I was sitting in a hospital bed with my head in my hands. I was crying my heart out. I had passed out today during work and was brought to the hospital. After a lot of testing the doctors came to their diagnosis.
Leukemia.
I had freaking leukemia and I didn't know. What's worse is it was stage 3. How my doctor didn't find out I don't know. So now I was crying as I was told my survival was slim but the doctors would do everything they could.
I drop my hands and jump in surprise when I saw a man I didn't know in my room. He wore a long-sleeved button up with a black tie, black slacks, and black shoes. "Um..who are you?" I ask and he walks over looking at my heart monitor. "Ichimatsu." I nod and glance down "do you..do you work here?" I ask and he shook his head "no..but I come here often." I felt sad when he said that
"Oh I'm sorry. Why? If you don't mind me asking." He looked over with a vacant look in his eyes. "It's a part of my job." He says and I nod. "Oh so you're a mortician?" I ask and he smiled "something like that." He says and I hum "I love your outfit by the way." He looks over with a raised eyebrow
"I mean..well..I love the color purple. Whenever I see it it makes me happy." I say and he smiled. "Okay. Thanks....I like your smile." I smile softly and he looked away with a blush.
....
I was slowly becoming weaker and more tired. My weight was more than half of what it use to be. Today I was waiting for Ichimatsu. For the past month, Ichimatsu has been visiting me. He would always look over my diagnosis report before chatting with me. I looked up as the door opened to reveal Ichimatsu with a hand behind his back. He closed the door and walked over.
Once he reached me he pulled out a bundle of these beautiful purple roses. They were completely purple from the stem to the petals.
I smile and took the flowers from him placing them on the table beside my bed. Like usual he looks at my diagnosis report and I saw his face become sullen. "Only one week...I can't believe it..I don't want to believe it." He says and I smile "yeah..it's terrible but that's my fate." I say and went to hold his hand. He flinched and pulled his hand back.
"Why do you do that? I don't bite." I ask saddened by his refusal to touch me. I know that sounds bad but I really like Ichimatsu and I felt sad when he wouldn't touch me. He'd let me hug him but his arms would always stay at his sides. "I just don't want to physically touch you." He says and sighs "it's hard to explain." I tilt my head and he sighs "believe me..it's better if I don't lay my hands on you." He says and I hum.
Why though?
....
My week was up but I was still here. I overheard the doctors saying how I was still alive but wasn't getting any better. They said it was like my time of death was being pushed back. Yet again Ichimatsu came to visit. Though ever since the week was up he didn't read the reports. He just immediately went to talk to me and listen to me. I reach my hand out to hold his face when he sat down beside the bed.
"Ichimatsu..I have to ask..what are you?"
I saw his face drop and he glanced away. "I..I can't say.." I narrow my eyes and have him face me. "Ichimatsu..tell me..I want to know who you are or what you are." I say and his eyes reflect sadness as he dropped his head into his hands. "I'm an idiot. That's what I am." I hum in confusion and concern. "What? You aren't an idiot." He glanced up and shook his head before lifting his head up.
"Yes I am. I had a simple job. Come in, check on you, read the reports, and wait till your time came...but I couldn't do it!" I jump back as he yelled "I couldn't handle that you were going to die! I deal with deaths daily, I always have..but you..you..I couldn't bare the thought of losing you so I would push back your death but I should've known that would just add to your suffering. I'm an idiot because I fell in love with you!"
I was surprised at his words but what surprised me the most was he started crying. I reach out and gently stroke his hair. "Hey. Sh~ sh~ it's okay." I coo and hug him close to me. Then I realized something he said. "Wait..you pushed my death back? How?" I ask and he looked down.
"I..I could do that because...I'm a reaper."
I was in shock as I stare at him. He looked away, tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you...reapers aren't really meant to tell what they are...I also didn't want you to fear me." I felt tears well up in my eyes and I cover my mouth, my heart aching.
He knew..He knew my fate this whole time...and never said anything...and yet I couldn't find any anger inside of me.
I reach a trembling hand out and caress his cheek, having him look at me. "Ichimatsu...I could never fear you...I fell in love with you too." I say and he looked at me with wide eyes, tears leaving from his eyes. "From your first visit I knew you were special...over time your care...had me falling for you..and I fell hard." I say as tears left my eyes
"I love you Ichimatsu. Reaper or not."
He blushed and I reach my hand for his. He pulled it away with a scared face. "Don't...my touch kills anything living...before you ask those flowers were from my realm so they don't die from my touch." I went silent and glance from his face down to his hand. I reach my hand out and he tried to pull back again but I quickly grab his hand and kiss him. He let out a surprised noise but kissed me back.
I felt a wave of sleepiness wash over me. I fell back with slow breaths and my heart monitor went crazy. I turn to Ichimatsu "Don't..let..them..in.." I say weakly and he quickly ran to lock the door. There was furious banging against it and a nurse yelling for a doctor that someone locked the door. I felt my heart slow as well as I watched the monitor.
"I..Ichimatsu.."
I call out and he rushed over. He sat on the bed with me and struggled to sit up. I wrap my arms around his neck and he held me up at the waist. I lay my forehead on his, staring into his eyes. "I'm so sorry y/n." He says and I kiss his cheek "Don't..be..Just..let..me..go..hope..to..s-see..you..again." I say heavy shallow breaths. He nods and leans in "I love you y/n." I smile "I..love..you..too" I say before kissing him. He kissed back with the slightest whisper.
I pull away to look at him one more time. I held his face in my eyes and wipe his tears. I smile weakly before my body gave out and I fell back but he pulled me into his arms, hugging me tightly. "Love..you.." I say with my final breath before my eyes slid shut.
....
-Ichimatsu's POV-
I watched the rookie reaper with a smile as they look over a gravestone. I walk over and look down at the grave that read y/n l/n. "I'm happy it was a proper burial." I say and the reaper nods "yes, I am too...could you imagine if I had been cremated or something?" She asks and I turn to face her. "No y/n..I can't." I say caressing her cheek. She leaned into the touch, kissing the palm of my hand.
"I love you y/n..I'm so happy to have you with me here and now." I say and she smiled "and I know that as reapers I don't really have to do this because we are bond together already..but I want to do this so.." I took y/n's hand in both of mine before kneeling.
"Y/n l/n, will you marry me?"
She covered her mouth with the other hand and tears left her eyes. "Yes. I'll marry you Ichimatsu." She says before bending over to kiss me. I smile and kiss, my now fiancé, back.
My world became brighter today and was now complete now that I had y/n.