Flee From Our Troubles

Before the Blizzard Hits

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts... darn it. >

Author's Notes:
So... I'm a little nervous about posting this so... feedback would be nice... This chapter is for all of those who wouldn't quit poking me until I wrote the next chapter...

"Are you sure you want to leave today?" a worried voice asked, waking me from my slumber.

"Yes. We have to get out of this and the next two towns, and out of the mountains before the blizzard hits in a couple days," Riku's strong voice answered.

"But why not just wait till the storm is over, and then go? By then your injuries will have healed properly!"

"I … can't tell you that …"

"And what about Sora? Hmm? He's in no condition to be trekking over mountains right now," the voice scolded, and arms gripped me tighter.

"Sora will be … fine …" the silver haired boy replied, choosing his words carefully.

There was a sigh followed by, "Fine, just be … careful with him. I think he's seen more than any normal teen has …"

"I know." A scraping of chairs was heard as Minna's mother left, followed shortly by the shutting of a door. "You can open your eyes now, she's gone," Riku murmured, poking me in the arm.

"How did you know?" I asked, my sapphire eyes snapping open to gaze up at the older boy.

"Your breathing pattern changed," he stated simply, and I shrugged.

"Why do we have to get through the mountains so soon? Shouldn't we make sure those are healed first?" I asked, pointing at the wounds on his body.

"It doesn't matter," he said, stoically avoiding my eyes.

"Umm … okay," I mumbled, gazing down at the sheets. Was it so much to ask for him to just trust me? I trust him …

"Hey." I looked up, surprised out of my thinking. "Don't look so gloomy. It's just something I don't want you to worry over, okay?" he told me, leaning down and kissing my cheek gently.

"So that wasn't a dream," I whispered, placing a hand on my cheek where his lips had touched me.

He snorted. "Of course it wasn't a dream, weirdo," he teased. "Come on. I want to leave. There should be enough time to make it to the next town before it gets late, and we can rent a hotel room. I think we can get through the small village at the base of the mountains tomorrow, and by then we should be at this town in the mountains. If we can get out of there by the next day, we should be okay …" Riku said, almost more to himself than me. He seemed kinda distant today.

"How do you know about a blizzard?" I asked, tilting my head like a puppy.

"Radio," he replied, pointing to the electrical device on the bedside table. "It said that it was supposed to hit in a couple days…"

"Oh," I answered, feeling my face heat up in a blush. "How long have you been up?"

"A couple hours. Why?"

"Just curious," I replied, staring off in random directions. Suddenly, a question I had been meaning to ask surfaced in my mind, and I figured that now was as good a time as any to ask it. "Hey… Riku?"

"Hm?"

"You know… Xaldin… did you… did you kill him? Is he… dead?"

"What's it matter, Sora? The guy's a rapist jerk whoi deserves to die," he said bitterly, glaring as his eyes took on a distant look. What it was, I couldn't tell.

"It does matter! I don't want you to be a murderer, even if it was for me!" I gripped at his arm, forcing him to look at me. When our eyes met, I could see them become less harsh, but they still held a slightly guarded look. "Riku…"

"Come on, let's get ready," he sighed, shrugging off my hand. "We're going to be leaving soon."

I looked down. "Fine." I slowly stood from the bed, ignoring the pains from my stomach wounds. I found my bag on the floor next to my side of the bed and snatched it up. Rummaging inside, I extracted my other set of clothes. They were dirty, but wearable. 'Next time we have a chance, we'll have to wash our clothes.' I changed my shirt, still body conscious as ever, but Riku never looked my way. He was busy changing himself. I quickly pulled on the other pair of jeans before he had finished, and sat down on the wrinkled sheets.

Why did Riku want to get out of the mountains? Why did he hide everything from me? I trusted him with my story… didn't he trust me? I glanced over at him and watched as he picked up his bag. He winced as the straps pressed against his wounded arm. 'He's only hurting himself,' I thought.

"You ready?" he asked me. I nodded and he gestured for me to come follow him as he headed up the stairs. At the top, I looked around in amazement at the splendor around me, and my mouth fell open. "Close your mouth. We're not staying."

