Calling All Angels

Chapter 6

~Saturday November 6th~

~Zexion Shiki~

I lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. With the help of the light streaming through my blinds, I try to make out shapes in the texture of the paint. I can't help but sigh.. everything just seems like it doesn't want to change. The clock on my table is off, the cord cut right in the middle, plug still in the wall. Shaking my head, I pick it up, walking out of my room and to the kitchen. My bare feet pad over the floor, as I drop the ruined alarm clock into the garbage.

That's the third one...I might as well not even have one.

Turning to go back and get dressed, I see Marluxia leaning up against the wall. I stride right past him, slamming the door behind me, my mood already in the pits. Not a word is said to me, as I pull out some clothes; jeans, and long-sleeved, deep red shirt, and my coal boots. I head for the bathroom once dressed, brushing my teeth and making sure I'm decent. Marluxia continues to follow behind me, but strangely enough, he stays silent.

I lock up the apartment and head to the hardware store, since it's right down the block. While I attempt to blend in with the crowd, I hear no whispers or murmurs today, just the wind whipping around me. My slate hair blows across my face as I turn the corner, my stormy blue eyes glancing at the various people entering and exiting the store. I make a beeline straight for the door and then to the desk right beside the door, the man behind the counter doesn't so much at look at me, and I don't look at him. I slide my key across to him, "Two copies please."

He only grunts, putting it in the machine as I dig out some bills from my pocket. "That's $5.40."

I hand him the money and I'm given a small paper bag with the keys in it, along with the original. I glance out of the corner of my eye, noticing a small group of jocks by the gardening supplies. They stare at me, laughing, and I recognize them from school. I set my sights on the exit, hurrying to it without being suspicious. The automatic doors part and I make it out into the parking lot, already lightly sprinkled with snow. I turn my gaze up to the sky, thanking someone for looking out for me and letting me get away from those brutes.

But the doors part right behind me, snorts and scoffs telling me right away who they are. I turn around, coming face to face with the gang of cruelty. I graduated with these three...monsters. They prided on torture and humiliation. The leader of them all stood far taller than me, his short, blonde hair slicked back, not adorning the beanie that it use to. His piercing cyan eyes seem to go straight through me, sending a chill up my spine. Deep black jeans hang low on his hips, a belt holding them up. The blue vest adorning his torso has a cross-like design inked on it in white, his gray coat resting over it, the symbol of the Cross of Saint James on both sleeves. Matching black gloves and boots are worn on his hands and feet, which move toward me slowly.

On one side of him stands his cousin, her short silver hair fanning out at her cheekbones, some falling over her left crimson eye. Brown boots are laced up to her knee, light brown pants falling over them, held by a belt I'm sure. A navy vest sits over her small frame, the long brown coat held tight around herself. She's the silent type, scarily silent as most people would say. If she ever talked to you in school, you knew you'd be going home with a bloody face that day. Fuu is someone you knew not to mess with.

To the left of Seifer, is a brute that had transferred to this town, instantly becoming one of Seifer's lackeys. His short, black hair is spiked upward, dark eyes sitting on a tanned face. His broad shoulders, covered in a light black jacket, reach out to thick arms padded with muscles. The orange tank-top clings to his torso, showing off his muscles further, more for intimidation or stupidity, I'm not sure. A heavy chain belt links through his loose jeans, which graze over the tops of his white tennis shoes. The fists at his sides make nerves ebb at me further, knowing they could knock me out cold with one hit, especially with the stray gold plated rings that situate on every other finger. Even when he didn't fit in with everyone, Rai always fit in with Seifer's posse.

I peer over their shoulders, spotting the culprit, that is ultimately behind it all, Marluxia. His arms are crossed over his chest as he shakes his head slowly, a wicked smile on his face. Both him and I know that he doesn't have to provoke these three, no, just seeing me is all they need. Seifer grins at me, the memories probably swimming in his head.

I walked through the school grounds, after school just in case someone needed extra help in a subject. But no one had seemed to need me today, so I had gathered my things and begun my way outside. As I started down the steps, I looked over the edge, seeing fingers clenched in blonde hair. I got to the end of the steps, my mind telling me to keep walking, my heart telling me to see what the matter was. In the end, my heart had won that battle, and I wished it hadn't.

