Disclaimer : Kingdom Hearts and its characters do not belong to me.
xx—xx—xx
If there is one word to describe Chocobos, it would be : extreme. From what I learned from watching Axel and Demyx, Chocobos are quite cheerful but can also be really scary when angry. What's even scarier is that they can go from sweet to menacing in the blink of an eye. And let's not forget their insane strength. I've seen many bruises on Roxas' arms and legs. I guess Axel accidentally gave them to him…
Chapter 03 : Family
"Well, if it isn't the loser," Seifer called as he approached the small group of friends, his sidekicks close behind. "I thought I told you not to stand on my way."
"You went out of your way to come here so, technically, you're the one in our way," Axel declared, soon making a face. "Man, that sounded so childish."
"Because that guy is obviously not really mature," Roxas commented, shrugging his shoulders.
Sora looked from his group to the other and bit his lip. Here it was going again.
"Listen, punk," Seifer growled, pointing a finger at Roxas and adding a glare to look more menacing. "Don't get so cocky because you landed a blow on me. I was just unprepared. You'd bite the dust if I were to take on you right now."
"Don't you dare," Axel immediately retorted, stepping forward.
"Guys!" Sora shouted, effectively stopping the argument. "We'll be going, okay? So there's no need to fight." He grabbed Roxas and Axel's wrists and dragged them to the other side of the street, ignoring Seifer's threats behind his back.
He wasn't sure what scared him the most between those threats and what could possibly happen if Axel decided to take action. He truly didn't want to know what that last one would lead to.
"Dammit, Sora! Stop letting him push you around like that!" Roxas eventually exploded. "It would teach him a good lesson to let us take care of him."
"It would only make things worse. His teasing me is nothing new. The last time I tried to defend myself, I ended up with a cut lip, among other things," the brunet told him with a light shake of his head. "Really, it's best to just ignore him. He'll grow tired of it after a while."
"What if he doesn't? What will you do, then?" His twin insisted.
"I don't know! Stop talking about that!" Sora exclaimed, raising his voice more than necessary. "I'm no good, I know. There's a reason I've been teased a lot in high school; there's a reason our parents kicked me out without a second thought. I know already."
"Stop with the self pity already. And can't you just go past that? They are assholes. Just forget them!" Roxas almost shouted in return. He felt Axel put a hand on his shoulder but he quickly shrugged it off.
"No, I can't! And stop calling them assholes! They're my parents!"
"Parents who abandoned you!"
Sora exhaled loudly before he spun around. He walked off, not bothering to tell any of the two where he was going. The fact that he was walking away from Seifer as well was a bit reassuring but Axel hoped the brunet wouldn't be out too long.
"What the hell is wrong with him?!" Roxas shouted, kicking a nearby trashcan. "Dammit, why can't it be easier?"
"He's been here for a few days only. You can't expect to know him that quickly. You guys might be twins, but it doesn't mean you can understand each other just yet," the redhead told him, running a hand in blond spikes. He knew it would ease his friend's nerves and he smiled when Roxas did calm down under his touch. "You have to admit you were a bit inconsiderate there, calling those who raised him assholes."
"That's what they are."
"Yeah, but he's probably still remembering them as loving parents. Wouldn't you feel just like him if Tifa were to suddenly throw you out?"
He saw his blond friend pout and cross his arms, a sign that let him know Roxas was admitting that what he was saying was right.
But Roxas could be pretty stubborn when he wanted to. "Tifa would never do that."
"That's what he must have thought, too. Yet, here he is."
x-x-x
Sora felt like crap the next day. He hadn't slept really well after the eventful day and to make things worse, Riku was baby-sitting him in school. He could feel the silver-haired boy's eyes on him and couldn't help but shiver at the thought. It was really creepy. And Riku not talking at all didn't make things better.
"Tell me again why you're following me?" Sora asked not so nicely as he opened his locker to grab his notebooks. He stuffed them in his bag with more strength than necessary.
Riku didn't miss that and frowned at the younger. "Tell me again why your brother feels the need to keep you on watch twenty-four seven?" He retorted, smiling proudly when the blue-eyed boy threw him an annoyed look.
"I never asked you to follow me. Why are you even here, anyway? You know I don't like you one bit."
"Okay, listen," the silver-haired boy began, taking a step towards the brunet. "I'm only doing this because Roxas is a good friend of mine. Nothing else. I'm as annoyed as you are, having to follow your every movement, and I can't wait for the day to end so that I can finally be away from you and your childish act."
"I'm not childish!" The other boy protested, looking hurt.
"You're probably the only one thinking that," Riku spat. "Whatever, I'm too old to understand a brat like you. I'm not talking, let alone looking at you any more. You piss me off."
