[Miguel O'Hara Fanfic]

Haunted (Chapter Four)

A habit it has become.

"Miguel, I'm home," the words just automatically fall out from your mouth the moment you step in the door.
"You're ba…ck," Miguel's tone changed from happy to silent, he must've sensed Gabriel and Gabriella behind the door.
"Look first of all, I'm sorry for returning late because I was doing something," you explained, "I went to find your family with the information the old man has given me, Gabriel, your brother and your daughter, Gabriella."
"How are you sure they are my family?" Miguel asked you, it's also the part you started to doubt a little.
"The old man showed me a picture of you and Gabriella, I think that proves enough," you reasoned back.

A minute of silence passed, both of you didn't say a thing at all, just looking at each other with millions of thoughts.

For some reason, you could sense that Miguel doesn't want to see Gabriel or Gabriella.

"Miguel, are you perhaps, don't want to see them?" You took out the courage to ask, he turned away when you asked him.

"Miguel?" You tilted your head, waiting for Miguel to answer but at the end he didn't say a thing at all.

"Maybe some other time then," you sighed and went back out the apartment.
"So?" Gabriella asked.
"He's uh, not ready yet, maybe some other day then," you could see the disappointment on their face, "I'm sorry."
"It's okay, Miguel used to be like this too," Gabriel patted your shoulder, as he already knew what's going on, "let's go home Gabi, we can do this some other time," Gabriel comforted Gabriella as they said goodnight and goodbye to you.

Leaving you standing outside of your apartment, wondering how things turn out this way.

All you ever wanted is to help Miguel to move on, so he doesn't need to suffer in the living world.

You took five minutes to clear your thoughts and went back to your apartment, "Miguel?"

There's no replies, which freaked you out a lot. You ran around your apartment, calling Miguel's name in every three steps you took. The kitchen, bathroom, balcony, bedroom, pantry, storage room, living room, closet. There's still no sign of him, you started to get worried.

"Miguel?" You panicked, "hey, I know it's my fault that I just brought them here, but we promised didn't we? That I will help you to move on."

"Miguel please, show yourself or at least say something," if people were to see you right now, you would look like a freak talking to the air.

"I don't want to move on anymore, Y/N," Miguel's voice appeared behind you. You turned around as quickly as you could.
"What do you mean?"
"I want to spend more time with you," Miguel looked at you.

By that, you've known that Miguel has fallen in love with you, even if he's a ghost.

Ever since you moved into this apartment, Miguel's only companion is you, and yours only is him since your workplace hates you. Miguel has always been the only one you can talk to after a long, tiring day, and you're the only one he can talk to since no one else can see him. If you were to be stuck on days like this, together with someone who is always there for you when you needed them, who wouldn't catch feelings?

You hate to admit that you did also feel the same way as Miguel did but you kept your boundaries. Miguel's a ghost, you're a living human, there's nothing to it.

It's just like talking to your imaginations.

"You can't think of this way Miguel, you can't be stuck in the living world with me, you can't do anything here but to suffer and if you were to move on, you get to live a better life," you shook your head, looking at Miguel's disbelieving face.
"How would there be a better life where there's no you?"

"Y/N, after being a ghost for so long, I have forgotten how does the world feels like anymore, but when you appear, and all the time we've spent together, you brought the world to me, I was able to feel the warmth, and you, you made me feel like my heart is beating again," Miguel placed his hand on his chest, "even as now I don't have a heart."
"Miguel, we can't happen, you're a ghost, I'm a human," you cried, hearing those words from Miguel gave you butterflies but you keep telling yourself to keep your mind intact, "I'm sorry."

You walked away, back to your bedroom. You flopped on your bed and thought about what Miguel said to you.

If only he's not a ghost, if he wasn't, you would take the step with no hesitation but he's not a real human, just a ghost.

For the next few days, you still see Miguel floating around your apartment, since he doesn't leave the apartment at all. That conversation left you both stunned for days. Even if you both see each other in the house, all you say is good morning and good night, nothing more.

During your off days, you do your chores like always, music playing in the background, doing the dishes, then your laundry, the floor, and the toilet. Once the cleaning is done, your laundry will almost dry up too. You stack up your dried laundry together, looking at the pile, almost calling out the name.

"Miguel."
"Yes?" He answered, then you only know you speak out your thoughts again.
"It's nothing," you awkwardly scratch your head and go to the kitchen, leaving Miguel in the living room himself, looking at the piled up laundry of yours.

Night arrived, you went to sleep automatically since you have done nothing but cleaning your apartment the whole day. Drifting into your dreams.

You couldn't tell how long you've fallen asleep, when you open your eyes, the sky is still dark and someone is calling your name.

"Y/N!"
"Y/N c'mon, wake up, we gotta run!" It's Miguel.
"What? What's happening?" Your mind is still slowly waking up.
"There's a fire, you have to run!"

When you open your eyes fully, then you see there's smoke coming in from your bedroom door. You panicked, everything turned into muffles as you tried to rush out of your bedroom, only leading a huge gas of smoke on your face, you fell onto the ground and coughed badly, only then hearing Miguel's voice guiding you again.

"Crawl, don't stand up and run," Miguel reminded you, he's also floating low to guide you out of your apartment.

Once you're out, Miguel then guides you to the escape staircase, you run down the stairs as quickly as you could, but you stop when a part of the staircase is broken, you have to jump but the gap is a little too wide for you.

"I want to live, I have to jump," you whispered to yourself, what a dumb move to think of but you did it anyways but only your hand is able to grab onto the edge of the broken stairs.

"Shit," you cursed, you don't know if it's your tears or your sweats, it's blurring your sight, "Miguel!" you cried, even though you know Miguel can't touch you, you still call for him anyway, "I'm sorry Miguel, for what I said, I love you, I do, I just thought that I'm a human and you're a ghost, it's impossible for us to be together, so I denied you, but if I could make it out, I would love to give it a try," you tried to pull yourself up but you're tired from the heat coming from above you.

"I'm sorry."

Your eyes closed as you feel your body become weightless then a voice calling out your name.