Fountain of Youth (Fruk)

7

Arthur and I walked side by side. We were dropping off the bikes to continue our "mission." He didn't say anything about that look he gave me early, which might be for the best. "So...you aren't mad?"

"Why would I be mad?" He laughed. His eye twitched a bit, and I really wanted to laugh. Has he always been like this? Maybe when he was young, but I think since we turned younger, it's like our attitudes are de-aged too. I knew I was old...but I didn't feel it at all.

"Oh, because you gave me that scary death glare, I thought I would take an early grave!"

"It's only early if you've only lived for thirty to forty years...your death would be a timely one...one that was expected..."

Jeez...okay, psycho...

"Ahh...I see," I smiled nervously. He looked at me, annoyed, and we continued to walk side-by-side. We were nearing the train station. He suggested that he drive, but I was eager to walk around the city or take the train like when we were younger. I didn't think it was a big deal, and luckily he didn't seem to mind.

~
Once we arrived at the station and got ourselves together, we could finally relax and sit down.

!DING!

"Hmmm...I think I got a text," Arthur spoke. He took out his phone slowly and lifted a brow, confused. "What?" I asked. He kept making different faces, and I wasn't sure why. "It's Face ID, and it won't let me in!" He spoke, frustrated. "Hmmm? Just enter the password," I laughed. He was still trying to get the Face ID to work, but it wasn't. He didn't look old anymore.

Matthew helped him set up his Face ID because he always forgot it. "I can't! I don't know the password!" He spoke, frustrated. That was expected...

"Here, let me," I laughed. I reached for his phone slowly, and he looked sad when his face still wasn't working. Maybe I can help you guess the password? I just hope I don't lock him out of the phone. I looked at the passcode; thank god it was numbered and not words.

I tried the boy's birthday first...

No use...

Then his birthday...

No use...

Then, I tried my birthday...

No use.

"Okay, well, that is all the birthdays I think it could be. Do you have a clue?" I asked. I looked at him, and he began to think. "Ah, maybe it is a date?" He wondered. I smiled at his answer and nodded. "Yeah! Like our anniversary," I laughed. He smiled in agreement and watched as I quickly put the date in.

When the phone was unlocked, I showed him with excitement, and he grabbed it. "Francis! you are amazing!" He cheered. He began to do something on his phone and sat back once opening his messages. "Who texted us?" I laughed. Arthur looked at me with an annoyed smile and rolled his eyes. "Our son," He spoke.

"Ah? which one? what did they say?" I asked, eager. "Well, they want to visit tomorrow night, which is not good for us, If I say no to Matthew, he will tell Alfred, and they will come either way...they will come either way no matter what I say," He spoke. Arthur had a point...They were not going to take a 'no' from us...damn, where did we go wrong.

"No worries! We will find a way to change back by the nighttime," I laughed. I reached for his hand, and I tried to reassure him. Arthur was easily worried, so I knew my reassurance could only do so much for him. "You say that, but I am scared there is more to it than that. "What if we stay like this forever?" He asked.

I began to sit beside him and put my arm around him, bringing him close. "Don't even worry; I will make sure we figure out what happened," I spoke. Again, I was not too worried about our situation, and I was sure that if Arthur knew how little I worried about it, he would be upset.

"I'm sure we will figure it out..." he spoke. He suddenly fell silent, staring out the window, and I couldn't help but smile. He was radiant and lovely to look at. He looked like other things were bothering him about our current situation.

I knew I was supposed to be freaking out, but I couldn't. I was unsure why I did not feel the way as him. Maybe I was glad that we were doing something different for once. Maybe, deep down, I wanted to do more during my last years on earth, more than I had realized.

"It's weird..." he suddenly spoke. I moved my arm from around him and looked at him, confused. "What is?" I asked. "Well, besides the fact that we are young and have no explanation...it's weird how we can be in public and be affectionate like this," he spoke. I didn't know what he meant. We had always been like this with each other in public. "Sorry, I don't think I'm catching on," I laughed.

Arthur looked at me with a stupid smile and pointed to the people around us. "Look...they don't care!" He laughed. Again...I didn't know what he was talking about. "Ugh! Always so dense! I mean that...when we were younger, before we were able to get married...being together like this in public wasn't okay until thirty years ago. By then, we were older and didn't care too much because we had kids...but this is the first time we are like this around each other, at this 'age,' if that makes sense," he spoke.

He was right...

People would have given us ugly looks back then for even putting an arm around him. "Yeah, I guess it's weird to think about..." I spoke. I looked around at the people near us, and they didn't care. They focused on what was going on near them. It was nice being like this. I didn't know how to explain it. We are affectionate on occasion in public while looking older, but never when we were young; it's different.

I turned back to face him and smiled. "You are right, and I like it," I smiled. He placed a hand on my knee, and my smile dropped.

Oh no...

This feeling again...

Why!

Why does this keep happening at the worst times?

I need to think of something else!

Anything else!

Escargot! CATS! Uhhhh...CANDLES?!

He began to rub my knee a little, and I felt my eye twitching. He looked at me concerned, and I stopped breathing.

IDIOT! HE WILL GET MAD!

"Arthur..." I spoke softly.

"Yes?" He asked, confused and worried.

"Please...can you move your hand? You are turning me on," I spoke honestly. He looked at me, annoyed, and suddenly began to punch me. "Ow!"

"You are unbelievable! In public!?"

"I'm sorry! It's your hands!"

"Don't even start! I swear!" He moved away from me, and I felt sad. "Nooooo, come back," I whined. However, he did not look at me. He only began to look out the window, annoyed and pouting.