Inanimate - Rikey

We Met At Dusk - Prolouge

Mikey sat at the edge of the dock, looking at the way the clouds reflected onto the shimmering water. It was relaxing, soothing to him. The sounds of the water splashing against the posts, the sight of the slow moving ripples, the slight smell of salt and smoke in the air, and the bitter, yet familiar taste of the cigarette between his lips. It was a little chilly, but he had a jacket, so he was okay. It wasn't a sharp, stinging chill. It was a chill that made you feel a little lonely of you had no one to make you warm again.
But he was okay with that. He was okay with not depending on one of the other 7 billion people in this place. It meant he couldn't hurt any of them. Loneliness was safe for him.
"I wouldn't jump. The water is cold." A stranger suddenly said to him, slowly walking to the edge of the dock where Mikey was sitting.
He was built, but not big. He had a wild mass of hair on his head too, cut to just below his jawline and dyed black. His features were soft and his voice was gentle, and slightly too high pitched for what he looked like. "I'm Ray." The man muttered.
"Mikey." The smaller one replied.
They were silent for a few moments, enjoying each other's company without a word.
Soon, the new one, Ray, said something. "You weren't going to jump, were you?" He asked, looking at Mikey with a slightly concerned look on his face.
Mikey simply shrugged.
"Well it's not worth it. The dock's not high enough. You won't get enough momentum."
"I see."
"And there are too many people watching who are more than happy to save a life for the glory of it."
"That's nice."
"You don't talk much, do you?"
Mikey just shook his head.
"Okay." Ray looked down at the water and sighed.
He had stolen glances at the smaller boy, examining his appearance and little habits of the last twenty minutes. He was skinny, a little lanky, with a narrow face. He wore heavy eye makeup that matched his hair, and big boots. He sniffled a lot, and it made Ray wonder if he had been catching a cold. He talked a little nasally too, and it was kind of cute. He also moved his eyebrows too much, as if he was trying to agree and disagree with voices in his head. But he hadn't smiled once.

That was four years ago, before first date, before the second, and before the move. Before the texts and calls, before the video chats and quick meetups in coffee shops during business trips. Before it all changed.