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"You...did what she wanted...?", Madison let out, sadness written all over her face as he frowned and looked down, slowly nodding at her question.

It took a while for him to tell every memory he had with her mother along with a bit information about his past and the truth on why he doesn't want to have any physical contact with her.

"I'm...", Peter let out, his voice almost shaky as Madison stared at him, noticing that he was slowly balling his hands into fists as she waited for him to continue his words

"Peter...?", she called out, feeling worried when he still doesn't utter a word.

Madison frowned as she slowly stood up from her bed, now standing in front of the boy as she took a step closer while the boy immediately responded by taking a step back. She flinched at the sudden movement and stood still as she watched him looking hesitant on saying something.

She decided not to say anything and stayed silent as well, letting him take his own time until he finally spoke.

"I-I'm sorry... I'm v-very sorry for what I did--"

"Don't be.", she suddenly said, making Peter look up at her immediately, giving her a confused look.

"Why w-wouldn't I be? I-I'm the one who took your mother away from you. If anything, I-I was the reason on why you suffered more because you're not w-with her--"

Peter halted mid sentence, suddenly feeling regretful on what he said as soon as he saw a frown on Madison's face before she slightly lowered her head to look down.

"B-but...you didn't do anything wrong...", she said softly, Peter stood silent, as if he wanted an explanation on why she thinks that way.

When a few seconds had come by without the girl saying anything, Peter let out a deep sigh and decided to speak up.

"Madison....how is it that it's not ", Peter asked as he watched her lifting her head up to look at him with an unreadable expression.

"Because you're not the one who wanted it to happen, my mom did. Am I right?", she said, looking straight into his eyes.

Peter stood still, staring back at her for a few seconds before looking away.

B

Peter's eyebrows suddenly furrow as he paused in thought, unconsciously showing an unreadable expression for Madison to read as she stayed silent.

Besides...it was never my choice in the first place...it was hers....

Peter thought while he slowly turned his head to look back at Madison, instantly meeting her gaze that still remained on him even though he looked away first earlier. He noticed her eyebrows were furrowed as her expression almost showed a frown, however....

Her face showed no hint of resentment....

If anything...Peter felt as if she's giving him a look of worry.

Peter felt his handsslowly balled into fists and looked away from her for the second time.

Silence...

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"Stop looking at me like that. You should be mad, angry and MOST OF ALL...you should be upset....but why....why does your facial expressions look that way...?", Peter thought.

Madison tilted her head in confusion, watching the boy's movements as he still didn't utter a word to her. To be honest, it was hard to take in all of the things that Peter had told her.

But at some point, she just couldn't get herself to be angry or anything like what Peter expect her to feel. Even if she ever finds a reason to feel the slightest anger on what he did....

....she just can't.

Madison's face soften as she let out a deep sigh, calming her thoughts down as she decided to speak up.

"You said...if you touch a human being, there lifespan will decrease...is that what you did to m-my father...?", she asked, now earning the attention of the boy once again as he sighed deeply, relaxing his previous facial expression into a calm yet serious one while nodding in response.

"By holding him for a while, I decreased a few years off his lifespan. Making the remaining years, months and days of his actual lifespan; decrease a bit before his death.", he said as he stared into her eyes, giving her a questioning look on why did she even asked that all of the sudden.

He was actually prepared for everything negative that Madison could so or say after knowing the truth. But instead of getting what he expected, he received such questions about the consequence of his touch.

"How long does it take for you to decrease a year of a human's lifespan?", she asked, earning a more confused look from Peter.

Peter went silent as he pursed his lips, which took a while before answering her question.

"12 seconds can already decrease a year. If you continue for a minute and more without any idea on how long you get to live in your lifetime is already risky. The fate on the way you die will change as your remaining days before death will decrease as well.", he answered honestly while trying to figure out on what she's getting into by asking him that.

"That is true. I have no idea on how long I'll live...perhaps...you do?", she asked, making the boy stiff by her question.

"What do you mean by that...?", he asked back.

"A human's lifespan...can you be able to see or know how many years are left for them to live?", she asked, making her point clear.

"What made you find the idea to ask me that kind of question?", he once again asked back.

"Can you please stop answering my question with another question?", she clicked her tongue in slight annoyance, making the boy raise an eyebrow at her.

"Tell me why you started asking those questions first.", he commanded, making her facepalm.

"Answer me first."- Madison

"Not until you answer mine."- Peter

"Tsk, you're being stubborn right now."- Madison

"I get that a lot. Now answer."

Madison groaned in frustration before making a frown and pouted. As soon as Peter saw her do so, he abruptly looked away from her, feeling a sudden impact on what she just did.

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"I just thought you could use a hug.", she mumbled softly, making him turn his head to look back at her.

"What....what for?"

"For all the things you've been through.", she simply answered, making the boy more confused.

"This...this isn't about me, Madison. It's about you and your mother. Aren't you upset by the fact that I---"

"No."

"B-but aren't you at least m-mad at me for taking her away--"

"Like you said, you never take anything that isn't yours unless it's given to you. And it seems that... my mother willingly gave her soul to you along with her permission for you to do so."

