A/N: Chapter 4 was deleted for some reason, so here it is again. And thanks for the reviews.
Always fight. Fight for yourself and fight for your loved ones.
Today I saw him again. Today he is in my home, sleeping with his head in my lap. Today I am shaken. Today I am scared
It has been three weeks since I went to his and Axel's apartment. After that night, my boss surprised me with a very competitive promotion. My job suddenly turned into the work I had wanted since I first started college. I am now in charge of a large group of people, including several incompetent interns. The work is difficult, frustrating, aggravating and annoying. But it's also everything I've ever wanted in a job. I am now officially a co-editor. My four years of college plus a year of working my ass up the publishing ladder have finally paid off.
Despite all the excitement with my new job, my mind is never far from him. I think of him every day. I think of his beautiful eyes and lovely pale skin. His extremely soft white hair and his trademark smirk. And then I think of the sadness in those eyes, and the bruises on that skin. And I think about how his hair doesn't shine like it used to and that I haven't seen his smirk in years. He's fading, and I feel like I'm just sitting back and letting him.
My ex-girlfriend Kairi, who is now a close friend, came by a couple of days ago and immediately sensed something was wrong.
"Hey, I brought you some homemade pizza." Kairi said as she walked in the door. "I made a little too much."
"Thanks…" I told her, distractedly. I had a stack of papers to sort through and a document to edit. They were due the next day and I hadn't started on any of it. Riku was on my mind again.
Kairi looked me over for a good two seconds before huffing. "What's wrong with you? Come on, I can tell you're upset so don't even try to lie to me."
She was right, and I was never good at telling lies anyway. "I…I went to his apartment a few weeks ago." I said, grabbing the plate of pizza she offered me. She plopped down on the other side of the couch, facing me.
"Really? How is he?" Kairi asked worriedly. I smiled softly at her concern. Kairi is one of my closest friends, despite being my ex. We used to be in love, but mutually grew apart. Our separation was and never has been bitter. We've remained friends, and often lean on each other for much needed support. We are also co-workers, Kairi being an upcoming illustrator, so we spend quite a lot of time together added to our already friendship.
"He's being abused, I know it." I said after a few moments. I told Kairi about Riku a couple of months ago. I told her about my love for him, and how I was worried about his relationship with that son of a bitch Axel. She simply nodded and told me to update her with any news about the albino man. She also suggested I try to get him alone to talk with him. Unfortunately, that hadn't gone so well.
Kairi gasped. "What? How do you know?" She asked quickly, her eyes wide with worry.
I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "He's so jittery and nervous, he's lost so much weight, I saw bruises…the way that man looks at him…it all screams abuse."
Kairi nodded and the room was silent for a few minutes until she spoke up. "I know this might sound cruel, but you don't have any evidence that he's being abused…" She started, I frowned and she held up her hand to stop my onslaught of angry words, "Hold on, I'm not done yet. You don't have any evidence. If something is going on, which I'm sure something is based on your observations, we need to have evidence. If it comes down to where we need police involvement, they need proof."
As much as I wanted to yell at her and fight her words, she was right. I had no real proof or evidence that he was being hurt. Even though Seifer had said he'd seen Riku at the bar being passed around, I wasn't there to see it. Plus, how was I to know for sure if Riku hadn't agreed? I mean, I know Riku hadn't agreed to that, but the police wouldn't know.
"So…you mean I need to catch him being abused to get police involved?"
"Yes, and what would be better is if Riku himself told the police about what has been happening to him." Kairi said firmly. "How did he react when he saw you?" She asked, the firm tone of her voice disappearing and concern melting back in.
"He was scared…nervous…he seemed ashamed." I said slowly, thinking back to the meeting with him in the apartment. "I wanted to take him away so badly…I wanted to hold him and...and love him and…" I trailed off, losing myself in my thoughts. I had forgotten that Kairi was still there until she touched my shoulder comfortingly.
"Sora, listen to me." She said softly, using her other hand to turn my face towards hers. "Listen to me."
I looked at her and couldn't help a shudder of pure anguish to pass through my body. I was so worried and saddened about Riku, I couldn't help but want to cry.
"You're a good person, Sora." Kairi said as she pulled me into a hug. "We'll figure out a way to get him out of there. I'll help you, you don't have to be alone in this. He's going to be ok, alright? He's going to be ok." She whispered, rubbing her small hands up and down my back like my mother used to do when I was young.
