Disclaimer : Kingdom hearts and its characters do not belong to me.
Please, forgive me for the mistakes I probably didn't see while correcting this chapter.
oooOOOooo
Falling asleep proved to be a huge problem that night. Riku kept thinking about his fight with Naminé, Sora couldn't get his mind off Axel's sudden interest in him, Demyx and Zexion had their own reason which wasn't as bad as their friends' and Naminé was thinking about the same thing as Riku. As for Kairi, her stomach just killed her. The pain had grown stronger and stronger during the rest of the afternoon and she absolutely had no idea why. She had tried relaxing herself with deep breathes, drank some tea, took medicine but the pain was still there. It got to the point she felt almost nauseous.
"Man, I should just go to the bathroom," the redhead thought, thinking that maybe she just needed to use the toilet.
Naminé opened her eyes tiredly, a bit annoyed to be woken up when she had finally fallen asleep. She stifled a yawn and closed her eyes again. Time passed and Kairi didn't come back. The blonde frowned and sat up, taking a look at her alarm clock. It had been about a half hour since her roommate had entered the bathroom. Sleep left her, soon replaced by worry. What could take her so long?
Naminé got up and walked towards the door, knocking on it softly.
"Kairi? Are you alright?" she asked, frowning when a shaky voice answered her that everything was fine. Of course, she didn't buy it. "I'm entering, okay?" she warned as she grabbed the doorknob and began to turn it. She didn't expect what was behind the closed door.
The redhead was bent over on the floor, her hands clutching her stomach. And there was blood.
sOxOs
Sora and Riku weren't even asleep when the silver-haired boy's cell phone rang. He answered it, listened intently, said a few things pretty loudly before he hung up and threw his phone on his night stand and got up.
"Sora, wake up," he told his friend, finding the light switch and blinding both of them for a short while.
"I wasn't sleeping," the brunet stated as he watched his friend finding a pair of pants and putting them on quickly. "What's wrong?"
"Naminé just called. She's in the hospital with Kairi."
It was all that was needed for the blue-eyed teen to follow his friend out of the dorm in the middle of the night. Sora asked Riku what had happened to their friend but the blonde hadn't told her boyfriend anything, just that she was at the hospital. When they made it there, an awkward silence surrounded them. Riku and Naminé didn't seem on speaking terms as Sora guessed and he just wished Kairi was alright and would be back soon.
Somehow, his wish was granted when the girl got out of a room a few feet away from them. The couple was first to go see her and ask how she was doing. Kairi remained silent and tried to smile at them but when her eyes met Sora's, she couldn't hold the tears that were threatening to fall any longer. She ran towards him and hugged him tightly, still not saying anything. She cried for a long time and when she eventually calmed down, she didn't let go of Sora's hand. She was holding it tight and even hurting him but he said nothing and just squeezed it back.
sOxOs
"That's so horrible," Demyx whispered the next day, frowning. "And it was her first, too."
"I've heard it's not unusual to have a miscarriage when you get pregnant for the first time. I never thought it could hurt someone so much, though," Naminé replied, looking down at her lap and biting her bottom lip.
"I guess Sora's staying with her," Zexion stated as he tentatively ate some mashed potatoes. He wasn't that hungry after such news but he figured he'd need to eat if he wanted to follow all his classes in the afternoon.
"We exchanged beds so that she could stay with him. It seems like she doesn't want to see anyone else," Riku stated, pushing his tray so that the smell of his food didn't reach him. Like the others, he wasn't hungry at all.
"And… How come she… Well," the blond asked. He couldn't find the courage to finish his question.
"The doctors said it was caused by stress. It's no wonder she would be nervous after the latest events in her life," the blonde explained, soon heaving a sigh.
"Don't you think we should tell Hayner?" Demyx asked cautiously. No one talked for a moment. Right, it was also Hayner's baby but did he still consider himself a father? How would Kairi take it if they told him? Wouldn't it make things worse? But on the other hand, there was a probability that things turned for the best if the boy tried to talk to the redhead.
"Sora might know," Zexion offered when no one dared to give an opinion. It seemed like the small group was relieved when he talked and gave, as usual, a good advice.