The aquamarine-eyed teen spun on his heels and left Sora on the spot. Said teen watched him leave, dumbfounded, and said nothing for a moment.
"Yeah, right! See if I care!" Riku heard him yell somewhere behind him. He growled lowly and kept walking, not wanting to turn back and strangle the prick. Roxas would so not like that. How could he even live under the same roof as that brat? A damn brat who just decided he didn't like someone based on what stupid grown-ups told him about Vampires. Didn't the kid have any brain?
"Riku? I thought you were watching Sora today."
Talk about the devil's twin.
"I'm not keeping an eye on him any longer. I'm sorry but I can't. He just keeps blowing off at me!" Riku exclaimed more loudly than he would have wanted. He sighed heavily and shook his head. "I just can't, okay? Either you find someone else, or you might find your twin lying in a pool of blood somewhere in town."
"That is not funny," the blond mumbled, folding his arms to his chest.
"Do I look like I'm joking here?"
There was silence between the two of them. A few students passed them, talking animatedly and breaking the heavy atmosphere surrounding the two for a moment.
"Sora has his reasons," Roxas began in a low voice. Riku made to interrupt him but the blond was quicker. "I've heard from my aunt that our grandmother was killed by a Vampire. I guess that's what made my parents hate species so much. And since Sora grew up with them, it's only logical that he thinks the same."
"Well, I'm sorry about that, but I'm not the one who went and killed her. And when did that happen, anyway? Drinking human blood is forbidden."
"We weren't born at the time, so it must have happened a while back," Roxas explained with a shrug of his shoulders. "My folks became really afraid of Vampires and still are. I guess they think they could hurt them or something. It's completely stupid, really."
"Tell your brother that," Riku stated before he stalked off and disappeared around a corner.
Roxas shook his head and decided he'd follow Sora for the day.
x-x-x
"Guys, I'm so glad I finally found you!" An over-excited Naminé exclaimed as she joined her friends during lunch. She set her tray on the table and sat next to Sora, looking at him with something akin to respect – which worried him, really.
"Now, that's scary. What happened that makes you so happy? And aren't you supposed to be sick?" Axel asked, blinking in surprise. Roxas wore the same expression while the other boys looked simply curious.
"He's what happened," the blonde stated, patting Sora's shoulder.
"And that means..?" Roxas asked, raising a single eyebrow.
"That she's fallen in love," Demyx all but sang.
"No! Stop being immature," Naminé told him with a pout. "I'm not entirely sure but I think that he healed me."
The teenagers exchanged suspicious looks before turning their heads to the blonde again.
"Did you hit something?" Marluxia asked slowly.
"I know it's hard to believe but I'm almost sure it was his doing. I mean, I was pretty sick when you guys came to my house yesterday, right?" She looked at Roxas, Axel and then Sora, silently asking for confirmation. She continued once she had it. "Doesn't it seem strange that right after you left, I suddenly got better and I'm not sick any more?"
"I don't even know how I would have done that," the brunet stated, his eyebrows furrowing. "It's not like I touched-" he began, cutting himself when realization hit him.
"That's right. It must have happened when you touched my hand," Naminé explained, nodding once for emphasis. She watched as her friends whispered among themselves, clearly doubting such a thing was even possible. This kind of Healer was rare, after all.
"Maybe it was just a coincidence?" Sora offered lamely, not knowing what else he could say. He wasn't even sure he understood what was going on. Him? Healing people? Yeah, right.
"That guy can't even take care of himself. How could he possibly help someone else?" Riku said, a smirk quickly following his statement. It grew wider with Sora's glare.
"Well, there's only one way to know if it's true or not," Axel stated, standing up and clapping his hands twice to get the other teens' attention. Everyone in the cafeteria turned their heads towards the redhead's table and right then, Sora wished he could be somewhere else. "Is someone hurt around here? Knocked your head or cut your finger? Something like that?"
There was silence before the students began to talk, exchanging glances and shrugging shoulders. A few seconds later and they were resuming eating their meals as if the redhead had never interrupted them.
"Tch. People these days," Axel muttered, sitting back down on his chair.
They finished their meal, and then decided to go sit outside in the small courtyard until class began. Although it was cold, the weather was nice and they wanted to enjoy it while they could. They went to sit under an oak tree that wasn't too far from the building and resumed the conversations they had begun inside. Sora felt a little out of place though, watching them joking around and laughing at things that didn't seem so funny to him. Private jokes really sucked when you couldn't understand them, he figured. He decided to just take a look around and marvel at the beauty of the yard. Or at least, he whished it were beautiful. In fact, its dead trees made the place quite depressing.
