Heya, me again. For those of you getting irritated by Sora's out of character and whiny, bratty behavior and regarless of Riku's absence he shouldn't be like that... well its for effect, all will become clear as the story progresses. Anyway, just wanted to say that, on with the story!
Golden Sunrise and a Gentle Reply
Sora's eyes flickered open, the sunlight streaming through foreign curtains onto his face as he slowly woke up. The curtains were a cream color instead of the pastel blue ones of his bedroom; in fact not one room in his house had cream curtains. He preferred bright colors and Riku had been more than happy to agree.
Riku…
Sora's eyes widened to sizes that shouldn't have been possible as he bolted upright in the bed he lay in, the covers rustling and being thrown aside as his legs flailed to be free.
"Whoa! Hey! Don't do that!" A startled voice yelled, accompanied by the thud of someone falling off of something, "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"
Sora knew that voice, his head turned to look in the direction of where it came and saw Roxas on the floor in heap, his legs on the chair he had presumably being sat on only moments ago. The dark blond was holding a wet cloth in one hand and he looked as though he hadn't slept in a few days. The brunet knew that look well; he had recently become accustomed to greeting it in the bathroom mirror when he'd been able to get to the bathroom.
"Roxas…" His voice was dry and cracked terribly, he hadn't used it in a while and it showed, "W… where am I? This… this is your room… isn't it?"
Roxas clambered to his feet and dusted himself off, discarding the wet cloth in a bowl on the nightstand; he nodded to Sora and sat back down on the chair, "Yeah… Axel and I found you collapsed on the beach two days ago."
"T-two days?!" Sora choked, his eyes widening again.
Roxas nodded again to his startled friend, "You've been asleep for a very long time. Axel originally carried you back to your house but we found that you had absolutely nothing in to eat and your medical supplies consisted of aspirin and an emergency condom." Sora blushed and Roxas shook his head exasperatedly, "Do you know how much we've been worried about you?!" He cried. Sora leant back in the bed to get away from the shouting blond, "Axel was absolutely terrified to get a doctor in here incase they thought something godforsaken and earth-shatteringly terrible had happened or we'd been abusing you or something! The entire Island knows you, Sora, and this behavior is so unlike you people would believe we had! I've been keeping you alive, Sora! I've been giving you everything I could just to keep you alive!"
Suddenly the blond swayed on his feet, a hand shakily touching his forehead as he staggered backwards, knocking the chair over and slumping against the dresser behind him. Sora's mouth parted as words readied to be yelled, his muscles tensing; ready to run across the room and catch Roxas incase he fell.
"I… I g-gave you e-everything I-I c-could…" Roxas stammered; his face flushing and eyes narrowing.
Sora saw his friend begin to slide down the dresser, "Roxas!" He yelled, his hand shooting out as he tried to leave the bed, but despite his orders his body couldn't bring itself to move so suddenly when it had been bedridden for two days.
There was a sudden red blur from the door and Axel was on the scene, Roxas held firmly in his arms, supporting him gently and guiding him over to the bed. He lifted the unconscious teen into the bed beside Sora and removed Roxas' shoes before tucking the covers around his boyfriend's form. Sora's brow creased with guilt and worry as he watched Roxas face, gingerly he pushed his legs off the bed and made to stand when the room seemed to shift, the floor bending unnaturally beneath his toes until he was swaying just like Roxas had a moment ago.
A hand caught his upper arm and steadied him, carefully helping to move forwards, Axel offered him a reassuring smile and the quietly left the room so as not to disturb the blond. They made their way downstairs with Sora leaning heavily against Axel until they made it to the kitchen where Sora gratefully sat in a chair as Axel began to busy himself with cooking.
"Axel..?" Sora asked tentatively, Axel grunted, "…What's wrong with Roxas? Why did he just collapse like that?" He feared the answer yet desperately needed to know.
