OMG, the minute I updated the last one, I started working on this chapter. You guys better be happy I like this story so much!
---
(I miss you, I miss you)
Hello there, the angel from my nightmare
The shadow in the background of the morgue
Reno had to sing in this song. He had to sing back up and an actual whole verse. Riku didn't mind, it was actually a rest off his lungs.
The unsuspecting victim of darkness in the valley
We can live like Jack and Sally if we want
Where you can always find me
We'll have Halloween on Christmas
And in the night we'll wish this never ends
We'll wish this never ends
This was a sadder song than most, and Vincent and Zack had to do the most work. Zack had to keep up tempo and the right notes, because it didn't sound right without the right drum. Riku hated this song, and wished he could have come up with a reason not to play it.
(I miss you, I miss you)
(I miss you, I miss you)
Riku missed him, and that's why he didn't like the song.
Where are you and I'm so sorry
I cannot sleep I cannot dream tonight
I need somebody and always
This sick strange darkness
Comes creeping on so haunting every time
Riku knew that the others were thinking of the ones they missed, because Reno wasn't smiling. But Riku was looking through the crowd, because he forgot to in the beginning, and saw that Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz were standing in the back of the place, staring and smiling.
And as I stared I counted
Webs from all the spiders
Catching things and eating their insides
Like indecision to call you
and hear your voice of treason
Will you come home and stop this pain tonight
Stop this pain tonight
Riku almost sighed right into the mic, and he knew that Kadaj would get extra money for this one. He knew that. He watched as many of the people were extra happy that he was actually looking up for once. And he eyes were shining in brilliance when he looked up, with the lights shining in them. His hair was extra silky tonight, and his clothing complimented everything. Kadaj was sure that he made Riku look good every night.
Don't waste your time on me you're already
The voice inside my head (I miss you, I miss you)
Don't waste your time on me you're already
The voice inside my head (I miss you, I miss you)
Riku was ßßßßßß that he wasn't able to right half of the songs that he was singing, and he didn't like that. He didn't like playing other people's songs, especially when he didn't know who that person was. Well, at least Kadaj let him play some of his own songs, because that's what the crowd seemed to like most.
They repeated the chorus three more times, then they ended it. Riku's leg wasn't hurting as much, that's because most of the time it was too numb to feel. It was hard walking like this, but at least he could live a night or two without the painkillers anymore. Maybe his wound was healing itself, like it sometimes does in the movies. Riku hoped, he really hoped that, that's what was happening.
---
Sora watched lazily as Yuffie played her new game, Killer 7. It had different graphics than Resident Evil four, but it was a bit more interesting. Sora used to be sitting with his cell phone forever glued to his hand, but then remembered that Riku didn't know his cell phone number, then resulted to sitting at the front desk, forever by the front phone. Then Yuffie came up, reminding him that there was a phone in the lounge, and she took that chance to have him come and watch her play.
"I bet Riku would like this game..." Yuffie mumbled when she couldn't beat something, then she covered her mouth, realizing what she just said, "Sorry..."
Sora shook his head and smiled sadly, but he couldn't get the silver-haired man out of his head after that. He couldn't stop thinking of him, he couldn't stop hearing that voice in his head, telling Sora that he loved him. Sora felt his heart swell every time he remembered Riku saying Suki Dayo, because Solstice had recently told Sora that, that means 'I love you'.
"Well," Yuffie exclaimed, trying to get Sora's attention off Riku, "The only reason I bought Killer 7 is because there's a gun in Resident Evil 4 named Killer 7, and the gun was actually named after that gun. And the gun looks just like the one on the cover!"
"That's gay,"
Yuffie looked over to see Seifer sitting at the other couch, twiddling with his beanie. He couldn't play basketball because the courts were completely drenched, so he was made stay here.
"Why?" Yuffie asked, her anger rising.
Seifer snorted, "Resident Evil Four is such a better game than Killer 7, how could there even be a comparison?"
