A Place That Only We Know

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

They had been laying in the bed fro some time, quilt pulled over both of their bodies; Alan snuggled against Eric's bare chest. Softly the Scotsman rubbed his back before he kissed his slightly sweat covered forehead. Alan couldn't believe what they had done. It wasn't exactly bad but it was hard to believe. In fact, despite the pain it was absolutely wonderful. Softly he nuzzled Eric, smiling at the small chuckle he gave.

"Yer hair tickles." He said softly. Alan smiled before he nuzzled against Eric's chest, listening to him chuckle contently.

"You're such a sweet guy, Eric." Alan said with a slight sigh. "I don't know why Alina doesn't like you." Eric shrugged slightly before he placed a kiss at Alan's cheek.

"Probably cause she's yer older sister." Alan cocked his head slightly before he looked up into Eric's emerald eyes.

"What?"

"Well," Eric started slowly stroking Alan's brunette hair. "If I had a younger sibling an' they sstarted datin' 'd dislike the partner ye know. 'S only natural for the older siblin's ta dislike the boyfriend er girlfriend." In all honesty Alan had never thought about it like that. He just thought Alina was bitter, what with how she was acting in the past five years. But perhaps Eric was right. "I mean, Cherry wasn' too 'appy when I told 'er I got a ye." Alan cocked his head slightly. Cherry? Who was Cherry?

"Who's Cherry?"

"Well," the Scotsman chuckled. "Charity. She's m' older sister." Alan paused for a moment. 'Cherry and Charity are the same person.' He thought with a small nod. 'Got it. Mental not taken.'

"That's cute that you call her Cherry." Eric chuckled before he nudged Alan playfully and kissed his cheek, a small blush appearing on his cheeks.

"Yeh, 't stuck with me ever since I was a kid when I couldn't say her name properly." Alan smiled. He could see the relation now. It was kind of how like Alan called Alina Leen for so many years because he couldn't say Alina.

"So were you around her often when you were a child?"

"Yeh. All tha time. She was m' savior, really. M' only friend for so long. She works in tha in infirmary now and she likes it there. 'M glad she's 'appy 'an all."

"She works in the infirmary?" Alan asked as he cocked his head. What with him being in the infirmary so often he might have seen her and just not realized she was kin to his lover. "What's she look like?"

"Ah she's a redhead with a pretty freckly face an' thick, round glasses." He said, tapping Alan's glasses playfully. "'Er hair's usually up in a bun er a ponytail. Doesn't keep it down much when she's workin' an' I can understand why. She's got one o' them Scottish accents like I do. Not as thick though."

"She sounds familiar..." Alan said as he bit down on his bottom lip. "She's probably treated me once or twice. I don't know though. I don't usually keep up with the doctors that treat me." Eric looked at Alan with a smile on his face before it slowly faded.

The Thorns of Death. Eric had completely forgotten about it. Alan had the Thorns of Death and was usually in the infirmary because of it. How could he forget about the Thorns? That was how they met. Eric bit his lip and he was suddenly washed over with a wave of anxiety as he thought about the terrible effects it had on Alan. He glanced at Alan's arm that laid delicately on his chest only to find the Thorn imprints wrapped around his wrist. The more he thought about it, Alan had them on his back too. And his ankles. Slowly Eric inhaled. He supposed it was best to talk about the subject since Alan had briefly (yet indirectly) brought it up.

"Alan," he said slowly as he nuzzled against Alan. "How bad s it?"

"How bad is what, darling?" Alan asked, completely content.

"Tha Thorns." Alan's breathing almost stopped when he heard Eric's response. He had hoped they wouldn't have to talk about the Thorns but he had seen parts of Alan that would lead anybody to want to talk about it.

"Well.. It's uh.. It's pretty bad.." Hes sighed, sitting up sightly as he pulled the quilt up to his chest. "I mean.. You're either in constant pain or in constant fear that you're going to be in pain. And... And it's not something curable. I have to live with having the Thorns for the rest of my life... However long that may be.. And it's terrible. I'm constantly afraid that I might drop dead without even realizing it. I mean... It doesn't help that I'm already frail. It just... Adds on to the problem."

"Alan-"

"I've thought about ending it a lot because I know that if The Thorns take me then I'll be in a lot of pain. Nobody wants to be in agonizing pain when they die. They just want to get it over with. So I think: why anticipate death when I can just go ahead and end my life? I could make it so quick and painless, I wouldn't have to worry at all, really. But.. That was before I met you." He said timidly, ignoring the squeeze that the Thorns gave him. "Before I found you I only had my garden. Half the time I couldn't even go see it or tend to it because I was in the infirmary. But I find you and you gave me a reason to keep going, honestly."

"A-Alan," he choked out, his eyes slightly widened. Carefully he leaned over and wiped the tears that were falling down his pale cheeks. He was at a loss for words until he saw Alan's bleeding wrists. "Yer bleedin'." Alan looked down to his blood covered wrists for a moment. Normally he would just let them bleed but Eric looked so worried. "Here, I'll clean ye up then I'll run ye a bath an' ye can relax, yeah?"

"Y-Yeah.." Alan said softly. "That sounds good." He whispered. Softly Eric kissed Alan's pale cheek before he slipped out of the bed and walked to the bathroom where he began filling up the bath.

The Scotsman gave a low sigh as he watched the water warm the bath. He bit his lip for a moment before turning on his heel and walking to the kitchen where he kept the first aid kit in one of the cabinets. He didn't realize how bad Alan really was and that worried him. For all he knew, Alan could drop dead at any given moment. He couldn't let that happen. Alan was the love of his life and if he were to die on him he wouldn't be able to function. Alan would be so young, too. He cringed slightly before he took the first aid kit and walked back to the bedroom where Alan sat quietly, staring down at his bloody wrists. Eric tried not to sigh It hurt him so badly, seeing Alan sad like that. Slowly he walked over to Alan and placed a gentle yet tender kiss at Alan's cheek before he gently took one wrist in his large hand. Carefully he cleaned that cuts and gently wrapped them. Once he finished he looked at the small brunette who sat with tears welling up in his eyes.

"Oh Alan," he whispered before gathering the small reaper into his arms. Alan gave a small whimper, nuzzling against Eric's chest as he let hot tears tumble down his cheeks.

"I don't want to d-die, Eric." He whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut as he did. "B-But I know I'm g-going to.. Soon; maybe a f-few months, days, weeks.... H-Hours."

"Don' say tha'!" Eric snapped gently as he clutched Alan close to him. "Alan, ye are strong. If ye've managed ta come this far then I know ye can keep goin'. hey," gently he lifted Alan's head, looking into his watery green eyes as he did. "Alan ye inspire me. If I had tha Thorns I wouldn't be able ta be as strong as ye. Ye're my hero. Ye're so strong through all o' this an' I admire ye for tha'." Alan sniffled, rubbing his eyes beneath his glasses before he spoke again.

"R-Really?"

"O' course, I wouldn' lie ta ye." Softly the taller reaper wiped Alan's eyes. "Now c'mon, lemme see tha' gorgeous smile o' yer's." Alan sniffled before he gave a small, weak smile and looked up at Eric. "There we are. Pretty boy." The brunette sniffled, wiping his eyes again before he took a slow, shaky breath. "Ye alrigh'?"

"Y-Yeah.." Alan said softly, slipping off his glasses for a moment. "I-I just..." Then the world went black.