Chapter 3: Welcome To Radiant Gardens
The following morning, when the sun had barely begun to lazily stretch out, the reeving of a bike's engine woke Roxas up. Every last bit of drowsiness was chased away but he choose to remain in bed to stare at the ceiling since it was too early to do anything.
I wonder if Cloud was able to sleep more. I hope he does okay on his first day of work. Roxas thought as he reached to his side to pet the sleeping Fenrir's back. Although Cloud was struggling, Roxas had no idea how Cloud was being able to manage everything. But that was one of the things he always looked up to Cloud for: Perseverance.
No matter what happened, bro has always been there … He's always found ways around things even when he wasn't sure they would work …
But Roxas also reminded himself that Zack was also always there to give Cloud a little push whenever he needed it, and was also there to keep him on his feet. Even after a year of Zack's death there was no sign of Cloud getting any better, or if indeed there was one, it was very minimal. And while it was normal that the loss of the only other person they could consider family was still mourned, many of the things that happened to Cloud were the complete opposite of something that's expected.
"Their connection, the one Zack always talked 'bout ... It has to be that. But if it is, what will happen to Cloud? Will he stay forever like this?" Roxas spoke softly and he felt Fenrir move towards him and gave Roxas a little nuzzle and a lick. Roxas did not want to entertain the thought of something bad happening to the only family he had left.
"There has to be a way to help Cloud. But what?," He groaned and turned on his side pressing the pillow against his ears. If part of Cloud's condition was due to what he suspected then Roxas didn't think he would be able to aid Cloud.
A frustrating thought, but he did not want to get discouraged and wanted to believe that anything he could do, no matter how minimal it was, it would help Cloud in any way possible. Thinking on ways to help Cloud Roxas looked around. Almost immediately he noticed a mess of clothes pouring out from some of the boxes. The untidiness also reminded the young teen that there still was unpacking to do around their house.
"Geez Cloud, I folded those … can't you be any mesier …" With a frown he grumbled at the mess his older brother made. Roxas hated folding clothes or anything that had to do with laundry. But Roxas wagered that he would not be able to fall asleep again anyways, so he jumped off the bed, stretched and proceeded to start the day.
Roxas went to take a shower and brush his teeth while Fenrir shadowed him. As he showered he wondered if there was anything else he could do other than organize and clean everything, for when Cloud got home from work he wouldn't have to worry about any mess. But Roxas didn't think that it would take him all day to do so … After several minutes of staring at the falling water he realized that he had zoned out and had not thought of anything in particular, and thought that perhaps he would just come up with things as the day would go on. He jumped out of the shower and eager got started with the tasks, starting by feeding Fenrir but foregoing breakfast himself.
Despite there not being too many boxes they were making their small living space look messy and it was making him feel like he was cramped in the small house. Even so, as he worked on clearing everything he kept feeling uncomfortable with his surroundings. There was an odd tension squeezing his chest and, despite the sound of his activities there was a stillness in the air that not even the music from his phone could lift. No matter how he set up the furniture it would not feel right. But he shook it off blaming it all on the unfamiliarity of the place and he continued trying to find a perfect set up. In the end, Roxas did not have much to play around with and settled by putting their only sofa facing the wall that had an opening where the kitchen could be seen, while the dining table with the two seats was set in a position where it was by the entrance door and near the entrance to the kitchen.
"Ok … I guess that'll do it." Roxas dusted off his hands then put his hands on his hips taking a look around. But as soon as he stopped moving the same tension from earlier became more apparent and it was even making Roxas feel some palpitations. "Why do I feel so odd today …" He ran a hand through his hair and took a look at the time to see that despite him feeling like he had done so much already, it wasn't even midday.
Agitated, the teen groaned, "I already fixed everythin' … there's not much else I can do." Roxas began to idly pace about tapping his phone against his mouth, not believing how slow time was going. He slumped down on the sofa and took another look around.
Everythin's too quiet … Fenrir is here but … There was something that was bothering Roxas but he could not figure out what it was. He held the sides of his head while keeping his eyes on the emptiness of the house. Fenrir approached him and sat in front of him, staring with a tilted head but he hardly realized the dog's presence since his attention was being drawn to the confines that surrounded them.
Roxas then turned his attention to his phone, unlocking it and searched through the only two contacts that he had in it. The name that was under Cloud's made his heart sink and he frowned whilst he selected the contact. Memories were trying to make their way into his head, but Roxas didn't let them yet he found himself hesitating to press the 'Delete' option on a menu at a side of the screen.
It's time to move on … you would have wanted that … right? Roxas closed his eyes for a moment. It felt strange and even a little wrong but there was no use on keeping that number there anymore.
Without opening his eyes he pressed down on the key, and when he looked on his phone again the only number he had was that of Cloud's.
Tears welled up in Roxas eyes but he dried them with the back of his hand before they could fall. His eyes were still prickling as he stared at Cloud's name on the screen, his thumb lingering on the dial button.
Roxas scoffed with a dry smirk while shaking his head. "I shouldn't bother him … he must be very busy at work. I can take care of myself …" He breathed out softly, reluctantly pocketing his phone again and rubbed his face with his hands. "Maybe all I need is to go out for a little bit … this whole moving thing could have me stressed out …" recurring to the earlier thought of going out, Roxas cupped Fenrir's jaw to give it a soft rub and added, "I'd like to know how Cloud's doin'. Maybe I should check he's ok too, ya'?"