Saix, sitting next to Seifer, looked over, "I have to disagree,"
They all looked toward him, shocked into silence at his sudden speech.
"I have to say that Dead Rising for the 360 is a better zombie game then those two," Saix nodded, as if confirming it in his mind.
Sephiroth was the one to speak up this time, "You two are completely forgetting the Silent Hill series, that was scary, yet zombie-fied,"
Everyone nodded, but then Ansem piped up, "What about Shadow of the Colossus?"
Everyone looked at him.
He shrugged, "You could call the Colossuses zombies,"
Sephiroth looked at his brother as if he were the stupidest person on the earth, "Colossuses? Isn't it Colossi?"
"What in the hell's a Colossi?"
Sephiroth rolled his eyes.
---
The minute Riku sat down, he was jerked up roughly by his hair. He winced then glared at the man holding him, who evidently was Kadaj. Riku glared at him, until the man cupped his cheek, and he froze with fear at the glint in the man's eyes.
"One of the people in the audience asked to see you for something other than a music performance," Kadaj said, that glint in his eye growing, his smirk as well, "...privately."
Riku froze, and he saw that the others were frozen as well, fighting with themselves on whether or not to help.
Kadaj ran that hand down the pale cheek, "You certainly are cute enough,"
Riku sneered, wondering if he said that just because Riku looked almost exactly like him.
"I could get a good price," Kadaj looked down Riku's body, "What do you say?"
"Piss off," Riku glared, his hissing voice almost venomous. Kadaj just smirked at him, then let him drop right onto the numb and pained leg. Riku screamed out and fell onto his side, having Zack rush to his side.
Kadaj smirked, then tossed something, it hitting Riku in the chest, "You better be lucky I'm in a good mood,"
Riku looked down at them and noticed they were the pain killers, and then glared at them, the headache and massive pain from his leg almost making him sick. He opened it and put two in his hand.
"Are you sure he gave you pain killers?" Vincent asked, his eyes unemotional, "They could be something else,"
"I know," Riku winced and his vision was going blurry, "But I'm willing to take a chance,"
He swallowed them dry and winced at the lump in his throat. He willed it away and looked at them all, wondering when the drug would take effect. He sighed and rested his head on the back of the couch, thinking over what Kadaj had just said to him.
"We wont let him do that to you," Zack said, clenching a fist and looking down at the hard wood of the floor, "He never did it to us, but we really think he might with you,"
Riku glared at nothing, hearing the voice of that evil and retched man through the wall. Riku sighed, closing his eyes and thinking of Sora. He always thought of Sora when he closed his eyes, even in his dreams. His dreams were the worst, because those were plagued constantly by the brunette.
"I think I can find a way to sneak you another phone," Reno said suddenly, catching everyone's immediate attention. He saw that he had them, then smiled a little, fiddling with his shoes, "Well, when I see Yazoo going to the restroom when I'm passing to get my guitar, I see that he leaves his cell phone, wallet, and other things on the dresser of his room. He always does it, and I think that one of the times I can snatch his phone,"
"Wouldn't he notice?" Zack asked, tilting his head to the side. It was a good idea, but Reno hadn't thought it through.
Reno shook his head, "Yazoo's so brain dead that he'll never figure it'll be gone! 'Till the next day, of course. But I can snatch it, and that man never even looks at the bill he has to pay, he just pays it!"
Riku looked at him with wide eyes, then they heard a door open.
"I'm going to the restroom!" Yazoo announced, as he usually did, through the whole place.
They heard Kadaj next, "you don't need to announce it! We're not even in the same room!"
Riku looked at Reno, "...do it!"
---
Sora sat and listened to Riku's mother humming something to herself. She'd seemed to have forgotten for the moment of Riku, and that was a hard thing to accomplish for someone of his stature. He smiled to himself, then saw a small book on the counter in front of him. Well, it was more of a coffee table, since he was in the living room. But...ya know.
Sora picked it up and opened the cover, hoping he wasn't intruding. He gasped, a full and bright red blush effectively covering his cheeks.
