CHAPTER XXV: Thicker than Water
Author's Note: Last one!
Kairi's POV: KAIRI, MEET THE GANG
Harku and Jamie drag me outta the house, wanting to show me off to all the other guys. Harku re-introduces himself to me as the Third in Command of the Sabers, Jamie just below him. Outside there must be about four or five guys hanging around. Harku addresses them all. By now, his whole appearance is darker with a different tone, a tone of authority and defiance, unlike the tone he had towards me as a girl. "Okay, guys! Just so you know, and so you can pass on the word, this is KAIRI! Our Riku's friend, Kairi. I don't know if you guys remember, or if you're too new to remember, but Riku was Second in Command for the Cobras a couple years back. He's still friends with them, but that doesn't matter. I don't care if we're rivalries. Anyway, he's my cousin, as you all know. And don't even THINK about messing with MY blood, or else you'll seriously regret it. Kairi's his friend. She doesn't have anything to do with the Cobras." He looks to me for reassurance. "Right?"
I stammer, "I don't know…"
"Are you involved with Seifer or Rex, or any of those goons?" he asks. I nod.
"Seifer thinks I'm his, and he just… hurt my boyfriend, for lack of a better word..."
"YOUR boyfriend is the kid that got stabbed?!" Harku exclaims. "What'd you say his name was?"
"Sora…" I say quietly, scared to say too much.
"Sora? Sora FISCHER? Riku's friend, Sora?" he asks three times in a row.
"Yeah…"
"Someone stabbed him?" Harku's eyes shine black. I try to stop him.
"YES…"
"He just fucked with the wrong guy." There was no more convincing him now.
Sora's POV: the sabers
I rub my head again, groaning. She still hasn't txt me back, OR CALLED! "Is she really that mad? Did I do something to really upset her? Or WHAT?" I pull out Kaiyo's phone and dial her number. Before it can finish ringing, it goes to her voicemail. I'm about to redial when there's a knock on the door. I look at the time. "What the heck? Who'd be here at 11?" I cross the house and open the front door to find Kairi with a few guys in black leather, chains, and spikes. "Kairi!" I stammer and open the door further. "What-Who-Why…" She puts a finger to my lips to shut me up. "Okay, so she's not mad anymore."
"Shut up…!" she smiles. I close my mouth and straighten up. She withdrawals her finger and steps into the house, squeezing passed me. Then boys try to follow her and wait for me to step back to allow them in.
I do so, thinking "What the heck? Why not?" They come in and stand around while Kairi helps herself to the sofa. "What's gotten into her?"
"Sora," she explains, "these are a few of the Sabers gang. Did you know Riku was 2NC of the Cobras?"
"Uh… Yeah, I guess, but what's that got to do with anything? He got out a long time ago." I glance at the gang. One in particular stands out more than the rest. "I hope Riku's not in trouble…"
"Wellll…" she continues, "This is Harku!" She points to the boy I noticed more than the others. "He's Riku's cousin, and 3NC of the Sabers."
A gulp edges its way down my throat. "What is this about?"
"And I guess blood really is thicker than water with these guys because Harku's VERY protective of his little cousin."
The boy finally speaks up, "He got me outta a bind a long time ago."
"What'd he do?"
"We were just kids. Stupid bastard couldn't keep his mouth shut when he saw my dad. Two weeks after I moved in with him I got word that he killed my mom and then himself." He smiles, despite the gravity of the situation. I guess he's just come to grips with it.
"Have you always lived with Riku?" I ask him, getting used to this bizarre feeling.
"Up until I got into high school. I was still a dependant until I turned 18, but I've lived by myself. And that's when I got into the Sabers. Riku's always been there for me, though. And so, I'm completely loyal to him, and so are the rest of the Sabers, by the Leader's order."
"Wow…" I conclude. "So why are you here?" He still hasn't told me that.
"You're Riku's best friend, right? At least that's what he's told us."
"Really? We haven't really hung out in a while. I thought he kinda stopped caring…"
"Yeah. He's always respected you. He said you were different from his other friends. More stable, or something like that."
"Oh… I guess that's why he got so upset when he found out…" I trail off.
"Found out about what?"
So we tell him everything that happened. Who cares if everyone finds out now? It doesn't matter anymore. But he seems to understand. His brow deepens in thought as he contemplates this idea, and draws the conclusion that it was a bad judgment on Riku's part, and that something will happen to Seifer for it.
"Wait! What?!"
"That asshole can't get away with that. Do you KNOW how much Riku regrets that? I haven't even really talked to him about it, and I can tell you right now, he feels like shit. He'd never try to do that to you" Harku continues.
"Well, we did get in that fight… But I know he wouldn't either. And he DID save my life." I shrug, getting more of an understanding.
"THAT'S the Riku I know."
"So… what are you going to do?" Kairi asks, piping up in a curious way.
Harku thinks again, "Let me think. You'll know when it's us. Trust me."
"You're not going to kill him, are you?" she asks, a little worried now.
"Not if we're told not to."
"Don't!" She and I say at the same time. I look away and smile. "I wish they'd leave…"
"Alright"
"Hey!" Kairi exclaims with an epiphany. "Could you go to Radiant Garden?"
"Why? To deal with your little problem?"
"It's not LITTLE" Kairi glares.
"It's going a little too big for me. We're strictly smalltime. But…" his appearance changes, as almost a dark shadow takes him over. I look to Kairi who seems unsurprised by this. Harku joins into my view of Kairi, taking his stance inches away from her. I take a step forward, wanting to protect while at the same time opposing the intimacy between them. "I might if I have reason to."