For the second my eyes had fallen on the curled up form, I knew I'd regret ever looking at him. Seifer had tears streaking down his face, eyes closed tight, as a hand fell from his hair to pound into the ground. I sighed, kneeling down beside him. I lifted the hand from the ground, stopping him from scraping up his knuckles further. He turned to glare at me, hate and sadness in his sky blue eyes. "What the hell do you want, nerd?"

I raised an eyebrow, dropping his arm back to the ground, preparing to stand back up, hands on my thighs. "I was going to see what was wrong. But if you're going to be a complete ass about this, I'd rather leave."

As I stood up, his fingers dig into my pant leg, "No...I'm sorry. You see..." A bully had never broken down in front of me, and I had the opportunity to make him feel like crap, but no, I didn't.

I glanced to the side, a shimmering, transparent figure appearing at Seifer's now outstretched feet. I peered out of the corners of my eyes, searching for a sign of Marluxia, but finding none. The woman had long, flowing blonde hair, accompanied by bright green eyes. The light blue dress billowed out around her knees as she knelt down, reaching out to touch Seifer, but her hand going straight through.

"He's my son..." is all she said, all she needed to say.

"I'm sorry your Mom died, Seifer."

Tear filled eyes turn up at me, narrowing. "How did you know that?"

"Can you tell him that I'm sorry?...Sorry I had to leave him so soon. Tell my son to hold on and that I'll always be with him to help him just...just like when he was five and fell off the swing." she told me, tears glistening in her eyes.

I looked down at Seifer, "Your Mom says she's sorry she had to leave you already. But, that she'll be there to help you, just as she did when you were five and fell off a swing."

His eyes widened, fear coursing through them. He jumped to his feet, his fist drawn back before it launched at me, knocking me to the ground, my books sprawling out of my satchel. "D-Don't ever talk about my M-Mom!" His fear calmed down as she reached out, grazing her fingers over his shoulder, her lips pressed up against his forehead. She came down off her tip toes, turning to where she had previously been standing, removing her hand from Seifer's shoulder. He immediately brought his hand up to his forehead.

She gave a glance back at me, starting toward that spot. "Is this light for me?" I only nodded, not wanting to provoke the teen further into violence. "It's amazing. Tell him not to be afraid of feelings," she laughed, "It's never been his strong suit." and she was gone, vanishing before my eyes.

Seifer's eyes fell back on me, "Don't tell anyone 'bout this, or you'll regret it."

As he had started walking away, I snapped around, "Don't be afraid of your feelings!" I instantly clamped my palm over my mouth, wanting to retract the words. I could hear the growl in his throat, but he walked away nonetheless. Despite the mark on my cheek and the dull pain, I felt good, for once in my life I had felt good about being a medium.

Seifer laughs openly, "Where do you think you're going freak?"

I swallow hard, looking out each corner of my eye, for anyone who would stand up for me, or maybe just an escape route. I clench the bag in my hand tighter, taking yet another step back. Seifer strides forward, hand outstretched for my arm, but at the last second, he freezes, pulling his hand away.

"Who the hell are you?"

I turn my head, as hands fall onto my shoulders protectively. A musical chuckle echoes from the redhead's lips as he leans his lips down to my ear. "Me? I think you should be the one answering my questions."

Fuu throws her arm to the side, "Explain!"

Axel pecks the side of my cheek, before standing up straight. His arms drape over my shoulders, "This little dove is mine. Touch a hair on his head and I'll rip all yours out. Got it memorized?"

Seifer continues to stare at me, taken aback by Axel actually standing up for me. "W-Whatever man. Keep the freak to yourself, you two belong together." he said, scurrying off down the street, his lackeys at his heels. Marluxia seems to have vanished as well, just as Axel had popped up.

I turn around, his arms falling off my shoulders. The feel of his lips on my cheek linger in my mind, a tint of pink forming over my cheeks. "Why did you say that? You must be crazy! I never said I liked you!"

