Happiness Return to Me

[kokoro2]

Title: Happiness Return to Me
Pairings: USUK
Rating: T for trigger warning
Warnings: Fire trigger
Summary: Happiness can be burned up, but not today. Not when Alfred is there to always be Arthur's hero. (Off-shot of Hospital Flowers.)

A move in the dark, a hand clutching at his shirt, and a phone call pulling him away once more. Arthur whined into his pillow at feeling his long time boyfriend, Alfred, move out of bed and then fumble around for his clothes that had been discarded on the floor the night before. Or was it still the same night? There was hardly any sunlight filtering through the curtains of their bedroom.

Arthur lifted his head, blinking back the recesses of sleep clinging to his eyelids. "My love?"

The gentle caress of lips brushed Arthur's forehead. "Go back to sleep, babe. I'll be back by morning."

Out of habit, Arthur grabbed Alfred by the elbow and pulled him down for a proper kiss on the lips. He didn't release him until he had whispered, "Stay safe. I love you." Then, and only then, could he feel comfortable enough to go back to sleep. If he didn't wish his beloved off on his firefighting duties, then he would never find sleep again, no matter how exhausted he lie awake. If Alfred never came home and Arthur didn't get that last chance to see him off, then…

Arthur buried his face in Alfred's pillow, clutching at the fragments of his smell leftover from his freshly washed hair. It was still wet. Alfred's hair was probably still damp. Nevertheless, the man left and Arthur was alone in the void of a dark and empty room, his mind always whirling with the what-ifs. Some days he could take it, and others, he couldn't.

Today, he couldn't. Something felt off.

Come morning, Alfred still hadn't returned. Arthur's first instinct was to check the news, and sure enough, there had been a terrible accident on the freeway and the firemen had been there to help put out the flames of the car pile-up.

Arthur couldn't help the tickle of a smile. An accident, that was how he and Alfred had met. He had been in a four car pile-up on the freeway two years ago, his car catching on fire from the engine being impacted when the hood nestled underneath the underside of the car in front of him. Alfred tossed aside any hesitation, and rushed to save Arthur. It just so happened Arthur's hero had taken an immediate crush on him, bringing him flowers and cards and visiting him in the hospital while Arthur's broken legs recovered. Then, he simply followed Arthur home and has never left his side since.

Arthur sat by the window, looking out at the crisp spring day beginning in Los Angeles. He figured he would never grow used to the Southern California weather, with its lack of much weather differences, especially that of rain. Anything less than fifty degree was seen as the end of the world, if it ever got that cold. Arthur smiled all the more, having never bothered to look at the weather because he knew just by glancing at the cloudless sky it would be another beautiful day.

Around eight-thirty, however, Arthur's stomach clenched and he worried if it was something he ate. As he wandered into the kitchen, he smelled smoke. Fearing he had forgotten to turn off the oven or stove, he jumped in front of the appliance and checked it. Nothing. He didn't smell gas and there was no food on the counter that Alfred had tried to cook before dashing out.

Arthur rushed to the front door, but when he grasped the handle, it was bright red and burning hot to the touch. He jerked his hand back with a yelp of pain. He looked at the door and saw smoke begin to puff out underneath the crack.

Alfred's voice filled his head. He had taught him ways to hold off a fire as long as possible before the firemen arrived. It was his best bet of staying alive, especially if the fire was growing larger.

Quickly, Arthur ran to the sink and, with shaking hands, put a dish towel under the faucet, soaking it in water. Once thoroughly wet, he stuffed it under the crack of the door. Then, he cupped his hands to gather water in his hands. He threw it on the floor right before the door, and even on the door for good measure.

Still remaining in an eerily calm and collected manner, Arthur strode to the windows and opened them all. He leaned out and saw that smoke was indeed coming from the lower floors. Fantastic. He stayed seated by the window and awaited the shrill sound of the fire department. The fire escape was at the end of the hallway outside, not here in the apartment.

Creaking from above caused Arthur to jump. Had the fire crawled all the way upstairs now? He looked up, as if expecting to see the fire come trickling down his ceiling. Out of the corner of his eye, however, he saw the towel under the door catch fire, and the smoke come billowing in. He covered his mouth, crouching down to the ground underneath the window.

