A/N: Hello! This is a Christmas story that has been in my mind for a month or two. Because I won't be around on Christmas, I decided to post the story earlier. Oh, actually this is a oneshot, but the whole story is a bit too long that I think it'd be better to cut it into parts. I will try to update as soon as I can, because I need to reread the whole thing to make sure it's okay. I hope you'll like it :) –Anwy.
Don't Rush on Christmas, Sweetheart
That day was Christmas Eve, when every human kind in this world celebrated it with their certain someone. But rather than creating the precious moment like I had been imagining since forever, I was here trying not to be sober since hours ago. I was inside my favorite bar, sitting alone but with the bartender in front of me who was silently doing his job. I was crying my eyes out and half drunk after few shots of vodka. I kept bawling at least until the bartender couldn't stand it anymore.
"Sora, you've been crying for the last 2 hours! What's going on? And you're still wearing your uniform." Leon, the bartender with scar across his face, looked annoyed rather than concerned.
I lifted my head, my wet eyes were meeting Leon's brown own. "It's a long story, buddy." I hiccupped between my breath and sobs. "D'ya want to hear it?"
Leon sighed, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Yes, if it will help you."
Unsure, I stared at him for a few seconds and decided it would be better to have someone listening to your sad story. "It's because of Riku McCue."
My name was Sora Shephard, a 25 years old guy. I worked as an ambulance driver and, without meaning to be arrogant, I was the best driver in this district. I could drive really fast, and hell, it was actually something that people love—I got to drive people quickly before their conditions were worse. Some people even called me "The Wind Driver"; a cocky nickname it was, but whatever.
So, the place where I worked was quite different than the usual hospital. Other than their best (quick) ambulance service—most of our drivers were chosen because of their outstanding driving skill—the hospital also had relation with the police (the hospital's owner and the police team's leader were twin brothers) so our ambulances would be able to be accompanied by them. We called them "The Guard". The Guard used motorbikes because they were much more efficient. In a whole team, they usually had 8-10 members and each of our ambulance was assigned with a smaller team consisting 2 members, or at least 1. That was a really good perks actually, minding that we would be able to pass traffic lights. Plus, they were able to block the way if needed, so our ambulances had the privilege to go wherever and whenever quickly. With no doubt, our service made the hospital to the top list of people's priority and Ansem, our boss, was the proudest human ever.
It was around 8 pm and I had just come back after a run of driving an almost dying patient. After taking a seat, I sipped my coffee, grateful for its picayune warmth in the middle of cold December. I was inside a room called "Resting Room"—I and my friends shortened it as "R.R."—where all the ambulance drivers wait for call. Every time one of us finished our duty, we had to go back to the Resting Room, to make sure someone was there to answer the call. Today the room was quite empty, only me and 2 other drivers here. That meant today was a hectic day, minding the fact that most of us were out to pick up injured people.
"Merry Christmas, guys!" A tall blonde man got into the room, his face was lighted up and bright like Rudolph's nose. It was Demyx, one of my co-workers.
"It's only the 6th of December, Dem." I laughed. "Patience, boy."
Demyx turned his attention to me. "Hey, hey, here's our hero! How was it, Wind Man?" He sat next to me and slung his hand over my shoulder.
I smiled at him. "We made it back in time."
"Of course," The blonde driver chuckled, "you were only gone for 8 minutes. No one doubts The Wind Runner."
"It wasn't that far, after all." I waved my hand dismissively.
Demyx punched me jokingly; teasing me was always his favorite thing to do. "I bet Ansem will be proud!" I knew he was joking, because the old man had never been proud of someone else other than himself. "By the way, Sora, have you heard that there will be a new member for The Guard?"
I inclined my head, thinking. "I haven't. But why do we need a new one? The old members are fine."
"Rumors said that the new guy is pretty awesome, driving fast and such."