It was Riku in these photographs, so this was most definitely a photo album. But Riku was...he was...SO CUTE! He couldn't have been older than four or five, in each of the pages on the first page.
He was smiling wide in all of them, and sometimes there was a much younger Solstice holding him up, or hugging him tightly, and in some, Riku was hugging him back. Sora flipped through some and saw that as it progressed, Riku got older and older.
In a few, he was wearing all black, with the chains and evil looking glare in his eye. That was when Riku was a punk, and rude to everyone. Then, Sora flipped the page and Riku was leaning on the counter in the kitchen, talking to his mom. He was wearing many chains on his pants, but a dark grey shirt. Then in the next couple pictures, he was smiling in some, and he was wearing jeans and lighter shirts. In a few, Sora was even in them, but in those, Riku looked annoyed.
Sora dreaded what he would find when he flipped the page, but he still wasn't prepared for the stab of pain to his heart when he saw it.
It was a picture of him and Riku looking at each other, and then closer. They were kissing in this one, and in all the others. Sora flipped through them quickly, then stopped when he saw the picture of him and Riku curled up on his bed. Sora had been so content in Riku's arms, and he looked it in the picture.
Sora dropped the book and he felt the tears. He'd cried so much, and he even thought he'd cried all his tears away, but he was crying now. His shoulders shook and he covered his face with his hands, hunching over so that no one could see him.
"Sora..."
Sora looked up and saw that Solstice was standing in the doorway, just staring. The taller boy looked down, his long silver hair falling in front of his face. He took his hand off the wood of the doorframe and started to slowly walk toward Sora.
"I'm sorry," Sora started to quickly wipe away at his tears with the back of his hand, laughing nervously, "I thought I'd given up crying,"
Solstice sat next to Sora and tugged on the boy's shoulders, making the other fall into his Embrace. Solstice encircled Sora with his arms and put a hand on his head, "It's okay to cry...So-chan,"
Sora nodded and put his face in Solstice's chest, his shoulders shaking even more. This was the first time anyone had comforted him since Riku left, and Riku was the only one that used to do that. This felt nice, and he almost believed that he WAS in Riku's embrace, and he felt so warm with that thought. He could almost hear Riku's voice, soft and calming, telling him that everything was alright. Riku had done that before, when Riku had just come out of the hospital. Sora had just started crying, and Riku had done almost exactly what Solstice had done.
Snap!...Whirrrrr
Sora sprung out of Solstice's embrace and looked to see Sam standing there, with one of those camera's that developed it right there on that small square picture, in her hands. She was just staring, her eyes wide, "I meant to catch you off guard, but not THIS off guard,"
Solstice looked down at the carpet, ashamed, "I'm sorry, So-chan was crying and..."
Sam smiled warmly and tilted her head to the side, that knowing look on her face, "I understand, Soli-chan,"
Solstice looked at his mother in wonder. It'd been such a long time since he'd heard his mother say that, his name like that. He'd...actually kind of missed it.
Sora looked up at her, and she noticed. She clapped her hands, "I made lasagna-!"
She was cut off by the shrill screech of the phone. Everyone looked at it on the table, the cordless phone with the Caller ID on it. Sam walked over silently, picked it up, and looked at it, "Huh? Yazoo Hitachin? Never heard of him, let's eat, let it ring!"
Sora was about to agree, when something went through his head.
---
Riku snorted, "Yazoo threw it at me after seeing blood. We already ordered pizza for him, though, so he shouldn't get suspicious, ha, I got them Dominos."
---
"IT'S RIKU!" Sora yelled, and he dove for the phone, pressing the button for it to go on, and he pressed it to his ear, "Hello!"
"..."
"Hello...?" Sora tried again, seeing Sam and Solstice watching his every move.
Sora waited.
"Hello...this is Kadaj...you've never heard of me...have you...Sora?"
