"Shi no Toge? You mean the Thorns of Death?" Eric asked, concern growing in his voice and on his face, which he carefully masked.
"Yes, Eric-san...The Thorns of Death." Alan managed to say between trembling breaths, his face in his hands.
"What about it...?"
Alan choked out more tears and sorrowful noises before he answered, "I-I have it, Eric-san. I have the Thorns of Death."
Eric dropped into a chair as if he had found out that he himself had the infamous disease. He ran a hand over his hair, unsure of what to say or do. If he showed weakness in front of Alan, what would that do for the unfortunate shinigami?
"Are you sure, Alan?" Eric asked slowly and softly.
"Ye-Yes. I went to see Undertaker-senpai. He-he told me."
"Alan..." Eric swiftly grabbed his companion and cradled him to his chest. The older shinigami's tears began to mix with those of the younger one. They grievously shook as one, their bodies holding each others close.
"Eric-san...I'm so scared of the future! What am I going to do?" Alan whispered into Eric's chest, his voice muffled.
"Not what you are going to do, Alan. What are we going to do?" Eric replied, his tears still coming, but slower. He could not show anymore fragility to the already fragile friend, "I'm not going to let you suffer through this alone. I'm not going to let a stupid disease take you away from me. You're my light and have been since the first time I met you. You're going to stay my light, and I will do anything it takes to keep you here with me."
Alan cried even harder, his heart exploding with happiness, but also the sadness that came from the hold of the disease. He curled his upper body closer to Eric, his head near the other one's stomach.
Eric awkwardly hugged Alan's back.
"I swear to you, Alan. I swear to that I will find a cure." Eric said quietly. He pulled Alan up, and thrust his lips against the brunette's.
Both Alan and Eric had been waiting for this moment for years, their love for each other blossoming every day like a flower. The way they felt for each other was always hidden from public view and from each other, but now they knew what the other was thinking. They were in love.
They gasped for air as they began to kiss harder, locking lips, and locking themselves together in eternity. Eric ripped his gloves off so he could feel the goosebumps that were forming on Alan's neck, and so he could feel the soft skin of the face of the one he loved. Alan tried to get as close as he could to the blonde, wanting to be held and reassured that he would never be alone again.
"E-Eric-san..." Alan panted, tears still running down his cheeks, "Eric-san...I love you so much!"
Alan tackled Eric into a hug, furiously crying. Eric kissed the side of his lover's head, and sighed a huge breath of relief. "I love you too, Alan. I always have."
Some miles away...
"What do you mean, he has the Thorns of Death?" William T. Spears asked the Undertaker, unsure if the old man was just fooling with him.
"I meant exactly what I said, lamb." the Undertaker replied in a very annoyed tone, "You'll go easy on him, William. His body can't take as much stress as you're always so very willing to hand out."
William's brows contorted in anger at the insult. The Undertaker left without another word, leaving Spears at his desk at the Shinigami Dispatch Society office. Out of all of the people he worked with, Alan always seemed the most tolerable, always doing his work correctly and turning in his paperwork on time. Poor thing. William sighed as he decided that he should reduce Alan's workload, shaking his head in disappointment as he realized he would have to take on the leftover work; that is, if he wanted it done correctly, which he did.