Chapter 6: A Peaceful Moment
Roxas tapped his finger against the freshly cleaned table. He leaned back in the metal chair, balancing on the back legs. The rain rhythmically tapped against the large café windows. He watched Kairi wipe down the rest of the tables.
"Do you usually stay this late?" he jokingly asked.
Kairi rolled her eyes and threw her dirty rag at him. "It's yours and Sora's fault!" She placed her hands on her wide hips. "You and him always come in here when I have a night shift and keep me here all night."
Kairi walked over to Roxas's table. She kicked the sleeping lump underneath. Sora let out a tired groan and rolled over.
"Hi, Kairi," he said in a groggy voice.
Kairi reached down. "We have to go, Sora. It's time for me to go." She tugged on his skinny arm.
Roxas leaned forward and slipped off his chair. "I'll carry him out", he offered. He grabbed Sora by her collar, lifting him up. Roxas slipped his arm under Sora's armpit and held him up enough for Sora to walk.
Sora tossed his head back. "Kairi, did I ever tell you that I love your red hair. It's so red. We need to make up a new name for your hair color."
Roxas half carried Sora out of the building as Kairi locked up behind them.
"How about... raspberry... cream?" Sora looked at Roxas and chuckled like a drunk man. "Raspberry cream... what do you think, Roxas?"
"I think-" Roxas turned his head away from Sora and froze. He stared down the dark street that was barely illuminated due to the heavy rain.
Kairi glanced worryingly at Roxas. "Are you okay?"
Roxas slowly loosened his hold on Sora, making him fall to the ground. Sora fell back as Kairi tried to catch him. Roxas felt his feet move from under him. His body began to subconsciously move as he stepped out into the pouring rain. Roxas didn't notice the chill of the rain as he moved a little faster down the street. His feet began to pick up the pace as his legs took longer strides. Before he knew it, he was running at full speed with the rain showering against him. His hot breath fogged in front of him as his muscles burned.
In front of him, he saw a small figure step on the railing on the bridge. He could see her luminescent skin and her short black hair that the rain weighed down. She was preparing to jump.
Everything moved so slow. Or maybe Roxas couldn't move fast enough. He pushed on ahead, but he felt like she was further away from him. He saw her leap. Slowly, she pushed out her body and lifted off the railing. For a moment it looked like she would fly away, but gravity was soon at hand and forced her down toward the rushing water.
"Xion!"
It's so cold.
Xion felt her body break through the surface of the water and sink down below. The sudden force of the water pushed Xion's frail body the channel. The current flipped her over and turned her around. Xion felt dizzy and disoriented. She reached her arm up, hoping to break through the surface. Her chest began to tighten as she held her breath. Xion continued to flail around, desperately kicking to find the surface.
She held something wrap out her waist. Startled, she opened her mouth to scream, but cold rain water poured through her mouth and filled her lungs. Xion began to choke and panicked, gasping for air. More water entered through her mouth and through her nostrils. Her sinuses intensely stung and she flailed around.
Xion felt herself be lifted up so her mouth was barely above the water. Xion spat out some water and coughed. Her throat felt raw as she coughed up water. Her nose was plugged up with water, making breathing difficult.
"I got you, Xion!" Roxas shouted as he tried to swim with the current. He bobbed up and down as he tried to hold them both up above the water. "Don't panic."
Her mind went blank as she tried to swim. Her head bobbed under the water. Roxas pulled her back up. He held his head up higher to keep his mouth away from the water. Up ahead he spotted a low hanging branch. He held Xion tightly as they got closer. Roxas reached up, his hand brushed against the thin branch as he grabbed up.
The forced of the current pushed hard against the two. Roxas felt like his arm was being ripped out as he held the branch for dear life. Roxas pulled himself and Xion against the current. He grinded his teeth and his muscles tore was the great force. He glanced down at a half conscious Xion.
"HrrrrrrrrrrrRRRRAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Roxas yowled painfully as he pulled them both up over the water. He scrapped his hand along the branch. His grip on Xion loosened. His shoulder hurt like a bitch but he persevered. Roxas had to save Xion from a cold watery death. His skin burned against her ice-cold skin.
Roxas drew near the slanted side of the channel that lead back up to the main road. He continued to rock back and forth and scooted along the branch.
Crrrk!
Roxas's heart dropped as he felt the branch suddenly lowered. The branch began to break off. "Shit!" Roxas screamed as the branch dropped them back into the water. It was barely attached to the rest of the branch. Roxas pulled himself closer to the branch. He looked at the ledge that was right in front of them.
If I pushed myself hard enough, I can grab that ledge in front of us.
Using the last ounce of strength he had left, Roxas pulled himself and Xion close enough to the ledge and he launched forward. He felt his body slap against the concrete as he latched on. He pulled Xion and himself up the side.
