A/N: Yeah that three-chapter thing never happened. It took me an entire day just to write that. I suppose I must accept that I'm just not that fast of an updater or writer anymore. It's not that I'm busy; I've just actually begun to think about what I'm writing I suppose. But my update inspiration has come from a terrific story by xoX-IHeartSureal-Xox called Memoirs of an Amnesiac. It's brilliant really; you should go read it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts.
Chapter Thirty-Six: The Truth Hurts Worse
Tidus watched Garnet's actions. She confused him completely. How could she be so funny, so sweet and hang out with girls like Yuna? There had to be some reason for her to remain the way she was. Even after a few weeks of hanging out with Yuna, Kairi had begun changing. She had mentioned something about being a prisoner though..."So wait...how are you a prisoner? I mean, how does she have a hold over you?" Tidus asked curiously.
Garnet sighed and sat up on the couch. "It's a long story, but I suppose it's not like you have anywhere to go, huh? Well back when I first moved to Traverse Town, I was the new kid. Well, of course I was the new kid. You see in all actuality, I did meet Zidane first, but Yuna promised me things and told me things that I dumbly believed. I was soon induced into their group; I wanted to talk to Zidane. I really did. But if I were to speak up against Yuna I might just end up worse than you," she explained sadly.
"What do you mean she told you things? Like what?" Tidus inquired.
Garnet's head drooped down in shame. "She told me reputations, so to speak. The Social Hierarchy. I didn't want to be an outsider...I was so stupid," she replied shamefully.
He gave her a gentle smile and lifted himself from his so-called confinement. He approached her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Just know, if you ever feel like leaving their group there's a spot for you in ours," he offered. She smiled up at him. "We could even become Organization XIV if you want," he joked. This made her laugh. Tidus enjoyed her laugh. It reminded him how even during Christmas those imprisoning you could be jolly. Even if they were also here against their will.
Footsteps were suddenly heard coming from the hallway. It was the all too familiar clack of Yuna's four-inch, black heels. Garnet and Tidus stared at each other in fear. Quickly, he ran back to his chair and Garnet quickly, horribly knotted his rope around his wrists and ankles. It was a terrible knot job, but she hoped Miss Prissy wouldn't notice. Yuna entered the room just as Garnet was scurrying back to the couch. Her right brown eyebrow was raised at the ebony hair in suspicion. "What were you doing near my Tidus?" she asked, anger obvious in her tone.
The poor girl didn't know how to answer. "I-I was...I was, he needed-I mean." Garnet had always stumbled over her words when she was lying, and Yuna knew this. She slowly made her way over the cowering girl. If it was possible, Tidus could've sworn he saw Garnet shrink. She had always been relatively short, but now she seemed to be the size of a pea compared to the big, bad Yuna.
"You let him have another breather didn't you?" Yuna growled. Garnet could only nod. Yuna growled louder and struck her across the face. She stumbled downward using only one hand to cater to her reddened cheek. "You're so stupid! I told you the only way he gets released from that chair is if he agrees to spend Christmas with me!" Yuna shouted furiously.
Her eyes began to water. Yuna was out of control. Slapping Garnet once was not enough, she wanted more. She wanted her to regret her actions. Yuna grabbed a vase from the coffee table and raised it about toss it at poor Garnet. "Stop!" Tidus cried as he broke free from the poorly tied pieces of rope. Yuna glanced at him; there was a smirk on her features. Had she set this up? "I'll spend Christmas with you, just don't hurt her," Tidus pleaded.
The crazy brunette set the vase back down and took a seat on the couch. She was now quite composed, compared to how she had been acting before. "Okay, but here's the deal. You'll treat me like you treat Selphie...no, even better. We'll go back to Traverse Town and all of my false accusations will be dropped. You will stay in my mansion until school starts, got it? Good," Yuna explained as she linked her hands and set them upon her lap. She waited for his reply.
Tidus kept in his emotions. He couldn't give her the satisfaction of knowing she had hurt him, and would hurt Selphie. He prayed Selphie would understand. "Sure, your wish is my command," he deadpanned.
Yuna smiled sweetly. "That's great, I'll go pack my things. After all, we have a long trip back to Traverse. See you in the morning, darling," she replied happily. Before she left she made sure to kiss his cheek. Once she was out of sight Tidus wiped his face in disgust.