A laugh slips from his thin lips, "What they don't know won't hurt them." He leans closer, tilting my chin up, "Not that you aren't nice to look at." Axel spins around, heading the direction opposite of the one Seifer took. I jog up beside him, not wanting to admit that I don't want to be left behind. "So, you're going to work right?" I nod, my eyes on my feet.

I'm not some shy little girl. So, why do I act like it? Just because he saved me?

We walk in silence, arms brushing every now and again. But I keep my words to myself, I tend to lash out for people invading my personal space. In no time at all, I'm standing before the shop and Axel is beside me. I look up at him, eyes traveling to his back, searching for any possible sign of his wings. I sigh as I find none.

"Something wrong?"

"N-No nothing." I unlock the door, with the original key from the bag. "I'm fine." The door swings open and I turn around to give him my thanks. But my eyes are met with, nothing, Axel having vanished from thin air. I shake my head, knowing I'm not crazy in the least.

I go into the store, the door not even shutting before it opens again. Knowing just who it could be, I fish out a small silver key from the bag, handing it out to the one that had walked in. Sora stands before me, a smile on his face, despite the sadness in his eyes. His chestnut hair is disheveled and his clothes are slightly ruffled. I leave it alone though, not wanting to push the younger into talking to me. Sora hangs his jacket on the rack and takes the key, slipping it into his pocket. "So where do we start?" he asks, walking around me and pivoting, our eyes locking on the same thing.

Squall stands outside the shop, a man with his hands on Squall's shoulders, lips pressed against Squall's cheek. The brunet walks into the shop after the man walks away, a blush tinting his face. I glance at Sora, seeing the younger brunet grinning, "You two make a cute couple."

Squall only lets a small, guilty smile show on his lips. To save him any further embarrassment, I hand him the key. "This way you both can get in and open shop, even if I'm not here. But you'd both better log everything, in that case." They nod and I move to the storage room at the side, blending in with the wall. I unlock the door, opening it and carrying out large rolls of plastic. "We can just lay these on the floor, just in case any of the polish drips off the shelves."

Once Squall hangs up his jacket, the three of us spread the tarps out over the area, making sure that the sign on the door says closed. With the task complete, I turn to the way of the office. "Split it up and do it however is easier. I need to go do some paperwork and fix up the office. If either of you need anything, just let me know. I'll come out and help when I get done."

I head into the office, grateful for the solitude. I move around the room, picking up folders and filling them in the short, metal cabinet. I sit down at the desk, papers spread out across it. A sigh leaks from my mouth as I grab a pen, beginning to fill out the order forms for supplies and books.

~Squall Leonhart~

I rub at my eyes, rolling over as the cold of the morning officially reaches me. I push my covers back and sit up, wide eyes locking onto my door. No, not my door...the space where my door used to be. Fear instantly starts bubbling up inside me, making my stomach churn, and ball up in a knot. Footfalls near my room, but all I can do is sit there, frozen like a deer caught in a pair of headlights.

Dad- No, he can't be considered that. No dad would do this to his son.

Hojo strides into the room, a wicked grin on his face, giving me the indicator that Sephiroth was the one behind this act. Thankfully though, the demon is no where in sight, or feel. Just as his arm, already clothed in his scientist attire, reaches out for me, I find the will to move again.

Not that it matters, by that time, his bony fingers are curled into my hair, yanking me off the side of the bed. The action draws a yelp from me, my hands instantly going up to wrap around his wrist, trying to get him to let go. "W-What did you do to my door?"

Hojo merely chuckles, his annoying laughter grating on my nerves. "I got rid of it! It just was in the way," he states with a wave of his free hand.

Dragging me across my floor, I kick at the ground and dig my nails into his hand. None of it has an effect on him as my bare feet hit the chill of the wooden floor. My hip slams into the door frame as he tries pulling me all the way out into the hall. Attempting to stall him, I hook my leg around the side of it, causing him to grunt.

"Let go you worthless boy!"

