I'm sorry. -hides under rock-
Enjoy?
The adrenalin had long worn off and I was once again at a loss as to what I should be doing. I found myself seated on the steps, staring at the front door, my hands covering half my face as I fought with myself to hold it together.
"Roxas." Came Vincent's voice from the door way leading back to the living room.
"We should have gone with them." I said, my voice empty.
"Vareidy wouldn't want us too. You need to be here, continuing your training." he said. I rubbed at my face.
"Who was it?" I asked. When only silence answered me I stood up from the stairs and turned to face him. "Who shot him? Who did I kill, Vincent?" I asked the raven haired man standing in the door way.
"There was no ID on the body and I won't know who the other one is until they get through with him at the manor." he said, his face and voice perfectly blank.
"Waiting for news is going to kill me." I said, my hands clenched at my side.
"He'll be fine Roxas. He may not have complete use of his left arm because of the shot to the shoulder but other then the blood loss he isn't in danger." he said.
"Yes but you don't know that!" I said, my voice getting a little louder as I took a step toward him.
"No I don't, just as you don't know that he won't be okay." he said. "Lets just keep busy until we hear news. The dinning room needs cleaning and those wounds on your hands and arm need cleaning as well." I took a deep breath and rained in my emotions before I nodded and followed him back into the dinning room. "Sit." He said as he pulled out a chair for me. I sat and laid my arms on the table and began to inspect the wounds as he went to get the first aid kit.
I had several shallow cuts on my left hand, my right had been protected from the bandages that were already there. I had a few deep ones on my elbows from crawling but nothing that looked to deep. Vincent took a seat next to me and laid the phone on the table between us. He started with my hand and the silence was tense. It didn't matter what he said, he was as worried as I was.
"Are we going to continue with the training?" I asked after he had moved on to my elbows.
"Yes. We'll start in the morning, regardless." he said, his voice soft as he concentrated on what he was doing. There was some comfort in that, knowing that things would go on. Not that they would be the same if Variedy didn't pull through. "There." He said as he finished wrapping up my forearm. I stood from the table.
"Where is the dust pan and broom?" I asked as he started to pack away the first aid kit.
"The laundry room." he said and I moved through the kitchen and into the laundry room. I found what I needed rather quickly. I paused for a moment as I fought to keep my mind blank before I moved back into the kitchen and began to sweep up the broken glass that seemed to be every where. Vincent stood from the table and went to inspect the broken window.
"Is there any ply wood around?" I asked as I continued sweeping.
"I doubt it." he said and I glanced over to see the phone pressed to his ear. "Leon...yes I'm aware there is no news. I need ply wood to cover the broken window and door here...yes, come by and take measurements...alright." He hung up the phone and took a seat at the table his eyes glued to the backyard and his arms crossed.
The silence was so thick you could have cut it with a knife. I turned all my attention onto sweeping when it became clear Vincent was just going to sit there and stare out the broken window.
I had just about finished sweeping when Vincent finally spoke.
"Leon is here." he said, causing me to freeze for a moment before continuing. A moment later the front door opened and closed. Leon appeared in the door way at the same moment that the phone on the table went off. Vincent and I both stared at if for a moment before he picked it up and put it on speaker.
"Hello." he said.
"Hey Vincent." came Demyx's voice from the phone. "I was told to call and let you know that Variedy is stable. They've removed the bullet and had to do a few blood transfusion but Dr. Yanc says that he should be fine. He's not sure about the long term damage but he seems pretty optimistic."
I sank into the chair next to Vincent and dropped my head into my hands. I felt a hand on my shoulders and I looked up to see Leon smiling down at me.
"Thank you Demyx." Vincent said as he reached for the phone.
"Ahh, that's not all." He said and we all looked to the phone. "Axel has brought Phystie out of hiding." I looked to Vincent, confused.
"What do you mean?" Vincent asked.
