"Sea Salts to Heal."
Disclaimer: I do not own Square, Disney or any of its characters. But I will one day...
A/N: Lotsa Squffie in this chapter! No Cloerith, and more Tea-ku...I mean, Tyku. And...and...giggles madly A tiny bit of Soriku in there as well. Buahahaha. Don't worry. There won't be hoards of Soriku fans attacking this story. You'll see.
Shout outs:
Ann: sparkly eyes You like Tea-ku almost as much as you liked Zephyr/Riku? That makes me insanely happy. Muahaha. I surprised you with this one, hopefully. A day early, eh?
Joy Blue: heheheeh, I'm certain you'll hate and love Riku at certain intervals throughout this chapter..and fic. It's a good song! You should listen.
Deplora: I guess I used my 'get out of not using Squffie free' card. Not to worry, there is Squffie in this chapter, which is pushing the Squffieness into the direction of actually BECOMING Squffie. YAR! Perhaps the person who first used the word Deplorable was thinking of a Deplora they did not like? Either way, it's a cool middle name. Mine's Elizabeth.How insanely unoriginal. (No offense to anyone named Elizabeth!)
Tonkeli: Yup! More Squffie! BAD! No being mean to yourself, you.
Yuffie Kisagari2: Thankies! Hope you like.
DestinyIntertwined: Heheh..I was playing FFX-2 today, and Yuna says 'intertwined.' but it wasn't as good as when Riku said it. Oh, I KNOW. Shuyin's evil but REALLY, I would be too. But I think the Tidus thing was a little more sad. I mean, atleast Shuyin and Lenne had some time, you know? And when Yuna's like "Why be a sphere hunter when what I'm looking for can never be found?" I mean, NEVER being able to find your love? I would go nuts. Just like Shuyin! Heh, the Sokairi is coming along in a bit, don't worry. As for the time, it takes place two years after KH, so maybe a year after KH2.
Iris: I absolutely adore you! your reviews are so happy making! Hehe, I could NOT resist adding Shuyin. I lurve him.
This chapter is dedicated to Annjirika, who has been a great fellow cult leader and pushed me to get this chapter in a day early since I'm sure she'll pay me in certain previews of certain fics as praise. Grins and flees
EXTRA THANKS: Neonraine, for pointing out my horrendous spelling mistake. I don't know what I was thinking you were right, so don't worry about questioning your English. Maybe I should!
"Someone up there hates me."
Sora stared hard at the page posted in front of him, willing the words to mix and change until the current truth became different. Riku tilted his head to read over his best friend's shoulder, eyeing that very same page until he found what was causing Sora's grief. When he began to chuckle, Tynan bent over to look in turn, her eyebrow raising in slight confusion as she tried to figure out what the Keyblade master was going on about.
"What?" She questioned impatiently, as Sora pouted.
"The name of the person I'm fighting is Sharon Bobba." He groaned, glaring accusingly at the paper in front of him, which was a list of who each person was assigned to battle in the first round of the tournament.
"So?" She examined the list again. "What's the big problem?"
"She's a girl." Sora said despairingly, and Tynan gasped.
Riku groaned silently to himself. Tynan's hands were fisted quite tightly on her hips, the metal of her weapons glinting dangerously as she glared at Sora. Although Sora appeared to be naively charming, he had absolutely no knowledge of other people's offence to what he said sometimes.
"I'm a girl." She said pointedly.
"Yeah." Sora replied distractedly, reading over the list again. "But you're not a girl girl."
This response didn't seem to satisfy Tynan at all.
"I'm not?" She said in exasperated tones. "What am I then?"
"Who am I fighting?" Riku interrupted, perhaps to prevent whatever idiotic thing Sora might have said in response.
Sora examined the list once again, ignoring the impatient muttering of the people crowding behind them. He gave a surprised gasp followed by a laugh, turning to Riku with a much happier expression and without a single pout.
"You're fighting Tynan!" He said delightedly, as if this were the best thing in the world. "Lucky!"
Riku's face darkened, betraying the thought that he felt anything but lucky. If upset about this new fact, Tynan did not show it. Indeed, she seemed that much more upset at Sora, who turned to her with a look of great surprise.
"I'm melting?" He blinked, in response to her fierce glare.
"I'm a girl!" She repeated. "How come its okay for Riku to fight me, but not for you to fight another girl?"
"Well..you..." He scratched the back of his head. "Do I really need to explain this?"
"I think you should!"
"The first rounds are starting." Riku interrupted yet again, turning away and pushing his way through the crowd of the Accesory shop without another word. Sora stared after him in astonishment for what must have been the umpteenth time that week.
