Love In The Dark
Summary: After a car accident on his way home from a party, Sora is faced by darkness and the harsh truth that he will never regain his sight ever again. So while having his own inner battles and now also having to adjust to his normal life without his vision, will he make it or break? Or can some sort of light find him in the darkness and guide him through it all?
Pairing: Riku/Sora. Side pairing Leon/Cloud and mentionings of Axel/Roxas and Tidus/Yuna. And well, since I love Sora/Tidus, I couldn't resist having a few close moments between the two!
Note: I have a british-influenced english (even though I'm not a native speaker) and therefore, the spelling will be a little different for you who speak another dialect.
Love In The Dark
Chapter One: Joining Those In Darkness
A dark blue car was currently occupying the entrance to Traverse High School's yard, casting shimmering blue light on the students on their way inside.
"Sora, hunny... Are you completely sure about this? Your father and I would rather-"
"I know mum. You would feel better to see me in a special school... I really appreciate all your help and that you care for me so much, but this is what I want... what I need. If I lost all of my friends too, I would..." Sora said before falling silent, leaving dark thoughts unspoken.
His mother was silent for a while and looked sadly over to her husband who bore the same sad expression on his face. Sighing, she focused on her son again.
"Well, if that is what you really want, we won't try to change your mind. It is your choice and yours alone, after all..." she said and turned in her driver's seat, putting a gentle hand on her son's knee in a way to make it a promise. Sora jumped, startled, before finding his mother's hand. He smiled softly, clearly trying to comfort his mother and hide his own troubles, earning a few silent tears trickling down his mother's face that he was unaware of.
Mariko tried desperately to push back the despair filling her while she kept looking at her son's face. The smile now adorning his lips wasn't even a bleak imitation of his usual cheerful smiles, and his desire to comfort her was as clear as daylight in those blue orbs. It was breaking her heart to know he tried to comfort them when it was he who suffered the most.
She just wanted to scream in hopelesness, to hunt away the darkness slowly eating away at her son. She wanted so desperately to see that brightly shining smile on his face once more, to hear his carefree and heartwarming laughters caressing her ears. But now, he never even chuckled softly. This wasn't the happy and cheerful boy she was so used to and his smiles never reached his eyes, his smiles always swallowed by dark shadows lurking and enveloping him. The brightly shining aura that had surrounded him berfore was now but a mere ghost, taunting her, screaming to her about Sora's lost happiness and her failure to help him. Her lack of power to comfort her one and only son...
A warm hand touched her shoulder tenderly and she gave her husband a grateful smile as she was brought back from her deep dwelling. Suddenly, a beeping sound left Sora's left pocket.
"Well, you better be off before you're late! Should we walk you to the door?" his father asked him in a tone speaking of his efforts to try and keep everything as normal as possible, but failing miserably.
Sora's eyes travelled in the direction of the car door while he fumbled after the handle.
"No. I will have to learn how to make it on my own in the end, so I can better start now..." He answered as he stepped outside of the car. "But thanks dad." he finished and offered another smile.
His parents couldn't help but ironically thank whatever force there was that he couldn't see their faces. They never thought they would get used to that hollow smile now always gracing that young face, a face before filled with such boundless lifeforce.
"Ok then, but call me or Kazumo if something comes up or if you just feel like you need to talk, ok?" his mother half pleaded and the feeling of being useless for her child could not be hidden in those simple words.
Sora reached out and found his mothers shoulder behind the lowered car window, giving it a soft squeeze.
"Yeah, I will. Thanks mum. You too dad. I'll call you later." he said before turning around and starting to slowly make his way towards the school's entrance.
His mother's eyes followed his retreating form before starting the engine and driving off.
"You think he'll be ok?" she asked her husband worriedly, casting him a pained look.
"Honestly, I don't know. We'll just have to wait and see. But Sora is strong, we have to believe in him..." Kazumo answered while looking thoughtful, a cloud of doubt passing before his eyes.
Sighing deeply as he heard the car drive off, Sora let his act fall and his defences drop as he stopped by the railing to the stairs leading to the entrance door, body slumping on them. He looked like a broken doll where he stood, ready to fall apart at any moment. It was draining him to always put up an act towards his parents, holding that wall of happiness for everyones' sake. Quite honestly he often felt bad about lying to them, but he didn't want them to worry about him. They'd had to do a lot the last couple of weeks, fixing their home and getting special gadgets like his clock and stuff to ease his daily life, so he was more than ready to act for them. All he wanted was to see them happy, even at the cost of his own happiness. Though, he couldn't deny it wasn't easy, but it was all worth it all if they were happy...
Tracing his hands along the railing as he made his way upwards, he silently thanked that this was his second year here. It made it a lot easier to find his way and he knew the surroundings fairly well. But none the less it was still frustrating to not be able to use something he had taken for granted just weeks before. So many things in life depended on your eyes, something not many people thought of...
Coming to a stop inside the building, Sora ran slender fingers through his brown locks and suddenly came to realize something - He didn't know where his new homeroom was...
Feeling his already low mood fall even more, he started walking towards the headmaster's office when suddenly a voice called out to him.
"Sora! There you are! I haven't heard from you in ages. Where have you been hiding?" Kairi's voice asked cheerfully as Sora heard her footsteps stop in front of him.
"Hi...Kairi." He said and looked where he thought her face would have been, giving her a smile. How should he tell her about what happened? He didn't want to tell her since it was Yuffie and her that had brought him to the party, and he definitely didn't want them to feel bad about him. It was enough with his parents low mood and bad conscience.
"Hey Sora... You alright?" Kairi suddenly asked, voice filled with concern. He could feel her eyes scrutynizing him and felt her face lean in. Feeling uneasy, Sora looked down and took a step backwards, almost hitting a wall behind him.
"Sora, what's wrong?" Kairi asked again, upset that her best friend wouldn't tell her what was up.
Sora twiddled with his fingers and sighed deeply. He wouldn't be able hide his state from her for very long and what kind of friend would he be if he didn't tell her? He would, most likely, also need her help a lot from now on.
Collecting himself, he then turned his face upwards.
When his eyes didn't meet her, Kairi looked really worried and put a hand on his arm.