It would have to wait, though, since they all had classes to go to and Kairi and Sora had left the dorm to go for a walk into town. The brunet thought it might do good to his friend but his efforts didn't have much success. Eventually, they decided – or rather, Sora decided to stop in a small coffee shop to take a break before they continued their stroll.
The smell of hot cocoa did wonders to his tense body and he relaxed in his seat as he let the wonderful smell work its magic. But lately, it was as if things didn't go right and as a result, he didn't have much time to relax.
"I want another baby," the redhead eventually said. It was the first words she had said since they came back from the hospital. The brunet sitting before her didn't know what to say, afraid he might only make her more upset. Still, he dared to try.
"I'm sure you'll find someone soon, Kairi. And you guys will have the cutest child," he tried to cheer her up but all the girl did was heave a long, long sigh.
"I'd love my child to have your eyes. They're really beautiful, you know? And your skin too. I don't want them to have mine and look like they're sick. It's so pale," she confided.
Sora so didn't like where this was going.
"Maybe…" she hesitated, looking at everything but him. "Maybe you could help me with that?"
"Kairi!" he exclaimed, though he hadn't meant to react so strongly.
"What? It'd only be a matter of a few minutes. I swear I won't bother you once I'm pregnant. I could even move to another town if you want! Please, Sora, don't say no!" she now begged, her eyes already shimmering with tears.
"I can't, Kairi. You know I wouldn't be able to live knowing I have a child somewhere that I'm not even taking care of. No, you're asking me too much," he stated, clenching his fists when his reply made his friend cry. He reached a hand out and put it on Kairi's. "Listen, you're just confused right now and probably even angry. Don't make such decisions when you're in such a state. You'll only regret it later," he said in a soft voice, his gaze not leaving the redhead's eyes once. He was even amazed she was actually listening to him.
"So, you really won't do it?" she asked, trying to convince him one last time but the shake of his head was firm and let her know he wouldn't change his mind.
"Maybe you hate me for it now but someday, you'll thank me, for sure," the blue-eyed boy said as he let go of the girl's hand. Her eyes widened slightly at his words and she shook her head vigorously.
"I'll never hate you, Sora. Not today nor later," Kairi told him truthfully.
He sure hoped she was right.
sOxOs
They finished their drinks and went back to the dorms. It was obvious Kairi wanted to rest for a while so Sora didn't refuse. He asked her if he should stay with her but she just told him to go to his classes. He wasn't sure this was a good idea but left nonetheless. He wouldn't go too far from his room, just in case. As he made his way to the entrance of the dorms, he spotted Demyx running towards him, a worried expression on his face. The brunet waited for him with raised eyebrows.
"What are you doing here, Demyx? Shouldn't you be in class?" the younger asked curiously, tilting his head to the side.
"Yeah, I should. Just told the teacher I needed to use the bathroom," the blond explained, trying to catch his breath at the same time.
"In the dorms?"
"That was a lie, Sora," the older answered, wanting to laugh but refraining himself from doing so. Now wasn't the time to joke. "I've got something really important to ask you so listen carefully, 'kay?" When the blue-eyed teen nodded in agreement, he continued. "Naminé told us about Kairi's baby and, well, we were wondering if Hayner should know too. It was also his child, after all," he said, whispering the last few words when Sora's face turned into a scowl.
Obviously, he didn't like the idea. "Yeah, I know," the younger muttered, folding his arms across his chest. "What do you think Hayner will do once he knows?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well… Either he'll just pretend as if nothing happened or he'll want to see Kairi and maybe… Maybe he'd want to date her seriously this time. I don't really want him near her but if that's what she needs to be happy again, I guess I could make an effort," the brunet admitted with a small pout.
"So we tell him?" Demyx asked, waiting for Sora's confirmation. When the latter nodded in agreement, the blond patted him on the shoulder, offering him a small smile to cheer him up. He then turned around and ran back to class before the teacher considered he was gone for too long and got suspicious.
The brunet watched him leave, then muttered under his breath once the other boy couldn't hear him any more. Somehow, he hoped Hayner would ignore Kairi, even if it was really selfish of him. After all, he was the one who had helped her through everything. It wouldn't be fair to be cast aside now.