His attention was caught by a flash of red that was approaching them. After a careful inspection, he discovered it was a scarf a boy was wearing. That same boy was walking in their direction but looked like he'd be going somewhere else if he could. Sora raised a single eyebrow at that, wondering what he could want with them.
"Err… Excuse me?" The red scarf wearer asked timidly, glancing here and there. Was he afraid of being seen with them?
"Yeah?" Marluxia replied, his gaze studying the boy's face intently.
"Are you the guys from the cafeteria? The ones who asked for-"
He didn't have time to finish his sentence that Axel cut him off. "Injured people? Yep, that's us," he said in a friendly tone, pointing at Sora. "You should let him take a look at your injury."
"…Okay?" The stranger wasn't sure it was a good idea but obeyed anyway. He lifted the sleeve of his jacket up and showed his arm to the brunet. Sora could see a nasty bruise on the guy's wrist and involuntarily winced just seeing it.
"What happened?" Sora asked, cautiously running his fingertips on the bruised skin. He felt the muscles under his fingers twitch but the boy made no movement to make him stop, so the brunet figured he simply surprised him.
"I fell down the stairs this morning. I think it's twisted. The nurse wasn't there so I couldn't ask him to take a look at it," the boy explained, watching the brunet's fingers trace random patterns on the skin.
"It must hurt a lot," Sora thought aloud, his hand retreating back to his side. "I'm sorry but I can't help you. Somehow, these guys just thought I –"
"What did you do, exactly?" The boy interrupted him, clenching his fist a few times before he dared touch his wrist – it was still swollen but not bruised any more. "It doesn't hurt as much as it did before. Look, the bruise is even gone!"
"See? I told you he could heal people," Naminé eventually intervened when she couldn't stay quiet any longer.
"What? Who can heal people?"
Somehow, her words were heard by a group of students standing not far from them. The news spread like wild fire as boys and girls surrounded the miraculously healed teen, who kept explaining how Sora had just made the pain go. The brunet, of course, was soon surrounded by dozens of persons he didn't even know, and who were shooting questions at him so quickly he didn't catch any of them.
"What's all the ruckus?" A voice boomed over the noise the crowd was making. People stepped back, clearing a path for the new-comer. It happened to be a man with hair as wild as Sora's, but blond. His blue eyes scanned the crowd quickly before settling on the brunet everyone was looking at. The man raised a curious eyebrow, waiting for an explanation.
"Mr Strife, I heard this guy is a true Healer; one that can heal us."
"It's true! Can you tell my wrist was still hurt only a few seconds ago?"
"Quiet, everyone!" Mr Strife exclaimed to calm the excited group of teenagers. Most of them lifted surprised gazes at him, not used to the blond man's raised voice. It was an uncommon occurrence. "The bell is about to ring so I highly suggest you all go back inside." The man turned his head towards Sora. "You're coming with me. Now."
"But – " Sora made to protest.
"No buts, young man. Come with me," Mr Strife instructed, motioning for the brunet to follow him.
Sora glanced anxiously at Roxas, but all he saw was the same worry written on his twin's face. He did as he was told and followed the blond inside the school. They went down the main hall before turning right to go up stairs and get to the second floor. There, they kept walking for a moment before going down other stairs and back to the first floor. Realizing that, Sora furrowed his eyebrows.
"Why did we go to the second floor if we had to go to-"
"As you can see, no one's here. It's better if you don't meet anyone at the moment," the man interrupted him, still answering his question.
Sora said nothing more and only nodded in understanding. They eventually stopped before a door and when it was opened, Sora understood they were in the nurse's office.
Wait, that guy was the nurse?
"You can sit here," Mr Strife said, quickly pointing towards a chair in front of the nurse's desk. "So," he began when the teen and he took a seat. "Could you explain what that noise was about?"
Now that he was alone and heard him perfectly, Sora realized the man's voice wasn't threatening at all. In fact, it was almost friendly – but that blank expression on his face made him think that maybe he was just imagining things. He also realized then that this Mr Strife was actually a Chocobo. So that friendliness wasn't part of his imagination, right?
Sora then remembered the nurse was waiting for an answer. "Oh, right. Well, I can't exactly understand myself and I really didn't mean for things to get so –"
"Just relax. I'm not going to scold you or anything. I'm just curious, really," the blond reassured him, leaning forward so he could prop his chin on his hands. A ghost of a smile was on his lips. What seemed to shine in his eyes, though, could be seen quite clearly. The man was genuinely curious, that much Sora could tell.
