"I am Ryan Wrecker or ohm. I'm going to take care of you from now on."

The soft, though wobbly voice is enough to make Bryce wake from his sleep, and at first the brightness hurt his brown eyes, but he can't blink nor try to close them. He can't even try to avoid it, he can't run away from its glaring light since he can't move. It takes him a few seconds until he realizes that he can't breathe either, that he is motionless as a dead body, although he doesn't feel like death has reached him yet.

When the sun's clarity isn't affecting his sight anymore, he manages to catch a glimpse of the voice's owner. He has dark brown hair, his eyes are a hazel color, and he can see that he's smiling. Bryce assumes that himself is smiling as well, because Ohm seems really pleased with his expressions. The first thing he notices is that the boy has the handsomest face he's ever seen, – though he's never seen anyone besides him – and he likes how his lips are not too small, neither too big, and he wonders if Ryan sees that he's staring at them because he starts laughing and God, his laughter is so pure, so comfortable to hear–

"You have the most beautiful eyes, Bryceyyy." He speaks, and Bryce is surely mesmerized by the way his mouth moves, the way he licks his pink lips as he keeps smiling widely at him.

Hearing his own name in someone else's mouth feels quite odd, though he thinks it's okay because it's the attractive boy with the amazing eyes  who's saying it. Bryce is really confused right now, and he knows that he should be afraid of being conscious and not being able to make his muscles work, but Ryan's voice makes him forget all that.

"You must like my lips, don't you? You seem to keep staring at them..." ohm mutters, and for a moment he thinks  he's getting scolded, and immediately he looks away: if he could blush, his cheeks would certainly be in a bright red right now. However, the boy doesn't stop smiling, not even for a second, and Bryce wonders what got him that happy. The mere thought that maybe he was the one who got him like that passes through his mind, but he quickly erases it. "Let's go, brycey, I bet you're tired."

And when ohm carefully places him in his arms, carrying him to the bedroom, Bryce sees a giant box thrown in the middle of the hall. It's big enough to fit someone of his size inside, and he squeezes his eyes, trying to read what's written on the front.

"You are now the proud owner of a Living Doll. Bryce is its name."

A... doll? This word seems to be stuck in his brain, repeating itself several times, and it doesn't make sense, it doesn't make sense at all. How can he be a doll and still be able to think and to see? But, according to the box, he's a living doll.

And as a living doll, all Bryce can do as Ryan places him on the bed is smile, sitting motionless as it's expected of him.

~~~~

Time is a complex concept for Bryce, mostly when he passes his days laying down, looking at the musty wall and wondering how someone beautiful as Ryan can spend his life in a place like this. He's pretty sure he's memorized every crack of the ceiling, since it's his hobby to count them. There's nothing for him to do when his 'owner' is working except analyzing every detail of the melancholic room.

The nights are his favorite parts, because Ryan comes back, and he always speaks with a smooth voice, always smiling at him. Bryce soon learns that ohm likes playing video games and singing, and he often sings for him to sleep – though he never does, he just pretends to make the boy happy.

"I had a tough day at work, brycey." Ryan says as he sits on the bed, holding his unnaturally soft hand, turning the TV on cause he seems to like having a background noise. "I'm glad I'm back. What did you do today?"

'I watched how your house is a mess. I also noticed the ripped picture in the frame... why are you alone in there? What's the missing half?' he wants to answer, but all he does is smile. He always smiles.

"You must have had fun, mm?" Ohm speaks, gently squeezing his hand. Bryce likes his touches, he likes how warm his skin is, he likes how he is friendly with him. "And you must be tired, aren't you? I'm tired too. Do you want me to tell you a story?"

Of course, there's no vocal answer, but Bryce tries to tell him that yes, he wants. He loves when Ryan tells him stories, when he tells him tales about forgotten kingdoms and princesses. Sometimes, Bryce compares himself to the sleeping beauty, and he wonders if a kiss from Ryan would make him wake up.

Soon enough Bryce learns that a kiss didn't change anything. In fact, it did; it made things worse.

It's a cold afternoon as they are watching another movie together, but in that special day Ryan seems to be more lonely than usual. He's too clingy, holding Bryce's  hand and leaning on his shoulder. Bryce likes it, he likes to be useful for him, since he uses to think of himself as a worthless thing, something that can't do anything besides listening to his owner and smile as he talks about everything and anything. At least, when he's cuddling with Ohm, he can help him feel better.

For sure Bryce wasn't expecting that, when the movie ended, Ryan would turn to his side and stare at his him. He couldn't imagine that he would shut his eyes and move closer, gently cupping his face, caressing his slightly reddish cheeks, and that he would press his lips against his, kissing him softly. Bryce can't close his eyes, and he wished he could, because maybe, just maybe, the magic would have worked, and he could wake up from the spell, just like Sleeping Beauty did.

But he's still a doll when Ryan pulls away. The only difference is that he's a doll who has fallen in love with his human owner.

Bryce knows he shouldn't. He knows it's awfully wrong, that it's painfully impossible, but he can't help it. Not when ohm starts kissing him more often, starts calling him baby, and Bryce is more than happy in being his baby, his love.

Instead of spending his days counting the cracks on the ceiling, Bryce observes the details of the room. There's definitely a change in the way Ryan makes the bed, and he can see that the place is slightly tidier than it used to be. The ripped photo is still there, but one day Ohm decides to paint the dirty walls, so it will lighten up the area where Bryce lives. It's their room, as Ryan uses to say, and that's why it has to be pretty.

