◆21◆ A Beautiful Lie
It was the first day back at school. The visitors from Twilight Town had left and although Ollette had made up with him, Hayner was especially still angry with Roxas. He didn't even say goodbye at the airport. Pence was a little better but Roxas could tell he was faking half of his positive actions towards him. Cloud and Vincent had left each other at the airport, happy to be back with each other, but Vincent was still wondering about Sephiroth and Cloud was still hating the long-distance relationship.
One night before, his father visited Roxas again, the second day in a row. He was still mad at Roxas and blamed him for his wife's death again. The older blond had another half-empty bottle of an undeterminable alcohol in his hand though so Roxas still wasn't sure if he really meant it. James had told him again that if he told anyone about this that he'd do something to one of his friends and since Roxas didn't want Axel to be hurt, he hadn't told anyone as of yet.
As much as this decision was hurting him, Roxas felt like he had a duty.
"And then I'm all like 'Riku, why do you have a pink bow in your hair' and he's all like 'because it's pretty'. And then he put his hands on his hips and stuck his tongue out and that's how he got his name! Isn't that right Bitch?" Demyx was telling the story animatedly and had the whole table laughing. Riku, on the other hand, was blushing madly next to Sora and glaring at Demyx.
"It was pretty…" He mumbled and that made Sora just laugh even more.
Roxas half-heartedly laughed a little but stopped laughing and turned his head to look out the window. He hadn't been liking the day at all because all he could think about was James and why he had done what he'd done and if he'd do it again. It didn't help that he had some itchy bandages wrapped around his chest that he could feel with every breath either. Axel looked over at him and stopped laughing himself.
"Hey what's wrong Roxy?" Immediate concern.
Roxas kept his eyes outside. "Nothing."
Axel rubbed his back. "Stop being stubborn. What's wrong? You've been distracted all day." He stopped rubbing when he felt something under his shirt. It felt like another shirt but why would it be so small if it was another shirt? Plus it was only in one area… Roxas tensed up.
"Something's been bugging me but I really don't want to talk about it ok?" Roxas turned to him with almost cold eyes.
"Yeah…ok." Axel looked down at him for a few more seconds but then turned back to Demyx on his other side. Something was up with his boyfriend and he was going to find out but he had to be careful because when Roxas was upset, he could be really messed up in all other aspects of his life.
0o0o0o
On the drive home (because Axel always drove Roxas to and from school now), he tried to ask him again but failed miserably. Now, since he still hadn't told him in the privacy of his car, Axel knew something was really wrong. He dropped him off at his driveway like usual and went home, promising himself he'd figure it out within the week.
0o0o0o
"Roxas go get the door! We're busy!" Cloud called down the stairs to his little brother. He was helping Sora with his homework in his bedroom and Roxas was downstairs being lazy yet again.
"Yeah, yeah I'm going." Roxas pulled himself off of the couch and walked to the door, wrenching it open lazily. He was about to say hello but he stopped and took a step back.
"Hello Roxas." James stepped through the door and closed it behind him. Roxas took a few steps back and James glanced at him. "What? No hug for Dad?" He smacked him and Roxas stepped back. When Roxas didn't say anything or cry out, he punched his stomach. That made him cover his stomach but it didn't help that James punched him more in the same area. The punches strayed to his ribs and he fell over, yelling in pain. He hit a rib that had been broken recently and still hurt sometimes without the help of physical force.
"Roxas what's- o my god! CLOUD!" Sora was at the top of the stairs. Cloud rushed out of Sora's bedroom and when he saw what was going on, he jumped down the stairs two at a time. Sora stayed petrified at the top, clinging to the banister with shaky hands. James had moved to kicking Roxas' side a couple times since he was curled up on the floor against the wall.
"Dad!" Cloud grabbed his arm and tried to pull him away but his dad just slapped his face. Cloud stumbled back and heard Roxas start to cry painfully when James started to kick him again.
"Don't cry you sissy!" He kicked again and Roxas covered his mouth and eyes with white hands. Cloud grabbed his arm again and pulled him away from his vulnerable brother with all his strength. Taken aback by Cloud's sudden energy, James let him be pulled to the front door and shoved out. Cloud bolted it behind him and ran to the kitchen to lock the back door as well.
Sora jumped down the stairs and ran to his twin, sitting down next to him. Roxas was shaking on the floor, still curled up but very quiet. He reached out to his brother but the blond just flinched at the touch. "Roxas…" Sora stared at him, unable to do anything and Cloud hurried back into the room and sighed.
"Roxas sit up." Cloud pulled his little brother out of his ball and sat him up against the wall. He had to be the big brother after all. Roxas blinked a couple times at him. "Roxas what just happened?"
"How should I know?" Roxas managed to stammer out. He was still very shaken up.
"Roxas are you ok?" Sora scooted closer to his blond twin.
"I really don't know… I hurt everywhere but mostly up here." He patted his head.
"Has he done this before?" Cloud pulled his brother into his lap and hugged him, trying to be careful because of the bruises.
"Twice."
"Twice! Roxas, we need to get help!" Sora climbed into his big brother's lap as well.
"You can't tell anybody about this though!" Roxas pulled away a little and looked between the two of them.
"Why not? He was abusing you Roxas! That's a crime! We have to tell someone!"
"But he said not to tell people because he knows who Axel and Riku are and that he'd do something to them if I told anyone…" He buried his face between his brothers and sighed.
Sora hugged him and looked up at Cloud. "What are we going to do Cloud?"
Cloud frowned into blond hair. Everything was falling apart and he felt like he couldn't do a thing. He was the oldest brother and he could take care of himself. But now that his mom was gone and his dad was not acting like himself at all, he had to be able to take care of himself and his brothers. That was a hard thing for a high school student to do. Especially when everything was happening all at once. He didn't even have a job yet!
"Sora we can't let Roxas be alone at home in case he comes back. I'm the only one who's going to be answering the door from now on and we have to keep them locked at all times. We're not going to tell anyone but if this gets worse, we're going to have to." Roxas sighed and clung onto his twin.
"I feel like sleeping…" Cloud managed to carry his beaten little brother up the stairs and tucked him into his bed. He went back downstairs and tried to get comfortable on the couch but was too worried about what was going to happen next that he ended up going back upstairs and sleeping next to his brother. Sora attempted to finish his homework but was couldn't concentrate on the English assignment and looked around for Cloud. When he couldn't find him, he went to check on Roxas and instead found Cloud as well. He wanted to be there too so he tucked himself under the covers next his twin. He sighed and closed his eyes.
Cloud couldn't help but feel like he just made a big mistake.
0o0o0o
meh, gomen for the late updates, I was winning a netball tournament
okies I know, horrid but I swear it'll get better soon. Not next chappy but soon ! stick with me plzzzzzz
I'm not sure if anybody lives in Japan like me but if you do, are you planning on going to TAF? I am and I hate how they aren't allowing cosplay… X
DISCLAIMER:: I own nothing except Jimmy Miller, James and the right to say I am a freakin natural at ice skating. (( is shot ))