"Sora...?" she asked again, urging and pleading him to tell her what was wrong. She desperately wanted to help her closest and childhood friend.
"Um, well... you remember taking me to that party near the end of summer holiday, right?" he said and waited for a confirmation. God he hated not to being able to see her eyes or expressions. Body language said so much more than words...
At the sentence, the girl's eyes widened and she stared at him in shock.
"Don't tell me some drunk punk tried to molest you!?" Kairi exclaimed angrily and narrowed her eyes. "I swear, he or she will definitely-!"
"No! No, it's not that..." Sora cut in and fidgeted. It was so hard not being able to look at her, the situation making him feel like he was swimming in mud - getting nowhere. "Well, when I was walking home a... a car hit me and I well..." he gulped and tried to steady his slightly shaking voice from his feelings of guilt.
Kairi looked at Sora with horrified eyes.
"Well, I hit my head pretty badly and... the doctors said I won't regain my sight... I'm blind... for the rest of my life..." he finished and lifted his head, showing her unfocused eyes that looked at nothing, just gems reflecting her like a lifeless mirror.
Kairi was silent for a while, not being able to comprehend what she had heard. It couldn't be true... Sora... was, blind?
But as she stared into empty eyes, totally drained from the twinkling lights usually glittering there, she knew it was all true. Sora wouldn't joke about something that serious.
"... Oh, Sora." he heard her say. Judging from the silent sniffle, he guessed she was trying to bite back tears. He had always hated to see her cry, but he found himself having no idea how to comfort the girl right now, making him feel useless. A hug had always been good, but it was kinda difficult to do so.
Biting his lower lip, he was about to tell her something, anything, but he suddenly found himself embraced in a tight hug, hearing her sniffle as she pulled him flat against her.
"I'm so sorry.." she whispered in his ear before she slowly stepped back, looking at him with sad eyes. "But...why didn't you tell us? Everyone has wondered where you have been but the teachers refused to tell us, only informing us you were alive." she laughed bitterly. "I see now why they didn't say 'he's fine'"
Sora scratched his head and smiled apologectically.
"Well, that is because I asked them not to tell anyone... I wanted to tell people myself... I'm sorry." he explained softly, wishing desperately to be able to look at her face, to be able to tell what she thought or felt from the expressions in her eyes. The gentle voice just wasn't enough...
From the day he lost his sight, he felt like he was always stumbling, never being able to do anything and being cut off from the rest of the world. He couldn't tell what other people felt or thought without listening to their voices... it just felt so, little. Like he was kept from the people he cared about because he couldn't see them. The brunet guessed he would get better to read people with his other senses later on, but right now it felt so far away and like he would never reach it, making outer space feel small compared to his feelings of hopelessness.
Sora then heard a rustling sound from chains, guessing Kairi shock her head softly, making the necklace she usually wore tingle.
"Don't apologise Sora. You owe no one an apology. I'm just... so happy you're alive." she said affectionately, making Sora smile gently. Kairi had always been too caring, not that he minded it much, but sometimes he just wanted her to put herself first. She really deserved it.
"So, where is our new homeroom? I haven't been here since before summer vacation, after all." he said and scratched his cheek with a forefinger, looking thoughtful.
"Oh, that's right! Well, it has been moved to the second floor." Kairi answered and took his hand softly, leading him towards the spoken destination without asking if he wanted to be shown or not. Sora guessed the girl knew she knew him too well, not really having to ask the question since the brunet's answer was 'obvious'. And she was right in her assumption.
Waiting for a continuation but getting none, Sora slowed down and coughed lightly, drawing the girl's attention.
"Thanks, but... would you mind telling me a little more in detail - like surroundings and which side and stuff. It would help when I can't see..." he said softly, giving a half hearted goofy smile, something that had been a trademark for the 'old' Sora.
As expected, Kairi immediately stopped in her tracks and gave Sora a look screaming of guilt and she couldn't help but wonder if Sora could catch her mood even without his sight. How the brunet knew her face at this moment, well, let's say he'd been through it a lot of times. Kairi always made a special face when catching herself forgetting something, as well as squeezing her hands togehter which she was currently doing, along with Sora's own hand.
"I-I'm sorry! I forgot that-!" she stuttered before Sora cut her off, chuckling lightly.
"It's ok Kairi. As a matter of fact, that was refreshing. I haven't been treated like a "normal" being in a long time. It's nice to be handled as anyone else...That people still are themselves." he said and offered the most sincere smile he had given anyone in weeks.
Kairi stared at him for a few seconds before smiling. She had to remember that he was blind, but also that he was Sora and that he didn't want to be treated like he was helpless. After all, who would?
"Ok, I'll remember that." she said brightly, squeezing Sora's hand softly again. "Well, our homeroom is on the second floor as I told you. It's positioned on the right side of the library when you have climbed the stairs." she told him as they walked up the stairs to their english class. "The teachers have put a small bell on each handle on the doors that you use for your different classes." she added, poking the bell hanging on their homeroom lightly, the bell emitting a clear but soft 'pling'.
Sora nodded, trying to memorize it as they stepped inside, as well as the maze like way they had walked to the room. The brunet was certain it would take a long time to be able to remember every corner they had turned from were they had begun, he wasn't even sure he remembered the number of corners... Though, he also had to remember that this was a high school and that the bells would probably be ripped off by other students quickly, a killing-boredom tool for tiny amusement. Which... didn't really make things better.
"Here's your seat Sora, between me and Tidus." Kairi said and patted a desk somewhere to his right. Well, how convenient. "And if you need something just ask, ok? Don't hesitate, I know you're totally hopeless without our help, as usual." she laughed and poked his side, earning an amused snort from the brunet.
Snickering softly, Sora then took his seat while feeling much better. It was wonderful to have Kairi helping him, to have someone who wouldn't hesitate to be themselves. He hadn't laughed in four weeks and he briefly wondered how his muscles had survived. Really, it was a mircale they still functioned properly.
Suddenly an arm locked his head in a death grip around the neck, a hand ruffling his hair mercilessly while someone cackled evilly. Oh, how he knew that voice.
"Tidus!" Sora squeaked, wriggling like a fish while the other started tickling him with his free hand.
