[Here's chapter 3! Enjoy!]
As soon as Sora found himself in his room, he peeled off his soaking wet t-shirt, wincing as the heavy cloth brushed against the glass. He was relieved to find that his dad was not home, but dreaded it, thinking that his return would only bring a second coming of the beating.
He twisted his back in the mirror and saw that the cuts had become inflamed and sensitive to the touch. Tears sprang into his eyes. He tried to get the glass from his back, but to no avail.
Today had promised a decent day, and it had failed him. He was hurt, and he had hurt his friends. The one thing he was trying to prevent was his friend's involvement.
As he left the confines of his bathroom, he jumped backwards.
Riku was standing across his room, shirtless, glaring at him. His hair was still wet from swimming. He must have followed Sora back to his house. He froze, absentmindedly trying to hide his bruised ribs.
"Sora, come here," he said sullenly. Gulping, Sora made his way to his bed, tears clinging at his eyes again. Dread washed over him as he took a seat on the bed, crossing his legs. Riku glared hatefully at the bruise on his jaw and abdomen. He stalked slowly to the bed, resting close beside Sora.
"Let me see your back."
Turning his head in shame, Sora readjusted himself. A collective gasp came from Riku as he saw the damage. Sora trembled, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"Sora, what happened?" Riku asked, trailing a light finger over the scars on his lower back.
Sora was too upset to speak. This was the last thing that he had wanted. "Is Kairi here?"
Riku shook his head. "No. I told her I would see what was going on. Now tell me what happened," he demanded in a gentle voice. His eyes caught the gleaming shards of glass still embedded in Sora's back.
"Oh my God, Sora, I am so sorry!"
Sora strained his neck to see the look of horror on Riku's face. Without giving Sora a chance to ask why he was sorry, Riku leapt to his feet and started opening cabinets in his bathroom. "Do you have anything to take this glass out with/"
Sora shook his head. Riku rubbed his temples angrily. He came back to the bed and wrapped an arm around Sora's waist, drawing him closer. He examined the tiny shards. "I'm no doctor, but I think I can remove all of them."
Sora nodded, his tears beginning to subside. "Spill." Riku said.
Sora bit his lip. He knew there was no way to lie to Riku. Not now.
Gently, Riku started taking the glass out of Sora's back, being careful not to cut him open.
"Well?"
"He-he doesn't mean to. He's not himself when h-he does it. But he hurts me…" Sora said, sighing as he leaned into Riku's touch. His fingers were cold, relieving his back.
"Why didn't you say anything Sora?"
"I-I didn't want you guys to worry."
Riku shook his head. "Sora, what did you think you could just hide it from us?"
Sora shrugged as Riku removed the last shard. His fingers traced the bruises on his back. Sora shivered.
"Lie down on your stomach," Riku ordered.
"I can't."
Riku pulled his body around to face him. His eyes darted past the boy's tan build to the bruise on his stomach. He fingered it, making Sora wince.
"He broke your ribs." Riku said in a velvet, deadly voice. He clenched his fists angrily. Who on Earth could ever hurt Sora like that? The boy was innocent, naïve, kindhearted.
Sora began crying again. Alarmed, Riku pulled him into his strong arms, careful not to hurt him. He stroked his friend's cinnamon spikes, trying to soothe him. Sora's body racked with sobs that hurt his ribs and back even more.
"Sshhh, Sora," Riku pleaded, rocking him gently back and forth. "Everything is going to be just fine, okay?"
Sora looked up, his eyes waterlogged. "Don't tell Kairi."
"I won't. I promise," he said, brushing the tears from Sora's eyes.
"Why don't you come over to my house and we can clean those cuts. That must've hurt when I pushed you. I'm so sorry."
Sora nodded in Riku's arms, his chest heaving as he tried to calm his sobs.
Suddenly, a loud bang shook the entire house. Sora bolted from Riku's arms, backing up against his wall, petrified.
'SORA!"
Riku's guard went up. His fists clenched again.
He heard loud cursing, someone stomping up the stairs.
Riku grabbed Sora by the shoulders, and took him in his arms. The boy was shaking so badly Riku was surprised that he managed to pull his arms around his neck. As the steps sounded nearer, Riku pulled them through the window, hopping down to the ground. The movements racked Sora's body with pain, but he didn't care.
He hid his face in Riku's chest as the boy took off from the house, before his father could burst into his room.
After running nearly a mile with an unresponsive Sora in his arms, Riku stopped to catch his breath. Sora was shaking uncontrollably, his eyes red, his lip quivering.
Riku set him under a palm tree, and stooped to catch his breath. His sides were heaving and he felt sweat run down his brow.
"Sora, you're spending the night with me tonight."
Sora didn't answer, just curled up in a ball again.
"Hey, Sora," he cupped the boy's face with his hands. "It's okay. You're okay. He's not going to hurt you," Riku said, stroking his cheeks. "You're going to be all right."
Sora nodded slowly, willing himself to believe Riku's words. But he always knew that tomorrow was another day.
"Come on," he hoisted Sora up again, this time more carefully, and carried him the rest of the distance to his house.
Dusk started falling when he finally reached his house. Sora had not said a single word the entire trip. He sat Sora on his bed and opened up the window to let in fresh air. Sora curled up on his side, his tremors beginning to relax.
Riku washed his face with a hand towel form his bathroom and searched through his own cabinets for something. He returned with a small bottle of liquid. He brought a small cloth with him and poured the liquid on it. Sora stiffened, bracing himself for the pain that was about to come.
It never came. Riku was so gentle, he barely felt the pressure of his fingers through the wet cloth as he cleaned the cuts across his shoulders. Sora sighed softly, his shaking finally stopping. He uncurled his cramped muscles.
"That's it," Riku said, stroking his hair again. When he finished cleaning the cuts, he gave Sora a new t-shirt to put on. It smelled like cinnamon sticks.
He laid Sora on his side, then lay next to him, gently caressing his back. It felt so good. Sora closed his eyes, his worries beginning to disappear. He felt as if he could lie there forever, succumbing to Riku's gentle touch. Then he blushed, noticing that Riku's bare chest was pressed against his back.
"Sora?"
The boy didn't answer. Riku leaned over and saw the teen, already asleep. He had a sense of peace around him, his face calm and no tears or frowns to derive Sora from his pleasant face, no one hurting him. Riku found his lips, soft, unmoving.
He sighed, resting his head against the boy's face. He closed his eyes, wrapping his arms protectively around the smaller teen.
"I promise I won't let anyone hurt you again," he vowed, allowing sleep to overcome him.
For now, he was content to hold Sora in his arms.
[So what did you guys think? So far so good? I'm not quite sure what I want to happen yet as the story progresses, but while I am thinking and writing, I would really like some feedback. Please Review and tell me what you think!]
