Your Guardian Angel
Two – Shot
{Part One}
"Daddy! Please tell me the story!" Little Kairi Clayworth exclaimed happily, while pressing her small hands together in a sweet attempt to get her father telling the story she wanted to hear.
Her short, auburn hair had a reddish glow in it and her dark blue eyes sparkled with excitement.
Her small, pale face glowed with the same excitement and her full, rosy lips were formed into a cute pout. "Please? Please, please, please?"
Her father gently put her down on his lap again. His red spikes hung slightly in his eyes while he picked the small girl up and his green eyes sparked with tenderness.
"Which story do you want to hear?" He asked her, already knowing the answer. She had asked for it a million times before.
The girl snuggled up against him. "About them!" She gestured toward the ceiling.
Axel Clayworth chuckled. The story about guardian angels fascinated his little daughter, however he missed the point where it became so interesting for his daughter.
He didn't mind telling the story again, though.
"You see, Kairi," He smiled when his daughter looked up at him, with big eyes, filled with fascination. "When a bad person in this world dies, he can make up for his mistakes in another life…"
_
"That's all you've got?" Roxas Scott yelled at the man in front of him. "Is this how you're going to end this? Running away like a coward?"
His arm was bleeding, but it wasn't a serious injury, he told himself. He had to fix it up later, after killing this guy.
The man in front of him, Riku Harrison, looked at him, his aquamarine eyes shimmering when he shifted his feet, definitely trying to escape or to make the last step toward the man he hated.
Yes, hated.
Riku had never liked the blond. The blond with the frozen blue eyes, the slightly spiky blond hair and the pale face.
Frozen, like his heart.
Roxas Scott was bad news, everyone knew. Only the girls seemed oblivious for it.
And for Riku, he became worse when he stole his girlfriend, Xion Lewis. Since then, Riku hated Roxas.
But Riku had never intended on nearly stabbing the guy dead with the sword he carried with him on training.
He missed, luckily, but now Roxas was pissed off and nearly asked him to finish him off.
But he couldn't. Riku wasn't a bad person. He was actually startled he had hurt this guy so badly.
Riku hovered over his victim. "I-I'm sorry… did I hurt you?"
Dumb question. Of course it hurt. The blood was spilling from his arm, but the frozen eyes seemed to flame up. "No"
And stubbornly, the boy stood up and flashed angrily at Riku.
"Well, you're doing something?"
Riku stepped back. "I-I didn't mean to-"
But the boy reached in his pocket, took out his gun and pointed it at the now terrified Riku.
Where the heck did he get that gun? Riku thought in his panicked state.
He closed his eyes, knowing his end would be near.
But the shot never came.
He quickly opened one eye, to see Roxas had clutched his arm in pain and he hissed through his teeth. "You bastard!" He managed to growl.
But something inside Riku had snapped, broken in two, because of the fear. The adrenaline flowing through his veins made him pick up the gun Roxas had dropped and now it was him, pointing the gun at Roxas.
When the frozen rivers looked up, the last thing they saw was the angry, aquamarine shimmering under furrowed silver eyebrows.
"So… when a naughty boy or girl dies… they are angels immediately?" Kairi asked eagerly, her thumb in her mouth, patiently waiting for the answer she heard more than a thousand times before.
"No, baby, not at all… they have to know what they did wrong… they have to feel regret… if they can't, they will go to hell" Axel said wisely, sticking his index - finger up in the air.
Roxas woke up with a bright light blinding his eyes. "Where am I?" He whispered when he looked around. It looked like a prison, but the only difference was that it was all so… white … here.
"Where am I?" He growled into the white, before remembering he wasn't here before he lost consciousness. He quickly checked his arm, but there wasn't even a scar there. He then remembered being shot by Riku Harrison. Suddendly he realized he was dead.
It hit him like a bus on full speed.
He grabbed his chest, hoping for his heartbeat under his trembling fingers, but there was nothing there. Only the fall and rise of his breathing, which quickened every second.
"No…" He murmured, looking around, still with his hand on his chest. "No!" He said, louder now. "No! No! No!"
He banged his fists against the wall and gave a roar of desperation. "No!"
"Now, now… this is no way for a guy like you to behave" A calm voice interrupted him in his self-pity.
Roxas turned and saw a boy with bright, blue eyes and brown, spiky hair and a tanned skin.
"What do you want from me? Let me go!" Roxas shouted at the boy.
The boy chuckled. "Forgot your manners? At least I did remember them when I was in your place" He grinned at Roxas, who was getting angrier every second.
The boy removed one of his hands from the pockets of his jeans and extended it. "Sora Parker"
Roxas stared at his hand before some kind of instinct made him reach forward to grab the hand of the boy in front of him. "Roxas Scott" He grumbled while letting go.
Sora suddendly sighed of relief and patted Roxas on his back. "Dude, I think you just saved a part of your after-life!"
Roxas lifted a brow. "What the heck are you talking about?"
Sora looked at him. "Listen now, Scott, if you want to be able to live again, or at least, kind of live again, then everything counts. Every mistake can make you burn in hell forever. It's your choice"
Roxas frowned. It sounded serious enough to listen. Maybe he could get out of this, and then, he would shoot Riku and happily live his life again.
But for now, he had to fool this Sora, whoever he was.
_
"Daddy?" Kairi interrupted. "How do the older angels know the regret is real?"
Axel chuckles. "They're pretty smart, and they know how it was like to stand there as well… they know things nobody can imagine…"
_
"Roxas, if you want to save your future, feel regret" Sora said calmly before sitting on the ground and looking up the boy standing in front of him.
Roxas' blue eyes widened. "I beg your pardon?" He managed to splutter out.
"Come on, Roxas, feel it. Feel the pain you did to others… think about what you did? By killing people, you destroyed happy families, you broke relations and killed their futures… can you feel the pain?"
