Book 1: Death Lullaby (Deathshipping)

Chapter Five

Melvin's POV

What am I doing!? I am getting Ryou's hopes up and getting him all excited because he thinks I am stuck here! Why do I care? He is just entertainment until I feel like doing something in the real world.

How long have I been here? Damn this place for not having time. Nothing feels like anything ever passes. That's the terrible joy of having a soul unable to get tired.

Maybe a week had passed? What am I saying? For all I know five minutes could have gone by or 100 years.

The worst part is I can't leave to check to see how long I have been here because if I decided to come back, there would be no chance I would appear next or close by to Ryou.

Damnit why does it bother me so much!?

"Malik?"

I looked over at Ryou. We were sitting down- getting mentally tired of walking- so we have been here for only the Gods know how long. In this time of walking and sitting, we have talked a lot. I know that him and this Athorme- totally a fake name- did a lot of stuff. Most of it wasn't all that good, like tricking the few Ryou considered friends into doing dangerous things. I learned more about his thoughts when he first came to Japan and how much it felt like a relief to leave home. Then he told me about how much he really didn't go out of his way to do anything or find some people. He lived a very boring and quiet life when Athorme wasn't bothering him.

Makes me wonder what it would be like, living a life so plain. I don't think I could handle it. Ryou mentioned his thoughts about what he considered his friends and stated that he thinks they don't think much of him. He thinks that they are just nice people that know Ryou isn't a threat so they don't mind him around.

I couldn't deal with that.

"What's up, creampuff?" I responded.

"You seem rather distant. Is everything alright?" Ryou asked. His innocent eyes were filled with comfort, curiosity, and joy. That almost made me chuckle. Joy out of all things in his eyes.

"Fine. Just...thinking."

"About what?"

I sort of panicked. I don't really share the thoughts in my mind. That is just something I know would be smart not to do. So I turned to Ryou and gave him a smile. "You'd rather not want to know."

Ryou chuckled. "What? Are you thinking about you with some guy?"

"Maybe," I said mischievously. Ryou figured out a long time ago that I was completely gay. It wasn't a secret, I actually just told him flat out to make sure he wasn't confusing anything up. I wasn't lying about me thinking of some guy either. Not in the way Ryou was stating but I was thinking about Ryou so I wasn't lying.

"Ok." Ryou turned his body so he was completely facing me. He seemed completely relaxed and confident in what he was about to say. That sort of worried me. "Tell me. If we were to have met, outside of this place-"

"The Shadow Realm," I stated.

"Right, met outside of the Shadow Realm, what do you think we would be?" Ryou finished.

"What do you mean, what we would be? Like friends? Enemies?"

"I left it open for a reason. I much rather enjoy your company and I think we could be great friends if we met in the real world. I am just curious on what you think. I am sure I am most likely a nuisance to you but I am just wanting to make sure."

"What are you talking about? You're not a nui-" I caught myself but I was too late. I looked away from Ryou's eyes that began to twinkle with delight and covered my mouth in complete shock.