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"Gah..!"
There is nothing you despise more than that sound. The sound that an innocent boy named Arlan makes whenever something hurts him; it sounds so sorrowful and afraid. Gut twisting as your instincts took over, you rushed towards the white-haired boy. He's certainly not weak, but being he was in a battle against five separate monsters, the score was just unfair. Normally, he would have ran, but he was doing it to protect you. He put on a brave face to keep you safe, even sacrificing his own eye for it. His beautiful, vibrant pink hues.. now, one was profusely leaking a combination of blood and tears. It streamed down his face, staining his station uniform crimson in a splotchy pattern as the boy crashed to his knees. His hand shielded his injured eye, seemingly in overwhelming agony. Lucky for him, you were there. You hoisted him into your arms, shooting the head of a single monster prior to fleeing the scene.
You leapt aside as your gun crashed to the ground, hauling Arlan into your arms bridal style. "Is the eye still intact?" You questioned immediately. He removed his hand, revealing his eye. It was gushing blood, the pink iris drowned in a sea of crimson. You were unsure if his tears were the reason red trailed down his face— or if it was just bleeding that badly. Arlan's head wavered, as though he was losing strength. His eyelids drew down, sinking over his bloody eye and his perfect eye. "Come on, don't close your eyes! Stay awake!" In spite of your pleads, he became deadweight in your arms. You instantly stumbled forwards, attempting to steady yourself as monsters followed at your heels.
Upon regaining balance, you ran as fast as your burning legs could possibly take you. Carrying Arlan may have slowed you down, but you valued him far too much to abandon him. You wouldn't be able to live with yourself if you let him die, alone and afraid. Clutching him closer to yourself in hopes of monitoring his pulse, you made a break for a safer zone. If you could place him aside, at least covering him, you could fight off those monsters and make a clean escape. It was risky, but nonetheless worth a shot. You entered an office room, tucking Arlan beneath the desk. In an instant, monsters swarmed you, suffocating you between their sleek bodies of armored plates they call skin. Fending them off seemed pointless, but you had to try. You recalled keeping two smaller guns in your pockets, which you instantly drew. In a shower of bullets, you began to rocket various bullets into the enemies around you. What else could you do? As soon as the final enemy dropped to the floor, you slipped your weapons back into their leather pockets. You reached beneath the desk, hauling Arlan into your arms. "Dammit, open your eyes, please! Just one! I think you're dead! Oh my god, you're so ashy and bloody.." You were right. He looked like a corpse.
You veered further into Herta's space station, begging you'd reach the infirmary in time. You smacked a keypad in order to shut a metal door behind yourself. It wasn't much, but it would hold monsters back for at least an hour. That was plenty of time to make a break for it. In fact, the infirmary was in the distance. It was so close—! "Arlan, please be alive!" You pleaded. In an uncoordinated flop, you landed upon your back in the doorway of the infirmary. One of the medics dropped her rolls of bandaging upon seeing Arlan's state. "Oh my god," she muttered as she hoisted him into her arms. You assumed that meant horrible news, although you were absolutely prepared to hear he had passed in your arms.
You selected a bench in the infirmary as medics swarmed the room where the nurse had taken Arlan to. Grateful for their assistance, you borrowed a roll of adhesive bandaging for future use. You spun some around a gash wound upon your arm, afterwards tearing the tape with your teeth as you sprinted outside of the infirmary. There was more fighting to be done, and if he truly did die, you prayed it would not be in vain.
╭┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈𑁍ࠬ┈┈┈╮ ❝ Several Hours Later ❞ ╰┈┈┈𑁍ࠬ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈╯
"Reader, guess what?" Asked a familiar voice— Asta was there. You turned your head to face her, your complexion sweaty and breaths heaving. "The attack is finally over?" "Not only that," she leaned forwards, grabbing your hand in hers. "Go to the infirmary." You froze, "Why are you making light of that?" You growled in a pissed tone of voice. "It's good news, I promise!" She shooed you.
You waved her off, abandoning the station of white to see the even whiter infirmary. Your entire body ached, burning from minor wounds and exhaustion. However, you were motivated. You wished to see that wonderful boy once more. You just wanted to see him smile again. Maybe you could have that. You burst into the doorway of the infirmary, sweat drops clinging to your skin as you panted your speech. "Arlan— now." You rasped. "Ah, you're just in time!" Said a medic, showing you to a curtain. She drew it back..
The boy was seated in a bed of white, his left eye being covered in bandaging that was stained crimson in a giant splotch. Your eyes stung with bitter tears as you dragged your heavy feet along the ground, shaky arms extending towards him. Arlan threw himself at your chest, squeezing you close to himself. Was this real? You placed one hand into his snowy hair— the hair that always reminded you an elegant owls feathers. Saying you sobbed like a baby was an understatement. In a split second of pure bliss, you began bawling into the boy's hair. "You're alive..! Holy shit—" "Language," he scolded you briefly, afterwards rubbing your back. "Ow—"
A medic butted in, "Be cautious, if you cry, it'll really sting your injury." Said he. "Ah, th-thank you!" Stammered the embarrassed boy, whom resumed clutching onto you.
After such an experience, you wanted to hold him forever. You would hold him and make sure nothing hurt him ever again, and if something tried to, you'd snap it's neck in two. Tears spilled over and down your complexion in uncontrollable sobs as you sunk to your knees at the bedside, placing your face down in Arlan's lap. He pat your head awkwardly. "Shh, don't— don't cry, it's okay.." You placed your hand on his chest, only sobbing harder as you felt his beating heart. Such a strong heart.. "Waaah..! Arlan, idiot—! I fucking love you!" He huffed at your use of strong language, "I, uh, I love you too." He stammered, fumbling with his words possibly from both exhaustion and embarrassment.
From then on, you swore to protect him from whatever harm comes his way. It didn't matter if it meant dying, you'd savor every last moment with him, then pass in peace. Whatever it'd take to save such a beautiful person. You lifted your chin, sniveling a tad. Arlan beamed an unforgettable smile down at you, a soft giggle following as he brushed your hair behind your ears. "Good, you stop—" "Ahhhh..! Arlan, won't you marry me?!" "I can't do that!" "Why not..?!" "We're too young to legally marry!" He reminded you.
You smushed your face into his torso, inhaling his sweet scent. Slowly rising to your feet, you leaned into the mattress, which forced the boy onto his back. You coiled your arms around him, petting his hair. "Oh my god— you're real," you breathlessly said. "Haha! We did it, Arlan!" "Did you really?" He beamed at you, tears beginning to trail down his complexion. You savored his beauty. Such a gorgeous, though scarred, face. You couldn't possibly think of anything prettier. "Really!" "Great job!" You nuzzled into his hair, repeatedly kissing his head as you forced his face gently into your collarbone. He grabbed your elbows in his hands, laughing a bit in spite of crying. "Mwah! Mwah! Mwah! I'm never letting you go again!"
Now, that eye is never to be seen again. Hair is draped over it to prevent others from witnessing the visible scars along the eyeball itself, which have turned the iris gray from partial blindness. Only you have seen this eye. Even though it is disfigured on the eyeball itself, he is just as beautiful as the days before he got it.