Before I can say or do anything, he's instantaneously pushed from Kairi by her herself. "No thanks." She stops for a minute and resumes talking. "You know, I think it's time I head back home. We have school tomorrow. We'll just wait to see what happens with Seifer."
"You don't want us to hurt him, right?"
"Right" she and I both say in unison again.
"Okay…" another smile creeps onto his face, making us exchange worried looks. We leave it pretty much at that, and minutes later they're gone. My mom must've cried herself to sleep hours ago… I feel so horrible…
I set aside my qualms and turn to Kairi, "One less thing to worry about."
She sighs, "I guess so…"
I close the distance between us and stare her in the eyes. "As soon as I can, we'll get outta here. I'll take you anywhere. Kaiyo, too. I just can't leave them like my dad did."
She looks away at the floor, "I know. I'm sorry… I was so selfish…"
I cup her face in my hands, forcing her to look at me. "No, you're not. I don't blame you. But let's see how this goes. I want to know." I allow her to nod before I assert myself on her lips again. My aching body can't take this any more. Her hands come up, grasping my clothes tighter the deeper our attraction becomes. I feel a strict halt as her body hits the wall again. My hand slides to her shoulder, as I slip the strap of her shirt from it, skipping her neck for now and placing soft affections on her clavicle (A/N: shoulder bone, just above the collar bone, so basically, he's kissing her shoulder). My hands study her every curve in a slow motion for detail.
A slight moan of my name escapes her lips in the form of a question, and I have to force myself to stop. "Wouldn't it be easier to just go to your room?"
I clutch her hands at my sides with mine, and kiss her again, tempting myself while entertaining her idea. I pull away. Last time I didn't stop. Because I wasn't supposed to, and because, after I reached a certain point, I don't think I could've. But I told her not again.
Now that my own body's reached the point of no turning back and I can realize that, I don't know how true it is. I don't know if I have a choice of moving on or stopping now. All I can think of, is wanting to share this with her and only her for the rest of my life. I want to wake up next to her, make her breakfast, watch her sleep, just share life with her. I want to comfort her when she cries, be the subject of her wrath, and the father of her children.
I break away from her embrace and deny my flesh of what it really wants. Because, I realize that my heart is a lot stronger. I said no, and I have every intention of being that man someday for her. I love her. I can deny myself to save the best for a time I don't have to worry so much. I'll get those things I want without worrying about waking up mom, Aerith or anyone else. Without the fear of getting caught.
Her lips follow the rhythm of my letting go, begging for another taste. I completely let go of her. "Someday," I whisper huskily. I'm denying myself now, too. It's the hardest thing in the world for me to say no to THAT, to her, to me… My body cries for a satisfaction that won't come now. I had no idea it would be this hard. I quickly move to open the front door for her. As she leaves, she glances up to me.
"Thanks…" she trails, "For everything." I bang the back of my head against the door.
"Dang it!" I clench the doorknob my hand is on, trying to keep denying myself.
"Especially for still doing what you want. I'm sorry…" All urges drop except wanting to hold her. Odd day. "And for getting Kaiyo with me. I love you."
She reaches up and lands a soft kiss on my lips. A peck, really. "I love you, too. You know I'd do anything."
"I know," she smiles and steps out.
"Kairi!" I call after her and jog out to meet her. "I'll go with you. It's late." She giggles and allows me to accompany her by stepping aside. I make sure she gets to Selphie's safely and quickly pursue my way back home.
Selphie's POV: BACK HOME
"Why hasn't Kairi gotten home yet?! Kaiyo's driving me crazy! I can't stand it!" "Hallelujah" plays as I hear the front door open, and after a minute, close. I race to the living room to see my parents do the same, and Kaiyo already beat us.
A smile spreads across her face, "You will never guess! Our problems are over! At least… for now…"
She explains everything to me. At least, I think this is what she's telling me. Something about her problems with Seifer and that gang, Riku, Riku's cousin, some other gang, and something to do with them all being tied together in some weird way. But by the expression on her face, this is good. I smile along with her anyway.
"Isn't this great?!" Kairi cheers again.
"Yeah!" I look over at Kaiyo, whom I guess collected the whole story with full comprehension. Yet, he's not smiling or laughing. Kairi notices, too, and stops.
"Kaiyo!" she takes his hands. "This is good!"
"Kairi, no. No, it's not. You're just fighting one gang with another."
"So? C'mon! Harku's gang seems really serious! If you're worried about them, don't be! These guys don't play games!"
"That's what I'm worried about. I know the Sabers. They kick Vulture's asses by far. It's not even fair."
"Well, the Vultures aren't fair to us. And Harku won't hurt them. He promised."
"You're too damn naïve. " But just as the word escapes his lips, he's hit in the face with the hand of Kairi. SMACK! Straight across. "What's your fu…" he shuts up when she raises her hand again.
"Don't.. cuss" she seethes.
"Okay, but you could've just said that…"
"Well, now you'll remember better, huh?" she smirks.
"I guess she's not really mad at him after all. Good! 'Cuz she was scaring me! I've never seen her slap anyone like that before!"
He rubs his face. "I guess so…"
"And I trust Harku and the Sabers."
"As long as you fu… uh…" he stops himself.
"Good." Kairi lowers her hand once again. "And, they won't. Because of Riku. Blood's thicker than water after all."
"Yeah, I guess."
Author's Note: Okay, I'm thinking I'll end this on chapter 30! So, I just need a few more reviews and that'll be it! (That means Review, readers. PLEASE!)