Absence: USUK

Four months…

Arthur sighed staring out the window stirring his tea.  The weather seemed to match his mood, pouring down rain, grey skies ominously covering the entire city. He glanced at the calendar again, seven months behind. He wouldn't dare change it in fear that time would forever stop where he left it. Life stopped for him the day that Alfred left him.  Four months, he said. He would only be gone four months. He was a liar.

'Liar,' Arthur whispered, gripping his tea cup tightly. Crash! 'Oh bloody hell!' Arthur cursed as the hot liquid spilled over his hands. He quickly ran his hands under the cold water from the sink. He let his hands go numb, watching angry welts swell up until the image blurred. Blinking he realized that the blur was from the tears that were quickly falling. He gingerly turned off the water and collected the pieces of the broken cup to throw them away.

'Why?' he whispered again, sorrow leaking into his voice. 'Why did you have to leave me?' He mechanically set the kettle to boil again and fetched another cup before resuming his place in front of the window. 'You had to be a hero and run off to join the Air Force. I believed every word you said. Four months wouldn't be that long. You'd be back for our anniversary.  You said you may even be back for my birthday. Now you've missed Thanksgiving, Christmas and my birthday.' Alfred had left in November with a wide smile on his face, promising he'd be back in February. Those four months had quickly turned into six months. Arthur had sat alone in the house on his birthday not caring. Now it was May and their anniversary was fast approaching.

The kettle whistling snapped Arthur out of his daze as he poured himself another cup and wandered into the living room.  He sighed heavily as he dropped in his chair. He never realized how lonely life was until after he had someone who mattered so much to him. Arthur found Alfred out of pure chance. The boy was a persistent one and it didn't take long for Arthur to see him in a different light. A different light as in he couldn't live without him anymore. Now it seemed like his whole life revolved around Alfred. Alfred was his sun.

'Get a hold of yourself you old boy,' he muttered to himself. 'You survived before you had anyone in your life.'

Arthur picked up the paper to try and distract himself. Not even a minute passed before he slammed it down on the table, too much bad news in the world. If he had to read the status of the war he would rather read the happy go lucky version in Alfred's letters. Alfred would rarely give him any sort of details. He would instead tell heroic stories and talk about how much he missed Arthur. Though for all the times Arthur asked, Alfred couldn't tell him when he was coming home. Each letter said the same thing; he would have to stay a bit longer because his country needed him.

Three more days until their anniversary, he thought. 'I suppose I should change the calendar. One can only go so long without the proper date.' Arthur stood and walked back into the kitchen. With a gulp he ripped of the months. November, December, January, February, March, April all went by. He stopped to chuckle at April. Alfred had drawn a big cake on April 23rd since Arthur refused to acknowledge his own birthday. Arthur tore one more page and sorrow engulfed him again. On May 12th Alfred had drawn a giant, messy red heart. They'd be together three years.

'Three years, you git, you're missing us being together three years.'

Arthur wandered to their bedroom. He almost forgot that it was their bedroom. 'I suppose I'm lucky,' he said to himself putting on his pajamas. 'That git could have run off and joined the army. At least he's not in the middle of things and his deployment isn't as long.' Arthur crawled into bed and curled around himself. He missed those strong arms to pull him close and that warm body to cuddle with.

Two more days passed with Arthur growing more and more melancholy. The morning of the twelfth he got up and did his normal routine. Before he walked downstairs he heard a noise. No one had access to the house besides him and Alfred. Narrowing his eyes he slowly made his way down the stairs. Crash! Two small kittens came racing out of the kitchen, running into the furniture and walls. Arthur stared wide eyed as the animals played. The smaller of the two, an orange and white Scottish Fold, spotted him and ran up and looked with pleading eyes. Arthur bent to pick up the small fellow when the bigger, fluffier kitten slid into his legs. He was practically a little ball of fluff, meowing up at Arthur to release his friend.

'Where in the world did you two come from?' Arthur asked looking at the Scottish Fold in his arms. His thoughts were interrupted by a loud yowl. 'Now now little one, I'm not sure your friend really wants to play right now.' He wandered into the kitchen and set the kitten down.  Arthur looked around to try and find any evidence of where the two cats came from but he found none.

'You two just appeared didn't you?' he asked them receiving meows in response. 'What shall I call you? I know I'll call you Teacup,' he pointed to the Scottish Fold. 'And you'll be Hero because you remind me so much of ---,' Arthur froze. He was about to say Alfred's name. His wide eyes shot to the calendar and a heavy weight settled on his heart. He sighed heavily and sat at the breakfast nook.

A jingling of the door handle snapped him out of his depression. Someone was trying to open the door. Arthur shot up and frantically looked about but his muddled mind couldn't focus enough to find anything suitable for a weapon. The door banged open and a quiet curse could be heard. Arthur froze as the kittens raced to the door.

A man walked through the door juggling a bag full of groceries and a beautiful bouquet of roses. He looked tired and travel worn but his face lit up when he laid eyes on Arthur. This time it was Arthur's heart that froze. Those too blue eyes behind those crooked glasses, that stubborn piece of hair sticking up. The casual appearance freshly showered and changed out of uniform sometime in the middle of the night. Arthur stepped forward, wary of his imagination.

'A-alfred?' he managed to articulate.

Alfred placed the bag on the counter and opened his arms wide, still holding the roses. 'Happy anniversary Arthur.'

Arthur stepped forward and placed a hand over Alfred's heart, looking up at the man. 'Y-you're, you're, you're…'

Alfred smiled and pulled Arthur into a tight hug. 'I'm home baby.'