Authors Note: It seems I do a lot of apologizing for late chapters, and I'm sorry. These past few weeks have been busy for me. My lovely nights have been filled up with projects, dress rehearsals, and Tales of the Abyss ((which by the way is an awesome game!) and my current obsession).
As you can see under the appreciation list I have changed the summary. I don't know whether to change the existing one or to keep it the same. Feedback is welcomed.
SnowGummi36- Yes their pasts are sad. Makes me happy to know that my parents care about me and sometimes spoil me. Thank you for reviewing and I'm sorry about the wait!
StormDarkBlade- Why yes, Roxas will do something reckless, but the question is what will he do. ::sigh:: I sometimes wonder if Roxas and Cloud are the main characters of the story, but really everyone is, kind of. Thank you for your review!
Nusku- Thank you and I'm sorry about the wait. Hope you continue to enjoy the story!
Wing-sama- Yay, you liked it! Thanks for the review!
Setsuchan- Welcome, and thank you for reading and reviewing! Glad you like the story!
Thank you: SnowGummi36, Wing-sama, StromDarkblade, animeobsession, deadedgedblade, Azmaira, Omaigoshi, Feather-chan, Chibi Chidori, Artemis, Trekial, Jessica, DancingMistress, Crazy Hyper Active Kitsune, Nusku, Setsuchan and BloodLustIllusions. Thank you for the time you take in writing your reviews.
Summary: A likely encounter turns into many unlikely relationships. Riku and his friends must put aside the pain in their past, so that they can be free.
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, but I do own a really cool Riona action figure!
Chapter Ten: No Turning Back
It had been four months since the werewolf slayers had invaded the safe keeping of the den. Leon had fallen into a much needed sleep, so Cloud had left the alpha's room to go and explore more of the werewolf den. He had just managed to escape the clutches and girly giggles of Selephe and Yuffie, and was now a tad bit lost. So when he saw a familiar mop of silver hair, relief relaxed his mind. Riku was lying on his back with his bare feet resting in the water. Cloud had never seen Riku so at ease before, and because of this he smiled.
"What or should I say who has changed you?" Cloud inquired as he slowly eased himself on the ground beside Riku.
"I haven't changed." Riku snorted, and Cloud rolled his eyes.
"I'm glad that you didn't leave." Cloud searched for any emotion on Riku's face that might give away the other boy's thoughts, but there was none to be found.
"How did you find out?" The tone in his voice sounded dead, but Cloud caught a glint of interest in his eyes.
"I know you, Riku. You're afraid to say goodbye." Cloud sighed and unconsciously rubbed his neck, "Back then, there was a small part of you that didn't want to leave your fath-"
"Don't talk about him."
"Riku…" Cloud was unable to finish his sentence, because he was afraid of pushing Riku away, and so the two childhood friends sat in silence. Cloud searched for something to say, and was relieved and surprised when Riku was the one to break it.
"I have been so selfish, and this weakness of mine has not only caused you pain, but has gotten Roxas killed."
"You didn't kill Roxas." Cloud shook his head in sadness.
"I should have prevented his fall." Cloud wanted to interject, but Riku held up his hand telling the blonde haired man that he was not yet finished, "If I had been paying attention I would have realized something was wrong. When I was younger I made a promise to myself. I promised that I would never be weak, and that I'd never again be useless."
"That's a hard vow to keep." Cloud took off his boots and eased his feet into the cool water.
"Yes, impossible." Riku sat up, but didn't remove his feet from the water.
"I didn't say that." Cloud tried to reason.
"You thought it." Riku dead panned, and this caused his friend to sigh.
"If it is your fault that Roxas died, then it is my fault also." Cloud stood up in annoyance and then after pausing for a second he sat back down. The fact was that Roxas' death had been an accident, and Cloud had no idea how he could get this across to his silver haired friend. Riku chose not to comment about Cloud's sudden movements.
"You can never do anything wrong." Cloud snorted at Riku's response.
"I'm far from perfect, hell you're far from perfect, but that's what I like about you. Riku, you're the strongest person I know."
"I try to be strong." Riku replied.
"That's all I ask." Cloud patted Riku on the back, and smiled, and then laughed. He had no idea why he was laughing, but when he heard Riku laughing along with him he felt his mind loose one more sorrow.
"So, how does it feel? Being a werewolf, I mean."
"I don't think that turning into a werewolf has changed me at all, but I do think that the people I have come to know and the new trails that I'm experiencing are helping to open my eyes to something bigger." A small blush crept on to Cloud's cheeks, and this did not go unnoticed by Riku.
"You've become quite close with the alpha…what was his name? Leo?" Riku knew very well what the alpha's name was, but Cloud's pink face amused him to no end.
"Leon." At the mention of his name, Cloud's cheeks grew a bright red, and he decided to give Riku a taste of his own medicine, "You've been spending a lot of time with Sora."
