Author Notes: Here you will find the first instalment of 'We Don't Fight Fair'. I hope you guys enjoy it. Red worked very hard and has absolutely fallen in love with this little baby.
Dedication: I dedicate this chapter to... My shower! Perverted as it sounds, I came up with this in the shower... I come up with a lot of ideas in the shower...
Summary: "Do you know what it's like to be hated? Cos I do." He's been hated and shunned and taken advantage of by everyone. Until Axel arrives.
Pairings: Not telling! Yet anyway.. It'll ruin the surprise.
Suggested Listening : Protigé Moi - Placebo
"The Take Over, The Break's Over" - FallOutBoy
Disclaimer: -Searches through sock drawer- Dammit, can't find my copy of the rights. Squenix/Disney must have stolen them back again. Bugger.
Save Me
By; Red Darling
Save me, please, someone save me...
He could feel their stares on his back, lustful and angry, full of senseless hatred. And not so senseless hatred. The stares made him feel sick to his stomach, but that didn't worry him. He felt so bad so much of the time that it barely registered. Slowly, and carefully so that he didn't stumble or trip over an outstretched foot, he made his way back to his seat, wincing at the sound of his chair leg scrapping against the ground.
Always the same, always the same.
Knowing that the whispers would start soon, he hung his head, desperately trying to immerse himself in the work in front of him, hoping beyond sensibility that today he'd be able to ignore them. No such luck. Of course not, the only kind of luck he had was the bad kind.
By the time the whispers reached his ears, they were no more than noises, incoherent, but menacing all the same. Then the laughter began, the teacher did nothing to stop it. She never did. Nor did any of his other teachers. In an odd, vacant way, they hated him too. Maybe if he'd ever said something, proved to then that he was a human being, not the monster he was portrayed as, they might like him. But he'd never had the guts. Probably never would.
He tried to stop the shaking of his limbs, clenching his teeth together to stop them chattering. He wanted to freeze the agonisingly fast tick of the clock at the front of the room. Fear trickled through his veins as the hands neared three o'clock. He slammed his eyes shut; Stop, stop, please stop!
BRAAAAAAAAANG.
Sighing in defeat, he grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder, joining the masses leaving the room. He twitched whenever someone brushed against him, flinched if anything touched his bare skin. He had a mild case of aphenphosmphobia, and he knew it. Not his fault though... Well, that's what he told himself at least. He'd never been very good at convincing people.
He glared at the sunlight filtering through the windows along the corridor. How dare it be sunny and warm and pleasant? It should be raining and stormy and dark. It should be freezing cold, cold enough to numb, dark enough to blind. Stupid weather, it was taunting him; it always was. With sunny weather like this, students and teachers alike would be rushing to escape the confines of the school. Breaking free, shirking their responsibilities for a day. By the time he left the buildings, there would be no-one left. Almost.
He rounded a corner and stumbled to a halt. Shit. Riku Sase lounged against the wall, his cronies Hayner and Wakka sniggering beside him.
"Why, look who it is." smirked the silveret. The boy in front of him trembled. Riku moved forward.
"See ya Riku." Hayner said, waving. He and Wakka walked off, knowing exactly what was going to happen and seemingly bored of it for once. Maybe it was the heat?
"So..." murmured Riku, placing his hand on the other boy's cheek.
"Get off!"
"Aw, c'mon." Riku drawled, leaning in to claim a one-sided kiss.
"No." the kiss was broken. Riku glared and the other boy winced.
It always started this way, they would force 'affection' on him, and he would resist. But who ever it was that was tormenting him would persevere. Sometimes, the refusals would become too tiresome and within moments, he would be lying on the ground, black, blue and winded. Other times he would give in, allowing kisses to be given and taken, allowing touches to be felt, giving in completely. But weak as he was, he'd never let it go 'all the way'. He had that much strength at least. He would salvage what ever scraps of dignity he had left.
He didn't know which days he hated more. The ones where he had to almost crawl home, shuddering with pain, or the days he sat in his room, trying to be numb, to stop feeling their kisses on his lips, their fingers on his hips?
"No, Riku!" panic was rising, wiping away his strength.
The silveret slapped him lightly. "I'm not in the mood for stuffing around today. Behave, you little ass."
"No."
Riku growled, sliding his hand up the other's shirt and scratching. "Be-fucking-have." he forced another kiss.
"Oi!"
Riku's head snapped up, his eyes probably drilling holes into the newcomer. The boy in his arms didn't look up. It was probably just someone angry that Riku had got to him first. He didn't want to see those eyes, eyes looking at him as though he were a thing. And if it was just a normal person, well, he didn't want to be seen like this; utterly helpless, succumbing to a boy not much older than himself and barely fighting.
"Back off asshole." Riku snarled possessively. "He's mine today."
"You back off." the stranger shot back, making the trembling boy even more scared, he was about to be caught in the middle of a fight, and he doubted the winner would be gentle with him. He started to mentally prepare himself for the pain, numbing his mind.
"Don't try and fucking order me around. He's mine today, try your luck tomorrow."
"Back off bitch." Riku's opponent wasn't giving up easily. "He said no."
The 'embracing' couple froze. For the first time, the terrified boy looked up. The stranger had fire engine red hair that seemed to think gravity was a joke. He was dressed in a tight black ensemble, jeans, t-shirt, shoes and bag. There were dark marks under vividly green eyes. Tattoos or make-up? It was hard to tell.