"He needs a cape." He decided. "It could billow when he storms out like that."
Tynan rolled her eyes. "Wouldn't you be used to him by now? Being a friend of his?"
"And looks who's fighting him, eh?" Sora grinned, tugging on her ponytail teasingly. "Nothing makes a fight more interesting than sexual tension."
She snorted, pushing through the crowd and disappearing as well. Sora was beginning to wonder if it would perhaps be easier to have a set of imaginary friends.
Squall's heart was beating painfully against his chest as he awoke. His nightmare danced before his eyes before he fully awoke, and it took him another moment to indentify the screaming from the town below to be that of excitement and not fear.
"I'm so used to pain," He said to his partner, who he knew sat on the edge of the bed and was watching him with worry. "I've begun to expect it."
"I'm so used to you being secretive." Yuffie said, worriedly running a damp cloth over his forehead. "I just might die from an attack of some kind if you keep talking like that."
"I put full blame on the fact that I'm ill." He cracked hoarsely, pushing her hand away and struggling to sit up.
"All those years of trying to get you to open up." Yuffie smiled, sitting back. "And all it took was a brain-cell-killing fever to do it."
"Very non-permanent brain damage, I assure you." He groaned, resting his head against the wall and tilting his head to look at her. She was grinning at him, something he took as highly suspicious.
"You just made another joke," She pointed out. "Loving those drugs, aren't you?"
He looked away, bending foward ever so slightly so he could see out the bottom of the window. Bright colours and flashing of cameras met his eyes, and he suddenly felt very, very resentful towards whoever he'd shared that fork with.
"Do you want to go see it?"
He looked over at her. "How?"
"Well, we don't have a wheelchair and we don't want Aerith to see you out of bed but..." She grinned, pulling back the covers that covered his waist. "I think you can manage sitting on the balcony for an hour or so without perishing."
He stared at her in astonishment. Was it just him and his brain damage, or had something about his roommate changed? It would be senseless for him to deny the fact that things had been different between them since that night when she'd threatened to leave. And she'd definitely noticed too, if her clumsiness and blushing had anything to do with it. But today, right now, she seemed so reassured. As if she had figured something out while he'd been sleeping.Yuffie? Figuring something out before himself?
How unjust.
"Come on!" She chirped, snapping him out of his thoughts as she tugged on his hand to help him sit up. "The fights have already started!"
That said, she wrapped her tiny arm around his back and lifted him off the side of the bed. They paused to let the blood flow back to his lifeless legs, Yuffie nudging him along a little as they gimped their way across the room. She shoved the balcony door open with her foot, turning sideways so they could fit through the frame. Finally, Squall stumbled and landed in a white plastic chair, Yuffie sprawled in his lap. He fully expected her to blush, stutter incoherently and pull away. But this new and improved Yuffie simply smiled at him, tilting her head up so she could see past the railing and down into the district below.
"Hey! I think that's Riku and Tynan!" She said excitedly. "Wow! This should be interesting."
"W-why's that?" He asked, his voice a bit higher in pitch than he would have liked.
"Have you seen the sexual tension?" She smiled, running her fingers in circles over his arm, apparently not noticing the effect it was having on him. "Nothing makes a fight more interesting than sexual tension. Right?"
He looked at her, wondering if she had truly intended the hidden meaning behind her words. But she only continued to watch the battle going on below, leaning away from his chest and cheering for her younger friends with gusto. Squall sighed as he relaxed. This could be dealt with later.
He rested his head against her arm and smiled. "Right."
Sora was very used to the fact that Riku always had one on him. He was a year older, he was one second faster and he was always one swipe ahead when they fought. Since they were best friends, and Riku was the only one who could beat him at anything, competition and popularity had never really been that much of an issue.
Apparently, the people of Traverse Town thought differently. Sure, Sora had saved the universe...twice. But that was nothing in comparison to Riku's shimmery hair and general bad boy apparence. Two months in this small town and he already had a freackin' fan club.
Not that he was jealous or anything...
"Go Riku!" The jingly, heavily jewled girl pressing close beside him in the crowd surrounding the fighting ring screamed. "I believe in you!"
Riku tilted his head to glance at her, looking generally shocked at such devotion from someone he didn't even know. But she wasn't the only one. In fact, cheering and other comments followed the first, and Sora chuckled to himself as Riku's old cocky grin slipped into place. He hadn't seen that grin in a long time. He had missed it.
Riku finally lifted his arm to his audience, a pleading yet genuinely pleased look on his face as he silently asked for calm. Slowly, the crowd quieted, and Sora took this as a perfect moment.
