On Glass Wings
--xxSerenity
This chapter is long and slow. Tried to make things realistic, with the angst and all, but it was quite a bit of a headache to write -.o Still a bit enjoyable though, more underlying fluff as the two get closer xP
Heheheh, This story has exceeded the paopu predicament. This surprises as well as pleases me >:D Thank you kindly once again! and enjoy this chapter. and I also apologize for the typos again. When proofreading I sort of get..zombie-esque, if that makes sense. I'll read, it'll make sense and look good, but i really won't be paying attention ;
-24-
torn and broken
The hotel, which Namine thought to resemble a motel more, was particularly crowd less that night, or perhaps it was merely due to the late night hour. Either way, she paced the stretch of narrow hallway anxiously, pausing every so often just to look out the window at the blanketed second district; squinting into the snowy canopy in hopes to see those two missing figures.
"It's late." Leon murmured while stepping up along side of her. "You should get to bed."
"How could you possibly expect me to sleep?" She kept her eyes glued to the glass of the door, staring out at the snowy night while trying to keep her tone in check; her voice still remaining calm and friendly despite her visible aggravation. "They're both out there, missing, and they could be hurt or worse!"
"I know..But there is nothing we can do right now. The police are searching.. "
Namine sighed and turned from the door, but only to slump her weight against it.
"I really hope they're alright..I don't know what I'll do if I lose him too.."
Riku shook his head after feeling the bit of snow gather there, along with on his shoulders. Turning his eyes down to the trembling heap in his arms he'd see the snow melting on Sora's face, so he'd quickly lift a hand from beneath the younger teen, tightening his other hand around his back to keep him supported while he wiped away the lingering moistness that dripped into half-closed eyes, and once done, Riku returned his attention to the figure blocking their path.
"Go away. We're not going back with you!.."
The shadow urged forwards a bit, until features could barely be made out in the darkness, particularly bright green eyes and that spiky mop of red hair.
"Easy there, I'm not here to take you back anywhere"
"Then what do you want?"
"Are you– Riku?"
Green eyes narrowed as he held Sora closer, though he noticed out of the corner of his gaze that the boy was trying to turn his head, his own eyes squinting to make out the familiar face.
"Who're you?" Riku responded with that same biting edge in his voice.
"Axel..I was told I'd find Sora here.." He replied while canting his head in the direction of the covered heap, but when he caught sight of a small bit of blood staining the bottom portion of the sweatshirt, his eyes narrowed in utter concern.
Riku eyed him for a few moments more until Sora made a noise that was closely related to a whimper.
"Come on. The city is this way. We gotta get him to a hospital" Axel murmured and without waiting for Riku's response after that, he moved out of the way of the path, but Riku was still hesitant to follow.
Of course, with no other option, he did move past him, out of that dead-end, and was temporarily relaxed to find Axel moving in the direction of the faint lights in the distance. It meant they were still going in the direction away from which they came anyway. So he couldn't have been leading them back to that house.
Though Riku still didn't know who this was or his connection to Sora, he still had that gut instinct to trust him. So he did.
A groan, barely audible in the new darkness of the room, was heard only by Xemnas as he stood panting in the doorway.
In a pain-driven fit, the only light; the lamp on the dresser, had been thrown from its spot and currently lay in sharp glass shards all over the floor; the lightbulb included. Thus the two were enshrouded in blackness given the lack of natural light from outside.
"You– fucking– idiot." Xemnas spat as he reached up with his gloved hand to brush away a new wave of blood that dripped from his small flesh wound.
Sephiroth wasn't so lucky, but it wasn't fatal either. He crouched over the bed, breathing lowly after having already adjusted to the sharp blasts of pain resonating throughout his entire being, before he finally reached up to grasp the hilt of the sharp kitchen knife embedded firmly in his shoulder.
Gritting his teeth, he clutched it in a tight grasp and gave a quick yank. It came free after a moment of resistance, bringing with it a spurt of blood and a bit of a growl from the man.
