"Ricky?" My older cousin Josh asked through the hospital door.
"Come in." I called back to him as I sat up in my bed. 
"Guess what." He said as he plopped down next to me. 
"What?" I asked, totally disinterest by anything he had to say.
"You get to come home today." He sing songed as he stood up and started to pack up the few things I had.
"Are you serious?" I asked.  Going home is the only thing I've wanted for the past month.
"Just have to go to Kellin's office and sign some paperwork and then were off." He said enthusiastically as he grabbed my bag and left the room.  I followed after him quickly.
"Glad to see you're smiling." Kellin said as he escorted us back to his office.  I looked down to the floor, suddenly becoming self conscious.  Out of the curtain of black hair that hid my face I saw a dark shadow walking towards me.  When I went to look up at it, it disappeared from my vision as though it was a figment of my imagination. 
"You okay?" Josh asked as he looked back at me where I had stopped.  I nodded with a bit of hesitation before quickening my pace to catch up with him.
"Ready to be free?" Kellin asked as he held his office door open for me. I nodded as I took a seat on the leather couch that was against the wall.
"Let's get this done then." He said as he went to his desk and grabbed a small yet substantial stack of papers.

"It's cold." I said as I walked out under the overcast sky.
"That's typically what fall is like." Josh responded sarcastically as he hit the button on his keys to open his car.
"Do you have a sweatshirt in here?" I asked as I climbed into the passenger's seat.
"Uh, I think there's one behind you." He said whilst he pulled out of the parking spot.  I turned around in my seat to see the black shadow fade abruptly.  I cautiously grabbed the black hoodie from the seat and turned back to be facing forward.
"We're you wearing this before?" I asked as I slipped the warm sweatshirt over my head.
"No, it's been sitting in here for a couple of days. Why?" He stated as we pulled onto the main road.
"It's warm. Like human body warm." I said, not that I wasn't grateful for the soft fabric against my cold skin.
"It could've been sitting in the sun or something." He explained as a way of shrugging off the idea.  I buckled myself into the plush chair and sat there in silence.

"Movie?" Josh asked as we made our way through the front door.
"You bet, just let me change." I said as I made my way through the kitchen and to a set of stairs.
"Be safe." He responded as I started to my bedroom. Just because I almost died one time I told you I was going to get changed, doesn't mean I'm going to almost die every time. Just as I was about to round the corner into my room, I bumped into a dark clothed figure.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there." The girl said as she put a hand on my shoulder to stable me.
"It's okay. It's my fault." I said as I studied her.  She had blue eyes and pale skin.  Her body adorn in a black sweatshirt I recognized as one of Josh's, tight black skinny jeans and a pair of black stilettos.
"I'm Devin, Josh's boyfriend."  She said as she stuck out her hand for me to shake.  Devin? Boyfriend? 
"I'm Ricky, his cousin." I stuttered nervously.  Since when did Josh have a boyfriend and how in all fuck is that a guy?
"It's nice to meet you." He said as he looked down at the floor and walked past me. 

"Movie time?" I asked as I entered the sunken in living room.  Josh and Devin had their faces latched together as if they needed each others spit like air.
"Uh? What? Yeah. Sorry." Josh said as he pulled away from Devin in a panic.
"It's okay.  I'll see you guys tomorrow." I said as I turned around to head back upstairs. Something in my mind told me to look up, and I did just in time to catch the shadow enter my room.  I sprinted up the rest of the stairs and took a sharp right through the doorway. One part of me was expecting it to be gone, after all it is just a fucking shadow. The other part of me told myself that it's a human and it's going to kill me. There's nothing wrong with that though. As I rounded the corner I saw the bleached white face I've thought about for so long.
"Hey Ricky." He said quietly as he held his arms out to me.
"You just had to send me back here for a second time, didn't you. Couldn't let me die." I practically yelled at him.
"You just had to try to kill yourself." Death said as he reached for me.
"Don't touch me." I screamed.
"Be quiet." He said as he wrapped his warm arms around me. I gave up fighting him and let my head rest against his chest.
"Are you okay?" Josh said as he burst through my bedroom door.
"Yeah. I'm fine." I said as I pulled out of Death's arms.
"Are you sure?" Josh asked as he looked around my room. I nodded as Death rested his hands on my shoulders.
"Who were you yelling at?" Josh asked as he leaned against the door jam.
"No one." I said quickly.
"Hey, I'm standing right here." Death said as he gave my shoulders a light squeeze.
"Do you want me to bring you to see Kellin?" He asked, probably thinking I'm insane.
"No. I'm fine." I said quickly, getting tired of his questions.
"Okay... well call for me if you need anything." Josh said as he took one last look around before leaving me.
"Come on. We have quite a bit to catch up on." Death said as he removed his hands from my shoulder then to my ribs. He slowly slid his hands down my sides until they were tightly pulling at my hips.