And there it was; the firetruck.

Alfred.

Arthur leaned out the window, watching as the men from the familiar ladder company jump out in full attire and ready for action. Where was he? Where is he?

"Alfred!"

A head snapped up. It was him. He was here. He looked terrified.

"Arthur! I'm coming! I'm coming to get you! Just wait for me! I'll be right there to save you!"

"Alfred! Alfred, hurry!" Arthur wanted to shout more, but his throat closed as the smoke seeped into his lungs.

He coughed and fell back. Curling in on himself, he waited. He could hear the floorboards falling and the ceiling fell through in the kitchen. The fire was a raging torrent of destruction now. It's loud massive roar filled Arthur's ears as he chanted Alfred's name and tried to not cry. Screams from their neighbors were all around. In the distance, Arthur could hear the telltale sign of water hoses being turned on.

But where was Alfred? Was he hurt? Had he gone down the wrong hallway and gotten stuck? Maybe Arthur should move closer to the door? All bells in his head told him not to, and that it was a bad idea, but fear was taking over. His calm and controlled control of his emotions was slipping away. Alfred's lecturing voice was fading.

"Alfred," Arthur whispered, choking n the black smoke all around him.

He stayed low to the ground, crawling along the floor. He saw his computer in the corner, still save from the fire, for now. Realization struck him. His work. He jumped up and ran to the computer. Quickly he pulled the flash drive from the side, knowing all of his stories were safe and sound on the little device.

And then, the ceiling fell atop him. Arthur managed to dodge the worst of it, having the burning beam land on his legs. He screamed in pain, the burning sensation tearing at his skin and licking up his backside. He lay on his stomach, desperately trying to crawl out, but the weight was too much for his already weak body suffering from lack of oxygen.

"Alfred!" he called instead. "Alfred! Help me! Please!"

He continued to yell, but his eyes grew heavy and his chest pounded from his speeding heart. The pain in his legs overtook him, and he began to fade away into a darkness of warmth and unbearable anguish. And there, there it was. That form, that voice, those blue eyes that swept him up into his arms effortlessly, holding him to his chest.

"Arthur! Arthur, I'm here babe," he said. That Boston accent still strong. "Arthur, open your eyes. C'mon sweetheart. Please open your eyes. Stay with me. I'm right here."

Arthur managed to open his eyes, like he did that morning, and stare up at Alfred. Yes, it was still just morning. They were getting up, ready to take on the world. Alfred's breath smelled of morning stink, his body stretching out the kinks from the night's sleep. He was naked save for his boxers. He flashed Arthur a smile and pressed a light kiss to his temple before skittering off with the promise of breakfast.

"A…Alfred," Arthur wheezed.

A mask was placed over his mouth and clean, refreshing air filled him with relief. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. However he quickly tore it off and coughed into Alfred's sooty uniform. Alfred pushed it back on his mouth for a little longer, only to take it back.

"Okay, Arthur, keep your eyes closed, but talk to me okay? I don't want you to see this. Just talk to me and keep your face in my chest. You got that?"

Two years ago, Arthur had been attacked by punk teenagers in the park of downtown L.A. And there, like now, Alfred had that same chillingly calm voice to him, despite the fact it was a dire and dangerous situation. He carried Arthur, as he did now, and reassured him that everything would be okay.

"I…I got my stories," Arthur murmured. He felt the weight of the flash drive in his pocket. "I can still write."

"That's great, babe. We'll get you a new computer too." Alfred was still calm, but he was panting.

He was running. Arthur felt the jostling of Alfred's body as he turned and ducked, stopping, jumping, and running. And all the while he talked to Arthur, keeping him safe.

"Alfred, where will we live?" Arthur asked quietly.

"We'll find a new place, babe. Don't you worry. We'll be fine. You're a rich author now, right?" Alfred even chuckled. "And I'm a famous hero. We will find a place."

"And you won't leave me?" Arthur's voice sounded panicked now. He gripped Alfred's yellow jacket.