Axel's movements stopped what they were doing and something in the frying pan began to sizzle and spit, "Roxas has…" The redhead really didn't want to make Sora feel guilty, God knows the burnet didn't need it but he had asked, and he wasn't going to lie to The Light, "Roxas has that special power, right?" Sora nodded slowly, "Well, he somehow managed to give you his energy and possibly life through it. I don't know the extent of what he's done because he wouldn't tell me." Axel began to cook again, the smell of sausages wafted over to Sora.
When once that aroma would have made him weak at the knees with want, it barely even affected it. If anything, it made his stomach turn in disgust, "Roxas… Roxas has been giving me his life?"
Axel turned away from the pan to look at Sora evenly, "Look at your body, Sora." Sora looked, he was covered in lots of cuts, clean cuts that hadn't even properly scabbed but weren't bleeding and plasters were dotted here and there to cover presumably larger cuts. Then he saw through the vest top he still wore, his ribs were frighteningly prominent.
There was a loud bang as Axel's hand slammed down on the table in front of him, he jumped and leant away from the suddenly angry, green-eyed seventeen year old. The triangular tattoos under his eyes on his cheeks suddenly not looking as cool as Sora had always thought…
"A-Axe-"
"Just when was the last friggin' time you ate?!" Axel demanded, his face close to Sora's and frowned in fury, "You are making all of us worry like hell! Kari's paranoid you've died, I've had to stop Demyx four times from taking an axe to your front door, Namine hasn't said a word about anything for ages, she's like a ghost they way she just walks by as if not even there and Roxas… Roxas has steadily been getting worse." The older teen sighed a drew back from Sora's personal space bubble, letting the little brunet breathe easy before continuing with more control, "I can understand you are distraught and really worried about Riku and everything; believe me we all are and I know you are feeling it more than anyone on account of how you and him are in love… but, Sor… you have to stay strong for him."
Sora's eyes were on his hands as he listened, tears trickling softly down his cheeks as he tried to speak, "I… I… I n-never w-wanted… I j-just…" He put his face in his hands as Axel's face softened and he went over to Sora, putting his arms around the sobbing brunet, "I c-can't be st-strong!"
Axel 'shushed' him gently and patted his hair, with being so close to Sora and thanks to Roxas 'power sharing' Axel could feel the emotions Sora was weighed under by, "It'll be okay… ssh… everything is going to be alright, I promise." Sora gripped Axel's shoulders tightly and sobbed noisily, the dam being broken to the pit of his sorrow and Axel just happened to be the one who had offered the shoulder to cry on, "Riku will come home or I will make one mouse wish he had never been born…"
Sora suddenly pulled back, his eyes wet and red but staring wildly, "Where's the letter?!"
Axel raised an eyebrow, "Letter…?"
Sora rose from his seat and passed Axel in a shaky frenzy as he looked round the kitchen, then on into the living room. His hands were trembling and clutching at everything like it contained nectar of the Gods or something, Axel followed utterly confused.
"Sora? What letter?" The redhead asked softly.
The brunet whirled around, "The letter I specifically went down to the beach to find! The letter Riku wrote to me! I have to have it, I need it!" Sora went to the door, looking down by the coat rack for something, Axel was sure isn't what the letter now.
"What are you looking for now?"
"My shoes." Sora said simply.
Axel's eyes widened in shock, "You can not be serious! You have been destroying yourself for nearly two weeks, slowly clawed back to life by Roxas and then you want to go off somewhere without even eating anything?" Axel smacked his forehead, "You are a piece of work you are, the Sora I remember wouldn't even consider leaving his room for less than a bacon sandwich."
Sora slipped on his shoes and reached for the handle, "I need the letter, Axel." He said defiantly.
Axel sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "At least wait one minute."
Sora blinked and Axel was gone. He heard frantic rummaging in the kitchen and less than thirty seconds later Axel was stood over him again but this time he had a sausage sandwich in his hand wrapped in foil but Sora could smell it. He handed it to Sora wordlessly and pulled his own jacket off the rack to hand to the brunet.
"It's four in the morning; it's cold out there." He said with a worried yet caring smile as he watched Sora.
