Title: Timeless To Love You Only to Hurt You
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Sora/Riku
Warnings: Yaoi or boyXboy love, little bit of OOC, and 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
Messengers were sent out immediately after Riku's decision. Godmother would receive her note within two hours and Merlin within one. The barbie sized pixies that carried the letters, were the fastest in the kingdom. They were trained to navigate through the wormholes and search for their target. Unfortunately for the pixie that took Godmother's letter, Godmother was always on the move. So it would be much harder for the small pixie to locate her, that's why it would take so long.
Mickey, continuing on with his mental rambling, came to a halt when he felt a pair of eyes staring at him. He looked up from his place on the throne and was met with steel grey eyes. Mickey gulped. Leon was sure scary when he was mad. Anyone could tell when that man was mad though, his eyes changed colors. It was almost terrifying in itself.
"What can I do for you Leon?" Mickey queried cautiously. .
"Have you sent the message to Merlin?"
"Yes, I did. As soon as Sora told me."
Leon cursed under his breath. He had wanted to delay the message to talk to Riku about his decision. He quickly turned on his heels and stalked out of the room, ignoring the questions of why coming from the King. Leon, meaning no disrespect to the King, stopped and turned around. He gave the King the biggest death glare he could and he swore he heard Mickey whimper. Leon bowed his head slightly before leaving through the small door connecting to the larger one.
He made haste as he walked through the long and boring corridors of the castle. His steps were as silent as boots could be against stone floor. Mild thuds echoed in the hallways but nothing more than that. He made a quick turn and opened a door to the kitchens. He was glad that no one was in there at the time and he made his way to another door. He pulled it open and walked into the back, where warm soup was waiting for him. He grabbed two spoons off of a stone top table and then the two bowls of soup. He exited the room just as fast as he came.
Leon headed back towards Riku's chambers, really Sora's taken over by the slumbering teen, and he sighed. He needed to calm down before confronting the boy. If he was worked up, he could end up frightening him and that was the last thing he wanted to do.
Taking a calming breath, Leon slowed his pace and began to walk with a leisurely step. He only walked for a few more seconds at the slow tempo before reaching the door. He tucked both soup bowls on his arm and close to his chest. He pulled open the door and entered as quickly and as silently as he could. The door shut with a soft thud and Leon walked over to the table with the candle burning. He placed both bowls on the table and placed the spoons by each one. He looked over his shoulder to see Riku sitting up and yawning with a pale hand covering his mouth.
"It's good you're awake. I didn't want to wake you if you were sleeping." Leon said in his usual low voice.
"Mm. What's that smell?" Riku whispered. He cleared his throat and tried again. "It smells weird."
Leon smirked. "It's your food."
Riku's mouth twisted into a scowl. "Are you serious?"
"Yes." Leon picked up a bowl and a spoon. He walked over towards Riku's side of the bed and sat on the edge, careful not to sit on the teen's leg or other body parts. He pushed the bowl into the younger's hands and put the spoon in the soup. "It's potato soup. It's not as bad as you think, you're just not use to real food I think."
"I guess." Riku lifted a pale hand towards the bowl and felt around the edges. He finally felt the spoon in his hand and he gripped it hard. It felt so foreign in his grasp. He had to rethink of how to hold it before placing it in between his thumb and finger. He stirred the soup slowly, not wanting to spill it, and pulled a bit out of the bowl.
"Is it hot Leon?" Riku questioned.
"No. It's only warm. You and I both missed lunch, so I brought it here."
"Thanks."
Riku brought the spoon closer to his mouth but he stopped. He had not fed himself like this for what seemed like forever and he felt awkward doing it now. He set the spoon back into the bowl and felt his face. His fingers traced his chin and then his cheekbone. He touched his nose and then his lips. He didn't know if he could do this without making a mess. Sure, he could drink a sphere potion, but even if he missed his mouth, the potion would just sink into his skin anyways, so he never really had to care about that before. But, why was he so afraid now?
With a growl of frustration, he turned his head away from the food. He immediately regretted it. The leather bindings dug into his cheeks. He let out a loud gasp and then another. It hurt so bad.
"Riku, are you okay?" Leon reached out to the boy but Riku's hands grasped his, by mistake.
"It-it hurts. The leather!" Riku squeezed Leon's hand.
"Look towards me." Leon squeezed Riku's hand back. He saw Riku's silver locks dripping off his bony shoulders and falling to the back of his neck. Leon suppressed a small intake of breath at seeing Riku's face. On each cheek, there was a trail of crimson, flowing down the pale skin and dripping off Riku's chin. They looked just like red tears.