---
"I'm sorry, Sora, I'm not obliged to answer that,"
Riku watched in horror as the man spoke to the one he loved. Riku had called his home phone, and Kadaj had come out of nowhere and taken the phone from his hands right as Sora answered. This man was evil.
"Are you really so important that these men would steal my dear brothers phone?" Kadaj asked in his innocent voice, his head tilted to the side as he leaned on one foot, listening, "Oh...really? So you don't..."
Kadaj looked at Riku, who was just sitting on the ground, watching. Kadaj smirked, lifted a foot, and slammed it right on Riku's wound on his thigh. Riku almost didn't scream it hurt so much, but he did. It was blood curdling, hair rasing...heart-bracingly painful.
"Stop?" Kadaj said innocently. He smirked and pressed harder, twisting his foot left and right. Riku was wincing heavily, his vision blurring, wanting to throw up. He tried desperately to pry Kadaj's foot off his leg, but the man only pressed harder, making him scream.
Kadaj smirked and lifted his foot finally off, letting it rest where it was when he started talking to the brunette. Riku was hunched over, his eyes wide and sweat pouring over his face. It was almost to painful to bear, he wished he could just pass out. He felt that nausea growing in his stomach, but he swallowed it. He only breathed hard, trying to get his mind to other things.
Kadaj smirked at his pain, then turned back to the phone, "Well, I wonder why he would try and steal it...I know he's not that stealthy...Probably one of the others,"
Kadaj looked over them all, and saw that Reno was sweating extra. He smirked, "Well, who cares, I'll put all the blame on him anyway. I know!"
He faked excitement.
"I'll have him do that job I wanted him too!" Kadaj exclaimed, then smirked toward Riku, who was just staring, "he'll love that, I'm sure. And please...Riku better not steal my dear brother's phone again, he might just get hurt next time,"
Kadaj snapped the phone shut and that smirk of a smile fell, a great scowl growing on his pretty face. He looked down at Riku and clutched his hands so hard the phone broke, "If you EVER do that again, I swear, it'll be more than one man that wants to take you to bed,"
Riku shivered and Kadaj left, leaving him withering in pain and the others quick to go to his aide. He shook his head, then closed his eyes, "I hate him...so much..."
"We all do," Zack said sadly, then ripped Riku's pants again. The silver haired man wondered why Zack kept ripping his pants, but he didn't mind as much anymore.
Zack carefully peeled the now stained red cloth from Riku's thigh, not missing the hiss of pain coming from the other. He reached over, grabbed the bottle that Kadaj had given Riku earlier, and handed it to him, "You better take four,"
Riku usually took two, but he nodded anyway.
Zack gasped as he saw the edges of the wound starting to turn green, lightly. He clenched his fists, wondering if Riku had an immune system of a horse or something. Any other person would be ill from this kind of infection! He glared at it, as if it'd fix itself, and he looked around for anything else he could use as a bandage or gauze. He sighed, then turned to the pant leg he ripped off Riku. It was pretty baggy, and it'd work!
He started ripping it up, tying the pieces around the leg. He looked up at Riku in concern, and figured he said the immune system thing too soon. The boy's cheeks were flushed, and the light reflecting off his perspiration was making him look all shiny. He sighed and reached up, brushing away some of the boy's damn hair, "I'm sorry you have to go through this, Riku,"
Riku looked down at him and smiled weakly, "I'd do anything if it means seeing Sora again. This I can handle,"
Zack smiled, then went back to the leg. He helped Riku stand, and he led him to the couch. Zack set him down and then ran a hand through his head, sighing, "Kadaj meant what he said,"
Riku looked up at Zack, his eyebrows raised.
"He meant it...he's really going to have you meet one of the audience members," Zack said, a scowl forming on his usually calm features, "in that way...to an injured man...I can believe him!"
Riku sighed, then looked out the way that led to the stage. He saw a flash of light, and knew he was seeing things. He shook his head and looked back down at his legs.
They heard another door snap open, and Riku looked up, his shoulders starting to shake. He was sure it was Yazoo this time, coming to do something even worse to Riku than before. But...