"They say I can heal people, but I doubt it," the teen explained shortly. How was it possible to go from an average boy to a Magician and then a Healer in such a short amount of time? It was crazy.
"Really?" The man asked, blinking in surprise. "How did they discover that?"
"Well, one of my friends is convinced that I am the reason why she's not sick any more. And then, there is that boy who thinks I healed his wrist."
"What do you think about the matter?"
Now, Sora was taken aback. It was the first time someone asked about his feelings on the whole matter. What did he think about becoming part of the species? Nothing that good, actually. The brunet didn't answer before he brought his knees to his chest and hugged them.
"It's hard to believe it's actually happening. Less than a month ago, I was just a normal boy whose main concern was to get good grades at school. It's difficult to get used to being someone entirely different," Sora explained slowly, his eyes concentrating on the small plate with the man's full name that lay on the desk. Cloud Strife? Strange name.
"What changed so much that you feel like another person now?" Cloud asked patiently, his gaze studying the brunet. Said boy couldn't see it for he was too engrossed in looking at the plate.
"Well, I became one of those… Never mind," Sora muttered, shaking his head.
"I think you should tell me. This is obviously troubling you," the blond stated, leaning back in his chair. "Whatever you say will stay between us." Sora didn't look like he'd talk anytime soon, though. "Listen, you can speak your mind around me. You should know that, right? I can feel your aura, so I guess you can tell what mine is."
"That's part of what bothers me," Sora said, his gaze finally meeting Cloud's. "I – I'm surrounded by people I've disliked my whole life. And what is worse is that I'm now one of them. I know it's horrible to think that way and I truly wish I could stop, but I've been brought up that way. All my life, all I've heard from my parents is that it's better to stay away from species. It's not so easy to change my mind," the younger stated, quickly averting his gaze to not see the nurse's reaction.
Said nurse said nothing for a while.
"What about now? Do you still think you should keep avoiding us species?"
"I'm not sure… I mean, I met great people here but… I'm not sure I can let myself befriend them. It's just too weird."
Cloud heaved a long sigh, the sound catching the brunet's attention. Suddenly, he feared he had said something that upset the nurse.
"You know, it's the same as when you encounter a Human for the first time. Befriending them, trusting them, it takes time. I think you should just go with the flow. Give yourself some time to adapt to being in a new school, surrounded by new people. Only then will you be able to think clearly about your feelings concerning potential friendships and such," Cloud told him, that ghost of a smile still present. "Now, I'd like to make sure you really are a true Healer. That interests me a lot. Do you mind if I try something?"
Sora wasn't sure what he would be agreeing to but he accepted nonetheless. His curiosity had gotten the best of him, he guessed. He watched as Cloud nodded back and grabbed a pair of scissors. The teen yelped when the man pressed one of the blades against the skin of his index finger and cut it. A crimson pearl fell on the wooden surface before Cloud extended his arms to show the cut to the younger, silently wishing he wasn't suffering from hematophobia. He was relieved to see that Sora only frowned a bit before letting his index finger brush against the older's. Cloud had to bite his bottom lip to prevent himself from smiling too obviously when he noticed the light blush Sora's cheeks had gotten from the light contact. He guessed the teen was really shy.
"I'm not even sure if this is going to work. They might have been mere coincidences." Sora felt the need to clarify things as he let go of the man's finger and joined his hands on his lap. He shook his head slowly, as if trying to convince himself.
"Well, I guess they weren't," Cloud declared, showing his finger again. There was not a single trace on the skin. Sora frowned when he realized that. "It's an honour to have such an eminent student in our school."
"Eminent? I'm not sure I'm that-" the brunet began, his cheeks turning a bright red in a matter of a few seconds.
"Just joking," the blond man told him. "I was trying to make you feel less nervous. You're even making me feel tense myself, and that's quite an accomplishment."
"Sorry, I-"
"Alright then, Sora. I think it's time you go back to class," Cloud stated, quickly writing something on a piece of paper before he handed it to the teenager. "Give this to your teacher, okay? Have a good day."
"Good day to you too," Sora replied hesitantly. He couldn't explain it but he was sure the man was planning something. Something he wouldn't like at all.
x-x-x
"Really? You can do that, Sora?" Tifa asked, her eyes doubling in size. "Man, that stupid sister of mine didn't even know how lucky she was to have you. You're gold worthy, boy!"
"Please, this is embarrassing," the brunet muttered. He suddenly found the floor really interesting.
"But it's true. Did you know there are only about a hundred of you guys in this country? People aren't kidding when they say your kind is rare," the woman insisted. When Sora eventually met her gaze, she gave him a warm smile and wrapped her arms around his thin body. "I'm so proud of you," she whispered, her smile never faltering. She could hear the gagging sounds that Axel and Roxas were making, but she chose to ignore them.
