Mercy In You (Dave Gahan x Alan Wilder)

1. New Year's Eve

Friday, 31st December 1992, 9:01pm, the pub:

"Right, I'm going to the bar, what do you guys want?"
"I think Mart and I just want a large cider each, right, Mart?" Andy turned his head to Martin to check with him, to which Martin nodded.
"Okay, Dave?"
"Oh, erm..." Dave stuttered. "I think I'll just have water for now, to be honest."
"What?" Alan replied, confused and shocked.
Through the sounds of music booming, people cheering and the occasional glass shattering, Dave's answer still remained clear.
"Yeah, I just, don't really feel like it." He shrugged.
"Don't feel like it?" Andy gave a mixture between a scoff and a laugh. "When does Dave Gahan not feel like drinking?"
"Yeah, who are you and where's Dave?" Martin added, smirking.
"Guys, honestly." Dave laughed, but it felt more nerve-wracked than genuine.
"I'm gonna order you one anyway." Alan said sharply.
"Alan, don't."
And all four of them stopped dead in their tracks in silence, taken aback by Dave's sudden change in tone; from one of humour to then frustration.
"Alright, okay." Alan attempted to deplete his face of the surprised expression he knew it was holding. "I just... I'm worried about you now."
"Why?"
"Because you never, ever turn down having a drink."
"Yeah, well, new year, new me." Dave smiled, but Alan was far from convinced.
"I mean," He began, realising quickly he couldn't think of anything more to interject with. "Okay. I won't argue with you about it. You don't want a drink, you don't want a drink."
"Thanks, love." His partner got up and kissed his cheek before taking a seat again.

~♡~♡~♡~♡~
Two hours later, 11:47pm:

As the night went on, Dave's behaviour remained unusual. He refused any offers to be bought a drink and stayed inside with Martin whilst Alan and Andy went outside to smoke cigarettes in half an hour intervals.
Now, midnight was approaching. At the table Dave sat with Martin just beside him, waiting for their bandmates' return from what must've been their five-hundreth cigarette smoking of the night, Dave thought to himself.
He had never expected to be entering the new year without a trace of alcohol nor nicotine within his system, but he knew that it was for the best.
It wasn't until he felt Alan shaking his arm to bring him back to awareness that he realised he had entirely zoned out into continuous thinking.
"Dave? Dave!"
He shook his head as to detach himself from his thoughts.
"Hi, sorry. I didn't notice you'd come back."
"No worries," Alan chuckled. "But are you OK?"
"I..." Dave struggled to give a definitive answer, as he struggled to determine if he truly were OK. "I'm tired." He eventually said.
"Really?" His partner was once again left feeling surprised by the answer to his question, but didn't want to overwhelm him by questioning it. "Well, nearly midnight. I doubt we'll hang around for much longer after that. I must be honest, babe, you definitely look tired. And... maybe a little bit pale, too."
But Dave could not respond this time, instead practically throwing himself from his seat and sprinting to the bathrooms nearby.
"Oh God." Martin's head pivoted round, his eyes trailing Dave's fastly paced feet. "Is he alright?"
"Didn't look it." Andy remarked. "That's so odd considering he hasn't had a single drink with us tonight."
For a few moments, Alan had simply stood there, his confusion and concern for his partner building. At last, he snapped out of it and snatched Dave's jacket up from where it rested over his seat.
"I'm gonna go after him. Be back in a minute." He said, before speed-walking in the same direction of which Dave had.
However, he was not given chance to even reach the entrance to the pub's bathrooms before Dave emerged from inside them. Though only minutes had passed since he had last seen him, he felt an unconsciously held breath be released from his lungs and he ushered himself over to him.
"Baby, what's the matter?" He asked with glossy eyes.
"I..." It was instantly unmistakable that something was not as it should've been with his partner. "I don't know... I just felt s-so ill out of nowhere."
"Oh, Dave," Alan lovingly stroked the side of Dave's head. "You must be coming down with something. We'll get you home and straight to bed."
Just then, the sound of drunken chants could be heard in the distance, counting down from the number ten.
"Oh no, we're gonna miss-"
"Don't worry. No rush."
Thus, they remained where they were.
"FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE, HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
"Oh wow, 1993!" Alan grinned, hoping Dave would grin back.
And he did.
"Can't wait to spend another year with you, Alan."
"And I'll say the same for you, too, my love." His partner wrapped one arm around his waist and pulled him into a kiss, Dave putting both hands around the sides of Alan's face.
"Oh, THEY'RE HERE, MART!" Andy suddenly appeared. "Having a snog, as usual."
They then heard Martin laugh and give a muffled, slurred response, sounding obviously intoxicated, from where he still sat at their table. Andy laughed back, continuing to poke fun at his two bandmates for their display of affection and romance towards eachother.
With a show of his middle finger in Andy's direction without pulling away from Dave's lips, it dawned on Alan that he truly had found his person.