Empath

Chapter 17

"Al, what happened?" Yui spoke with a weak sigh that expelled the tiny bit of air that he had finally managed to inhale after holding his breath from panicking for so long. "I thought you were having a stroke or something! Are you sure you don't need to see a doctor?" Yui ran his hand along the top of his head and pushed his dirty blonde hair back. It fell heavily right back into his face. He hovered nervously over Al's bedside.

Al was nestled comfortably into Timmy's old bed. "No, I'm- I'm fine," Al stammered, as he held a cup of chamomile tea that Anabelle had made for him. He thought he could make himself stop shivering by warming his hands on the mug, but... he knew he wasn't actually shivering from the cold.

"You sure as hell didn't look fine," Yui argued. His legs finally gave out under him, and he kneeled beside the bed, with his thin arms folded over the blankets.

"This just... happens from time to time, when I try to repress my emotions," Al explained in a purposely stoic manner. He looked at his weary reflection in the liquid. When did he get so old?

Yui's head was laying on his arms. He lifted his turquoise eyes silently up at Al as if to say "go on".

Al sighed again. "You know how I froze up when we were crossing the street?"

Yui nodded.

"It's like that," Al elaborated. "When I feel intense emotions, I have to shut down, or else..." He was silent for a moment.

"Or else what?" Yui scrunched his eyebrows concernedly at his friend. It was obvious that he wanted a real answer. Al couldn't skirt around this.

"I'll hurt someone," Al admitted, painfully. "It happened before. I nearly killed the person I loved the most. It was sheer luck that he didn't die. No, I can't say he was lucky. I..." Al blinked as he tried to sort through his own thoughts. "Of course I don't wish he died. I could never. But what happened to him..." Images flashed through Al's mind, as he spoke. "...Was it really any better?"

"You're talking in riddles, Al," Yui pointed out. He lifted his head to show that he was paying attention. "Start from the beginning. What happened? It's about your ex-husband, isn't it? Tell me."

"Okay," Al said. He put the cup down on the bedside table and braced himself. His large chest heaved. "It's a long story, though."

"I've got all night," Yui said, in the mature tone that he used with his clients.

"Do you mind if I start... by telling you about my ex?"

"Not at all," Yui smiled in a way that was comforting yet laced with sadness. He knew the story wouldn't be a happy one.

"When I was seventeen, I met a boy," Al began. "His name was William Eden. We met in high school. I instantly felt an overwhelming sadness from him. I was sitting in the school cafeteria, and... This other William was being bullied and had nowhere to sit, so he..." Al froze, as he noticed that Yui looked like he had a question. "What is it?"

"Sorry," Yui clapped his hands together and bowed his head in apology. "It's just- You said "this other William". Were there two Williams?"

"Oh," Al suddenly looked at Yui wide-eyed. "Shit. Sorry." He brushed his hair out of his face and looked at the wall opposite of Yui.

"What?" Yui looked downright confused. "Am I missing something?"

"Yeah, I... omitted something very important," Al informed him.

"What's that?"

"My name is William."

Yui stared at Al with a blank expression. "Huh?"