"You know you'll have to beg me to stop, Sora!" Tidus laughed victoriously while he kept on with his assault on Sora's sides, "kindly" letting the boy breathe once in a while.
"Common Tidus, let him be!" Kairi laughed while she gazed at the adorable sight, the words saying one thing while her voice said something completely different.
"Gee, thanks for the honest help, Traitor!" Sora muttered between loud fits of laughter before he eeped as he fell to the ground, Tidus following suit and landing ontop of him. Though the boy didn't stop his tickling, completely set to the task to get the right words out of Sora while said boy clutched his sides, trying to desperately defend them.
"Haha, p-please Tidus!" Sora begged, tears forming in his eyes as he thought he would laugh himself to death, all air in his lungs completely gone and none existent.
"Nu-uh! Say it!" Tidus smirked as he stradled the smaller's hips, totally unaffected by Sora's antics and pleas directed at him.
Panting hard, Sora pouted while he finally gave up and said the words Tidus wanted to hear every so often.
"Fine! You-you're the king of Traverse High. T-the,.. best guy there is!" Sora said through pained laughs, trying not to pass out from lack of oxygen.
"That's right! Good boy, Sora!" Tidus chuckled and stopped the tickling, patting the smaller one's head affectionately while beaming down at him.
"You're so cruel..." the brunet whined, crossing his arms and pouting in a childish manner.
"Aww, am not. If I were, I wouldn't do this!" Tidus countered and kissed Sora lightly on the cheek, earning a cute blush from the other, making the blond male snicker. Oh how he loved to mock the other in these type of ways. Sora was just so easily embaressed, though the brunet would never really admit it. An easy and rewarding target. Sora was. The brunet always reacting in the most interesting and cute ways...
"My god, why don't you two get a room already!" Kairi exclaimed in amusement. "You two look like a lovesick couple! Really cute if I might add... And here I thought you were with Yuna, Tidus." she said innocently and smirked at the blond, challenging him.
Tidus grinned while he stood up, lifting Sora with him by the arm. Raising an elegant eyebrow, the blond then gave a smirk as he crossed his arms.
"Of course I am, but who woldn't love to molest this cutie!? Especially if you had a crush on that someone before?" he said and hugged Sora, putting more meaning behind the words.
"It's good you have a such an understanding girlfriend as Yuna..." Kairi finished and turned to look at Sora. "You ok?" she asked, snickering lightly over the tousled hair that now looked like a berserking hedgehog attacking the small brunet's head.
"Uh, yeah, though, this maniac here should be kept locked up somewhere." Sora answered in mock irritation and successfully poked Tidus side.
"Hey! Gee, thanks! Who's the meanie now!" Tidus whined in response and looked Sora in the eyes.
Kairi winced when she spotted it and bit her lower lip when all three fell silent, the brunet's discomfort obvious while Tidus had never worn a more serious expression since he lost his favorite Blitzball ball last year.
"Hey, Sora..." Tidus started. "...why didn't you tell me?" he asked, sounding somewhat hurt at finding out that his best friend had kept something important from him.
Sora and Kairi looked equally shocked while trying to hide it behind a facade of puzzlement.
"...Tell you what, Tidus?" Sora asked, still in denial. He had clearly underestimated the blond's talent to read others.
"Common Sora." Tidus said and waved a hand right in front of the brunet's face, getting no reaction from the other. "It's obviously something when you don't react to a hand right in front of your nose. Not to mention the fact that you haven't looked at me at all for fifteen minutes straight when you're one for eye contact... I can tell when something is wrong with my best friend... and, I do have a blind cousin..." Tidus said, leaving an opening for Sora to confirm his suggestion.
Kairi gulped, figuring that pushing Sora right now might not be the best idea, the brunet's emotions and memories most likely still raw and aching.
"Tidus, I don't think-" she began, but the smaller brunet cut her off, looking in the direction of her voice.
"It's Ok, Kairi." Sora said, slender fingers fumbling after the chair for a while before finding it and sitting down, releasing a soft sigh. Closing his eyes in a big smile, the brunet then turned to look where Tidus should be, tilting his head cutely. "I wanted to tell him anyway, and it's not like I can walk around and hide I'm blind very easily either." he snickered.
No one could guess how refreshing it was to have Tidus around. Kairi, and he bet most of the others, saw Tidus question as rude, but it was actually one of the nicest thus far. Tidus treated him like he had always done and even though this might be a touchy subject, he just asked it out of concern and care, which didn't offend Sora at all. The blond had also left an opening for Sora to retreat if he didn't want to answer - Tidus only suggesting Sora had gone blind with the trick of mentioning his blind cousin.
Sora smiled widely. To be treated like everyone else was what he wanted, that was why he had stayed in this school together with his friends. He knew it couldn't be exactly like before, but he wanted to keep as much of it as possible.
"I got blind in an accident four weeks ago, right after the party before the summer vacation was over..." Sora said and gave a sad, bitter smile. "I will never regain it."
"Sorry to hear that, buddy." Tidus said and put a hand on the smaller boy's shoulder in comfort, the warmth of his hand much welcomed and needed, the other's gentle fingers making Sora's emotional pain a little easier to handle. It was almost funny really, how much a single touch of human warmth could do to him.
"It's ok I guess... I can still be with you guys, right?" Sora said and looked up.
Tidus laughed very softly and ruffled his hair again, making it even more tousled than before. The boy now looked like he hadn't combed his hair for two months, the strands of hair now a nest for crows.
"Of course! Do you even have to ask?!" Tidus answered and grinned, voice filled with the intention of teasing. "And you know I'll always take care of you if you ever need someone." he joked and walked away, sitting down on his own bench.
"Wow, that feels reassuring!" Sora commented in sarcasm and gave a grin.
"That hurt ya know!" Tidus whined in fake hurt and threw a knuckled paper at Sora's head, making Sora laugh in amusement.
Kairi just studdied the two as she saw Sora's spirit rise with every second he spoke with Tidus, shaking her head in slight wonder. She had always thought Tidus was a little bit... well, he didn't think before he spoke, or so it seemed. But with the male's obvious affection to Sora and the others, he could say about anything and still get away with it, without hurting anyone.
