"Dylan, standing up would be good right now," the words squeezed at Alek's throat, and he felt his heart ache. A tear escaped his eye, trickling down his cheek and he was greeted by a blur of brown and grey hues and a faint outline of what seemed to be the puddles of mud and the ruined suit Dylan was wearing; he muttered softly- but loud enough for him to hear, "Come on, Dylan. You can't die on me here."
"Do…I look…like a… ninny…to you?" He replied. One of his eyes was closed, and a grin played at the fifteen-year-old's face. Dylan groaned, and his smile was replaced with that of a grimace. Alek watched as his friend's face blanched to an even whiter shade than he already was.
"It…hurts…," and Dylan let out another groan of pain. The battle behind them was still waging on, and the beasties that were left let out shrieks that sent shivers up and down his body. The Germans were being forced to retreat, but Alek didn't care about the battle. All he could think about was how he had let Dylan get shot. The thin boy had been pierced through his lower abdomen, close to his stomach, and Alek knew that if anymore blood was lost then Dylan could be in serious danger.
"I'm going to do something, but you have to trust me," and Alek searched Dylan's blue eyes for any sign of doubt. He nodded, and Alek could tell the blonde was trying to hide the pain. With that Alek lifted his head and slipped his jacket underneath to keep him from the watery mud underneath. The cold winter air stung at Alek's bare skin as he pulled his woolen shirt off of him.
He felt the first drop of rain hit the top of his head, and he was almost grateful for the rain; it was washing Dylan of the dirt and blood that made it hard to see where the wound was. Alek held the shirt between his teeth as he unbuttoned the soiled shirt that was getting in his way of helping Dylan.
"What..are you…doing?" Dylan tried to lift his head, but Alek gently, but with enough force held his friend down. Alek looked him in the eye again when Dylan gripped his shirt closed.
"Leave…it." And Alek felt annoyance well up inside of him when he tried to pry Dylan's hand off of the blood stained white button down.
"I need to get this off of you so that I can save you. Do you not understand what I'm saying?" He hissed at the boy who was groaning with the pain of the bullet.
"Leave…it." Dylan said again, and Alek looked angrily at him.
"Fine!" He exclaimed, but continued to go to work. Blood was oozing out of the small boy, and Alek pushed his reddish brown hair away from his face. He ripped the hole that the bullet made a little bigger, and he felt Dylan's hand on his arm, but he continued to rip the shirt until his flat stomach was completely exposed. Alek heard Dylan suck in a breath as the pouring rain hit the open wound, and Alek moved back up to Dylan's face. Pressing a hand against the boy's forehead he checked for a fever, and found that Dylan was getting colder, not warmer.
"Damn it," he felt the tears again, but he wiped them away and looked again at the wound. There was a hole the size of Alek's thumb, and he knew he would have to get the bullet out somehow or else his friend would be killed not only because of blood loss, but of lead poisoning as well.
"This might hurt a little," and he plunged his index finger into the small wound, and he felt himself start shaking uncontrollably when Dylan screamed bloody murder, wailing for him to stop. The little metal pellet was cold, and the flesh of Dylan's stomach didn't feel real against his finger, but once he pulled it out he knew it was. Dylan had started breathing hard, and the tears falling from his eyes weren't hard to pick out from the rain.
"Alek…" Dylan whispered, but Alek kept at his work, pressing the wool shirt against the wound, and pressing hard to keep the wound closed. Dylan groaned again, his lip bleeding where he had bitten it because of the pain.
"Hold on for me." And Alek let his tears come freely now, not worrying whether or not they dropped from his face.
"Alek… do you remember…" and there was a long pause before Dylan continued, "when you said…you were…" he coughed this time; he coughed blood.
"Stop talking, it's going to kill you," Alek said hysterically. His shirt was now a deep red and the blood kept coming. Holding the shirt against Dylan's wound with one hand, he lifted his head and placed it in his lap. Alek pushed the boy's blonde hair away from his face, and leaned his forehead against Dylan's.
"Just be still." His tears were mixing with Dylan's and Alek felt panic start to push into his body.
"No…let me talk…damn Clankers…you're all so…demanding," he got out breathlessly.
"Do you…remember…when you said…that you were…in love?" Alek pulled his friend closer to him, pressing his cheek to the boy's forehead.
"Yes, I remember, down in the bulge, the night before I escaped." Dylan grasped Alek's right hand with his left, and he smiled a little. He was getting colder by the second, but yet even now his voice was comforting.
"I thought…you were…talking about me." And Alek felt a little shock of surprise run through him. Loving Dylan? And somehow the thought didn't bother him, and he listened carefully as Dylan whispered in his ear, each breath tickling the hairs on the back of his neck.
"And…I was so…excited. Thinking…that perhaps…a commoner…and someone…of my standing…could be treasured…by someone…like you. But…now it seems…so silly…because, I'm nothing…" and Dylan was silent. Alek felt like his tears were pouring out of his body.
"You're not nothing, you're everything," and Alek found himself caressing the other's face, and all the feelings he had blocked his heart from feeling for Dylan were set free. It didn't matter anymore if he was a boy or an alien, Alek knew that he loved him, and not just as a friend.
"I think… I'm going…to die. What about…you?" And Alek knew he was trying to joke, but he saw behind the beautiful blue diamonds of Dylan's eyes that the joke was a real question.
"You're going to be fine. You have to be." This time Alek pulled the blonde into an embrace, his tears no longer soaked into Dylan's shirt; the rain had already covered them both in gallons of water.
"I'm…not quite sure…about that one…Dummkopf…and anyways…it's not like you…need me…" Alek pulled Dylan away from himself.
"Of course I need you." Dylan laughed, but closed his eyes, his breathing was heavier than ever, and Alek couldn't bear the thought of losing him like this.
"I…love…you…" He whispered weakly, and Alek cupped his face in his hands.
"Then hang on, hang on for me." Alek did what he thought he would never do to the boy in his arms; he kissed him. He pressed his mouth onto Dylan's and buried his hands in his soft blonde hair. That was the last thing Alek remembered before he felt the butt of a gun slam into his head and he dropped next to Dylan, laying unconscious next to his love.