And so I let a tear fall, just one.
This morning I woke up with a weird determined mindset. I was going to rescue Riku, as corny and super hero it sounded; I was going to rescue him. I power worked through the documents I had to edit, yelled at a couple of interns who were slacking, and ran a bunch of errands for my boss before clocking out of work around four o'clock. I decided to go straight to Riku's apartment and demand that he come with me. I didn't realize it then, but my whole plan was ridiculously childish and stupid.
As I crossed the street in front of Riku's apartment complex, I noticed a flash of silvery white hair. I knew it had to be Riku, you don't see many albinos around here, in fact, Riku is the only albino I've ever seen. The flash was moving fast and I quickly picked up my pace to catch up with him.
"Riku, hey!" I called out, touching his arm as a reached him. His reaction to my touch made me jerk my hand back in shock. He flinched, dropped the bags he was holding and covered his face with his arms faster than I could possibly believe.
"I'm sorry!" He gasped out, his arms hiding his eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" He kept muttering, his frame shaking like a leaf in the wind. I had to force myself not to pull him into my arms and comfort him.
"Riku it's just me, It's Sora." I said softly, hoping to ease him out of his apparent fright.
"Sora…?" Riku whispered, removing his arms from his face. I couldn't hold back the gasp that tore through my throat.
"Oh my god, Riku what happened to you?" I whispered. His face was bruising horribly in so many places, his lower lip was swollen and his upper was torn in the corner. One of his eyes was horribly swollen and he was no doubt having trouble seeing out of it. His neck was also marred with bruises that had to extend to his chest area.
"N-nothing." Riku said, bending down to pick up what he'd dropped. I noticed that it was several bags of groceries. He struggled to bend over, gasping in pain.
"Hey, I'll get those." I said, bending down to gather his groceries despite his protests.
"Please, Sora." Riku whispered, after I handed his bags back to him. He looked at me with a sad desperation in his eyes.
"Please what?" I asked, "What do you need? I'll get it, whatever it is."
"Please leave me alone, please." He gasped out, his eyes betraying the pain he was in. "I'm alright, really."
I frowned. I wasn't about to let him get away without getting some sort of an explanation. "If you're alright, then why won't you talk to me?"
Riku looked down at the ground, refusing to meet my eyes. "I…Axel doesn't like it when I talk to other people."
"Fuck what Axel likes." I spat out. This answer seemed to surprise Riku as he glanced up at me quickly.
"I don't like to make him mad, Sora." He said, his voice cracking and hoarse. It was if he had a cold or something.
"Why? What will he do if you make him mad?" I asked, probing for the answer. I needed to know that he was being abused. I needed to hear it from his mouth. I needed evidence.
Riku looked as if he was trapped. His eyes darted around him as if he was searching for something, or someone.
"He'll yell…" Riku said after a minute.
"And…?" I probed.
"And what?" Riku asked, frowning. "That's all he does."
"Oh really? Then why is your face so messed up? Why are you so scared of him yelling at you? Lovers tend to yell at each other when they get angry, Riku."
Riku seemed to have forgotten about his face, as a look of horror filled his eyes when I mentioned his face. "I…I…" He stumbled over words.
"I know he's hurting you." I whispered. "I know it. Tell me Riku, is he abusing you?"
"No!" Riku snapped, surprising me with the force of the two letter word. "He's not. How dare you assume that he is!" Riku said, turning to walk away.
I couldn't let him get away; I knew he was lying to me. "Wait, Riku!" I yelled, grabbing his arm. Wrong move. Riku tensed, his groceries once again dropping to the ground.
"Please don't touch me, please…please…don't touch me." He muttered, his arm shaking in my hand. I looked down and noticed that his wrist seemed to be at an awkward angle. It was broken. My heart filled with rage.
"Riku please, come back to my apartment with me." I begged him. "Please."
"Riku, there you are." Came a sickening voice. I stiffened, looking over his shoulder to see his red-head partner leaning against the stone of their apartment complex, his arms folded across his chest.
Riku's eyes widened in fear. He turned to look at his boyfriend, his shaking turning into full on quaking. I knew something bad was going to happen to him. He was going to be beaten or worse. I had to get him away from this man. My heart felt as if it was tearing with need to rescue him. My mind wouldn't rest; it was racing a mile a minute. I needed to get him out this relationship.