Roxas felt a little sting in his chest. He never thought about killing. He just pulled the trigger and watched his victim die before his eyes.
"Take the responsibility for your deeds, Roxas… feel the pain of the broken hearts you caused… "
Another sting through his chest. Roxas lowered his hand and stared at his feet.
"Feel the pain of the little kids, waiting for their parents to return… which never happened… because..." Sora began, still with the same calm voice.
"Because I killed them…" Roxas murmured under his breath.
It stung. Repeatedly. Roxas brought his hand up to his chest again and tried to rub it away.
Sora nodded. "Yes… because you killed them…"
Roxas closed his eyes and shuddered. He felt regret. Not much, but for someone as heartless as he was before he died, it was a gigantic progress.
"Well, you made it buddy…" Sora said suddendly, after a silence. "You're not perfect, but you're on the correct way"
Roxas shuddered again. "So… I'm going to hell now?" He said gloomily. He started to realize there wasn't a way back. Riku was going to live and he was dead. Because his arm had hurt so badly he had let the gun drop. And Riku shot him. Well, at least Riku was going to hell too.
Sora folded his arms. "No"
Roxas looked up and stared at the boy in disbelief. "All those people I killed? All I've done wasn't much good, right? They always say the bad ones are going to hell, ain't that true?"
Sora grinned. "Usually, that's true, indeed, Mr. Scott, but there's a way in making up your mistakes if you feel enough regret…"
Roxas looked back at his feet. "Well… what's that way?"
"Ever heard of guardian angels?"
_
"And everyone has a guardian angel?" Kairi asked, her eyes shimmering with innocence.
Axel placed his index-finger on the tip of her nose. "Yup! Everyone has one… but some are very talented and do an excellent job, and some are real worse in protecting…"
Little Kairi nodded in understanding. "And the person he protects dies…"
Axel laughed. "You know the whole story already… is there anything you don't know?"
Kairi's eyebrows knitted together in a thoughtful frown. She knew she had to go to bed if she didn't come up with a question now. "Err… Daddy… who is my guardian angel?"
Axel hugged his daughter tighter. "I don't know… but he's doing a good job, ain't he?"
So soft Kairi couldn't hear, Axel muttered darkly: "And if he didn't, I would be waiting at the gates of hell, ready to beat the shit outta him"
_
Kairi, now a teenager, laid on her back on her bed, flipping through the pages of her favorite book.
She was still fascinated by the idea there was an angel, only one, watching over her, just as billions others watched out for others. But she didn't ask for the story again. Especially not from her dad.
Her mother, Naminé Clayworth, came in after knocking on the door. "Kairi?"
"I'm here" Kairi mumbled, still looking for the quote she was looking for.
"Dad's gonna be late at home tonight…" Her mother said, while sitting down, carefully not to crush the amounts of papers which were spread around over the bed.
"Oh…"
Naminé frowned at the lack of attention of her daughter. "Shouldn't you tidy up this weekend?"
Kairi didn't reply, but kept flipping through the pages.
"Kairi… listen… I know you're upset about your father… but-"
Kairi suddendly sat up, looking at her mother. "I'm. Definitely not. Upset. About. Dad" She said curtly.
Her mother reached out for her only daughter and stroke her cheek. "You are" Naminé stated gently.
"And I understand why… I mean, he should never have went off with that woman, but-"
"But what mom? He knew perfectly well what he was doing!" Kairi grumbled while picking her book up once again.
"But he's still your father… and he still loves you"
"He loves you just as much… so why did he ran off with that-"
"Kairi!"
"Fine! But why?"
Naminé shrugged. "He had regret, Kairi… he cried at night…"
Regret…
Kairi frowned when she remembered the story again. Her father said regret was the first step to improve your life, making it better.
If her father was so sorry about running off with another woman for a week… maybe things could go back to normal?
But Kairi didn't say anything, she just read the lines of the page she was looking for… or pretending she was reading and she heard her mother leave with a sigh.
When the door silently closed, Kairi closed her book and stood up, walked over to her window and looked outside.
"So… if there's a guardian angel out there… why didn't he stop dad cheating on mom?" She whispered, and for the first time ever, she doubted the story was true.
After years and years of practice, Roxas was ready to fulfill his job; Making up his mistakes by taking care of a human. This time for a long time.
"Aren't you excited?" Sora asked with a smile in his voice. "I mean, it must be cooler than hanging around here, practicing and practicing and doing nothing but watching over them!"
Roxas sighed. "Well… what's so exciting about replacing some old idiot and making sure a car doesn't run the damned human over?" He grumbled while kicking a small stone.
Sora rolled with his eyes. "Really, sometimes, I wonder how the heck you made it to heaven…"
Roxas raised his brow. "Excuse me? You were the one who sent me here!"
Sora sighed. "Okay… I've gotta admit I kind of lost my mind back there, yes"
Roxas laughed. "Sure! I always wondered what missed in that pretty face of yours"
Sora grimaced and Roxas saluted. "Anyway, gotta go! Catch you later, Parker!"
Sora looked at Roxas, who walked away. "Good luck… Roxas…"
_
Axel stared at the sleeping form of his daughter. She didn't deserve this mess he put her into. He once said he would beat up the guy who would mess up her life, and now it appeared to be him, her own father.
He felt the regret, burning in his heart, aching in his chest and spreading through his body, felt the regret twist in his stomach before he walked over to the bed of his daughter, watching her breathe in and breathe out.
Her eyes were red and puffy… she had cried.
He gently stroke her hair and tucked her in. "Good night… Kairi"
Roxas looked around the street. He was finally back on earth again, but he didn't really want to be here. He wanted to be up there, thinking about how he would plan the rest of his eternity.
And now he was stuck here, taking care of some human again. He had practiced with other girls, but this would be his task… as long as the human lived…
But Roxas had forget about how it was like to be a human.