I only grit my teeth together, holding in the scream of pain as his fist collides into the side of my head. The back of my skull smacks against the ground, his fingers finally releasing my hair. I dig the heels of my palms against the ground, pushing myself backwards, away from him. But it doesn't matter, for at the angle, my back ends up pressed against the wall. Hojo kneels over me, a foot on one side with a knee on the other. His bony fist slams into my cheek, landing more on my jaw than anything. I cringe away from him, a satisfied smirk on his face. "You're lucky I let you live here boy. Now stay out of my sight." He gets up, going straight for the door to leave for work.

When it first started, I was always confused at points. Sometimes I'd be beat till I was bleeding, others only received a slap in the face. It's always different.

I let my body slide back down onto the floor, closing my eyes so that I don't have to look up at the yellow-stained ceiling, bottling all the emotions that are acting up. A chill runs over me from the breeze coming in from the cracked front door. I sigh, picking myself up off the floor, and heading back to my room. A slight limp accompanies me and I pull down the rim of my sweatpants, noticing the large, purple bruise already forming on my hip. A headache pounds in my ears as I drag my attire from my closet; jeans, white t-shirt, and Cloud's black jacket. I can't help but smile as I slip my boots on, lacing them up as far as I can.

That guy is just... something is definitely different and I'll find out what it is. I honestly don't think he's someone from this city, much less from this plane of existence.

Walking around the corner, I skip out on breakfast, going straight for the front door. Just as my fingers graze the brass knob, I see a spot of blonde through the slightly open door. I pat my pockets, making sure I have everything, before locking the door and shutting it as I step out. As I turn around to face Cloud, a frown forms on his lips, his steps sure as he gets right up to me. His fingertips ghost over the coloring on my jaw, knowing just went on this morning. Ignoring it, I turn my face away and walk around him. The soles of my boots slide on the icy steps, my feet falling out from under me.

Arms wrap around me, crossing over my chest as I'm hoisted up, a knee coming to to act as a seat for me. I draw my brows together, lips drawing into a tight line, despite how comfortable I am. I shrug out of his embrace and put my feet safely on the ground, glaring at him over my shoulder. "I don't need your help."

Cloud only stays at my side, our pace slowly being set as we walk in the thin crowd of people. Everyone else has the day off, staying in their nice warm homes. I keep my hands in my pockets, fingers frozen to the bone since I had forgotten my gloves. I sneak a glance at the blonde and find myself surprised, that if I stood ramrod straight, I'd probably be a couple inches taller.

"You don't have to live with him."

I bite the inside of my cheek, "Yes...I do."

"You have no obligation to him."

I stop dead in my tracks, the few people that were behind us, going around to mind their own business. I glare up at him, "And what do you know that I don't? He's my father. Of course I have an obligation to him, just as I did to my...my mom."

Cloud only continues to walk forward, forcing me to catch up to him. "I don't think you two look anything alike, much less have any resemblances."

"My Mom was not a cheater."

"I never said that."

The silence falls between us, my anger probably tangible. As we get to the store, I stop, Cloud facing me. His sharp features seem to have soften slightly, a small smile tugging at his lips. I raise an eyebrow in confusion, but before I can say a word, his lips peck my cheek. I stand there, completely baffled to say the least, as he walks away. I shake it off, but I can feel the blush dust over my cheeks. Walking inside, I'm met with Sora and Zexion staring at me. The younger grins brightly, "You two make a cute couple."

I can't stop the tiny grin lining my lips, but thankfully Zexion interrupts, handing me a key. "This way you both can get in and open shop, even if I'm not here. But you'd both better log everything in that case." He swivels around, as I nod, heading for the door to the storage room. Once it's unlocked, Zexion carries out two large rolls of plastic. "We can just lay these on the floor, just in case any of the polish drips off the shelves."

I hang up my jacket and double check the sign, to make sure it says closed, I help lay out the plastic, making sure not a corner is untouched. The second it's done, Zexion turns to the direction of the office, "Split it up and do it however is easier. I need to go do some paperwork and fix up the office. If either of you need anything, just let me know. I'll come out and help when I get done."

With a quick glance at Sora, I watch as he starts straight for his normal section. Shrugging, I walk back to the storage, pulling out different polishes and dusters, figuring that Sora has his own set of cleaning utilities back there. I set out a decent pace; dusting and polishing the bookshelves, before making sure the books are all put back correctly. It doesn't take long for them all to be done, the shelves not being relatively indecent.