"Axel didn't take too kindly to being dumped by Roxas. Basically he tossed Phystie out of his safe house and told him good luck." Vincent was on his feet, swearing up a storm.
"Where Demyx?" he asked, his hands on the table. I was standing as well, my heart pounding. If Phystie wasn't in a safe house then he was in a lot of danger if Variedy's stories were true.
"From what I can gather, the safe house was here in town, on the east side. I don't know where he is now."
"Fuck." Vincent said as he snatched up the phone and turned off the speaker. "I need you to do better then that Demyx. Get Zexion and go to my room." he said and then left the dinning room, headed toward his room here in the manor. I looked to Leon but he was already measuring the window. I sat again at the table and just stared into space for a moment.
"Why would Axel do that?" I asked out loud. "All this is going to do is piss Variedy off and possibly get poor Phystie killed."
"An eye for an eye." Leon said with his back to me. "Variedy took you from Axel so Axel is going to get rid of Phystie."
"Variedy didn't take me away from Axel." I said. "If anything Vincent took me away from Axel." I muttered as I glared at the table. There was a loud thump and I looked up to see Leon staring at me, his eyes wide.
"I did not just hear that." he breathed. I wanted to squirm under his gaze as it went from shocked to pissed.
"I don't know what you heard or didn't hear." I said, shifting my gaze to the living room. I jumped a bit when he slammed his hands down on the table and our gazes locked.
"This is a dangerous game you're playing kid." he hissed. I had never seen Leon so angry before but I couldn't help but feel a little pissed as well.
"A game?" I asked, my own glare in place. "You think I'm playing a game? You think my love life is a game? Because I can promise you that there is no winner here. I want Axel, I want to be with Axel but I won't. Not until he chooses me over that bitch." I snarled.
"And Vincent? What becomes of him if Axel chooses you? You're just going to leave him?" he asked. I rolled my eyes as I stood from the table.
"You're worried for Vincent's sake?" I asked, my eyebrow raised. "He's a big boy, he knows whats going on."
"I'm going to tell you just like you told Vincent all those months ago. There are consequences to your actions Roxas, regardless of weather or not you see them right away."
"I am well aware of that." I said. Vincent chose that moment to come back into the dinning room.
"Roxas lets go." he said as he snatched up a set of keys from the kitchen bar. "Leon stay here and make sure no one gets in, when we get back you can go get the ply wood."
"Yes sir." Leon said but his voice was stiff. I turned my best smile on him.
"Help yourself to whatever is in the fridge Leon." I said before turning and following Vincent through the kitchen and into the laundry room. I grabbed a black t-shirt that was on top of the dryer and a black zip up jacket that was hanging by the door as Vincent changed into a trench coat.
"Zexion managed to track down Phystie. He's in an abandon hotel down town, he's hiding and armed so we have to approach carefully." He said as he pulled the door leading the to garage opened. I followed him out and got into the passenger seat of the black Audi. The car purred to life under us and we shot out of the opened garage.
"Doesn't he know you?" I asked as we rocketed down the street.
"No. Vareidy keeps this life as separated from Phystie as he possibly can. The more he knows the more danger he's in." he said.
"Well obviously the poor guy knows to much as it is and we're about to shove him neck deep." I said. "Variedy's going to be pissed."
"The alternative is to leave Physite on his own, and trust me, that will piss him off a lot more." I could only nod to that.
"He's going to kill Axel." I muttered. I glanced over to see Vincent's hands tightening on the steering wheel.
"He's going to try." he said and his voice was empty. His loyalties were being tested again and I almost felt bad for him. Almost, but loyalties really needed to be left at home when you worked for organized crime. I tried to gaze at the scenery but it was all moving to fast to follow.
It took us all of 15 minutes to get to where we were going. Vincent pulled the car into a ally and killed the lights. He reached over me and opened the glove compartment and pulled out two hand guns. He dropped one into my lap.