"Don't move Riku. You're bleeding." Leon reached into his tight pants pocket and pulled out a deep blue handkerchief. He put the cloth on his leg and folded it the best he could with one hand. He picked it up once again and wiped the blood trails of off Riku's cheeks.
Once he finished, he put the handkerchief back into his pocket. He gently tugged his hand out of Riku's and grabbed the edge of the top blanket. It was pure black and a heavy fabric. With his inhuman strength, Leon ripped the blanket into a long strip. He grabbed Riku's hand and shoved the strip into the boy's hand.
"Hold that. I'll blow the candle out." Leon got up and was back in a second. The room was pitch black and the heavy curtains held out any light that would have been able to get in the room. He sat back down on the bed, careful not to spill any soup that was still on Riku's lap, and he reach out the boy's hand. He grabbed it without much trouble and he took the cloth away.
"Leon?"
"Take off your leather binding."
Riku didn't say anything. He held on to the soup bowl in one hand and reached behind his head with the other. He pulled the strings carefully and with a few more pushes and tugs he got the binding off. It fell off of his cheeks and hug by his chest. The string he still held in his hand supported the binding and he pushed it into Leon's lap.
"I'll put this on you. It won't work as well as your leather one so don't look directly into the candle light which is to the side of the room. Okay?" Leon waited until he heard a soft 'kay come from the younger boy. He reached out with the bind in both hands, one at each end and he held it to Riku's aqua eyes. He tied the cloth tightly and tugged at it to go a bit higher so they wouldn't reopen the wounds on his cheeks.
Pulling back from Riku's face, he let his arms fall to his side and he glances down at the uneaten food. He faintly heard Riku say a soft thank you but he wasn't concentrating on that at the moment. He let a small inner monologue take over his mind before pulling out of it. He was always being told to stop doing that.
"Well Riku, why don't you start eating." It was more of an order than a plea.
"I don't know. It just seems... harder, now. I don't fully understand it, but I feel like it's been so long since I actually ate anything." Riku brought his chin to his chest. He silently berated himself for explaining his thoughts to Leon. Leon would probably think him crazy. Besides, he didn't spend that long in Kingdom Hearts.
"Then let me help you."
Silver hair flutter around his head like a halo as his head shot up. A look of shock dawned on his face and chewed the bottom of his lip. Why didn't Leon laugh at him? Or condemn him for his weakness? Others did. The darkness did, and so did Ans-... No, he wouldn't think those thoughts, not now. Not when the darkness was gone. At least the world of darkness.
Leon shrugged off the look of pure shock on Riku's face and grabbed the spoon from the bowl. He scraped the spoon on the edge of the bowl to make sure none dripped and he held it up to Riku's pale, yet slightly pink lips.
Almost mechanically, Riku's mouth opened and Leon pushed the spoon in and spilled the contents into the waiting mouth. Leon withdrew the spoon and watched as Riku's face turned a sick shade of green. He let a smile cross his lips and he set the spoon back into the bowl.
Riku forced himself to swallow the nasty, horrible, utterly disgusting food. He coughed violently after the food when down his throat and he had to stop it from making a journey back it. "That was gross!"
"Well, you'll have to get over that Riku. That's what we have for your lunch."
"Oh no. I'm not eating that. That stuff shouldn't even be CALLED food." Riku then sealed his lips closed and set his jaw.
"Fine. No food. I can tell it's a worthless try anyways." Leon rolled his stormy eyes, grabbed the bowl from Riku's lap, and placed it on the floor next to him. "Since that is out of the way," Leon began; "I want to have a talk with you. About..." Leon hesitated. Should he really bring up the subject of Merlin's potion? Regretingly, his mind shouted at him not too. Leon sighed and moved to his next subject. "About your family."
Riku stiffened. He hadn't talked about his family since he was five years old, and that was to Sora. He had told Kairi nothing about his parents and she was never allowed to come to his home. It's not that he didn't like Kairi, but he didn't want to have to explain, because it kind of hurt.
"I wanted to know who your father was. What he looked like."
Riku fidgeted uncomfortably. He didn't want to tell Leon anything but for some reason, he didn't want to keep the information from him, either. He sighed to himself and clenched his hands at his sides.
"Take your time Riku. I don't want to rush you."
Riku nodded.
"I - My father, wasn't around much when I was younger. I can count on one hand how many times I remember seeing him. He was around when I was first born, for about a year. I don't remember any of that, I was too young, and then he suddenly left. He left my mother a note saying he was sorry he had to leave, but he had unfinished business to attend to and that he'd be back. Neither she nor I expected him to come back after seven years."
