Growing

4 years.

It had been 4 years since he had pulled her out of that window seal and to the awaiting air around them. She had been so easy to handle out of the window seal and onto his shoulder for him to run away with her. They had made it far that night. He smirked at the memory of her navigating a path away from those damned cops. A laugh escaped him quietly. Her eyes that night had been the clearest he had ever seen them. And as he promised, he killed Rachel Gardner that night. It had been the most exciting thing he had ever done. She laid there in her blood looking heavenly. His smile didn't go away as he continued to remember that night. He had been very lonely, although if he was ever asked he would deny furiously, without her placid expression. In that short amount of time, Ray had grown on him and to be frank she was someone he rather liked being around. Being sentenced to death was the one push he needed to get out. He wasn't going to leave his promise unfulfilled, that would make him a liar and Zack Foster was anything but a liar.

"Zack," came a soft sleepy voice.

He looked down to see the now adult platinum blonde reading a book about something or another. The hell he would know. He still couldn't read. "What is it?"

"Are you alright?" she asked looking up from the page she was on.

"I'm just fine Ray." He chuckled, standing up from his sitting position on the bed.

She nodded to him before putting her eyes back in the book.

That's right. He killed Rachel Gardener that night. And that left Ray to stay with him forever. His Ray promised to never leave his side no matter what happened. She had helped them escape Japan to come to the states. She had been here before and chose a town small enough that no one would know who he was or who she was. They had settled in nicely. She had gotten him a job where he could off scum as much as he liked and got paid. He watched her speak the English language with ease to get him the job. All he knew he was Japanese and that was pretty useful for his victims. All he had to do was count on his fingers to give them their countdowns. She even negotiated his contract for better pay since he couldn't read it. He was grateful for Ray. Without her, he was sure he wouldn't have survived the way he had. They had a comfortable life in a small town with a home that was located just out of town. Ray went and bought supplies for them so he wouldn't be bothered with it. She kept his money in order so that they would never be without. In the four years, he had had her, she had learned how to cook in an American style and he was very much a fan of her meatloaf. He made his way to her before taking a knee in front of her.

She paused for a moment before looking up to make eye contact.

His hand brushed the hair out of her face as he leaned down and kissed her cheek. She remained unfazed by his affection to others. But he knew that the small quirk in her lips meant that she was indeed fazed by it. He shook his head before ruffling her hair as he stood. Walking to the bathroom, he commenced taking off his dirty bandages to take a shower.

There was a knock on the door. "Zack?"

"What is it Ray?" he answered unzipping his pants.

"What do you want for dinner?"

He opened the door to stare at her in deep thought. "Why don't we do pizza tonight? You look like you're tired Ray."

She nodded. "Pepperoni?"

"You already know what I like."

She nodded again. "I'm going into town."

He grabbed her arm. "Don't. Wait till the morning. There has been some weird shit happening at night around here and it ain't from me."

Ray stared at his boody bandages for a moment before making eye contact. "Zack, you need to be stitched up. When you are done showering, I'm stitching your shoulder. There will be no argument about it. And your scythe has been sharpened as well. Go straight to the bed when you are done. I will wrap you up." she nodded going to get the house phone from the living room.

Zack shook his head. His Ray always took care of him. And he took care of her. No one could ever take his Ray away from him. He continued stripping off his pants as he started the shower water for him to clean himself from today's job. A man that touched little kids was his target of the day. He chuckled deeply at the memory of the man pleading for his life. Zack, of course, didn't understand what he was saying but tears and being on one's knees conveyed that he was begging. Pictures of the kids he touched were all around. It disgusted him. His mind jumped to something else that disgusted him. Ray had come home with a bunch of flowers. Apparently, some admirer had given them to her while she was grocery shopping for them. He had been so upset. Who was trying to take his Ray away?! He made sure every day to make sure she knew he valued her. And he told her how much of an asset to him she was. That is when he decided that he would show her bits and pieces of his affections for her. He didn't want her to leave him ever. He scrubbed his body with the soap Ray had bought him. It was only because of her that he even started to care what he smelled like. She had been a good influence on him and he liked to believe that he was a good one on her as well. She didn't mention death or being killed since he rescued her. He knew she still believed she should die but he can't be a liar if she lied to herself.

He exited the shower with the towel around his hips. Stepping out of the bathroom, he grabbed his bandages to go to the room. There she stood by the bed waiting on him. She was staring at his skin and it made him subconscious till he saw they had admiration and even something else he couldn't place. He watched her lip go in between her teeth. Was she nervous? He came and sat beside her. Her cheeks were tinted as she raised the needle to his right shoulder. Leaning down, she kissed his neck while placing the needle into his skin. He froze at her affection completely numb to the fact that the needle was in his skin.

"What the hell Ray?! Are you trying to give me a fucking heart attack?"

She giggled softly while shaking her head. "You always complain about the needle Zack so I thought it would be best to distract you."

He huffed as he looked at his hands. "Idiot."

Whatever Ray had been listening to was now reaching his ears. She hummed the tune softly before actually words left her mouth. It was an American song that she sang to him in Japanese.

"Listen. Woke up this morning heard the TV sayin' something. 'Bout disaster in the world and it made me wonder where I'm going. There's so much darkness in the world but I see beauty left in you girl. And what you give me lets me know, that I'll be alright." The thread went through his skin with ease as she had done this a million times before. Her voice wasn't unpleasant as she made his shoulder skin connect with his arm once more.