He didn't even remember how it was like to have a heart, beating to keep you alive.
Roxas thought it was a weakness, having a beating heart. It could so easily stop its duty… it could so easily be stopped…
Roxas ran a hand through his messy hair and walked over to the house the human he had to protect lived in.
Nobody could see him, except for the one he had to protect.
He walked in, took the stairs and walked randomly in a room.
A woman with blonde hair and a pale face was sleeping, while a man with red, spiky hair sat straight up in bed, his head resting in his hands. "What have I done…" He whispered. "What did I do to them… "
Roxas felt his own regret flame up when he heard the whispers. It made his throat dry up and his chest ache and sting. The tiny stings he had felt when he first met Sora had grown worse.
He quickly walked out and took the next door. This was the right one.
The girl in the bed looked a lot like her mother, but her hair had the reddish glow of her father.
Roxas took a quick glance at her and hated it that he had to admit she was pretty.
Hell, he had seen so many pretty faces before in his life and in his eternity. A girl he once had, Xion, wasn't bad and all those others he had been dating with weren't ugly either.
But even though the girl had cried, obviously, she was still pretty. Most of the girls look pretty bad when they cried…
But Roxas didn't pay any attention to her anymore. He took a seat on her chair and simply waited for her to awake, to introduce himself and to watch over her. Maybe, when she died… he could have peace, with his regret gone and his heart beating again.
Sora's heart was beating again. It was just not fair. Just because he had protected a girl her whole life.
When she died, at the age of ninety, Sora's heart started to beat again, lived because he had learned to love, not to destroy. But suddendly the girl made a soft noise and his eyes flashed back to her.
"Dad…" The girl murmured, her eyebrows knitted together in worry. "Don't go! Don't leave us alone!"
Ah… the man he saw just a few moments ago must have done something wrong… which hurt his wife and child.
Roxas blew a strand of his hair out of his face. He doubted that it would be as worse as his deeds. Definitely not.
The girl didn't speak again.
But somehow, Roxas couldn't get bored. He stared at the girl, wondering why she lived and he not. Why he had to protect her and she had to be the living one.
But maybe… maybe this was how it was meant to be.
Kairi woke up, feeling tired and sad. She wasn't angry anymore, only sad. Maybe she could try to forgive her father. If he was truly sorry, maybe she could just try… hoping it would be enough…
She sat up, rubbed at her forehead and looked at the sun, which sent its warming light over her face. She closed her eyes for a second and enjoyed the small amount of warmth on her face. Maybe she could go to the beach today. The sea was too cold for swimming, but just laying on the beach would be great. Maybe she wouldn't be that pale anymore… everyone kept asking if she felt all right…
She opened her eyes and met a pair of blue ones.
She resisted the urge to scream, only because the boy had obviously been here all night, and if he wanted to harm her, he would've done it earlier, right? She kept her mouth shut and looked at the boy. The boy, who was about sixteen years old, had messy, blond hair and his pale face stood gloomy and his features were a bit darkened by worry and remorse, but behind the frozen rivers, in the depths lay a small spark, which was obviously never let out before.
"Hey" The boy said simply, while staring at her.
She blinked twice, and, not able to be unfriendly, she greeted him. "Hi"
The boy suddendly smiled. "You know, usually girls are screaming and yelling for help. I guess you're the first who remains calm"
Kairi frowned. He didn't hurt her… but he still didn't have a reason to be in her room. "Who are you?"
The boy sighed and studied the floor. "But in the end, it always ends with that question" He said, although it seemed like he was talking to himself.
He looked up. "I'm Roxas Scott"
Without thinking about it, she just replied him again. "Kairi Clayworth"
The boy grunted. "Can't you be a bit more rude? It's not so easy being around someone who's first of all alive, and secondly nicer than I've ever been in my whole life, while I could be the ordinary rapist you know from the streets"
He stared at her, waiting for her to say something.
"Why being rude if you stayed here all night and didn't harm me?" Kairi whispered, now slowly getting up and still trying to figure out who the hell Roxas Scott was and what he did here in her room. And why he talked in riddles. She didn't get a thing of everything he said, except for his name.
Roxas suddendly became interested. His eyes slid over her face and he seemed to memorize every inch of it. When he returned to her eyes, the frozen part seemed to have melted a bit.
"Nice to meet you" He said finally.
"Pleasure" Kairi responded immediately. "But what exactly are you doing in my room?"
Roxas suddendly laughed. "Finally a normal response! I was already scared you were going to ask me to stay for dinner!"
Then he grinned at her. "You won't need to ask, though, I'm already staying"
Kairi was startled. "What? Why?"
"Because I'm your guardian angel" He said slowly. "Replacing the old one you had… I thought it was nice to introduce myself at last"
Kairi's eyes widened and she nearly fainted from shock.
So her father's story was right… after all…
_
Roxas looked once more at the girl he had to protect. He had a long way to go, because the girl was young and healthy… however her skin was pretty pale. Even paler than his own skin.
Maybe he could get her outside, trying to get her more tanned.
She seemed a bit startled, but not really… surprised.
"Guess you've heard something about it earlier" He said, wondering where she could have heard it before. All the girls and boys he had to protect for a week or a month or a year never heard of it.
Even some angels had never heard about it before they became them.
How could this meaningless girl know?
She slowly nodded, while she pulled the blanket to her chin, almost if she was hiding from him. "I do" She said with a clear, steady voice.
He couldn't help but being curious. He had, when he was a human, never heard of any guardian angel.
But before he could ask where she had heard it, she was quicker and asked him first.
"Then how did you die?" Her voice was dimmed to a whisper and her eyes were wide and deep. A big, blue pool of fascination and pity.
She knew.
"Does it matter?" He said nonchalantly. "The point is that I'm not going to let you die"
"Then why did your guardian angel let you die?" Kairi went on, her voice softened more.
Roxas frowned. He never met his guardian angel, so he couldn't ask.