"Fuck!" He grabbed his right arm. There was a sharp pain in his shoulder. His heavy breathing fogged the air in front of him. He looked down at Xion. She looked very peaceful like she was sleeping. He almost didn't want to disturb her.
He touched her ice-cold skin. Roxas trailed his hand all the way to her neck and lightly pressed two fingers against her skin. He felt a light beat. He sighed in relief. Exhausted, he lied down next to Xion. "Everything will be alright, Xion," he whispered to her. "Everything will be alright."
"104.4."
The young male doctor took the thermometer from Xion. "It's better than yesterday, but you still have a long way to go."
After the incident, Xion was admitted to the hospital and was being treated for pneumonia. She has been there for almost a month and she had barely started recovering.
"I'll send for your meal," he said as he exited the room.
Xion has been stuck on an almost liquid diet since she's having a hard time digesting food. It wasn't so bad, but she missed eating candy. Xion leaned back against the large pillow, feeling her body morph with it and she sunk in. She closed her eyes.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Xion heard the distinctive three taps. "Come in," she said without opening her eyes.
"It's nice to see you when you're fully awake, Xion," she heard Roxas's deep voice. He always has a slight depressed tone in his voice even when he's happy. "You are awake, right?"
Xion opened one eye to gaze upon Roxas. She eyes were immediately drawn to the bright blue sling that supported his right arm. She now had both eyes opened. "How is it?"
"Oh, this?" Roxas looked down at his arm. "It's nothing. Doc said it'll heal in three more weeks, but I have to be carefully."
Xion looked down at her hands. "I'm... glad you're not seriously injured."
"I don't care about my arm, Xion. I just wished I would have gotten you outta the water fast enough." Roxas grabbed Xion's hand. It was so small and frail in his own. "I couldn't watch anyone else I care about die."
Xion was taken a back. "I-I couldn't take it anymore," she admitted. "Everyone's so abusive. When he ripped up my mother's blanket, that was the last straw."
"Who did, Xion."
"My foster dad."
Roxas pulled up a chair to sit beside Xion's bed. "You're adopted?"
Xion nodded. "My parents gave me away when I was a baby and I lived in a foster home until I was 5 when he adopted me."
Roxas leaned in closer to listen.
"His name's Vexen. He was really sweet and he was a scientist. He was really good at what he did. He used to always play with me and called me his princess. However, one day, something went wrong and he wasn't the same anymore. He became distant and cold. Eventually he started drinking. Heavily. That's when he got abusive. I lived in fear of him for so long. I forget that he's suppose to be my dad." Xion brushed some of her hair back. "I used to have long hair," she went on. "But it was so easy to grab so I cut it short."
Roxas smiled. "Well you can start growing it out again because when you're released, you're coming home with him."
Xion stared at him wide-eyed. "R-really?"
Roxas eagerly nodded.
"Thank you, Roxas."
Roxas reached into his back pocket and pulled out his beaten old wallet. He opened it up and pulled out a small photo. "Here." He handed it to Xion.
"What's this?" Xion examined the photo. It was an older photo of a man and a woman both in their early 30's. The man had light brown hair and steel grey eyes while the woman had beautiful blonde hair and bright green eyes. Both looked very attractive and happy.
"Those are my parents," Roxas explained. "When I was younger, I watched my parents get in a car accident. They died in the impact. I was devastated and felt orphaned, but I had my older brother who took care of me."
Xion handed back the photo. "I would have never guessed."
Roxas faintly smiled. "I would have never guessed either. Look, Xion. I just want to be there for you like how my brother was there for me."
Xion looked down at her slender hands. "I want to be... with you Roxas." She raised her head up and smiled a genuine smile.
Roxas felt his palms begin to shake as his heart slightly raced. "Um.. er..." There was a lump in his throat as he gazed upon Xion's smiling face. His eyes ceaselessly flickered over the different features of her small face. Xion didn't quite look 18. Her face was a little rounder, giving her a younger appearance. His eyes traced up from her light pink lips that curled up into a smile and raised her cheekbones, making them chubbier. Slowly, he gazed up into her eyes. They were a deep blue. like the ocean, or like a sapphire as they reflected the world in her eyes. Roxas saw his faint reflection. He wondered how Xion saw him.
A soft golden light broke through the window and warmed Xion. She was like a heavenly being. Xion quickly snapped her head to the window. "Roxas, look!"
Roxas gaped at the view. The view from the upper floor overlooked most of the heart of the city. The sun slowly sank into the horizon. It turned the entire world into a golden hue. He blinked several times to burn the image into his mind. Roxas felt like he could stay there forever watching the sunset.
He wanted to remain in this peaceful moment with Xion by his side.