"We've known each other for, like, three weeks at most," the brunet said, feeling the need to point this fact out. His words made the woman hug him tighter, and he suddenly feared she would crush him. She wasn't a Chocobo but she sure could be one.
"It doesn't matter. The second you stepped inside this house, you became part of our small family," Tifa told him, eventually releasing him. "And being family means caring and being proud of one another."
Sora could only blink at her, his mind reeling with thoughts of his former parents, Tifa and all the new people he met in Twilight Town. Did his parents care for him? They did, he was sure of that. Even though they kept making fun of him and calling him a wimp, they must have cared. Or not. When he thought of his last day with them, he wasn't so sure any more. It was quite pathetic he had to end up living with strangers for someone to care and be proud of him. And that person – or was also Roxas thinking that? – had met him a few weeks ago and didn't know him all that much. And yet, he couldn't help but feel that warm feeling inside his chest when Tifa had said that.
"Well, it's a first. Someone's proud of me," he tried to joke, his smile obviously fake.
With that warm feeling, something bitter had appeared. Guilt. They were all really nice, but could he also think of them as family? As people he could be proud of and care for? He was slowly getting there, he was sure of that. But how much time would it take?
"Self pity again," he heard Roxas say behind him. The brunet turned around and chose to simply stick out his tongue at his twin, which made the blond chuckle.
"Boys, why don't you go to your rooms and wait for dinner to be ready?" Tifa offered, patting Sora on the head.
The two friends didn't bother answering and just retreated to Roxas' bedroom while Sora chose to leave them alone and went to his own. He shut the door and walked to his small plant. It looked quite good and ready to live for many, many years, he thought. He checked to see if it needed to be watered and when he figured it could wait for another day, he lifted his gaze up and looked out the window. When the week-end came, maybe he'd ask his brother to show him around. He didn't know the town that well and that bugged him to no end. He didn't want to depend on people to get wherever he wanted to go, so he figured a tour of the city would be a great idea. And if Roxas couldn't go with him… Well, he'd find someone else.
x-x-x
"What the hell is that?" Were the first words that got out of Sora's mouth when he entered school a few days later. A small envelope was taped to his locker, his name written on it. The handwriting was simple but clear. Definitely a man's too. Not a kid, but a man. Now, that worried him.
"What are you waiting for? Open it!" Demyx encouraged from his side. The guy was more excited than the brunet was, and the letter wasn't even addressed to him. Once more, Sora figured it had to do with the male's kind. Axel had a tendency to be lively almost all day too.
The younger of the two snatched the envelope and ripped it open with shaky fingers. Why did he feel like a kid about to be scolded? They wouldn't tape envelopes on his locker if it were serious. They would send them to Tifa, right? The brunet found himself closing his eyes as he unfolded the sheet of paper, only to open them when he heard Demyx's voice.
"Whoa, lucky!"
Sora finally read the small text written in the same clean handwriting. It read that he was to stay in the nurse's office for the designated periods of time listed below the short message, and when Sora studied them, he noticed there were a few days when he wouldn't be able to go to all of his classes. How was he supposed to study if he had to be with nurse Strife instead of his teachers? And dammit, he had to go right now if he didn't want to be late for his first shift with Cloud!
He made a dash for the nurse's office, not warning Demyx and leaving the senior alone. The brunet didn't answer the few students who greeted him, too busy trying not to trip on his own feet. Thankfully, the nurse's office wasn't far, so he got there a little earlier. He knocked on the door before he entered, not forgetting his manners. He peeked inside and saw that the nurse was already there, rummaging through the cupboards. Cloud eventually turned his head and greeted him.
"Glad you could make it on time," the blond man told him before resuming whatever he was doing.
"Short notice," Sora panted, sitting on a chair to catch his breath.
"Sorry about that. It all happened so suddenly, really," the nurse replied, closing the cupboard. He walked towards his desk, holding several boxes. He put them on the table and sat before he took a sheet of paper. "In case you were wondering, the teachers all agreed to this, so you won't be penalized."
"Why did they agree? It's like I'm skipping. No, I am skipping, basically," Sora muttered. He saw the man before him stifle a small laugh, shaking his head.
"You wouldn't believe how many students go back home because something hurts. It's like an epidemic, sometimes, especially when tests are planned. So, you now understand how you being a Healer is to our advantage," Cloud explained with a smirk.
"So, you guys are using me?"
"You could say that. But in the end, you're the one who gains a lot in this. You get to train and get better using your ability, and we keep the students for the whole day; well, at least those who come here while you're helping."