Fenrir licked Roxas' wrist and the latter smiled at the canine and also nuzzled the furry head.
"Hmm. I'm not too familiar with this place … But I really feel like skateboarding … I wonder if there's any skate parks around …" Roxas mumbled as he cradled Fenrir's jaw and massaged his cheeks with his thumbs. "I won't find out by just sittin' here though, right big guy?"
Fenrir thumped his tail once and looked at back the teen that was playfully squishing his face. Roxas chuckled and kissed Fenrir on the forehead while cooing to the dog, "I promise that I'll take you for a walk in the afternoon," and the dog replied with two licks and several wags of his long fluffy tail.
After smiling and giving Fenrir one last kiss Roxas then went to the back to the room and took his beloved skateboard from under the bed. He dusted it off with his hand and took a moment to appreciate the black tribal designs that gave a unique design to the white board.
"Wow, I really can't remember when was the last time I took a day to just skate. I really hope that I find a skatepark or somethin' ... Or I can jus' explore the city," a small hum was how he debated himself for a little before standing up, putting on his shoes and sleeveless white hoodie.
A little hesitation stopped Roxas at the door for several seconds however; he was planning on exploring the town, but he considered if he should wait for Cloud to have a day off so they could go explore the town together since he had already asked Cloud if they could. "But if I wait for Cloud … he'll most probably keep sayin' 'no' or 'some other time' …" Roxas sighed, missing the long afternoon walks he used to take through Midgar with his brother and Zack. But Roxas had this need to get out, just the thought of staying in the house until Cloud came back home had him shaking his head and heading out the door.
"I'll see you later Fen!"
After closing the door behind him the young teen stood on the sidewalk by their small front porch took a deep breath that quickly began to soothe the heavy feelings in his heart. He hummed softly pushing everything to a side, got on the skateboard, and headed in the direction where he has gone with Cloud already.
Out in the city despite the sun's bright shine the temperature was pleasant, it was warm but the wind still breathed a nice crisp air over Radiant Gardens. There was a bit of a hustle on the streets but to Roxas it wasn't like something he wasn't used to, in fact he found the traffic to be much calmer than what he was familiar with. The wind even felt different and took in as much of it as he could in each breath. If Roxas would use a word to describe how he felt it would be liberating; the breeze was on his back giving the extra push that made him feel like he was flying down those streets. The busy paths didn't bother him as the streets of Midgar had made him an expert on navigating his way through crowds or traffic, just as he wasn't concerned of getting lost since he was confident of his excellent memory; he took note of landmarks or any peculiar signs at the corner of a street, or at the colors of one particular building or at the name of a street.
The vibrant scenery managed to catch the adolescent's eye and prompted curiosity for the urbane feel in the town's rather unique infrastructure. From what he could see so far most of the buildings looked antique but well preserved and refined by lush trees and the occasional small gardens in plazas or parks.
This place is really nice. I'm already startin' to really like Radiant Gardens. Now if only I actually had any idea of where the heck I'm goin' …
He chuckled to himself as the liveliness around him was relieving the uncomfort he was feeling back at the house. It was equally making Roxas feel a bit disappointed and guilty for taking the tour without his older brother, as he was sure that Cloud would enjoy it whether it was on a walk or a bike ride.
Maybe I could ask him today again if he wants to go around on the weekend … if he's off that is. Roxas thought as he picked up his speed a little and performed an Ollie and almost lost his footing when he landed, Boy, I'm gettin' rusty. Need to practice more again.
Roxas prepared to try the trick again when suddenly he felt a strange palpitation drum in his chest that caused him the sensation that something was behind him. But it went away quickly as he took a quick glance over his shoulder.
That was strange … He frowned but carried onwards to an area ahead of him that looked like a round shaped plaza. He mused that perhaps he could find an area to skate nearby and that it would help him with calming down his startled heartbeats.
As Roxas skated into the plaze he saw that it was mostly surrounded by buildings that seemed like residential homes; surrounded by little batches of bushes with flowers, and the occasional shrub here and there.
Roxas would have taken a chance to take a look around some more, but he didn't want to stop, he couldn't. Again he felt tense as his instincts told him to keep moving. Instinctually he sped up a little and looked behind him.
This feeling… It's-
"Watch out!"
Another voice shouted out of nowhere but Roxas was fast to look ahead of him again at the warning. Yet he was not quick enough to deviate from the collision course with another skater. Before he knew it they both let out a loud 'oof' just as their bodies crashed into the other and tumbled to the ground shortly after. Two Skateboards came to a lazy stop a few feet away and Roxas swore he heard several other things falling to the cobblestone floor.
"Ahh … Crap … " Roxas groaned as he sat up to rub the throbbing on his forehead which was quickly followed by a sharp sting on his elbow. He had little time to examine the large scrape as he saw that the male adolescent he crashed into was getting up on all fours and was shaking his head.
Roxas was on his feet in an instant, and when he was by the other adolescent he put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry! Are you 'kay?"
The other boy groaned while rubbing his nose before looking at Roxas to answer the question. "Yea, ow. It hurts but I ha- Wait, Roxas?"
When the other said his name Roxas recognized him as the boy he meet the day before in Cid's shop. "Oh, 'tis you from yesterday! Sora, right?" There was just a moment of hesitation before Roxas said the name since he was unsure if he was recalling it right. He was surprised that Sora remembered his and offered his hand to help him up.
