At the Brink of Death Part III

"Don't do anything crazy, Sol. You'll drive them crazy.”

"They can't come in and bite you, Doctor." I bit my lips, cunningly and naughtily. My hands wrapped around his neck. I stared deep into the beautiful ocean-colored eyes. Last time, I gave him a peck on his cheek for taking care of the wound, and when I did that...

Dy left huge teeth marks as a warning.

I glanced at that bite mark, which was visible not far from us. I had people install thicker glass panes. A medical room was just as necessary as a control center. If this room was destroyed, it would be as if we had lost an arm. Thus, Owen did whatever it took to preserve this place.

For example, rejecting my charms. He tried to peel my hands off, but I would not let him...

"Dy is watching us."

"So?"

"Sol."

"Shhh, be quiet."

"..."

"Relax." My mouth curved into a sly grin. Leaning closer, I thought of giving him a kiss. But I changed my mind. The damp tip of my tongue brushed his lips lightly. Not invading or anything. I licked him like a puppy. It stunned him for a moment. Owen closed his eyes and compressed his lips tightly, feeling the bit of saliva I had left on his mouth. I seductively bit my lip before turning back to the big shark that was staring not far from us.

I looked into Dy's eyes with a cheeky grin. Worse than that, I pressed my cheek on to the chest of the person in front of me. I looked at the beast, challenging him to do something.

In the water, it might be the king above all others, but as long as I did not go outside...

He was just a fish in an aquarium.

And being fish in an aquarium was nothing fascinating. So Dy slowly opened his mouth to show off his teeth before charging forward to bite into the glass panes between us.

Thud!

The large teeth marks were the only sign indicating how much it wanted to crush me. It was a warning. As soon as I stepped out, it would kill me. Revenge for driving it crazy.

But did you know, even though it wanted to kill me...

It could not be denied that it loved me a lot as well.

So, I gave him a mischievous grin before saying to his face...

"Heh, you stupid shark."

………………

I went back to bury myself in the pile of work in my bedroom. I had been away for just a month, but the amount of work I needed to finish made me clutch at my head. Most were just errors that needed some fixing. There were solutions; they just needed my signature for approval or a discussion with the research team first. Cigarettes were lit, one after another. The white smoke permeated the room.

Darkness filled the sea. I glanced at the clock, realizing that it was a little past midnight.

Dylan and Dy were still around, as if they were afraid that I would escape.

Their black eyes seemed to stare defiantly at me, but I just shook my head. I smiled faintly and propped my chin onto my hands, looking at them.

"I'm not going anywhere..."

Knock, knock.

"Hmm?" While I was absorbed in watching them, there was suddenly a knock on my door at midnight. I needed to look away from the brothers and turn back to the shadow moving in front of the room. I initially thought it was Bernard, but he would not work this late at night.

Until a face popped up in my mind. I bet it was...

The head of the research team.

"He is really such a nuisance." I shrugged and rolled my eyes, but I opened the door for him anyway. Eric could not possibly get in unless I gave him permission, which was not at all possible. I pressed the sensor to open the door. We looked into each other's eyes. I shook my head at the sight of the arrogant face. "I think it is too late for you to bother anybody."

"I just brought you a glass of warm milk."

"..."

"I assumed you were still awake." I stared at the blue glass in his hand. Eric would not look at me in the eye. He seemed afraid that I could sense his feelings. "I saw the lights were on, and I thought maybe you couldn’t sleep."

"I'm working. I was away for almost a month, and I need to catch up on a lot of work."

"Do you want me to make you a cup of coffee?"

"I thought that you would offer to stay with me like the old days." I crossed my arms, leaning against the doorway. I looked at him with a playful expression. When we were together, he would offer to stay if I worked late. He would monitor the data or do something that let me know I was not alone.

You knew, right, that when two people were alone together, things would not end up with just sleeping and handholding.

Although he seemed stiff, he was quite good in bed. :)

"I have no right. You know that."

"Obviously. We broke up." I grabbed the milk and took a sip. I didn’t think there was anything wrong with what I had said. I might have hurt his feelings a little. "Thanks for the bedtime milk."

"No problem. I just wanted to...make up for speaking badly to you."

" Hmmm?"

"For what happened before."

"..."

"I didn't mean to do that... really." He finally revealed what had brought him here. I did not know whether he had realized this himself or whether Owen had talked to him. "I know I was too harsh. I was just frustrated that you never take care of yourself. You only risk your life for others."

"I did it because I own this place. I told you so."

"And don't you think that that kind of sacrifice will make others worry?" Eric asked. This was the first time he spoke normally to me since I had returned. His eyes were full of confusion as I beamed at him. It was not a sly grin, just a normal smile. "You know we can't trade a life for a life."

"But we can choose who stays."

"..."

"I'd rather choose your lives over mine, because at least the only burdens I have left are this research center and those two creatures." I gestured behind me. It was unnecessary to turn back and see if the two brothers were there. "But you guys still have your families to go back to. There are many people waiting for you."

"But not having a family doesn't mean you don’t matter.”

"Eric."

"You are not alone. At least you have me." The sincerity in his voice amused me. Maybe I was drunk on milk, or maybe he was intoxicated on the coffee he had drunk. My response made Eric sigh. He reached for my hand and squeezed lightly. "It's not about whether we broke up or are still together. As long as I'm with you, I will always worry about you."

"..."

"You’re the most important person here. Everyone is your family. Isn't that enough to keep you alive, Sol? " My gaze dropped to our intertwined hands before mulling over what he said. I knew of all the feelings he tried to convey, but I had chosen not to accept them because my life was not as easy as he thought.

While he was concerned about me, I only thought about how to keep those two creatures alive each day.

Instead of seeing the team as a family, as Eric said, I saw Dylan and Dy as my family.

At least they reminded me of the world after death. I would not be afraid when that time approached.

"I’d like you to think about the feelings of those you leave behind."

"I can’t. I think you should go back and rest. It’s already late."

"Sol…"

"I understand everything you said, but some things cannot change." I smiled and pushed him out. “Let's say that tomorrow we will meet at ten. I will not get up late, so you don’t have to come find me again.”

"You are rejecting me again."

"I think we've fought enough for today, Eric."

"..."

"Good night." I pressed the button to close the door, ignoring Eric, who still had more to say. I waved at him through the round window. It was the only window through which he could see what I was doing. I turned back and buried myself in the documents, looking at the monsters who were motionless not far away. They stopped moving and went to sleep. Even though they were fish, it was not like they could not sleep.

The funny thing was that they slept close to my room. It was like we were keeping each other company during sleep.

Every day and every night.

"Going to sleep before me like this isn’t very nice, guys.”

"..."

"Tired of chasing after me?" I grinned and put my hand on the glass, with my eyes on the sharks. "But I'm not tired of running away from you. Until I die, I'll let you guys chase me as much as you want."

Flinch!

"But you guys must grant me my wish." My voice trailed off. I leaned my forehead against the glass. I hoped those words could float away with the breeze from the air conditioning in the room, passing all the obstructions in between, and reach them. Dy floated toward me. The waves probably brought it here.

Right now, my big guy was falling asleep, but I was...

Sobs.

I had no excuse. I just wanted to see my only wish come true.

"When it's really my turn to die, you guys must be the ones to kill me."