"We go in through a side door just up ahead." he said as he opened his door. I followed his example and shut the door as silently as I could. He motioned me over and we slowly, silently made our way down the ally. "Remember." he said as we paused on either side of the door. "He's armed and scared. He doesn't know us but we have to convince him to come with us." I huffed a bit but nodded.
He held up three fingers. When the third went down I turned the door knob and pushed the door just enough that he could slip through. I took the opportunity to tuck the gun into the back of my pants, guns were pointless if you couldn't shot the person you were up against.
"Clear." I heard from inside and slipped through after him. His hand was on my arm, directed me against the wall beside him. We had entered what could have been a back room of some kind, possibly led to a kitchen for the hotel.
"Follow my every move." he whispered before he pushed away from the wall and headed for the other door in the room. I followed close behind, keeping my ears on high alert for any noise that could tell us where Phystie was, it was a big building this could take all night.
We went through the door only to be met by pitch blackness. I froze in the door way for a moment as I tried to let my eyes adjust to the darkness but a hand on my arm yanked me deeper into the room.
"I heard movement up ahead." Vincent breathed into my ear. "Move very carefully." He let me go and I realized I could finally see. We were in what was once a kitchen for the entire hotel. It was quite a large room that had been basically stripped clean except for a few metal tables that probably served as prep tables at one point. I followed Vincent and kept my eyes a head, searching the darkness for any sign of movement. I grabbed Vincent's arm as I spotted movement to our left. I motioned and we went into a crouch.
Someone was trying to sneak out the way we had come, I could just make out their shape. They were crouched low to the ground and moving for the door.
"Get him!" Vincent said. I jumped slightly, shocked by the loud noise. I stood at the same time that the person stood and bolted for the door. I took off after him. He pushed one of the metal tables at me but I launched myself over it. I stumbled a bit but managed to stay of my feet. They hit the door at full speed, sending it flying opened, temporarily blinding me. I got into the smaller room but he was already out the back door. I didn't let myself stop, I threw myself out the door.
"PHYSTIE!" I shouted at the figure that was already half way down the ally.
"Roxas don't lose him!" Vincent called out from behind me as I continued to chase the frightened man. I was gaining on him when he suddenly took a sharp turn out of the ally. I was just about around the corner when a gun shot rang out, followed by a pained shout. I dove around the corner, rolling and coming up on my knees. I fumbled with the hand gun as I stood, gun trained on the street in front of me. I quickly swept the street with my eyes until I noticed the body that was laying just up ahead of me. He was moving, trying to get up on his hands and knees but not having much luck.
I quickly moved toward him but had to stop and duck behind a trash can as another shot rang out I heard it ping against something solid, meaning it had missed its target. I looked over to where the bullet had come from and saw the flash of something shiny in another ally. I waited a moment and they stepped out of the ally and into the street. I aimed and let my mind go empty before I pulled the trigger. The man crumpled to the ground almost instantly. I quickly moved to Phystie and knelt next to him. I could see that the bullet had hit him in his lower leg.
"Phystie, I know you don't have any reason to trust me." I said and he looked up at me, and my first thought was, 'wow, what pretty eyes' "But I need to get you out of here, Vincent and I are friends of Variedy's. Well I use the term friend loosely." He gave what might have been a strained smile but froze when a running car was heard behind us. I pulled the gun up and was facing the possible danger when I recognized the Audi. "Friendly." I said as I turned back to the wounded boy. "Alright, I'm going to help you stand." He nodded and I tucked the gun back into my waist band and pulled his arm over my shoulder and used it to help him to his feet. "Just got to make it to the car." I said.
"Okay." he muttered as we slowly made our way to the car. Vincent was out of the car and moving toward us.
"This is Vincent, he's a good guy, I promise." I said as the raven haired man approached us.
"I'll get him from here." Vincent said to me. "Go get the door." I handed Phystie off to him and he scooped the smaller man off his feet. I quickly went to the car and opened the back door so Vincent could lay him down. "Get in the back with him and try to slow the bleeding." I quickly complied and once again found myself removing my shirt.