"Yup! That's me, the one and only!" Sora said chiperly as he dusted of his clothes once he was on his feet, "Sorry I didn't see you, I was distracted with something" Sora added as he bent down to pick up some boxes and parcels that had apparently fallen out of one of the two bags he carried: a large backpack that was opened, and a messenger bag going across his torso and resting on one side.
Roxas quickly proceeded to help him as he apologized as well. He tried to hide his embarrassment as he noted some passersby staring. "No, no, 'm sorry too. I wasn't lookin' where I was goin'." And that's what I get for not payin' 'tention …
"Nah, it's okay" Sora shrugged off as he piled the small boxes and then took off the backpack to put the boxes in there.
Roxas had taken care of picking up the parcels and gathering the skateboards where he noticed the similarity between the two; the only difference was that Sora's was a navy blue.
Roxas handed the parcels over to Sora who took them with a grateful smile and stuffed them into the messenger bag, "Ah, thank you"
"Sure, it's the least I could do after crashin' into you like that" Roxas said as he tucked his skateboard under one of his arms while the other arm, the one with the fresh gash, he used to rub the back of his neck. The motion caused Roxas's skin to stretch and he winced bringing the arm down to notice the blood running down. "Aw man …"
Sora grimaced as put on his backpack again, "Eesh, looks like you hit yourself pretty hard there. But no worries, it happens!" Sora rolled up the semi long sleeves of the plaid hoodie shirt he wore to proudly show Roxas the various bandages he had on his own arm. Sora then dug into a waist pouch mumbling something about having bandages and where did he put them.
Just how often does he skate to receive so many scrapes? I wonder if he does tricks. To answer his own question, and as Sora was still fumbling with his pouch and the many pockets on his capri cargo pants, Roxas took a closer look of the rest of Sora's clothing.
A cool looking red, black and white plaid shirt matched with a black v-neck shirt underneath, his neck adorned by a silver chain that held a crown shaped charm. Pants were black too, and short high top sneakers that were more akin to boots. Casual but sporty, and Roxas assumed that maybe Sora did spend a lot of time skateboarding.
"Ah! Here it is, knew I had one!" Sora suddenly announced as he took out a roll of bandages and a disinfecting swab. When he turned to Roxas again he asked, "Need help wrapping them?"
"Oh, you don't need to-" Roxas didn't have the chance to respond properly since Sora moved towards him to take his arm. And though Roxas had an innate response to step away from Sora, and his body did make the gesture to move, Roxas stayed in place, much to Roxas' own surprise.
"It's alright! Besides, if you don't treat it, it could get infected." Sora explained with a friendly smile.
"O-kay … when you put it that way …" Roxas would have argued that he could just take care of it when he returned to his house, but he would feel rude after Sora looked so eager to help him. Hevallowed Sora to wrap the bandages he went stiff and at the initial contact it stung and Roxas winced. Although, he soon realized that the pain was subduing as Sora carefully worked on the wound.
"There! That should take care of it for the time being." Sora announced dusting off his hands and smirking proudly.
Roxas was surprised at how quick and easy Sora patched him up and he inspected the work Sora did. He tested the flexibility and was impressed when the sting was much more minimal than he anticipated and his arm's movement was not restrained. "Wow! Umm, thanks Sora. You're really good at this."
"Hey, no prob! And yea, you could say that I have enough practice." The brunet grinned giveing a strong pat to Roxas' shoulder. Roxas wasn't sure if it was simply that Sora's energy was contagious but he chuckled at Sora who then added, "So, where are you headed? Are you up to something?"
"Not … really. I was jus' goin' around I guess." Roxas shrugged a shoulder.
"Ah, taking a tour? That sounds neat. I myself am doing some deliveries and errands for Ol' Man Cid. But I'm almost done and if you want you can some with me and I'll show you around!"
"Oh? Really?! Wouldn't that get you in trouble?" Roxas asked excitedly at first but then got worried about interrupting Sora in his work.
"Pffftt, please, Cid won't even know … Though I would have to keep the tour somewhat short …" Sora grinned and shrugged sheepishly.
Roxas chortled and shook his head, grateful for Sora's humble offer. "It's a'right, I was thinkin' on stopin' by the shop later anyways."
"Ah, perfect then! It's settled, just try to keep up!" Sora nudged him on the arm with his elbow, the tease and competitiveness clear in Sora's lively tone.
Soon after and without a second thought Sora got on his skateboard and skated away. Pumped with adrenaline Roxas grinned and got on his own to follow behind Sora. His day was already going better than what he had expected.
The two teens maintained a steady pace so that they could chatter, though, with his energy, Sora was the one that lead the conversation. But Roxas was attentive to every detail and took mental notes of the places he thought could be the most interesting to visit. Though Roxas was sure that he would do anything in his power to visit every last corner in Radiant Gardens. And it seemed that he was acquiring a new companion that he could go with besides Cloud.
Sora was showing Roxas the easiest routes and shortcuts to get around and sometime after Roxas began to notice that they were skating by larger strings of shops and restaurants one right next to the other. Every single building were similar in shape and colors and all were interconnected by cobblestone narrow streets and alleys, and there was some that even went uphill. There was some vendors selling knick knacks out in the open and others with small cafeterias that filled the air with appetite inducing aromas. The few parts of Radiant Gardens that Roxas has seen harbored a lot of had old fashioned architecture. But where the area that they were currently going into actually looked like it has been there for many years, it was like the heart of the city.