'Leave it up to Tidus to fix the day!' she thought and giggled to herself. Sometimes she wondered why the two of them weren't a couple. But in the end, she guessed their affection had grown into a more sibling like kind of love. The two never really spoke of what really happened, chosing to direct the conversation in other directions when brought up.
Suddenly the door closed shut and everyone fell silent as the teacher put his books down on the table with a loud and heavy thump, clearly not in the best of moods. Sighing, the man then looked up and around the classroom, yellow eyes soon landing on Sora.
"Oh, welcome back, Sora." he said firmly but nicely and walked over to the boy, putting a book in the blind boy's hands. "This is your book for your english class. It's marked with a print formed as an E on the front and we are currently on side twenty three. Have you learned to read properly yet?" the blue haired male asked as he gazed at Sora with curious eyes, yellow pools seemingly hard but still gentle.
Even though Sora couldn't see Saix, he could feel the other's steady gaze on him and he suddenly felt a little bad about not having learned the alphabet yet. He had tried - a lot, but it just seemed like they didn't want to stick, prefering to not cooperate with him. Sometimes he couldn't help but wonder if they were conspiring against him, the letters getting some sort of reward for it from some unknown source.
"Um, not completely..." he said and fidgeted, forcing a tiny smile of apology.
The teacher looked at him and something unusual flashed in the yellow orbs that made Kairi stiffen in surprise. She had never seen Saix look so friendly and understanding towards any student. Maybe the teacher had a nice side after all? Not that he was an unfair and mean one, but Saix were just always to calm and composed you could never really know what he was thinking or feeling, causing him to be called cold.
"I see... Well, we can have more speaking sessions until you have learnt it then. You be sure to learn it so you won't fall too far behind the rest. If you need or is wondering about anything, just speak to me." Saix said and patted Sora on the shoulder before walking back to the front of the class room.
Kairi and Tidus stared at each other in disbelief as the class started to murmur while Saix went to sort his papers. Everyone was probably wondering why Sora was back, why he got a new book and why Saix, the firm teacher, had acted so understanding towards him.
"Did you see what I saw?" Tidus whispered loud enough so that Kairi would hear on the other side of Sora.
"U-hu. That was something to behold!" she answered back, looking somewhat amused.
"What? What's going on?" Sora asked confused while turning to each side, trying to look at the others.
"Sorry. Well, Saix just looked at you with the most accepting look ever! And you know Saix, he doesn't take lightly if you're about to fall behind..." Tidus said, stunned. "It was really something! I guess even he does have a soft side..." he continued to snicker. "Or maybe it's just something with Sora that draws out the good in people? I mean, cuteness usually has that effect on creatures." he added, making Kairi snort in unexpected laughter before hiding her giggles behind her hand, trying to hide them from a pissed little brunet at her side.
Turning to Tidus side, Sora gave his hardest glare ever, making sure to show his annoyance of being called cute. The blond just snickered again and threw a rubber-gum at Sora's forehead, earning an angry pout and a low growl.
"Silence!" Saix suddenly yelled, quieting the loud murmurs. "I understand that you might wonder what's with Sora, but if so, stop making up theories and ask him yourself. I hate rumors, so ask him or leave him alone and drop it." the blue male said firmly and sat down. "Now, can anyone sum up Shakespeare's creation Hamlet?" he asked and a girl immediately stood up.
Sora sighed. This could be a little hard in the beginning, though, he was grateful to Saix. It was better if people asked him instead of making up things. Though, answering the question was still kinda hard, but he would have to deal with it sooner or later, like everything else.
As everyone was leaving their second class for lunch, Kairi walked up and poked Sora on the shoulder.
"Hey Sora. I'm going to meet Yuffie during lunch. She wants to introduce some of her friends, you wanna come?" She asked as they made their way to the lunch cafeteria, her wish for him to say yes as clear as a clown nose on a polar bear.
"Well, you can at least count me out. I'm off to meet Yuna!" Tidus chirped and poked Sora's cheek. "And no sad faces while I'm gone, even though I'm hard to be without!" he laughed and walked off, whisteling a happy tune.
"Tidus!" Sora laughed after him, wanting to hit the other's arm playfully before quickly changing his mind, guessing he would just miss anyway. "Well, I'd like to come, I guess..." Sora said and smiled softly, gusseing Kairi would be sad if he didn't come. And well, Yuffie was a nice girl, so it couldn't be that horrible to meet her friends...right? No, of course not.
"Great!" Kairi cheered and took Sora's hand, leading him down the hallway, chattering away with what she had done the whole summer.
"Hey Sora! Long time no see!" two voices suddenly rang out in union when they were about to enter the stairs.
"Hayner and Roxas?" Sora asked, smirking. One could point out those boys in any crowd, anywhere.
"Yup" Kairi said and halted, turning around. "You guys heading for the lunch cafeteria?" she asked the two blonds as they joined up with them.
"Not me. I'm off to meet Pence and Olette. Pence had something to show me that he had done to our website!" Hayner answered excitedly, his whole body gleaming.
"I'll join you two, I'm starving." Roxas added while his stomach gave an affirmative grumble.
"You have a website? About what?" Sora asked intrigued, seeing he had missed some intersting changes and developements during his abscence.
"You bet! It's about Blitzball and Struggle! The best site about it there is!" Hayner said proudly.
Even though Sora couldn't see him, he could clearly hear the grin in Hayner's voice, daring a bet on that the boy was even striking a proud pose where he stood.
"Figures." Sora said and smirked again.
"Uh, Sora. Something up? You look kinda... I dunno... Out of it?" Roxas suddenly asked, leaning foward to take a closer look at Sora.
Staring at the two nervously, Kairi quickly spoke up.
"Uh, it's nothi-"
"Kairi. They're my friends, it's fine." Sora said, a little annoyed at the girl for trying to hide his state from other's again. She had done that a good couple of times already and he knew she did it because she thought it was hard for him to tell people, but he couldn't keep avoiding it if someone asked. He would never hide anything from his friends... well, maybe some things, but not something as obvious as this when they asked. They deserved to know as it also affected those around him - They needed to know.
"I lost my sight four weeks ago." the brunet answered softly in honesty, shrugging his shoulders.
