Falling, down and down and down into spikes that felt like nothing compared to what was happening emotionally.

Why...

*Crack*

Of all people...

*Crack*

Would he actually....do this to me...

*Crack!*

We were close.

*Crack!!*

We were friends...

*Crack!*

"You were everything."

* S H A T T E R *

Lewis shot up from his bed with a violent jerk, not realizing he even fell asleep until then. His body was literally engulfed with fire, and his floor had a huge scorch mark as a result. Lewis looked down at his locket to check it, only to see it illuminated with gold. Lewis exhaled loudly with releif.

"OI! Dinner! Tacos! Get out here señor!" Arthur shouted and whacked the door once. "You alive in there!? It's been ten minutes man!"

"You really asked a ghost if he was alive...?" Mystery's muffled voice also came from the other side of the door.

"It's an expression, dog." Arthur sourly hissed.

"Whatever you say gaybo." Mystery chuffed.

"Mystery, I will kick you." Arthur threatened.

"Sure you will. And you will also fly and shoot fire from your ass." Mystery sneered, him being heard walking away.

There was a silence before a loud whine came from the canine. Arthur began to scream then, and thudding sounded from beyond that door, mystery chasing Arthur, growling.

"AAAAAH!" Arthur shrieked, before grunting as he could be heard falling over something, presumedly the couch. "NOT FAIR!"

"Life isn't fair." Mystery chimed.

Lewis listened and chuckled into his hand before pushing himself off the ground and moving to the door, phasing through it with ease. He walked Into the living room to find Arthur upside down, and Mystery sitting at the table eating with Vivi, who was checking her phone, typing and excusing herself from work yet again, while also finding a new job to investigate.

"Good evening." Vivi smiled, looking up at Lewis with a hearty grin.

"Good evening to you too. Need help?" Lewis walked over, holding out a hand.

Arthur was reluctant but he grabbed it, and Instantly regretted his choice as he was yanked to his feet quicker than he could process and stumbled side to side dizzily.

"Thanks." Arthur smiled shakily before moving over to the table, sitting down.

"Sure thing Kingsman." Lewis hummed and sat himself down as well.

Lewis looked at a taco that was sitting on his plate and grew curious. He didn't need food, but he was grateful for it. He took the delicious food and ate it, barely tasting it, but he tasted enough to know it was a good taco. He hummed with delight as he ate it slowly, watching as Arthur beamed at the taco with an intense stare, knowing he was probably and resisting the urge to look at him after what happened earlier outside.

Lewis then remembered the dream and closed his eyes, thinking some to himself.

"So! Got a new job!" Vivi suddenly beamed.

Mystery, Lewis, and Arthur all choked on their mexican food and looked up at the bluenette in shock and bafflement.

"S-seriously!?" Arthur whined.

"Yup!" Vivi chuckled. " A graveyard~!" She snickered evily.

"Sounds fun." Mystery piped.

"You need more time to recover." Lewis sternly spoke.

"Calm down Lewis, Lance is nearly done with the new van, scrapped out old one's doors and put them into it, along with the stereo system and the majority of our stuff. He let me know it was nearly done not long ago. Arthur, your uncle and you are insane about technology!" Vivi giggled.

"Yeah..." Arthur sighed, and looked down at his food, swallowing before stuffing another taco into his mouth.

"She isn't wrong. I mean, that metal arm of yours is probably the most advanced prosthetic arm ever built, and you built this, a highschool graduate, in a shed of a mechanic shop most likely." Lewis hummed.

"I built it in the garage here." Arthur informed. "But all my tools and wiring and stuff came from the shop, yes." Arthur nodded proudly. "It does become a pain in the ass on these adventures, I always have to go in and twerk around a bit after each hectic ghost investigation." Arthur flexed the metal arm.

"I mean, that's understandable." Lewis nodded to himself, staring the arm down before finishing his taco. "But I still think you should take time to recover."

"Bah, nonsense. Evil doesn't sleep and good never rests." Vivi waved her hand. "I'm going to go make a call to these land owners about it to get some concrete detail, and I'll have a feel of what we are working with. I'll be in my office." Vivi tapped a few things and then placed her phone to her ear, walking out with mystery barking and following her cutely.

Leaving Arthur and Lewis alone together at the table.

Arthur awkwardly ate the rest of his dinner, trying his hardest not to think to much on earlier, but his mind was racing.

"Arthur, about earlier...uhm, sorry if I pressured you too-" Lewis began.

"IM DONE!" Arthur grinned crookedly and stood with a bolt of speed. "Hahaaaa- I'll be in my room!" Arthur clapped his hands together before making a run for it.

Arthur ran into his room and slammed the door shut, locking it behind him. He panted heavily and gripped his shirt, face flushing out if sheer gayness. He could not stand that he brought that up.

What's Lewis's deal anyways!? Is he trying to make me gayer or some shit!? Arthur thought to himself loudly.

As he was calming down a certain magenta ghost floated through the wall, and moved in front of him. Arthur tensed and looked up, only to be eye level with a certain dead boi's waist. He gasped before jumping to his feet, clearing his throat and leaning on the door behind him, fingers clumsily searching for the door knob to unlock it and run. His fingers were met with heat, and flinched when that heat grabbed his hand and held it still.

"Why didn't you tell me...?" Lewis whispered softly.

Arthur tensed, his breathing stopped after hearing that question. But he tried his hardest to play that sentence off with a clueless reaction.

"T-t-tell ya what? I didn't tell you anything." Arthur shakily hummed.

Lewis gave him a stoic stare before moving closer, watching as the blonde pressed his body hard into the door, tense and shivering.

"Why. Didn't. You. Tell. Me?" Lewis asked again, with more seriousness than before.

