"Time heals all things, you know." His friend opined as they walked down the university path, between bar and dorm. Streetlights guided the path as the journey stretched on unto eternity. Why does such a short, practiced distance always seem to go so long when occupied with a poignant conversation? His friend thought.

"Age." He retorted back. Because you walk slower, he thought.

"Well, sure. But even the passage into the other side offers some peace." His friend tried again for the silver lining.

"Which wouldn't be necessary if aging weren't such a crippling process. Caused by the passage of time." He once more pointed to the storm cloud within.

"Well, memories that cause us pain, to be more appropriate. Those heal with time, surely."

"Of course, of course they do. Alzheimers alone is sure of that."

"It brings about great change! Civilization advances!"

"[i]"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"[/i], come on, give me a hard one."

"My fist suffice?"

"Of course, but a [i]bruise[/i] time will heal. Our friendship might not."

They walked on in thoughtful silence. The threat had been made in jest, of course, but the retort was something to genuinely dwell on. 

"Wouldn't the slight fade, with time, like the bruise?" His friend noted, reaching into his pocket for a mint to chew thoughtfully.

"Could do, could do," he admitted, holding his hand out. A mint was placed in his hand as well, and the two continued down the path chewing as much on their thoughts as the gum, "But it could fester, and grow, even as the reasons fade into obscurity." 

"Time heals the reasons, then?"

"Makes irrelevent, I'd argue. Like poor Ozymandias."

"Well, I've tried. It's so easy to condemn. Time heals a lot of wounds."

"Except," he argued, raising a finger high into the air, "Except aging, feuds, architecture, stability, entropy states, death, cancer, bleeding out, alzheimers, most fashion cycles, amputations, debt, compound interest, anything with 'chronic' in the title, and thinking socks with sandals is acceptable to wear in public."

"Huh."

"Yeah."

They both chewed their gum a little longer.

"You know something?" His friend stated again, as they approached their dorms finally.

"I suspect so." He admitted, "But I can't say with certainty until you elaborate."

"I think I'm beginning to see," his friend stated with finality, fumbling with their keys, finally finding purchase in the lock with a 'click', "why she dumped you."

He stood outside a moment considering that. He needed a moment.