Chapter 4

Lost Wings

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"I was looking for a way to a v o i d it all, the pain, the misery, and the sorrow. But I didn't notice you were looking too."

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"Riku, I don't know what to do," Yuffie said with an exasperated sigh. "I feel horrible, but there has to be something." It was Saturday, the day of the party. After Axel left that day a few days ago she couldn't even speak to him, and she didn't. He wasn't online and when she called he never returned them. It was like he was avoiding her. The sad part, she didn't even know why. Unless it had to do with that hug…but that was something left in the past.

"Snap out of it." Riku snapped his fingers in front of her face releasing her from her reverie. "If it's bothering you that much why don't you just go talk to him."

"That's the problem! I don't know how!"

"The little party hang out thing is later today, why don't you make amends with him then?" Riku suggested.

"…That's not a bad idea! You're a genius Riku!" She got up and hugged him, or rather squeezed him tight. "Man, I love you!" He blushed at her last comment, but she didn't seem to notice when she pulled away with a thoughtful look on her face.

"No problem, see you then." He waved and left, leaving her alone to get ready and prep herself for tonight. Since it was one of those party hangouts she could only imagine what Tifa would be doing to set up. Last time they had one of these Cloud snuck beer into the fruit punch. Everyone was so drunk by the end of the night they all ended up staying at her house so they wouldn't get caught. Cloud found it as a little joke but she thought it was going a little to far.

She decided to get dressed and take her mind off all her worries.

"Yuffie, wait." Riku popped back into her room. "I wanted to tell you-"

"RIKU! Get OUT!" Yuffie screamed and shut the door on his face. "I'm getting dressed! You pervert!"

"Sorry," he mumbled, clearly afraid of her.

She sighed but quickly got dressed into short jeans shorts and a regular T-shirt. Nothing special, just something to keep her comfortable.

"What did you want?" she asked him opening the door.

"I just wanted to ask you something…" his voice held disappointment. "But never mind."

She shrugged her shoulders at him and walked downstairs with Riku following closely behind.

"Leon, let's get ready to go." Yuffie grinned at her brother. "Stop talking to Rinoa on the phone. You've been on it for hours and I need to call Tifa."

"Use your cell phone," he growled.

"No minutes."

"Use mine."

"It's dead."

"Fine."

Yuffie smiled to herself and waited for her brother to say his tearful goodbye. "Here." And with that said she grabbed the phone from his grasp and dialed Tifa's number.

"What's up, Riku?" Leon asked Riku who was staring down at the ground with his body leaning against the wall. He didn't look up at the call of his name, but he did fidget and move to the side a little.

"Nothing." He looked over at Yuffie and then quickly tilted his head up. "Really."

"You like my sister don't you?" he asked plainly with no emotions in his voice. He saw Riku nod. "Don't bother with her." Leon flipped his hair back and out of his eyes.

"Why?" He finally looked up.

"Just don't. You can already tell her heart's taken by someone else."

"Who?" Riku looked up into Leon's eyes hoping for some kind of comfort, but nothing was there except his cold dark orbs. "Leon?" Without even daring to answer him he walked away and over to Yuffie. He nudged her on the shoulder and told her it was time to go.

Riku looked over at Yuffie. He knew who Leon was talking about, and he didn't want it to be true.

x-X-x

"Party time! Yuffie the party girl has arrived!" Yuffie spoke as she ran into Tifa's house with a wide grin plastered across her face. Tifa shook her head in annoyance while everyone else just laughed.

"Give it a break, you just arrived," Leon said slightly agitated. He walked right past her and over to the group of friends. Yuffie followed after him.

"Demyx!" Yuffie jumped up in excitement after seeing him. "I've missed you!" She ran over and wrapped her arms around him giving him a big hug. He smiled and patted her on the back.

"Yuffie, long time no see."

"You got tan, did you have fun in Hawaii?"

He nodded. "With all those hot chicks who wouldn't?" They laughed. After talking to Demyx for a bit she scanned the room to see who else was here. Sora was sitting on the cough chatting with Roxas and Kairi, his girlfriend, was sitting on his lap. Cloud, Reno, and Rude were talking and getting into some kind of fight. Nothing new there. She looked at the sofa and saw Axel, Aerith and Tifa chattering away.

Axel…

She frowned at the thought of the last time she saw him. They were all just bad memories that wouldn't leave her mind no matter how much she tried to forget them. She decided that later she'd get him alone and straighten things out.

"Where's Riku?" she asked herself, quite confused on how her friend that came with her with just magically disappeared. "I should go find him-" her thoughts were cut short when she felt a tugging feeling on her shirt.

"Come join us, don't you want to talk to Axel?" Aerith asked smiling. "I'm sure he'd be so excited. Don't you?" Not having the choice to decided in the matter Aerith dragged her along over to their circle.

"Hey." Yuffie faked a quick smile at Axel. He turned his head away from her not even acknowledging her existence. "Figures. I knew just knew this would happen!" He's still mad at me…is it that big of a deal. "Heh…big baby."

"Remember the time when we all ganged up on Seifer and kicked his ass-" Yuffie didn't hear the rest for she quietly slipped away from them and headed into the kitchen to get something to drink. She didn't trust Tifa or Cloud with that stupid Fruit Punch in the living room.

"The Great Ninja Yuffie shouldn't be worried about this so much…but then why am I?" she asked herself. That wasn't the first time she asked, but it sure as hell wouldn't be the last. Not until she figured out the truth at least.