"Not a chance, babe. I love you." He shifted Arthur in his arms. "There's the exit. We're almost there. Hang on, babe. I've got you. I'm not going anywhere."

And the heat that engulfed them vanished almost instantly. Cold air smacked against Arthur's cheeks. He gasped, and then coughed, eyes opening to the brilliant sunlight. His ears rang from the lack of the rumble from the fire. Alfred kept a hold of him until he had him seated on a stretcher in the ambulance.

"Go," Arthur coughed. He pushed at Alfred, nodding at the apartment complex. "There are more…"

"No, babe. I'm here with you."

Even if Alfred wanted to go, he couldn't. Arthur had his hands firmly clutching to Alfred's jacket. He was breathing hard, his eyes pale, and his entire being beginning to shake violently. In a moment Alfred had his body wrapped up in his arms. He was everywhere, holding Arthur to his chest and rubbing his back.

"Baby, babe, shhh," Alfred started. "I'm right here. Breathe. We're alive. You're okay. I'm okay. It's all right. Don't hyperventilate. It's okay."

The tears followed when realization hit him. Arthur had done such a good job keeping it all together, but he began to crumble. He hadn't even thought to himself that he would be put in another situation where Alfred had to save him. Or worse, that he'd be in a fire. And yet, here it had happened.

And still, there was Alfred. He came without any care for what else happened. Only Arthur. Always Arthur.

"My love," Arthur started through chattering teeth. He moved back, looking up with the tears streaking his pale cheeks. "My love, why? You could have gotten hurt… What about the others?"

"They're fine. The others got them out." Alfred smiled brightly, not a trace of fear like Arthur. He wiped at Arthur's tears, kissing his forehead and keeping him close. "And why you? Because I love you. I ran into a burning car for you. You don't think I'd run into a burning building for you? I'd run into a thousand burning buildings to save you."

"I sure hope I'm not in a thousand burning buildings. I'd think something was wrong with me," Arthur joked.

Alfred snorted, laughed, and then kissed Arthur. He pulled him close, but a sharp sting shot up Arthur's legs. He pulled back with a hiss, looking down at his badly burned legs. The pain had temporarily left his mind as he had focused on anything and everything Alfred.

Alfred called for help, and soon enough a man had arrived to assess Arthur's wounds. He helped him into the ambulance and said he needed attention or else it could get worse. Alfred looked torn. He wanted to stay with Arthur, but he was needed at the fire scene too.

Captain Carriedo came over. "Alfred, go with him. You'd be useless to us here. Your mind would be with Arthur."

He nodded at Arthur with a smile. "Glad to see you're okay, hermano."

Then he ran off towards the rest of the firemen. That was all Alfred needed before he hopped inside and sat beside Arthur. He held his hand, smiling at him in complete love and adoration. They were safe. They were still alive. And as the ambulance drove off, neither spoke while the paramedic worked around them.

"Hey, I know you two," the man said suddenly. "Yeah, you were in the papers a few years back, and there was that movie and some shows about you. Alfred and Arthur, right?"

"That's right," Alfred replied.

"Man, you guys are still together? Two years?" the paramedic asked. Arthur nodded. "Wow. I'd kill to have some girl look at me the way you two look at each other. That's love right there."

Arthur blushed, forgetting for a moment his legs were badly burned and he had just barely managed to escape a burning building. He wasn't there, but rather still with Alfred in bed and the day had just begun. Just like his mind was still telling him.

"Yes…well, I was just lucky that day."

"As was I," Alfred said, squeezing Arthur's hand. "I've never been more happy to run into fire than I was then."

"And I've never been happier that you ran then, and that you ran today."Hoshiko2's cents: Happy birthday to my friend, freedom-star on tumblr. I asked her for a prompt and she answered with "Maybe the angst being resolved by one of them saving the other from getting caught and/or harmed by a human?" so I went with this AU and Artie almost burned. I wanted to do something original that hotbabysitter had suggested, but I couldn't quite grasp that one as well. If I do, I'll write it up in the future. Hope you all liked it. :3