"I was eight the first time I saw him and just the sight of him made me burst into tears. He was tall. Extremely tall with thigh length silver hair and glowing green eyes. His skin was a little darker than mine was at the time, but his eyes scared me the most. I didn't so much as mind the glowing, but there was a look of indefinable emotion in his eyes that made me run from him. I hid behind my mother's legs and refused to look at him for the rest of his visit. Before he left, he gave me a pat on my shoulder and he left."
"The next, and last time, I've met him was about three years after that, when I was eleven. Once again, he showed up without notice. But I wasn't home when he did and I found him and my mother talking at the table, sipping tea. I didn't realize it was he at first. He was wearing a long black coat with metal shoulder bracers and he had a long sword leaning against the wall. He and my mother were talking and then my mother burst into tears. He then picked up his sword, whispered something to her, and then came to me. He said he was proud to have me as a son and that he would miss me terribly, but I didn't really care. I brushed past him because how was I suppose to know he was my father? He just made my mother cry. When I turned around, he was gone."
"My mom explained everything and told me his name was Sephiroth. She gave me a picture of the family and I've had it ever since." Riku reached under his feather pillow and pulled out a worn and torn picture. He handed it to where he thought Leon's hand was at and he felt Leon take it. "That's my mother and father and me as a baby. I don't have another picture of him." Riku sighed. He had just given his whole life's secret away from a stranger he met a few days ago. How stupid was he?
"Thank you Riku, for telling me, and showing me this. But now, I have a confession to make to you." Leon pushed the picture back into Riku's limp hand and held the boy's shoulders.
"What?"
"You're father was adopted into my mother's family. Therefore, you are a cousin to me. Step-cousin to be exact, but you are. We are related."
".... Are you sure? You're not lying to me?" Riku whispered softly.
"Yes. I knew that man, Sephiroth, before coming to the Traverse Town. I saw him for a long time actually. With my mother. But then he left. I've seen him since though." Leon recalled back to when he had no choice but to visit the Coliseum.
"That's interesting." Riku smiled, just at the corners of his mouth. "I've never met another relative of mine. Once my father left, my only living relative was my mother and her mother. But my mother's mother died within two weeks of my father's departure."
"So I take it, you're okay with this?"
"Yes. As a matter of fact, I feel relieved. I'm glad I know you and I want to know you more. Will let me?" Riku asked uncertainly.
"Yes. I want nothing more than to be with you too." Leon let a full-blown smile show on his face and he enfolded the teen into his arms. "I know what it's like to have one parent and none at all. I'm glad I could find you Riku." Leon felt two unsure arms encircle his waist and his smile widened even more.
At that moment of tender embrace, the door swung open and a chocked gasp was heard at the door. Leon jumped at the sound and hit the floor. He pushed himself up and turned around, glaring at the intruder. Unfortunately, it was Sora. His eyes were wide with shock and rage and his face had paled. His fists were clenched together and shook slightly.
Periwinkle eyes narrowed and met stormy grey. He marched over to Leon, grabbed him by his jacket and drug him out of the room. He slammed the door close, not hearing the started yelp from Riku. His mind was filled with rage and fury. He was pissed. How could Leon possibly try to make moves on HIS Riku? He was going to tear Leon apart, piece by piece.
He was about to slam Leon's back into the wall when Leon decided to use that momentum and twist so there bodies switched places. Sora's back slammed into the wall and Leon had grabbed hold of his biceps and pressed him into the wall, gripping him tightly.
"Before you say a word Sora, I will justify myself. And you will be silent." Leon's glare came with no exceptions.
**--**--**
A while later, Sora was sighing with enormous relief. Leon's lucid explanation about his and Riku's brotherhood relationship helped him calm down. He then straightened up at the end of Leon's explanation and was to the extreme of serious. Leon seemed immediately to tense as though he knew what was going to be told.
"The messenger came back from Merlin's home and he wil-"
"-Will be here within a few moments." Leon said evenly.
"Yeah. How'd you know?"
"By the look on your face."
"Oh."
"Yeah." Leon scratched the back of his head. Merlin would be here within a moment. He swiftly turned on his heels and bolted back into Riku's dark room with Sora hot on his heels.
"Riku." Leon practically shouted.
"I'm right here. I didn't go anywhere." Riku rolled his eyes, unknown to the others.
"Merlin will be here shortly to help you. You must prepare yourself for extreme amounts of pain Riku. You have to be strong." Leon informed.