Is he mad with me? Arthur frowned to himself, as he did spot anger in that glare he was receiving.

"L-Lewis-" Arthur began, but paused.

"Go on." Lewis pressed.

Arthur shuddered and closed his eyes, feeling tears well in his eyes.

He felt....terrible again, and it was a sudden terribleness. He felt guilty, and selfish. Disgusting.

"B-Because i-I...i-i didn't want you to...leave me alone... Like everyone else did." Arthur whispered. "I didn't want you to feel uncomfortable too! I-I didn't want you to kick me out or...o-or..." Arthur trailed off, biting his inner lower lip hard enough to break the skin and bleed.

"You damn fool..." Lewis whispered and leaned against the door.

"You were everything."

Those lines repeated in Lewis's head ina constant echo, his golden soul burning a golden hue as his emotions swelled. He leaned and pressed their foreheads together, tearing up as well as emotions and forgotten feelings swarmed him and swallowed him whole, making him feel like shit... Like a terrible friend. Be didn't care about the way Arthur sucked in air at the closeness...he enjoyed being this closed, craved it even...after all, he...

"I wouldn't have thrown you out. Idiot." Lewis shakily whispered. "I would never hurt you that way, but due to your lack of trust...I ended up hurting you worse..."

"L-Lack of trust?" Arthur mumbled out.

"You should have told me then, Arthur." Lewis whispered and leaned closer, his lips grazing the now red orangette's.

"L-L-Lew?" Arthur stammered, confused and scared.

"Why must everything be complicated these days?" Lewis whispered, sounding oddly tired.

Very tired.

Arthur relaxed a little and breathed out of his nose, shrugging softly, his hands snaking around Lewis's neck, comforting him as to moving face from the other's to bury it into his shoulder.

"I don't know. But I need you to talk to me. You aren't making any sense." Arthur spoke into the broad man's shoulder, rubbing his back some.

Lewis wanted to speak, but he also genuinely didn't want to cause Arthur more pain. He was afraid to hurt him, afraid he would hurt him, but telling him...his own, dark secret. He sighed and shook his head.

"I just want that spirit dead..." Lewis hissed. "Once it's dead, we can all live an easier life..."

"Are you missing Vivi? Is that it?" Arthur asked softly.

"No... I'm prepared to tell her goodbye. She needs someone else. I can't provide her or anyone with a family anymore." Lewis mumbled, looking down. "She deserved a happy and normal life, despite her infatuation with the supernatural."

Arthur listened to him and felt a little sadder then. He didn't know how to make him feel better. But, he put on a smile and pulled away.

"Well, if it isn't going to be awkward for you, you can sleep in here tonight so you aren't as lonely. I wouldn't mind it to bad." Arthur smiled sheepishly at the sad ghost.

Lewis looked at him and his gaze softened immensely. He smiled some and ruffled his hair before moving over to the bed, flopping down into the soft sheets. Arthur hummed and sighed. He walked to his desk, and took his metal arm off with a hiss, and moved to his bed.

Arthur laid himself down and snuggled into the sheets, not feeling awkward at all surprisingly even though Lewis found out he was gay. He looked over to find a burning pair of eyes staring him down. Arthur shivered at the intense look and moved over, closer even, using his arm to pat and squeeze his shoulder.

"It will be alright. Once we murder than green bastard, we can start shaping our lives for the better." Arthur hummed reassuringly.

"Yeah..." Lewis nodded, getting under the sheets as well, comfortable. "But you need to tell me what mattresses you use, it's more comfortable than mine." Lewis chuckled faintly.

Arthur smiled and shimmied into the blankets. "I'll show you the store once I get a van and we aren't hunting ghosts."

Lewis smiled and nodded and watched him close his eyes, getting comfortable. While Arthur's eyes were closed though, Lewis looked up at the area an arm should have been, and felt more pain strike him. He reached, but retracted his hand, it actual shaking some.

"You can touch. I don't mind. Just be careful around the metal socket. It can get sensitive." Arthur suddenly spoke, his eyes open and alert.

"You sure?" Lewis asked hesitantly.

"Of course." Arthur got comfortable yet again and closed his eyes, trusting him a little about it.

Lewis looked at the empty short sleeve and reached on over, moving his hand in the space another arm should have been. He wiggled his fingers before gently placing his hand in Arthur's side, sliding it up to the shoulder, giving the orangette an involuntary shiver. He then, shakily, grabbed the socket with the lightest touch.

Half artificial, half there. He only had roughly 2/3's of a shoulder left. A little over half of it was metal, and there was a place for his metal arm to hook on, and he guessed it connected to his nerves and responded to muscle memory. He shivered himself, as he felt immense sadness.

He could actually somewhat remember his screams over his own in that cave. Barely there. He always thought that was is regret, or horror, but he guessed it was that mixed with pain if Mystery really tore this thing off.

Lewis sighed and pulled Arthur close to him, in a tight hug that made the other yelp in surprise. He laid there, and rubbed his back, feeling so bad for him.

"It must have seriously sucked..." Lewis mumbled.

"It did. But I hand-dled it." Arthur snickered out.

Lewis paused, instant seriousness vanishing in an instant. He blinked before laughing softly. "Did you just make a fucking pun!?"

"Yyyep." Arthur beamed proudly.

Lewis chuckled a few times, shaking his head, relaxing a little better, holding the bean close to him, wanting nothing more than to hold him. Hold his little king.

"Alright. Well, imma hug you and use you like a pillow. Get comfortable. And get some sleep." Lewis ordered.

"Yes Mama spice." Arthur saluted with his good arm, face flushed at the smell if smoke and spice.