It was Loz. The nicest of the three brothers.
"Get up," Loz wrenched Riku to a seated position and glared at the boy, "I can't believe Kadaj is making me do this,"
Riku limped terribly and saw that the others were getting up as well. Loz growled and glared at them all, "My brother said only Riku, alright?"
Riku stumbled after him, and he noticed that they were going towards the door! THE DOOR! Riku felt the blast of cold air hit his face, and his lungs fill with the scent and breath of fresh and clean air. Not air filled with smoke and the stench of alcohol all the time.
"Come," Loz led him immediately to a jet black car near the edge of the road. Loz shoved Riku into the front seat and then walked around the side, not letting Riku out of his sighed. He got in, started the car, and drove off in all a matter of seconds.
Riku stared at him, wondering where the hell they were going. He didn't want to ask, because he knew that Loz would get mad and then just take them right back to the old bar. Riku frowned, and propped himself up with his hands on the edge of the seat in the middle of his knees. He was pouting and staring constantly at the flooring.
"Don't give that look," Loz said in a considerably lighter tone, "We're going to the hospital,"
Riku looked up at him with wide eyes, "Why?"
Loz almost slapped himself in the head, but just was content to sigh, "You're the one with the horrible bullet wound, wouldn't you figure that out!"
Riku made a small 'oh' sound and looked back at his feet. He looked back up at the silver-haired man, and opened his mouth to say something, but Loz cut him off.
"Kadaj doesn't want the customer to be horrified when he sees that leg of yours," Loz said, then scowled at nothing, "I wouldn't want to after, especially after the way Yazoo explained it,"
Riku winced, then was content to looking out the window, and he HAD to choose that exact minute to look out the window, didn't he! He watched with wide eyes as they passed the Homeless shelter, and guess who was standing out front? You guessed it! Sora!
"Sora..." Riku turned around in his seat and looked back, watching as he caught eyes with the younger. But by that time, they were so far away that Riku didn't have time to barely even tell that they were catching eyes. Riku sighed, and turned back to the front, his head getting full of what he just saw. He couldn't believe it! Sora had been no less than five feet from him, and he couldn't do a damn thing about it!
Loz looked out of the corner of his eye, and saw that Riku was so close to crying it even struck his heart. Loz gasped, having always been somewhat of a crybaby himself. He turned back to the street and felt the tears form in his own eyes. He couldn't hold it back, "I'm sorry!"
Riku looked up at Loz and saw that the man was full on crying, a handkerchief already in his hands. The man was tugging on it with his teeth, in a desperate attempt to stop crying. But...why in the heck was a man of over thirty-five crying like Niagra Falls?
Riku looked up at him, "Are you okay?"
The only reason he really asked this is because Loz was one of the nicer ones, and he didn't get mad at people easily. And he didn't kit people for asking things. And Riku was afraid that he'd get in trouble if he didn't ask...so it was a lose, lose situation.
Loz nodded, but his tears fell more, "I...I'm sorry for everything. I'm apologizing for my brother here,"
"It's...okay?" Riku tried, wondering if he really should say anything.
"Such honesty!" Loz exclaimed, and Riku literally could see stars around the man's face. Riku looked up at the man, wondering if they should pull over the car.
Loz sniffled and pulled into a driveway, "I should thank you for trying to be nice, but this is nothing a person should be forgiven for! Even if I'm just an accomplice in this!"
"But you don't want to be an accomplice...do you?" Riku asked, the tense air around them almost choking him.
Loz looked at him, and his eyes filled even more, "NO! But Kadaj is the only family I have left! He's still my brother! Even if he is...scary and evil..."
"Psychotic, creepy, mindless, and a kidnapper?" Riku asked, wondering if Loz would hit him for saying such things about the 'dear' brother they were talking about. Loz nodded, then chewed on the handkerchief more.
"Kadaj hates me," Loz sniffed, his eyes almost doubling in size, "He hates how many people I let see me cry!"