"I want to do this Leon." Riku shot back, hearing the concern etched in the other's voice. "I want to be able to see again. I want to see in the light and see my friends once again." Riku pushed away the covers on his body. He pushed his legs to the side of the bed and waited.
"Riku, when did you change your eye bind?" Sora asked, walking up to the smaller teen. He felt uneasy for a moment before pushing the feeling aside. He bit his tongue in an attempt to stop from talking. He still needed to tell Riku what was going on, something that he had avoided like the plague ever since Riku could speak better.
"Leon did. My other cut me. It hurt to my body or my head, so he took it off and gave me this one."
"Right. We better get you to the throne room."
**--**--**
Ten minutes later, Riku, Sora, and Leon were present in the throne room with Mickey, Goofy, Donald and Merlin. The four waiting for Riku, Sora, and Leon were standing by a wooden table placed directly in a sunspot from a windowless window. Those who could see knew that Mickey was nervous and as were Donald and Goofy. Merlin, on the other hand, was stiff and his face was set with shear determination on his face. His lips were pushed together to make a thin line. His eyes behind the tiny spectacles were not as warm as they were in the previous meeting either.
"Hurry you too. Set him on the table. Hurry up." Merlin order.
Leon and Sora lifted Riku's body on the table and told him to hold still. Merlin looked to Mickey and nodded. The three by the wizard walked to Riku's body. Mickey stood to once side of head, Goofy by the right leg, and Donald by the left.
"Please, you two take an arm and hold him down. This will not be comfortable for him in the least." Merlin order. Sora and Leon did as they were told.
Merlin walked to the opposite side of Mickey and nodded to him.
Mickey untied the eye bind and took it off.
Riku's body convulsed. He screamed with all he was worth. His body arched off the unforgiving table and he struggled wildly in the hands of his friends. He tried to flail his arms and kick his legs but their hold on him was much to strong for he was much too weak.
"Hold his head Mickey!" Merlin hollered.
Mickey did so.
Merlin hastily pulled out a tan colored pouch from his blue robe sleeve. He undid a rope tie and dug his fingers into a grindy sand like substance. He pointed his walking cane at Riku's tightly squeezed eyes and forced them open.
Riku's fought harder and screamed louder. There was no worse pain that this. He would have laughed his someone told him there was.
Merlin then pulled out the golden sand from the pouch and sprinkled it into both aqua colored eyes.
Riku's last thought was that he lied. THIS was the worst pain in the world. The dust was coursing through his eyes, sinking into his pupils and digging into his veins. He could feel the small grains of sand rushing through his body and to his brain where all conscious thought was gone.
Riku's screams immediately stopped his breathing hitched, and his struggles died away.
"Hurry! Get him to his chambers before the powder works again!" Merlin shouted.
Without thought, Sora grabbed Riku's small body, and ran.
TBC...
**Author's Note** Wai! I finally finished this chappie eh? LoL. Sorry 'bout the deal. Not only was I lazy, but I took three days off to read the new Harry Potter book. It was effin awesome. But I won't bore you with that. I just wanted to say that this chapter, I think, was rather poorly done and don't be surprised if you find revised editions to it in the near future. I'm not that pleased with the beginning. Anyways, I better get on with this. I'm boring you! **stands like a soldier** TO THE THANK YOU'S! ((Oye, and this is my second longest chapter! Took up a whole nine pages! My longest was like... ten or eleven. ^__^))
saki: I'm sorry that I didn't get your first review! Sometimes FF.net can be pain. I know, it's happened to me loads of times. ^__^ Thanks for the words of encouragement. Oh, and I did enjoy a jealous Sora. :'( He's no longer so jealous no, eh? Oye, and thanks!
christie: Ahh, one of my fave person to read reviews from now. You're so nice! There wasn't TOO much pain and suffering in this chapter, but I can assure you, that next chapter will be HORRIBLE to Riku. I'm kinda looking forward to it. **ducks a frying pan from a pissed off Riku** BE NICE YOU FOOL! I could kill you, ya know? **Riku glares and leaves** Hehe. The power of the author. Anyways, thanks!
Uzumaki: Yeah, too bad. I would enjoy a Leon/Riku story. Hehe. **grins deviously** They are so cute together! **sighs dramatically** Too bad it would be incest in this story. LoL. Anyways, I hope you thought this chapter was worth it. Many thankies!
Yuki-chan: Wow, two chapter reviews! Thanks! I'm glad you like the story so far. I'm just so glad people responded to it nicely! WOOHAW!
((And for those of you who did miss out on my email address, if need be, drop an unregistered review into the story with your email and I'll give it to you.))