"Man, sorry to hear that." Hayner said lowly, patting the teen's back.
Such a simple, comforting gesture and yet Sora was ready to smile so widely he would split his face in two. "It's ok when I have guys like you around." he said and smiled. "It's not like I'm dying."
They all gave a sad smile while looking at Sora's smaller form.
"Is there any chance of you ever getting it back?" Roxas then asked, looking at Kairi and Sora in turn, hoping there was some sort of light for his friend.
"...No. This is permanent." Sora answered lowly. "So, should we go? Isn't Yuffie waiting?" he then asked and tugged at Kairi's hand after fumbling for it.
"Oh, right!" Kairi exclaimed, having temporarily forgotten all about the waiting group of people.
"See you guys later then!" Hayner called as he walked in the opposite direction when they came to the first floor.
"Later!" they all called and walked down the hallway, entering the cafeteria halfway through it.
"Hey, Kairi, Sora, Roxas! Over here!" a girl called, waving her arms wildly in the air while jumping up and down, clearly having loads of energy.
Kairi waved back, walking a little faster with the two boys in tow.
"Over here, Sora." she said and lead him half across the lunch cafeteria and to the group.
From the lack of voices cackling around him, Sora guessed they sat at one of the tables closest to the wall. Everyone usually gathered in the middle, making the tables around the walls good spots for soft conversations and meetings, usually prefered by the older students.
Kairi pushed him down in a seat next to her while Yuffie introduced everyone enthusiastically.
"Ok, I'd like you to meet my pretty new "hang out" group!" she said cheerfully, waving around herself.
"If you can call people that you have been around for one year as 'new'." someone snorted and Sora remembered hearing that voice a few times before.
"Aww, common Leon, don't be like that!" Yuffie whined and whacked the other's head lightly, earning a low growl from the male.
"Anyway!" Yuffie chirped on, bluntly ignoring Leon. " This is Leon, Cloud, Riku and Axel, all third year students! Leon's younger sister Aerith usually hangs out with us too, but she goes to another school. So you'll probably only see her after school time if you're with us."
Even though Sora couldn't see them, he already knew how they looked like... or well, usually looked. Cloud and Leon was a well known couple in the school, making out in all known and unknown spots in nice outfits. Sora had always found them somewhat amusing with their lack of needed privacy, even making out in the hallways as the headmaster Sephiroth walked past, glaring at them. But even though their lack of privacy, the pair seemed to be one of the most honest and gentle couples Sora had ever met, their love for each other all too obvious and affectionate and making them a very cute and liked pair. They even had their own fanclub totally devoted to keeping the lovers together for all eternity, 'advertising' it with words like 'original', 'ultimate' and 'sincere'. It was almost...scary. Fascinating, but scary.
It was actually thanks to Tidus, who was a good friend with Cloud, that Sora had spoken to the couple a few times before. He had been lightly surprised when he had spoken to them, because even though they wanted to have a sorta bad-guy look, they were actually very nice people with a big intellect and hearts.
Sora snickered softly as he remembered he had also gotten a lot of questions if he and Cloud were brothers from girls who wanted inside information about the spiky blond, earning a sad look from the girls every time he said no. But once, Cloud had walked past when the brunet had gotten that specific question and the blond had grabbed him by the waist, pulling them flushed against each other before Sora had a chance to react. Smirking down, Cloud had then "walked further down the road" and kissed Sora fully on the lip before looking to his side, eyeing the group of girls with evil amusement.
"Yup, we're brothers. Close brothers." Cloud had then said casually before walking off with a wink, leaving the girls gaping while others fainted, murmuring "sweet and forbidden love" in dreaming voices. Sora had been offended at first, but after getting an apology and an explanation from the blond, it was ok. Cloud was, after all, a nice person... and good looking. Those two had actually gotten their own fangirl group for a while until the rumour about their relationship stopped thanks to a certain Ice Prince known as Leon. Cloud's partner had made sure to assure everyone that Cloud was his, showing it more than usual in the hallways after that point onwards. The blond had never protested to the intense treatement even once...
Axel was also someone Sora had heard and seen a lot of, but never really met. The red-head was an extremely good athletic and a well known fire-loving maniac, always goofying around and burning things. He had also seen Leon's sister once; at the party. She looked like a very sweet girl with a big heart, her eyes soft and understanding.
As for Riku... He had never met the guy in person either, but he still thought he knew the silver-headed male pretty good from all the fan clubs the male had, including both males and females. You couldn't escape them gossiping about Riku and telling each other about the "latest news" about him. From Sora's impression, Riku seemed like a laid back and collected person, not speaking unless spoken to or asked something. Or, in some special cases, finding it necessary. Though, Sora could never be sure about how much of that was true or not.
"Well, you know Sora, right Cloud, Leon?" Yuffie said and giggled, nudging Cloud in the side.
The information about Cloud kissing Sora had spread like wildfire and was something greatly cheerished by fangirls even to this day. Leon had been a little upset about it all, but after some "consolation" and assurance from Cloud that it was nothing, he had gotten over it and held no grudge towards Sora. He had actually said to Sora that he hoped he had enjoyed it, because Cloud was the best kisser there ever was, though, Sora would never get to experience it again, Leon making sure of that.
"Of course." Cloud answered and winked. "How could I forget. Thanks for the help. They left me alone for at least three weeks. That's a new record."
"No problem." Sora laughed, though he kept his eyes downwards. It felt so awkward looking around when you didn't know if you looked at the right person or not. So he found it better to look somewhere else entirely.
"The other's are Roxas and Kairi. Hey, where's Tidus?" Yuffie suddenly asked, realizing the hyper blond wasn't anywhere near, the air missing that special spark only the blond had.
"Oh, he went to meet Yuna." Kairi answered.
"Figures." Yuffie muttered, crossing her arms. "Why couldn't he bring her with him? She knows us!" Yuffie whined while pouting, glaring at the door across the room as if imagining it was Tidus. "It was ages since I met him!"
"Maybe they wanted some time alone? Yuna has been away half of the summer." Kairi suggested before walking off to get her and Sora some lunch, leaving the table.
"Hmm, yeah. But still, that's inconciderate, I'm his friend!" Yuffie whined again. "Oh well..."