It was like if history itself was palpable in the very air: From the subtle peels on some of the buildings' walls, to the way people went about mostly on foot; the sidewalks were adorned by black oil street lamps and most of the doors and windows of the structures were made out of hardwood. The streets were narrow, paved in cobblestone and interconnected with alleyways that cut through the numerous buildings and led to the next street. Roxas let out a small breathy sound of admiration as he looked up at the tall structures and could only imagine how this place would light up at night.
"Pretty neat huh?" Sora asked as he slowly came to a stop and got of his skateboard.
"Looks very lively." still sounding breathy as he talked Roxas came to a stop and picked up his board.
"Oh yea, it is! This is the heart of Radiant Gardens. The main marketplace is not so far away, and there's a plaza a few streets up where they play music, there's the elevated gardens which are the biggest gardens in all of the city. Oh! and there's also the bailey of the old castle, which has a great view by the way." Sora talked excitedly about his home building up Roxas' own enthusiasm.
"Really?! There's a castle?!"
"You betcha! They say it's super old and it's a main tourist attraction. But my big bro and I love going to the bailey because of the awesome view. It's our second favorite place."
"What's your first then?" Having an historic castle to explore sounded interesting enough to explore so Roxas was curious what could Sora like more than exploring an ancient structure.
"The fountain court. It's nearby the elevated gardens. It's a nice place to relax, there's benches to sit and paths you walk on. But it's even cooler to go at night because the fountains have lights that change color and they make these awesome displays, and sometimes, they even throw fireworks."
"Wow, that sounds so cool." All that Sora was telling him was a far cry from the previous home that Roxas did not want to talk or think about. He silently hoped that Sora would not ask him. Mostly because Roxas knew that he wouldn't talk fondly about that city he and Cloud abandoned and he didn't want to sour the energetic mood. He quickly changed the subject to be on the safe side.
"So, Sora …" Roxas looked at the other teen thinking on what to say until his eyes landed on the multiple bags Sora was carrying.
"Yea?"
"I was wonderin', if you don't mind me askin', do you usually do deliveries too?"
"Eeehhh, pretty often yea. I'm homeschooled so I have some liberties with my schedule. And my brother Leon is also Cid's right hand and he's sometimes very … busy. So I try to help him out as much as I can, especially since he tends to overdo things sometimes if I don't keep an eye on him ..." Sora's sentence finished in a grumble.
The last bit of information Roxas found a bit strange since he was pretty sure that he heard Sora say that he had an older brother, but then again he thought of himself and Cloud and he felt a sort of sympathy for his fellow teen.
'sides , brothers are supposed to watch out for each other . Cloud always… Roxas was feeling his mood sinking but he wasn't allowed to dwell on it as Sora continued the conversation.
"But I've talked enough about me, what about you? You come from Midgar, right?"
"Ya', but there's not much to report really. It's a concrete jungle and pretty bland … Mostly." Roxas shrugged dismissively. Although he wanted to contribute more to their conversation he was uncertain of exactly how much of himself should he talk about.
"Oh … Okay then. Well, I guarantee that you'll love it here!" Sora suddenly frowned and leaned in with a serious tone. "Important question though: Have you tasted Sea-salt ice-cream?"
Roxas expected Sora to probe a little more but he was relieved and he answered Sora with a shake of his head. Sora was so shocked by Roxas' answer and he went on about the sweet and salty goodness of the frozen treat while pretending to look offended. But in the end Sora promised that he would take Roxas to get some sometime.
The rest of their afternoon was spent talking and taking small detours between Sora's errands. And despite Sora telling Roxas that he didn't have to help him Roxas did end up assisting Sora; expressing to Sora that he didn't like to just watch others work while he was idly standing by. Sora shrugged and instead of insisting anymore he made full use of Roxas which helped with finishing the errands more efficiently. Much to Sora's delight.
After they were done Sora challenged Roxas to a race which Roxas was quick to accept. They raced from their position to the shop doing some tricks with their skateboards along the way. As they neared the parking by Cid's workshop the first glimpse Roxas caught was that of Cloud's bike which caused him the excitement that helped him beat Sora by a pinch.
"Holy smokes Roxas, you're fast! Man, I almost passed you!" Sora said in a tone that was between a protest but was also impressed as he came to a slow stop beside Roxas.
"Ya'? But you weren't that far off though. I think I got lucky on that last turn." Roxas picked up his skateboard as he tried to stay modest even though he appreciated the praise.
"Aw come on, you were great! We need to get together sometime and go to a skatepark or something!"
"Definitely! That'd be fun!"
Roxas and Sora continued to talk as they walked through the garage Cid's office. On the other end Roxas noticed two women talking with each other. One of the young women had long auburn hair tied into a braid and was taller than the one with short dark hair. The two of them momentarily noticed him and Sora and the women waved in their direction. Roxas was a little confused but then he saw Sora waving back and he assumed that the two women must have been employees as well.
Inside Cid's office was Cloud inside and was handing a clipboard over to the older man. Roxas didn't want to be rude by interrupting so he went quiet when he and Sora entered the office.
Sora on the other hand didn't seem to have as much subtlety since he announced their arrival unceremoniously.
"Good afternoon gentlemen." Sora talked in a smooth tone, modifying it to make it sound a little deeper.
Cid's and Cloud's attention landed on them and Roxas awkwardly waved his brother hello.
"Ah, Squirt, yer back. Did ya manage to do all the errands I asked of ya?" Cid seemed completely unfaced by Sora's interruption. Roxas thought that it would have cause them some reprimand but he was surprised when they received none.