Much love!
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Sora/Riku
Warnings: Yaoi or boyXboy love, little bit of OOC, and 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
Messengers were sent out immediately after Riku's decision. Godmother would receive her note within two hours and Merlin within one. The barbie sized pixies that carried the letters, were the fastest in the kingdom. They were trained to navigate through the wormholes and search for their target. Unfortunately for the pixie that took Godmother's letter, Godmother was always on the move. So it would be much harder for the small pixie to locate her, that's why it would take so long.
Mickey, continuing on with his mental rambling, came to a halt when he felt a pair of eyes staring at him. He looked up from his place on the throne and was met with steel grey eyes. Mickey gulped. Leon was sure scary when he was mad. Anyone could tell when that man was mad though, his eyes changed colors. It was almost terrifying in itself.
"What can I do for you Leon?" Mickey queried cautiously. .
"Have you sent the message to Merlin?"
"Yes, I did. As soon as Sora told me."
Leon cursed under his breath. He had wanted to delay the message to talk to Riku about his decision. He quickly turned on his heels and stalked out of the room, ignoring the questions of why coming from the King. Leon, meaning no disrespect to the King, stopped and turned around. He gave the King the biggest death glare he could and he swore he heard Mickey whimper. Leon bowed his head slightly before leaving through the small door connecting to the larger one.
He made haste as he walked through the long and boring corridors of the castle. His steps were as silent as boots could be against stone floor. Mild thuds echoed in the hallways but nothing more than that. He made a quick turn and opened a door to the kitchens. He was glad that no one was in there at the time and he made his way to another door. He pulled it open and walked into the back, where warm soup was waiting for him. He grabbed two spoons off of a stone top table and then the two bowls of soup. He exited the room just as fast as he came.
Leon headed back towards Riku's chambers, really Sora's taken over by the slumbering teen, and he sighed. He needed to calm down before confronting the boy. If he was worked up, he could end up frightening him and that was the last thing he wanted to do.
Taking a calming breath, Leon slowed his pace and began to walk with a leisurely step. He only walked for a few more seconds at the slow tempo before reaching the door. He tucked both soup bowls on his arm and close to his chest. He pulled open the door and entered as quickly and as silently as he could. The door shut with a soft thud and Leon walked over to the table with the candle burning. He placed both bowls on the table and placed the spoons by each one. He looked over his shoulder to see Riku sitting up and yawning with a pale hand covering his mouth.
"It's good you're awake. I didn't want to wake you if you were sleeping." Leon said in his usual low voice.
"Mm. What's that smell?" Riku whispered. He cleared his throat and tried again. "It smells weird."
Leon smirked. "It's your food."
Riku's mouth twisted into a scowl. "Are you serious?"
"Yes." Leon picked up a bowl and a spoon. He walked over towards Riku's side of the bed and sat on the edge, careful not to sit on the teen's leg or other body parts. He pushed the bowl into the younger's hands and put the spoon in the soup. "It's potato soup. It's not as bad as you think, you're just not use to real food I think."
"I guess." Riku lifted a pale hand towards the bowl and felt around the edges. He finally felt the spoon in his hand and he gripped it hard. It felt so foreign in his grasp. He had to rethink of how to hold it before placing it in between his thumb and finger. He stirred the soup slowly, not wanting to spill it, and pulled a bit out of the bowl.
"Is it hot Leon?" Riku questioned.
"No. It's only warm. You and I both missed lunch, so I brought it here."
"Thanks."
Riku brought the spoon closer to his mouth but he stopped. He had not fed himself like this for what seemed like forever and he felt awkward doing it now. He set the spoon back into the bowl and felt his face. His fingers traced his chin and then his cheekbone. He touched his nose and then his lips. He didn't know if he could do this without making a mess. Sure, he could drink a sphere potion, but even if he missed his mouth, the potion would just sink into his skin anyways, so he never really had to care about that before. But, why was he so afraid now?
With a growl of frustration, he turned his head away from the food. He immediately regretted it. The leather bindings dug into his cheeks. He let out a loud gasp and then another. It hurt so bad.
"Riku, are you okay?" Leon reached out to the boy but Riku's hands grasped his, by mistake.
"It-it hurts. The leather!" Riku squeezed Leon's hand.
"Look towards me." Leon squeezed Riku's hand back. He saw Riku's silver locks dripping off his bony shoulders and falling to the back of his neck. Leon suppressed a small intake of breath at seeing Riku's face. On each cheek, there was a trail of crimson, flowing down the pale skin and dripping off Riku's chin. They looked just like red tears.