"I-I know…" I replied sullenly, shattering my amazement. I glared at his back, before finding the familiar little girl and her mother. "I… guess we're leaving now…"

"Aww, why does Sora-kun have to go?" whined Minna, gripping onto my waist and looking at her mother.

"He has somewhere he has to be. Come on, Minna," she said softly, reaching a hand out towards the young girl, who took it and held on.

"Sora." I looked at Riku at the sound of my name, and trudged over to him.

"Good bye Minna. Take care," I said, smiling down at the girl. I watched as Riku opened the front door and stepped out, waiting for me to follow. "Bye…" I hurried over to Riku's side, and looked one last time at their sad eyes and shut the door behind me. I walked with Riku down the sidewalk towards the exit of the neighborhood, the entire time lost in silence.

Finally, he sighed. "If you want to stay with them so bad, go." I was surprised at the statement. "I'm not in the business of forcing people to do things they really don't want to do."

"Wh-what? Why would I leave?" I grasped his hand. "You're the only thing I have."

"Then why are you so sad?" We turned the corner and arrived in the park, right on the edge of town.

"She was just worried about us. It's kind of her job, isn't it? And why won't you tell me why you want to get out of the mountains? I trust you!" It felt weird getting all of my worries of my chest at once – I was used to keeping them all bottled up inside.

"It's none of her business what we do. And it's not that I don't trust you, I just don't want you to worry about it. It would scare you, and I don't want that. Okay?"

"Oh…Okay…" I still felt a little let down that he wouldn't tell me, but at least now I knew why.

"Hey." I looked up into his eyes. "Don't be so sad. You shine your best when you smile." I felt his lips meet mine for a brief moment before he pulled me along with him. I realized that his hand had never left mine, and I blushed.

After a while of traveling we were halfway to the next town. I looked around us in fascination as my eyes took in the colors of the changing leaves. Everything was starting to get colder as we traveled on. I had noticed after awhile that we were trekking up a continuous hill – we had reached the mountains.

The sun began to sink lower in the sky, and I briefly wondered if we would really reach the next town before nightfall. If we didn't, it would force us to sleep outside in the cold. "Look," Riku said, and in the distance I saw the lights of the town ahead of us. By the time I reached it, it was near nightfall, and we hurried to find a hotel.

We checked in and got a room with two separate beds, both agreeing that after spending two days right next to each other that we needed some space. I set my stuff next to my bed, and pulled out my pills as I waited for Riku to come out of the shower. I stared at the ceiling, bored, while my hands fidgeted with the sheets. I soon heard the tell-tale sound of the bathroom door opening, and I glanced up to see a towel wrapped around his waist. I blushed again and looked away, standing up to leave. I walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind me, letting the warm mist from the previous shower inside surround me completely. I sighed and switched on the water, letting the liquid flow into the ceramic basin.

I dropped my clothes on the floor, and stepped in, washing off the sweat, dirt, and grime that had accumulated on my body. I quickly rinsed my hair, the scent of the cinnamon shampoo and conditioner filling my senses. Sighing and closing my eyes, I relaxed on the side of the wall, surprisingly cold even in the hot shower.

"Riku…" I murmured nearly silently, and felt my heart tug. Why did just thinking about him make my heart hurt so and his kisses make my hurt flutter? And why did his hand in mine make my stomach feel like drunken butterflies were flying around inside?

Lazily, a hand gently traced the scar on my stomach, and I sighed. I shut off the water, the flow stopping abruptly before stepping out and drying myself off with the soft towel. Dressing in my dirty clothes, I pulled the orange canister of pills out of my pocket. I put two in my mouth and drank from the sink, not being able to find a cup anywhere around me. I looked at the bottle and sighed. There were only two left. Soon, I would have to figure out a way to get more without Riku finding out… I didn't want him to see me like this… I realized it had been a long time since I'd last taken them. I was surprised that something hadn't happened yet.

Eventually, I stepped out into the room, turning the light off behind me with a soft flick. The scent of the peppermint salve invaded my senses, and I noticed Riku on his bed with the jar beside him. "Hey. Lay down and let me put this stuff on you," he said, sitting up and grabbing the nearly empty container.

