When Ryuk thought about that question, as much as he hated to admit it, he couldn’t even remember when.
His lost expression made Odette giggle, and he turned back to her with exasperation.
"How does not looking into the mirror become sad, though? It doesn’t even do anything..." he defended, and she patted his cheeks.
"It’s not the mirror itself. It’s the fact that you never go back to take a look at yourself."
"I’m guessing, in your head..." Odette said, her finger trailing to his temple. "All you have in it are probably things yet to be achieved."
"You never take a step back to look at what has already been achieved, do you?"
He remained quiet.
"If you did, Ryuk," Odette continued, "then you’d realize you’re really exceptional for one your age."
"And the more exceptional a being is, the more he can do things most ordinarily wouldn’t, and even do them better than most."
"And one of those things is love..." she added, and his eyebrows knit together.
"Saying you have more than one love, because you’re allowed to, sounds kinda elitist. But if you’re truly exceptional, you’ll find there are people out there who don’t mind sharing your love."
"So..." he said, looking into her eyes.
"You just don’t mind?"
She nodded. "I don’t."
"And if I eventually get jealous enough and decide that all of your exceptionality is something I want for myself only, then I can just get rid of any annoying brat I see around you..." she whispered.
Ryuk couldn’t help but chuckle.
"If you harm Morgaine, I’ll be mad at you, really mad. You know that, right?"
She pouted. "I know."
She leaned in for a kiss, and this time Ryuk didn’t fight it.
He accepted it, his hands gently holding her face. It was such a sweet and different sensation.
Like finally being close with someone who was not only at his level, but who even more completely understood him, without him having to utter a word.
Like having a motherly figure, but one with whom he could be physically close.
How much he wished he could spend more time with her, but...
When they both shifted from the kiss, Ryuk whispered,
"I’m sorry, Odette, but..." His eyes dropped, only to be raised by her touch.
"But what?"
"I plan on leaving Ammamora soon."
"If you sound like you’ll miss me so much, then... why not ask for me to come with you?" Odette smiled, though her gaze narrowed when Ryuk’s expression turned colder.
"Because things will get really chaotic soon."
Noticing the change, Ryuk calmed his heart, his expression returning to normal,
"Are you afraid I won’t be able to handle it?" Odette asked, and he shook his head.
"I know chaos isn’t something you can’t handle."
"What am I even saying? You might even be used to chaos more than I ever could, but..."
This time, his voice tuned lower,
"I think I’ll be more at peace knowing the ones I love are far away from it... as far as possible."
"You sound like you’re about to go do some really bad things." Her grin turned sharp, and Ryuk rolled his eyes.
"And you made that sound like a good thing."
"Peaceful times are good. Being with your loved ones, kissing, hugging, blushing..." Odette tapped his nose, watching pink bloom across his cheeks.
"Stop it."
"But chaotic times... they build things peace could never do. Resilience. Will. Trueness." She leaned back. "I like chaos. It’s real... So real, I get why you wouldn’t want anything you love remotely close to it."
"I’m glad you understand." He allowed a small smile, and she tousled his hair.
"But chaotic times shouldn’t last too long, or you might just be covered in too many scars to bear any semblance to your past self."
"I won’t be gone for long."
"How long?"
"Maybe three years..." Ryuk probed, and Odette silently nodded.
It left him reeling in slight shock, and she noticed, asking
"What?"
"Nothing?" He ought to say, but it came as a question instead of a statement, and Odette rolled her eyes.
He just sucked at lying.
"It’s just... if I said that to Morgaine, she would probably faint in shock."
Odette giggled.
"I’ve spent a thousand years in slumber, Ryuk. Three years? That’s as fast as a blink to me..."
And really, that wasn’t a lie.
"You foolish boy," she teased, a thought crossing her mind.
"To think you would fall for such an old hag."
Ryuk paused for a moment, then rolled his eyes.
"I never even thought about the age factor, not once. You must have used some ancient charm on me."
In the next moment, the world blurred, and he found his face buried within something soft.
"What are you—" His words cut off when a finger pressed against his lips.
Odette looked up at him, his head resting against her bosom.
"If you’ll be gone soon, then it’s only fair I hold you as close as I can..." she said with an evil smile.
Ryuk rolled his eyes and let the silence take them.
The peace lingered until Odette broke it.
"Ryuk?"
He nodded.
"What is the Dominare family to you?"
The question made him pause before whispering,
"They’re the closest thing I have to a true family."
"That important..." She whispered, her brows furrowing.
"They’re everything." He replied.
"Then I’ll watch over them for you while you’re gone." Her promise made him turn to her in shock.
"Why?"
"If their survival is so important to you, then it’s rightfully mine to defend."
She caught the pink hue spreading across his cheeks before he buried himself back against her bosom.
A sweet smile crept onto her lips.
"Thank you," he whispered as her hand brushed through his hair.
"You’re welcome."
"And hey, if you keep hugging me this tight, you might just disappear into me, you know." Her expression shifted when Ryuk’s arms shifted beneath her waist, and it tightened even more.
"You!"
"Hehe."