How To: Spare A Life

Dancing on Rooftops

Ouma's p.o.v.
It had been several long days since my last encounter with Shuichi and ever since his memory had fully occupied my thoughts. Every one. Did he ever think fondly of me? Whatever, it's not like I care anyways, I was almost at the museum. My target? The soon-to-be-stolen gem within. It's worth was probably more than my life.

This would definitely get his attent- wait! I stopped on the roof and began thinking aloud as I usually do. This time rather than a normal conversation with myself I was whispering under my breath.

"Stop caring. He doesn't. Neither should you." This overwhelming feeling . . . what is it? It's new and . . . strange. Swimming in the depths of my thoughts I hadn't noticed that something had snuck it's way to my jawline, following it until it reached my chin. A tear?

I removed my mask to rid of the salty droplet and quickly replaced it before anyone could spot me. Why is this happening? Why do I suddenly feel so much?

"No," I said lowering myself into the building through a hatch in the roof. "Feelings are for the weak. And I am not weak." I whispered. I'm not weak.

Outrunning the authorities was a piece of cake. As usual. Only Shuichi'd had the energy to continue the chase. I ran as fast as my tired legs would permit, jumping across rooftops, the gem glistening in the moons Ray's. After we were a good distance away I stopped and turned around to face him. He come all this way just to see me so I might as well.

Saihara's p.o.v.
"Hey there, Shuichi. Did you really come all the way up here just to bask in my presence? How sweet. You didn't have to, you know," he grinned.

"Well," I panted. "Actually you . . . um, . . . have something . . . and I came to get it back."

"Awww. So you didn't want to see me?" He began pouring but it soon changed back into a wide smile that seemed to shine brighter than the moon and all the stars. "Well I did."

"You came to see . . . yourself?"

"No! I came to see you. Silly Shumai. But that might be a lie."

"Shumai?"

"Yeah. I figured you needed a new nickname."

"Oh." He was so foreign to me, but I felt like I could understand him. "And I'm going to take a wild guess and say you aren't going to just give me the gem, right?"

"Nope. But you can come and get it if you think you're up to the task. Nishishi."

Before I could say anything else I'd lunged at him reaching out to the prize. His reflexes were sharp and he moved before I could even brush him. This continued for a while until he decided he was bored and prepared to leave.

"Oh well," he began sounding slightly disappointed. "I thought you'd be more fun my beloved Shumai. Bye then."

Just before he was out of reach I made one final attempt to grasp the gem. I was so close, but-

"Wait!" Taken off guard he gasped as he slipped. "Shumai!" He screamed as he quickly began his decent, rapidly growing closer to the earth below.

Without a second thought I extended my hand out to him. It wasn't enough though. I narrowly missed his fingertips and everything began to move in slow motion as if to taunt me. Every second lasting years. Every heartbeat pounding in my ears slowed.

I couldn't tear my eyes away from the scene. A pool of pink spreading beneath him. His mask cracked from the forehead all the way down to the fake smile engraved on it. His battered cape fluttering in the cool night's breeze that chilled my spine.

"Oh, God. What've I done?" I could barely hear myself whisper the words. "It's just like the dream. Why?"
Word Count:645