"Since when do I think like that? As long as Kairi's fine, then so am I," the brunet murmured, clenching his fists. Right, he was going to stick to that, no matter what would happen from now on. He nodded vigorously, only to stop when he felt arms wrapping around his slim waist from behind. His body tensed and he didn't dare turn his head to see who it was.
"What are you doing, standing here and nodding to yourself?" a deep voice whispered in his ear. Sora relaxed, recognizing it almost immediately.
"Please, don't scare me like that, Axel. You know it's bad for my heart," the blue-eyed teen joked, turning around so that he could look at the redhead. He took a step back to free himself from the embrace and offered his boyfriend a wide smile.
"You're talking like an old man," Axel teased before he gave the brunet a peck on the cheek, which made said brunet blush a dark red. "Hey, what are you doing in the dorms? Skipping class?"
"You mean you don't know?" Sora asked, lifting a single eyebrow, his expression soon mirrored by the taller boy. "But the guys talked about it during lunch."
"I didn't have lunch with them. They were going to their afternoon classes when I entered the cafeteria," Axel replied, crossing his arms. "Did something happen?"
Sora wondered if he should tell him about Kairi's miscarriage. It felt like gossiping but not telling Axel wasn't right, was it? After all, he was one of his close friends too. Besides, Axel wasn't the type to gossip.
"Kairi lost her baby," the brunet stated, suddenly finding the floor much more interesting than his lover's face. The redhead said nothing but Sora could hear faint noises as the taller opened, and then closed his mouth, probably wanting to say something but not managing to. "As you can guess, she's not feeling too good so I'm staying with her until she feels better."
"I understand," the taller replied, scratching the back if his neck. "So, err, do you mind if I stay with you or do you want me to…" he began, biting his bottom lip.
"Stay," Sora told him, eventually lifting his gaze from the ground to Axel's bright, green eyes. "She wants to stay alone for a while and, well, I don't really know what to do now. I'd appreciate some company."
"So, you only need me until she wants to see you again?" the redhead asked with a straight face. When Sora's eyes doubled in size, he continued. "I was just kidding, don't worry."
They ended up walking in the building's corridors, talking about everything, from small events to school in general. Axel liked to talk about his classes and even though Sora didn't understand half of it, he still liked to listen to him. It was evident the redhead liked his studies and was trying his hardest to pass his exams, never hesitating to sacrifice a night's sleep to study. That was something Sora could never do and it made him look up to his lover even more. It was already impressive Axel was one of the few students who made it to their second year in college and the brunet was sincerely proud of him. He could still remember that party they all had to celebrate the end of another school year. The green-eyed boy was so ecstatic that he got accepted. Sora didn't remember much of what happened next, though, except for the fact he had kissed Axel. But even that was forgotten by him until Axel told him. He had been so embarrassed at that time.
"Back to Kairi's issue, I think you made the right choice," the redhead told his friend when the previous conversation died. "Hayner has the right to know."
"Yeah, even if I don't like him all that much any more," Sora replied with a cute pout. "He's pained her so much."
"Everyone makes mistakes, you know. We're only humans," Axel told him wisely, looking at the big, blue sky that reminded him so much of the younger boy next to him. It looked just as pure and somehow unreachable even though it seemed so close to him. "I'm sure he's not as bad as you think he is."
"Maybe," the brunet replied with a small shrug. "Can we go back to my room now? I don't want to leave her alone for too long."
"Sure."
sOxOs
Unfortunately for the two boys, especially Sora, fate had decided that he wouldn't see his room again before a long while. When the two entered the brunet's room, Kairi wasn't alone. It seemed that Hayner already knew about her miscarriage and had decided to visit her. So, the couple decided to go for another walk until the blond left.
"The guys told me about the baby. I met Demyx a few minutes ago," Hayner began softly, his gaze not meeting the redhead's.
"I see. I was wondering how you knew," Kairi whispered, not looking at him either. It just felt too awkward after all the things he had told her a few days ago.
"I'm sorry," the blond added, glancing at her. She looked exhausted and pale. Her beautiful eyes looked dull as if she was an empty shell, which she was in a way.
"It wasn't your fault," the girl replied with a small shake of her head.