"What? This is the reason Sora's alive. If it weren't for me, Xehanort would've killed him already." He growled after grimacing at the new surge of agony. "Now, do we have band-aids or something? I believe I'm bleeding profusely.." He drifted off his initial subject so nonchalantly that even Xemnas seethed as he watched him grip his bloody shoulder.
"Yes, but you see, the funny thing is.. What you did is known as rape. You're a criminal now. So all hope of your little plan of revenge is shot to hell. Good job, I must say."
Despite the bitter sting of his wound, Sephiroth chuckled and stood from his spot on the bed, moving to overstep the broken shards of glass and then door that also lay in pieces on the floor.
"I've been a criminal way before this, but be that as it may, Sora will not turn me in. Given all that's happened to him, bringing unnecessary attention to himself could result in old wounds being ripped open, and he won't have it. Over the last two months we've grown incredibly close you know." He snickered with a grin. "He wouldn't elaborate much on his time at the orphanage. But I knew enough anyway from you and Xehanort. Thus it surprises me that you'd start playing the role of "Angel of Reason" now after one such as yourself was always so cruel to him."
Xemnas seemed unfazed by the statement, and truthfully he was. Arms set over his chest as the cut finally started to cease its bleeding. It wasn't deep at all, but it was noticeable; stretching from one cheek across the bridge of his nose to the other.
"I would say it's none of your business. But I guess I'd be lying now, wouldn't I?"
"Indeed" Sephiroth replied with a most malevolent smirk as he moved to the doorway and out into the hall. "Where is Xehanort anyway? I'm sure he has the tools to fix this wound to avoid the publicness of a hospital?"
To Sephiroth's aggravation, Xemnas laughed out loud; a dark, mocking chuckle that had the other frowning.
"What's so funny?"
"Xehanort has returned to the islands."
Upon hearing this, Sephiroth sneered, although it was more of a mask to hide the bit of worry that sparked up. Clearing his throat, he turned to face him and did his best to reform his expression into one of pure apathy.
"Well then I guess I better hold out for the quick trip back by air."
The nervous lingering silence between Namine and Leon as they sat aimlessly in the hotel lobby, was broken only when the jingle of Leon's cell phone sounded, and he quickly dug it out before flipping it open and putting it to his ear.
"They're were? – Alright, we're on our way."
Hopeful, Namine turned her attention to him as he closed the phone and stuffed it back into his pocket.
"Where are they?"
"They're at the hospital.."
-oOo-
The duo quickly called for a cab; though there was great difficulty to find one willing to drive in the storm. But when one finally did show, the driver was fairly compensated once they reached their destination.
Thankfully, it wasn't so crowded. A few scattered people littered the emergency room, including Axel and Riku, who both sat side-by-side while also looking rather grim.
Riku had an ice-pack pressed to his lip after having wiped it free of a bit of dried blood that he hadn't realized gathered there until Axel pointed it out; a wound most likely obtained from Sephiroth's kick to his jaw.
Neither said anything to each other after that, though when the other two noticed them, Namine would rush over to Riku eagerly.
"Riku!" She called, and he had stood to welcome the gesture; a single arm curled around her lower back as she threw her arms around his neck. "What happened? Are you alright? Why's your lip swollen? Where's Sora?" Her barrage of questions settled as she watched Leon move over to Axel, and he extended a hand.
"Axel, right?" He inquired, seemingly remembering the face from his trips to the orphanage.
"Heh, glad to see you remembered." The red-head replied amicably while taking the offered hand.
It was then that Riku gently pried Namine off him, just so he could move his attention to the two.
"So, you know him?" Riku asked Leon, earning him a smirk from the stranger.
"Yeah. He works at the orphanage." He affirmed with a nod.
"I tried to tell him, but he just didn't want to believe me." Axel shrugged and looked over his shoulder aimlessly as Riku huffed while sitting back down in place, Namine quickly following in the seat besides him.
