Title: Timeless
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Sora/Riku
Warnings: Yaoi or boyXboy love, little bit of OOC, references to intense situations, rating may change later
DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own anything from Kingdom Hearts. I don't own any characters or places or anything.
Summary: After the doors were closed, Riku has been in the shadows but in the shadows, there is no such thing as time because time is meaningless. So what happens when Sora opens the door five years later? SoraxRiku
Timeless
Riku sat in the corner of the stone room. He had his knees drawn to his chest and his arms wrapped around himself. His body shivered from the unforgiving stone and his teeth chattered slightly. The darkness in the corner was like an ice sheet and it continually wormed itself through his new clothes. Of course he was grateful for his oversized black pants and enormous black shirt, but they were extremely flimsy and he was horribly thin. It wasn't a good mixture.
He inhaled a shaky breath and rubbed his biceps with his ungloved hands. He cringed slightly at feeling such foreign objects. It would be something he would have to get use to again. His body shivered again. His body was so tense it added to his shaking. His teeth clattered loudly and he could almost swear he could hear his pulse pounding in his ears.
When the wave of pure cold passed him, he let one hand reach up to his eyes. He adjusted his new leather strapped bind and he had to stop himself from whimpering. It kept the light away from his sensitive eyes but it was rubbing his cheeks raw. He could feel two rashes burning on his face but he never let anyone else know. He didn't want to burden them further.
A knocking at the door made him jump slightly. He tried to call out to the person but his voice got caught in his throat as another wave of cold shot through him. He curled into himself and held back a moan. In the back of his mind, he heard the door open and the slow footsteps toward the bed. He didn't however, noticed that there were more than one person.
"Riku? Riku, where are you?" Sora called out. He squinted in the room and looked around. There was no candle burning this time so it was almost impossible to see. He reached behind him and grabbed a hold of a thin wrist. "Stay here. I need to burn a candle." Sora whispered. He felt the other nod and Sora let go of the wrist. He felt along the bed's edge and then toward the table.
When his hand come in contact with the finely polished wood, he felt on the top. His fingers brushed the top lightly. His fingers brushed against the matches and then the candle, side by side. He let a triumphant smile cross his pink lips. He grabbed a single match and struck it.
The matched sparked to life. It's flame danced and flung itself before calming and burning with intensity. Sora's face illuminated in the small light and he slowly brought the match to the wick of the candle. With a few seconds, the candle glowed brightly and the match burnt out. Sora placed the black match on the table and turned about. He nodded to his companion.
"Riku. You still sleeping?" The other voice called.
"Just a second Leon." Sora's periwinkle blue eyes narrowed as they landed on the bed. There was no body in it. "Riku's not in the bed. Check the room." He whispered harshly.
"Right."
Leon looked to his right. He walked over to the curtained window and glanced at the dark corners. He felt his hands meet freezing stones and a shiver ran through his spine. He took a deep breath and knelt down. His hand traveled down the wall with him. It came in contact with the floor and he stood back up. He walked to the other wall and stopped. He could faintly make out a small body sitting on the floor.
With much caution, Leon knelt on the ground and reached out a tentative hand. It rested on Riku's knee. Leon felt the boy jump slightly and he cringed. He hadn't meant to scare him.
"Don't worry Riku. I'm Squall, Sora's friend."
"H-his friend?" Riku whispered.
"Yes. I'm here to help you."
"C-c-c-cold." Riku's teeth chattered again, impairing his speech.
"Let me help you. I'll get you back to the bed." Leon slowly enfolded Riku's small body into his larger frame. He hooked one arm under his knees and one behind his back. Immediately Leon shuddered at the contact with Riku's skin. He was like an ice cube.
Leon tightened his grip slightly. He felt arms wrap around his neck and a face pressing into his chest. Leon didn't tense as he usually did with human contact but he sighed. They had left Riku alone in the room to recuperate, but it seemed as if that wasn't such a good idea. Riku must have panicked as soon as he woke up. That would have been the only explanation.
He stood up and slowly walked to the bed. Halfway there, he stopped in front of Sora, who's odd colored eyes were filled with relief, concern, and jealousy. Leon, felt his lips tug into an invisible smile. He motioned for Sora to step aside and Sora did. Leon continued the short journey to the bed.
"Hold onto me tightly. I have to fix your bed." Leon whispered to Riku.
Riku nodded and hung on. His arms shook and he squeezed his aqua eyes close. It felt like a knife was being shoved into his arms. He didn't understand why. It had never hurt like this before. Why would it start all of a sudden here?
Before he knew it, Riku was being set down on a firm mattress. His tight grip on the brunette saint slacked and his arms fell to his sides. Leon's arm that supported Riku's back gently lowered the silver haired boy's head to the soft pillow. He then grabbed the blankets that he had thrown to the side over Riku's diminutive form. He tucked in the edges and smiled down at the boy.
"Leon." Sora hissed.
Leon turned his stormy grey eyes on pissed off blue. Leon shook his head slightly and pressed a finger to his lips to silence the younger man. He left the side of the bed and to a chest in the corner of the room to his left. He opened the old chest and it groaned in agony in the swift movement. Leon grimaced at the deafening sound and reached into the chest. He grabbed out two more thick blankets and shut the lid of the chest with another scream of resistance from the chest.