Maybe his guardian angel wanted to let his heart beat again and live further in heaven without the heavy task of being responsible for a human.
But maybe his guardian angel knew Roxas wasn't going to change. If he didn't die, he would've killed so many people his chance to get into heaven was lost forever.
"There could've been so many reasons why my guardian angel let me die" Roxas said, while folding his arms. He rested his chin on his arms, but never kept his eyes off the girl.
There was a soft knock on the door and Kairi shot up, startled. "You awake?" A man's voice called for her. Kairi answered with a clear voice. "Yeah"
The door opened, but Roxas wasn't scared to be seen. He knew they couldn't see him.
Apparently Kairi thought he would disappear into thin air, because she just answered him without telling Roxas to hide.
The father he saw before came in, remorse clear on his face. "Kairi?" He asked gently, avoiding his daughter's eyes.
Kairi quickly shot a glance toward Roxas. He hadn't disappeared into thin air. He calmly looked back.
"He can't see me, nor hear me" Roxas said casually. "He doesn't know I'm here"
Kairi's eyes shot back to her father and studied him.
"Dad?"
Her father took a deep breath and coughed once. "I wanted to tell you I'm sorry"
Kairi turned away, averted her gaze to the window and didn't speak.
Roxas looked at the father. His green eyes were flat and empty, but when his daughter looked away, they were sad.
"Kairi… I really am. I never wanted to do hurt you or your mother like this…" He began on a pleading tone.
Roxas looked back at Kairi, wondering if Kairi could see what he saw. If Kairi knew how much it hurt to regret something.
Kairi's eyes suddendly shot up to Roxas'.
What did she want him to say?
Roxas frowned in confusion. Humans were usually so easy… the only thing they wanted was glory, money, sex and a whole group of friends. Then why did he wanted to know what she meant with that look? She was just a dull human, nothing more and nothing less.
"Then why did you do it?" Kairi said, folding her arms and looking down.
"She made me feel… younger…" The man said bitterly. "But it didn't take me long to find out I didn't want to be younger if that meant I would have to leave you and Naminé…"
Maybe Kairi had a sister called Naminé. Roxas leaned backwards and stretched his spine. Maybe he could catch up with Sora once he had a human too.
Sora was different. Sora hadn't been real bad… he had cheated on his girlfriend once, but immediately shot himself because he couldn't handle the regret. Sora didn't have much to make up for.
But Roxas had.
All the people he had killed, all the hearts he broke. He had to make up for them all.
By protecting this girl.
Kairi suddendly sighed. "Dad… how much do you regret it?"
"More than I can show you…" The man said, with a soft tone. His voice broke at the end.
Kairi looked up at her father and ran a hand through her messy hair. "In that case…"
Suddendly hope bloomed up in the empty eyes of her father. A spark in the pools of regret and remorse.
"I'm not saying I forgave you… but I'm willing to try…" Kairi said. Much softer, barely a whisper, she added: "I'm going to try hard"
Her father heard and he bowed his head. "I wished I could show you how… how grateful I am, Kairi… I-"
He didn't know what to say anymore and Kairi had turned to the window again.
He sighed and turned to the door. "I love you, Kairi"
Before he closed the door behind him, Kairi turned. "I love you too, dad"
The worn face of the man disappeared when he smiled for a second and suddendly he was ten years younger. He walked out and closed the door.
Kairi let herself fall down on her bed and sighed. "I'm sorry you had to see that"
"You know, that was actually pretty nice of you" Roxas stated. "I wasn't sure you were going to forgive him"
Kairi frowned and closed her eyes. "I didn't forgive him yet"
Roxas snorted. "Well, knowing you, you're definitely going to, and I bet you'll forgive him within a couple of weeks" He challenged her to scold at him. But she didn't respond the way he wanted her to.
Kairi opened her eyes and sat up. "Enough about me" She said abruptly, but the kindness in her voice was still there. Her eyes were narrow. This subject was still an open wound, but she didn't turn angry, like he had hoped for.
Roxas wanted to find a way to express his frustration. Why did he have to protect someone who was obviously… good? This girl would go straight to heaven, wouldn't even have to turn into a guardian angel to make up for whatever she had done.
He wanted to see someone making the same mistakes as him, so he wouldn't be the only one. "We were talking about you" Kairi went on, staring at him like she had done before.
Roxas raised his brow while returning her gaze. "There's nothing much to talk about, you know" He said, the calmness fading a bit.
What would Sora say? Probably something along the lines of: "It's nothing special. All you have to know is that I'll be around you and protecting you"
But he couldn't. Somehow, he found himself wanting to tell her, wanting to hand some of the regret over to her, wanting her to comfort him.
He quickly shove that thought aside and thought of another way to get himself out of this.
"Aren't you supposed to live your life instead of talking about mine? Mine is over, while you have a full one to live" Roxas said, aware he sounded bitterly. He was still annoyed about the fact he was dead and she was alive.
Kairi backed away from him and her eyes were... sad.
"I'm sorry" She murmured while averting her eyes to the floor. "I didn't want to hurt you"
Roxas wanted to kick himself and drown himself into the sea. Why couldn't she get mad with him, so he could yell at her, trying to get his feelings out of his body instead of keeping them inside.
But somehow, he was scared he hurt her. That didn't make sense at all! She was just someone he had to watch over, trying to prevent her getting run over by a drunken driver.
He gestured to the window. "Why don't you go outside with some friends? That's what all you humans do, right?"
She walked over to her closet. "Not everyone" She said, trying to sound casual, but her voice trembled a bit.
"Then what do you do?" He asked, trying to sound a bit more polite than before.
She heard the change in his voice and turned. "I was planning to go to the beach, but not with my friend" Her eyes roamed over his face and then her eyes narrowed.
"Oh" He said, while looking to the window. He used to have a lot of friends… but not even one of them could save his life when he needed them.