Riku hesitantly patted his shoulder, "It can't be that bad,"
"You're the nine-hundred and twenty fourth,"
Riku just stared with blinking eyes, "What?"
Loz looked at him, his eyes spilling even more, "You're the nine-hundred and twenty-fourth person I've let see me cry,"
Riku gulped, and laughed nervously. Not even Solstice had let THAT many people see him cry. Riku smiled again, then saw that Loz was slowly coming to a close in his crying.
"I'm sorry," Loz sniffed, and then opened the door, "I'll take you to the hospital now,"
Riku stepped out, but he almost fell when he stepped on his leg. He winced.
"Here," Loz put one of Riku's arms around his own shoulders and helped, smiling a little and lifting Riku.
The other silver-haired man looked at him as if he were an alien, "Why are you helping me all the sudden?"
"I have a strange urge to be nice to every single person I've let see me cry," Loz took his turn to laugh nervously, then helped Riku to the door, "We better get inside, or we'll catch cold!"
Riku sighed, and looked off to the side. Great, another mom.
---
Sora watched the black sports car sleek by, and he caught eyes with the man in the drivers seat. He could have sworn he saw Riku in the front, and he almost believed himself. But, heck, what kind of kidnapper would let the kidnaped-person out and running around? Sora sighed and turned back to go into the home, having just been out to catch a breath of fresh air. The others were still in a full-on debate about what video game was the best. They hadn't come to a conclusion, but so far Resident Evil 4, Shadow of the Colossus, and Animal Crossing were the winners, but Killer 7, We Love Kadamari, and SSX On Tour were coming up quickly in the ranks.
Sora sighed when he heard:
"We should TOTALLY put up here Harvest Moon!"
Sora laughed and walked to the kitchens. He just needed to wash his hands, clean up a bit, start the Egg Flour soup on a boil, tell Demyx to take it off in about fifteen minutes, then put the egg rolls in the oven, then tell Demyx to start the pot stickers in about ten minutes. You could just guess what theme they were taking on for dinner tonight, but Sora really wanted to stay to eat. He loved Chinese Food! But he needed to get back to the Nori's and start their dinner.
Sam had started to help again, and even Arthur was starting to get up and talk. They still weren't fully healed, but they knew that someday...they'd get Riku back. And with having Sora there was great emotional support. They thanked him everyday, and sometimes twice if they were especially forgetful of the past events. But their second son was still in their hearts.
"Sam!" Sora exclaimed, walking in, drying off his umbrella, and hanging his jacket on a hook. He heard speaking, and it was probably a new caster, from the living room. He walked in, and saw that Mr. And Mrs. Nori were hanging off the reporters every word.
"Mrs. Nori...?"
Sora stopped short when he heard what was going on.
"- is reported that the assailant is still inside the hospital. He had three hostages, but it doesn't look as though he wants to hurt anyone. All the doors to the facility are locked, and the police are not wanting to enter because of the hostage situation."
Sora gasped. A HOSPITAL was being held up! He walked to the couch and sat next to Sam, watching the television.
"It looks as though the assailant just wants someone to be given medical treatment. We can't actually see inside the hospital at the time, but we will report back on the hour when a chopper is ready,"
Sora watched. He had a bad feeling about this. He...seriously had a bad feeling about this.
---
"Ow!" Riku hissed when the doctor touched his leg.
He hadn't expected Loz to pull a gun the second they walked into the hospital, and he really didn't notice the hospital to know Loz's name. He saw that Loz was apologizing for everything, saying that Kadaj wanted him to make a ruckus. Everyone understood and pretended to be hostages. One of the doctors walked up kindly, shook Loz's hand, and asked him a few questions about Riku. Then Riku had been pushed into a room, made change into one of those stupid hospital gowns, and now here he was, the doctor looking at his leg.
The old man scratched his chin and mused, "How on earth did this happen?"