The smaller teen seemed almost about to smile, but instead he just nodded his head and took the offered items before going to the door. In a brief decision he paused and turned back around to face Axel, he leapt the foot distance between them and hugged the startled boy tightly around his waist because he wasn't tall enough to reach Axel's neck without some difficulty.
"T-thanks… for everything." Sora said softly, into Axel's chest, "I know I'm not acting as though I am grateful… but I am. To both you and Roxas…"
Axel's surprise vanished and he smiled gently as he hugged Sora back, "Don't look at me, I just make the food and live here… its all Roxas." He gave a half grin and ruffled Sora's hair affectionately.
Sora pulled back and didn't even bother to sort out his hair; it was always messy and spiked up regardless of his actions so why bother? "Yeah… I know. But I know that you'd have been very upset and worried about Roxas because of me. I'm grateful you put up with that, so I'm grateful to you as well."
"Oh, what makes you think-" Axel tried nervously rubbing his neck.
"I'm not stupid, Axel. Contrary to popular belief, I am actually quite intelligent when the occasion calls for it. But my lips are sealed, I'm happy to wait until both of you are comfortable about it to tell people." He zipped up Axel's jacket which he had pulled on and left the house with a soft nod, sausage sandwich in hand.
Axel stared after him, stunned, "…The little twerp knew?!" Axel was so close to laughing his head off but then he would most likely have been labeled insane so he decided against it, had he not been afraid of Roxas seeing him, he would have done it anyway.
They had managed to fool everyone; everyone except Sora. But that was so improbable it was laughable, and yet it was true. Axel wiped his eyes and shook his head incredulously; the little guy was full of surprises. He looked up the stairs to Roxas' bedroom door. What he'd told Sora was true; he did live with Roxas. But Roxas' parents were never happy about it; they thought Axel was a bad influence. By all rights he was, but no one could influence Roxas. Either he wanted to do something or he didn't and nothing could change that.
The redhead made his way up the stairs and quietly into the dark blonds' bedroom. He knelt by the bed and put his hand on Roxas' forehead, gently brushing the hair out of his boyfriend's eyes, "…You better be okay, Roxy. If not, I swear I will not be able to stop myself from going insane or giving myself back to Darkness." He kissed Roxas cheek sweetly and took the seat Roxas had previously sat in watching Sora, "And boy, have we got to keep an eye on Sora…"
Sora wasn't feeling his best, he was definitely a bit rash when he'd decided that going out was okay. He needed that letter though. Axel was right though; it was very cold outside. He was grateful he left a pair of shoes at Roxas' house; he usually went there after the beach in Axel's car and then needed some sort of footwear to get home. Riku had thought it practical to leave a pair there. Sadly, because they were meant for after the beach, they were flip-flops; and his toes were freezing. He pressed his arms against his chest and a shuddered breath escaped through his chattering teeth.
"W-why'd I h-have t-to d-drop t-the s-stupid l-letter…?" He grumbled as he made his way slowly but steadily down the street, not another soul in sight due to the hour.
His shoes clacked noisily in the silence; his only companion in the night. He looked up at the stars, slowing to a stop as he looked over the speckled darkness that twinkled back at him with a thousand eyes and the moon shone down on him serenely. Sora sighed heavily; Riku loved nighttimes. He would often try and get Sora to stay awake with him and count the stars. That, however, often served only to put him to sleep faster but it gave Riku endless joy.
Swallowing the thick lump that clogged his throat at thoughts of his love, he soldiered on down to the street corner; he took a left and saw his house on the right side of the street opposite. Not far too the beach now…
Sora suddenly realized how unlikely the chances of the letter having survived two days on the beach where it was subject to the weather, children and litter pickers… Sora's heart nearly stopped at the thought of not finding it. What would Riku think of him?! So carelessly abandoning the only shred of contact he had had from him in weeks…
The brunet burst into a sprint, his feet carrying him hurriedly down the street and straight up to the wooden gate the marked the entrance to the beach where the sand began. When they'd first gated the beach to stop… well know one quite knew what they gate stopped because the gate had never met an opponent it had beaten, but when it had first gone up Sora and Riku were irritated before they realized it really didn't do anything. Now, Sora had never hated seeing something so much in his life as the obstacle it represented in his path to the letter.