"Hey! Did anyone see the nice fire I made when I helped Yuffie in the kitchen at the party?!" Axel randomly asked proudly and cackled, leaning back in his chair casually.
"More like burning up my whole friggin' house!" Yuffie exclaimed in annoyance while flicking his forehead. "I don't call that 'helping out'" she said angrily and glared at Axel.
The red-head just shrugged and flashed a grin. That fire was one of his coolest works so far, a real masterpiece if one asked him.
Soon, as Kairi returned with the food, a wild chat about the party that had been before Sora's accident opened, everyone discussing it happilly – apart from one...
Sora couldn't help but feel a little left out while he poked at the food. He wanted to join in on it too, but since he had left the party pretty early and well, the accident, he found it very hard to. Also, there was no way he wouldn't ruin the happy chat with his dark mood towards the sdiscussion and it didn't exactly make him more encouraged. So sparing his friends his own gloomy mood for it, Sora instead settled for twiddling with his fingers and keeping his eyes downwards, trying not to look too bored while he poked at his food.
He then jumped a little when a soft hand landed on his and squeezed it lightly, drawing his attention.
"You ok?" he heard Kairi's voice whisper close to him. Sora figured she could guess how he felt about the chosen subject of discussion.
He forced a smile and whispered back softly that he was ok, not wanting to make her feel bad or worry since he knew Kairi would get upset if she knew how he felt. The girl just was like that, wanting to make sure everyone felt good and happy, otherwise she would feel bad and blaming herself because of it even though she rarely could be blamed.
Another comforting squeeze was pressed around Sora's hand before Kairi withdrew her's and joined in on the conversation again.
The brunet sighed soundlessly, feeling alone even though he had a lot of souls around him...
Riku stared at the spiky brown headed youth across from him while vaugely listening to the conversation about the party. Really, he couldn't care less. That party had been a real disappointment from the silver head's part; only drooling girls stealing his time when all he wanted was to have a nice time with his friends, as always... He noted to himself he definitely had to get out more, and not to those school parties... He "feared" he would soon loose it and kill one of the fangirls by "accident" if it continued much longer...
Sighing, he poked at the apple in front of him, bored. Man, had it been a bad day so far. He hadn't gotten even one second of privacy today and he had overslept, turning up late to teacher Cid's P.E class. That... was something no one did. The man was crazy and Riku had now witnessed it first hand. He had been forced to do five hundred push-ups and run around the field seven times before he was getting released... All that in twenty minutes just to not be late for his next class! Seriously, that teacher had some kind of mental problem and how he had been able to become a teacher was beyond Riku! On top of that he had also failed the history test. He had failed a test! He never failed a test. He was the top student of the school! His parents were going to kill him later if they found out... Grades didn't really matter to them as long as it didn't say "you suck", then, you would regret your existence...
The silver haired sighed again.
But at the moment, the thing that annoyed him the most was the new guy he had just met; Sora. The guy seemed to lack any kind of respect for others, something that Riku loathed. Even if you were shy or antisocial, you could at least look at the person when they spoke to show that you were at least paying them some attention. At least you could do it around new people. That was a simple and obvious act of respect towards others and it was a given if you were a human being. And one thing that Riku hated more than anything, it was people that couldn't even give the simplest respect to others. That was just selfish and rude and Riku couldn't stand people like that. He'd had enough of those respectless and mindless people before to last a life time.
And his annoyance just kept building up as the boy just sat there, looking at the floor and twiddling with his fingers and ignoring the rest of the world. The boy hadn't even once made eye contanct with any of them, clearly stating that he wanted to be left alone. So then, why the heck, had the boy come here in the first place?! No one had forced him to sit here and he was free to go if he so wished. But still the boy stayed, ignoring the rest of them like they were some kind of freaks or bugs that the world needed to be freed of.
So, after fifteen minutes, he couldn't take it any more. If the boy didn't want to be around them, Riku didn't want him there either.
"Hey you!" he said in annoyance over the chattering and everyone fell silent, looking at him.
All of them were in a slight shock. True, Riku was a guy known for his coolness, but he never acted angry or rude towards someone he didn't know if he didn't feel the person really deserved it. So when he suddenly glared harshly at Sora, everyone stared at him in bewilderment.
Cloud gave Leon a questiongly look, earning a silent shrug from his partner.
Kairi fidgeted nervously as she saw Sora didn't catch that it was him Riku had spoken to. She had totally forgotten they didn't know he was blind. Shaking him lightly on the arm, she whispered quietly to him.
"Sora, it's you he's talking to..."
The smaller boy looked stunned before a wave of nervousness flooded his facial features. The small brunet just had a bad feeling about this...
"...Yes?" Sora responded unsurely as he lifted his gaze, but not enough to meet any of them.
At that, Cloud raised an eyebrow. Didn't Sora's eyes look a little...empty?
"If you don't find our company good enough for you, you can just leave! No one is keeping you here and if you feel like you can't even show us the smalles respect like looking at us and aknowledge our presence around you... get out of here..." Riku said coldly, looking like he was trying to freeze the other boy with his cold glare.
Sora was silent for a while before speaking, at a loss for words. That had really stung, especially when the teen wasn't used to being yelled at.
"... I... Well, I-..."
"Spare us your high and mighty excuses and just vanish, will you! Go and be with the people who you think is suitable for you." Riku then interrupted, not in the mood of excuses that were unnecessary.
"But I-..." Sora tried again, feeling frustrated and irritated at getting a treatement he didn't deserve.
"Just disappear! No one wants you here. You're not welcomed..." the silver haired growled again and crossed his arms over his chest, clearly unable to be reason with.
The small brunet started to shake lightly as he tried to calm himself, keeping the tears of hurt and frustration at bay as he hid his face behind his bangs. He really tried his best, but it didn't seem to be enough no matter what he did. Maybe he wouldn't be able to make it in this school after all...? He knew he hadn't told the boy about his sight, or rather, lack of it, but he still didn't think he deserved that harsh treatment. He did try...
Clenching his hands into fists, he bit back a sob. But as the first crystal clear tear escaped pools of blue and trickled down a pale cheek, he couldn't hold it back anymore and stood, almost tripping over the bench he had been sitting on.