"Yep! Thanks to Roxas' help here!" Sora cheerfully said putting his arm around Roxas' shoulders and giving him a pat.
"Go-good afternoon sir" Roxas tried to hide that he was still abashed by interrupting the two adults by clearing his throat, trying to sound firm and standing straight.
Cid eyed him up and down while rubbing his chin before turning to Cloud and asking, "He yours?"
Cloud took a visible deep breath, nodding as he casually responded. "He's my brother."
The gruff man's pale eyebrows rose slightly as he gave Roxas another once over then looked back at Cloud. "Boy, no kiddin', this kid's yer spittin' image!"
The only thing Cloud did was hum and cross his arms over his chest. Roxas on the other hand was not surprised by the comment, it was something he expected everybody he knew would say from how often he has heard it in his life.
Cid then looked at Roxas again while taking a box of toothpicks out of a pocket of the many blue parka jacket he wore. "So, Roxas, right?"
The teen nodded firmly, "Yessir"
"So ya helped Sora here then? Or did this slacker let you do all the heavy lifting?" Cid put the toothpick in his mouth and chewed on it a little bit.
"Hey!" Sora was quick to protest while crossing his arms indignantly.
Roxas grinned at Sora's reaction, but he shook his head and answered Cid, "No sir, I offered to help. He helped me first so I wanted to return him the favor …" Roxas demonstrated what he meant by showing his bandaged arm. He felt Cloud's eyes on him and he looked to see that Cloud had a very subtle frown as he looked at the bandages. Roxas tilted his head questioningly when he met Cloud's gaze, but Cloud just looked away back at Cid.
"Ah, did he now?" Cid drawled his sentence a little while shifting the toothpick in his mouth from one side to the other as he looked at Sora. "Been playin' Doctor again, Squirt ? Hope ya didn't raid my first aid cabinet. Again. "
As Cid tapped his fingers against the desk Sora's shoulders climbed sheepishly avoiding Cid's pointed gaze. Sora scratched the back of his head, and in a clear attempt to change the subject he took a clipboard out of his messenger bag. "Uhhhhh, hey! Here are my reports for today Cid. So you see that I didn't slack off." He handed over the clipboard smirking cockily.
For several moments Cid looked at Sora with a suspicious look on his face: lips pulled to the side and slightly puckered. He gave the papers a quick look then hummed and set the clipboard to a side.
"Anywho," Cid then directed his attention back to Cloud, "Like I was tellin' ya Strife, good work today. Ta be honest ya did more than what I had expected for your first day. An' in a new city no less, I thought ya would get lost."
"The GPS helped." Cloud's tone caught Roxas' attention. To anyone's ears Cloud's tone would sound bland, but Roxas could detect the hint of tension in it. He furrowed his eyebrows watching how Cloud was keeping his head relatively low as though he was avoiding something. And when Roxas took another look around he spotted the reason.
On the back wall behind Cid a strange mark caught Roxas' attention and not only because of its peculiarity it was also because of its familiarity. He didn't think that he would see it again, that symbol that Cloud hoped they wouldn't have to see ever again; the emblem of a heart sitting atop a cross with seven edges; two of them bent downwards while the rest were shaped like daggers, the on at the bottom being the longest one.
That symbol … 'tis … Why is that there? Roxas softly frowned as he wondered why, but a hand suddenly waving in front of him snapped him out of the examination leading him to look to his side where he heard Sora talking to him.
"Heellloooo, are you still with us Roxas?"
All sets of eyes in the room were on him: Sora was raising an eyebrow questioningly, while Cloud had a subtle frown on his face, which Roxas tried skipping over as the heat gathered on his cheeks. Roxas felt even more abashed when Cid was pointedly looking at him while moving the toothpick between his lips as if waiting for something.
Roxas swallowed hard and slightly dipped his head, "Umm … Sorry … did you say somethin' to me, sir?" It didn't help with his embarrassment when Sora chuckled and Cloud let out a short breath through his nose while crossing his arms.
Cid looked at him weird and cleared his throat while he scratched his stubby chin, "Ya' kid, I was thankin' ya ' for helping Sora today." Cid stood up from the chair while digging into his pocket to take out some munny then he looked at Cloud. "May I?"
Cloud who still had his arms crossed shrugged one of his shoulders, "He earned it. "
"Indeed he did," Cid said while smirking and he stretched out his hand for Roxas to take his reward.
Roxas obviously did not expect a reward neither he require one. He was taken aback and did not if it would be more proper to answer or politely decline. "Oh, um, y-you don't need to pay me, sir. I don't work here." he hoped that Cloud would give him some guidance on what to answer. But Cloud maintained an aloof posture.
"Go ahead son. It's fine, ya still did a job an' it should be repaid."
While still unsure, Roxas accepted the munny. Cid seemed like he was doing it in good faith and Roxas thought that it could be rude and that was the last thing he wanted.
"Thank you." Roxas said hoping that he wasn't giving off any wrong impression.
"No problem kid. Now, as for you Sora," Once again Cid took out munny and handed it over to him.
"See? I didn't slack ." Sora acted like he was still offended and earned a scoff from Cid.
"Ya', ya' squirty, whatever." Cid then used his hands to gesture Sora to leave while adding, "But anyways, ya should probably run off home so you can check on Squirt."
Sora laughed, "Don't you think he's old for you to call him that?"