He walked back over to Riku and Sora silently and with unmatched poise. He pushed one blanket into Sora's lack hands and opened the black he held. He tossed it over Riku's still shaking body and tucked it in around the edges once again. He grabbed the other blanket from Sora's loose grip also before repeating his actions.
As soon as he finished tucking Riku in once again, Sora's large hands grabbed on Leon's thin wrists. His eyes glared daggers at Leon's. Sora huffed and tugged at Leon's arm and pulled both of them out of the room. When the door closed it took all of Sora's will not to explode at Leon.
'How dare he touch Riku and look at him like that! He CAN'T HAVE RIKU! I want him.' Sora's mind flared. His eyes narrowed into slits. He opened his mouth to yell at the older man but he was silenced with a hand covering his mouth.
"Don't even think about it Sora. Riku is trying to recover in there and you out here yelling won't help." Leon said evenly.
Sora huffed.
"And, before you go off on how much I shouldn't be touching your Riku or anything, I would like to tell you that no, I do not like your friend that way. For some strange reason, I feel a heavy connection with him. I don't understand why, but I just do. It almost seems that Riku is a brother to me." Leon rubbed the back of his neck with a gloved hand.
Sora's hardened gaze softened and he smiled.
"Thanks."
"Anytime. But now that we checked on him, you have to go back to King Mickey. Last night, he and I had a talk and we made a decision. You have to speak with him about it."
"What's it about?"
"Just talk to him. He'll know." Leon pushed Sora away with his free hand and turned back into the room.
**--**--**
Sora walked into the main throne room. He really didn't like the big room and it's plain interior, but this is where Mickey had to be during the day unless he had other business. Thankfully for him, Mickey wasn't in another part of the castle at the time. Mickey, in fact, was sitting in his stone throne leaning on the arm rest and almost asleep.
Sora snickered and stopped in front of the throne. He cleared his throat and Mickey jumped.
"Oh! Sorry about that Sora. I was up late last night." Mickey gave a small yawn.
"I heard." Sora smiled. "So, what was it that you and Leon talked about?"
"Right." Mickey sat straight up in his seat. "Leon and I were up late talking about Riku's aging dilemma. As you know, we can't reverse it. But after much deliberation, a sudden though of magic was brought up. Leon then suggested we bring Merlin here. Then, Leon said to bring the Fairy Godmother too. We called them last night. They should be coming within the hour. If anyone can help, they can."
Sora smiled. This was the best news he had heard in two days, ever since Riku came back. "Thanks Mickey."
"Thank Leon too. He came up with the idea."
"I will. Oh, and do you want me to be here to great them?"
"There will be no need for that. Just go eat lunch for now with Kairi."
"Okay."
**--**--**
Kairi's violet eyes twinkled happily as she saw Sora enter the small dinning hall. She smiled at him and pushed a bowl of soup toward him. She put her elbows on the table and placed her chin in her hands.
"Long time no see stranger."
"Heh, sorry about that Kairi." Sora grinned and sat down opposite of Kairi. He grabbed the metal spoon next to the bowl and dipped it into the creamy soup. "What kind?"
"Don't worry. It's potato soup too by the way."
"Thanks."
"Anytime."
**--**--**
Twenty minutes later, a knocking at the door to the room banged. Sora dropped his finished spoon into the bowl and got up. He saw Kairi come up behind him and he opened the door. In front of him, stood Donald with a sour look on his face.
"King Mickey wants you Sora." Donald's raspy voice said venomously.
"Thanks Donald." Sora walked past the small duck and Kairi followed.
Donald walked away mumbling about his private time and Daisy.
Sora and Kairi made it to the throne room within three minutes. Sora shoved open the door and strode up to the throne. King Mickey was sitting down, as usual, and two other people were standing on each side of him. To his right, stood an elderly man with a long white beard that reached down to his ankles. A simple long light blue robe adorned his thin body making him look like an oval. He had a worn pointy blue hat and a pair of small glasses on his nose and a wooden walking stick in his hand. The other, a woman with thin gray hair, had on a blue rob also. But hers was in two pieces. It looked it was a dress with a long sleeved coat was over it. The inside sleeves were a rosy pink and there was a deep red bow in the middle of her chest. A hood that attached to the coat was pulled over her hair was stood straight up, much like he man's but much smaller. Also, the woman was much plumper than the man, but she had a jolly gleam in her eyes that made her seem like a mother.
"Merlin! Fairy Godmother! You made it!" Sora called. He bounced up to each of them and gave them a huge.
"Oh it is so good to see you my child. It has been so long."
"It has."
"It's wonderful to see you m'boy." Merlin grinned and ruffled Sora's hair.
"You to Merlin."
"Ah, and if it isn't Kairi. Come here missy, give your Godmother a hug." Plump arms enfolded Kairi into a tight huh. Kairi squeezed back and grinned to the older woman.
"It's great to see you Godmother."
"Same here dear. Same here."
"Wonderful meeting again Merlin." Kairi smiled.
"Of course!" Merlin nodded.
"This reunion is wonderful," Mickey interrupted, "but I must ask you all to be serious. We have a situation at hand here."
"Yes, you are right." Merlin straightened his robes and waited.
"Dear me. My apologies King Mickey."
"Don't worry Godmother. All is well for now." Mickey cleared his throat. "You both know the reason why I have called for you. I hope you have both though of some way to help Riku."
