"As long as we remember each other, we'll never be apart."
Track of time was something he had lost while watching her lay almost motionless along the side of the lake, dipping her hand in and out of the freezing water repeatively for as long as he could remember. It was true, he did feel bad for her, for the outcome of these circumstances she was brought upon with. But there was nothing anyone of them could do now as to help or reassure her with while being at least a tad bit truthful for that matter; She deserved that much in respect.
He knew that being here now , watching and waiting for the right moment to approach her was going against her only wishing but like Sora believed and so strictly stated 'No one deserved to be alone'. And with that thought printed inside his head, he walked over to the girl who acted as if she did not notice he was there. She didn't say anything nor change her behavior as he sat down next to her with his legs crossed over one another so his feet would not be in the water. He didn't know if it was a good thing she wasn't lashing out at him or if it was something far worse then he thought but he shrugged it off anyways and stared off across the lake awaiting for the right time to speak to her.
He sighed through his nose before speaking to her in a soft yet demanding voice. "We should go back now."
The girl didn't say anything for quite some time and he was worried in case she hadn't heard him speak, but when she sat up with her knee's to her chest, he knew she heard him loud and clear but was choosing to ignore him. He should have expected much though, time was not going to be able to heal this broken heart, it was going to take so much more then that if not far more time then this. "You know…" He started off as she looked at him in the corner of her brown eyes. "He's never truly gone, unless you believe he is." This time, he was certain she had heard him for she had turned her head in his view to give him a rather puzzled look. "This boy, he is going to be living on through your memories of him. If you keep him there, in your heart, no matter where he is, there is always a little piece of him that is going to stay with you through everything and everywhere."
There was a short silence between them after he spoke those words to her and he was then afraid she had chosen to ignore him once more . But when he turned to look at her directly, he saw she had her head hung low, her hands clinched in fists and tears were strolling down her already tear stained cheeks. "But that's not good enough." She whimpered out as she snapped her head in his direction with pleading yet innocent eyes that made him feel so sorry for her.
With those eyes and small voice, he almost felt bad for what he had to say next but it had to be said. He wasn't going to lie, he wasn't going to sugar coat it; that wasn't reality. "But that's as good as you're going to get."
Shock was the only emotion viewable on her delicate face as the words sunk in her head slowly. After he said those word's , he didn't know how she would take them but caring about that was not on his list. The only thing he was currently worried about was getting her back inside without having him to forcefully bring her in. If he could save energy by trying to convince her, then he would resort to that before having to settle for picking her up and dragging her; That was the last opinion and he was running short on them as time had passed between them and no word's escaped her parted lips.
What he could admit though while watching her nod her head then turn to stare back down at the ground was that he desperately wanted to know what exactly was going through her head at that moment that caused her not to speak. Her eyes showed that her mind was reeling through all kinds of thoughts that left him quite curious, but he had too much pride to ask and show her his curiosity bubbling about her.
After standing up and brushing off his pant's, he looked down at the girl and offered her his hand which she studied for a few minutes before accepting. His leg's carried him to walk off towards the direction of the little cabin that they had owned over by the mountain's, but a hand on his shirt held him back. Jessica's hand was clinched onto his shirt as she had her head hung down trying hard to prevent the tear's from cascading once more from her eyes. But when she looked up at his soften expression towards her, his eyes showing such pity for the young girl, her sob's became hysterics as she threw herself onto his chest and held him tight which his body stiffened from such connection.
Her arm's that were wrapped around his lower abdomen , became tighter and tighter with every cry she made. She held onto him as tight as she could, feeling as if that was the only thing that was going to be able to hold her together. The girl's mind was on the bridge of denial about the death of her loved one, which was the only thing saving her from insanity. If she was to have accept such fact, her mind would have been lost for good and that's what worried most for her sake.
The boy with long brown hair had not expected this from her which caused him to stare down at her with confusion masking over his rough features. She looked so small, so vulnerable to the world and all in it that it made him feel so weak from not being able to protect her from such circumstances as these and probably the many more to come. The only thing he could do now was hold her against him and let her cry for her final good bye to the lost one.
They stayed like that for a while, until the girl's cries had turned into small sniffles and whimpers. "Thank you…" She whispered as she pulled away from him to whip her eyes with the back of her hands. His only response was a smile which she bitterly returned and with that, they began their journey back to the entrance of the forest in which they had came.
He was quite surprised that, that was all it took for her to come back with him, but he figured it was probably because she was tired. Blaming her for that was something he was not going to do, she had been crying for a while as well as running before hand, which seemed to have drained her of most of her energy. His thoughts were proven correct when he noticed her stumbling behind him , trying not to fall over from lack of fatigue.
"Get on." He said when he had stopped in front of her, and bent his knee's far down so that she would be able to climb up on top of his back.
The girl's eyes gazed over him then shook her head at the request which he sighed in response to. "I know you're tired, just get on so that we can get back or this is going to take all day." His reply was, which caused the girl to roll her eyes at but none the less, slowly but surely made it onto his back then wrapped her legs and arm's around him in a tight grip afraid of falling off his tall structure.
Jessica's cheek rested against his shoulder as he carried her throughout the forest and within a couple minutes, her eyes gave up the fight occurring within herself and slowly closed. It felt like weights were pulling at the bottom of her eye lid's which in return, she refused to fight against any longer as her breathing became at a regular yet slow pace.
After a few more moments, the girl was fast asleep on the boy's back but her grip on him was still as tight as ever, Leon noted, even if she was currently asleep. The man continued to walk through the forest, avoiding rock's in which he would stumble over and possibly wake the young girl. He liked it better now that she was asleep, he didn't have to feel guilty each time her sob's turned into hysterics or when her innocent and tear glazed eyes met up with his curious ones. With her being asleep, it would be oh so much easier to bring her back in this state rather then in a hysterical one; She became irrational and unable to control nor persuade when like that which no one was able to handle, not even her closest friends who have known her for years.
Along the way out of the forest, they were met with a spiked blond who was found leaning against an oak tree with his arms crossed and his head lowered to the ground, eyes closed. As if sensing his comrade's approach, his head snapped up to the man but did not say a word when they stood face to face in front of another. His blue piercing eyes traveled to the bundle upon his back which he cocked an eye brow up to but still did not speak vocally but with his eyes rather.
His friend, comrade, Leon, shrugged his shoulders gently before speaking. "She was tired and was taking up too much time attempting at walking on her own." He responded to the silent question that was hanging on the tip of the other man's lips awaiting to be spoken.
The blond nodded his head before his eyes met his friends once more. "So she's asleep , I'm assuming?" He finally spoke in a quiet but calm tone of voice.
"Fast asleep since she climbed on." Leon stated with amusement coating his word's. "I thought you were going to handle her, Cloud?"
Cloud raised both eye brows up at his statement rather then question as he pushed himself off the tree to stand beside his friend with a stern expression. "I was going to offer my help, but when I came it didn't look like you needed it." He said referring to the moment when the girl stood there hugging Leon and crying into his chest with his arm's wrapped around her.
"Before then would have been nice." The brunette retorted with a roll of his eyes as Cloud flipped his bangs out of his eyes before walking forward, Leon trailing not far behind while attempting to boast the girl more up on his back.
'Isn't this what users do when they're sad to say goodbye?'