"Not fer me he's not" Cid grunted.
Sora grinned and he took off both of the bags to put them in a corner of the office. "You sure you don't need any more help?"
"Nah, closing time is soon and I still got the others in the front to help me close. But make sure ya tell that stubborn brother of yours not to call out 'morrow!"
Sora backed away towards the door while rising his hands in a placating manner, "Don't worry, I will, I will." The brunet adolescent then turned to Roxas with a smile whilst extending his hand, "It was nice meeting you again Roxas. Hope to see you soon."
Roxas smiled back and grabbed his hand for a firm handshake, "Likewise, thanks, for today."
"Anytime! And thank you for helping me out!" After shaking Roxas' hand Sora looked up at Cloud and Roxas could see how Sora's blue eyes subtly moved around for some seconds before he talked. "It … was nice meetin' you too … Mr. Strife."
Cloud briefly met Sora's eyes yet was quick to respond sounding a bit rushed despite his soft tone. "Jus' call me Cloud."
Sora's eyebrows knitted for a second right before proceeding to the door while saying over his shoulder, "See you tomorrow Cid!"
Roxas watched Sora go curious about the odd exchange between the two.
Cid cleared his throat shortly after that and said, "Well Strife, you too. That's all for today an' I expect ya to be here bright and early 'morrow again. There's a lot of stuff to do an' I wanna to get ya more familiarized with the stuff we do here."
"Yessir. I'll be here." Cloud said softly while giving a subtle courteous nod and barely a second later he turned on his heel and left.
Roxas was left a little abashed and while he understood the condition Cloud was going through Cid didn't know the current state Cloud was in, and most likely no one else would be able to understand. It made Roxas worry that Cloud's attitude could be taken the wrong way and lead them to trouble. As a result, Roxas hesitated to follow Cloud for a moment wondering if it would be appropriate to apologize to Cid for Cloud or not.
"Oi kid, ya lookin' a little antsy there and yer brother's leavin' ya"
Roxas looked at Cid and by what he has seen so far Cid seemed like a good man. To Roxas it would feel wrong to be rude in some way or form.
"Sir?" Roxas began hesitantly but he quickly gathered confidence, "I dunno if this is right but … Please, I'm sorry if Cloud seems rude. He doesn't mean it, I'm sure. We've jus' been through some … rough things. It's not an excuse but, he's tryin'."
At first it looked like Cid didn't know what was Roxas talking about, but the man nodded softly after a little bit and stood up from the chair, talking as he rounded the desk and approached Roxas.
"Son, I've been around and I know a troubled man when I see one," Cid placed a hand on Roxas shoulder before continuing, "I've had my fair share of dealin' with such. An' he wouldn't be the first one that I've had to put back on track 'ere. Don't worry, I don't get offended so easily and by what he showed me today yer brother looks like a hardworkin' person, which is what I need." Cid gave two strong pats to Roxas shoulders and a smirk.
Roxas looked at the man strangely and was going to voice his curiosity when he heard Cloud calling him.
"Ya better run off kid. Yer brother must be tired."
Roxas agreed and he thought that it was better not pry anyways. He thanked Cid and even exchanged a handshake with the man before running off after his brother.
After the brothers left Cid's shop Cloud made a quick stop at a convenience store and bought some microwavable dinners that really didn't look too appealing to Roxas. The younger Strife was disappointed that they would have those for dinner again. He was actually hoping that Cloud might have it in him to cook, and how much Roxas longed that. Nevertheless, Roxas knew better than to complain about it and settled with something that was supposed to be mashed potatoes … or so the box said. They tasted terrible, but at least Cloud took a few nibbles too after about two days without eating.
After they ate Roxas was going to take Fenrir for a walk, and even invited Cloud to go with them. Roxas wanted to tell Cloud everything about his day; there was so much to tell that he wouldn't know where to start.
Unfortunately for Roxas, his plan was foiled when first: He found that Fenrir was asleep; and second, when Roxas tried engaging in conversation with Cloud, the adult wasn't very talkative. Shortly after they had dinner they both took a shower, and Cloud took some painkillers before quietly creeping into bed. With no one to talk to or to discharge his emotions with Roxas followed his brother's lead.
Upset, Roxas sought another outlet by plugging his headset into his phone and closing his eyes to think back on his day and draw his own conclusions. He tried to dismiss the lack of conversation as Cloud being tired and though he could understand Roxas was left with bottled up thoughts: Roxas wanted to know if Cloud had really taken note of the emblem hanging from Cid's wall; what did Cloud think and if he was bothered by it; Roxas also wanted to tell Cloud about the strange feelings he felt during the morning as he couldn't figure out by himself what it could have meant. But Roxas then considered that given the stress and how down Cloud was feeling it was best to talk about more positive things: Like share the things Sora showed him about Radiant Gardens and the things they talked about ...
Roxas had been looking forward to that the most and although he told himself that he shouldn't have been surprised, it was hard not to feel disappointed. And somewhat annoyed by the fact that all of those thoughts coupled together were the reason he couldn't find sleep.
But there was also something that had him worried and was the prominent of all thoughts in his head.
The mark of the Invokers … I wonder if Cid knows that's what it is … I mean, if it's on his wall, he should know, right? Or maybe he just thinks it looks cool on the wall? … Either way .. For a moment Roxas furrowed his eyebrows as he worried if it would upset Cloud to work there because of that symbol and what it represented. Cloud did look tense on Cid's office but he didn't look too upset about it.