~~~

"I'm not feeling very well, baby." Ryan says one day when he's back from work, and Bryce can see it on his eyes. It pains him so much, it makes his heart – if he even has one – sting, because he can't kiss him and tell him it's going to be alright. "But your smile will make me feel better, right? Your smile is what makes me keep going, you know that, don't you?"

It's the first time Bryce is actually glad that he can't stop smiling. He needs to make Ryan feel better, and he tries as hard as he can to look like he's really happy, wanting to cheer him up.

And Bryce is surely confused when Ohm starts crying instead. The glistening tears are rolling along his cheeks, painful sobs escaping from his pink lips, and he hides his face with his hands, as if Bryce can't see him.

'Why are you crying? I'm smiling for you, baby.'

Without hesitating, Ryan throws himself on Bryce's arms, hugging him and sobbing on his shoulders. Bryce wonders what got him that sad, and he just wished he could do something, that he could hug him back, that he could whisper to him that he shouldn't be crying like that, because he is so much prettier when he is smiling.

But he is a doll, and all he can do is sit and smile, sit and stare as Ryan desperately clings to him, sit and listen to him saying he's so fucking sorry.

~~~

"Luke says I should go look for help." Ryan speaks, and he's staring at Bryce. His eyes aren't as sparkling as they used to be, there are dark circles under them, and he knows the boy isn't sleeping well. "I shouldn't listen to him. I have everything I need right here."

On that night, Ryan doesn't tell him a story before going to bed. He is too busy crying whilst reading an old journal, and Bryce can swear he hears him whispering his name.

In one of the stories Ryan told him, there was a girl who had to wear a mask in order to survive. Bryce can see that Ohm was wearing one when they first met, because he isn't that smiling boy he thought he was. His eyes are often tearful, mostly when he stares at him, or when he talks to him; Bryce assumes it's because he can't answer. It's surely saddening as Ryan spends his days speaking with a doll, and his voice is the only noise that fills the small room.

"Sleep well, baby." Ryan always says; Bryce wished he could tell him the same. "Have sweet dreams." Most of the time, Bryce thinks Ohm is being silly in saying those things, since he's a doll and he surely couldn't dream.

However, after Ryan sleeps with his face tear-stained, Bryce does dream.

The grass feels smooth under their bare feet, and they are both laying on a hill, watching the stars. It's something they used to love doing together, and their fingers are linked as they are holding hands. Bryce is laying his head on Ryan's shoulder, feeling how sweet his smell is, and he surely adores his perfume. He likes hearing him talking about the constellations, pointing to the sky and trying to make him see the Orion, when he sees nothing but a bunch of sparkling dots.

"You really aren't normal, Ohmie." Bryce speaks, peering at him. When Ryan asks why, he simply shrugs and smiles. "Normal people don't know all the constellation names."

"Will you mock me when I find a new constellation and name it as Bryce?"

"That's a stupid name for a constellation!" He laughs, moving a little away so he can sit down. "You can give my name to a star, though. That would be romantic."

"Mmm." Ohm hums, sitting down too and cupping his face, stroking his soft skin. "That will do. I will find a star and give your name to it."

"Oh God. You're surely a sappy dork." He says, giggling. "I was joking! You can't even name a star, you idiot."

"Of course I can." Ryan answers, stealing a kiss from him. "You're my star, Bryce."