"Well after all that's happened, excuse me for not being so overly trusting of strangers." He returned, though his words brought back the concern for the other immediate issue at hand.
"Where's Sora?" The question from Namine that remained unanswered was now asked by Leon, and Axel and Riku both glanced up with a hint of worry in their glances.
"They just took him into triage.." Axel solemnly replied with a bit of a sigh, though Riku added with a sardonic scoff that "they really need to just stop his bleeding and let him go, since it isn't as if he's going to come forwards."
"Come forwards with what?"
Riku shot him a nasty look, as if totally bewildered he didn't realize it right away. But how could one know off-hand exactly what was happening if they've never before dealt with it?
Leon narrowed his eyes as the only response to Riku's harsh glare though he failed to answer, and Leon didn't ask again, though it didn't really matter.
Before either of the two could respond anyway, a doctor had emerged; clipboard in hand, and he joined the group under the assumption it was the associates of the boy that had previously been brought in.
"Sora's parent or guardian?" He asked while flipping the pages back over the board.
"That'd be me." Leon replied, following the doctor as he moved across the waiting room and through the door, though he stopped him just at the start of the long hallway leading to the back of the hospital.
"Sora– Didn't want me to conduct the questioning let alone the actual physical examination, so we have a female doctor trying. But he still isn't cooperating much..Is there someone that could come talk– "
"Wait, cooperate? What's going on?"
But before the doctor could answer, a shrill yell caused them both to look up, and fearing the worst, the doctor rushed to the room, Leon following close behind.
When they got there, they'd find Sora, still in the bloody sweatshirt, though he had fit his arms into the sleeves, letting the shirt droop well past his front to mid thigh.
The nurse and female doctor were present, both very sweet-looking and soft spoken as they tried to gently reason with him. They were, after all, fully trained in handling these sorts of patients, whose reactions were far from uncommon.
"Now, Sora, was it? That's a pretty name..We just want to ask you a few small questions."
"Don't touch me!" The boy shrieked and ducked away from the friendly-faced nurse who was put in charge of conducting the necessary examination. Despite the pain still coursing like lava through his veins, Sora saw red every where he looked, and despite the friendly coo's of the woman as she tried to settle him, he'd see a mirror image of cold, unfeeling eyes shattering the fragile-like-glass condition of his sanity.
That defensive instinct had involuntarily kicked in, despite his affliction and the blood which still lingered, staining the back of Riku's sweatshirt when the doctors couldn't settle him down enough to treat his wounds. Though it was an instinct which coupled with the bits of reality he still grasped, and he knew even though he hurt and at that moment felt like everyone else was going to hurt him, in the back of his mind he knew he let on that he hadn't be hurt. It was something he wanted, he wanted it, he did..
The commotion carried out into the waiting room, and after the doctor and Leon rushed in, they were followed by the rest who uninvitedly forced their way to the back; Riku, in particular, followed the sounds of that childish yelping until he found the room they were in.
"Sora!"
Sounded the only voice that seemed distinguishable to him, and thus caused the younger teen to halt in his rampage only to then draw those blue eyes; wide with fright, over to the doorway, and the silver-haired teen that blocked the entrance.
There was a moment of confusion it would seem, since Sora blinked, almost as if trying to register in his mind who it was again. But when realization finally dawned on him, in the form of a quick flash of memory of a dark basement and an awkward kiss, he quickly lunged, throwing his arms around Riku's waist and burying his face in his t-shirt clad stomach after the force with which he pounced sent them both tumbling to the ground.
Forgeting all that had happened up to that one recalled moment; all the hatred and the tension prior that is. Nothing made sense anymore to the younger teen, who hadn't even tried to fight back the sobs which racked the small frame held tightly in stronger arms.
"They wanna hurt me.." He wailed, his voice muffled by the fabric Riku's shirt.