Hm. Bro hasn't said anyhin' so maybe I'm overthinkin' things. 'Tis been a weird day. I should jus' go to sleep. Or try to I guess ...
Roxas took a deep breath and tried to quiet his mind, letting the soft instrumental music to lull him to sleep. After a while it seemed to have worked as he could feel that a part of him was dozing off.
Without any warning, a strange tension built up in Roxas' chest that kept him from achieving total slumber.
It was a sensation hankering on his skin for him to open up his eyes, but he refused to do so as he really wanted to sleep. But soon after there was a small movement on the bed, specifically by his feet where Fenrir was supposed to be sleeping, and Roxas could faintly hear the jingle of the dog tags over the gentle music.
"Fen go to sleep." Roxas mumbled mildly annoyed without opening his eyes. Not long after did Roxas felt another movement carried across the bed accompanied with what he thought were mumbles.
Previous to Roxas opening his eyes a firm grasp clamped onto his hand which was what finally tore the teen from the little sleep he was acquiring. Spooked he sat on the bed and looked to his side to see that Cloud was the one holding onto his hand; Cloud's skin felt clammy and he was almost out of breath.
"Cloud?!" In an instant Roxas, without letting go of Cloud's hand, he casted aside the headphones in panic, and kneeled beside the shaking young man.
"No. No. No! No! NOOOOO! Go away!" Cloud screamed as his body thrashed in a fit and without opening his eyes.
Roxas grimaced as Cloud's grip on him tightened yet he didn't attempt to either retrieve his hand nor yell at Cloud. And even though Roxas' heart was in disquiet he was afraid that if he did anything rash it would make things worse. Acting on instinct and hoping that it would work like other times before, Roxas opted for speaking in a soothing tone while clasping Cloud's hand between his.
"Cloud." Roxas nearly whispered.
The writhing adult stopped moving almost abruptly, stretching out his body completely while his chest heaved heavily in quick huffs. "Ro- Roxas," Cloud called in a whimper of desperation.
"Ya' Cloud, 'tis me. You need to wake up" Roxas made an effort to stay calm but he couldn't keep the nervousness he felt out of his tone. Fenrir had also gotten up to try and soothe Cloud by walking over to Cloud's side to nuzzle his hair while whining softly.
Cloud groaned and wildly shook his head a few times whilst gritting his teeth. Roxas was not sure how any other kind of touch would make Cloud react, but he took the risk to give his older brother a gentle nudge on the shoulder.
"Bro please, open your eyes" Roxas said calmly and frowning in concern.
"'Tis there … 'tis there!" Cloud's expression crinkled further right before turning his head away from Roxas.
"What's there Cloud?" it getting harder for Roxas to keep his calm and it was evident in the desperation in his voice.
Cloud kept on mumbling some things and the adolescent rose an eyebrow while leaning a bit forward in an attempt to make out the words. The only thing that Roxas caught though was when Cloud repeated through shaky breaths 'It's there, it's there'.
It sent a chill down Roxas' spine even when he couldn't understand why Cloud was saying that. And almost immediately after that Fenrir looked at the window behind Roxas and started to growl and then he barked. Roxas tried sushing the dog but he continued to growl, tension was building up behind him and Roxas had to turn around and see if there was actually something.
There was nothing.
Nothing but the inky blackness of the night and the faint glimmer of the street lights. Yet that was causing Roxas' heart to thump faster. His attention was called back to Cloud barely seconds when Cloud's mumbling faded into silence.
Roxas stared at the man's face and wondered if he had really calmed down. Tentative as he was, Roxas placed his hand on the middle of Cloud's chest to slowly shake him, checking if he had fallen asleep.
"Cloud?" Roxas leaned just slightly closer. He almost jumped out of the bed scared when Cloud suddenly gasped deeply and woke up so suddenly.
Roxas landed back on the mattress in a sitting down position and Fenrir scurried behind him with his ears flat against his head. The teen blinked perplexed at how Cloud was scrambling off the bed, almost tripping with the sheets, and when he was finally on the floor he backed himself up against the wall.
"Whoa, 'ey, 'tis okay Cloud. You were havin' a dream again …" Again Roxas maintained a mellow tone despite his confusion. He began to crawl over to the edge of the bed towards Cloud and Roxas was further surprised when Cloud flinched more against the wall with eyes opened and fear and breathing deeply through his nose. As Roxas very carefully slid down the bed he rose his hands as a gesture to appease the distraught Cloud.
"I-it's outside …" Cloud whispered without even blinking and his his whole demeanor rigid as a rock. Roxas could not make the sense out of what Cloud said and he was going to question him when Cloud repeated in what sounded like an automatized voice, "There's an eye outside the window … "
"Cloud, I already-" Roxas reached out to put his hand on Cloud's shoulder but the man inched away from him even when his attention was still on the window.
"It's there ... It's outside …"
Fenrir whined jumping from the bed to walk towards Cloud. While the canine tried to get Cloud's attention, Roxas looked at the window again. The idea of solely and eye spying through the glass was reason enough to have Roxas feel apprehensive to check it out. But there was nothing there that he could see and he thought that there could be something outside since Fenrir too seemed a little antsy. Roxas stood up and cautiously approached the window to look outside of it.
"There's … nothin' out there Cloud." Roxas said with relief, but only after he had scanned the darkened scenery outside several times. When Roxas turned around he saw that Cloud had not reacted to what he said at all. If it wasn't because Cloud had talk and he had seen him shaking Roxas would have sworn that his brother had been frozen on the spot.