"I think it was," Hayner insisted, eventually sitting beside her on the bed and taking her hand in his. She looked at him when she felt him squeeze it softly. "I acted like a real jerk and… And maybe our child would still be alive if I hadn't acted the way I did. I was so mad at the time I didn't realize what I was saying until Sora hit me. Then, I was mad at myself and I just took it out on him, I guess."
"You should apologize to him, you know. He's really mad at you. He only wanted to protect me," Kairi explained as she stared at their joined hands.
"I will. I have to because… Well," the blond began, looking away again. That aroused Kairi's curiosity and she looked at his blushing face.
"You have to because?" the girl said in a gentle voice.
"Do you hate me, Kairi?" Hayner suddenly asked, still looking elsewhere. He bit his bottom lip and the quivering of his hand let the redhead know he felt extremely nervous at that moment.
"Of course I don't. What is it you're trying to say?"
Finally, and slowly, the blond turned his head to stare at her and all she could see in his eyes was determination. He held her hand a little tighter and sat a bit closer.
"Could we… I mean, I want to date you. I know I've hurt you and I'm not asking you to forgive me because I don't deserve it. All I want is another chance to prove how dear you are to me," he stated with a slightly trembling voice. He almost jumped when the girl sat up, placed her hands on his red cheeks and pecked him on the lips.
"I'd love to," she replied in a soft voice. She soon started chuckling, now confusing Hayner. What was so funny? "But really, that was so cliché."
"Sorry," he mumbled, soon adding a soft "and thank you" before he kissed her. That small gesture was all Kairi needed to move on.
A while later, Sora and Axel came back and the new couple told them the great news. Well, they were great for everyone except Sora who still held a grudge against Hayner but they all figured it would go pretty soon. Kairi went to the cafeteria to eat dinner with everyone and all felt relieved when she was almost as cheerful as usual.
"Is this guy really your boyfriend this time, Kairi?" Demyx teased the girl with a huge grin on his face. She laughed a bit and assured him that it was serious. The musician then kept joking with the new lovers while Riku had his eyes on his brunet friend who seemed pretty close to Axel, all of a sudden. It truly bothered him to see them so friendly and touchy-feely. Was it that necessary for Axel to keep his hand on Sora's shoulder all the time?
"He warned you, didn't he?" the silver-haired boy heard Zexion whisper to him as he pointed at Demyx.
"Yeah, he did," Riku muttered with a frown. "I didn't think he'd be so quick, though."
"Axel's not the kind of guy to wait when he can get what he wants immediately," the older boy replied, silently wondering if he should eat all of his pasta and not his dessert. But that pie seemed so delicious, it would be a waste to throw it. Zexion put his fork down and reached out to grab his slice of pie. "I see your relationship with Naminé is quite a mess right now," he commented as if it were a common thing to say.
"You bet," the aquamarine-eyed boy said with a small laugh that surely wasn't a happy one. "I think she wants to dump me but she's said nothing yet."
"Well, look on the bright side : when she dumps you, all you'll have to do is wait for Sora and Axel to break up so that you can date him," the slate-haired boy stated before he took a bite of his dessert.
"What if they don't? What if they like being together?" Riku asked, now really nervous. He then blinked a few times. "Wait a minute… They're actually together?!"
"That's pretty obvious," Zexion stated with a raised eyebrow.
"I just thought he was being too friendly!" the silver-haired boy exclaimed, his outburst catching a few people's attention at their table. He coughed a bit before he continued : "I mean, Sora really is gay, then?"
"Looks like it to me but I can't be too sure. Maybe he just didn't want to say no so he accepted. That or he is gay," the older replied with a shrug.
"Why didn't he tell me?" the silver-haired boy whined, letting his forehead hit the table softly. "That dumbass."
"Why didn't you tell him?" Zexion asked and when the younger lifted his head up and looked at him, he added : "One of the things you should learn is that you'll get nothing if you keep waiting for the other part to make the first move. Especially if it concerns Sora."
As if to emphasize his words, Zexion pointed at Sora who was doing nothing to return Axel's obviously sincere feelings towards him. The brunet was still acting like the redhead was one of his good friends and the sight made the slate-haired boy sorry for Axel. He figured Sora would be less shy as his relationship grew stronger, if it ever did.
"Axel's the only one being so lovey-dovey. Maybe Sora doesn't like him that much?" Riku wondered aloud, raising an eyebrow.