Godmother nodded her head to Mickey's plea and so did Merlin.
"Then please, enlighten us."
"Do you mind Merlin, if I go first?" Godmother asked politely.
"I don't mind a'tall. Be my guest."
"Thank you." She clasped her tiny hands together and took a breath. "Well, It has been decided that Riku cannot age five years in a few days, or in any amount of days. Only regular time will ever help him age again. What I thought of doing, would be to help regain his health. There are potions that my helpers and I have made that would help the poor boy gain his weight back and adjust to the normal world once again."
"That would be magnificent. Thank you Godmother." Mickey smiled gratefully to the fairy.
"You're welcome."
"That's very clever Godmother." Merlin grinned.
"Thank you Merlin."
"As Godmother has said, Riku cannot be changed to his original age but we can help heal him. While she helps his body to regain health, I found a way to regain his sight. It will be most painful but I'm positive that this young boy can handle it. I have made a new powder that will be dusted into his eyes at full light and then he will be kept in utter darkness for one full week. After that week, his eyesight should be repaired."
"Thank you Merlin. But you do know, we will have to ask Riku his permission to do such an act to him, right?" Mickey asked.
"Of course. I would not dream of doing this to him without his consent." Merlin nodded his head, his chin colliding with his chest a few times in his over-eagerness.
"Thank you both. If we were to get Riku's consent, how soon would we be able to help him?"
"I could start mine within two days times." Godmother stated.
"I could do mine in one day, if not sooner." Merlin replied.
"Again, I thank you both. I will send a messenger to both of you within two hours to give you an answer."
"There is no need for such haste m'King. I will leave the potion in your hands, with instructions, in two days at sunset." Godmother said firmly. "Now, I must go. I will get everything prepped and ready to be delivered. Farewell everybody!"
"Thank you Godmother!" Sora called out.
"Come and visit anytime!" Kairi waved.
"Thanks dearies." Godmother reached into one of her dangling sleeves and pulled out a white handled wand. With a single wave, sparkles surrounded her round form and with a smile, she was gone.
"Such a flashy exit. Bah." Merlin rolled his eyes and smiled. He really was fond of that woman no matter her flashy magic.
"Thank you too, Merlin. For helping Riku." Sora said.
"Yes, yes. It was my pleasure to help such a dear friend to you. But now I must also depart. I await your messanger King Mickey."
Mickey nodded.
"See you soon." With a loud hit on the floor with his walking stick, Merlin was gone with a pop.
"Sora, it is now your turn to talk to Riku." Mickey said quietly.
"I will." Sora nodded. "Kairi?"
"Yeah?"
"Will you come with me?"
"Sure."
**--**--**
Leon sat on the opposite side of the bed with Riku. He kept a watchful eye on the slumbering teen but he was bored. Very bored. He didn't particularly like watch duty but he could tolerate it if it was for Riku. He didn't understand why. There was some kind of connection between him and the silver haired boy, but it wasn't in a physical way like he told Sora. But, he could feel it, in the back of his mind, he could feel a small tugging.
Leon shook his head slightly. A few stray pieces of chocolate brown hair fell into his eyes but he let them be. He got up from his position on the bed and stretched his arms above his head. His short white shirt rode up on his stomach showing a patch of smooth white skin. He brought his hands back down and tugged his shirt down also.
He trudged to the opposite side of the bed where Riku laid and he knelt down on the hard floor. He rested both hands on the edge of the bed, his fingers twitching to move. Finally, giving into his body's desire, he took off his glove and lifted his right hand and brushed the teens cheek. He let himself smile when he found the boy wasn't so cold anymore.
He let his fingers travel through the boy's silver hair and he sighed. He really felt like an older brother to the teen. It was almost terrifying. He closed his stormy grey eyes and immediately, he was assaulted with pictures. The first showed Leon's mother, smiling in all her glory holding a baby Leon in her arms but to the side of them was a silver haired man with neon green eyes. He had a smile on his lips and an unusually long sword in one hand.
The first picture came and went just as fast as it came and another came. It was the same silver haired man hugging his mother. Another flashed. It was another picture of his mother and the strange silver haired man. They were each sitting on a grassy hill, laughing. Another flashed. It was Leon's father and his mother, kissing and the silver haired man was creeping up behind them. Another came and it showed a new person. It was a woman with aqua colored eyes and pale skin. She was being held from behind by that silver haired man and there was a baby stroller next to them.
Leon's eyes snapped open and he fell to the floor. He was sprawled out on his back. His breath was heavy and erratic. Small beads of sweat trailed down his forehead and off of his cheek. His stormy grey eyes were wide with shock. He hadn't realized it before, but that silver haired man, he could remember his father telling him about him. He once said that his mother and that man were brother and sister by adoption. So then, Riku was a relative. His cousin to be exact.
Leon pushed himself to a standing position, his entire body shaking. It was entirely too much to take in. He moved closer to Riku and knelt down once again. He didn't reach out to touch him this time, but his grey eyes were intent on figuring out what happened. The key to it was through Riku. It had to of been.
A knock at the door broke Leon's concentration and he scowled. He had wanted more time alone with Riku so he could solve his increasing dilemma. He grudgingly got up and strode toward the door. He opened it with a frown upon his lips and a glare in his eyes.
"Oh, hey Leon. Sorry to disturb you right now, but we have to speak to Riku." Sora said cautiously.