"Ready to pull up the tarps?" asks Sora as he walks over to me.

I put the bottles and rags back into their place, shutting the door and turning to the brunet. "Yeah, might as well."

We methodically roll up each tarp, making sure that they don't come unraveled while we work on the next one. One after another is put away, until we only have one left. Just as we roll it together, I watch as blood drips from Sora's palm, the younger boy's face holding back a mask of pain. He holds his hand palm up, not wanting to drip any blood. Thinking fast, I dart back over to the storage room, boots thudding against the floor, my mind hoping that Zexion would hear. I hurry to Sora, making sure that the blood lands on the rag and not the floor. A large amount of blood slowly soaks into the rag.

I can't just let him bleed out like that...A hospital would want stitches and God knows what else.

Taking a deep breath, I hold one hand over his palm, the other underneath the hand that holds the rag tightly. I close my eyes, feeling the warmth travel to my own hands and slowly leave, being drawn to Sora's.

~Sora Kaze~

I keep my eyes closed, even though I know I won't be able to get back to sleep. A persistent thing keeps tugging at my necklace, making the chain dig into my skin. Groaning, I look for the source, only noticing the blonde Demon that sits on my stomach. Her long, spidery fingers are curled around the chain, careful not to touch the pendant. "What are you doing!" I yell, already too late to stop her methods.

The chain pinches the back of my neck as it snaps, the cross flying off and to the floor. I immediately throw my covers off, as she vanishes and reappears where the pendant had fallen. My eyes scan for its location as her laughs resound in my ears. Dropping to my knees on the ground, I run my hand under the bed, pleading whispers slipping from my lips, "Please, please, please, please let me find it.."

"You'll never find it now! I told you nothing can stop me! You think some dinky little trinket could save you?" She chuckles darkly, her long, golden nails ghosting over my back, sending shivers up and down my skin. "Well you better think again."

Sitting back up, I drag my hands over my face, desperation clearly going to be the mood I'll have to mask up. She'll feed off of it and I don't want that. Instead of sulking, I slowly climb to my feet and head for my closet. I sigh as I notice that I forgot to put my clean clothes up. Biting my lip, I head over to the door, digging through the basket that sits next to it.

Slipping into a wrinkled long-sleeved, blue t-shirt, old jeans, and some socks, I get to my shoes. Larxene leans against the wall, a smug look on her countenance, an "I-told-you-so" look slipping on her face. I try my best to not give her any attention. But, it's hard when her eyes pierce through me, forcing my eyes to draw over to her at least once every other minute. Shoving myself out the door of my room, I head straight for the front door, slipping into my brown jacket and slipping my keys and wallet into my pockets. Before she can utter another word, I slam the door, the lock clicking behind me.

I get to the store in record time, surprisingly before Squall, as I can already see Zexion inside. I replace the pout on my lips with a smile. The bell chimes melodically as I step into the slight warmth of the store, far better than the frigid air and lack of sun outside. Zexion hands me a key and I put it in my pocket. I slip out of my jacket and hang it on the rack, "So where do we start?" I ask as I stride around him and turn to look back out the large window, my eyes finding the same sight Zexion had.

A blonde man leans down, leaving a kiss on Squall's cheek, the latter having a blush form on his face. The man walks away, letting Squall walk in. I smile at him, "You two make a cute couple."

He flusters further, but doesn't get a chance to answer. Instead, Zexion picks up the next topic, handing Squall a similar key as he had given me, "This way you both can get in and open shop, even if I'm not here. But you'd both better log everything in that case." I nod at him, but he goes straight for the room on the wall, which I had never seen before. He opens it and hauls out several bundles of plastic tarps. "We can just lay these on the floor, just in case any of the polish drips off the shelves." The instant we have all the tarps laid out, Zexion slowly beings to disappear from our sights, "Split it up and do it however is easier. I need to go do some paperwork and fix up the office. If either of you need anything, just let me know. I'll come out and help when I get done."

