A Shinigami Christmas - part 3

Chapter 3
Having furiously tackled and completed all of the paperwork, Eric and Alan were able to leave the office a bit early as planned.  After departing slightly uneasily under the eyes of the ever-watchful William (who unhappily couldn't protest at their leave as they had finished all of their work), the two found themselves making their way though a small town a little ways away from the offices.  Alan smiled, strolling along happily in the crisp winter air.  As he had predicted the night before, the rain had turned to snow that was now spread in tiny patches around the town.  

He turned, his cheeks slightly pink in the cool air as he called out to his friend.  
  "Isn't it wonderful? It really seems like we're in a storybook or something!"
Eric smiled warmly as he watched his little friend skipping away ahead of him.  Alan looked so happy.  With a sad smile he realized that his friend looked reasonable healthy too.  

Although he had a cold, the past week had gone by without any attacks from the Thorns of Death.  Eric always felt relieved when each day came and went without any signs of his friend's illness getting worse.  When those times came, Eric almost could trick himself into believing that his friend was healthy.  He sighed.  He wished he could do something to help Alan, but currently there was no cure for his illness.  

Eric's thoughts wandered away to something he had read a while back.  There was no cure for the Thorns of Death.  But there was a legend of a cure.  A terrible legend which would involve the mass killings of many innocent people. He gazed at the slight body of the man he held so dear.  It would be terribly risky to carry out the legend and if caught, he would be expelled from the Shinigami Dispatch Society.  The shinigamis were very strict upon the rules, one of them being to only collect souls from the list of the dead.  He would truly sacrifice a lot by doing this, as well as break one of the more important rules of being a shinigami.

1000 souls. That was the legend.  If one could collect one thousand pure souls, then it would cure the Thorns of Death.  Eric sighed once more.  Ever since he had found out about the legend, he couldn't keep it out of his mind.  To kill 1000 people not on the list of the dead for only the slightest chance that it could cure his friend seemed reckless.  But the temptation of that slight chance that it would cure Alan kept it in his mind, haunting him.

  "Eric?"
Eric was pulled out of his thoughts to find Alan staring at him, a look of concern on his face.
  "Eric, are you alright? You seem a bit out of it" Alan peered worriedly at his friend's face, then gasped and placed a hand on the taller man's forehead. "Oh no! You didn't catch my cold, did you?"
Eric forced a smile on his face as he shook his head.
  "No, I'm fine.  Just thinking about what to get William-san for Christmas.  He's so hard to shop for..."  It was a cheesy lie, but he didn't want Alan to know what was really on his mind.  Alan would never approve of killing so many people for his sake.

Alan seemed to accept this and smiled.
  "I've been thinking about that too.  I wonder if he would like a tie?"
Eric smiled for real this time and lead the way down the path, gazing around at all of the merrily decorated shops along the walk.  
  "No....that's what he got for Christmas last year.  And almost everyone got him that too.  I'm surprised he even wears them anymore after all of that."
Alan grimaced at the memory and quickened his pace so that he was walking along beside his friend.
  "That's right.....I completely forgot about that. But what can he get him? It's not proper to give your boss underwear but I can't really think of anything else....."
Eric laughed at this, then spotted a stationary store ahead.
  "Let's go there.  He cares so much about work that we should be able to find something......"
Alan nodded, then gently nuzzled up against his friend's side, enjoying the added warmth in the cold air.

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A few hours later they were walking down the snowy path again, this time loaded up with shopping bags. They had found an elegant stationary set at the first store that they thought would please their boss, had procured a stylish handbag for their red-haired co-worker in his favorite color, and Alan had spotted a trendy holiday tie in a nearby shop which they had bought for the fun-loving Ronald.  They walked along in silence for a while, both pleased at their purchases, then Alan suddenly turned to his friend with a gasp.

  "Eric! I meant to ask you at work but I got so focused on the task at hand that I forgot…." He grinned boyishly, his rosy cheeks becoming slightly pinker as he glanced down at his shoes. "What would you like for Christmas?"
Eric glanced up in surprise, then grinned.
  "Well there has been this book that looks interesting. It's a mystery novel and I heard it's very good….." He trailed off.  True, he had been wanting to read that for a while, but the thing his heart longed for most was for Alan to be healthy.  Again his mind unconsciously wandered off to the legend of the thousand souls.   

His face must have betrayed his thoughts as he saw Alan's smile vanish as the younger man sighed.
  "Eric….I know what you're thinking, but there's nothing we can do.  It's unfortunate that this happened, but it did and although I wish with all my heart that I could change it, there's nothing we can do…." He glanced away, his dark thoughts and the fear of his impending fate coming back to stab at his heart.  

They stood in depressed silence, then Alan lifted his head and wiped his suddenly teary eyes with his coat sleeve, an almost innocent smile appearing on his face.
  "That's why, for my Christmas present, I want to celebrate Christmas happily with everyone!  That alone will be the best present for me."
He grinned and walked up so he was a foot away from Eric and gently touched his hand.

  "We can't change fate, but we can at least cherish the time fate allows us to spend with one another."  He smiled sadly.  "Everyday, every moment I'm afraid…afraid of the attacks, afraid of these thorns within me.  I never know what will happen to me in the days that pass. But," he gazed up into Eric's eyes, his own eyes shining with a happy light, "but I know that I'm extremely grateful to have such wonderful friends and that I'm living such a wonderful life while I can."
He gave Eric's hand a slight squeeze, then let go and stepped back, giving the reaper the sweetest smile Eric had ever seen.
  "I don't know whether or not this will be my last Christmas, but if it is, I want to make it the best Christmas ever!"

Eric gasped, surprised, then smiled warmly.  He knew Alan was ashamed and frightened of his illness but he was trying to be strong and make the best of it.  Eric let out a sigh.  If anyone were to be happy, it should be Alan.  He made up his mind in that instant.  He would do it.  He would collect one thousand souls.  He glanced up at the grinning man in front of him and gave him a tender smile.  To him, all the souls in the world could not compare with that one soul that shone so brightly in front of him.  He would take the risks, he would willingly throw everything away in his life for that slight chance that that light could continue shining forever.  Alan's light.

He reached out and playfully mussed up the soft brown hair on the other's head, grinning widely.
  "If that's what you want, then I shall try my hardest to give you the best Christmas present you've ever received."
Alan smiled up at him, his cheeks growing slightly pink.
  "And I'll try to look for that book you want.  Are you sure you don't want anything else?"
Eric smiled, turning and heading off down the path once more with Alan by his side.
  "I'm sure.  I'll just be happy if I can make you smile this Christmas.  That will be my true present."
Alan looked down, slightly embarrassed at this, then gazed around at all the shops. It was beginning to get dark so all of the Christmas lights were turned on, casting the street in a warm golden glow which made the light snow upon the ground shimmer and twinkle up at them.
  "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas…..everywhere you go…"
Alan started singing and giggled, peering up at Eric with his wide green eyes. He smiled and continued on his way, his sweet voice growing louder and stronger as he walked. "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas…..soon the bells will start. And the thing that will make them ring is the carol that you sing…"

He stopped, taking in the beauty around him.  
"It looks so beautiful…..it really does seem like it's made from the magic of Christmas…."
Eric smiled, then picked up on his friend's song.
  "….soon the bells will start. And the thing that will make them ring is the carol that you sing…"
Alan grinned, then joined him for the last phrase.
  "Right within your heart~!"

Eric smiled as they finished the last notes in harmony, then followed his friend down the street, his heart feeing more content than it had in months.