"No.." Riku started, while gently raking his fingers through soft brown hair still dampened from the gathered snow. "They want to fix you..You're hurt, Sora. You need to let them."
"Sora?" The friendly-faced female doctor crouched besides the pair, though she kept a comfortable distance. "Would you like him to stay with you during the exam?"
Without looking up, and also without uncoiling himself from around Riku's waist, Sora nodded, though he only clung harder. His fingers digging into Riku's shirt around his back.
Though the affection was welcomed, and even slightly smiled upon, Riku slid his hands to his wrists in order to gently pry him off.
"Well you need to let go and turn around in order to answer the doctor, Sora." He spoke gently, but firmly, and though he looked slightly hurt, Sora gave a single nod, and turned to face the doctor, though still kneeling with small fists settled atop his thighs.
The rest of the group, Leon included, were ushered out and the door closed tightly behind the three remaining. Once gone, the lady introduced herself as Amber, and after having explained, in simple terms, what she was going to be doing, she picked up her clipboard and a pen in her free hand and started with basic conversation with the intention of easing the younger teen into answering more of the difficult questions.
"So, Sora. How old are you?"
"Fourteen"
"I see, and when are you going to be fifteen?"
".."
Amber finished scribbling the first few notes of the evening, but then stopped when she realized that her simple question had gone unanswered.
Glancing up and to him, she'd note him sitting as he was, but looking incredibly uncomfortable; even somewhat distressed. "What's wrong, Sora?" She questioned softly, Though still he wouldn't answer, and after that bit of quietness, Riku's hand found its way to Sora's shoulder where it settled reassuringly before he spoke.
"I don't know if this would help any, but Sora was an orphan for a long while, so we don't exactly know all of his family history and stuff.." Other than the obvious, but it wasn't his place to bring that up..so he figured.
"I see.." Amber replied while scribbling down a few more notes. "That is quite useful to know." She paused, the back of her pen pressed to her lips in thought. "Sora, did you remember your birthday before tonight?"
The younger teen's expression softened, but he failed to answer, part of him feeling incredibly ashamed for having to shake his head.
"That's sort of weird, Sora.. Why can't you remember your own birthday?" Riku questioned while the hand that had been on his shoulder then moved to the back of his head where it lazily rested.
Swallowing the anxious lump forming, Sora made a small noise that was something of a whimper and a whine, and Amber immediately interjected before the question had him too upset.
"It isn't weird at all. It just means that Sora hasn't had a particularly easy life." She remarked with the sweetest of smiles possible before turning her attention to her clipboard to mark down a few more notes, especially regarding his apparent memory problems. "It's not uncommon after witnessing or experiencing bad events that one may find themselves not remembering certain things." She used the terms "bad events"in place of traumatic experiences on purpose, in order to keep things simple, and not as frightening.
A word such as bad compared to one such as traumatic seemed, at least to her, vastly different in the eyes of a young teen.
Riku thought this over for a moment, that is until his pensive state was broken by the sound of the chair moving back, and Amber then standing with her clipboard in hand.
"Okay, Sora. I just want to start off with a few basic things. I need to listen to your heart and take your blood pressure. But I need you to put on this hospital gown. Can you do that for me?"
There was a bit of hesitation, but after casting a quick glance at Riku, who urged him on with a single nod, Sora turned back and nodded as well.
"Alright then. Do you still want Riku to stay?"
"Yes, but he needs to not look." He practically pouted, though for the first time that night Riku chuckled lightly, and he stood from his spot seated behind him and turned away to face the wall.
"I'm gone." He said, and Amber smiled as she held out the gown which Sora took awkwardly as he struggled to his feet, though he stumbled a little on numbed legs.
Amber had turned her attention to her clipboard where she summed up the first of her findings while Sora changed, which took only a few seconds being he had to slip the messy sweatshirt off his head and then his arms into the holes of the gown.
It left very little to the imagination, and Sora would find himself with much aggravation while trying to close it himself in back.