"When I'm with him I feel like I'm finally breathing clean air." Riku answered truthfully. He seemed unaffected by Cloud's attempt to get him to blush.
"Riku, do you want to become a werewolf?"
Riku rubbed the side of his neck, and it took awhile for him to give Cloud an answer. "There are things that I must atone for, before I even begin to think about the things I want."
-xxx-
The next full moon was drawling closer, and Naminé swore she saw Axel scratch behind his ear with his right foot. Luckily Roxas had not been a witness to that odd act. The three of them were currently relaxing after eating a brunt dinner scorched by Axel of course. Roxas had wanted to talk to the two of them about something, but so far he was doing a good job of being distracted by Axel.
Naminé sighed, but she felt more like smacking a hand to her forehead. Could Axel be any more obvious and could Roxas be any more oblivious? Naminé had lost count on the amount of times Axel had hit on Roxas this night. She had half a mind to stock over to them and smash their lips together. Would they get the point then? Probably not…
If that was the case than there was only one thing to do, "I'm thinking about creating mixed breed flowers, but I can't decided what types of flowers I should use for this experiment. I would like to use…" Axel groaned, but stopped his advances on Roxas.
"Naminé, you are excellent at ruining my success." Axel pouted, and Naminé could see the little child she'd discovered in her garden fifteen years ago.
"Oh really? It seems to me that I'm saving you from a worsening failure." Upon hearing these words Axel's pout fell into a sulk.
"Aw, you're so cute." Roxas cooed, and then his eyes widened at his statement and for the thousandth time that night he blushed. Naminé wondered if the poor boy had really fallen in love with Axel.
Roxas's comment melted away the sulk on Axel's face, and after giving a suggestive smirk he purred. Naminé rolled her eyes, and Roxas patted the top of Axel's head.
"So, what is on your mind?" Naminé questioned sounding liked she was slightly irritated.
"Well…that is…" Roxas began, and all playfulness disappeared from his voice. The seriousness caused a warning bell to go off in Naminé's head; she looked over at Axel and saw that he too had picked out the change of mood that had suddenly over took the room, "What I wanted to say is…that I'm very thankful for the care you have given me. I don't know how, but I intend to repay your kindness."
"Your smiling face is the only payment I truly need…unless you'll give me your body." Axel interjected. His face was so serious that Naminé had to fight down the urge not to laugh with all the self restraint she could muster, but she needn't have tried so hard, because the next thing Roxas said wiped all of the giddiness out of her.
"I must leave so that I may find my companions. I have no idea what has become of them, but this is something that I must find out."
Naminé looked over at Axel; he looked like he was dying. Must all happy stories come to an end?
-xxx-
"There are things that I must atone for; before I even begin to think about the things I want."
Riku's words kept rotating around in Cloud's head until they had lodged themselves deep within his memory. What did he need to atone for?
"Cloud, come here." Cloud perked up at hearing his name being spoken from the Alpha's soft lips, or at least he assumed that they were soft. They looked soft anyhow. He obediently made his way over to the bedside where Leon was sitting. Tonight there would be a full moon and Cloud was feeling the anticipation building up inside of him.
"Today is your last day abed. We should do something to celebrate." Cloud said half jokingly.
"Do I get a present?" Leon asked and although his voice sounded innocent his eyes were anything but. They had darkened with desire, and Cloud felt a blush creep up to his cheeks.
"Wh-what do you want?" Cloud silently cursed himself for his unsteady voice. He was usually more at ease with himself. It was only when he was with Leon or thinking about Leon that he became so flustered and clumsy.
"A kiss." Was the honest reply, and Cloud's jaw dropped down in surprise as his brain tried to make sense of the two simple words that his alpha had spoke.
Leon waited patiently for Cloud's mind to register his words. Cloud's face turned from pink to red. The blonde didn't dare to speak, because he knew if he tried to talk that his words would pour out like rambling drabble. Then as quickly as he had turned the hot bright colors, they suddenly disappeared from his face, and his eyes took on their normal serious and soulful gaze.
Cloud leaned his head down to capture Leon's soft lips with his own. Although shocked Leon smiled from the pleasant surprise and met Cloud half way. At first their kiss was tender, each man testing the other, wondering if he would pull away. No one backed down, and their kiss deepened.
Cloud wrapped his arms around the alpha. His alpha. Is this what he had been missing? Was this a part of him that was newly discovered or had it been their all along. This attraction he felt for the brown haired man…was it love? Or simply lust?
Surprisingly gentle hands stroked Cloud's spiky blonde hair, and made him forget the questions that ate at his mind. Leon's magic like elegance soothed a wound deep within Cloud's heart. A wound that Cloud had not known was there.