"....." Leon gave a single nod and moved away from the door. He went to the wall with the window and leaned back against it. For now he would keep quiet and wait. He would have to talk to Riku later when Sora and Kairi were gone.
Sora and Kairi walked through the door and left it open. Sora knelt down next to Riku's sleeping figure and brushed his hand through silver locks. Kairi watched from above Sora with a twinkle in her eyes. She bent down just a little and place her hand on Riku's shoulder.
"Hey Riku. Can you wake up for a little bit? Come on Riku. Wake up." She shook his shoulder lightly but Riku just mumbled to himself and twisted his head away from both Sora and Kairi.
"Same old Riku." Sora smirked. Sora then copied Kairi's movements and shook Riku.
There was a groan from parted lips. Riku turned his head back towards the two older people and sighed. He brought up a single hand from under the covers and batted two hands off of his shoulders. "Go away."
"Sorry Riku. But we need to talk to you." Kairi said too cheerfully.
"Screw off. I'm tired and I want to sleep."
"Be nice!" Kairi swatted Riku's shoulder playfully.
"Fine. What is it?" Riku gave up in a huff. He pushed the comforting blankets down to his waist before sitting up on the bed. He turned the way he presumed should be the right way and stopped. "Make it fast I'm not in a good mood. I have a headache and I'm not feeling well. This had better be good." He growled.
Sora nodded slowly. "Sorry Riku, but we thought you should know that we have a way to help you."
"Help me?"
"Yeah. The wizard Merlin and the fairy Godmother have found was to restore your eyes sight and your health." Kairi jumped to reply.
"But Merlin needs your consent to help you. His method would cause you horrible pain, but it would work." Sora bit his lip.
Riku didn't know what to say. Regain his health and restore his yes sight? Would it be worth the amount of pain Sora was speaking of? Would he really care if he could see again? Yes. He knew he wanted to see Sora and Kairi again. He wanted to see that friend of Sora's too. The one who helped him and stayed with him. He liked him.
After long minutes of silence, Riku cleared his throat. "I will."
"Okay. Merlin will be here tomorrow to set everything up. But Riku, really think about this. To help you, Merlin has to put you in the open light and you're eyes have to be open. This will hurt you a lot." Sora clenched his fist at his side hard. He really didn't want Riku to go through that pain.
"I... I'll still do it." Riku hesitated only for a second.
"Okay. We'll go tell King Mickey about it. Leon will still be here with you, okay Riku?" Kairi spoke softly.
"Leon?"
"My friend. The one who helped you earlier today." Sora stated.
"Fine."
By the window, Leon was clenching his teeth and narrowing his eyes. He respected Riku's decision to go through with Merlin's and Godmother's help, but he had answered with little time. A few minutes were nothing compared to the pain that he would go through. Leon could only wonder if Riku had chose the right decision.
TBC...
**Author's Note** Okay, that is the fourth and longest chapter I have done. I'm SO SORRY about not being able to get this story out sooner. It's been like twelve days. I'm sorry! I was studying my arse off and school just got out the thirteenth and then the whole weekend was hectic. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. First of all, there are a few things I need to explain. 1) Riku was found in the corner of the room because he panicked and fell off the bed, not realizing he was in a new place. He moved to one spot of the room because he didn't know what else to do so he stayed there and froze cause it was so cold! 2) There will be NO LEON/RIKU in this story. As I've said in the story, they are cousins. So no romance. I'll explain more of that, hopefully, in the next chapter. 3) Sora is jealous of Leon because he doesn't know about the connection and blah blah. I explained that in the story. He'll probably still be jealous until Leon tells him about everything. I think that's all so I'll stop there. Now, for the thank you's! ((My favorite part!))
christie - I want to thank you for review THREE times. I was kinda amazed at that. But thanks to your suggestion about Merlin, I thought up a way to at least help Riku faster. So, in light of your suggestion for my insperation, this chapter is dedicated to you. Thanks a million! Oh, and sorry that nothing exciting happened in this chapter. I apologize for that. But the next chapter... well, I'll just stop there. Oh, and thanks for the luck for my exams. ((I got an A on my Spanish test! YAY!))
Uzumaki - Thanks a lot for the long review. ((I always enjoy reading yours.)) I am very proud that I don't write PWP lemons or anything of the sort. I think stories can be good with out them. ((LoL. No offense to ANYONE who writes those kinds.)) But much thanks!
too shy - I really liked that Irish story. That was neat. I can see where there similarities might be. I appreciate your enthusiasm for this fanfic and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
D-chan - Understood and forgotten. Thanks a million. ^__^ Thanks for all the advice too!
Taikuru - Hehe. I loved your review. So much energy! WOOHAW! OHH!! A floatie or a boat? Way kewl! Thanks a lot! **smiles**
KAWAIIROXY - Thanks! I'm kinda glad I changed Kairi now too. I've had enough time to roll the idea around in my head and I like it.
And for those of you who would like to email me, chrisite, I'll give my email address in this chapter but know that I WILL be taking it off within a few days. I don't care for it to be floating around on the net that much. Once again, thanks to everyone, SORRY IF I MISSED ANYONE, and enjoy! I'm hoping to write the next chapter soon but my monitor is going out. I'll have to write it quick!
U_missed_out@toobad.haha
Much love!