~~~

When Bryce wakes up, he still is a doll. But the dream felt too real, too meaningful, and when he looks at ohm he knows there's something that he's hiding. There must be a reason for why he lives in that complete mess, for why he doesn't listen to his friends anymore, for why he cries some nights whilst sobbing that he's sorry. Why would someone as pretty as Ryan be so unhappy? Sometimes he looks like he's the motionless one, the dying one, and sometimes he does look more like a doll then Bryce. Ryan skin is white because of the lack of sun, so pale that it seems like he's made of porcelain.

Nevertheless, Ryan is still alive; Bryce can feel it as they lay down together, his warmth makes Bryce feel like he's burning. The box where his name is written is a constant reminder that, even though he can think and feel, he will never be alive as Ryan is. He will never be able to speak, neither to answer to Ryan's questions, not even to say to him that yes, I had a great day, how about you? At least he can dream, and in those dreams he always talks to ohm, he always answers to his kisses, feeling the smooth lips against his own as they watch the sunset together.

"Look, baby. That's Orion, can you see its belt?" Ohm mutters as he's reading a book about astronomy. But this time he isn't dreaming; he isn't dreaming even though the following speech is incredibly similar to his dreams. "This is the brightest star... if I could name it, it would be called Bryce."

'That's a stupid name', Bryce wants to say, but all he does is smile, again.

~~~

It's a raining day when Luke comes in and Ryan decides to hide him, just as if he was a filthy secret. That hurts him, making him feel disposable and replaceable, as if he's really just a doll. He's back to the box and Ryan says he's sorry, but that soon enough he will be back to the bed, where he belongs.

When they enter into the room, Bryce can see them through a crack in the wardrobe. They are sitting on the bed, Luke has one of his hands around Ohm's shoulder, slightly rubbing it, massaging his muscles.

It's the first time Bryce feels jealous.

He feels jealous because Luke can do all he wished he could do. Because Cartoonz hugs him as ohm suddenly starts crying, stroking his back soothingly, telling him to search for help. Bryce knows that, if he could shed tears, he surely would, and he feels so angry at Luke because he's too close to Ryan in a way he could never be. 'My smiles are everything he needs to feel better. I want ohmie to be happy. Let me comfort him', Bryce thinks, and he hates so much being made of plastic.

"You have to move on, Ryan." he hears Luke talking, his eyes roaming over the room, as if he's searching for something. "That... that thing isn't good for you, you know that."

"Thing?" Ohm mutters, pulling away a little and he gets up, looking at him, and Bryce can see the hurt, the anger in his eyes. "He's not a thing! He is Bryce, he..."

"He isn't Bryce and he won't ever be!" Luke practically screams, making Ryan stop talking. They both are panting, and Luke's eyes are tearful as well. Carefully, the brown haired man gets up, his hands holding onto Ohm's, slightly rubbing the skin, trying to calm him down. He takes a time before saying anything, as if he's calculating his next words. "I understand how you are feeling, I surely do. But you have to move on, mm? I'll be here with you. You don't have to be afraid."

Why is that boy saying those things to Ohm? Bryce can't stop asking himself that, a storm of thoughts blowing through his mind, and he doesn't remember anything that happened after that. Instead, he falls asleep, listening to Ryan's sobs – lately, it has been his background noises in the night.

This time, he doesn't dream about watching the stars on the hills. Perhaps due to the scene he's just watched, tonight he dreams about having a fight with Ryan. Bryce wonders why they would argue like this, cursing at each other, until he realizes there's something wrong with him. He feels seriously tipsy, and even though he's sitting on the car seat, he feels like he could fall down at any moment.

"You're not a fucking teen again for me to pick you up because you got drunk at a party!" He hears ohm scolding him. It's really dark outside, the trees are nothing but a mere blur at the speed they are going.

"And you aren't my parent so you have no right to scream at me like this!" Bryce says, he's so drunk he forgot about using a seat belt, and Ryan is so mad he didn't remind him about the necessity of it.

"No, I'm not, but I have all the right. You're my boyfriend! Do you know what could have happened to you, Bryce?" Ryan growls, turning his head to face him, when he should be paying attention to the steering wheel. "You're young and pretty, you–"

But ohm never completed his sentence. The loud noise of metal being smashed is louder than his voice, and the glass breaks as they hit onto a truck. It seems like a nightmare, waking up in the street, covered in your own blood, feeling as if all your bones are broken. He knows the end is coming, everything he wants now is to be able to see Ryan's face one last time. Bryce tries to fight against the sleep, against the blackness that is surrounding him, but Ryan is nowhere...

