"I wonder how it's going ..." Bloom says looking out the window in the direction of Red Fountain.
"Do you think we should have stayed there?" Asks doubtfully Sky.
"No, they needed to be alone ..." Flora responds categorically.
The three are talking in the Winx's living room. We're not all here, because Muse is with her father, and Laila and Nabu went out together of a date. And I have no idea where Riven could be. We're not all here, but out of all the present, I'm not the only left out of the loop: are been days since those three start exchanging these half phrases, this sort of riddle suspended in the air without subjects. I think that Helia is involved, but I know for sure.
Certainly Stella is not involved, and eventually her curiosity wins: "What you are plotting the four of you?"
"We organized a surprise for Riven. The poor boy is stressed out, and seems be hard for him to accept this new part of himself, so we organize something that will help him ... "
Flora seems very pleased with herself, but I can not help but think about how would my roommate if he felt called 'poor boy'.
"From his nightmares seems clear that the problem is in his father acceptance" intervenes Sky, "so we organized a meeting between the two of them"
Oh God, tell me that I misunderstood that ...
"You have left Riven alone with his father?!" Asks Stella, but the question sounds like a growl.
"Stella, what's the problem?" Bloom is the first to recover from the surprise at the tone of her friend.
"What's the problem? You do not know shit, that's what the problem is. You do not know shit and you think you are better than others and it is the second time you messed up everything! " I blurt, because if at first the idea of Riven alone with his father froze me, now my anger makes me blood boil.
"No time for that," Stella said putting a hand on my arm. I realize just now that in her other hand she's holding her scepter, and in a moment we're all in our living room in Red Fountain.
I expected that things would be bad, but I was not ready for this.
I was not ready to find Riven lying on the floor, unconscious, with this man, this beast that should be his father, astride him, with his hands clasped around Riven's throat. I was not ready absolute expression of anger on the face of the man, nor the emptiness in the pale face of my friend.
Then I lose track of time and space. The next thing I know is that Sky is pulling me away from the battered face of Riven's father, but I still able to kick him in the ribs on last time. Sky lift me bodily away from the corner where I pushed the monster, and turns me so that I cannot see him. But in doing so I am now facing Riven, still lying on the ground. Riven, and Timmy who this time is astride him. Timmy, who count to thirty, compressing the chest of Riven every time, with Tecna that, kneeling next to the head of Riven, at the 'thirty' pinches Riven's nose and blows twice in his mouth.
When I try to get close to them, my legs turn in jelly, and eventually give way, and I find myself kneel, watching helplessly as Timmy starts another cycle. And then another.
But then Riven coughs, and it seems that everyone in the room begin to breathe again.
Timmy feels the neck, confirming the presence of the heartbeat, and then turn him gently on its side. 'Recovery position' provides uselessly my brain, which seems wrapped in cotton. The arrival of the paramedics, the ambulance ride, the questions of the Templars of Roccaluce, the paramedic who wraps my hands, Musa breathless arrival, us waiting for news from the doctor Riven ...
When the doctor arrives, and asks for Riven's family, we all stand up together. Codatorta explains the situation, and the doctor began to explain that Riven has regained consciousness only recently, and that there appears to not present any brain's damage, or trachea's one, but that they will keep him under observation for a few days. He also tells us that he had requested a psychiatric consultation, because the event was certainly traumatic and Riven will need support to overcome the shock.
After that, the doctor leaves us free to go to our friend.
It strikes me there, I've almost beaten to death his father and perhaps Riven will not see me. The thought takes my breath away, and I need to sit there in the hallway, just outside his door.
Sky and Stella hunch down next to me, but then, I do not know, maybe they communicate silently over my head, because Sky gives me a pat on the shoulder and enters Riven's room with others.
Stella is rubbing my back in slow circles, and when she begins to speak, her voice is full of understanding and sweetness. "You saved his life, you know?"
"No, Tim and Tecna saved his life, I almost killed his father." I say softly.
"Brandon, you were the one who take that bastard away, allowing Timmy to start rescuing Riven. And if you think that Riven will be mad at you, you're wrong. He is in love with you, and you with him "
"Stella, I ..." I try to stop her, but I do not know how to continue.
"I was hoping you grows a pair and do it, but instead it seems it's my turn to break with you. You are stealing away my opportunity of having a week of cheesy movies and buckets of ice cream, the full post-break deal, because those belong to those who get dump, but it's okay ... "she smiles sweet, sad and self-deprecating, and I feel like a monster ...
"But I…"
"Go to him, he needs you ..." and with this she leads me into the room.
Bloom, Flora, Sky and Helia are racing to apologize, and Riven, pale and with his neck bruised, nods and tries to smile, but his eyes keep darting from edge to edge of the room, and every fast movement seems to scare him. And when Musa tries to slide a hand on his arm, in a reassuring gesture that I have seen many times, Riven jumps away as if burned, eyes wide and rapid breathing. Musa raises her hands and whispers reassuring "everything's fine, you're safe now ..."
But the monitor next to the bed clearly shows that Riven's heart still beating fast and scared.
Then Riven notices me, and sighs reassured. In a moment I'm by his side, sitting on his bed, trying to avoid the cables and the IV. He grabs my shirt and hiding his face in the crook my neck. At this I stay still, and look around for help from my friends.
Stella just nods, and then starts pushing everyone out the door "Come on guys, there's nothing to see, let them a bit of space, ok?"
"Stella?" I call it before it comes out, "Thank you for everything, you know?"
The smiles at me, "you still own me a ice cream bucket" And with that she trail off the room.
Riven murmurs something against my shirt. "What?" I ask softly, tilting his head trying to look at him.
"Thank you for sending him away again" repeated, refusing to meet my gaze. Slowly I caress his cheek, and then, seconding an impulse that I carry inside me for too long, I kiss him gently on the forehead, and then the tip of his nose, and at the end chastely on his lips.
"I will always defend you from him, but I have to ask ... Riv, why you didn't defend yourself?"
"I think…. I think a part of me thinks that he's right ... " There are tears in his eyes as he says so, just as there are in mine. I hold him tight, "I will prove you wrong, that HE is wrong, I promise." He pressed against me as if to disappear in my arms, and I can only rest his cheek on his head and say "I promise".
Notes:
I would just say that I have nothing against Flora and Bloom, although sometimes their characters seem a bit flat in their gooders ...
I hope you're enjoying this so far!
Again, the Winx characters are not mine, I will play just a little '...