Hearing the rustling of the paper shirt, Amber turned and patted the table.
"Here."
He was hesitant, but moved over the bed anyway, and with the help of the little step stool, he was able to gingerly climb atop, though he winced when he sat, and upon noticing this, she aided him in leaning back.
When he was all sprawled out was when she took the basic stats, though when she moved the piece of the stethoscope into the neck of the shirt in order to listen to his heart, she'd make many a mental note of the reddish marks around his neck; most likely from teeth, or nails.
Following that, she took his blood pressure, cleverly before asking him any intrusive questions so as not to make him any more nervous than he already was and thus get any more of an inaccurate reading, she then checked eyes and ears, nose and throat, reactions, responses, though those seemed a tad off, but that was to be expected.
After all had been recorded, and he was able to gently sit up, Amber had wheeled her chair around infront of him and with his consent, she delved a little deeper into what had occurred, asking more personal questions about the nature of the rape, things like "how long has it been since he hurt you and now?" Again she focused on the wording of her questions, even if each question distinctly drew the response of "It wasn't a rape."
"I never said rape" She replied gently. "I asked when did he hurt you." was how she'd reword it.
"He didn't hurt me. I wanted it."
Riku scoffed from his spot, now leaning up against the wall with arms firmly crossed.
Amber looked pensive for a moment, sifting through the ways which she could get more of a sucessful response from him without being too forceful in her questioning.
Finally, she leaned in, just so her eyes could seek out those of his own that were instantly averted.
"I need to know exactly what occurred in order to make the physical hurting go away. You can tell me what you want to tell me, that's fine. But in order to make the bleeding stop, I have to know how it happened, and you have to tell me as much as you can."
Sora sighed, though his eyes finally wandered up to Riku.
"He needs to go outside.." He pouted, and Riku huffed lightly, but obliged, even if he didn't go very far.
He positioned himself exactly outside the door, listening intently to the muffled voices as Sora relayed exactly what occurred, though Riku couldn't make out the details much to his dismay.
-oOo-
It was a long and difficult process; especially the actual physical examination and evidence collection, not that they'd be using it given that Sora incessantly declared how he wasn't raped and he didn't want to go testify "and crap". Amber noted this all to be expected reactions following the rape, and before they were finally ready to leave, after Sora's wounds had been treated and he had been loaded down with prescriptions to take home to aid in his physical healing, she pulled Leon and Riku aside.
"It's very important that he return to his normal activities as if this didn't happen. The more he's busy, the less he'll have time to think about it" She had said.
When the time finally came to leave, Riku stood outside the bathroom in wait of Sora, who was currently dressing in the sweatshirt and pajama pants that Namine had grabbed out of his bag upon request.
After he emerged, newly dressed, Riku would notice the somewhat dazed look on his face, along with those half-lidded eyes. He even stumbled at one point, until Riku broke his fall by catching him by the upper arms.
"Dizzy.." Sora complained, and Riku attributed that instantly to the small amount of painkillers that the doctor had allowed in his system.
"Well, hop on then." He replied before turning away from him and crouching slightly forwards, his arms outstretched behind him.
Sora instantly took up the offer, practically falling against him, and Riku snickered a little barely as he hoisted the boy up, his arms hooking around Sora's legs while Sora lazily slid his own arms around Riku's neck, and with his head leaned against the back of Riku's, Sora instantly dozed off.
-oOo-
When the ordeal was over, and the group found themselves back at the hotel, no one knew what to say or how to act. Sora had thought he wanted to be alone, but when Riku went to check on him, he'd find the boy hauled up in the far corner of the room, knees pulled to his chest and held there by tightly grasping arms, murmuring to himself incoherently. He had woken up since they left, and though he tried, he couldn't fall back to sleep, no matter how nauseous and uncomfortable the medication made him; both the painkillers and the cream applied to external wounds.