"Umm… okay…" I mumbled my face heating up as I trotted over to my bed and laid down next to Riku. The feeling of his hand gliding over my stomach as he pushed the shirt up made me shiver delightfully and I felt my cheeks heat up in a blush. My eyes never left him as he pulled the shirt up and over my head and arms, his eyes sliding over my scarred skin. His features softened, and I felt fingers caressing one of my older scars, following the length across my chest. "What are you doing?" I really didn't want him to see. See what a wreck I really was. See how weak I truly had become.

"You… you got these from when you were a slave, didn't you…?" Eyes scanned my battered body more, his soft skin stroking my own up and down. "…That bastard…"

"Riku…?" I asked. Why did he seem so angry? It wasn't like it was his fault that this happened to me…

With a sigh he opened the jar, scooping out a glob onto his fingers before pasting it onto my skin. I sighed contentedly, and relaxed against the bed. For some reason Riku seemed to have a calming effect on me – For once, I felt completely safe.

"Why?" I finally managed out.

"'Why' what?" he replied solemnly.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" He was so unlike anyone I had met since I was seven…

"We've been over this. Because we're friends." He finished off the last of the paste and dropped the now empty container into the trash. I replaced my shirt over my chest, sliding the long sleeves over my arms.

"But… do friends do… the kind of stuff that we do? Do a lot of friends kiss each other?" I watched as he walked over to his own bed and sat down.

"Well… I guess not a lot of them do, but… we're different from them. We're the kind of friends that people forget exist. So we have to stick together, or we'll never survive."

"But… are you sure you want to stay with me?" I asked, pushing myself up onto my elbows for a better view.

"Sora, please don't ask questions like that. If you bothered me, I would have left you a long time ago. I don't tend to stick around people I don't like." Laying down on the bed and staring up at the ceiling, he seemed to get lost in his own thoughts. "Hey, Sora… where did you get those cuts on your arms…? They don't look like something he could have given you. They're fresh. Really fresh."

My eyes widened at the question. I had forgotten to hide them… I gulped. There was no use lying now. "I… I gave them to myself… not long ago… I didn't think you cared… I'm sorry…"

"Sora! How could you think I didn't care?" Riku scolded, sitting up suddenly and looking at me. "Look… listen. Please… don't do that to yourself anymore. Don't destroy yourself more than what's been done. You don't deserve that kind of punishment, and I'm not just going to stand by and watch."

"But…" Why didn't he understand? I needed it. It's what I needed to live, to keep me sane. To tell me that I'm alive… human… It was addicting, and I just couldn't stop.

"No buts, Sora. You have to stop!" The look in his eyes was painful, but it wouldn't get me to stop. I figured that it was probably better to humor him.

"…Fine… I will. I'll stop." I finally said, admitting false defeat. There was no chance of me quitting anytime soon, though.

"Good." The silver-haired teen stood up and sat down next to me, the mattress shifting under his weight. "I just want you to be safe and healthy, but that won't happen if you keep doing this to yourself." He leaned down and planted his lips on mine, and held he them there for a long time before pulling away. I blushed and looked away as he smirked. "Get some rest, Sora. Tomorrow is going to be a long day." He switched off the lamp on the table returned to his own bed, laying down for some rest.

Sitting in the silence, it was a long while before I could be sure that Riku was asleep. Quietly grabbing my bag after checking to make sure his breathing was soft and even, I tenderly reached a hand in and pulled out my oldest friend. 'Once more, for old time's sake,' I thought, and slid the sharp edge over my skin, relishing in the soft pain that came with it. I didn't cut too deep. In fact, it was so light that the mark scabbed over almost immediately. But it was enough. I stood and washed the remainders of my blood on the knife in the sink, along with the mess on my arms, and tucked the knife back into my bag. I looked over at the form of the slumbering boy and the sheets as they rose and fell with his soft breathing.

"You know… whoever it is you're looking for is… really lucky…" I muttered, before drifting off into dreamland.

The next morning I woke to someone shaking me on the shoulder. "Come on Sora, wake up. We have to get moving. We slept too long."

"Huh?" I exclaimed, sitting up in surprise. "What do you mean 'we slept too long'?"

"It means exactly what it sounds like. We overslept, and now I don't know if we'll make it before the blizzard hits. It's mid-morning. Get up."