Suddenly, a beeping alarm broke through the cold air with its dry sound echoing throughout the room. It was a call when someone had to be taken to the hospital. Instinctively, I put down my coffee and rushed towards the door. Demyx and the others said something like "good luck" but I had no time to reply—the patient's condition was my only priority right now. I ran to my ambulance which was parked not far from the R.R.. Swiftly, I opened the door and got in. Two nurses—it appeared to be Roxas and Axel, two of my close friends as well—followed me into the ambulance and got into the back section of the car. Apparently, they were in the middle of fighting. I reached my radio and turned it on, which automatically signaled my availability to the computers inside the Watch Room (the room where the nurses take emergency calls).
"But I was only joking, Roxas, I'm not hitting on her!" Axel protested, his voice was muffled because of the divider between front and back section.
"Unit K, can you hear me and are you ready?" From the radio, one of the nurses contacted me. Judging from her voice, I was sure it was Namine.
"Liar! I saw you trying to kiss her," Roxas was pissed off, and it was clearly shown from his voice.
"I don't even know her," the redhead sounded like a wounded puppy right then.
"Can't you guys just stop fighting and make out like usual?" I grunted. Of course, them making out wasn't my favorite thing to watch, but it was so much better rather than watching them fighting.
"Are you kidding me, Sora? The jerk in front of me doesn't deserve it!" The blonde made an exasperated sigh.
I rolled my eyes and turned my attention back to Namine. "Yes, I can hear you loud and clear," I answered, in between the yelling. "Where should I go?" My hand reached upward, pushing the button to turn my siren on. The red lights glared inside the dark sky, followed with the loud siren sound filling the night's silence.
"Why do you have to be such an asshole, Roxy?"
"And you don't have to be a dick, honestly."
"4163 Tawny Gate, Vermont street," she spelled slowly to make sure it was clear. "Patient broke his leg and has an open wound. And, Sora?"
"Yeah?" I was already making my way to leave the hospital, starting to accelerate my car.
"Wait for The Guard, they will accompany you."
"But that's why we fit each other, an asshole and a dick—" Quite violently, I hit the brake. My body jerked to the front abruptly, and I could hear Axel swearing.
"But this is not a rush hour, Namine! It's night, and the streets are mostly empty. I don't need them." I scrunched my nose in confusion.
"Yes, I know, but they need you. The Guard has a new member and you have to take him with you so he can understand our procedure." Namine replied, insisting. "Anyway, they will be there in a second."
Exactly a second, two motorbikes approached me. I didn't waste any time (and now I could ignore the couple's fight) and hit the road as soon as they caught up with me. Eventually, one of them accelerated and accompanied me from the front. From the man's figure, it was undoubtedly Luxord, one of The Guard's senior members—he had been there for years and never got replaced. The other member must be watching from back. I guessed Luxord asked him to do so, therefore he could watch how Luxord work from afar before actually doing his job.
"Hello, Sora." The radio's blue light flickered when the voice was heard. The Guard members had a device planted in their helmet, so they could contact the ambulance drivers to assist them. "New Kid is back there, watching your ambulance's ass. Ya know about him already?"
"Hey, Luxord," I greeted Luxord, recognising his voice after years working. "I've heard about the New Kid."
Suddenly, he drove a little bit faster, advancing, and then he stopped in front of a crossroad, stopping the cars passing by so I could go through. I drove past the crossroad and thanked Luxord.
"You're welcome as always." He slowed down and rode his motorbike right next to me. "Hey, New Kid, go greet Sora here! The brunet is our fastest driver around." Luxord exclaimed, of course it was meant for the new guy. I hadn't heard his voice at all and hadn't seen his look as well. He piqued my curiosity.
"How does the radio thingie wor—oh, hi, whoever you are, Sora there."
I almost jumped from my chair, but minding my position behind the wheel, I remained (at least tried my hardest to) calm. That voice was awfully familiar! It sounded like someone I knew from a long time ago... but who?