"Oh, so that healing thing needs training?" Sora asked, confused. He truly thought once he had it, he could use it without any difficulties. The other kids seemed to not have trouble with their powers.
"Sorcerers and Magicians' abilities need it. At first, you can only cast weak spells, but the more you practise, the better they get. It's like everything else. Practise makes it better, right?"
Sora could have sworn there was a mischievous glint in those eyes when the nurse had said that. He remembered seeing it once in Axel's. He didn't like it coming from either of the men. The teen didn't reply and averted his gaze, finding a dirty spot on the floor. He vaguely heard the blond shifting in his chair but didn't look up.
"Oh, I almost forgot," Cloud said to catch the teen's attention. It worked. "Your teachers gave me notes and work for you to keep you busy. We wouldn't want you to get bored, after all."
"You mean you're making me help you and study at the same time?" The younger exclaimed, his eyes widening.
"Of course you'd study. You're here for the whole morning. There's no way I'd keep you from passing your exams," Cloud stated with somewhat of a stern look. He handed Sora a few books and sheets of paper covered with exercises, amused when the boy made a face. "I may not look like it but I'm quite clever, so go ahead and ask me anything if you're having trouble with your work."
"Err, right. Thanks, sir," Sora replied politely.
"Cloud," the blond said. He saw Sora frown and tilt his head to the side. "You can call me Cloud since we'll be seeing each other a lot. Sir makes me sound so old."
The morning was uneventful and Sora was glad for that. It let him bond with Cloud who, he learned, was very kind and quiet too. It was hard to believe he was of Axel and Demyx's kind. They were all great people but in their own way. The teens were loud and didn't hide their amusement and like for someone while Cloud was more reserved on the matter. He barely smiled when he joked but his eyes would spark with sheer glee. It was amazing how eyes could be so expressive.
After spending a few hours talking about anything that came to their minds, Cloud chose to approach what looked like a touchy subject for the brunet.
"So…You feeling better among us?" The blond asked with a careful voice, like he was afraid the brunet might throw a fit. He studied the teen's face carefully, watching for any signs that would give his thoughts away.
"My aunt said she's proud of me," Sora began, grabbing his eraser. He rubbed it against his paper before scribbling something else. "It felt nice, but it also made me sad, somehow."
"How come?" Really, being a psychologist was almost like a second job to Cloud. He couldn't count the number of kids who walked in there and asked him for advice on personal matters. It was a little sad that they had to confide in him rather than in friends or family, but he wouldn't let them know this.
"Don't I need to accept what I am before I can accept others and feel the same way about them?" The teen asked, eventually looking up at the nurse. "Besides, I don't know them all that well." Sora then pouted, displeased. "It makes me feel bad to say this."
"If you don't like it, stop thinking that way," Cloud advised with a quick nod of his head.
"It's not that simple."
"It is. If you think it's unfair that you're not returning your friends and family's feelings, then just do that. Return them. You've got nothing to lose anyway, right?" Cloud insisted. For the first time that morning, a smile spread across his face. Sora couldn't help but blush seeing it. It felt like Cloud considered him a friend close enough to let him see his smile. It made him feel special.
And it sounded so wrong, even in his head.
"What am I thinking?" Sora thought to himself, shaking his head.
"See? Even you agree with me," the nurse went on, taking Sora's gesture the wrong way. But the teen was relieved he did.
Someone entered the office then, not knocking to announce themselves. The younger frowned at the lack of manners and spun around on his chair to look at the newcomer, who appeared to be a grumpy man. A Werewolf. He should have guessed. Said Werewolf glanced at Cloud's smiling face and then at Sora, scowling at him.
"Err… Hi?" Sora offered lamely, suddenly feeling completely out of place.
While Cloud seemed expressionless, this man was downright cold. And handsome – not that Cloud wasn't, though. He had brown hair that looked silky and fell to the man's shoulders, cold yet beautiful gray eyes. Even the scar on his forehead made him gorgeous. In fact, it was like there was nothing that could be done to make the man ugly.
Sora realized he had been staring at the stranger for a while, and that same stranger had realized it and now looked menacing.
"It's alright, Squall. He's just a friend." Cloud chose to intervene to smooth out the suddenly tense air.
"Hey, Cloud," Squall greeted, bluntly ignoring the teenager.
"We met earlier this morning," the blond man pointed out, raising his eyebrows. "Oh, I get it. What did you do again? Last time you acted like that, you ended up with that scar on your face."
"It's nothing serious, really. Just got clumsy when I used my Stanley knife."
