The underground world was silent. It didn't use to be so... it didn't use to be so sorrowful. There were times when happiness and smiles covered the room's neutral atmosphere, but only the sound of the clock still plastered against the wall could be heard. From time to time a book would fall from the numberless piles gathered all around the floor, it would fall witout reason, slapping and bumping the silence as if it was trying to say something.

It was awfully quiet. Such as a battlefield after the war, and in some ways it was the case.

" Say, Nezumi."

" Hmm."

" Would you care if I'll die? Would you cry over my useless dead body?"

" ..." The older boy remained speechless. He had no idea what was inside the whitehaired's mind and nor did he want to figure out. He was completely frozen, his blood went cold and his heart stopped beating. - What the hell do you think, Shion? - Nezumi was obviously troubled, he pretended not to care and retreated somewhere in the darkness behind the bookshelves while Shion kept reading to the little mice. - Your voice. - Hamlet was listening carefully as Shion was reading the story for him. The younger boy smiled when the mouse tickled him. - Your smile.- Nezumi watched. Despair. Pain. Love. Hate. Happiness. Sadness. Anger. He developed each emotion while living beside the naive boy. - Your pure heart. - - Your untouched soul. - - Your naivety so stupid sometimes... and yet so kind it saved me from death. -

"I owe you my life..." A whisper so low, even Nezumi himself could barely hear it. Something craddled at his leg and crawled to his shoulder. Moonlit squeaked worried and Nezumi petted its head with one finger.

"Doubt thou the stars are fire,

doubt that the sun doth move

doubt truth to be a liar

But never doubt I love." (Hamlet: Act II, Scene II)

Nezumi spoke to himself more than to the little mouse, but unaware of it, someone else noticed. Shion put the book aside and sighed deeply before deciding to walk to the spot where the other one was hiding to darkness.

" Love is heavy and light,

bright and dark,

hot and cold,

sick and healthy,

asleep and awake -

it's everything except what it is..." (Romeo and Juliet: Act I, Scene I)

Nezumi was caught off guard. When he looked back to the former place where Shion was standing, there was only a book left. However, the darkhaired boy felt a warm presence beside him, leaning his body against him, seeking warmth, love, understanding, protection... "Improving, I see." Nezumi let himself smile. Behind the bookshelves there was their sanctuary. A place where they could live together every second as if it was an entire hour. Lured by the other's warmth and presence, Shion let himself lean even more until his head rested on Nezumi's lap. The older boy smiled and caressed his snow-white hair. Fingers tangled within those pure bangs, as pure as the owner himself. Nezumi leaned forward and kissed Shion's forehead. " Good night, my little prince." He figured out by time. He had fallen. He got attached to one certain naive little boy, but he regretted nothing.

- For my future's only you. -

A crystal broke against the cover of one book. It looked new, with wonderful red envelope, pages still smelling of fresh paper. And the title written with golden letters. Hamlet. Nezumi owned different versions of different books, but that one... Shion gave it to him as a birthday gift, no matter he himself didn't know his birthday date, the whitehaired boy still got that gift for him. He could recall his words: " Everyone should celebrate their birthday. As it is the beggining of their lives. Even if you don't remember, even if I don't know much about you, you're irreplaceable to me." Few more drops splashed against the book Nezumi was cherishing with all contains of his heart. It was everything he had left from the other boy. The one he loved. The one who taught him to love. The one who taught him to see there can be kindness amongst people. The one who was gone now. The one who left him breaking apart in misery. - You fool. - -Why you had to leave me like this? I should had been the one to suffer, to die. Not you!- The clock was ticking. Tik. Tock. Tik. Tock. As his heartbeats the clock was beating in its own way. Each second. Each minute. Each day, week, month spent alone.

Knock. Knock.

Something or someone was knocking at the door. Nezumi ignored the disturbing sound and sunk deeper in his loneliness and misery.

Knock. Knock.

Who the hell could be knocking? - His heart froze. Shion? No , it couldn't be. However, when in love, heart screwed up the logic. Nezumi put the book aside and jumped straight to the door. He hesitated. What if it wasn't Shion? His heart was going to break again. Pieces. Thousands of pieces. Falling. Rotting. Breaking.

He sighed deeply and decided to face the truth, but before he could open the door, the metallic barrier pushed itself open. Darkness. That was the only thing Nezumi found behind. And the wind whichgently caressed his tear-stained face. He let his eyes close to the gentle caress. - Shion... -

When I saw you,

I fell in love

And you smiled

because you knew. - W. Shakespeare