I decided not to mind about the mysterious guy anymore because I realised that the patient's health was far more important. In 3 minutes, we arrived on the patient's house and I could hear Axel and Roxas got off from the car, unloading the stretcher. In their dark blue uniform, I could see the redhead with his boyfriend rushed inside the house whilst carrying the stretcher towards the door. I waited inside the car patiently with The Guard stopped in stance behind me. My heart was thumping hard, just like every time I was on duty: it was scary to know that being late in the count of seconds could bring death to someone.
A minute later, they were back with someone on the stretcher who was grunting in pain. They put him inside the ambulance and, after closing the door, Roxas signaled me that they were done and I hit the gas pedal. From the back side, I could hear both Axel and Roxas started their standard procedure, like counting the heart rate, measuring the blood pressure and as well as giving comforting words to the patient. The Guard was already advancing in front of me and now I could see both of them (even though both of their heads were covered with helmets). From the back, I could recognise Luxord with his slender body and relaxed figure. Although we were racing with time, the blonde police officer was calm enough: Luxord was the kind of guy who would've sit and sip his coffee slowly but still got everything under his control. Quite the contrary, the New Kid whose face I hadn't seen (and it seemed that Luxord forgot his name judging by how he called him "New Kid" all the time instead of his name) appeared to be quite tensed up. His toned up body was slightly leaning towards the front, racing his way back to the hospital. On the same crossroad, now both of them blocked the other streets and I passed through.
Finally reaching the hospital, I started decelerating and relaxed a bit. The Guard cleared the way towards the main entrance of the emergency room, honking every here and there to make sure everyone wouldn't block the path. Other than honking, it seemed the New Kid shouted to people who didn't realise I was carrying an urgent patient and were blocking my way. I could've laughed at how angry he sounded when he barked at them, but I wasn't in the appropriate condition to do so. I stopped my car in front of the main door and Axel and Roxas took the patient inside. I exhaled a deep breath and relaxed on my chair: it was over. I smiled and prayed, hoping the patient would be okay. Happily, I made my way back to the R.R..
My body was slouched on one of the sofa. Marluxia, another ambulance driver, was sitting across me, also relaxing.
"Hello, little brunet," he greeted me with a seductive voice.
Not him again. I grimaced in disgust—the pink haired guy would always go everywhere hitting every guy he could lay his eyes on.
"Don't be so hard today, but I don't mind if you're hard to do—"
"Stop it, Marluxia, for God's sake!" I flushed embarrassedly. He chuckled, definitely amused with my prude behavior. I wasn't Demyx, who would've been able to retort Marluxia's perverted remarks with smart jokes.
Suddenly the door opened and, oddly enough, most of our drivers (from the night shift, when I worked) were coming in. After they had filled the room, Xemnas, the head of The Guard (who was Ansem's twin) got inside, followed with...
"RIKU?" I screamed, my voice was louder and higher than I thought. Everyone turned their attention to me, including Xemnas, who wasn't pleased with my yelling. Riku looked as surprised as I did.
It was definitely Riku McCue that I knew. His silver beautiful hair which fell on his muscular shoulder (how could he get more muscles?!) in a dramatic way, his deep blue green eyes which sparked even in the darkest night of an apocalypse, his pearly white rows of teeth, his fair, almost transparent, smooth (I didn't touch it but it seemed to be that way) skin, and also his pointy, perfectly sculpted nose—they were all disgusting.
Xemnas chose not to bother the perplexed look on our—mine and Riku's—face and told all of us to sit down. I could see Ansem's face exactly like that: they both had the exact same scowl. And I liked none of them.
"If you have heard about a new member of The Guard, now I'm here to clarify it." He shoved (yes, shoved) Riku forward to show him to us. "This is our newest and youngest member, Riku McCue. He will be working with you starting from now on."
From afar, I could hear Marluxia let out a low whistle. I rolled my eyes.
"I will leave you with them," Xemnas patted Riku's back and turned his face to the drivers, "and I hope none of you will be messing with him. Do a nice introduction." Immediately after that, the dark skinned leader left the New Kid here with us.