~~~

And then he wakes up, back to their house. He tries to speak, but his muscles doesn't obey him, because he's made of plastic. His last dream was so real that he still can feel the pain, still can feel his skin being cut, still can feel himself dying. It scares him a bit, in fact.

Bryce is sitting on the bed, back to the usual scenario of his life. Ohm enters the room: his hair is messy, he looks like he hadn't slept for days, his eyes are dim. Bryce wonders for how long he's been sleeping, because he wouldn't let Ryan become this. He would smile to him and let him hug him tight to make him feel better. The tv is turned on in the news channel, and that's something that never happens. Ryan only lets him watch movies and cartoons.

They watch it in silence, ohm makes Bryce lay his head on his shoulder, softly running his fingers through his hair. There's an odd familiarity in the air, the fact that they are watching tv together, not even exchanging any word.

"'The polemic surrounding the Living Dolls is near to its solution. After being persuaded by thousands of people, Evan Fong has decided to close the fabric down. Old dolls won't need to be returned to its maker, but it's highly recommend their owners to do so. If you don't remember the story and its controversial, please keep watching it" The girl on the Tv says.

"Everyone is saying that I should get rid of you." Ohm mutters, his voice is shaky and hesitant, and he turns a little so he can face Bryce.

"The Living Dolls were created two years ago, after creating new animals based on dead animal's DNA was proven possible. Having a new pet with the same physiology of your past one is an attractive idea, and that led to the expansion to the human race. Until the present moment, it's impossible to create another human being, but the evolution of technology allowed the creation of almost human dolls. Even though they started as an upgrade of the sex dolls, soon their purpose became being a memory of the beloved ones"

"I don't want to." Ryan continues and he turns the TV off. He holds Bryce's hand, looking at his eyes. "I know I have to, but... Bryceyy I know you are in there, somewhere. Can you listen to me?"

'Yes, baby, I can listen to you.' he wants to answer, but he can't. It looks like a curse, being trapped inside a plastic body, not being able to speak anything, to do anything but stand still and smile.

"Do you remember about me, right? We met at a stupid party and you were drunk, and I found you alone in the bathroom, throwing up. Everyone had left and I had to take you home, listening to you whining because you wanted to drink more." Ohm chuckles lightly at the memory, his fingers gently rub the back of his hand, drawing invisible circles on it. "Your dad was mad at you and I had to lie that I was your friend so you wouldn't be scolded... I slept on your bed in that day because your mom thought we were best friends. Do you remember?"