But Riku, why was Riku the one who killed him and got him into this?
His nonchalant look fell and he knew he was looking rather deviously than angelic now, but he didn't care. He didn't want to be here, taking care of some girl and that girl was allowed to know that.
"Roxas?"
She said his name like she was testing it, tasting the sound of it on her lips.
He returned his gaze to her, noticing she had changed her nightgown to jeans and a simple top. You couldn't see she was going to the beach. He narrowed his eyes. Was she going to the beach or was she lying?
"Yeah?"
She rubbed over her arm and looked down, clearly feeling uneasy. "I don't know what you are going to do, but-"
He stretched himself again and cut her off. "Don't worry, I can take care of myself"
"You sure?" She asked, concern clear in her bright blue eyes.
He didn't answer, but looked away, to the window again. He didn't want to see the concern in her eyes.
She waited a couple of minutes before moving. "I'll see you around then" She said before gently closing the door behind her.
He closed his eyes and heard her light footsteps at the front door.
Suddendly, as if it was a pull of a magnet, he shot out of the chair and ran after her. He didn't think about why he was doing it, nor why he wanted to follow her, but somehow, he just had to follow her.
Like she was the magnet and he was the iron.
_
Kairi walked through the street to her best friend's house instead of going to the beach. She changed her mind a bit. She was going to the beach with her best friend instead of going alone. Her hands were stuck in her pocket and she wore a deep frown on her face. She was worried. About her mother, if she was able to forgive her father. About her father, if he learned from his mistake and never would do it again. About her best friend, if she was doing fine. About her… guardian angel. He seemed a bit off somewhere.
Every angel had been a human before. And guardian angels weren't the nicest of people before they swapped their life for the angelic form.
But he was nice enough to her, at least.
She wanted to know what happened to him, but she wasn't planning on discussing it with him now. There was lots of time to talk with him, right?
She rang the bell when she arrived at her friend's house. She sighed and took a few steps back.
"Kairi!" Her friend Taylor Thomas exclaimed when she opened the door. Her long, light brown nearly reached her waist and her brown eyes were shimmering with excitement. "What are you doing here?"
Kairi gestured to the bright sky above them. "Look at the weather! I was heading for the beach, and wondered if you want to-"
Taylor, however, didn't give her a chance to finish her sentence, she already jumped inside and ran upstairs, while yelling to her. "Just gimme a second!"
Kairi chuckled while leaning against the doorway. "I'm counting!" She shouted at Taylor.
Taylor returned with a bag with two towels and some soda. "Here I am!" She exclaimed and locked the front door. "Oh, and by the way, I'm coming with you" She added with a huge grin.
Kairi smirked and rolled her eyes. "No way! You're coming along? I wouldn't have guessed that!"
Taylor laughed and whacked her shoulder. "Let's get moving, Ms. Sarcastic!"
They walked together on the sideway and Taylor told Kairi about the date she had with her crush Tom Wright. She was in love with him since the ninth year of the secondary school and they finally went out for the first time.
"Well, it was pretty awesome! We went out to the cinema and however the movie sucked, we talked and laughed together all the time!"
Kairi smiled. "Hey, I'm really happy for you!"
The happiness seemed to radiate off her friend like a lamp. "I'm feeling like I'm floating in the sky, somewhere far beyond this earth" She said dreamily.
Kairi chuckled and whacked her arm. "Earth to Taylor!" She joked. "We're going to the beach, so I'm not trying to jump into the air to be with you, you know"
They laughed again and caught the first sight of the beach.
Taylor started running and Kairi knew she could never catch up with her now.
So she just smiled and calmly walked over to her, showing that there was no need to rush.
There never was, except from making homework.
_
Roxas followed Kairi through the streets by walking over the roofs. He didn't want her to see him, and to avoid any chance of her seeing him, he decided to take the roof instead of the sideway.
Her hands were stuck in her pockets and she frowned, which resulted in a darkening of her eyes. Her auburn hair fell slightly in her face, but it didn't seem to bother her.
He had no idea where she was heading, but the magnetic pull was still driving him toward her, so he didn't have much a choice than to follow her.
She walked to a house and rang the bell. Roxas' eyes narrowed. So she had been lying to him…
Somehow he didn't like the thought, however he lied most of the time when he was alive.
He sighed and sat down, watching the girl beneath him.
Some girl opened the door and he was sure the next three streets could hear her too.
"Kairi! What are you doing here?" The girl exclaimed happily.
Roxas had no idea what led Kairi here. He stared at the clouds, hoping Sora could see him and keep him company. Sora didn't answer, of course. He was surely busy enough there. He'd better keep an eye on his girl.
He leaned forward to get a better look of the situation beneath him.
Kairi gestured vaguely to the sky. "Look at the weather! I was heading for the beach, and wondered if you want to-"
So she didn't lie? He could've expected it. But the most surprising thing was that she had actually listened to him.
He was maybe her guardian angel, but all those others he protected never listened to him. He was just a stranger after all, telling them he was sent to watch over them.
If that would happen to him when he was alive, he would've laughed and ignored him or her. But well… she was completely different than him.
Her friend disappeared into the house and yelled: "Just gimme a second"
Kairi chuckled and leaned against the doorway, a fond smile playing on her lips. "I'm counting!" She shouted inside the house.
It didn't take long before her friend returned with a bag. "Here I am!" She exclaimed while locking the front door. "Oh, and by the way, I'm coming with you" She added in one breath.
Kairi rolled with her eyes and smiled. "No way! You're coming along? I wouldn't have guessed that!"
She earned a laugh from her friend and a whack against her shoulder, which resulted an unexpected low snarl inside Roxas' chest. He was about to drop himself to the ground and let the damned, nameless girl pay for that whack, but Kairi shrugged it off and smiled back at the girl.
"Let's get moving, Ms. Sarcastic!" The girl continued happily and Kairi followed her to the street.