It was Marluxia who first approached the boy. "Greetings, pretty face. Care to join me in my private ambulance?" He winked at Riku and, predictable enough, Riku's signature disgusted face that I had known all too well was shown clearly. The room was quiet then, no one could even comprehend what was happening. Most of us would've guessed that Riku would've punched the pink haired driver square on his face judging from his arrogant, prideful aura, but he didn't do that.
"Stop messing with the boy, Marly." Xigbar, the one eyed driver—but his driving skill was undoubtedly good albeit lacking one eye—shouted from his place, near the door.
Marluxia approached him, cutting down the proximity between them. The pink haired man then grabbed the other man's chin and lifted it up slightly. "Why? Are you jealous, Kitten?"
Xigbar licked his lips and grabbed Marluxia's waist. "Yes, I sure am. Let's just do our usual private ambulance moment."
"As you wish," the pink haired man replied as he shrugged. And they left to God knows where.
The room was then even quieter than a graveyard. And everyone was, I bet my Christmas bonus, trying to erase what had just happened in front of them.
"Well," Demyx started, breaking the silence, "hello, Riku. Nice to meet ya." He smiled and tried to cover the awkward air between all of us.
The others started to greet Riku as well, following Demyx's lead. The murmurs filled the room, and everyone started to ask questions to Riku... except me, of course. Sometimes Riku would've glanced at me, which I replied with my deadly glare, which in return replied with his snort. God knows how much I wanted to rip his nostrils.
Let me explain this briefly. Riku McCue, the most disgusting piece of shit in the whole world and universe. I knew the bastard years ago: we were on the same high school. We used to be best friend—playing blitzball on the same team, studying in each other's houses, spending holidays with each other's company, eating sea salt ice creams on the top of the clock tower nearly every evening with him sitting beside me, even going to the toilet together. His preferences were exactly mine, and mine were exactly his. We were connected. How could you not being close with a person like that? But unfortunately, we also had the same preference for girls. We fell in love with the same girl, Kairi, one of the most beautiful girls I had ever seen: her blue night sky eyes, her never ending smile which could've brought peace to the world, her contagious laugh, her... everything. But of course, just like every normal girl's choice, they would've chosen Riku over me. Because his silver beautiful hair which fell on his muscular shoulder (how could he get more muscles?!) in a dramatic way, his deep blue green eyes—no, I wouldn't repeat the same paragraph which had already written before. Anyway, Kairi chose him, and they dated for I didn't and wouldn't want to know because I moved. Yes, I moved to this town because of my father's work and, obviously, I instantly agreed with the change the second my father offered, in hope not to see both of them for the rest of my life.
But then, plot twist, life was laughing its ass of and saying "in your face, Sora!" as if it wanted me to die early. And it successfully created the desired effect.
I stood from my sofa. Everyone was still busy asking Riku about this and that whatnots. I snarled at Riku and he made a mocking smile on his oh-so-precious face. A "come fight me if you can, loser" look was plastered on his face. I walked towards the door, slicing the crowds. When I passed him, I smashed my shoulder at him quite harshly. And when he looked at me, I flipped him off. He fucking deserved it.
"That's all? Only because of one girl?" In disbelief, Leon raised an eyebrow. He tsk-tsk'd whilst shaking his head.
"Kairi wasn't one girl, Leon! She was every girl I would've ever needed! Like, the whole package of a hundred kind of cereal in a single box." At least that was what I felt long time ago. Now, I had no feeling to Kairi anymore, mostly because I tried really hard to forget her.
"Yes, but the point is, you stopped being best friend with Riku just because of a single box of cereal."
"No, Leon, you don't get it. He was being a jerk with it! Do you know how he looked at me every time our eyes met? He looked down at me as if he was looking at dirt, a trash. Just because he won Kairi. If I looked as good as him, I would've won Kairi's heart."
"Whatever. So what happened next?"
A/N: Okay, that's the end of part 1. Tell me if you like it or not! I'll try to update soon enough. Cheers! –Anwy.
PS: I won't abandon Proof of the Dying, but this story is an urgent need because it's Christmas ;P