"Marry me, Riku!" He cried, jumping up and down in an imitation of the girl beside him. "I want your body!"
Tynan, who had been standing silently off to the side, giggled helplessly. Riku glanced at her, and then turned to Sora, mockingly running his eyes over his body and winking. Sora brushed his hand to his forehead, swooning into the arms of the girl beside him, who cheered in turn as Riku finally turned to his opponent with a grin.
Their mirth died as their eyes met, and Riku's cocky stance slipped ever so slightly. She looked unfairly tiny, almost as though the many belts that were required in order to stay in fashion here were about to drop her to the floor. She watched him through dull eyes, redish brown hair pulled back tightly, looking as odd to him as when he had first seen her wear it down. Finally, her knees bent and she lifted her weapons in front of her as she bounced on her toes. Riku snorted, crossing the distance of the fighting ring, weapons held loosely at his side as he circled her. The crowd went deathly quiet.
Tynan kept her eyes straight a head as he walked around her. "What are you, a vulture or something?" (1)
"Hardly." He smirked. "Vultures circle their pray after its dead."
She glanced at him as he passed. "Is that likely to happen?"
He shrugged, coming to a stop behind her. "Anything's possible."
He raised his swords against hers as she whirled on him, catching her blades between his. She seethed at him through her eyes, but it seemed nothing could break his confidence now. He leaned in from between their crossed weapons, brushing his nose with hers.
"Ah, Ah, Ah." He murmured, his breath blowing over her face and making her eyes sting. But she refused to blink. Blinking was a rookie mistake. "Violence is a sign of lesser intelligence."
"Oh." She hissed, pressing her own face in close to his so that he was forced to move back. "Well, then certainly demonstrate higher intelligence by forfeiting the match."
He laughed and stepped back, gesturing her forward with a hand.
"I never said I was intelligent." He rolled his eyes, as if she were supposed to get his joke. "Bring it!"
Slowly, the crowd became a little less uncomfortable and began to cheer as the fighting began. Sora, however, was troubled as he watched their weapons clash. Was he the only one who noticed how fiercely they were fighting? How close their weapons were to touching uncovered skin? He glanced over to the convenience tent, trying to catch Aerith's eye as she stood outside of it. But the flower girl didn't seem to notice a thing, cheering quietly and enjoying the match as much as anyone.
Finally, the moment came where Tynan failed to notice Riku's outstretched foot and she stumbled. Riku's attack didn't falter at all; he continued to slash at her violently and Tynan was barely managing to defend herself. The crowd cheered wildly as Tynan began to stumble too far off her balance.
Sora felt extremely disturbed for reasons he couldn't fully explain, and he had a sudden urge to step away and distance himself from these people. How could anyone enjoy this? (2) Instead, he focussed on watching the battle, his arms crossed over his chest. One hard and final shove sent Tynan flying, and Sora gasped as she landed in a funny position on her side, sliding along the pavement before coming to a stop. She lay still, and Riku moved to finish the battle off.
"Riku!" Sora cried, desperately trying to snap his friend out of whatever mind set he had fallen into.
Riku stopped, staring at the girl's huddled form. Sora continued to watch anxiously as Riku dropped his weapons, rushing to bend down beside the girl. A small blade was pressed to his neck before he could think, and Tynan stared up at him with wildly frightened eyes.
She hissed, pressing the blade closer. "Get away from me!"
Riku stood and took several hurried steps back, staring helplessly as she stood. Her left cheek was bleeding, her left eyelid held shut by an irritated scratch. Her wrist was bent funny as she held it to her chest, water trickling from the side of her eyes.
"Happy?" She whispered, violently untying the weapon from her uninjured wrist, throwing them down on to the pavement.
"T-Tynan..I.." He began helplessly, but she had already turned and was being ushered to the medical tent.
The crowd clapped politely, but Riku couldn't be bothered to care. He felt oddly lost, as if he had fallen asleep some point before the battle and had just woken up now. But it wasn't that simple; he could still feel the anger pumping his heart, although it was quickly fading. Embarrassment, fear and guilt chased him out of the battle area.
He waited until Sora had pulled him from the crowd before he broke down.
"You should get some rest." Aerith said gently to the girl by her side, as they walked down the furnished hallway of the Hotel. "The medicine will heal you faster if you have more energy."
Tynan stopped in front of her hotel room, rubbing the cast she now wore on her wrist self consciously. "I'm still kinda pumped. I'll sleep in a bit."
"Well..." Aerith hesitated, noticing how upset the girl looked. "Alright, but will you eat atleast?"