Then as Riku moved closer; going unnoticed by Sora, he'd gradually become able to make out what he was muttering, and it was all along the lines of "my fault, my fault, all my fault" and given their conversation during their imprisonment, he could only imagine just exactly what ran through the boy's head, especially after what had just taken place.
"Sora..?" He spoke gently, softly and ever so gradually he broke through the younger teen's apparent trance it would seem, since widened blue eyes, strangely glazed over, moved up to him for a brief second, before his gaze was instantly averted.
"I'm sorry." He whimpered
"For what?" Riku replied as he slid into a sitting position besides his friend, who couldn't even bring himself to look up.
"I'm worthless, I shouldn't have said yes to that and let it happen." To Riku's slight aggravation, he blatantly lied in that statement, and while the doctor had told Riku and Leon that denial, and alterations of how things happened were to be expected, Riku knew it all actually transcended just that. Sora wanted people to think that he allowed it all to happen. It would be easier on him in the long-run anyway.
"Sora, you are not worthless, this was not your fault, and you didn't let that happen. I refuse to believe that. " Riku tried to reason in as gentle a tone as possible. But it was hard to convince someone who was as stubborn as Sora, and also as traumatized as he was as well.
The boy shook his head, shaking brown strands that were unkempt due to the wetness outside, but it was the last thing on his mind obviously.
"I did. He asked me if I wanted to, and I said yes. End of story. I swear."
"Sora.." Riku murmured and Sora clenched his eyes shut tight, forcing back the whine that threatened before slamming a balled fist against the floor.
"Damn it Riku! Just lay off, okay? Leave me alone!" He curled up, tucking his fists into his chest after that outburst; unable to glance up at the slightly hurt expression Riku wore.
Though he started to oblige, rising from his place in order to take his leave when a pair of arms around his newly-straightened legs stopped him.
"No! Don't go, don't leave me!" Sora then cried out in a sudden change of heart, and Riku instantly sat back down before reaching out to take hold of his upper arms gently, just to lift him up and tug him towards him. One of Riku's arms slid around his shoulders, holding the younger teen so he was tilted slightly inwards, and the hand of that arm then moved up to rest against the side of Sora's head, ushering it to Riku's shoulder.
"Relax.." He murmured, somewhat indifferently. "I'm not going anywhere."
Sora inhaled deeply, taking in the warm air of the hotel room along with the scent of Riku given his closeness, and tense muscles seemed to gradually relax in the hold as he allowed his head to be laid on the offered shoulder.
"H-he dropped me.."He hoarsely whispered after clearing his throat.
To that, Riku released a small 'hmm' and leaned his head gently against the top of the younger's.
"You'll admit that he dropped you, but you won't admit that he raped you? Why is that?"
"Because he didn't! You weren't there! How would you even know!"Sora insisted with a growl; instantly tensing in that gentle hold, even if Riku wouldn't relent.
"Well, besides the fact that I could hear you from the basement screaming and begging for him to stop? You wouldn't be half as scared to be alone right now if you were willing."
Sora whined, though despite his utterance of distress, he curled into the embrace, turning and reaching to twist his fingers in the fabric of Riku's shirt as his arm draped over the elder teen's chest.
The arm of his that had been at his side then reached up to curl around Sora's front, interlocking with the hand of the arm already draped back and around the younger's shoulder and Sora welcomed the gesture despite the slight confusion and doubt that haunted the corner of his mind, buried by all the torturous scenes between him and Sephiroth replaying over and over in his head.
Sora still relaxed in the elder's arms, completely welcoming and even appreciative of the comfort and security he felt from Riku.
But when the door then barely creaked open, Sora jumped startled, causing Riku's arms to tighten slightly, though merely in a motion to calm him before he got too riled up.
"It's only Namine" Riku pointed out as the girl wandered over and offered a quiet smile and a wave before curling Indian-style in front of the two.
"How're you feeling, Sora?"
He regarded her with a blank expression, and never left his position curled up against Riku, though his eyes did wander curiously to the folded paper she clutched in her grasp.