"Cause if your love was all I had in this life. Well, that would be enough until the end of time. So rest your weary heart and relax your mind. Cause I'm gonna love you girl until the end of time. You've got me singing oh whoa, yeah. Oh whoa, yeah. Everybody sing oh whoa, yeah. Everybody singing oh whoa yeah." He watched her cut the string before placing soft kisses on the wounds. Again, he froze at the sensation of her lips touching his bare skin. Taking the bandages out of his hand she commenced wrapping his torso first. Her fingers trailing his charred skin as she went. He stiffened in insecurity. He knew he could let his guard down around her and had been doing so for a while but old habits die hard.

"Now if you're ever wondering about the way I'm feeling. Well, baby boy there ain't no question. Just to be around you is a blessing. Sick and tired of trying to save the world. I just want to spend my time being your girl. And what you're giving me lets me know that we'll be alright." She got to his neck before making eye contact with him as she sang softly to him. His eyes widened at her words. The woman was very passionate about her words and though Ray's face didn't say she was, her eyes gave her away. She took another set to wrap around his neck and face but she just held it in her hands.

"Cause if your love was all I had in this life. Well, that would be enough until the end of time. So rest your weary heart and relax your mind cause I'm gonna love you girl until the end of time. You've got me singing oh whoa, yeah. Oh whoa, yeah. Everybody sing oh whoa, yeah. Everybody singing oh whoa yeah." She moved to sit in his lap. Her hand covered his cheek as she continued to sing. Zack could do nothing but listen to her. Her words felt heavy with truthfulness and sincerity. The monster inside of him paused from its normal raging of self-pity and self-desires to kill to feel her words. It wanted to embrace those words as she continued to stare into his tormented soul.

"This one's for the lovers: If you're out there let me hear you say yeah, yeah, yeah (Yeah, yeah, yeah). This one's for the lovers: If you're out there let me hear you say yeah, yeah (Yeah, yeah). This one's for the lovers: If you're out there let me hear you say yeah, yeah, yeah (Yeah, yeah, yeah). This one's for the lovers: If you're out there let me hear you say yeah, yeah (Yeah, yeah)." Zack leaned down only resting his chin on her head. Her hand still held his face as the woman and man continued to rift off of one another. Her eyes closed as his arms wrapped around her waist securely. She tilted her head back kissing one of his burns on his chin gently.

"Oh whoa yeah. Oh whoa yeah. Oh whoa yeah. Oh whoa yeah. Cause if your love was all I had in this life that would be enough until the end of time." The song ended to a bunch of knocking.

Zack sighed softly as she moved to get out of his hold. Apparently, the pizza guy wanted to die for interrupting their moment. She stood up to grab some money off the dresser to go the front door. He sighed again as he set to wrapping his legs and thighs up. She came back moments later with two boxes of hot delicious wheels of hot cheese and toppings. He stood up from his place on the bed only to grab a pair of shorts to put on his body. She watched in silence as he moved to sit beside her on the floor. He didn't wrap his face for the sole purpose of him wanting her to finish it. She opened the boxes and faced them in his direction. He wasted no time in eating multiple slices at the same time and was grateful when she gave him a pop. She rarely gave him pop. He took it happily as he ate. She chewed on a slice slowly as she moved back to her book. He paused from stuffing his face to look at her. Was she happy here with him? This is all she did, take care of him. She waited for him to come home every night. Did she want more than this in her life? What if she wanted kids or something? She was a woman! At least she was an older version of his brat from before. Did she want a boyfriend and do that romance garbage she was always reading about? Not that he knew that's what she was reading anyway. What if she decided she wanted to leave him for someone else? His heart stopped. Leave him?

"Hey, Ray?" He called watching her get lost in her pages again.

She looked up. "Yes, Zack,"

He finished his slice. "I have some questions."

"About?"

"You."

Ray closed her book taken aback by his sudden interest in her. "Okay, ask your questions."

"Are you happy here? With me?" he asked.

Her head cocked to the side. "Are you dissatisfied with me? Do you want me to go?"

"No!" he hollered. "No, shit! I mean do you fucking want to go?"

She tilted her head to the side. "Of course I am happy with you."

"What if you wanted a boyfriend or something?" he asked rubbing the back of his head while feeling the bile rise in his throat. This was so disgusting and sick but he needed to know.

Ray stared at him hard. "You have someone you want to be with?" Her lips got tight.

"So what if I do?" He hissed frowning deeply at her. "What the hell are you going to do about it, Ray?" he hissed. He knew for a fact that there was no one. But he needed to see how she would react. Plus the anger was coming from her assuming that he could ever like anyone other than her.

She stood up abruptly. Her eyes were hidden behind her bangs as she nodded. "I understand." Before he could reach for her she was out of the room and out of the house in no time.

Zack sat there wide-eyed before he moved to the bed. He closed his eyes as he laid down. What just happened? Gunshots were heard from the outside and he sighed softly. He had been asking her about that and she assumed that he liked someone else? How could he?! He entertained no one but Ray. She was the only woman that he actually felt comfortable with. His mother had pretty much ruined women for him. But Ray, Ray was his Ray. She was his only real chance at anything normal. The fact that he had gotten this far in life was all because of her. He would have figured something out sure but this was much better than sleeping in abandoned buildings and stealing. Don't get him wrong, it was still a good time but now he could kill to support himself and Ray. She took care of all his needs. She ordered things online like his bandages in bulks because he still needed them while getting her bullets and such. She sharpened his scythe every evening when he returned. She always made sure he had breakfast and lunch before he went to work. There was usually an encouraging symbol that he could recognize. How could anyone else but her be the one for him? She had been brought to him by fate and there was no way in hell he would give her back. He heard the door open and close. His mind finally relaxed for him to sleep. She would come back to bed.