Surviving Deadland [Up For Adoption]

Act 009: Mall Of The Dead

Act 009: Mall Of The Dead

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｢Takane's POV｣

Ryuu Miyamoto was not meant to look that stressed out. I could see clear as day the internal debate he was having with himself. He wanted to turn back. I knew he did because I did too. It didn't feel right to leave all those people behind to fight on their own. How long could they hold out against the masses we'd seen on our way out?

Ryuu's head was bent, his shoulders stiff and his fists clenched in his lap. I didn't need to see his eyes to know how tormented he was. I could feel the guilt and frustration roll off of him in waves.

I didn't like it. I'd take the teasing, sarcastic, flirty Ryuu over this miserable version any day.

I felt like I should do something, anything. He'd stood up for me when no one else had thought to. I felt like I owed him. More than that...it was painful for me, seeing him like that. I didn't have a clue why, I just knew it was.

'But what can I do to make him feel better? How can I give him reassurance?'

I frowned when I received no answers, my eyes fixed on my hands in my lap. I glanced over at him once more before letting my eyes drop to his hands and I blinked as an idea came to me.

It was a crazy idea in my opinion. Ryuu and I didn't see eye to eye so it stood to reason that it wouldn't make much sense but what other choice did I have?

So slowly I let my hand creep across the seat towards his. Halfway there I paused. Contact with anyone of the male variety was a touchy thing for me right now. Each time a male had touched me since I'd awoken from my hellish nightmares, I was sent into a state of panic. 'What if the same happens now?'

More than that...

'What if he doesn't want someone as...ruined as me touching him?'

The thought alone sent my thoughts into a disheartening frenzy.

I swallowed and glanced up at Ryuu but he seemed to be in his own world, not even noticing. I looked back down to his hand just in time to see them clench tighter, his knuckles turning white. My eyes were drawn to his head by a small movement and I realised he was fighting to not look back.

Something told me if he did look back, there would be nothing anyone could do that would stop him from going back to help. An air of apprehension fell over me at the thought and I swallowed back any hesitation I'd previously been feeling, placing my hand over his in his lap before I could rethink my decision.

His head swivelled around and I could feel his eyes on me; sense his obvious surprise.

I sucked in a small breath and looked up at him, my eyes meeting his hesitantly before softening. I squeezed his hand gently wanting to convey all the reassurance I could without actual words.

For a moment all he did was stare at me and I was half expecting him to snatch his hand back and turn back anyway.

Then I saw the tension bleed out of his body, his eyes softening and his hands unclenching. He turned his hand over beneath mind and I was shocked when he actually laced our fingers together, holding onto my hand firmly before giving it a small squeeze.

He looked ahead afterwards not noticing the way my eyes went wide and my mouth dropped open just slightly. He didn't notice my small gasp or the way my cheeks went warm. He didn't notice any of it and I was grateful for that because I didn't know what it was.