"W-Whats that?"
"I found it at the stage. I was going to ask you about it since I think it was meant for you.."
She fiddled with the paper for a moment before holding it out for him to take, and Riku withdrew his arms, just enough for Sora to reach out to take the offered paper, though he still remained half turned against the elder teen.
One handed, he slid his fingers within the folds and opened it, but once he realized what it was, he felt his eyes start to tear up.
"No.." He murmured, and the two eyed him confusedly.
"No?" Riku repeated, and Sora closed his eyes tight while shaking his head. He went to crumble the paper, but Riku snatched it before he had the chance. "What's this?"
"It's Kairi's. She gave it to me. Now give it back!" He reached out to grab it, but Riku held it higher while trying to read the words messily scribbled.
"You were going to crumble it." Riku stated while quickly scanning what was written.
"I feel bad.." He whined, although he couldn't even tell himself why he felt like he couldn't face Kairi any more. "Come on, Riku!"
"It's really good.. She's a really good writer." Namine pointed out. "It's a really awesome story."
By then, Sora had successfully snatched back the paper, and for the first time since he left for the festival he was able to skim its contents.
"It looks pretty intense so far. But it looks like she left us hanging, I think. I wasn't able to finish it.." Riku snickered sarcastically while sliding that arm around Sora's waist just to offer a small squeeze. "When we get back you'll have to email Kairi and get the rest of it."
For some reason, Sora felt rather good at those words, considering it was like the sure-fire sign that all tension between the two teens had been laid to rest, as if their time in the basement wasn't enough that is. This meant he had access into Riku's room again, and Sora found this to be especially comforting.
Forcing out the smallest, weakest of smiles, he nodded and held out the paper for Riku to take should he want to, since, as he stated, he hadn't exactly finished it by the time Sora snatched it away
"Fine, read the rest of it." He muttered lightly, and as if on cue, Riku snatched it back with that characteristic grin plastered on his face.
"Crappy title though."Riku affirmed, earning himself an elbow to the ribs. Though Sora's bit of playful aggression only made the elder smile, and he returned it with an affectionate nudge of his head against his.
Meanwhile, Namine eyed the two; watchful eyes moving from Riku to Sora, and then back to Riku again.
"Hm, I guess I've missed something exciting, huh?"
Riku flashed her a knowing grin, even if Sora blushed beneath the smirk she returned.
"Maybe..I'm not all too sure if things are set in stone yet, but I sure wouldn't mind if they were.." He murmured lowly; his head turning to face Sora, who had looked away to hide that reddish hue creeping embarrassedly across his face.
There was a squeak of a response, but other than that, Sora felt his throat go dry, and the words he wanted to say wouldn't come out, so he stopped trying, although his head did return to laying on that shoulder while reaching down to rest his hand against the hand that currently curled around his stomach.
For the moment, it was all the reassurance Riku would need, especially since he wasn't about to push him into saying anything along those lines so soon.
"This will do for now." He assured playfully, holding him closer as Namine chuckled.
"Well, It's about time." She muttered before reaching out toward the paper that Riku held "Gimme."
Riku returned the paper to Namine, while confusedly, Sora looked up with a rather bewildered look.
"Why do you want it?"
Namine smiled widely and folded the paper another time before stuffing it into the pocket of her pajama pants.
"You'll see. A few creative changes– and..yeah"
Riku rolled his eyes, though even if he knew what she meant, Sora was still sort of confused.
"It depends on if there's anything to return to." He said somewhat somberly, and Namine arched a brow curiously.
"What do you mean?"
He looked to her, and sorted through the memories of earlier; of all that Sephiroth had told him and Sora, but just before he answered, the door to the room opened once more, and Leon stuck his head in.
"I just got off the phone with Cloud." He murmured. "They're all back home."
Minor cliffie, but not as bad as the other ones, right? hah, i still hope you all come back anyway xD -heartheart-