"Sora-" Kairi said and reached out a hand to grab his arm, missing it as the boy suddenly stumbled away, bumping into chairs and people repeatedly as he tried to get out. The teen couldn't seem to focus on where he was going and totally lost his sense of direction and location as he reached a door, pushing it open and stumbling out in the hallway.
Roxas, who hadn't said much during the conversation suddenly spoke up, voice angry and unforgiving.
"You jerk! What was that good for!?" he asked angrily and stood up, breathing heavily while marching out of the lunch cafeteria, trying to find Sora.
"Well, he clearly didn't want to be here, so why bother with him and his behaviour?" Riku snorted as Roxas left and slumped lazily in his chair.
"Riku! Just because you've had a bad day doesn't mean you have the right to take it out on others!" Yuffie said upset. "Couldn't you see you hurt him!"
"As if. He didn't even care looking at any of us even once! Talk about hurting people's feelings. He could at least aknowledge us at least once!" Riku answered loudly and glared at the girl, feeling he was right.
"That's because you can't do that when you're blind!" Kairi suddenly yelled upset, causing everyone to fall silent as the grave.
She calmped her hands over her mouth and looked horrified, knowing she shouldn't have been the one to tell them that.
"That explains it..." Cloud murmured.
"I thought something was up, but I didn't want to push him..."Yuffie said softly, looking at the door that Sora had exited just moments before. "Poor Sora, it must be tough..."
Kairi nodded sadly, confirming something that didn't really needed to be.
"He wanted to tell you himself, but I guess he didn't find the right moment..." she said and looked at her hands.
"That's understandable...Telling something like that isn't easy, more so when it's a fresh wound, as I guess it happened pretty resently since he still had his sight at the party." Leon said and drapped an arm around Cloud's shoulders, nuzzling the blond's neck slowly and affectionately, wanting to comfort his lover.
"My smart and alert partner…" Cloud purred in Leon's ear and licked it softly, needing and appreciating the soft gestures.
Axel rolled his eyes at the pair before looking over at Riku with a hard look.
"Man, you're a nice one. Hitting on someone already lying down... talk about nice..." he said and gave the other a look clearly stating the other had crossed the line. Even though Axel was the joker, he could still see where to draw the line and Riku had crossed it by far even for his standards. "Are you the blind one or what? Couldn't you tell something was up with him? Man you're slow! Got it memorized? S-L-O-W." he finished, viciously biting an apple.
Riku just stared at them, at a loss for words.
"Really, Riku. You really need to ask stuff before saying things..." Yuffie said and put her hands behind her head, leaning against the wall.
Riku looked down and even though he looked calm on the outside, his emotions was in turmoil when everything hit him with full force. Replaying the whole day and especially the scolding of the small brunet in his head, Riku suddenly felt really ashamed, knowing he had done something stupid and rude... The small brunet clearly didn't deserve that, Riku knew it. And suddenly, he had no idea why he had lashed out at the boy. He had been used to bad days, so why this sudden outlash today?
'You're a real example Riku! Admiring respect and caring and still doing something completely different!' he scolded himself while just sitting there, hating himself for his foolishness...
Sora couldn't stop the tears now freely flowing down his cheeks as he sprinted down the hallway, tracing the wall with his fingers while bumping into people, earning angry yells. But he couldn't care less. He just wanted somewhere where he could be alone, somewhere where no one would judge or ask him about anything. Somewhere where he could just cry...
He knew he probably looked pathetic, crying as he ran around in the school, but he couldn't help it. All the pain and loneliness that had haunted him all the days since the accident four weeks ago now attacked him with an overwhelming force. That one comment Riku had said had shattered the wall he had built up and now he just couldn't take it any more. The strenght the brunet had possessed had finally left him and his defences were at a zero.
Suddenly, he felt a door handle and quickly opened it, feeling fresh air hit him along with a warm chest.
"Woah!" someone yelled as they both stumbled to the ground, Sora landing ontop of the other as he heard grass rustling under the other as they hit their back. Sora absentmindedly guessed he must have found one of the doors leading to the school's small garden in the back yard while stuttering out sniffling apologies to the person under him.
As he was about to stand up and leave the other's chest, Sora felt strong arms circle around him and keep him in a firm grip against a warm chest, pressing him close while the other sat up. Startled, Sora tried to get out of it while holding back his tears, but the other just wouldn't let go, causing the brunet to whisper soft pleas to the other to be released, tears filling shining blue orbs as he continued to cry.
"Shh, shh, Sora. It's me, Tidus." a soft voice suddenly said as a hand traveled from Sora's waist to hold his head still against the crock of the blond's neck.
The scent of Tidus filled Sora's senses and he became still for a moment, clutching at the back of the other's shirt desperately, needing the comfort and closeness to keep him from screaming in frustration and sadness.
"Hey, hey... what's wrong, Sora?" Tidus asked worriedly in his ear, the warm breath tickling the smaller one's ear lightly.
The boy didn't answer immediately, just clinging to the blond as sobs increased, making the lithe form shake.
Sora was so embarassed and yet relieved to have run into Tidus. He hated that the other got to see him cry like his, but he couldn't stop once he knew it was the blond. Tidus was the only one he felt he could let his guard down around and the pain just didn't want to stop as he sat there. It felt so nice yet scaring, crying in the arms of the other as he just let all of his despair fill him and push tears through blue orbs. How long had it been since he had last cried like this?
A hand ran through brown tresses in soothing motions while Sora just kept on crying, the other holding him close and not speaking a word, just sitting there letting the brunet cry his heart out.
After a few minutes, Sora's cries quieted down to soft sniffles and Tidus dared speak again.
"...Having a rough day?" he asked lowly, laying his cheek ontop of the other's head while hugging him.
Sora nodded into his neck.
"Need to talk?" Tidus asked caringly, squeezing Sora in an even closer hug.
The other shook his head before softly mumbling a quiet "I'm sorry..."
The blond looked slightly shocked. Where had that come from?
"For what?" he asked in bewilderment, glancing down at the boundle in his arms.
