The first time they met, Keito was normal. What was normal? To be sick, and fragile, and even to die. Dark clouds rolled passed the Okamoto mansion, and Keito now looked outside. How long has it been? The boy has lost count. No one ever dared to approach his mansion. Rumors of it being cursed and stuff spread through the town. Of course, some brave souls would pop by sometimes.

Since Keito was a gentleman, he’d answer the door, only to be met with screams of those so-called brave souls.

‘He wasn’t like them.’

***

“Keito!” Turning around, he found himself being hugged tightly by a younger boy. “Ryu! Why are you here?” Worry was all over Keito’s face, but Ryutaro just smiled. Instead, the younger boy slowly touched his wrists, where they were being cuffed. That bitter smile just surfaced. 

“One day I’ll call them to release you Keito. You’re not what they think.” Tears flowed from his eyes, and Keito hugged him. “I don’t need them. I just need you by my side.”

Pain surged through his body, and when Keito looked up, he saw the villagers all armed with bows and arrows. The arrows pierced through the bodies of both boys, and they couldn’t do anything.

“G-gomen … ne. I love you … Keito.” That was the last word from Ryutaro that night.

***

He traced his fingers around his own wrist. The scars left by the cuffs were still there, even after so many years. That night, Keito didn’t die. He didn’t age a bit since then. Sighing, he moved towards the window with a thick photo album in hand. On the bindings, the title of the photo album was sewn neatly with golden treads, contrasting the red cover. 

It wrote, Morimoto Ryutaro.

***

Keito managed to escape from the village. It was the place where he first met Ryutaro. The exact place he lost his dearest person too. It was also the place where people started to call him a monster. ‘What happened to me?’ That night was what had changed everything about Okamoto Keito.

***

The second time was sixteen years after the inccident. Keito was still the same. The Ryutaro he met at this moment was different. He was loud and annoying, yet there was just that little part of him that was kind and quiet.

“They said you’re a monster.” Now Keito find himself seated beside this Ryutaro of this time. The older boy had a bitter laughter escape from his lips. “And do you believe them?” 

A pause. 

“You are you, Keito.” Ryutaro allowed himself to lean on Keito’s strong frame, and let the older boy’s breath lull him to sleep.

Keito kind of like this Ryutaro more, or maybe it was the same. Somehow, they lasted for really long.

Ten years.

However, he was also taken away from Keito’s grip. This Ryutaro was taken away by a car accident. It had looked weird for Keito, who looked like eighteen years old, to run up to a twenty-six year old Ryutaro. “Sorry, I guess I’ll have to leave you first, my dear monster.”

***

Turning the pages, Keito traced the photos that he had taken with that Ryutaro. Photos of that Ryutaro. The date of until that Ryutaro had lived until. 

In his never ending life, he had spent hundreds of years alone after losing the second Ryutaro he met. He smirk a little as he remembers how he met the third Morimoto Ryutaro on the streets after hundred and thirty four years.

***

“How did you know my name?” Ryutaro had looked at the older boy with a confused face. What shocked Keito was that this boy was merely six years old. He had squatted down and stared at the chibi version of his lover. “Guess my name.” He was feeling evil, and he just wanted to torture that little kid.

It had shocked Keito, and the chibi Ryutaro himself, when the name ‘Okamoto Keito’ slipped out of Ryutaro’s lips. The older boy had immediately hugged Ryutaro, and was almost reported by Mrs. Morimoto about Keito being a kidnapper.

As years goes by, Keito became the Morimoto household’s nanny, taking care of Ryutaro and couching him in his studies.

***

“He has the most pictures in here.” Keito smirked, as he continued to remember about the days.

***

Keito doesn’t grow old, that fact had already been established well in Ryutaro’s mind ever since he was in middle school. It doesn’t matter, since it means that Ryutaro has a boyfriend that took care of him since he was young. That had meant a lot to the boy. 

However, something surprising happened in years to come.

***

“What are you thinking?” Arms snaked around his waist, and Keito just smiled. “I’m thinking about how cute you were when you were in diapers.”

“Idiot Keito.”

“Shut up Ryu.”

***

It didn’t seem surprising at first, but it was almost like Ryutaro had stopped growing since he’s sixteen. He looks the same, even when he was now twenty six. “You’re not growing.”

“Thanks for stating the obvious, Keito.” Ryutaro rolled his eyes, as he continued to walk. It was surely a weird sight, as it continued.

Now Ryutaro was close to thirty five, and he still wasn’t aging. “Is there anything wrong with me?” Ryutaro had his face buried in Keito’s arms, as they both cuddled together in the bed. “If you think nothing’s wrong with me, then nothing’s wrong with you too.”

After that, both of them didn’t care about anything else anymore.

***

“And then we both live happily ever after.” Ryutaro had snatched the photo album away, and Keito tackled at the younger boy. No one can properly explain why they didn’t age, or even get sick. They don’t even die, even if something pierces through their bodies. 

They continued to be together, moving occasionally to different countries where they owned properties and stayed. They didn’t stay for long, probably twenty years or so, before moving on again. People would have noticed, and called them monsters.

But they weren’t. They were just people who are much more different than the others.

“After having encountered you for three different times, you’re the best, since you didn’t leave me.” Keito whispered into Ryutaro’s ears, and grinned when he feel the younger boy shiver in his hug. “Of course, Keito. That’s because we’ll be together until the end.”

And from all we know, the end is still a long way to go.