This wasn't a serious danger, but yet, he was all fed up already. Kairi was so fragile… that girl could easily have broken a few bones in his girl's fragile body…
Roxas sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, controlling the anger in his chest. He had no reason to be angry. There wasn't a reason to be angry. It was a playful act. The girl never meant to hurt Kairi.
They walked together while he followed them, silently, but fast. The girl told Kairi about some date she had, but Roxas didn't pay attention. His eyes only followed Kairi, the magnetic pull was jerking him forward again.
He remembered vaguely dating a girl named Xion. Nothing special… it was mostly to thwart Riku.
Kairi listened with a kind, interested look on her face and she smiled when the girl finished her story.
"Hey, I'm really happy for you!"
Of course. He didn't really know Kairi, but even he could tell she put others above herself.
The girl said something again and Kairi chuckled and whacked the arm of her friend. "Earth to Taylor!" She said, giving him the name of her friend. "We're going to the beach, so I'm not trying to jump into the air to be with you, you know"
They laughed together, but Roxas frowned. He was quite sure Kairi would jump into the air to be with Taylor if that would be her only chance to see her friend.
The beach appeared in sight and the girl, Taylor, started running. Kairi, however, just walked over to here. Calmness and trust were radiating off her, nearly making him jerk out his hair of frustration.
"Damn it! Who thinks he's the funny guy at home to give me the responsibility of the only living angel on earth!" He growled while still following the two girls. He took a deep breath and jumped off the roof to mend with the shadows. Taylor would never see him if he didn't want to, but Kairi could see him and hear him, so that's why he had to keep on distance.
Roxas closed his eyes, frowning, trying to remember the times when he went to the beach.
Usually, he was part of the gang, Organization XIII, and he would kiss five or six girls, flirt with the rest of them and threaten some boys.
But, of course, Kairi and Taylor wouldn't be doing stuff like that.
Normally, girls would swim, or gossip together while studying every boy walking around, giggling and laughing.
And, of course, Kairi knew how to surprise him.
The girls sat down on towels and looked at the sea. The beach was crowded, however not many people went swimming. Naturally, nobody could see him, and through the loudness of all the other visitors, Kairi couldn't hear him.
The girls sat in silence, simply enjoying the sun and the view.
Roxas felt another magnetic pull toward Kairi, stronger than before and he sat down behind the girls. Just so far that Kairi wouldn't notice him, but close enough to keep an eye on her.
Kairi was so different from him that it seemed impossible to him that they put him as her protector.
And at the same time, he wondered if they did it to teach him the stuff he missed in his life.
_
After walking Taylor home, Kairi made her way to home. She was always happy after seeing Taylor.
Her worries about her dad, mom and Roxas were vanished a bit. She felt happy and content and was really glad she listened to Roxas.
She opened the front door and walked into the living room. "I'm home!" She said, while looking around the corner of the living room.
Her mother looked up from her book. "Hello love. Had a nice day?"
She simply nodded. "It was great! I went with Taylor to the beach"
Naminé smiled, clearly satisfied her daughter wasn't isolating herself because of her father's deeds.
"That's great!"
Kairi just smiled back at her mother and went upstairs.
Just as she expected, Roxas sat on her chair, his chin resting upon his folded arms which laid on the chair. She had no idea he had returned home just a few seconds after her.
"Hey!" She said cheerful, trying to be friendly for her guardian.
The boy looked up and stared penetrating in her eyes. "Hi"
She sat down on her bed. "Enjoyed yourself?" She asked, trying to bring up a conversation.
Roxas suddendly chuckled. "It was okay"
They stared in each other's eyes, trying to estimate each other.
"How long is it since you've been on earth?" Kairi finally asked, curious.
To her surprise, he didn't back off like he did in the morning, but he just looked at her.
"Something about… ten years?" Roxas frowned and seemed to be in deep thoughts before he looked up with a smile.
"Ten years, four months, three days ago and eight hours to be exactly"
Kairi hesitated but smiled back at him, to encourage him in the hope he kept telling things.
"How old are you?"
"Sixteen" Came his reply immediately.
She cocked her head to the left. "You were six when you died?"
Roxas shook his head, blond strands wiping over his forehead. "You're not getting older when you died. I was sixteen when I died and I'll be sixteen forever"
He still smiled at her, and she hoped he was getting used to be here again.
"So, what did you do when I was off? What did you miss the most when you were…"
She frowned and tried to look in her vocabulary to look for the correct word.
"Above" Roxas helpfully finished her sentence.
"Yeah" Kairi quickly said.
Roxas' eyes roamed over her face before shrugging. "I don't know… when I was up there, all I wanted was to go back to earth and now I'm here… all I want to is go back"
"I'm sorry" She quickly said, afraid she hurt him somehow.
His smile came back. "You know, I'm getting used to the fact you're so pure"
Her eyes widened at his comment and she blushed. "Thanks… I guess"
Roxas chuckled. "The fact I wasn't that good makes it a whole lot harder" He said, staring searchingly in her eyes.
"What do you mean?" She managed to splutter, not wanting to believe he did something extremely bad in his life. It couldn't be that worse...
The smile didn't fall, but his eyes cooled down a bit. "I don't think it's time to talk about that yet" He said calmly.
"So, you're going to tell?" She said, slightly leaning forward to him without noticing. He grimaced at her and she quickly added: "Once?"
"Once" He answered, the smile back on his face again.
It had been two years ago since Roxas became Kairi's guardian angel.
Sora was assigned to Taylor, but both girls had no idea about their best friend having a guardian angel as well.
"So, how are things?" Sora asked while folding his arms behind his head and laying flatly on his back.
They sat on the roof of Taylor's house, like they did every once in a month.
Roxas stared at the sky. "Couldn't be better" He said warmly.
Kairi was easy to protect and absolutely easy to like. Maybe a bit too easy to like, though.