"Life is so complicated." Death said as he held my head to his chest. We had been talking and cuddling for the past couple of hours. 
"Death is so complicated." I responded as I started to get sleepy.
"Is that how you think of me?" He asked with a hint of disappointment in his voice.
"Like how?" I asked as I sat up a little bit.
"Like I'm death." He said as he sat up fully and looked me in the eye.
"I don't know what you mean by that." I said, confused by the question at hand.
"Just like I'm so external force with no purpose other than taking people away from you." He said as he cradled the side of my face.
"You took my family away from me." I said quietly, bring up the fact.
"You won't understand that. But please understand that that's not why I'm here now." He said as he leaned down close to me.
"Is there something I can call you other than death?" I asked, slightly uncomfortable with how he was leaning closer to me.
"Pick a name." He said as he pinned me down, forehead to forehead.
"Chris." I said, just spitting out the first name I could think of.
"I like it." He said quietly. 

"Hey, Josh just fell asleep so I thought I would come check in on you." Devin said as he approached me. 
"Oh um hi." I said awkwardly as I pushed Chris off of me.
"I'm surprised you're not asleep." Devin said as he slowly approached me and sat on my bed.
"I wish I was." I grumbled as I turned towards him.
"Insomnia?" He asked as Chris sat right behind him and put his hands on Devin's neck.
"Get out." I barked at him.  He immediately moved away from Devin.
"I'm sorry, I just thought you might want a little company or something." Devin said as he stood up.
"No, not you." I said as I grabbed his hand.
"I'm... the only one in here... other than you..." Devin said slowly as he sat back down.
"I know." I said in defeat as I realized how insane I sounded.
"You just met me, but you can tell me anything." Devin said as he hugged me.
"Thanks..." I said quietly.
"I'll let you get some sleep now, but if you need me then I'll just be over in Josh's room." Devin said as he got up and left my room.
"I guess you don't need me now." Chris said as he left the room.
"Stop being such a jealous ass hole and get back over here." I snit as I turned to the ghostly drama queen.
"Sorry, I'm not talking to you." I said as Devin re-entered my room.
"Oh okay.  Night." He said as he left my room and Chris passed him in the doorway.
"He's got a hot ass." Chris said as he came and sat by me.
"Shut up." I said as I laid down.
"Who's jealous now." He said as he plopped down behind me and spooned me.
"Shut up." I said again as I let him hold me.

"Hey..." Josh whispered as he shook me away gently.  I groaned as I opened my eyes to see him and Devin already dressed.
"No pj morning?" I asked. Usually Josh and I would wake up and stay in our pajamas for as long as possible, or even the whole day if we had no plans.
"Devin and I are going to get tattoos and we were wondering if you wanted to come with us?" Josh said as Devin sat down on his lap.
"Sure, if you give me 10 minutes to get ready." I said as I sat up.
"Do you want anything for breakfast?" Devin asked as he got up.
"No thanks." I said as Josh got up.
"We'll wait downstairs for you." Josh said as he wrapped an arm around Devin and lead him out of the room.

"That's nice." Chris said as I finished getting dressed. 
"Shut up." I said as I grabbed a black beanie and slipped it over my messy hair.
"No seriously.  You're so small and cute." He said as he grabbed me by the hips and pulled my ass into his junk.
"Shut up." I said again as I pulled away from him.
"Don't get snippy with me." Chris said as he grabbed me by the shoulders and spun me around.
"I can still kill you." He growled through his gritted teeth.
"Do it." I snit back at him.
"I want to kiss you so bad." He hissed as he squeezed my shoulders.
"Why can't you. Some stupid thing like it'll be the 'kiss of death'?" I asked sarcastically.
"Well aren't you smart." Chris growled back at me. He pushed me away from him in one swift motion, causing me to fall backwards. I could barely see him leave the room before Josh and Devin came running in.
"Are you okay?" Josh asked as he lifted my head up.
"Yeah. I just tripped." I said as I sat up.
"Devin, I'm going to call Kellin." Josh said as he quickly ran out of the room, leaving his boyfriend to cradle me in his lap.
"Come on." Josh said as he dipped his head back into the room. I tried to sit up but Devin grabbed me and lifted me to his chest. I let out a yelp as he carried me out of the room like his bride.
"It'll all be okay." He soothed.

"How are you feeling?" Kellin asked as nurses buzzed around me.
"Fine. Can I please just relax?" I asked, getting tired of the questions. A nurse started to whisper things in Kellin's ear behind a clipboard.
"I just think it would be good to keep you here for a few more hours." Kellin said. As he talked the nurses started to clear, leaving only him, Josh, Devin and the approaching Chris. 
"I'm sorry." Chris said as he leaned over me.
"Shut up." I hissed just before he kissed me. Death just kissed me.

Yay so this is the first chapter and I'm so excited. I left you with a bit of a cliffhanger. Anyways this is uneditted, please excuse my mistakes. Otherwise...I hope you like it. Mama destroya signing off.