.:A Contentious Healing:.
She felt herself slowly regain consciousness. The faint light of the room was appreciated due to the slight fact that her eyes felt imminently susceptible. She couldn't recall much; she, in essence, had no idea where she was, how she got there, or even why. She felt a curious wetness cascade down the side of her cheek and she reached a still trembling hand up to the side of her face and wiped it away. A tear? Why had she been crying? She sighed it off and as slowly as possible, she sat up to survey her surroundings. Her body was shaking slightly, but still immensely out of her control. She wasn't cold nor was she frightened. This fact was inquisitive in support of the previously alleged details.
A vast silence filled the room. Still having no initiative to where she was, Kairi slowly slid her body to the edge of the bed in preparation to find out her situation and to maybe get a few questions answered. Her feet knocked against the hardwood floor as she swung them over the side, creating a loud thud and several softer beating sounds. The bed creaked loudly as her weight shifted about. She sighed and attempted to get up. She pushed her weight back against the bed and further tried to force herself to her feet. She stumbled back, but was caught just before she hit the ground. This sudden action shocked her; she hadn't previously recalled another person being in this room. Of course the habitual lack of light might have been to blame. Nevertheless Kairi felt her heart rate hasten and she gazed up at the vague figure in dismay.
'Um, sorry, I didn't want you to knock yourself out again. I'm guessing you hadn't noticed me here... had you?' questioned the familiar voice of a man she had known practically all of her life. Kairi shook her head, still in a state of obvious and uncontrollable disbelief. 'I didn't mean to frighten you,'
'It's...fine,' Kairi replied in a shaky, raucous voice. It almost gave the impression that she had been screaming for hours; her voice felt so weak and raspy. The man helped pull her to her feet. He held her steady in his arms and sat her back down on the bed. She watched intently as he stepped over to the wall and flipped a small black switch. A luminous light filled the room, radiating from an antique looking fixture on the ceiling above her. His silver hair reflected against the brightened glow. Kairi's eye twitched slightly in effect of the sudden change of luminosity. Her eyes stayed fastened on the man's weary face. He made his way back to the bed and sat down next to her. His gaze met the floor and there it stayed.
'How long have I been sleeping?' Kairi questioned slowly. She was blissfully unaware that Riku had too fallen asleep, and just as well, he had no idea. He shrugged slowly. 'What happened?' Kairi questioned, trying to ignore the unbearable sound of her aching voice.
'You fell,' Riku replied softly. 'Don't you remember?' Kairi shook her head slowly. If she couldn't even remember falling asleep, how could she possibly remember what caused her to fade into the blackout in the first place?
'All I remember is... darkness,' Kairi replied slowly. 'And then I remember, you I think. And... searching for someone,' Kairi's voice trailed off. A mystified expression spread out over her face and she shook her head slowly. Riku nodded in return.
'A concussion maybe, you were screaming in your sleep; crying too,' said Riku. He sighed and looked at Kairi's face. 'But that's nothing out of the ordinary for you, screaming out Sora's name all the while. He had to leave. Couldn't bare seeing you in so much pain, even if you were just asleep.'
Kairi nodded slowly, 'is he okay?' she questioned.
'Never isn't,' Riku smiled a bit, but it faded so quickly it could have been mistaken for a frown. He nodded slowly as his gaze shifted back to the wooden floor. 'He assumes that you still think he's gone. He's back Kairi, has been for three years now,' Riku assured.
'I understand,' Kairi said nearly silently. 'I don't know what's wrong with me Riku. I guess I just haven't fully accepted the fact that he's back yet, you know?' Kairi questioned turning her head to face his. He looked back at her, into her soft violet eyes.
'I know Kairi, I know,' Riku sighed as he wrapped an arm around Kairi's shoulders and pulled her into him. Her head dropped onto his shoulder and his head rested atop hers. He gently ran his fingers through her deep burgundy hair to try and calm her trembling body.
'Do you think he hates me for it?' Kairi asked softly.
'I don't think he could ever hate you. The only reason he came back was because of you. If you hadn't been here waiting and praying for him, he would have died. You know that right?' Riku questioned her in return. Kairi nodded slowly and closed her eyes slightly, still allowing light to shine in through her lids.
'Why'd you come back Riku?' Kairi inquired faintly.
'Because of you, Kairi, you know that,' Riku replied. He looked down at her curiously.
'I know, but if you knew that I was in loved Sora then why would you want to come back?' Kairi questioned. Riku sighed and pondered his response.