"Fuck!" Phystie groaned as I squeezed myself onto the floor board so I wasn't making him uncomfortable. Vincent got into the car and it purred to life.
"I know it hurts." I said. "Bite onto your jacket." I moved his arm over his mouth before turning my attention to his leg.
"It went through." I said as I examined the wound. "Just grazed the inside of his knee." I ripped my shirt into strips and tied each one around his knee, making sure they were tight. Once they were tied I leaned back as much as I could. "That's all I can do for now." I told him.
"Variedy." he said, as he lowered his arms. His strange light purple eyes were glued to mine. "Where is he?"
"Uh," I said and I glanced over my shoulder to Vincent, wondering if he'd answer or if I should. When Vincent didn't say anything. "He's in the hospital at Axel's manor." He grabbed my arm, his eyes wide. "He got shot in the left shoulder earlier this evening." He let go of me but still seemed shocked.
"He'll be okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, the doctor isn't sure about how much long term damage was done but he'll live." I said. I glanced down to the wound to see blood starting to seep through the outer strips of my shirt. "Vincent move it along please." I shot over my shoulder. "I'm sorry about this." I said to Phystie before I placed my hands on top of the strips and applied pressure. Physite groaned but placed his arm back over his mouth and bit down.
We pulled into the garage at the house. Vincent opened the car door and had Phystie out before I could even ask any questions. I quickly got out and followed him inside.
"Why are we here and not at the manor?" I asked as I followed him into the kitchen. Leon was standing by the back door when we came in and quickly came over when he saw that Vincent was carrying someone.
"Because Variedy is there and I am trying very hard to keep it from him that Phystie was tossed out of the safe house at least until he has left the manor property and is as far away from Axel as is possible." He said as he laid the injured man on the kitchen island. "Leon go to Variedy's room and get the big first aid kit that is there." Leon said nothing just obeyed. I went to stand by Phystie's head and gave him a shaky smile.
"We'll get you patched up." I said as I gave a nervous glance to Vincent who was removing the strips of shirt.
"It's going to hurt." Vincent said as he took the kit that Leon handed him. "I've got some local numbing agents but nothing that is going to block the pain completely."
"Alright." Phystie whispered and he reached up and took my hand in his. I reached for his other arm and placed it over his mouth as Vincent pulled out a surgical needle. I looked away and instead focused my attention on Phystie. Now that we were in proper lighting I could see that his eyes were strange light purple color that I had never seen before on a person. His light brown hair was slightly longer then mine but not by much. His eyes squeezed shut as Vincent started in on the wound. Physite flinched and I looked down to see that Vincent had started in with the needle. He looked up when Physite had moved.
"Be still or this is going to hurt a lot more then it needs too." he said before he started again. Phystie managed to stay still for a little longer but soon he jerked again. Vincent sighed. "Leon, come hold his leg still please."
"Sorry!" Phystie says as he throws his arm over his eyes. "Its a little fucking hard to be still when someone is shoving a needle into my skin over and over again!" He snarles. I patted his arm but moved to stand by his head and place my hands on his shoulders to help hold him still.
"Just let him finished and we'll get you settled into a room." I said as I applied a little pressure to his shoulders as Vincent started up again.
After another grueling couple of minutes Vincent pulls away and grabs a gauze pad and some medical tape. He bandages up the area and then helps Phsystie sit up.
"We're gonna put you in a room up stairs, I don't need Variedy to know that your here just yet." Vincent says as he scoops the smaller man up into his arms.
"I can walk damn it!" Phystie snarls at him. Vincent gives him a raised eye brow but lets him down onto his own feet. I manage to catch his arm as he stumbles but I just receive a glare for my efforts. I let go of him and give him the 'I am unarmed' gesture. "Is Variedy on his way here?" He asked.
"Not that I know of." Vincent says."But knowing him, he's going to walk out of there as soon as he wakes." Phystie face softens for a moment.
