I decided that I'll just update two chapters each day because I have so much already drafted in here and my classes are starting to get to me a little less focused in this story. So, here's chapter 19 and 20 everybody! (Though I might update chapter 20 later today)
-NSO
_______________________________
Alfred's Side:
Alfred couldn't contact Toni. Probably his phone was off or something...? Oh well, he still told Mattie and Ludwig everything, even though he knew Ludwig barely had any idea of the fully story.
"So... Are you going to ask him out?" Mattie questions him. It's the same question Ludwig had asked him earlier.
"I don't know... I mean it all feels so... Sudden. I at least have to tell Arthur my feelings first. I guess I just need a little more time to get comfortable with actually dating someone I actually love..." Alfred admits. It feels... Right, saying it. He really does love Arthur.
He just really needs time to fully adjust to all his feelings. After all, this happened to suddenly and... Yeah, alot of things had happened.
"But Alfred, don't we have a family reunion this weekend? You'll barely be able to check on Arthur with you gone for a day and a half." Mattie mentions and Alfred sighs.
God dammit, the family reunion. He totally forgot that a few days ago.
"Well, I'll try to tell him in the morning. If not, then once I arrive back from the trip."
*Next Day... (Saturday)*
Alfred limps over to Arthur's house at 6:30 a.m. He takes a deep breath and knocks on the door.
He waits for a few minutes when someone opens the door. "Oh, it's you, Alfred. What are you doin' here at 6:30 in the morning?" Dylan asks, and Alfred glances behind him to try and find the person he's looking for.
"Arthur, right? Well, he isn't here that's for sure." Alfred frowns. "Where did he go...?"
Alfred sees a glimpse of pity flash Dylan's eyes before they return to his usual demeanor. "He's sleeping."
Alfred's ears perk up. "Dylan, Please I need to see him." Dylan clicks his tongue. "Why? Are you gonna hurt him again? Tell him to go fuck himself for being..." Dylan cuts himself off, huffing out a breath. "Listen, I've had enough of your bullshit. I told you to stay away from him but you decided to be stubborn and stay. Eventually, you hurt him. Why do you think he hasn't gone to school for three days?"
Alfred furrows his eyebrows together, guilt boiling up in his stomach.
Still...
"I'm not here to try and hurt him," Alfred begins, "... But I'm here to tell him that I love him."
Dylan's eyes open wide, his orange hair swaying from the cold morning wind. "So you finally figured it out..." Dylan says, but something about that sounds sad.
"It's too bad, Alfred. You were a day too late." Alfred feels a knife stab through his heart.
What does he...?
Before Alfred could press further, Dylan's already closed the door on him.
He bangs his fists on the door. "Arthur! Please! I need to talk to you!"
"Arthur!" No one opens the door or even tells him off.
Alfred stands there, his fists clenched. "What's going on, Arthur...?"
***
He visits Arthur's house a few more times but no one answers or even lets him in.
He even sends texts telling him that he needs to talk to him and that he needs to see him.
But no reply came.
Well, he'll try to check on him later... He still has a family reunion to attend to for a day and a half.
*Next Day... (Sunday Evening)*
Alfred comes home with his parents and Alfred is surprised to see Arthur sweeping the front lawn. Alfred feels his blood rushing and his heart pounding.
"Arthur...!"
He gets out of the car and dashes towards the other teen, running as if his life depended on it.
"Arthur! Arthur!" Alfred yells out, his heart racing faster and faster.
Arthur turns around and sees him. "Alfred...?"
Once Alfred reached Arthur, he crashes on to him, wrapping his arms around him and hugging him tightly.
And God did they fit just right.
"God... I missed you..." Alfred confesses and God, it was true. Five days of no sight of him was just hell.
Alfred tightens his grip on Arthur, "Arthur, I'm so sorry for everything. I'm so sorry for hurting you and breaking you all this time..."
"Alfred..." Arthur mutters and Alfred feels a shiver run through his spine.
"I never meant to. You had always been my best friend ever since that I blinded myself with it. But now... I can see it." Alfred says, leaning back and looking straight into those emerald eyes that he now knows he's always loved.
"I can see it now... My feelings for you." He confesses and his heart races.
"I love yo-"
"Don't say it." Alfred's eyes open wide when Arthur suddenly cuts him off.
"W-What...?" Alfred was shocked. Why did Arthur stop him...?
"Alfred, I'm sorry." At these words, Alfred feels his heart crack.
"Maybe that kiss last time made you confused with yourself but... I can assure you that you don't feel anything for me." Alfred couldn't believe what he's hearing. Why is Arthur saying all these?
"No! Arthur you don't understand! I've always-"
"NO! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO DOESN'T UNDERSTAND, ALFRED!"
Alfred steps back, his dented heart just breaking futher and his hopes start falling.
"You never understood me at all! You never understood how I felt and how you affected me! You never have!" Arthur bites and Alfred feels himself stuck on the grass.
"You played with my feelings without even realizing but now I'm not going to fall for that! Not anymore!" Alfred can see the tears falling from Arthur's face and he breaks even more.
"...you don't love me. You only think you do but you don't. And I won't fall for your stupid little games anymore."
Arthur starts walking away but Alfred unfreezes himself and chases after him. Tears start welling in his eyes.
"Arthur, I'm not confused... please... I love you." Alfred pleads, his voice shaking.
"...go check yourself at a hospital, you're probably just feeling a bit sick right now." Arthur tells him coldly, pulling his hand away.
"...and I'm already dating Antonio so you need to back off if you want to stay "friends"."
That nails the coffin.
Alfred watches Arthur as he enters his house. Once he had disappeared from his sight, Alfred turns slowly to his own home. He walks slowly and blankly, his heart empty.
Alfred hears his parents ask him but he doesn't hear them. Just mumbled words.
He heads to his bedroom and there, he locks his door and lets his legs give, dropping on to the floor with a loud thud.
He sniffs. And then again, until the tears start falling down from his eyes.
And like that night at school and three years ago, he sobs.
Maybe even worse.
He cries so much he's lost his voice and all energy within his body. Everything in his body hurts, stinging with pain but the most damaged part was his heart.
It was just... Broken. To a billion pieces. And Alfred doesn't think that he'll be able to recover and glue them all together.
***
Feeling droopy and all drained out from everything, he turns to look over at his closet.
...is it time to finally accept this...?
Arthur's Side:
Once he had closed the door, he breaks down and just cries.
It's the most painful cry he's ever had in his life, even more than when he had lost his father.
He just drops to the floor and hugs himself, shaking uncontrollably and tears never seeming to stop anytime soon.
Arthur was upset, disappointed, regretful, guilty, and sorry.
Never would he have thought to finally hear those exact words come from Alfred. Those words he had been wanting to hear for the longest time.
The words he would've wanted to hear before he brought himself into this mess.
"I love you." Once Alfred had said those exact words, Arthur felt magic course through him. His heart flutters and his whole being lighting up, like he had just found meaning in his life.
But that only lasted for a moment.
Because, he shouldn't be feeling this way anymore. Not when he's promised himself to Antonio that he'll love only him.
Alfred... Alfred was just too late.
No one was there to comfort him. His mother still wasn't home, Allistor had gone back to England, and Dylan had a trip somewhere.
Arthur could only hug himself tighter as he sobs.
Alfred was... A day too late.