"Don't move Riku. You're bleeding." Leon reached into his tight pants pocket and pulled out a deep blue handkerchief. He put the cloth on his leg and folded it the best he could with one hand. He picked it up once again and wiped the blood trails of off Riku's cheeks.
Once he finished, he put the handkerchief back into his pocket. He gently tugged his hand out of Riku's and grabbed the edge of the top blanket. It was pure black and a heavy fabric. With his inhuman strength, Leon ripped the blanket into a long strip. He grabbed Riku's hand and shoved the strip into the boy's hand.
"Hold that. I'll blow the candle out." Leon got up and was back in a second. The room was pitch black and the heavy curtains held out any light that would have been able to get in the room. He sat back down on the bed, careful not to spill any soup that was still on Riku's lap, and he reach out the boy's hand. He grabbed it without much trouble and he took the cloth away.
"Leon?"
"Take off your leather binding."
Riku didn't say anything. He held on to the soup bowl in one hand and reached behind his head with the other. He pulled the strings carefully and with a few more pushes and tugs he got the binding off. It fell off of his cheeks and hug by his chest. The string he still held in his hand supported the binding and he pushed it into Leon's lap.
"I'll put this on you. It won't work as well as your leather one so don't look directly into the candle light which is to the side of the room. Okay?" Leon waited until he heard a soft 'kay come from the younger boy. He reached out with the bind in both hands, one at each end and he held it to Riku's aqua eyes. He tied the cloth tightly and tugged at it to go a bit higher so they wouldn't reopen the wounds on his cheeks.
Pulling back from Riku's face, he let his arms fall to his side and he glances down at the uneaten food. He faintly heard Riku say a soft thank you but he wasn't concentrating on that at the moment. He let a small inner monologue take over his mind before pulling out of it. He was always being told to stop doing that.
"Well Riku, why don't you start eating." It was more of an order than a plea.
"I don't know. It just seems... harder, now. I don't fully understand it, but I feel like it's been so long since I actually ate anything." Riku brought his chin to his chest. He silently berated himself for explaining his thoughts to Leon. Leon would probably think him crazy. Besides, he didn't spend that long in Kingdom Hearts.
"Then let me help you."
Silver hair flutter around his head like a halo as his head shot up. A look of shock dawned on his face and chewed the bottom of his lip. Why didn't Leon laugh at him? Or condemn him for his weakness? Others did. The darkness did, and so did Ans-... No, he wouldn't think those thoughts, not now. Not when the darkness was gone. At least the world of darkness.
Leon shrugged off the look of pure shock on Riku's face and grabbed the spoon from the bowl. He scraped the spoon on the edge of the bowl to make sure none dripped and he held it up to Riku's pale, yet slightly pink lips.
Almost mechanically, Riku's mouth opened and Leon pushed the spoon in and spilled the contents into the waiting mouth. Leon withdrew the spoon and watched as Riku's face turned a sick shade of green. He let a smile cross his lips and he set the spoon back into the bowl.
Riku forced himself to swallow the nasty, horrible, utterly disgusting food. He coughed violently after the food when down his throat and he had to stop it from making a journey back it. "That was gross!"
"Well, you'll have to get over that Riku. That's what we have for your lunch."
"Oh no. I'm not eating that. That stuff shouldn't even be CALLED food." Riku then sealed his lips closed and set his jaw.
"Fine. No food. I can tell it's a worthless try anyways." Leon rolled his stormy eyes, grabbed the bowl from Riku's lap, and placed it on the floor next to him. "Since that is out of the way," Leon began; "I want to have a talk with you. About..." Leon hesitated. Should he really bring up the subject of Merlin's potion? Regretingly, his mind shouted at him not too. Leon sighed and moved to his next subject. "About your family."
Riku stiffened. He hadn't talked about his family since he was five years old, and that was to Sora. He had told Kairi nothing about his parents and she was never allowed to come to his home. It's not that he didn't like Kairi, but he didn't want to have to explain, because it kind of hurt.
"I wanted to know who your father was. What he looked like."
Riku fidgeted uncomfortably. He didn't want to tell Leon anything but for some reason, he didn't want to keep the information from him, either. He sighed to himself and clenched his hands at his sides.
"Take your time Riku. I don't want to rush you."
Riku nodded.
"I - My father, wasn't around much when I was younger. I can count on one hand how many times I remember seeing him. He was around when I was first born, for about a year. I don't remember any of that, I was too young, and then he suddenly left. He left my mother a note saying he was sorry he had to leave, but he had unfinished business to attend to and that he'd be back. Neither she nor I expected him to come back after seven years."