'Well, I thought you might still want me as a friend,' Riku smiled.
'And of course I did. You know I prayed for you just as much as I did Sora. Some nights, I'd even pray for you more than Sora,' Kairi paused shortly to take a small breath. 'You know I love you Riku,' Kairi said, opening her eyes again and looking down at his hand. She took it in hers and began lacing his fingers through hers.
'And that's why I came back, because I knew that. Even if you weren't in love with me, I still knew you cared,' Riku smiled. He ran his hand out of her hair and down her bare arm. 'I figured with the intention of knowing that was enough to get me home,'
Kairi smiled and adjusted the position of her head in relation to Riku's shoulder. 'I think I'm still tired,' Kairi sighed as a yawn escaped her lips. She covered her mouth with her hand slightly and gave her full weight into Riku.
'You should probably get more rest...' Riku's voice trailed off.
'I don't want to wake up screaming again. Is it bad if you're afraid to go to sleep?' Kairi questioned as she lifted her feet up off the ground. Riku laid her down and gently rested her head onto the pillow at the top of the bed.
'Yeah, I think so,' Riku replied as he huddled, slightly over, but to the side of her body. 'But you really need to get some rest.' He said as another yawn escaped from her mouth.
Kairi nodded in agreement, her eyelids threatening to fall. Riku rolled off the side of the bed and headed for the back wall to turn off the light. A slight darkness befell upon the room. He stepped back over to the side of the bed and hovered over Kairi's face. 'Will you stay with me?' Kairi questioned softly.
'Will it help you sleep easier?' Riku whispered lightly. Kairi nodded as a small smile bordered her lips. Riku smiled too as he slowly got back onto the bed and half sat up, half laid down. Kairi situated herself so that her head rested on his chest and his chin settled onto the top of her head. Kairi closed her eyes gently and pulled herself closer to him, closer than previously possible actually. Riku ran a hand through Kairi's hair once more and sank down a little into a more comfortable position.
'Don't ever leave me, Riku, okay?' Kairi questioned so softly that her words were barely audible.
'I won't, I promise,' Riku replied as, he too, carefully shut his eyes and gave himself in to the cynical world of slumber. A hardly visible smile silently laced Kairi's lips and her mind drifted off into a dreamless sleep as well.
She felt herself slowly regain consciousness. The faint light of the room was appreciated due to the slight fact that her eyes felt imminently susceptible. She couldn't recall much; she, in essence, had no idea where she was, how she got there, or even why. She felt a curious wetness cascade down the side of her cheek and she reached a still trembling hand up to the side of her face and wiped it away. A tear? Why had she been crying? She sighed it off and as slowly as possible, she sat up to survey her surroundings. Her body was shaking slightly, but still immensely out of her control. She wasn't cold nor was she frightened. This fact was inquisitive in support of the previously alleged details.
A vast silence filled the room. Still having no initiative to where she was, Kairi slowly slid her body to the edge of the bed in preparation to find out her situation and to maybe get a few questions answered. Her feet knocked against the hardwood floor as she swung them over the side, creating a loud thud and several softer beating sounds. The bed creaked loudly as her weight shifted about. She sighed and attempted to get up. She pushed her weight back against the bed and further tried to force herself to her feet. She stumbled back, but was caught just before she hit the ground. This sudden action shocked her; she hadn't previously recalled another person being in this room. Of course the habitual lack of light might have been to blame. Nevertheless Kairi felt her heart rate hasten and she gazed up at the vague figure in dismay.
'Um, sorry, I didn't want you to knock yourself out again. I'm guessing you hadn't noticed me here... had you?' questioned the familiar voice of a man she had known practically all of her life. Kairi shook her head, still in a state of obvious and uncontrollable disbelief. 'I didn't mean to frighten you,'
'It's...fine,' Kairi replied in a shaky, raucous voice. It almost gave the impression that she had been screaming for hours; her voice felt so weak and raspy. The man helped pull her to her feet. He held her steady in his arms and sat her back down on the bed. She watched intently as he stepped over to the wall and flipped a small black switch. A luminous light filled the room, radiating from an antique looking fixture on the ceiling above her. His silver hair reflected against the brightened glow. Kairi's eye twitched slightly in effect of the sudden change of luminosity. Her eyes stayed fastened on the man's weary face. He made his way back to the bed and sat down next to her. His gaze met the floor and there it stayed.
