Universe (VegasPete) R18

Chapter 78 - Until forever

TW: Blood/death

-Pete-

The silence.

The gun shots stopped, as soon as the two guns were pointed at Takahara's face, freezing the moment in time. Three other guns appeared from behind. It was the last of Takahara's men, aiming directly at Emi and Tam in retaliation.

Everyone stood still in one of those rare instances when you could hear those quick and unsteady breathing, heart beats, and even the soft touch of an eyelash falling on the soft skin of your lover's cheek.

But also the final gasps of those lying in pools of their own blood, crimson drops trickling. The crackling of the candle flames scattered across the floor. The breaths of two young, broken souls. The ominous click of their guns aimed directly at the Devil's head.

This warehouse, where everything began and where everything would end, was, in fact, never quiet.

I was crouched next to Vegas, hidden behind some sort of transport pallets, his arm extended in front of me like a useless shield. And just a few steps ahead, there they were, locked in a heavy silence, Emi and... Tam.

Tam was alive. Tam was here. And as soon as our eyes met a few seconds earlier, I realized that I knew deep down that he had always been.

When Vegas told me he didn't make it when I just woke up from my six months' sleep, the pain I felt was excruciating.

I tried, I tried to hold back the sobs, because I knew it would hurt Vegas to see me shed tears for the man he hates, the man who brought me to that hospital bed taking me away from him for so long.

I hid my tears for hours back then, waiting for Vegas to fall asleep while he held my hand in that dark room to finally let those cries take over me.

Yet, I tried to understand, to figure out why... why I could still feel Tam's presence deep in my heart. His essence, like a little flame, was still dancing under my skin and within my heart ever since that day I held his hand in the school playground, brushing off the dust from his shorts, and saw his sad yet determined gaze looking back at me with nothing but gratitude.

My friend. Yes, my friend—this child hiding beneath those broad shoulders and cold smiles.

And this time, his gun wasn't pointed at Vegas, but at the head of that mafia snake who brought him here—the man he used to work for, the man who helped him execute this messed-up plan, all in an attempt to soothe his heart full of resentment, rage, and hatred.

My friend, who shot me almost to death, but I couldn't bring myself to hate. Because the man standing in front of me, that same man who pulled the trigger so many months ago seemed to have died the same day as me.

Tam was still holding the rope in his hand, the very rope that had bound Vegas' hands. He was the one who freed him, the one who helped him escape. He gave us a chance to fight. He tried to save us.

I heard a rustle of fabric behind me, and when I glanced at Vegas, something in his eyes had changed. Worry creased his brow, and it immediately caught my attention.

"What is it?" I whispered, trying to understand the urgency in his expression. His gaze traced my face, and while his eyebrows eased slightly, the seriousness remained etched on his features.

"We need to get the hell out of here, now," he murmured, slightly rising on his feet as he scanned our surroundings.

His eyes searched for a way out amidst the bodies scattered on the floor and the neatly arranged pallets of brown plastic packages, likely drugs or lures, ready to be shipped or stashed away.