"I was eight the first time I saw him and just the sight of him made me burst into tears. He was tall. Extremely tall with thigh length silver hair and glowing green eyes. His skin was a little darker than mine was at the time, but his eyes scared me the most. I didn't so much as mind the glowing, but there was a look of indefinable emotion in his eyes that made me run from him. I hid behind my mother's legs and refused to look at him for the rest of his visit. Before he left, he gave me a pat on my shoulder and he left."
"The next, and last time, I've met him was about three years after that, when I was eleven. Once again, he showed up without notice. But I wasn't home when he did and I found him and my mother talking at the table, sipping tea. I didn't realize it was he at first. He was wearing a long black coat with metal shoulder bracers and he had a long sword leaning against the wall. He and my mother were talking and then my mother burst into tears. He then picked up his sword, whispered something to her, and then came to me. He said he was proud to have me as a son and that he would miss me terribly, but I didn't really care. I brushed past him because how was I suppose to know he was my father? He just made my mother cry. When I turned around, he was gone."
"My mom explained everything and told me his name was Sephiroth. She gave me a picture of the family and I've had it ever since." Riku reached under his feather pillow and pulled out a worn and torn picture. He handed it to where he thought Leon's hand was at and he felt Leon take it. "That's my mother and father and me as a baby. I don't have another picture of him." Riku sighed. He had just given his whole life's secret away from a stranger he met a few days ago. How stupid was he?
"Thank you Riku, for telling me, and showing me this. But now, I have a confession to make to you." Leon pushed the picture back into Riku's limp hand and held the boy's shoulders.
"What?"
"You're father was adopted into my mother's family. Therefore, you are a cousin to me. Step-cousin to be exact, but you are. We are related."
".... Are you sure? You're not lying to me?" Riku whispered softly.
"Yes. I knew that man, Sephiroth, before coming to the Traverse Town. I saw him for a long time actually. With my mother. But then he left. I've seen him since though." Leon recalled back to when he had no choice but to visit the Coliseum.
"That's interesting." Riku smiled, just at the corners of his mouth. "I've never met another relative of mine. Once my father left, my only living relative was my mother and her mother. But my mother's mother died within two weeks of my father's departure."
"So I take it, you're okay with this?"
"Yes. As a matter of fact, I feel relieved. I'm glad I know you and I want to know you more. Will let me?" Riku asked uncertainly.
"Yes. I want nothing more than to be with you too." Leon let a full-blown smile show on his face and he enfolded the teen into his arms. "I know what it's like to have one parent and none at all. I'm glad I could find you Riku." Leon felt two unsure arms encircle his waist and his smile widened even more.
At that moment of tender embrace, the door swung open and a chocked gasp was heard at the door. Leon jumped at the sound and hit the floor. He pushed himself up and turned around, glaring at the intruder. Unfortunately, it was Sora. His eyes were wide with shock and rage and his face had paled. His fists were clenched together and shook slightly.
Periwinkle eyes narrowed and met stormy grey. He marched over to Leon, grabbed him by his jacket and drug him out of the room. He slammed the door close, not hearing the started yelp from Riku. His mind was filled with rage and fury. He was pissed. How could Leon possibly try to make moves on HIS Riku? He was going to tear Leon apart, piece by piece.
He was about to slam Leon's back into the wall when Leon decided to use that momentum and twist so there bodies switched places. Sora's back slammed into the wall and Leon had grabbed hold of his biceps and pressed him into the wall, gripping him tightly.
"Before you say a word Sora, I will justify myself. And you will be silent." Leon's glare came with no exceptions.
**--**--**
A while later, Sora was sighing with enormous relief. Leon's lucid explanation about his and Riku's brotherhood relationship helped him calm down. He then straightened up at the end of Leon's explanation and was to the extreme of serious. Leon seemed immediately to tense as though he knew what was going to be told.
"The messenger came back from Merlin's home and he wil-"
"-Will be here within a few moments." Leon said evenly.
"Yeah. How'd you know?"
"By the look on your face."
"Oh."
"Yeah." Leon scratched the back of his head. Merlin would be here within a moment. He swiftly turned on his heels and bolted back into Riku's dark room with Sora hot on his heels.
"Riku." Leon practically shouted.
"I'm right here. I didn't go anywhere." Riku rolled his eyes, unknown to the others.
"Merlin will be here shortly to help you. You must prepare yourself for extreme amounts of pain Riku. You have to be strong." Leon informed.