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Sora/Riku
Warnings: Yaoi or boyXboy love, little bit of OOC, references to intense situations, rating may change later
DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own anything from Kingdom Hearts. I don't own any characters or places or anything.
Summary: After the doors were closed, Riku has been in the shadows but in the shadows, there is no such thing as time because time is meaningless. So what happens when Sora opens the door five years later? SoraxRiku
Timeless
Riku sat in the corner of the stone room. He had his knees drawn to his chest and his arms wrapped around himself. His body shivered from the unforgiving stone and his teeth chattered slightly. The darkness in the corner was like an ice sheet and it continually wormed itself through his new clothes. Of course he was grateful for his oversized black pants and enormous black shirt, but they were extremely flimsy and he was horribly thin. It wasn't a good mixture.
He inhaled a shaky breath and rubbed his biceps with his ungloved hands. He cringed slightly at feeling such foreign objects. It would be something he would have to get use to again. His body shivered again. His body was so tense it added to his shaking. His teeth clattered loudly and he could almost swear he could hear his pulse pounding in his ears.
When the wave of pure cold passed him, he let one hand reach up to his eyes. He adjusted his new leather strapped bind and he had to stop himself from whimpering. It kept the light away from his sensitive eyes but it was rubbing his cheeks raw. He could feel two rashes burning on his face but he never let anyone else know. He didn't want to burden them further.
A knocking at the door made him jump slightly. He tried to call out to the person but his voice got caught in his throat as another wave of cold shot through him. He curled into himself and held back a moan. In the back of his mind, he heard the door open and the slow footsteps toward the bed. He didn't however, noticed that there were more than one person.
"Riku? Riku, where are you?" Sora called out. He squinted in the room and looked around. There was no candle burning this time so it was almost impossible to see. He reached behind him and grabbed a hold of a thin wrist. "Stay here. I need to burn a candle." Sora whispered. He felt the other nod and Sora let go of the wrist. He felt along the bed's edge and then toward the table.
When his hand come in contact with the finely polished wood, he felt on the top. His fingers brushed the top lightly. His fingers brushed against the matches and then the candle, side by side. He let a triumphant smile cross his pink lips. He grabbed a single match and struck it.
The matched sparked to life. It's flame danced and flung itself before calming and burning with intensity. Sora's face illuminated in the small light and he slowly brought the match to the wick of the candle. With a few seconds, the candle glowed brightly and the match burnt out. Sora placed the black match on the table and turned about. He nodded to his companion.
"Riku. You still sleeping?" The other voice called.
"Just a second Leon." Sora's periwinkle blue eyes narrowed as they landed on the bed. There was no body in it. "Riku's not in the bed. Check the room." He whispered harshly.
"Right."
Leon looked to his right. He walked over to the curtained window and glanced at the dark corners. He felt his hands meet freezing stones and a shiver ran through his spine. He took a deep breath and knelt down. His hand traveled down the wall with him. It came in contact with the floor and he stood back up. He walked to the other wall and stopped. He could faintly make out a small body sitting on the floor.
With much caution, Leon knelt on the ground and reached out a tentative hand. It rested on Riku's knee. Leon felt the boy jump slightly and he cringed. He hadn't meant to scare him.
"Don't worry Riku. I'm Squall, Sora's friend."
"H-his friend?" Riku whispered.
"Yes. I'm here to help you."
"C-c-c-cold." Riku's teeth chattered again, impairing his speech.
"Let me help you. I'll get you back to the bed." Leon slowly enfolded Riku's small body into his larger frame. He hooked one arm under his knees and one behind his back. Immediately Leon shuddered at the contact with Riku's skin. He was like an ice cube.
Leon tightened his grip slightly. He felt arms wrap around his neck and a face pressing into his chest. Leon didn't tense as he usually did with human contact but he sighed. They had left Riku alone in the room to recuperate, but it seemed as if that wasn't such a good idea. Riku must have panicked as soon as he woke up. That would have been the only explanation.
He stood up and slowly walked to the bed. Halfway there, he stopped in front of Sora, who's odd colored eyes were filled with relief, concern, and jealousy. Leon, felt his lips tug into an invisible smile. He motioned for Sora to step aside and Sora did. Leon continued the short journey to the bed.
"Hold onto me tightly. I have to fix your bed." Leon whispered to Riku.
Riku nodded and hung on. His arms shook and he squeezed his aqua eyes close. It felt like a knife was being shoved into his arms. He didn't understand why. It had never hurt like this before. Why would it start all of a sudden here?
Before he knew it, Riku was being set down on a firm mattress. His tight grip on the brunette saint slacked and his arms fell to his sides. Leon's arm that supported Riku's back gently lowered the silver haired boy's head to the soft pillow. He then grabbed the blankets that he had thrown to the side over Riku's diminutive form. He tucked in the edges and smiled down at the boy.
"Leon." Sora hissed.
Leon turned his stormy grey eyes on pissed off blue. Leon shook his head slightly and pressed a finger to his lips to silence the younger man. He left the side of the bed and to a chest in the corner of the room to his left. He opened the old chest and it groaned in agony in the swift movement. Leon grimaced at the deafening sound and reached into the chest. He grabbed out two more thick blankets and shut the lid of the chest with another scream of resistance from the chest.