It was then that Cloud saw the blood-soaked handkerchief Squall was clutching around one of his fingers. The blond held a hand out and the Werewolf showed him his injury.
"Oh my God, is that the bone?!" Cloud exclaimed, grimacing, as he examined the deep cut. "What the hell did you do?" Squall simply shrugged his shoulders and shook his hand once, waiting for the other to treat it. The nurse glanced at Sora and saw him shake his head furiously. He ignored it. "Ask him, you'll heal way faster."
Squall looked down at Sora. The latter was glad he wasn't glaring at him any more.
"He's the kid everyone is talking about?" Squall asked, raising a curious eyebrow. He could see Cloud nodding from the corner of his eye. "Alright, kid. Show me what you can do."
Before Sora could say a word, a bloody finger what shoved towards him and he was staring at what he had always hoped he wouldn't see. And God, you could really see the bone! The men saw him go pale before he dared let shaky fingers hover over the wound. With a gulp, Sora lowered his hand and let it wrap gently around the abused digit. A quick look at Squall's face let him know he wasn't hurting the man. In fact, Squall was now talking with Cloud, oblivious to the teen's nervousness and slight dizziness. Sora was okay with flesh wounds and a little bit of blood here and there, but open wounds were a huge deal.
You could see the freaking bone!
"It tickles a little," Squall suddenly said in the middle of his conversation with the nurse. "It's the first time a Healer, well, heals me. These guys like to make people pay a fortune for their services. We should take advantage of this kid before he joins them."
"Don't be so rude," Cloud said, rolling his eyes. "The way you've been treating him, he could have refused, you know? Actually, I'm amazed someone who's not a Chocobo agreed to help you."
"You forgot to mention I let him help me," the brunet half-joked, shrugging. "You done, boy?"
"Sora, you don't look so good. Are you okay?" Cloud asked worriedly when he noticed the teen's pale face.
"Bone." Was all the teen said before he collapsed, his body hitting the floor with a loud "thud".
Squall watched him, not moving to prevent him from falling. Or to help him get up. Cloud was at Sora's side in a matter of a few seconds and searched for any traces of physical injuries. When he found none, he slipped his arms under the unconscious body and lifted it up to lay it on the bed in the corner of the room.
"Maybe asking him was a bad idea," the scarred man stated uselessly.
"No kidding," the other retorted with a shake of his head. "Look after him for a moment. I'll be back soon."
"You're leaving a patient?"
"He'll be fine," the blond stated before he grabbed a plastic bag full of small boxes and left.
x-x-x
Now, Sora hopped his shifts at the nurse's office wouldn't all end up with him having a killer headache. He could feel a small bump forming on the back of his head. Roxas slapped his hand away for the tenth time since the brunet joined his friends in the cafeteria.
"Don't touch it. You'll only make it hurt more," the blond twin said wisely, grabbing his can of soda. He took a sip. "I'd know after being friends with Axel for so long."
"I'm sure you can see it," the brunet stated, once again lifting his hand to the back of his head, only to have it slapped once more.
"With that spiky hair of yours, it's unnoticeable," Axel teased with a big, goofy grin. "What happened, anyway? Don't tell me Cloud hit you?"
"I… Sort of fell off my chair?" Sora offered with an uneasy expression on his face. He blinked a few times when a tissue was put in front of him.
"You've got blood on you. Go wash your hands, the smell is driving me crazy," Riku stated, pinching his nose for good measure.
The brunet frowned and looked at the palm of his hand. It was still covered with Squall's blood, he just realized. How could Riku smell it when he himself couldn't? And his hand had been under the table the entire time too. But Sora didn't spend too much time thinking about this.
"Sure. We wouldn't want you to go and drink everyone's blood," he spat, getting to his feet. "You guys like to do that I heard."
"Well, you heard wrong."
Surprisingly enough, it wasn't Riku but Zexion who had spoken. Even the Vampire himself was surprised by that fact. But that didn't make the brunet like the silver-haired boy one bit. In fact, it just upset him. Sora stomped off and left the cafeteria, ignoring his twin calling him back to the table. He just couldn't understand these guys. Sure, he had to admit all species weren't as bad as his parents had told him all his life. That much he could see after spending time with Roxas' friends. But Vampires were another story. They had killed his grand-mother. They lusted for human blood. Riku had proved that when stating the smell of Squall's blood was driving him crazy. Maybe he should warn the Werewolf, in case the teen would attack him by surprise.
Someone bumped into him as he stood idly in the middle of the corridor. The guy called him a few names before going wherever he was going to.
"Stupid monster," Sora muttered under his breath as he went to the bathroom. Knowing he had someone else's blood on him felt so wrong.