With one look at Squall, I turn toward my area, knowing exactly where the stuff I need to use is. I leave him to his work and I get to mine. I wipe the counters, appliances, and dishes down. I make sure I have the floor swept and ingredients arranged, along with making sure I fill out a list of what I'm running low on. I deposit that in the little box hanging on the door to the office and head for Squall, my work done. "Ready to pull up the tarps?"

I watch as he puts his things away, "Yeah, might as well."

Together, we put each tarp up, setting them by the storage door to be placed back where Zexion had gotten them. Just as we get to the last one, I slide my hand over the side, a stinging sensation instantly setting my nerves into a frenzy. I yank my hand away and try to breathe evenly, not wanting to show how much pain I'm really in. Squall takes notice, quickly getting a small towel that I hold under my hand, the blood pooling in my palm before it falls over the edges of my hand and sinks into the material. The crimson liquid doesn't stop and I search Squall's eyes, wandering if he's going to tell me to get to a hospital or not, so they can clean me up.

No, instead, he closes his eyes, each of his hands going on either side of mine, but not touching. A tingling feeling fills my arm and I resist the urge to start giggling like crazy. As the warmth slips away, Squall takes the rag, soaking up the rest of the blood. The gash that I had expected to be there, is unmarred skin. "H-How did you do that?"

Squall casts his eyes to the floor, "I can...heal things." I look up at him, our eyes connecting, which is when I see the bruise on the side of his face.

Why didn't I see that sooner?

"You can't heal bruises?" He shakes his head. "You should tell Zexion, I mean, if he's okay with me then he should definitely be okay with you!"

"What should I be okay with?"

I turn around, grinning from ear to ear, and hold my arms out, displaying my hand. "I cut my hand on the tarp!"

"Did you get any on the floor?" he asks, an eyebrow raised as he sees no cut at all.

Squall puts a hand on my shoulder, "No, I healed it."

I glance up at Squall, giving an encouraging smile, before returning my gaze to Zexion. The bluenet smiles slightly, "Then I certainly can't fire you. Especially if Sora works here, he seems to be...a target for injury."

Pouting, I walk away, heading back to the kitchen. "Imma just clean up. I'll lock up!"

As I wash the blood on my hands, the water running red down into the drain, I hear their silent leave. Sighing, I lean my forehead against the wall, turning off the water as I close my eyes. The droplets slide off my fingers, making a ping as they hit the stainless steel sink.

"Why's it so hard to be happy...?" I ask to no-one, actually somewhat glad that Larxene isn't here to bug me about it.

I dry my now cold hands, scurrying out to the front of the store, flipping off the lights as I go. I shrug my arms into my jacket and open the door, closing it behind myself as I lock it. I cast my eyes up at the moon, already making it's way to the peak of the sky. Trying to smile, I start home, not sure if I even want to go home now.

As I get to my "home", I stare at the ground, not even noticing the pair of boots that comes into my view. "What's wrong Sora? You look like your puppy just died."

At the sound of his voice, I lift my head to meet his aquamarine eyes, my own azure ones about to run over with tears. "I...I lost...I l-lost y-your c-cross." I hang my head, ashamed of myself.

But arms wrap around me, pulling me close against his chest. "Silly thing, I have plenty of them, probably more than you could count." Riku reaches for my chin, making our eyes lock again, "They don't matter though, just a little piece of metal. I'm more concerned about you."

I can't help but let a smile tug at the corners of my lips. I lean my face against his jacket, the smell of spices instantly coming to mind. Riku rubs my back, his lips pressing against my forehead as he pulls away. With hopeful eyes, I smile up at him, "Can I see you again soon?"

Riku chuckles, walking past me. "Yeah, I gotta go somewhere, but I'll be back in no time."

I start up the steps to the door, not able to withstand gazing after him, his long, silver tresses shimmering in the soft moonlight. A glimmer seems to fall behind him as he turns the corner, completely and utterly enchanting.

"...Unreal..."

^^; I'm getting right on to write the next one, almost done actually. Just been super duper busy is all.
Life gets in the way of passion, ya know?
Soo...leave me a nice little present in the form of a review? To keep my spirits high? XD
Thanks to AMLF for being so kind as to beta this chapter for me and for all the lovely ideas and plot twists to come in future chapters. :D