His parents had been so busy with their political lives that they had forgotten their child. Cloud vaguely remembered waiting everyday for them to come home. He would stand quietly with his the palms of his hands pressed to the glass, looking out the window past his silhouette, he would search for a sign that would mark their arrival. There came a day when they did not come home, and he had received a letter saying that they had been beheaded for going against the king.
The letter that had brought him the tidings of his parent's states was now worn out from being read and handled so much. Cloud reread the letter in hopes of gleaning information about his parents from it. Some bit of information that would bring him closer to the two strangers that he called 'mom' and 'dad'. The bitterness and resentment he had for his parents, was replaced with a strong curiosity for the unknown. He had become obsessed with learning about things, because he was afraid that if he didn't he would miss some vital point of his life. Cloud regretted the fact that he didn't know his parents, and often wondered what he could have done while they were alive to have gotten to know them better.
The soothing fingers that had run through his hair stopped their ministrations and traveled down to Cloud's chest. The high sensation of their touch stayed upon Cloud's skin, and he shivered in pleasure. For once in his life, Cloud's brain ceased it's questioning and surrendered to his heart.
-xxx-
Everything was packed. He had made his decision and now there was no turning back. It was like he had never taken that step off the cliff, his body felt so normal. It was back to its closed and sorrowful self.
Roxas slung his bag filled with food and medicine over his shoulder and walked out the front door of the cottage; he was met by Naminé and Axel. Naminé smiled at Roxas, but the tears that she was trying to hold back revealed her true feelings. Axel, who had his back to Roxas, was completely still, as if he thought he could stop time by not moving. Naminé stood beside the cottage doors holding flowers in her hands, and Axel stood by the garden's gate, the gate that separated this place of refuge from the rest of the world.
"Be careful Roxas." Naminé said as she hugged Roxas good bye. Once they had parted from the embrace, Naminé handed Roxas two stems both with small pink flowers. "These are cyclamens and these are carnations." Roxas nodded, and tried to recall the meaning of the flowers he held in his hand, but at the moment the answers escaped him.
"Take care, Naminé." Roxas said, and brought the flowers up to his nose so that he could smell their gentle fragrance.
Naminé did not follow Roxas as he continued down the path to departure. Axel slowly turned to face Roxas at his approach, and Roxas inwardly cringed at the sorrow he saw in Axel's eyes.
Roxas wanted to tell Axel that he loved him, but he couldn't say that and just leave. Roxas wanted to tell Axel that he'd come back, but he knew that he wouldn't return. And so the only thing that he could think of to say was, "Axel." the name, his name.
Axel didn't respond, and Roxas felt something inside of him breaking. Hiding his disappointment he walked passed Axel, and exited through the opened gate.
"Watch where you're going…Roxas." Although it was spoken very quietly and Roxas had already moved on, the blonde haired youth still heard Axel's parting words. As Roxas left behind his shelter he heard Naminé' sing a song in farewell.
He did not turn around to see the cottage shrink into the distance, or the two people he had grown to care for disappear from sight. After all from this point there was no turning back.
-xxx-
Sora casually admired the scene of green leaves as they blew in the wind and created waves like the sea. He had never seen the sea before, but he knew that it had to be something special. Something as mysterious and compelling as Riku.
From his point on the observation deck, Sora watched Riku conversing with Cid. The beta wolf was laughing heartedly and Sora could see a ghost of a smile grace Riku's lips. This caused Sora's day to shine a little brighter. When Sora was with Riku he had to contain a fit of giggles that welled up in his stomach. Just seeing Riku caused Sora to feel good, and the smile that the moon haired man had given was proof that he was enjoying his stay.
Sora was about to call down to his moon child and the beta, but something caught his attention. He knew he should be feeling overjoyed, but the dread that fell upon his shoulders outweighed any happiness that he could feel. This small bit of peace that he had found was about to be shattered. Sora recalled the ghost of a smile that would sometimes appear on Riku's face. He thought of all the times he could have asked Riku about his nightmares. Now, it looked like he might never see the smile again or find out the reasons for Riku's restless sleep.
He should have been happy to see Kairi and Seifer heading towards the den, but the results of their arrival would cast shadows upon this light. He could not erase the lie that he created, and he only hoped that Cloud and Riku would be spared. There was no turning back. The end has fallen to make way for a new beginning, and Sora wondered if he would be a part of it.
-xxx-
Author's Note: I thought that this chapter was going to be a lot shorter than it was, but it turned out to be normal sized. For awhile I was debating over keeping the content in this story as a single chapter or hooking it on to the next one, but it was long enough that it deserved its own chapter. A part of Cloud's past somehow weaseled its way in here, but I felt like giving a reason to why he acts the way he does.
Next chapter is called Punishment, and is a kind of turning point in the story. Though before I post chapter eleven I'm going to put up the first chapter of the other story I'm working on. Thanks for reading and I appreciate your reviews. I lurves reading them. Thank you, thank you, and thank you!