"Yeah, probably. Alright, so where is this room?" He asked.
"I'll show you." I said and lead him from the kitchen. We paused at the foot of the stairs so he could breath for a moment. It couldn't have been fun trying to walk on that leg.
"I don't think I caught your name." Phystie says as he leans against the wall next to the stair case.
"Roxas." I say and I watch his face for any recognition but he just nods his head a bit.
"Well Roxas, how is it exactly that you came to be living with Variedy?" he asks. There is no suspicion there or acquisition but just a question.
"Hes training me." I said. Physite's eyes go into slits then.
"I heard he was here to train Axel's whore." he said and I felt my heart sink.
"Well I'm not his whore, but I was his lover and he is the reason why I am here." I said and I knew at that moment that any chance I had at getting along with Physite was shot to hell.
"Well, its nice to finally meet you Princess." he says with a sneer. My fist ball up at my side but I fight hard to control my anger.
"You shouldn't judge people so quickly. I just saved your ass and killed a guy trying to do it." I said with my own glare before I started up the steps. "Your room is this way." I heard him grumble something but didn't catch what it was and then he started up the steps, slowly. I waited at the top for him but didn't say anything else as he joined me. "That's the bathroom." I said pointing, "That's your room, and that's mine." I point out each door and then turn around and head back down stairs.
"Roxas." Phystie calls after me and I pause half way down the stairs and look back up at him.
"Yes?" I asked, my voice neutral.
"Thanks. And Sorry." he said and I just nod before I continue down the stairs. When I get back to the kitchen its to find that Leon has left and the window is now boarded up. Vincent is leaning against the kitchen counter his phone in his hand.
"Is he settled in?" He asks me as I jumped up on the counter next to him and sat.
"I don't know" I said and he gives me a raised eyebrow. "He's kind of an ass." Vincent lets out a snort.
"He's Variedy's lover, what did you expect?" he asked. I shrugged.
"I don't know, someone opposite of Vareidy I suppose." I said and Vincent just hummed.
"He has to be able to keep up with all that crazy, that's bound to make anyone a bit of an ass." he says after a slight pause.
"So what now?" I ask as I start to mess with the bandages on my hand.
"I wait up till he gets home and try to ease him into this and you go get some rest." He says as he pushes away from the counter. I jumped down and follow him into the living room.
"I'll wait with you." I said to which he just gives me one of his blank looks.
"No, you still have training in the morning and you being down here would be nothing but a distraction." He said and I glared at him.
"A distraction?" I asked.
"Yes." He said as he turned to walk away. I grabbed his wrist and pulled him to a stop.
"Then close your eyes ass hole. I'm not going to be sent to bed like some disobedient child. I think I've earned the right to stay up and wait for him to get back." I said, my eyes glaring into his, daring him to say other wise.
"Fine." was all he said before he walks away and takes a seat on the edge of the practice mat.
"Fine." I muttered back in my most childish voice as I crossed my arms and sat next to him. A heavy silence fell over us and I allowed myself to lay back on the mat and close my eyes. I don't know how long I lay there, just letting my thoughts drift and my mind rest when a noise at the front door had both me and Vincent on our feet. A second later Vincent had his phone pressed to his ear as we moved toward the entrance way.
"Yes?" He asked into the phone, his voice barely a whisper. The other person replied and he stopped me with a hand on m shoulder, I looked up into his eyes, trying to discern something from them but got nothing. "Alright, then its him that just arrived. Thank you Demyx." he said before he hung up the phone and gave me a nod. We moved into the entrance hallway just as the door came open and Vareidy stepped inside.
"Vareidy?" I asked, stepping toward him as he shut the door behind him.
"I'm fine Roxas." he said as he stepped towards us and into the little bit of light that was coming from the living room. I searched his face but who was I kidding? Like I was going to be able to read anything out of his red and gold eyes.
