From Diamond to Coal

Chapter One

CHAPTER ONE

At 27

Trekking through the house seemed like some kind of never-ending journey, his feet dragging across the floor. He was getting the beginnings of a headache, one of those ones that hung just behind his right sinus and eye until he just wanted to cry. Not that it hurt that much, just that it was a never ending kind of pain.

He had some sympathy for van Gogh, though there was no way he was ever letting things get so out of control that he thought mutilation was a good idea. Not until he saw a doctor anyway.

"What's with that look?" William demanded as soon as Alan came into the living room.

"Huh?" he asked intelligently. Alan felt off balance, sort of hanging between the open door and the room. He came the rest of the way in, closing the door behind him. He started to take off his jacket, keeping one eye on William the entire time.

Not that he ever wanted to look away from William. He was just so incredibly beautiful. Not handsome. BEAUTIFUL.

He was like poetry or something and there was no way Alan had ever done anything to make him worthy enough of that love. William was a good person through and through, and when combined with his awesome physical presence... he was like art and music and orgasms all rolled into one package.

William was standing on his knees, his crossed arms resting on the couch back. His black hair was a little tousled, probably from napping earlier, as there was a bit of puffiness around his dark brown eyes. His lips curved in amusement.

"You look like someone kicked you in the nuts. What's wrong?"

Alan sighed and hung his jacket in the closet. "I'm getting a migraine. I just don't feel like doing much of anything, but we've got to go to that thing tonight."

William pursed his lips and glanced down at his watch. "Hm. Well, I can whip something up to take the edge off for you. I mean, I'm not a doctor or anything, but I do know a little something about chemistry."

"Are you going to try and kill me?" Alan asked. He couldn't help pressing the base of his palm against his brow bone. It felt like something was pushing in on his eye socket.

"No!"

"Oh, too bad. At this point I would probably welcome it if you went all homicidal. Anything to stop the pain in my head." He walked over to the couch and flopped down next to William. He rested the side of his face against William's hip. "I love you."

William peered down at him, that little worry line appearing between his brows. "I love you too. You really do look horrible. Lie down and I'll get you something to make you feel better."

Alan groaned quietly, but he let William's gentle hands guide him down on the couch so he was lying stretched out. He felt a bit disappointed that William immediately stood up afterward instead of snuggling with him, but he didn't have the strength to object.

He closed his eyes and just tried to rest. He could hear William moving around, but his head hurt too much for curiosity.

Suddenly the cool edge of a glass was pressed cross-wise to his lips. "Here," William said.

Alan opened his eyes a crack. William was kneeling in front of him holding a full glass of something pink and fizzy. "I don't think so," he said, taking one sniff. His nostrils burned.

"Uh uh," William said, tugging on his arm until he was forced to sit halfway up. "You're going to drink this. Then you can take a nap or whatever."

Alan groaned, but knew he wasn't going to win the argument. He started drinking.

It maybe tasted a bit fruity at first, then he got that awful medicine flavor. He wanted to stop drinking, but William was right there looking at him. He drank it all.