"You never showed your attraction to Sora even though you like him," the older stated.
Riku didn't answer and simply sighed. What could he say to this? Zexion was right.
sOxOs
The rest of the week was mostly uneventful. Hayner sat again with his friends at the cafeteria, much to Sora's annoyance but he never said it out loud. He figured he should give the blond another chance but that didn't mean he'd do it right now.
Naminé and Riku had yet to make up but from the way they both avoided each other, it seemed like they'd break up soon and possibly wouldn't be on speaking terms after that. It worried everyone because that meant one of them would probably leave their small group and that was something no one wanted.
"Man, this is so messed up," Axel complained one afternoon in his dorm room. Sora had decided to see him for a short while so that the redhead could take a break in his studies and Kairi had joined him without really asking if she could. It wasn't like she wasn't welcomed anyway.
"Yeah, it's getting worse and worse," the girl agreed with a small shake of her head. "Naminé and I talked for a while yesterday and she decided to definitely stop seeing him. I think she's going to tell him tonight or sometime soon. She's really pissed."
"You bet. They were supposed to get married next month," Axel stated with a shrug. "How come it turned out that way so suddenly?"
"It's not sudden at all. Actually, I'm surprised they didn't fight sooner," Kairi confided, frowning lightly. "It's been a while since Naminé wondered why they never got further than kissing. I'd be worried too if I were in her place."
"Maybe Riku's the kind of guy who waits until marriage to have sex?" the green-eyed boy offered, raising his eyebrows. "I wouldn't understand his decision but it's not impossible, right?"
"Riku's not like that," Sora eventually intervened, looking thoughtful. "If he wants to say or do something, he doesn't wait and just go for it. There's something else…"
An awkward silence followed his sentence, each knowing what that something could be. Was Riku seeing someone else? The more Sora thought about it, the more he found the idea stupid. He'd have known it if his best friend was cheating on Naminé. Besides, it wasn't like Riku at all to betray people. What he didn't think of was the possibility his childhood friend might like someone but didn't say it.
"I think I should talk to him," the brunet suddenly stated, determined. "I'll have him tell me what's destroying his relationship and help him. That's what I should do as his best friend."
"Well, I don't like this," Axel told his lover, pouting. "I don't want him to try and ask you to help him get better, if you know what I mean."
"You're not seriously thinking this, are you?" Kairi asked, raising a single eyebrow. There was a hint of a smile on her lips and from hearing her voice, it was clear she'd burst out laughing any moment now.
"I shouldn't? They're roommates and best friends. It wouldn't be so surprising," the redhead retorted, now pouting and blushing a little.
"It's ridiculous! Riku wouldn't!" Sora exclaimed as his face turned a deep red. He truly hoped he'd forget soon and wouldn't think about this when he talked to his friend but he knew it wasn't likely.
"Alright, do as you want but don't come crying on my shoulder when he molests you," Axel muttered, turning around on his chair to face his desk and study.
Well, that surprised the two other students, to say the least. Was he jealous just because of this? That thought made the brunet frown. Axel wouldn't possibly ask him to choose between his best friend and his lover, right?
"I'm thinking too much again," Sora thought, shaking his head. He then rose to his feet and left the older boy, Kairi following suit but not without glancing between the two lovers.
"I can't believe he said something like that!" the brunet exclaimed once he was alone with Kairi. "Does he really think Riku's that kind of guy?"
"Don't take it to heart, Sora. Maybe he was in a bad mood and took it out on you. I'm not saying he's right to do this but, well, it would explain his reaction," the redhead replied with a small shrug. "It's nothing to worry about."
"If you say so…" the blue-eyed boy muttered with a pout.
Thanks to Axel's words, he now felt really nervous about being in the same room as Riku. But the younger figured his lover was simply being jealous and didn't want Sora to be close to another man and truly, Axel had every reason to react this way but no one knew it. For now.
oooOOOooo
I get the feeling my chapters are shorter and shorter. Oo; I'm sorry it took so long to update. School began a while back and of course homework wasn't far behind. Thanks a bunch for your patience and I hope you liked this chapter! D Thanks for your reviews, too! I truly appreciate each of them. X3