"Vareidy we need to talk." Vincent said just as door up stairs closed. I froze and shot a look up stairs but didn't see any signs of Phystie, maybe he went into the bathroom?
"Who's here?" he asked, as one eye brow rose. I gulped and took a hesitant step back, I had half expected him to already know. I had half hoped...well here goes nothing...
"Axel is angry at me." I said and my voice may have been a little shaky. Vincent silenced me with a hand on my shoulder. I shook it off and glared at him, telling him with my eyes to keep his mouth shut.
"I am aware of his anger, I was here for that." Variedy said, pulling my attention back to him. The irritation in his voice was growing. Chances were pretty good that I was going to get the repercussion for Physite getting tossed out, an eye for an eye right? Axel hurts his lover so Variedy hurts me.
Why did this thought just occur to me?
"He tossed Phystie out." I said as I stood a little taller. I had thought that Variedy's face had been blank when he walked in, when he told me he was okay. It hadn't been, I had been taking for granted how 'open' he had been around me until the moment I watched his face shut down. Every light behind his eyes was out, his emotion/personalty seemed to flow out of him and I half expected to find it pooled on the floor at his feet.
"When?" He asked and I had to turn away from him. I physically could not meet his gaze, there was nothing there, nothing. No one was home behind those red and gold eyes.
"A few hours ago." Vincent said. "We got to him pretty quickly." I opened my mouth to say not quick enough but I could feel Vincent glaring at me. "He's up stairs resting at the moment."
"Was he.." Variedy fell silent and I turned back to him to find his face contorted into grief and anger and worry but only for a moment. "Was he hurt?" he finally asked.
"A bullet grazed his right knee." Vincent said and Variedy stayed blank. I took another step back but was stopped my Variedy's hand on my upper arm. I looked up to meet a blank face and wanted nothing more then to run.
"You are also injured." he said, his eyes scanning over my bandaged arms and then my hands. It wasn't a question and it was so far from what I had been expecting him to say that I just stood, staring at him like a deer caught in the head lights. "Go get some sleep. We will pick up same time tomorrow." He let go of me and moved toward the living room.
I stood rooted to the stop, slightly pissed, slightly hurt and whole lot relieved. I had fought when Vincent had tried to dismiss me like a child earlier but now it felt like a blessing. Variedy could have just as easily beat the crap out of me and then tossed me to the street. Hell he had every right too. I shook myself and headed up the stairs. At the top I found Phystie leaning against the banister and gazing down at the living room where I could just hear Vincent's voice floating up. I approached Phsytie silently.
"It's been so long since I've seen him." He said to me as I joined him at the banister and gazed down with him. Variedy and Vincent were standing just at the edge of the blue mat and talking in low voices.
"You must have missed him." I said, my voice just as soft. Phsytie shifted a bit beside me.
"Its hard to be with out him." he said, his voice even softer. "The fact that he's here, right there." he held out his arm as if he could grab Variedy from where we stood. "and he didn't come rushing up here the second he heard I was here, it breaks what little of my heart was still here." His arm fell from the air and back to the banister where he gripped it hard.
"He's Variedy." I said, trying for comfort but probably coming off like a dick. "He doesn't seem like the fluffy, cuddle, happy reunion type." His hand went to cover his face as his shoulders shook in silent laughter.
"You'd be surprised." he finally said after a moment. I looked back down stairs just in time to see Variedy disappear into his room. Vincent looked up his eyes meeting mine.
"Go to bed you two." he said, his deep voice carrying up to us. I gave a nod and moved away from the railing, Phystie right behind me.
"Sleep tight Princess." Phystie said to me as he went for his bedroom door. I glared at the back of his head.
"You too bitch." I hissed before going into my own room and closing the door. I could just hear his soft snicker through the door. I rolled my eyes as I pushed away from the door and collapsed onto my bed.
I stared up at the ceiling for a moment, contemplating the day and realized it was a rather drab ending to an other wise eventful day.
All that means is that tomorrow the shit is going to hit the fan...always does.