"Cloud? Did you hear me?" Roxas repeated as he crawled over the bed in order to cross over to Cloud quicker. Once again Roxas carefully got off the bed and kneeled in front of Cloud at an angle. The adolescent didn't know how he managed it but Cloud finally reacted to him as his wide eyes finally shifted their attention towards him.
"But … I saw it … I felt it …" there was a vulnerability in Cloud's tone that sunk Roxas's heart and he looked at Cloud with a saddened face.
Carefully, Roxas tried putting his hand on one of Cloud's shoulders again and he was successful. "There was nothin' out there. It was just a dream."
Cloud's eyebrows knitted in confusion while the blue eyes searched Roxas' face, "But Zack … I heard him. He spoke to me."
The pain of seeing Cloud, his only brother and a person he admired so much, was heartbreaking. It was hard for Roxas and it made him feel like he was being harsh, but he pulled his lips back and shook his head very softly as his way of telling Cloud that it was all just a dream.
It was harder still when Roxas couldn't come up with anything to say as Cloud slowly began to slip back into reality, and although Roxas couldn't see them clearly he detected a small sheen glazing over Cloud's eyes. It was confirmed when he heard Cloud sniffle and look away from him and used a hand to cover his eyes.
It's just like always. What can I do? Roxas automatically lowered his head when Cloud looked away. He fiddled with his fingers frustratingly looking for an answer to the question he always made when Cloud got like this. But like always he came up with nothing.
Roxas was unsure of exactly how much time passed but he felt like it had been a while. Not once did he lift his head until he felt Cloud move to stand up and without a word and locked himself in the bathroom.
Even if he was disheartened and frustrated there was no other choice but to give Cloud his space.
He'll probably won't be able to sleep again. Roxas thought as he climbed back into bed then fixed his eyes on the ceiling. Fenrir followed his lead and laid beside him putting his head on his stomach. There was a foreboding feeling in his gut from the things that were happening and Roxas sought comfort on petting Fenrir's fluffy head.
Moving to Radiant Gardens was supposed to be a fresh start for them. He wasn't sure what to really think of the things that have been happening even before they moved to Radiant Gardens.
Will it ever end? I don't think I can help him like I promised. What I'm gonna do Zack? I feel so lost …
A Heart's Passage:
Memories amass to embrace this poor broken heart in bliss. In spite of all the pain he still dreams of our hearts connected by a bond we thought was unbreakable. He remembers my kisses or the loving touches that once drove him mad …
His heart was once mine …
But now all I can do is see it crumble away slowly ...
All I can do is to watch him stir in his sleep, disturbed, scared … Vulnerable.
Yet that desire still blooms in me; the desire to ease his troubled heart, lull him into a peaceful sleep and give him pleasant dreams. Just like I always used to do.
"YES … THAT. HEART. I … USED TO … PROTECT." Used to, because my light is fading and so is his.
I want to spare him a terrible fate that's in store, but in order to do that I need to find someone to heal him for I know that I can't linger here.
Yet …
The paleness of his skin tempts me to see if it's as soft as I recalled it. The longing I felt to touch those silky golden strands made me wonder if things could have been different. And the sweet memory of his moist lips keep me shackled to a heart that I want to set free.
Maybe if could touch his face once more … if only I could rob him of his breath once again.
"I CAN'T … I. SHOULDN'T …" yet the fact that he still has a part of my heart was pushing me closer to him.
"CLOUD." I drawled my words, breathing them into his ears just like he liked me to do when I made love to him.
It was delightful to see how his body reacts almost immediately with a shudder. I really can't help it when I sniff the minty scent of his skin and I tell him how much I miss him; That even now I want him with me …
But as I do so he suddenly grabs the hand of the one person that has kept his mind from falling apart; the one being that has kept his fragmented heart from giving in. And though I knew that I shouldn't feel that way it still vexed me to see how I was no longer the one who could be there for him.
I hated the feeling.
But my anger increased when something ahead of me brought my attention to the window. The presence, whatever it is, I don't want it here. I want it gone, and my throat began to rumble whilst my lips twitched right before they pulled back. Anticipation built up on every single strand of hair on my body.
"LEAVE!" I snarl at it as I am not afraid of letting it know it's not welcomed here. But the intruder growls and I get to see the creature's luminous eye glowering with a viciousness that betrayed the reflective neutrality of its hues.
"THIS. IS. MY HEART. MINE TO PROTECT ." I tell it with a feral stare of my own.
Like the roll of thunder the beast let out a rumbling roar and with an equally as resounding voice it dared to command me, "GO. AWAY."
But I cannot let this beast intimidate me into leaving his heart. I can't go. Not yet. I will stand my ground and I will fight off any threat that dares to stand in my path.
A/n: At long last, after 3,000 re-writes, 3,000 checks, and 3,000 years I finally updated :')
I find it ironic that in the original version of this fic chapter 3 gave me a super hard time and now this one did too. But alas! Here's the chapter and I hope that you all enjoy and look forward to the next ;)
Please let me know your thoughts so far of everything in general, I'd love to hear 'em!
Great shout out to my beta reader neo the dual keyblade master, who puts up with all my picky-ness and indecision (and reading the chapter like a kazillion times!)
And also to thequalityrunaway for all the useful tips!
Alright, that's it, until next time everyone, peace out~~~