"You know, I think that Kairi has changed you" Sora stated casually, his blue eyes flashing to Roxas, who froze on the spot.
"Just as much as Taylor changed you" Roxas quickly answered, his eyes avoiding Sora's.
Sora chuckled. "Taylor and me are just friends… you know that"
Roxas frowned. This was coming too close to what was happening between Kairi and him lately. "Are you trying to say Kairi and me aren't friends?"
Sora shrugged. "Maybe. But be honestly, Rox, what do you want from her?"
Roxas stared unhappily at the sky again. "I want her to be alive" He murmured. "And I want her to be happy"
Sora chuckled. "See? You're not all gloomy anymore about the fact she lives and you don't"
Roxas shrugged as well. "She lives her life better than I lived mine"
Sora's gaze abruptly changed into a more serious one.
"You know what happens when you're falling in love with her, don't you?"
Roxas' eyes were totally desperate now. "I'm not falling for her!" His voice sounded pleading, however he tried to sound strongly and determined.
There fell a silence, where Sora looked critically at Roxas and Roxas twiddled with his thumbs, his frown deepened even more.
Roxas threw his hands up in the air in defeat. "Okay, maybe I'm falling a bit for her, fine! But nothing will happen until it grows serious!"
"Roxas… she won't get older when it grows serious! That's a lot what changes!"
Roxas' eyes darkened. "I know"
Sora suddendly turned. "You're holding it back, aren't you?"
Roxas gritted his teeth. "I'm trying"
Another silence fell between them until Roxas sighed.
He stared at his hands. "Sora, I'm really trying to keep a distance between us… but it's getting harder and harder…"
Sora sighed and patted his friend on his shoulder. Their time was up. "Lots of success," He started, looking at Roxas with pity. "And I'll see you next month"
"Yeah. Catch up with you later" Roxas murmured. Soon his friend was gone and he was alone.
He didn't want to go back yet, however he was aching to check on Kairi. He dropped his head in his hands.
He just needed to be alone for a while.
He never felt lonely before, but without Kairi's warmth wrapping around him like a blanket on cold winter days, it was like he was standing all alone forever, and for the first time ever, it bothered him.
Maybe because he knew that if he would go back, Kairi was waiting for him and that staying here meant there was the lonely silence.
Roxas let out a sigh and stood up before walking to Kairi's home.
Roxas was known as a heartless person, a person who never showed his feelings.
Two years later, Kairi had managed to melt the frozen heart of Roxas and let his feelings flow.
But now Roxas tried to tie them to his heart before he went to see Kairi. He knew that if he ever admitted he was falling for her, it would be harder to protect her and save his own after-life.
But he knew he couldn't look at her that way anymore. She wasn't just a way to reach the after-life he wanted anymore.
She was more, and it was stupid to deny it, because it was just the truth. He had to be with her for years and years and years and years. He had to lock his feelings up inside him to save Kairi's life.
And it became harder and harder the more time he spent with her.
_
Kairi laid on her stomach, her hand absently playing with a strand of her hair and her blue eyes were sliding across the pages of the book she was reading.
The small lamp beside her bed spread a soft light through the room and the blanket her mother once made for her laid nonchalantly over her feet.
She decided to read some of her favorite books while waiting for Roxas to return. Every once in a month he went to see someone, he said.
It was late… maybe too late. She looked up and stared anxiously at the window. He should've been back already…
She knew it was his task to watch over her, but somehow she couldn't stop worrying about her blond angel.
She sighed and put her book away. There was no sense in reading now, with the worries filling her mind.
Could an angel die for a second time? Could an angel be hurt? Could an angel feel at all?
Kairi frowned while resting her forehead on her book. Every time Roxas was around her, it seemed like he was just as human as her, maybe with a few exceptions, but usually, he seemed normal.
But Roxas knew more about life than she, the one who was living it.
Roxas knew more about people than she did, the one who was talking with them.
But somehow, she thought she knew more about feelings than he did.
She sighed and closed her eyes, waiting for familiar footsteps on her floor, for any sign he was home.
She slowly felt herself drift away, and the warm, heavy cloud in her head seemed to drown out any other thought.
Kairi let out one last sigh and fell asleep.
_
When Roxas let himself fall down of the roof and jumped through her window and landed with a soft 'thud', Kairi didn't move at all.
Roxas' eyes flashed immediately to Kairi and he felt a small smile grow on his face when he saw the girl, asleep.
He made his way over to her bed and sat down beside her, slowly removing the book she used as pillow and let her head rest on his hand. The warmth of her cheek warmed him up, as if he was sitting next to a fire.
"Hey" He whispered, knowing she wouldn't reply. He didn't care.
He slowly removed his hand and tucked her in before turning off the light and sitting in the chair next to her bed.
He missed her.
He had been away for three hours and he had missed her.
He wished he could sleep right now, and safely dream of her without any consequences.
_
The next morning, Kairi woke up. The blue eyes watching her didn't surprise or startle her anymore.
She was used to it… it would've been a shock if they weren't there.
"Good morning" Roxas said simply. Not cheerfully or gloomily. Just calmly.
Kairi rubbed her eyes and sat up. "How late is it?"
"Nine o'clock" He answered while gesturing to the clock above her head.
She wrapped the blanket around her and stared at him, reproachfully. "You were late yesterday"
His eyes roamed over her face, before he opened his mouth. "I-"
He shook his head and closed his mouth again. "I'm sorry" He said.
Kairi sighed. "You should've said it, so I wouldn't be worried" She said, while shaking the hair from her eyes.
"You were worried?" His voice sounded amused. She looked up and his eyes were twinkling.
When she thought about the moment they met, she was almost hundred percent sure his eyes were a whole lot colder than they were now… but maybe she imagined it. It was like his eyes were always like this: warm, gentle and twinkling.