"Okay." She gave Aeirith a small smile. "Thank you."
Aerith wondered if the girl would really follow her advice, and she chuckled despite herself when she heard the back door of Tynan's room open and shut. She couldn't let it bother her that no one seemed to take her wisdom seriously, especially amongst close friends. So she wasn't surprised when she entered the Green Room to find Squall out of bed. She could only guess where he might have gone, since he wasn't likely to make it through the crowds in his condition. She pushed the balcony door open, concluding it was the only place he could be, and opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind...
But the sight before her made her pause, stare in shock, and finally smile.
Squall Leonheart sat in one of those uncomfortable white chairs, Yuffie curled into his chest. Both of them were asleep, a blanket pulled up to Yuffie's shoulders. Aerith watched them for as long as she figured was decent, since it was rare yet rather nice to see them being so peaceful together. She worried a bit about leaving them there; another illness was not something Squall needed right now. Then, with another smile, she shut the door quietly behind her as she left.
Yuffie would take good care of him.
The sound of his own footsteps in the silent alley way that made him feel uncomfortable. He was hit with the sudden feeling that millions of people were watching and judging him as he walked, and he didn't doubt that the object of his mission cursed every step that he took. His heart was beating in his stomach, leaving his palms sweaty and a sour taste in his mouth. He'd only been this nervous thrice in his life (after all, he was taught to be a very dauntless person by his very dauntless mother) and that was when he'd had first had the nerve to talk to Sora when he'd been five years old, when he'd first had the nerve to talk to Kairi when he was ten, and the first time he had talked to Sora after the Adventure. It was only for Sora that he was here, who was more than a little angry with him, and had forced him to come.
And he could very honestly say that Dauntless Riku had never been this guiltily nervous in his life.
His breath, as was expected, was knocked from his lungs as he first saw the cause of his nervousness. He was vaguely aware that he was acting like some girl who was talking to her crush, but his lungs began to burn at that point and he couldn't be bothered to care. Tynan was sitting on the egde of her room's balcony, eyes closed although he was sure she must have heard his footsteps.
"Come to gloat?" She said dully, affirming his suspicious that she knew of his presense.
He stuffed his hands in his pockets to hide their shaking, clearing his throat one too many times before Tynan tilted her head to look down at him. If possible, his stomach dropped even furthur into his stomach. Her cheek was covered in a burn-like scratch, her eyes heavy from the pain relieving medication she had no doubt received. Her hand was bandaged and resting lightly on the balcony railing. Riku, who had seen and caused many deaths despite his young age, had never felt so horrible.
"No." He said, his mouth dry. "I came to apologise. I...lost control."
She snorted softly, turning her cheek away so that the wound was no longer visible.
"Look." Riku said, a bit more confidently as the usual spark of annoyance she caused was brought forth once again. "I don't want to argue, okay? I just came to see if you were alright."
"I wasn't sure you cared." She said softly, closing her eyes.
He let out a long sigh, hoisting his tired body on to the pile of crates that lead up to the side of the balcony. Tynan stared determinedly at the ground as he climbed towards her, and continued to stare even as he settled on the highest crate, resting his elbows on his knees and staring ahead as well. He wasn't sure there was anything he could say to make her feel better. He wasn't going to justify his actions, no matter how badly he felt. How could he explain what he didn't understand?
Welcome to the Wonderful World of Woman, Riku. Now you're cooking with gas!
He slumped against the crate with a weary sigh, two of his father's favourite quotes pounding against the sides of his skull. It was odd that he missed his parents, when his old self had cared for nothing but escaping his home. Maybe losing control like he had brought him outside himself. Still, it was curious that Tynan had managed to do that, when neither Sora or Kairi had managed to do so. It really wasn't all that fair for Tynan to sit there, looking injured and sad, for the sole purpose of making him feel bad. He almost laughed out loud at the thought. Why was it that every small, insignfigant thing about her annoyed him so?
"So...are you okay?" He began weakly, scratching the inside of his arm in nervous habit.
Tongue-tied. he thought angrily. I'm tongue tied.
"Fine." She said without expression. "Absolutely spiffing."
He sighed again, this time in frustation. Why couldn't Tynan be more like Kairi? Easy-going, happy-go-lucky, quick to forgive and never to hold a grudge. It was very easy to get along with Kairi. While Tynan, he was sure, would hold this against him until he groveled. Fat chance that was going to happen. It seemed, with this girl, that only way to fight was to fight with fire.
Her eyes flickered in a slight wince when he stood, hoping over the railing and striding over to her side. She wouldn't even look at him when he crouched beside her; not even when he took her bandaged hand. He traced his fingers over the skin that was not covered by the hard plaster, smiling as her fingers began to twitch. This was nice..