"Yeah, and?" said Riku, regaining his composure.
"And as far as I know, it isn't freaking opposite day. He. Said. No. Back the fuck off."
"Look, do you not get it? I got him first today. First come, first serve. His preference has nothing to do with it."
"I get it, princess bitch. And it's called sexual harassment. Now get your prissy little ass out of here or I'll kick it so far you wont be able to fucking walk."
During the exchange, Riku had let go of his prize, who, noticing the lack of restraint, tried to slip away. Riku grabbed his upper arm viciously and yanked him back.
"Don't even think about it." he hissed, slapping the fearful face.
"That's enough you fucking rapist." the red-head spat furiously, storming towards the other two. He punched Riku in the face, making him loosen his hold enough for his attacker to pull the small boy from his grasp. The red-head then kicked Riku in the stomach, sending him to the floor, breathless.
"Kid? C'mon." the red-head grabbed the khaki bag from the ground and held it out to its owner, who took hold of it mechanically.
"Let's get out of here." The red-head cautiously placed his hand on the boy's shoulder, careful not to scare him. "Hows-about we go and get a coffee or something... Maybe an iced chocolate?"
"S-sure."
"This way." The red-head led the way out of the school grounds and 'round the corner. He hesitated by a bright red car. He could drive, it would be quicker. But that kind of thing just screamed ABDUCTION! Especially if you'd just been almost raped... Maybe walking would be better.
So they walked. It only took ten minutes or so before they were out of the mainly residential area and into the part of town that was absolutely filled with coffee shops. They ducked into the first one they came to and the red-head ordered a 'dark chocolate chilli thing'.
"How about you, kid?"
"Um, a coke please."
"And a coke."
"Certainly sirs. Just one moment."
A minute or two later, the brunette waitress handed then their drinks and the red-head handed her a ten dollar note. He took his change and sat down at a table. The 'dark chocolate chilli thing' was sipped at, but the coke was power-drunk. Once it was finished, the 'kid' just sat there staring.
"Kid? You okay?"
The 'kid' just stood there, staring at him incredulously.
"What was that?" What had just happened? Had he been... Saved?
No, surely not. No-one would want to save him. And, even if he had been saved, it wouldn't last long. Riku would be back tomorrow, and it would be twice as bad. This guy wouldn't save him again, not after he found out who he was and what he'd done.
"You nearly got raped is what happened. I'm surprised you haven't gone into shock."
"Oh. Um, yeah, I know about what happened with him... But what did you do?"
"Saved you. Duh."
Saved?
"Oh, the name's Axel by the way... What's yours?"
My name? Shit. Once he... Once he finds out... He'll hate me. I like this guy, he seems, nice... Won't be once I tell him... Can't do that.
"Sora." he said, brushing blond hair out of his eyes. "My name's Sora."
"Sora... Hmm... Has that you know, ever happened before?" Axel tilted his head to the side.
Sora just hung his head and nodded. He didn't trust himself to speak. If he spoke, he might tell Axel just how often that had happened. He didn't want to see the disgust in those pretty green eyes when he found out.
"Shit, why didn't you tell someone?"
No answer.
"Okay, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. It must be a bit... Difficult to talk about."
"Thanks."
Axel swallowed the last of his chocolate-chilli thing. "So, Sora? Where do you live?"
"I'll walk."
"Sora..." Axel said warningly. It was obvious that he thought Sora would jump off a bridge or something else. Okay, maybe not that drastic.
"I just want to think is all."
"Okay... You sure."
"Mhmm."
"Alright then. I'll uh, see you later?"
"Yeah... I guess? You go to St. Oath's, right?"
"Yup, just transferred from Oblivion. Thought the school would be all religious and shit, didn't realise it was just a ploy to attract the rich kids."
"Yeah... Failed though. Well... I'll see you tomorrow then. Thanks for the drink... And the saving me thing." Sora blushed and stood up.
"See ya." Axel hesitated as the blond turned away from him. "Sora?"
Sora tensed at hearing the name. "Y-yeah?"
"I'm glad I saved you."
Axel sighed, he'd put the seat back in his car. and was currently halfway between lying down and sitting up with his hands linked behind his head. He watched the sun setting. Cliché maybe, but clichés are clichés for a reason. Axel always felt relaxed when it was warm and the light was golden like it was now. It comforted him in the same way his lighter did.
"Sora, hmm..." Something just didn't add up. That wasn't the way you'd expect someone to act if some retard spontaneously started molesting you. It wasn't even the way you acted if it had happened a couple of times before. Unless you had absolutely no spirit at all. And Sora had spirit. Cheesy as it may sound, Axel had seen it in his eyes. A broken spirit maybe?
Axel looked back on the way he'd acted towards... Reno? Rudolf? Rupert? Sure he was pissed at what this guy was doing, but maybe he wouldn't have minded as much if he'd been molesting someone a little less beautiful. Maybe. But the kid was cute, no doubt about it. He needed someone to watch over him, help him, find out his secrets. Maybe Axel could be that person?
Yeah... Axel liked that idea.
End Notes: Dun, dun, dun!
I really love reviews, so please, er, review! And cookies to all those who work out what's happening and who's who and all that jazz. I'm seriously wondering if anyone is going to figure it out...