And finally, Bryce remembers. He remembers that, in the next day, Ryan  kept by his side when his parents went to work, and he made sure to take care of his hangover. Bryce didn't see him until the next week, when they went to another college party. It took a while before they started to date, but when they did, they knew they were madly in love with each other.

'I remember now, ohmiee. I remember how you used to tell me stories before going to bed, how you liked to make me smile, how we loved to play video games and sing together.' He thinks, though it's useless. His thoughts won't reach ohm, he won't ever know that he actually listens to him, that even though his body is made of plastic, his mind and his heart are still there.

"I wished you hadn't known me, Bryce. I wished I could have let someone else find you in that party. If I had never brought you home, then you still would be here. You would have been the musician you were studying to be... It's my fault." Bryce is used to Ryan's tears, so when he sheds them this time it doesn't hurt that much. "I shouldn't have screamed at you in that night. I wasn't paying attention to the road... I wasn't paying attention to you, for God sake. If you were using the seat belt, then maybe you would be alive... but I was too stupid to look at you."

'It wasn't your fault, you had asked me to not go to that party. We used to drink only together, but I decided to drink all by myself in that night.' Bryce wants to say, but he smiles instead. He always smiles.

"I was desperate when you died... And when I saw that announcement on Tv, I thought it would be a good idea. It worked in the beginning, having a doll that was just like you are, so I wouldn't be so alone. But it got worse, baby, because you can't answer me, and I keep talking alone, and... Luke says I'm going crazy. Everyone says that, actually... do you think I'm insane, baby?"

'No, I think you aren't-'

"Toonz convinced me to get help, because I'm fucking crazy." Ryan says, and he isn't crying anymore. There's an ironic, defeated smirk on his lips, and he's never seen him like this. Maybe he really has gone crazy. It makes sense, after all. Who wouldn't lose their mind whilst spending their days trapped in a small house, talking to a doll that is identical to the love of your life? Mostly when this person is ohm, the man who has been blaming himself for Bryce's death. Everything makes sense right now. Ryan never stops saying how sorry he is; it's almost as if the doll is a second chance for him to apologize. "That means that I won't see you again."

If Bryce had a beating heart, it would surely have stopped right now. He's fallen in love with the pretty boy with the hazel eyes, and it's so unfair that he has to smile right now when all he wants to do is to hug him and ask him not to leave.

"Bryce I'm sorry for doing that to you. I really hope I was just crazy and you aren't there." He whispers, moving closer and looking directly at his eyes. "Can you do something for me? Could you please wait for me? When I die, I want to be by your side."

'I don't know if I can, baby... I'm a doll now. I'm neither dead, neither alive.'

"I don't want to kill you again... but Luke says it's the best thing to do. I'm going to send you back to the maker and he will be sure to put you back to sleep." Ryan speaks, and it's obvious he feels guilty. Bryce wonders how he can sleep feeling that guilty all the time. "I'm sorry, brycey. I'm really, really sorry. I have to go now, Luke is waiting for me downstairs."

It's difficult to decide what to feel, in such a moment when Bryce doesn't want ohm to go away, but at the same time he wants him to be happy. And even though he wants to keep living with Ryan, he doesn't want to live like this. He couldn't live like this, not after remembering everything that happened.

The hasty, warm breath hits Bryce's face, and he feels soft lips being pressed against his. They are damp because of his tears, but he likes the feeling; he savours it, enjoying the few seconds it lasts. When he pulls away, Bryce feels empty, even though he's made of air and he already is vacant.

"I love you, Bryce Mcquaid." Ryan speaks before going away, and he makes sure he won't look back, because if he does, he will remain trapped in that house, in the memories of a life he's once had.

It's so fucking unfair that he's smiling when ohm leaves, when he's put into the box to be sent back to the fabric, when he wants to say 'I love you too', so much.

But Bryce is a doll. Dolls can't speak; they can only smile.

Therefore, Bryce smiles.