Grumbling to myself about having to wake up so suddenly, I disentangled the now ruined sheets from around my torso and ran a tired hand through my mass of spiky brunet locks. Making sure that my sleeves covered my arms, I grabbed my bag and slung it over my shoulder, wincing as it made contact with my back. A quick glance at Riku told me that he was waiting for me, his bag on his back and wearing a hoodie. I flashed him a small smile, and that was the only signal he needed He headed straight for the door and flung it open. I forced my sore muscles to follow him, trekking out of the hotel and into the slightly chilly air.

Before we left the small, dilapidated town, we stopped by what looked like a crumbling convenience store and bought some chips before we started on our trip farther up the mountain.

The trip was rather uneventful. I debated time and time again whether I should ask Riku about his past or not… always ending in the latter. Every time I thought about it, it felt like prying to me. And it wasn't that I didn't want to know, because I really, truly did, but I just couldn't find the courage to do it. It felt like we were worlds apart, and nothing would fill the gap between us. I simply didn't know what to do.

I had noticed that my pace was quicker – Riku no longer had to continuously tell me that I was being too slow, or to speed up. It was either that, or he had gotten slower. Either way, we made quick time through the next town and we stayed for barely ten minutes before heading onto the next. I couldn't really blame him for wanting to press on; this town was worse off than the one we had stayed at last night.

It was nearly dark by the time we reached the last town in the mountains. After this one, there weren't any for a long time. This was the top of the peak, and for some place as isolated as this was, this town seemed amazing in the fading light. Despite the cold and snow, the town had somehow managed to keep the buildings looking clean, the pathways clear, and lanterns lit. There was a wooden fence surrounding the mass of the town, protecting it from the wild animals. It was like a fairy tale land compared to all of the other places we had been, but of course, not all fairy tales have happy endings.

"Riku cursed under his breath, and I looked up at him in surprise.

"What?" I asked, worried by his sudden outburst. "Is something wrong?"

"Look." Snow was starting to fall, heavy and thick. But it could only mean one thing – the blizzard had already hit. That meant we would probably have to stay here.

"Wh-what should we do? Should we go ahead and leave? Or should we stay here?" I looked at him for answers, but he seemed just as lost as I was.

"I… I don't know. I honestly don't know." He bit his lip and looked around in a panic. As he tried to make a decision, I looked up once again. The flakes were falling faster now, and they seemed to be getting even bigger. The blizzard was hitting, hard and fast. A fat shred of ice floated down and landed on my face as a cold breeze blew by. Shivers racked my body and I wrapped my arms around myself. I felt a hand on my shoulder, pulling me from where I stood. Warm arms wrapped around me as the body pressed against mine.

"Riku?"

"It would be a fool's errand to try and go out there now. I guess… we'll just have to stay here. Come on," he murmured, grabbing my hand and tugging me towards a long building in the distance. I could tell, as we got closer, that it was a rather large hotel. The windows were boarded up against the oncoming storm and the door was the same. There seemed to only be two floors, judging by the amounts of windows on the outside.

We arrived in short time and he wrenched the heavy door open. How he managed to do it was beyond me. Once we entered the warm hotel, I immediately started taking in our new surroundings. There was a large fireplace in the lobby, surrounded by dozens of wooden chairs and tables, each lit by a candle. A spiral staircase led to the second floor and the check-in desk was tucked away in a cozy corner, away from the door. People milled about, lost in conversations. There seemed to be a lot of people here… I found it kind of odd. How could Riku have not wanted to stay here? It looked so… homey.

"On second thought… why don't we try leaving?" I heard him mutter beside me.

"R-Riku…!" a voice rang out from somewhere in the crowd, and a young boy with wide eyes separated himself from the crowd. I figured it was probably just another one of his friends. "I-is it r-really you?" The awestruck boy came closer, and I glanced up at Riku. To my surprise, he looked confused. Wait…Didn't he know this kid? He stood in front of him and placed a hand on silver haired boy's face as if checking to see if he was real. "I-it really is you…not an illusion… I looked for you… for so long." Suddenly the boy broke down in sobs, slumping on the ground in front of the baffled boy and wrapping his arms tightly around Riku's legs. Tears were streaming down his face faster than leaves in a rushing river. Who was this kid? "I've missed you, Riku. Life's been unbearable without you… Without my best friend."

What?

Author's Note:
Reviews, ne? I already have the next chapter done...