"See?" He said softly. "We get along fine if we don't talk."
She snatched her hand back, clutching it closely to her chest. She continued to stare ahead, disappointing Riku, who had expected a much more violent reaction. Violence he could take; cold shoulders and silent treatments had always been his weak point. Slightly desperate now, he reached out to touch her chin. Tynan hissed and slapped his hand, turning her face away.
"I just want so see it." He said, his voice perfectly friendly although his annoyance was growing steadily. "The cut."
"Admiring your handy work?" She muttered angrily, anger darkening her blue eyes as she finally turned to glare at him. Riku flinched visibly; she couldn't have said anything more insulting if she had tried.
"No." He hissed, pulling away and standing, his fists clenched. "Do you have to be so god damn irritable?"
"Only to you, Riku dear." She replied, her voice wavering slightly when she said his name.
They remained in charged silence for several moments before Riku let out a hearty groan, covering his face with his hands as he leaned against the wall. Tynan went back to staring at nothing while Riku chuckled wearily.
"Why do you hate me so much?" He asked quietly, the amusement fading from his voice, and the question sounded childish even to his own ears.
"I don't hate you." She said, her eyelids flickering again. "I don't know why you'd think that."
"But you're angry." He pointed out, sliding across the balcony to sit beside her, his feet dangling.
She sighed, fed up. "What do you expect, Riku? I don't really appreciate being your emotional punching bag."
"What do you mean?" He asked curiously, tilting his head to get a good look at her face.
Her gaze faltered slightly. "You didn't seem to be an angry person when I first met you. It that place...I mean, you were kindalike...a presence of strength."
Riku shifted, feeling a bit awkward. Tynan continued.
"And then when I first saw you here...you were what I thought you'd be like. Until I got to know you better...and it turned out you weren't who I thought you were. You goof around with Sora, but then you're an angry, insufferable, annoying person to me. Like I'm a freakin' vent on your frustation. And now...now I have a horrendously scarred face and a broken wrist. Riku, its not fair."
Riku ran his hand through his hair, a slow feeling of dread trickling down his spine. She'd confirmed almost all the fears he'd had about himself, ones that he'd never been able to tell Sora, who probably would have denied such faults anyway.
" So...I'm a bit screwed up." He said meekly. "I...didn't use to be like that."
She turned to him, although he noticed she hid her injured cheek, and smiled slightly.
"I know." She told him. "Sora delights in stories about you when you were younger."
He grinned sheepishly. "I'll...uh...work on that."
Tynan sighed and turned away. "I don't want to force you to change. You have about every perfect excuse in the book to be messed up. I..understand how it feels. Its just...you're such a ball of contradiction that sometimes I think you might combust."
The pressure in his stomach ease somewhat, and he took her hand in his again, tracing the bandage again. Tynan stared at their hands, trying to think of the pain in her cheek or why she was angry with him; anything to distract her from the warm tickle he was causing on her skin. She was supposed to be mad, damnit! Riku smiled.
"I think I've finally figured out why you tick me off so easily." He said softly, raising green eyes to hers with a soft smile. "But we'll save that for another day."
She nodded distractedly. Fortunately, he dropped her injured hand at the moment, lifting his arms behind his head and cracking his back a bit. She watched him unsurely for a bit, wondering if this should maybe be an awkward moment, until he looked at her and grinned.
"Here's a thought." He said, standing. "How about I make it up to you?"
Tynan grinned, tapping her fingers against her chin and pretending to consider this. "Would there be pancakes involved?"
"Straight from Mai's Pancake House right to your stomach acid." He smirked, hoping off the balcony and offering his hand to her. "Tempted?"
"My stomach acid loves you." She said, jumping off the balcony herself and ignoring his hand. "Race you!"
He watched her run, slightly confused as to how she had forgiven him without furthur complications. She wasn't at all like Kairi. Maybe like Sora. And he was suddenly very glad the aforementioned had forced him out here. He smiled as she ducked around a corner and took off towards the third district, where their favourite breakfast restaurant stood and counted to three before he took off after her.
He didn't want to give her too much of a head start.
(1) I SO stole that line from Anastasia.
(2) I feel this way sometimes at Hockey games. Born and raised Canadian! I feel embrassed sometimes how nuts people are.
OKAY. OKAY, OKAY, OKAY!
I am going to update PE TWICE before I put up the next chapter of this, since PE is being shamefully neglected.
holds up a hat Bets on the likeliness that I go back on that promise?
Weeeellll?