He walked back over to Riku and Sora silently and with unmatched poise. He pushed one blanket into Sora's lack hands and opened the black he held. He tossed it over Riku's still shaking body and tucked it in around the edges once again. He grabbed the other blanket from Sora's loose grip also before repeating his actions.
As soon as he finished tucking Riku in once again, Sora's large hands grabbed on Leon's thin wrists. His eyes glared daggers at Leon's. Sora huffed and tugged at Leon's arm and pulled both of them out of the room. When the door closed it took all of Sora's will not to explode at Leon.
'How dare he touch Riku and look at him like that! He CAN'T HAVE RIKU! I want him.' Sora's mind flared. His eyes narrowed into slits. He opened his mouth to yell at the older man but he was silenced with a hand covering his mouth.
"Don't even think about it Sora. Riku is trying to recover in there and you out here yelling won't help." Leon said evenly.
Sora huffed.
"And, before you go off on how much I shouldn't be touching your Riku or anything, I would like to tell you that no, I do not like your friend that way. For some strange reason, I feel a heavy connection with him. I don't understand why, but I just do. It almost seems that Riku is a brother to me." Leon rubbed the back of his neck with a gloved hand.
Sora's hardened gaze softened and he smiled.
"Thanks."
"Anytime. But now that we checked on him, you have to go back to King Mickey. Last night, he and I had a talk and we made a decision. You have to speak with him about it."
"What's it about?"
"Just talk to him. He'll know." Leon pushed Sora away with his free hand and turned back into the room.
**--**--**
Sora walked into the main throne room. He really didn't like the big room and it's plain interior, but this is where Mickey had to be during the day unless he had other business. Thankfully for him, Mickey wasn't in another part of the castle at the time. Mickey, in fact, was sitting in his stone throne leaning on the arm rest and almost asleep.
Sora snickered and stopped in front of the throne. He cleared his throat and Mickey jumped.
"Oh! Sorry about that Sora. I was up late last night." Mickey gave a small yawn.
"I heard." Sora smiled. "So, what was it that you and Leon talked about?"
"Right." Mickey sat straight up in his seat. "Leon and I were up late talking about Riku's aging dilemma. As you know, we can't reverse it. But after much deliberation, a sudden though of magic was brought up. Leon then suggested we bring Merlin here. Then, Leon said to bring the Fairy Godmother too. We called them last night. They should be coming within the hour. If anyone can help, they can."
Sora smiled. This was the best news he had heard in two days, ever since Riku came back. "Thanks Mickey."
"Thank Leon too. He came up with the idea."
"I will. Oh, and do you want me to be here to great them?"
"There will be no need for that. Just go eat lunch for now with Kairi."
"Okay."
**--**--**
Kairi's violet eyes twinkled happily as she saw Sora enter the small dinning hall. She smiled at him and pushed a bowl of soup toward him. She put her elbows on the table and placed her chin in her hands.
"Long time no see stranger."
"Heh, sorry about that Kairi." Sora grinned and sat down opposite of Kairi. He grabbed the metal spoon next to the bowl and dipped it into the creamy soup. "What kind?"
"Don't worry. It's potato soup too by the way."
"Thanks."
"Anytime."
**--**--**
Twenty minutes later, a knocking at the door to the room banged. Sora dropped his finished spoon into the bowl and got up. He saw Kairi come up behind him and he opened the door. In front of him, stood Donald with a sour look on his face.
"King Mickey wants you Sora." Donald's raspy voice said venomously.
"Thanks Donald." Sora walked past the small duck and Kairi followed.
Donald walked away mumbling about his private time and Daisy.
Sora and Kairi made it to the throne room within three minutes. Sora shoved open the door and strode up to the throne. King Mickey was sitting down, as usual, and two other people were standing on each side of him. To his right, stood an elderly man with a long white beard that reached down to his ankles. A simple long light blue robe adorned his thin body making him look like an oval. He had a worn pointy blue hat and a pair of small glasses on his nose and a wooden walking stick in his hand. The other, a woman with thin gray hair, had on a blue rob also. But hers was in two pieces. It looked it was a dress with a long sleeved coat was over it. The inside sleeves were a rosy pink and there was a deep red bow in the middle of her chest. A hood that attached to the coat was pulled over her hair was stood straight up, much like he man's but much smaller. Also, the woman was much plumper than the man, but she had a jolly gleam in her eyes that made her seem like a mother.
"Merlin! Fairy Godmother! You made it!" Sora called. He bounced up to each of them and gave them a huge.
"Oh it is so good to see you my child. It has been so long."
"It has."
"It's wonderful to see you m'boy." Merlin grinned and ruffled Sora's hair.
"You to Merlin."
"Ah, and if it isn't Kairi. Come here missy, give your Godmother a hug." Plump arms enfolded Kairi into a tight huh. Kairi squeezed back and grinned to the older woman.
"It's great to see you Godmother."
"Same here dear. Same here."
"Wonderful meeting again Merlin." Kairi smiled.
"Of course!" Merlin nodded.
"This reunion is wonderful," Mickey interrupted, "but I must ask you all to be serious. We have a situation at hand here."
"Yes, you are right." Merlin straightened his robes and waited.
"Dear me. My apologies King Mickey."
"Don't worry Godmother. All is well for now." Mickey cleared his throat. "You both know the reason why I have called for you. I hope you have both though of some way to help Riku."
