Work Text:
Admiral Lacey was a red-faced man. But the third of September is the saddest day for him. This day in 1998 his best friend Robert died. They met in 1976 during naval training. They were two young boys from Brighton, who had just finished school, the youngest on the ship, so other sailors thought they should live together in one cabin. At first they hated each other, but one day their lives irrevocably changed.
That day their ship was in the middle of a storm and older sailors forced Lacey and Robert to stay in the cabin. Boys were scared, it was their first experience of being in disaster. Suddenly Lacey noticed that something strange was with Robert. He was about to choke and he had no idea what was wrong with him. But Lacey did. His little sister was suffering with panic attacks after an accident with a dog. Lacey was used to helping her, so he couldn't leave his peer alone. He grabbed Robert's hands tightly but gently and whispered looking at his light blue eyes: "Boy, please, calm down and breathe with me, you are scared, but we can go through it together, just breathe in and out with me". Lacey kept their hands together until Robert felt relief. Then, Lacey decided to ask him about his favourite music just to distract themselves from the storm. They were talking about The Beatles and Queen and discussing albums for several hours. Boys were so engrossed in conversation that they didn't notice that the storm had finished. They found out that they had lots of things in common and became the closest friends.
They always worked together, had a little dream to make their own group and even lived together in the same apartment for a few years. Boys were birds of a feather, their friendship was the most valuable thing in their lives through the years, ups and downs.
On the second of September 1978 Robert bought an expensive guitar as a birthday present for Lacey. But next morning he had an argument with his wife, she felt jealous of Lacey and yelled: " You couldn't buy me a bouquet of flowers, but you spent several hundreds for a friend. Robert was extremely angry with his wife, she couldn't understand his feelings and desire to play for Lacey "You're My Best Friend" and drove to Lacey's place alone. He got a car accident losing control of his emotions and died before the ambulance arrived. Lacey was touched by his best friend's gift connected with their childhood dream, but he loved Robert more than guitars. Nothing could replace him. Since 1999 he has always visited his best friend's grave. Lacey spends
hours in the cemetery listening to "Love Of My Life" and he never comes back with dry eyes.