"What's wrong with that?" She said defensively. She was worried about Taylor too, so it really shouldn't feel like confessing something, right?
He cocked his head to the side. "You missed me?"
The edges of his lips curled upward while waiting for her answer.
Kairi felt a blush warming her cheeks up until they were bright red. She averted her eyes to the floor and frowned. Did she miss him?
Always.
When he looked to the sky, obviously wishing he was there instead with her, while watching her living her boring life.
When he was gone every once in the month, leaving her alone.
When he said something what seemed like good-bye, even when she just went to Taylor.
When he wished her goodnight, and knowing she wouldn't see him until the morning.
She missed him.
"I missed you" She whispered finally, her cheeks still glowing a bright red and her eyes still focussed on the floor.
"I'm glad" He said when she lifted her eyes and met his. "Because I missed you too"
His eyes were warm and gently as always and she felt something inside her burst. Something she had been holding back for a while was now freely running through her veins.
"But you really shouldn't worry about me" He chuckled. "I am the one who's supposed to worry about you. And besides, I can take care of myself" His voice turned dark at that point.
He stood up and stretched himself, completely at ease.
Kairi got up as well and walked over to the door, so she could have breakfast and make some homework.
But when she walked past him, she wrapped her hands lightly around his waist and pressed her face in his chest for a second.
Then, she let him go and stepped back to walk over to the door, but Roxas took a hold of her wrist and turned her back into his arms.
"Just a moment…" He murmured while he buried his face in her neck.
She sighed with content and held him tightly to her.
Just forever.
_
Kairi was alone at home today. Her parents were off to see old friends and Kairi had to stay home.
Roxas sat beside her on the couch and he folded his arms behind his head while watching the journal.
Kairi wasn't really paying attention, and Roxas, he had to admit he wasn't really watching either.
"Roxas?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm just as old as you are now"
Roxas frowned and turned to her, his eyes narrow. "And what do you want to say with that?"
Kairi bit her lip and looked away while crossing her arms.
"Well?" Roxas demanded. Kairi never asked something trivial.
"I just… well… you died when you were at my age" Kairi whispered, staring at the floor and hugging herself tighter.
Roxas felt a pang in his chest. This could mean so much… and yet nothing…
Maybe she was just scared to die, like so many others were.
He turned her face to him with his right hand. "I'm not letting you die, you get that?"
Kairi's eyes flashed to him and she sighed. She rested her face in his hand and closed her eyes. "I know"
The warmth of her cheek burnt through his hand to his arm and it softened his tensed features.
"Kairi, what's bothering you?"
She took his hand in hers and sighed again. "I just wondered why you would decide someone should die… I don't think it's fair"
His thumb stroke her cheek. "It is not fair to decide if someone should live or die, but sometimes it's better if someone lives, and sometimes it's better for someone to die"
She was silent for a while. "Why was it better for you to die, then?"
It was 'once'.
He stroke her cheek for the last time and then turned her, so she sat between his legs, her back against his chest.
"Because, if I had been living, I would've made so many mistakes it would be impossible to make up for them, so I would go to hell if I finally died"
His hands rested lightly on her waist and she intertwined her fingers with his.
"I don't believe you were that… worse" She said, finally, slightly turning to look at him.
He buried his face in her hair. "Then why am I here as guardian angel? You know the story better than me"
"Everyone makes mistakes in their lives, that's only natural" Kairi said wisely. "I bet I'll have to return to earth to make up for my mistakes as well"
Roxas couldn't stop himself and chuckled. "How many people did you kill before I became your protector?"
"That's a bit exaggerated" Kairi remarked, while she looked at the television. Some gang had robbed a jewelry store.
"You think so?" Roxas said, while he closed his eyes and let the strawberry scent of Kairi's hair comfort him.
Kairi stayed quiet for a moment. "Well… I think so"
Still wondering if it was better to tell her or not, he took a deep breath and opened his mouth to speak. "Would you still want to hear my story if you knew I… I kind of destroyed a lot of things?"
"Yeah" Her answer came calm and steady, like she was answering automatically.
"And would you still want to hear it if you knew I maybe don't even deserve a chance for heaven?"
Kairi suddendly turned in his arms to look at him. Her eyes were wide with concern. "Roxas… I don't care what you did. What's done is done and you never hurt me or anyone else when you became a guardian, right?"
Why did she have to be so nice and kind all the time? She should've stopped him from telling the story and yelled at him that if he killed people, he didn't deserve a life in heaven.
"Still… if there are faults who can't be forgiven, what are those faults?"
She frowned while folding her arms over his chest and resting her head upon it, still staring in his eyes.
"Well… I would say that there are a lot of mistakes who can't be forgiven… but what's the limit? Is there a limit? What's there to discuss about if you broke all the rules? Everyone should get the same chances, whatever they did"
He smiled and he brought his hand up to stroke her hair. "You know, it's awfully scary that you know so much for a human… It makes me wonder if you are a human. It wouldn't surprise me if you are already a graduated angel"
"Do you have exams for you guys?" Kairi asked with disbelief.
Roxas chuckled again. "Nah. That's how we call the ones who have made up their mistakes or the ones who never had to be an angel, like I expect you to be"
Kairi didn't comment on the last part of the sentence, but her frown deepened. "So… back onto your story… What exactly are you making up for?"
He stared at her, at the soft, red strands brushing over her forehead and the big, bright blue pools of tenderness and love and the pale skin which made her eyes seem darker. His hand went up automatically and he let it rest against her cheek. "You sure you want to hear?"
Kairi closed her eyes and rested her face against his hand. "I'm listening whenever you're ready"
Which meant he wasn't getting away with this one.
_
Author's note:
I know, I know. Jared Someone has written something about guardian angels as well.
But as you can see, my story is different.
Grammatical errors. I KNOW xD
Anyway, Part two should be up within two months :D
Thanks for reading. Review if you like.