Godmother nodded her head to Mickey's plea and so did Merlin.
"Then please, enlighten us."
"Do you mind Merlin, if I go first?" Godmother asked politely.
"I don't mind a'tall. Be my guest."
"Thank you." She clasped her tiny hands together and took a breath. "Well, It has been decided that Riku cannot age five years in a few days, or in any amount of days. Only regular time will ever help him age again. What I thought of doing, would be to help regain his health. There are potions that my helpers and I have made that would help the poor boy gain his weight back and adjust to the normal world once again."
"That would be magnificent. Thank you Godmother." Mickey smiled gratefully to the fairy.
"You're welcome."
"That's very clever Godmother." Merlin grinned.
"Thank you Merlin."
"As Godmother has said, Riku cannot be changed to his original age but we can help heal him. While she helps his body to regain health, I found a way to regain his sight. It will be most painful but I'm positive that this young boy can handle it. I have made a new powder that will be dusted into his eyes at full light and then he will be kept in utter darkness for one full week. After that week, his eyesight should be repaired."
"Thank you Merlin. But you do know, we will have to ask Riku his permission to do such an act to him, right?" Mickey asked.
"Of course. I would not dream of doing this to him without his consent." Merlin nodded his head, his chin colliding with his chest a few times in his over-eagerness.
"Thank you both. If we were to get Riku's consent, how soon would we be able to help him?"
"I could start mine within two days times." Godmother stated.
"I could do mine in one day, if not sooner." Merlin replied.
"Again, I thank you both. I will send a messenger to both of you within two hours to give you an answer."
"There is no need for such haste m'King. I will leave the potion in your hands, with instructions, in two days at sunset." Godmother said firmly. "Now, I must go. I will get everything prepped and ready to be delivered. Farewell everybody!"
"Thank you Godmother!" Sora called out.
"Come and visit anytime!" Kairi waved.
"Thanks dearies." Godmother reached into one of her dangling sleeves and pulled out a white handled wand. With a single wave, sparkles surrounded her round form and with a smile, she was gone.
"Such a flashy exit. Bah." Merlin rolled his eyes and smiled. He really was fond of that woman no matter her flashy magic.
"Thank you too, Merlin. For helping Riku." Sora said.
"Yes, yes. It was my pleasure to help such a dear friend to you. But now I must also depart. I await your messanger King Mickey."
Mickey nodded.
"See you soon." With a loud hit on the floor with his walking stick, Merlin was gone with a pop.
"Sora, it is now your turn to talk to Riku." Mickey said quietly.
"I will." Sora nodded. "Kairi?"
"Yeah?"
"Will you come with me?"
"Sure."
**--**--**
Leon sat on the opposite side of the bed with Riku. He kept a watchful eye on the slumbering teen but he was bored. Very bored. He didn't particularly like watch duty but he could tolerate it if it was for Riku. He didn't understand why. There was some kind of connection between him and the silver haired boy, but it wasn't in a physical way like he told Sora. But, he could feel it, in the back of his mind, he could feel a small tugging.
Leon shook his head slightly. A few stray pieces of chocolate brown hair fell into his eyes but he let them be. He got up from his position on the bed and stretched his arms above his head. His short white shirt rode up on his stomach showing a patch of smooth white skin. He brought his hands back down and tugged his shirt down also.
He trudged to the opposite side of the bed where Riku laid and he knelt down on the hard floor. He rested both hands on the edge of the bed, his fingers twitching to move. Finally, giving into his body's desire, he took off his glove and lifted his right hand and brushed the teens cheek. He let himself smile when he found the boy wasn't so cold anymore.
He let his fingers travel through the boy's silver hair and he sighed. He really felt like an older brother to the teen. It was almost terrifying. He closed his stormy grey eyes and immediately, he was assaulted with pictures. The first showed Leon's mother, smiling in all her glory holding a baby Leon in her arms but to the side of them was a silver haired man with neon green eyes. He had a smile on his lips and an unusually long sword in one hand.
The first picture came and went just as fast as it came and another came. It was the same silver haired man hugging his mother. Another flashed. It was another picture of his mother and the strange silver haired man. They were each sitting on a grassy hill, laughing. Another flashed. It was Leon's father and his mother, kissing and the silver haired man was creeping up behind them. Another came and it showed a new person. It was a woman with aqua colored eyes and pale skin. She was being held from behind by that silver haired man and there was a baby stroller next to them.
Leon's eyes snapped open and he fell to the floor. He was sprawled out on his back. His breath was heavy and erratic. Small beads of sweat trailed down his forehead and off of his cheek. His stormy grey eyes were wide with shock. He hadn't realized it before, but that silver haired man, he could remember his father telling him about him. He once said that his mother and that man were brother and sister by adoption. So then, Riku was a relative. His cousin to be exact.
Leon pushed himself to a standing position, his entire body shaking. It was entirely too much to take in. He moved closer to Riku and knelt down once again. He didn't reach out to touch him this time, but his grey eyes were intent on figuring out what happened. The key to it was through Riku. It had to of been.
A knock at the door broke Leon's concentration and he scowled. He had wanted more time alone with Riku so he could solve his increasing dilemma. He grudgingly got up and strode toward the door. He opened it with a frown upon his lips and a glare in his eyes.
"Oh, hey Leon. Sorry to disturb you right now, but we have to speak to Riku." Sora said cautiously.