"...Well, for acting like a baby, probably getting you late for class and... well, killing your shirt - it must have drowned by now..." Sora answered, hiding his face even deeper in the other's neck.
Tidus blinked quizzically before chuckling softly.
"Well, you are like the "baby brother" I never had. As for class, they'll understand if I tell them I helped you and I'm sure I can revive the shirt with some sunshine later..." Tidus snickered, adding. "And I'm sure my shirt will forgive you, so don't worry!"
The blond could feel Sora pout at the "baby brother" comment and he felt a light poke in his side, making him grin.
"Lucky me..." Sora said sarcastically and straightened himself, sitting up in the other's lap and holding his hands on the front of Tidus chest, still keeping his head downwards. "But seriously, I'm sorry for bothering you with such silly things..." he added, wiping away a few tears that still adorned his cheeks, glittering like pearls in the bright sunlight.
Tidus frowned and grabbed Sora's chin, tilting the head up so he could look into Sora's eyes. Even though the other couldn't see him, Sora would still understand the weight in the gesture.
"Hey, you know it's fine, Sora! Don't talk like that, and whatever it is, it's definitely something." Tidus said and looked into hollow blue orbs, still filled with unshead tears.
Sora tried lightly to pry his chin away, but Tidus didn't let him.
"Well, it is nothing..." Sora said again and the pleading was clear in the smaller's voice when he said it. He desperately wanted Tidus to drop it.
The blond sighed soundlessly. He really wanted to know what had made Sora so sad, crying his heart out. Though, at the same time, he still respected Sora's privacy... So maybe it was better to let it go now and wait to see if Sora would tell him what it was by himself later...?
"Ok, if you say so." Tidus said and ruffled the other's hair, earning an offended huff. "So, where are you off to?" he then asked offhandedly after a while when they had just sat there in the warm sunshine for some time.
"Well... could you call my parents on my cellphone, please? I haven't been able to get the special made one yet, so I can't find their number in the phonebook..." Sora said and pulled out the phone, waiting for Tidus to take it as he could't find the blond's hand.
"Sure. I'll tell the others you went home... You gonna be ok?" Tidus asked and pulled him and Sora up, brushing some dirt off of them both.
"Yeah..." Sora answered, sounding anything but sure, making Tidus feeling reluctant to make the call.
Poking at his dinner lazily, Sora sighed where he lay slumped over the dinner table, wondering how long his mother would keep asking him what had happened in school. It was not making anything better and all he wanted was to go up to his room and lay there, but his mother promptly wanted him to stay at the dinner table until he had told her what had happened.
"Sora, why can't you tell us what happened? We want to help..." she said again while she gazed at him from her usual spot at the table across from him.
Groaning, the boy ran a hand over his face. He knew she only did it because she loved him, but seriously, it was extremely annoying. All the weeks since the accident she acted as if he was powerless to take care of himself even the slightest. That was a big difference from before...
"It's nothing mum, really... Can I go now?" he asked and stood up before even getting an answer.
"You're staying here until you tell me what's up." she answered firmly, rising from her own chair with him.
Sora growled lowly while deeply wishing he could have given his mother a piercing glare.
"... watch me..." he said angrily while turning and walking slowly towards the stairs in the hall leading to his room on the second floor.
"I'm not-!" Mariko started, but was silenced by a soft but firm hand covering her mouth. She glared at her husband fiercely.
"I know you're worried, so am I, but you can't suffocate him Mariko. He needs his space, just like before. You need to trust him - that he would come to us if he wanted or needed our help. Like he did when he called us today..." Kazumo said and lowered his hand when Sora's door was slammed shut from upstairs.
Mariko stared at her husband for a while before walking over to the counter and picking up a picture of a baby Sora. Her frustration was very clear in her bright green eyes.
"But I just want to help him because I care. He can't have it easy...I just want him to feel we're here for him." she answered and stiffled a sob, tracing her fingers over the smiling boy on the photograph.
"I know dear, but still... nothing can be exactly like it was before. We just have to trust Sora can handle it and help him find new ways of dealing with things and treat him like we always have." Kazumo continued and put away the dishes.
"But it's so hard... I just want to see that smile on his face again, to feel his warm spirit that left him that godforsaken day!" she cried lightly and ran a hand through her long, light blonde hair. "I want my Sora back..." she sobbed and buried her face in her hands, letting the picture fall to the floor and break, shattering to pieces.
"I understand that... I want that too, but we can't expect Sora to be like that. Things have changed, but no matter what, he's still Sora. We can't forget that. He's not dead... he just lost his sight." her husband answered softly, begging her to understand.
Mariko looked up at him with teary eyes.
"Like he is now, I feel like he's dead already! When I think I can see glimpses of my old son, they disappear in the blink of an eye, leaving a broken boy in it's place. It just feels so hopeless... I can't take it much longer. I want to do so much for him, but I can't do a thing!" she cried while Kazumo hugged her tightly.
He sighed. This was definitely not easy... But he was happy as long as all of them made it out of this in one piece, as a whole family...
"I'm leaving tomorrow for the buisness travel and I probably won't be back for two months. You think you can handle things yourself?" he asked, stroking her back lightly.
"... I have too. Just hurry back, ok?" she said and sighed tiredly, leaning her cheek on his firm chest.
He nodded and kissed her cheek tenderly.
As the conversation in the kitchen came to an end, none of them noticed the dark form standing in the doorway. Sora had returned to apologize to his mother but stood now frozen at the words voiced earlier. Instead, he silently retreated back upstairs while supressing quiet sobs, demonic shadows swallowing the small form as it broke down in the bedroom, feeling like he had nothing to hold on to and that he didn't belong anywhere anymore...
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Like?
I'm sorry Riku acted like a moron in this chapter, but it was needed and well... I thought it was pretty logical if you think about it!... And in KH2, Sora says that the guy in black who was rather rude must have been Riku, so he's not all that gentle and sweet XD Hope you can forgive me! Anyway, he will be much sweeter soon enough and he will make it up to Sora, promise! And I realize Tidus had a lot to do in this chapter, but I kinda like him here. This is really how I see Tidus and I hope you didn't mind him too much! Also, I promise the fic will get more interesting the more you get to know the characters! ;)
Darkness Demon Rose chapter two soon out!