"Brother was impatient and shot Riku in the leg," Loz said with a sigh, and then he walked next to Riku, "You think it's too infected to take care of?"
"We'll have to take off the rotted flesh. This is way to gone. We might even have to amputate," The doctor sighed, "You could have come much sooner,"
"AMPUTATED?"
It wasn't exactly Riku that made this outburst. It was...the guy next to him.
"Amputated?" Loz exclaimed, his tears forming all over again, "He can't get his leg chopped off!"
"You wont have to if your lucky," The doctor sighed, then had them follow him, "Since there's nothing else to worry about at the moment, we'll have to do it right now since you look like your in a hurry,"
"Nothing that's a inconvenience, I hope," Loz said, looking at the doctor with puppy dog eyes. The doctor sighed and smiled warmly.
"Nothing at all," He laughed, then had Riku follow him, "Now, to the surgery table,"
"Surgery?" Riku screamed it this time. He wrenched his hand away, "No one said anything about any surgery,"
"What?" Loz said with a glint in his eye, "You afraid?"
Riku flushed so bright that a tomato would be jealous, "N-n-n-no! I mean..."
"Come on, you'll be out cold," The doctor dragged Riku off, "After that X-ray, we affirmed that no bones are broken, and the bullet did in fact pass through the other side. You're very, very lucky about that. If the bullet was still in, you'd have a possibility of poisoning, or even greater infection,"
Riku's mind spun, and he looked at the doctor. The man had kindly given Riku a crutch, and they were slowly walking toward the end of the hall. Loz was calmly and nicely saying 'hi' to all the nurses there, them all saying 'hi' back. Man, this whole hospital must've seen him cry!
"In here," The doctor said, and Riku saw a whole staff of surgeons. He gulped.
"Don't worry,"
Riku watched in a daze as the doctors got everything ready. He didn't watch as they laid him down on the table, or as they did all those other things to get ready. Riku sighed, then saw the head doctor put one of those breathing masks over his mouth.
"Count backwards from ten," The doctor said, and Riku closed his eyes tight and did as he said. Ten. . . .nine. . . .eight. . . .seven. . .apple. . . .monkey . . . .banana cake. . . . .
---
Sora sighed, seeing as the Hospital thing wasn't what the reporter cracked it up to be. Turns out the assailant just stayed for about an hour or two, then disappeared. What a bore. Sora yawned, and Sam caught it.
"Oh! So-chan! I almost forgot about dinner, it's just about done now!" Sam clapped, stood, and walked into the kitchen. Sora looked at her in a daze. She had enough will power to cook the whole thing? Sora got pained at the thought of the last time she tried to cook. She'd started, but would stop and start to make something else every time she reminded herself that she was making something Riku would like.
Sora walked in and saw that she was gently setting the plate on the table. They were pancakes, and she was smiling with herself, her hands on her hips. She looked at Sora and smiled triumphantly, "Well, pancakes are done!"
"Thanks, Mrs. Nori," Sora said with a smiled.
Sam smiled wide, "Please, call me mom,"
Sora stood frozen, just Sam and him staring at each other. Did...she mean that? Or did she just slip up? Sam just tilted her head to the side, "so, are you?"
Sora smiled wide, a fluttering feeling in his stomach and heart growing, "Of course...uh...mom,"
Sam smiled wide, whistling loud for Solstice and Arthur to come to the table.
---
Loz smiled back at the doctor and ran with a knocked out Riku in his arms. They'd stayed an extra hour so that the doctor could put an IV of blood and other stuff into Riku, because the Doc said that Riku had lost too much blood.
The silver-haired man tip-toed to his car, having left from the back. He put Riku carefully in the front seat, setting the crutches next to him. Loz jumped into the front seat and drove off the driveway exit that was farthest from the reporters and public. He'd have to circle around in order to get back to the bar, but he didn't want the police on his ass. He sighed sadly, "I'm sorry, Riku,"
---
Whoa! Long Chapter, huh? Longest one yet, haha. I'm proud of myself. FOSHWA!