"Garnet, are you all right?" he asked as he extended a hand to help her up. She had still been sitting on the ground holding her sore cheek. She nodded, all trace of watery eyes disappearing. "I'm sorry she did that to you, but it's okay now. And I have a request. Can you do something for me?" Tidus asked.
"Anything you ask."
"Dinner!" Sora shouted from the kitchen. He was fixing the plates. Boy, did he want a set of fine China. It seemed their current set was wearing down quickly. Sora sighed. Though he had given into his appetite and made pork chop, he was still not cheered up. He was relieved to see Roxas enter the kitchen first, but also saddened because there was no one to say 'Wow, Sora-Sora! It smells great, what is it?'
Roxas licked his lips hungrily. "Pork chop! My favorite!" he cried happily. The boy had a lot of favorites. He grabbed a plate and scurried to the table. Without warning he began to stuff his face. That's when Naminé entered the room and was disgusted beyond belief. She nearly cried when she saw Roxas's face and hands. He hadn't bothered to grab utensils.
"Thanks for cooking dinner, Sora. I say that for Roxas more than anyone," Naminé stated with a scared smile. It was times like these when she wondered why she liked the blonde boy so much. Regardless, she repeated the same process (but grabbed a fork and a knife) and got to eating.
Sora began to worry. Why hadn't Kairi come down? "Hey guys, I'm going to bring Kairi her plate. She said she wasn't feeling well," he lied with a grin. Roxas and Naminé just nodded in response; it's not like they were bothered at all by the alone time they had just been promised. The spiky brunette grabbed the two remaining plates and left the kitchen to begin his long journey up the stairs.
Roxas and Naminé stared at each other. Roxas smiled nervously, sauce from the pork chop spread around his mouth. Naminé chuckled and handed the dirty boy a napkin. "You are filthy, you know that?" she laughed. It was more of statement than a question. Roxas wiped the sauce from around his mouth and sighed. "But at least you know how to clean up," she added cheerily. She smiled at him and scooted closer. Roxas blushed at the contact. "So that's why tomorrow, we're going to clean the bathrooms!" Naminé exclaimed happily. His face went from satisfied to disgusted.
"Naminé! Why?" he asked practically in hysterics.
"Because they're dirty," Naminé answered frankly. He was silent.
"Kairi...I bro-I brought you dinner," Sora stumbled over his words. He looked down at the plates in his hands. He hoped she would forgive him for disturbing her. To his surprise she opened the door and smiled at him. He blinked, completely and utterly baffled by her actions. "I thought you might be hungry," he quickly added. He offered her the plate and she graciously took it. "Here's a fork and a knife I figured you might need it," he also mentioned. He placed the silverware on the plate and turned to leave.
Kairi frowned a little. "Wait," she called out. He spun around all too quickly. Yes, he was an eager boy. "Could you come inside...and eat with me? I-I would like some company," she explained as she nervously stared down at the floor. He could only grin. Sora was so happy. She opened the door wider allowing him to stroll inside and take a seat on the floor. After closing the door, Kairi joined him.
There was silence for a couple of minutes. Only the sounds of munching and cutting were heard. Every now and then Sora would glance at the auburn beauty seated next to him. He was quite surprised she had let him in, but hey, he couldn't complain. The silence was the only thing ruining his evening with her. Every time he stole a look she had such a depressed countenance. It truly saddened him. 'What made her so sad all of a sudden, she had been so happy earlier,' he thought as he stared at his half-eaten pork chop. Part of him wanted to pull her into a hug and whisper words of comfort, while the other wanted to respect her space and sit on the other side of the room.
It was strange to her. He was being so quiet. She hadn't even thought that it was possible for Sora to be so silent. Did he sense that something was wrong? 'I'm horrible at hiding my emotions. He's probably wondering what's wrong with me. I don't think I'm ready to tell him the full story of what happened between my dad and I. And even if I do, would he remember the little girl bleeding on the carpet?' she thought. Her pork chop had barely been touched. She wasn't hungry for pork chop, or any food. She was starving for love. Love from the boy sitting next to her. Yet, she would never tell him so. The girl was just a tad confused about her feelings.
"Kai-Kai...are you okay?" Sora finally asked. Falling to temptation wasn't such a bad thing was it?