Peter stared at her both in shock and in disbelief.

"Madison. Are you that you're not even the slightest upset---"

, she let out a small chuckle as Peter stood quiet, instantly seeing the pain in her expression.

"...because she couldn't even hold on because instead of making me her to continue living, she just ", she suddenly stopped at her words and took a breath before letting out a deep sigh, feeling her eyes watered once again until a tear rolled down her cheek.

Peter remained silent, watching her slightly lowering her head as he stared at every drop of her tears dripped off from her chin. He immediately frowned by the sight of it, he wanted to keep apologizing but he couldn't get himself to talk, he really tried his best by trying to change her mother's mind but she still insisted until the end, making Peter grant the decision she wanted.

"I asked you those kind of questions, because I wanted to give you a hug for all the pain you had to go through before and after you met my mother and me.", she suddenly let out, looking up to meet Peter's gaze.

"You did care, you badly cared for everything that you think is important....until you realized that you ended up caring for something that wasn't even meant for you to handle.", she continued as Peter felt a sharp pain in his heart at her words, making him frown even more.

"Stop...Madison.", he said as he didn't want her to say anything more.

But to his dismay, she still continued.

"I know I'm not there beside you when you had to experience those things...so I had no idea on how much pain you felt back then..."

"Madi--"

"But please know that I'm here now...And despite of the risks I'd still be willing to hug you, just to tell you that it wasn't your fault and to let you know that I---"

Silence filled the room as Madison abruptly stopped in her words. She suddenly realized what she was about to say as she immediately cleared her throat and looked away.

Peter furrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head at her, choosing to just stay quiet and listen to her words until she abruptly stopped and looked away from him. He raised an eyebrow at the sudden action and tried to check if she's okay until he spotted a hint of a light pink color on her cheeks, which almost look like she's starting to blush.

"Hm? That you...what?", he repeated as one of the corner of his lips unexpectedly curved up, slightly smirking at the sight of her looking flustered and embarrassed all of the sudden.

"T-that I-I...I'm here for you, aha!", she blurted out and immediately rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly.

"Is that so? Why is your face is getting redder all of the sudden--"

"No, it's not." - Madison.

"You honestly look funny, Madison--" - Peter.

"Oh, would you look at the time!", she awfully changed the topic and pointed at the clock placed above her drawers as it showed that it's almost 12am.

She then laughed sheepishly as Peter raised an eyebrow, letting out a snort at her behavior.

"Is that all you have to say...? Nothing else?", he asked again, making her shake her head in response, still looking embarrassed as ever.

The boy let out a small smile before turning his back away from her while saying,

"Well, okay then. I guess I'll be heading back no--oooof."

His eyes widened, feeling the girl's arms wrapped around him, giving him a back hug.

It took him seconds to realize what was happening as he started to panic and tried to make her arms let go off him as he spoke up.

"W-what the? Let go!" - Peter.

"Not happening." - Madison.

"Are you stupid or something? You don't know what could happen to you if---"

3....4....5.....

"30 seconds...Stop talking and let me hug you for 30 seconds.", she suddenly said, cutting of his words mid sentence.

"T-that's too long!. You're wasting 2 and a half years... Y-you don't even know how long your lifespan is!" - Peter

"But you do." - Madison.

8....9....10.....

Peter stayed silent at her remark.

"Just calm down. I'll be alright.....It'll be fine."

"No it's not.", Peter thought.

He immediately closed his eyes tightly, trying to remain calm at the unexpected situation.

12....13....14.....

Peter counted the seconds in his head, already feeling fear for what she just done and just wished for her to let go as early as possible.

15....16....17.....

"My mom probably hugged you before she passed away...", she mumbled, making Peter open his eyes and turned his head to the side, trying to look at her.

"H-how so....?", he asked, only being able to see the top of her head, which seemed like it was faced to the right side.

"I just know because...she's that kind of person. She always knows what to do when it comes to the people who became an important part of her life. She was always gentle and still caring even at hard times, mostly when she sees a person she knows that gives off a slight hint that they're sad or in pain.", she explained, making Peter frown as he averted his gaze away from her and looked down at the floor, not knowing what to say and just listened.

21....22....23.....

"You must be thinking I'm crazy for doing this.", she spoke up again and laughed sheepishly, making the boy raise an eyebrow at her statement and facepalm in slight irritation.

"You. Have. No idea....", he said sarcastically, making the girl chuckle.

25....26....27.....

"Then just think of it that way.", she paused, slowly turning her head to let her forehead rest at the boy's back as her arms tightened a bit around his waist, making the boy go momentarily stiff as he pursed his lips shut, not uttering a word.

"Because... I don't mind holding on to you for a long time....even if it decreases the remaining time of my own life.", she honestly said while slowly letting out a smile.

Peter's eyes slowly widened, feeling his heart slowly pound a bit faster against his chest while experiencing something he can't describe for the first time as he counted the last seconds.

28...29....30.

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