"Hey, you!" Someone else called him. Sora searched for the source of the noise and his gaze landed on the Pack. "How come you got blood from one of our kind on you?"
The brunet gulped and unconsciously hid his hand behind his back. "It's nothing. He was hurt and I just helped him."
"Why hide your hand if that's the truth?"
Damn, those guys had good eyesight. They were standing so far from him he couldn't see their faces clearly. Until they approached him. The leader of the Pack stopped right in front of him and caught him by the collar of his shirt, his glare anything but friendly – which was logical, when one thought about it.
"How come you got blood from one of our kind on you?" The boy repeated.
Sora couldn't miss the clenched fist by the Werewolf's side. He was in for another shiner, wasn't he?
"Fights are not allowed inside school, boys."
Unless someone came and rescued him. But when the brunet realized who it was, he suddenly feared the newcomer would only make things worse.
"He's got your blood on him," the boy stated, his grip on Sora's shirt not loosening.
Squall heaved a long sigh and shook his head. "Leave him alone. He only healed me, okay?"
"You couldn't possibly be trying to defend him, could you?"
Wow, Werewolves could be so stubborn. No, distrustful. They didn't even trust one another so it was no wonder they didn't believe Sora. Things weren't looking so good. Squall had started a glaring contest with a student, who was still holding Sora by his shirt. He would be the first to be hurt if a fight broke out, wouldn't he?
"You better let go of him now. I have no reason to cover him so stop acting like a small kid," Squall growled. He literally growled and it made shivers go down the brunet's spine – and the other boys' too seeing as they looked less menacing all of a sudden.
Sora was freed and the Pack left without another word. Now, that had been a bit scary.
"You okay?" Squall asked, not moving to get closer to him. He didn't even seem sincere. All Sora could see in this guy's eyes was boredom. Why did he bother help him earlier? He was an ass.
Sora didn't reply and retreated to the bathroom.
x-x-x
"You okay, now?" Demyx asked, studying Riku's face.
"Yeah. It doesn't stink any more so I'm fine," the Vampire replied before resuming eating his sandwich.
"It's funny how the smell of cold blood can make you sick," Axel stated, stealing a chip from Roxas, who let out an indignant yelp that was ignored.
"Blood in general makes me sick when it's not that time of the month," Riku made known with a shrug of his shoulders.
"You sound like a girl talking about her periods," Marluxia teased, giving his friend a playful shove on the shoulder. He saw Riku make a face.
"Thankfully, I wasn't referring to that."
"You wouldn't believe how often my aunt's hair turns white when she has her periods. It's frightening, really," Roxas informed, eating a chip and slapping Axel's sneaking hand away.
"She's still cursed?" Demyx asked, blinking in surprise.
"All curses don't disappear. She's had it since birth and will probably die with it."
"I do hope yours will stop soon. You don't look so good with a beard," the redhead told his blond friend.
Roxas scrunched up his nose. "I'm still young, it could stop at any time."
"He's taking a while," Marluxia suddenly said, looking all around him, as if searching for someone. He noticed his friends sending him curious glances. "Sora."
"Maybe he got lost?" Demyx offered.
"Maybe a Vampire ate him?" Riku added, chuckling at his own joke that surely didn't make Roxas laugh.
"You know, I highly doubt he'll ever change his mind if you keep acting like a jerk," the blond told him with a frown.
"Having one prick is enough. I don't need you to join him."
Just like that, the friendly atmosphere became tense. The other boys made to calm their friends down but it was to no avail.
"I really want to know why you're so bent on protecting him that you feel the need to insult me," Riku began.
"Oh, come on, since when – " Axel began, only to be cut off when the younger kept talking.
"In front of all of our friends. Why would you do that for someone you barely know?"
"He's my brother."
"That doesn't change the fact you guys know nothing of each other."
The blond wanted to say something, he really did, but he didn't know what to answer to that. Protecting someone from your family was logical, wasn't it? Why didn't Riku want to understand that?
The silver-haired boy sighed, bringing a hand to his temple to massage it. "Alright, I'll go look for him. Satisfied?" He asked, standing up and turning towards the cafeteria's exit.
While making his way to the closest bathroom, the silver-haired boy couldn't help but wonder why he was helping Sora. The boy was nothing but rude and stupid. But he was Roxas' brother.
"And Roxas is my friend," Riku thought.
xx—xx—xx
Alright, that's it for new characters. For now. =x I'll give you some time to take everything in before anything new comes your way. And let's not forget bonding. \o/ These guys need to get a little closer before the really fun part starts. ;) Thanks a bunch for the reviews you guys left, they mean so much to me!
