Hearts at War (AlanxJeff) VI

15

Jeff

With a branch, I hid some of the leaves they mentioned until I could come down with some tools to handle them safely. I got some latex gloves and, even hiding from Pean, I chopped them up and left some scattered in the nooks of the sofa. My heart was pounding, scared and worried. "Everything, everything will be fine," I repeated to myself over and over, trying to calm down. "Alan will be so upset that he won't want to come back ever again," I thought, though a strange and painful pang pierced my heart at the thought.

I lay down as usual, but with my heart beating faster and faster. The night seemed darker and quieter than usual. "What am I doing?" I asked myself, feeling a mix of regret and anxiety.

If Alan discovers my plan, his reaction could be quite interesting. I imagine he would first be surprised to find the leaves on the sofa. He might frown and examine the area, trying to understand what is causing the discomfort.

"What the hell...?" he would murmur while inspecting the sofa.

Realizing that someone did it on purpose, he would probably feel a bit annoyed.

"Seriously, Nu?" he would say with a mix of incredulity and annoyance. "Is this what you've been up to?"

He might approach me with a stern expression.

"You know this isn't necessary, right? You could just ask me."

Trying to keep my composure, I would respond, "Well, you didn't seem in a hurry to leave, so I thought I'd give the situation a little push."

Alan would probably sigh and finally give in.

"Alright, alright. I'll leave. But next time, just talk to me, okay?"

Yes, this could definitely happen.

Alan arrived a little later than usual. Before coming to sleep, he always went to his room and took a shower, then put on light pajamas. I knew because whenever he came in, I could smell a slight scent of shampoo that couldn't overshadow his natural aroma but was in perfect harmony with it.

I heard his steps towards the closet as was his custom and then towards the sofa. I listened with my breath quickening as he settled down to sleep. And in that last second I knew I had left, I regretted it.

"Wait..." I managed to say as I sat up, but he had already lain down.

He sat up abruptly at my call and frowned.

"Everything okay, Nu?" he asked, concerned.

Seconds later, I saw his face start to contort as he moved his arms to his back.

Damn! What have I done?

"Get up!" I told him as I hurriedly got out of bed. He stood up abruptly, rubbing his back hard while showing signs of pain.

"But... What is it?"

"Does it itch? I'm sorry, I... what... what should I do? Should we call someone?"

"Nu, what did you do? God, this itches a lot!" he said in a strained voice, trying to stay calm.

"They're some prickly leaves... they said they itch," I said in a whisper, feeling increasingly guilty as his face contorted more and more.

"I'm... I'm allergic."

"What?! I'll call someone," I said as I tried to head to the door to get help, but he grabbed my arm and turned me around to face him. He took a deep breath.

"Don't call anyone. It's nothing," he said with a forced smile, trying to contain himself but not lasting long.

Alan began to scratch desperately, and I could see his skin reddening and small welts appearing. His breathing became heavier and more labored, and his eyes started to water.