"I want to do this Leon." Riku shot back, hearing the concern etched in the other's voice. "I want to be able to see again. I want to see in the light and see my friends once again." Riku pushed away the covers on his body. He pushed his legs to the side of the bed and waited.
"Riku, when did you change your eye bind?" Sora asked, walking up to the smaller teen. He felt uneasy for a moment before pushing the feeling aside. He bit his tongue in an attempt to stop from talking. He still needed to tell Riku what was going on, something that he had avoided like the plague ever since Riku could speak better.
"Leon did. My other cut me. It hurt to my body or my head, so he took it off and gave me this one."
"Right. We better get you to the throne room."
**--**--**
Ten minutes later, Riku, Sora, and Leon were present in the throne room with Mickey, Goofy, Donald and Merlin. The four waiting for Riku, Sora, and Leon were standing by a wooden table placed directly in a sunspot from a windowless window. Those who could see knew that Mickey was nervous and as were Donald and Goofy. Merlin, on the other hand, was stiff and his face was set with shear determination on his face. His lips were pushed together to make a thin line. His eyes behind the tiny spectacles were not as warm as they were in the previous meeting either.
"Hurry you too. Set him on the table. Hurry up." Merlin order.
Leon and Sora lifted Riku's body on the table and told him to hold still. Merlin looked to Mickey and nodded. The three by the wizard walked to Riku's body. Mickey stood to once side of head, Goofy by the right leg, and Donald by the left.
"Please, you two take an arm and hold him down. This will not be comfortable for him in the least." Merlin order. Sora and Leon did as they were told.
Merlin walked to the opposite side of Mickey and nodded to him.
Mickey untied the eye bind and took it off.
Riku's body convulsed. He screamed with all he was worth. His body arched off the unforgiving table and he struggled wildly in the hands of his friends. He tried to flail his arms and kick his legs but their hold on him was much to strong for he was much too weak.
"Hold his head Mickey!" Merlin hollered.
Mickey did so.
Merlin hastily pulled out a tan colored pouch from his blue robe sleeve. He undid a rope tie and dug his fingers into a grindy sand like substance. He pointed his walking cane at Riku's tightly squeezed eyes and forced them open.
Riku's fought harder and screamed louder. There was no worse pain that this. He would have laughed his someone told him there was.
Merlin then pulled out the golden sand from the pouch and sprinkled it into both aqua colored eyes.
Riku's last thought was that he lied. THIS was the worst pain in the world. The dust was coursing through his eyes, sinking into his pupils and digging into his veins. He could feel the small grains of sand rushing through his body and to his brain where all conscious thought was gone.
Riku's screams immediately stopped his breathing hitched, and his struggles died away.
"Hurry! Get him to his chambers before the powder works again!" Merlin shouted.
Without thought, Sora grabbed Riku's small body, and ran.
TBC...
**Author's Note** Wai! I finally finished this chappie eh? LoL. Sorry 'bout the deal. Not only was I lazy, but I took three days off to read the new Harry Potter book. It was effin awesome. But I won't bore you with that. I just wanted to say that this chapter, I think, was rather poorly done and don't be surprised if you find revised editions to it in the near future. I'm not that pleased with the beginning. Anyways, I better get on with this. I'm boring you! **stands like a soldier** TO THE THANK YOU'S! ((Oye, and this is my second longest chapter! Took up a whole nine pages! My longest was like... ten or eleven. ^__^))
saki: I'm sorry that I didn't get your first review! Sometimes FF.net can be pain. I know, it's happened to me loads of times. ^__^ Thanks for the words of encouragement. Oh, and I did enjoy a jealous Sora. :'( He's no longer so jealous no, eh? Oye, and thanks!
christie: Ahh, one of my fave person to read reviews from now. You're so nice! There wasn't TOO much pain and suffering in this chapter, but I can assure you, that next chapter will be HORRIBLE to Riku. I'm kinda looking forward to it. **ducks a frying pan from a pissed off Riku** BE NICE YOU FOOL! I could kill you, ya know? **Riku glares and leaves** Hehe. The power of the author. Anyways, thanks!
Uzumaki: Yeah, too bad. I would enjoy a Leon/Riku story. Hehe. **grins deviously** They are so cute together! **sighs dramatically** Too bad it would be incest in this story. LoL. Anyways, I hope you thought this chapter was worth it. Many thankies!
Yuki-chan: Wow, two chapter reviews! Thanks! I'm glad you like the story so far. I'm just so glad people responded to it nicely! WOOHAW!
((And for those of you who did miss out on my email address, if need be, drop an unregistered review into the story with your email and I'll give it to you.))
Much love!