Kairi breathed in sharply. That had surprised her. "I-I'm just fine, what makes you t-think otherwise?" she laughed nervously, quickly turning away from Sora. If she looked into those big, cerulean eyes she knew she would be compelled to tell him everything and cry while doing it.
His expression grew grim. She was lying. "Kairi, please. I want...I want to know what you're feeling. Please, let me in on your life just a little," he begged as he moved in front of her.
She continued to stare away from Sora's face. "You don't understand Sora, I just can't tell you," Kairi confessed. Sora gently put his hands on her cheeks and made it so that she had to face him. There was no way he was leaving her room without an answer. His eyes were pleading with her. Rather than looking stern and mean (which had been what she expected) they showed his kindness and his undying desire to help her heal. "It's just that-it's just that..." she began. And that's when the tears started to fall. She needn't say anymore. He acted before she could refuse and pulled her into a loving hug.
They stayed like that for what seemed to be hours for Kairi. She held onto him like a child holds onto their teddy bear while sleeping. She didn't want to let go. He was her comfort. As she cried into his shirt she began to wonder why she couldn't tell him of her rather disturbing past. Would it be so bad to let him in? He was obviously willing to listen. She couldn't think of anyone she'd rather share with. For now, she would just let him hold her.
Riku and Lulu walked in silence. The coffee meeting was over, and their plan had just begun. The albino boy, for the first time, could actually say he was looking forward to something. He didn't even mind the fact that Demyx and Axel would be working with himself and Lulu. Together they all made the perfect team. There were only four days left till Christmas Eve. It was strange, he had always vowed he would never wish that day to come, but now...it was weird. He sighed and stared at his floating breath.
"Do you think our plan is good enough?" Lulu asked. She had been walking beside him the entire time, latched onto his arm. "I just have this feeling we're going to get caught in the act. I mean, that's a buzz killer. I'd rather be caught afterwards when the deed is done, y'know?" she explained.
He glanced at her. "We'll get all we need to accomplished. You just do you magic and ensure our success, okay? In the mean time, remember to not mention this to anyone. Though, it's not you I'm worried about its Demyx..." Riku brooded.
She smirked. "I've already taken care of that problem," Lulu announced sinisterly.
"Oh, really?" Riku chimed.
"Let's just say, he knows what'll happen if he slips the secret to anyone. I told him of the various, twisted things I could do to him, and he swore he on his life he wouldn't tell, how ironic," Lulu chuckled. Riku laughed.
"Hey, orphan-family, what's happening?" Zidane asked as he strolled into the kitchen with Olette trailing behind him. He was shocked to see only Roxas and Naminé in the kitchen cleaning up the dinner dishes. Where were Riku, Sora, and Kairi? "Whoa, where's the rest of your fam?" Zidane asked curiously.
Roxas snorted. What kind of word was "fam"? "Sora and Kairi are eating upstairs, suspicious isn't it? And Riku went out a while ago. But where did you go today, Olette? You left the house all giggly," Roxas inquired as he wiped his hands dry on a towel.
"Oh, I went over to Selphie's to try and cheer her up, and ended up meeting with Zidane. Then he came back with me to mooch off of our food supply," Olette explained as she looked at Zidane amusedly. She had seen right through his chivalrous disguise. "So, what's for dinner I'm starved!" Olette announced.
"Pork chop," Naminé answered as she tried to stifle her giggles. The image of Roxas's saucy face was still fresh in her mind. That was a Christmas Greeting Card moment, if only she owned a camera.
"It's really good!" Roxas exclaimed still tasting his meal. Zidane and Olette made noises of approval and fixed their plates. They all sat at the table and began a discussion about Christmas, the presents they hoped to receive, and Tidus. He was a common topic after all.
Kairi wiped her eyes. She was done crying. Sora pulled away (soon regretting it) and let her have her space. She smiled weakly. "Thanks for that, I guess I just really need to cry," she started. Maybe there was a way she could keep her secret a little longer. "I'm sorry that your shirt is all wet now," Kairi apologized.
He shook his head. "No need to apologize, it's just a piece of clothing," Sora answered half-heartedly. With his thumb he wiped the remaining dampness from her face. "But could you explain what made you cry so much? I'd really like to know," he begged. How Kairi wished he hadn't said those words. She sighed.
