Chapter Text
Alfred Jones stifled a yawn as he rode his bike home. One hand on the handle bars the other rubbed the back of his neck with grease covered fingers.
Long day...Long week.
Seven days straight, and grueling twelve hour shifts almost killed him. His feet and back could attest to all his hard work. His apprenticeship was over now and he was on his own so to speak.
A mechanics pay wasn’t bad, in fact it was the highest paying job he’s ever had. Didn’t require a college degree and he could afford to buy himself a small house. Plus he was getting mad skills. He knew how to take an engine apart and put it back together. That was pretty bad ass. Coming from nothing that wasn’t too damn bad. That was the American dream after all.
Banking a hard left he cut to the empty sidewalk, and jumping the curb. No one was ever out this late, so the streets were deserted.
He had a car he but his job was so close he preferred to just save the gas. And when the weather was cooler as it was during this time of year, it was a pleasant commute.
He rolled to a stop in his driveway and hopped off his bike, walking it the rest of the way. Lifting his garage door he left the bike propped against the wall.
Alfred felt his phone vibrate in his pocket as he entered his house and saw three missed calls on the display screen.
Arthur again.
He’d been trying to get ahold of Alfred since that morning but he'd been actively avoiding him. Alfred had been busy, but mostly he just didn't want to talk to him.
Ever since the 'break up' their relationship was super strained. No longer were there comfortable silences or innocent inquiries. Everything said now seemed to have a loaded meaning behind it and the usual teasing and razzing between them only started fights.
He really didn’t have time to stop and chat anyway. Only ten minutes before his favorite restaurant closed and he had his heart set on a juicy double cheese patty all day long.
“Shit!” He cursed, stumbling over some empty pizza boxes next to the back door, making a huge racket.
Alfred saw the outline of his grey tabby, scramble off the couch and run off to somewhere unknown.
“Sorry Tony! It's just me! I'll feed you in a second!” He kicked the boxes back into a mound and flipped on the kitchen light.
Alfred made way toward his bedroom shedding clothes as he went. He entered his closet and emerged in a black shirt and jeans, lacing up his red converse with his wallet between his teeth. Grabbing his jacket off the back of the couch he quickly opened a can of cat food and left it on the floor.
Alfred grabbed his car keys and once on the road flipped through the radio channels rapidly, listening for any familiar tunes. After pressing all six stations a dozen times he scoffed in disgusted. “Nothing ever on the damn radio...”
He decided this would be the weekend he would buy a cd dock! This was the 21st century, people had build in touch screen navigational systems and he didn't even have a damn cd dock! With that little resolution declared he left the radio alone and half listened to a debate about the worlds climate or something.
As his small subdivision disappeared in the rearview, his phone illuminated on the passenger seat. Someone was calling him, he already knew who it was without even looking. He decided to finally answer. After patting the seat blindly, his reaching fingers found his phone.
Picking it up he said, “Yellow-”
“Alfred! Where the hell are you?!” A very clipped british accent whipped his ear drum and he held the phone away from his face as he sped through an intersection.
“Uhh..”
“You forgot.” The voice concluded after a moment, sounding as if he were reaching for his last shred of patience. “Of course you did. Why doesn't that surprise me!”
“Dude Arthur, I just got off work man chill out! I haven't forgotten...” He pressed the phone against his shoulder and opened his glove compartment, swerving a little as he did. His searching hand found the small black day planner his bristling friend bought him months ago.
Arthur told him it would help organize his life. He'd also taken the liberty to write down a bunch of important dates to get him started. Alfred had thanked him and put it in his glove box to start using when he got home. That had been six months ago...
“Alfred?”
Screeching to a stop at a red light he flipping through it quickly his finger located todays date. Shit...
“Kiku's birthday! Of course I haven't forgotten, I'm already on the road dude...umm, where was it again?”
“You don't even remember the venue? The Hilton hotel off of Preston.”
“Right, right I knew that.”
The Englishman’s tone seemed to lighten slightly and gave way to a little excitement. “Well alright then. I'm telling him you're coming. I'll wait for you out front.”
When their call ended, Alfred let out a pent up breath of disbelief. That worked out pretty well. Now he vaguely remembered promising to take tonight off in celebration of his friends birthday but totally spaced it. He didn't even have a present to give him...oh well, Kiku didn't care much for gifts anyway.
Flipping on his turn signal he changed directions, trying not to feel too disappointed about dinner.
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Well this is the first story I've ever published. I don't consider myself a 'writer' and I'm sure you will find many grammatical mistakes, but can't be helped. I failed english class many times lol. Thanks for reading, more chapters to come