Then what do you suggest we do? "
"See what we can get you to remember. "

And that's the end! Sorry for the wait and the odd ending. I just need a break from writing.