She opened the fridge and took out some Coca Cola. After drinking it's contents she threw it away in the trash can. "Bear bottles?" I wonder who'd be drinking at this party? But the thought didn't last long when she suddenly felt a cold hand placed on her arms. "Riku, is that you?" She turned around to see Riku, the only guy missing from the party.

"Yeah," his hoarse voice replied.

"You look sick." She took her hand and placed it across his forehead feeling to see if he was hot or not. "You're warm. You should go rest."

He nodded and tried to walk away but lost his footing and tripped, falling on the floor.

"Geez, you're weak." Yuffie grabbed his hands and helped him up. "I'll take you to a room upstairs." She wrapped his arm around her shoulders and up the stairs to Tifa's room.

Hope she doesn't care that a guy will be sleeping in her bed. Nothing new anyway, right?

Yuffie gently set him and covered him up in blankets. "Sucks to be you."

"Wait." She looked back and he stared her straight in the eyes.

Sighing, she took a seat down next to him. "I'm l e a v I n g, do you understand?" she mouthed to him. She felt like an adult talking to a two year old. And soon enough she'd know he understood, he understood quiet well in fact. Then the beer bottles she saw in the trash can flooded her vision.

She watched as Riku slowly sat up and crawled over to her, hugging her tightly.

"R-Riku? Are you drunk?" Yuffie asked worried as she turned her head away from his face. His constant breathing on her neck was getting a little annoying. It smelled of alcohol.

"No," he replied, running his hands through her hair.

This felt wrong, and she knew it. Yuffie could never think of him this way…he was a dear friend to her and this…this was going to ruin it all because he was drunk and depressed. She still couldn't figure out why he was acting this way. Was it something she did?

"No…stop!" She tried to push him away, but in doing so he only held onto her tighter. "Please…let me go…" Tears were brimming the lining of her eyes, threatening to fall at any second.

A bright light filled the dark room. Standing in the doorway was Axel, breathing heavily. His clothes were ripped revealing his tight muscled chest. It looked like he has a fight with himself. But she didn't have any time to admire, no she was in a bigger predicament. She tried to speak to tell him what was going on, but he seemed to ignore her for his gaze fell to the floor in seconds.

"Axel...it's not--" her voice trailed off when his eyes met hers. For probably the first time in her life, they looked sad and pained. Like he had just been shot in the heart, the hurt never left. "Axel."

After glancing back at her once more he departed, but not before speaking these final words.

"I...never knew you were that kind of girl."

Those last words stung like a needle in her chest. That was the last thing she expected to hear from Axel. Wasn't he willing to hear her out? "No…NO!" She pushed Riku away and ran out the door and outside. She had a feeling he was around here somewhere.

"Axel?" she called, but received no answer. The soft tapping of the rain somewhat calmed her. "Axel?" Walking farther ahead she could see the lone figure of a man walking away from her. It was Axel. The only guy she knew with red, spiky hair.

Pitter patter.

He didn't answer, though. Or look back. He just stood there with his back facing her. She couldn't take it anymore.

"Axel!" She bolted over to him and entangled her arms around his waits from behind sobbing into his black cloak. Her fingers were so tight on the cloak that she could feel his body tightening. "What you saw isn't what you think!" She tried to persuade him and tell him the truth, but she received no movement from him. So she decided to tell him the whole story anyway.

"Riku wasn't feeling good so I took him to his room and…and…" She couldn't finish. Her sobbing took over her words. "I'm sorry." She felt Axel's body weight shift and she let go of her grip.

Pitter patter.

"I'm listening, I won't fight it anymore." Her puffy red eyes looked up into his soft green ones, she somehow felt comforted. He grabbed her into a hug and lets her sob into his cloak. Even if he didn't know it that was all she needed.

"I'm sorry." Her sobs quieted down to a few tears falling down her cheeks. No more words were exchanged between the two. They only stood there feeling each other's warmth in the cold rain that fell around them. Neither of them bothered to say a word of comfort for just being there was comfort enough.

"Thank you for…always believing in me." He let her go and stepped back a few feet, his gaze turning to the watery ground below him.

"What?" she inquired, slightly confused on what was going on.

"Remember the secret?" She nodded. "We've gone to far. You should know." He continued to back away from her. "I have a disease, Yuffie. One that cannot be cured."

"W-what do you mean?" she asked, fear etched into her words. "What kind of disease!"

"They don't know. I won't live much longer…I have maybe a week or two now." His voice held no sadness, only anger. "I'm the one whose sorry. Sorry for giving you false hopes, false wishes that will never be." He turned his back on her and walked away, not even giving her a goodbye or a hug.

"Axel…" She reached out her hand trying to touch his retreating figure. But he was out of her reach, out of her sight. "Why…what's going on?" She fell to the ground, her head tilted downwards. Tears brimming her eyes and gently falling down. Now she could even hear the rain falling on the cement.

He was gone, just like that.

Like always.

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A/N: Geez, I don't know why but I just couldn't think of for what to write for that chapter. My whole mind went completely blank. I had to sit myself down and make me write until I really got into it. Hope that never happens again. Anyway, hope you enjoyed.

And trust me, the worst is yet to come. : (

Chapter 5: Don't Go

After the party Yuffie has been in a state of depression. She won't even leave her room...can the words Axel said really hit her that hard? Maybe they weren't meant for anything since the beginning.