His hands outstretched, he caught the top of the closed gate and vaulted over it easily, his rejuvenated body stretching and loosening up his muscles and becoming acutely aware of everything. He landed a few feet from the gate on his feet as if he'd never jumped as high as he had, he brushed his hair back and began to make his way over to where he remembered finding the letter and then smashing the bottle open. It just so happened to be directly behind his house.
Sora walked almost fearfully up to the promenade as sought out the letter, but didn't want to know if it wasn't there. Working up the courage to stand before the waist high promenade he lifted himself up and looked at the floor. The glass was still there, no one had bothered to clean it up as yet, Sora suspected it would be never be cleaned up so he made a mental note to come back later and sweep it away incase any cute little kids stood on it. But as he looked again at the shards, there was no letter. He fell to his knees, his hands gingerly pushing the glass aside desperately but careful of the cuts he had already received from the glass.
"No…" He stammered, "I-It… it c-can't be gone!" Sora's lip began to tremble like a child and his head dropped it the ground where it rested on his clenched fists, "I-I can't have l-lost it!"
…rustle…
"Why did I have to faint?!" Sora whined, "I can remember vaguely what was written but I need to see it again!" The burnet declared, "I never meant to lose it, Riku! I promise, I promise I didn't do it on purpose!"
…rustle…
"I'll give my left arm to have it back, I would hon-"
…rustle…
"Goddammit!" Sora's head shot up and he sprang to his feet, his anger getting the better of him and leading him to yell animatedly at the hedge that boarded the promenade and his back garden, "Can't you frickin' see I am distraught! Even the frickin' shrub wants to help ruin my life! I don't see why someone doesn't just come and…" Sora froze his rant, his wildly gesticulating hands stopped high above his head as something caught his eye.
Stuck in the hedge, neatly tucked away so no one could see it unless they were rummaging through his bushes or if they knew what they were looking at. On a small twig a little way into the hedge hung the letter, the crackling paper supplying the rustling noise as it was tugged on the twig by the gentle sea breeze that pulled at the stunned brunet's hair and clothing.
For a moment or two, all Sora was able to do was open and close his mouth before springing to push aside the thorny branches and clasp the letter between his shaking fingers and palm. Wrenching his arm out, ignoring the thorns that immediately seized the chance to claw at his wrist that had uncovered itself from the jacket and open new wounds as well as old; he pulled the letter to his chest. Catching his breath, the small teen stumbled to the promenades edge and sat down hurriedly.
His hands shook as he daringly opened the letter and re-read its contents, each word making his heart soar. He held the letter to his face and breathed in the sea-salt smell mixed with the faintest of faint smells of Riku that no one would have noticed had they not committed the scent to memory. Feeling oddly happy, he pulled the sausage sandwich Axel had made him out of the jacket pocket and unwrapped it. It was still quite warm and smelled heavenly to the ravenous boy who suddenly became aware he really hadn't eaten in a long time. Devouring it gratefully, he sat back to watch the sunrise, surprised he'd been out for as long as two hours… and the sandwich was still warm…
Sora smiled faintly as it struck him; Axel's power over fire probably let him control temperatures and the all-knowing redhead had probably figured Sora wouldn't eat it immediately if at all. His smile broadened until he was grinning at the sunrise.
He turned the wrapping the sausage sandwich hand been wrapped in over and taped to the back was a napkin and a pen. Axel was scary sometimes… how he seemed to know everything…
He took the paper napkin and began to write his reply:
Dear Riku,
I love you so much. I miss you loads and I hope this finds you like your letter found me. Your letter has made me so happy; I hope mine will do similar for you…
The pen paused as he wrote and he looked up at the sunrise, the sun was gold.