"I was wondering what was taking so long." He said menacingly.
"I-I'm sorry, I…" Riku trailed off, glancing at me with a pleading look. My poor Riku, he deserved so much better than this bastard.
"I ran into him, thought I'd say hello." I said, looking at Axel. "Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that Riku's staying over at my house today. A couple of friends from high school are coming over and they wanted to see him, it has been years you know." I lied about the friends part, I just needed an excuse to get Riku away.
I looked at Riku after speaking and grimaced. He looked terrified. "I-I didn't know about this, Axel…h-he…"
"Oh no, don't worry about it, Riku." Axel said, anger clearly visible in his eyes yet a sickly sweet smile on his lips. The anger slowly turned into something more evil, scarier. It turned into something cruel. "I'll be waiting for you tomorrow, have a nice time."
Riku trembled under his gaze and tentatively walked over and handed the red-head the groceries in his arms after he picked them up from the ground. "I-I…" He started, his lips unable to form words. Axel smirked and turned away from him, walking back into their apartment complex.
I nearly jumped for joy in my excitement. I had gotten Riku away, at least for the night. My excited thoughts came to a screeching halt when Riku looked at me in despair.
"W-why did you do that?" He asked. "I…why? I'm…I'm in so much…" He gasped out, he looked like he was struggling to breathe.
I couldn't control myself. I walked over to him and pulled him into my arms. He stiffened, his muscles so tense I thought they'd tear. I didn't let go though, despite the curious looks of people walking by or the darkening sky. All I wanted to do was hold him close to me and never let go. Finally, after what seemed to be a long time, he relaxed in my hold.
"I…I missed you so much Sora." He whispered into my neck.
I smiled at his confession, but inside my heart was saddened. The Riku I knew would never say something like that. He wasn't a sap, he'd tell me he missed me in some sarcastic way. The Riku I held in my arms now was so obviously exhausted and broken. He had no strength left to be prideful. He was tired.
"I missed you too Riku." I said back, pulling away but keeping my hands on his arms. "Come on, let's go to my place. I'll make you vegetable soup." I said with a grin, knowing that Riku absolutely adored my vegetable soup. Riku's eyes lightened at this and a small barely there smile graced his face.
I took him to my apartment where he immediately made a bee line to my comfy couch. I chuckled as a watched him sprawl out over the expanse of the furniture, cuddling into the soft fleece pillows Kairi had bought for me. He didn't say much as I cooked, but thanked me profusely when I handed him a bowl of the soup. It was actually unnerving. I almost made a comment on how he seemed to relish the food more the usual, but decided against it. I figured his weight had something to do with it. I came to the conclusion that Axel had something to do with his weight. As sickening as it was, I guessed he deprived Riku of food or made him feel bad for eating.
After eating, I flicked on the TV and made a pot of chamomile tea. The tea seemed to relax Riku greatly and to my utter disbelief, he cuddled up to me on the couch. I could barely believe it.
"Riku…?" I asked, looking down at his head that was resting on my shoulder.
"Please…" He said softly, not opening his eyes. I couldn't deny him. I could never deny my lovely Riku.
"Hey," I said quietly, pulling a pillow from my side of the couch and placing it on my lap. "Lay here; it's more comfortable that way."
Riku blushed and I thought he was going to reject my offer, but he didn't. Instead he hesitantly laid his head on my lap and pulled his legs up onto the couch. A few minutes later he fell asleep.
I'm now sitting here, staring at the expanse of his exposed back. His t-shirt has ridden up and revealed the horror of his situation. He's horribly bruised a dark purple. There are slashes, cuts, and welts marring every part of his exposed flesh. There are small cigarette burns from where someone has put out the sticks on his skin. His stomach is so bruised it looks inhuman, there's a definite boot print on his side. And then there's the brand. The horrible, disgusting brand right above his bottom. It reads: property of Axel. I nearly threw up my dinner when I saw it.
I'm so scared for him. So scared for this beautiful man in my lap. I can't imagine the pain he's in. I can't see how anyone would want to do this to him. Yet, almost everyone in his life has mistreated him. It pains me to realize that this brutal treatment is all he knows. Seeing his body so battered has only made me want to fight harder for him. It's only renewed my need to get him away from this horrible life he is living. I don't care how corny, pathetic, or impossible it might sound. I will save Riku.