"....." Leon gave a single nod and moved away from the door. He went to the wall with the window and leaned back against it. For now he would keep quiet and wait. He would have to talk to Riku later when Sora and Kairi were gone.
Sora and Kairi walked through the door and left it open. Sora knelt down next to Riku's sleeping figure and brushed his hand through silver locks. Kairi watched from above Sora with a twinkle in her eyes. She bent down just a little and place her hand on Riku's shoulder.
"Hey Riku. Can you wake up for a little bit? Come on Riku. Wake up." She shook his shoulder lightly but Riku just mumbled to himself and twisted his head away from both Sora and Kairi.
"Same old Riku." Sora smirked. Sora then copied Kairi's movements and shook Riku.
There was a groan from parted lips. Riku turned his head back towards the two older people and sighed. He brought up a single hand from under the covers and batted two hands off of his shoulders. "Go away."
"Sorry Riku. But we need to talk to you." Kairi said too cheerfully.
"Screw off. I'm tired and I want to sleep."
"Be nice!" Kairi swatted Riku's shoulder playfully.
"Fine. What is it?" Riku gave up in a huff. He pushed the comforting blankets down to his waist before sitting up on the bed. He turned the way he presumed should be the right way and stopped. "Make it fast I'm not in a good mood. I have a headache and I'm not feeling well. This had better be good." He growled.
Sora nodded slowly. "Sorry Riku, but we thought you should know that we have a way to help you."
"Help me?"
"Yeah. The wizard Merlin and the fairy Godmother have found was to restore your eyes sight and your health." Kairi jumped to reply.
"But Merlin needs your consent to help you. His method would cause you horrible pain, but it would work." Sora bit his lip.
Riku didn't know what to say. Regain his health and restore his yes sight? Would it be worth the amount of pain Sora was speaking of? Would he really care if he could see again? Yes. He knew he wanted to see Sora and Kairi again. He wanted to see that friend of Sora's too. The one who helped him and stayed with him. He liked him.
After long minutes of silence, Riku cleared his throat. "I will."
"Okay. Merlin will be here tomorrow to set everything up. But Riku, really think about this. To help you, Merlin has to put you in the open light and you're eyes have to be open. This will hurt you a lot." Sora clenched his fist at his side hard. He really didn't want Riku to go through that pain.
"I... I'll still do it." Riku hesitated only for a second.
"Okay. We'll go tell King Mickey about it. Leon will still be here with you, okay Riku?" Kairi spoke softly.
"Leon?"
"My friend. The one who helped you earlier today." Sora stated.
"Fine."
By the window, Leon was clenching his teeth and narrowing his eyes. He respected Riku's decision to go through with Merlin's and Godmother's help, but he had answered with little time. A few minutes were nothing compared to the pain that he would go through. Leon could only wonder if Riku had chose the right decision.
TBC...
**Author's Note** Okay, that is the fourth and longest chapter I have done. I'm SO SORRY about not being able to get this story out sooner. It's been like twelve days. I'm sorry! I was studying my arse off and school just got out the thirteenth and then the whole weekend was hectic. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. First of all, there are a few things I need to explain. 1) Riku was found in the corner of the room because he panicked and fell off the bed, not realizing he was in a new place. He moved to one spot of the room because he didn't know what else to do so he stayed there and froze cause it was so cold! 2) There will be NO LEON/RIKU in this story. As I've said in the story, they are cousins. So no romance. I'll explain more of that, hopefully, in the next chapter. 3) Sora is jealous of Leon because he doesn't know about the connection and blah blah. I explained that in the story. He'll probably still be jealous until Leon tells him about everything. I think that's all so I'll stop there. Now, for the thank you's! ((My favorite part!))
christie - I want to thank you for review THREE times. I was kinda amazed at that. But thanks to your suggestion about Merlin, I thought up a way to at least help Riku faster. So, in light of your suggestion for my insperation, this chapter is dedicated to you. Thanks a million! Oh, and sorry that nothing exciting happened in this chapter. I apologize for that. But the next chapter... well, I'll just stop there. Oh, and thanks for the luck for my exams. ((I got an A on my Spanish test! YAY!))
Uzumaki - Thanks a lot for the long review. ((I always enjoy reading yours.)) I am very proud that I don't write PWP lemons or anything of the sort. I think stories can be good with out them. ((LoL. No offense to ANYONE who writes those kinds.)) But much thanks!
too shy - I really liked that Irish story. That was neat. I can see where there similarities might be. I appreciate your enthusiasm for this fanfic and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
D-chan - Understood and forgotten. Thanks a million. ^__^ Thanks for all the advice too!
Taikuru - Hehe. I loved your review. So much energy! WOOHAW! OHH!! A floatie or a boat? Way kewl! Thanks a lot! **smiles**
KAWAIIROXY - Thanks! I'm kinda glad I changed Kairi now too. I've had enough time to roll the idea around in my head and I like it.
And for those of you who would like to email me, chrisite, I'll give my email address in this chapter but know that I WILL be taking it off within a few days. I don't care for it to be floating around on the net that much. Once again, thanks to everyone, SORRY IF I MISSED ANYONE, and enjoy! I'm hoping to write the next chapter soon but my monitor is going out. I'll have to write it quick!
U_missed_out@toobad.haha
Much love!