'I guess it's time for him to know, maybe there's some way I can leave the little boy out of the story,' she thought or hoped. "I suppose you deserve to know the details. Seeing as you just helped me through that. Well it's a long story, which goes back to when I was younger. You see I used to have a loving family, well sort of. My mother was a truly beautiful woman. She was so caring and she'd spend so much time with me. My father was a workaholic though. He was never really fit for a family. In short, he was an emotional wreck and a drunk. There were always several cases of beer in the fridge. Soon enough, we were having financial problems. I knew this because my mom was always yelling at my father. He blew so much money in the bars rather than what we really needed. He didn't agree, so he hit her," Kairi began to explain.
Sora was listening so intently. Sure, he had heard a little about her life before this, but the details were so gruesome. He was now beginning to understand her.
"It wasn't just a one time thing either. His drinking increased. He'd always come home drunk and he'd always beat my mother. She'd always tell me to go to sleep an hour before she knew he'd be home, but I still heard her screams and pleas. But one day, it seemed that he finally realized his mistakes. He ran to my mother and told her of his discovery. She cried out in joy. The next day he was sent into therapy. Everything was happy again. We were a happy family. So soon I forgot all the bad stuff. I would draw pictures of our happy family. He'd come home with flowers just for her. It was great. But one day, it was different. He came home; he didn't want me to hug his leg. All I remember is commotion in the kitchen and then my mother running out screaming for me to run away from daddy. I was so young and confused. He came out with a butcher knife. He killed her. Then he tortured me. He threw me into the street after he was done with me and ran off. But the things he said to me before that have been stuck in my mind. No one loves me. I'm a mistake. A burden to the planet. After that, all I remember is seeing lights approaching me, then nothing," she sadly concluded.
He frowned. "Kairi...you don't believe that do you?" he asked his eyes still showing that unique kindness. "It isn't true, it isn't," he insisted.
She didn't answer. Kairi only smiled in response. "But you see it didn't stop at that. It turns out the police, the hospital, no one was aware of what happened to me. I was just some girl they found dying on the street. My dad soon came to collect me. Of course, he lied saying my mother and I had disappeared. He faked his tears. He faked his surprise when they said mother was found dead on the ground. Thus, they dropped the case. It wasn't important. So I lived with him, cooked for him, and took care of him. Yet, he still punished me. He was never happy. At one point he didn't even want me leaving the house. One night he finally broke and stabbed me; I nearly died, but Miss Rinoa and the hospital saved me. As for my dad, he ran before the police could get him," she sighed.
The second she was done explaining he pulled her into another hug. "I'm so sorry Kairi, you've told me this before. But not in such detail," Sora cooed.
"I know, I just felt you should know everything that runs through my mind," Kairi explained, "This is kind of my way of saying I trust you. So there you have it..."
Sora pulled away and stared at her. "It's okay though, Kairi. That's all over now. Your father was just a messed up guy, and the things he said to you were lies. You do know that right?"
She shook her head. "How do you know if they were lies or not? I was one of the only kids who remained at the orphanage till I had to be sent here! Sora, no one wanted me! So I think it's true, no one will ever love me," Kairi lamented.
Her words stung. "Kairi, everyone here is pretty much an orphanage reject. I mean, just think if all that hadn't happened to you, you would've never met me or anyone else here," he reasoned.
"I wouldn't be too sure of that," she muttered under her breath. He gave her a strange look and she only shook her head. "Nothing!" she quickly uttered.
Sora shrugged. "Anyway...just know, Kairi you are loved. And the person, who loves you, is me. And all of your friends. Of course…that would be people, but never mind. I think I'm going to go finish my meal in my room. See you later," he stated. With that said, he picked up his plate and quietly retreated from her room. Kairi only stared at the door in disbelief. So he was right. She knew he loved her, he had confessed it on many an occasion; it was just hard for her to grasp the concept of love. The main question was: did she love him back?
A/N: Hey guys. I just read my entire fan-fiction. I think that was my problem. I didn't know what the heck I was writing. Though it was painful reading through all those mistakes. I'm definitely going to go into editing mode when I end this, but before the sequel. I hope you enjoyed the chapter though. It was wonderful to write. It's been so long since I've been able to say that without putting on a false smile. I actually didn't feel forced to write this. I just hope I caught all the mistakes this time. Well anyway, I'm going to get to work on the next chapter. Please review! I appreciate every single one I get.