'How long have I been sleeping?' Kairi questioned slowly. She was blissfully unaware that Riku had too fallen asleep, and just as well, he had no idea. He shrugged slowly. 'What happened?' Kairi questioned, trying to ignore the unbearable sound of her aching voice.
'You fell,' Riku replied softly. 'Don't you remember?' Kairi shook her head slowly. If she couldn't even remember falling asleep, how could she possibly remember what caused her to fade into the blackout in the first place?
'All I remember is... darkness,' Kairi replied slowly. 'And then I remember, you I think. And... searching for someone,' Kairi's voice trailed off. A mystified expression spread out over her face and she shook her head slowly. Riku nodded in return.
'A concussion maybe, you were screaming in your sleep; crying too,' said Riku. He sighed and looked at Kairi's face. 'But that's nothing out of the ordinary for you, screaming out Sora's name all the while. He had to leave. Couldn't bare seeing you in so much pain, even if you were just asleep.'
Kairi nodded slowly, 'is he okay?' she questioned.
'Never isn't,' Riku smiled a bit, but it faded so quickly it could have been mistaken for a frown. He nodded slowly as his gaze shifted back to the wooden floor. 'He assumes that you still think he's gone. He's back Kairi, has been for three years now,' Riku assured.
'I understand,' Kairi said nearly silently. 'I don't know what's wrong with me Riku. I guess I just haven't fully accepted the fact that he's back yet, you know?' Kairi questioned turning her head to face his. He looked back at her, into her soft violet eyes.
'I know Kairi, I know,' Riku sighed as he wrapped an arm around Kairi's shoulders and pulled her into him. Her head dropped onto his shoulder and his head rested atop hers. He gently ran his fingers through her deep burgundy hair to try and calm her trembling body.
'Do you think he hates me for it?' Kairi asked softly.
'I don't think he could ever hate you. The only reason he came back was because of you. If you hadn't been here waiting and praying for him, he would have died. You know that right?' Riku questioned her in return. Kairi nodded slowly and closed her eyes slightly, still allowing light to shine in through her lids.
'Why'd you come back Riku?' Kairi inquired faintly.
'Because of you, Kairi, you know that,' Riku replied. He looked down at her curiously.
'I know, but if you knew that I was in loved Sora then why would you want to come back?' Kairi questioned. Riku sighed and pondered his response.
'Well, I thought you might still want me as a friend,' Riku smiled.
'And of course I did. You know I prayed for you just as much as I did Sora. Some nights, I'd even pray for you more than Sora,' Kairi paused shortly to take a small breath. 'You know I love you Riku,' Kairi said, opening her eyes again and looking down at his hand. She took it in hers and began lacing his fingers through hers.
'And that's why I came back, because I knew that. Even if you weren't in love with me, I still knew you cared,' Riku smiled. He ran his hand out of her hair and down her bare arm. 'I figured with the intention of knowing that was enough to get me home,'
Kairi smiled and adjusted the position of her head in relation to Riku's shoulder. 'I think I'm still tired,' Kairi sighed as a yawn escaped her lips. She covered her mouth with her hand slightly and gave her full weight into Riku.
'You should probably get more rest...' Riku's voice trailed off.
'I don't want to wake up screaming again. Is it bad if you're afraid to go to sleep?' Kairi questioned as she lifted her feet up off the ground. Riku laid her down and gently rested her head onto the pillow at the top of the bed.
'Yeah, I think so,' Riku replied as he huddled, slightly over, but to the side of her body. 'But you really need to get some rest.' He said as another yawn escaped from her mouth.
Kairi nodded in agreement, her eyelids threatening to fall. Riku rolled off the side of the bed and headed for the back wall to turn off the light. A slight darkness befell upon the room. He stepped back over to the side of the bed and hovered over Kairi's face. 'Will you stay with me?' Kairi questioned softly.
'Will it help you sleep easier?' Riku whispered lightly. Kairi nodded as a small smile bordered her lips. Riku smiled too as he slowly got back onto the bed and half sat up, half laid down. Kairi situated herself so that her head rested on his chest and his chin settled onto the top of her head. Kairi closed her eyes gently and pulled herself closer to him, closer than previously possible actually. Riku ran a hand through Kairi's hair once more and sank down a little into a more comfortable position.
'Don't ever leave me, Riku, okay?' Kairi questioned so softly that her words were barely audible.
'I won't, I promise,' Riku replied as, he too, carefully shut his eyes and gave himself in to the cynical world of slumber. A hardly visible smile silently laced Kairi's lips and her mind drifted off into a dreamless sleep as well.