Reverse Eclipse
The Jackalope
Disclaimer: We only own expired chocolate chips and a soda. Shared between two countries. Like, over an ocean.
Author's note: Dedicated once again to StrawberryQuincy, whose father died not too long ago. Also, to everyone who reviewed! Your reviews are wonderful, and they make us swell with joy each time we read them, no matter how small.
Axel led Roxas through the marketplace, where it was heaving with activity. It had to be- shops started to close down around dusk; when heartless came too quickly for Axel and the others to take care of.
He turned partially to peer at Roxas. "What are your favorite colors? I've got enough for three sets of clothes." This was actually all of the excess munny that Axel had been saving for the past month- munny to buy a gummi ship so that he'd be able to find his brother. It was munny well earned- but now it would be well spent. He was hoping that a new wardrobe would help to cheer Roxas up.
"Are you sure?" Roxas looked embarrassed to be accepting Axel's charity, and he was about to argue, but he realized as he looked down at what he was wearing that he couldn't live in the taller boy's clothes forever, "Well... black and red," glancing up at the other, he realized that the redhead was wearing black himself, and his hair... well, that was self-explanatory.
Quickly, he added in, "White, too. I like grey as well. I really don't mind, actually."
He wasn't exactly sure why he felt embarrassed.
Axel reached a hand up, rubbing at his chin and wincing when he felt a hint of stubble. He'd need to shave soon. It was a sad fact that he grew facial hair- it looked absolutely ugly on him. Something Axel wasn't particularly proud of. "I like those color choices." He stopped in front of a small Tailor's shop, opening the door and entering. The small bell attached to the door gave a soft chime.
"Hey Garnet- I need you to take this kid's measurements. He needs a few new clothes and I doubt he wants anything plain Jane like mine." Axel didn't dare admit that he was hoping to get something from Garnet's Tailoring for a few months after he'd seen some intricate battle outfits on display. They were costly- which was why Axel wouldn't be able to afford more than three of the basic ones. If Roxas picked something more intricate, then he'd only be getting one. Roxas still needed something to wear around Axel's apartment, and something for bed too. Sheesh- this was going to cost him.
If Garnet charged a lot for one outfit, Axel figured he'd be able to chip in his rent munny too- he'd just mooch off of Leon or Yuffie when it was due.
Garnet approached, placing a delicate hand to her chin and examining Roxas with knowledgeable eyes. She lifted his arm and then placed it back down as Roxas contradicted Axel, "I'm fine with plain--" but Garnet had already disappeared into the back room to procure a long roll of measuring tape and a pad of paper, the former she slapped onto Axel's chest, informing him to write down the numbers she would tell him.
She turned to Roxas. "Okay. Lift your arms."
Once Garnet started to practically maul Roxas with the measuring tape, the blonde couldn't help but be slightly put out. He didn't realize he was going to get custom made clothing. It was probably expensive. He lifted his arms obediently as the dark-haired woman did her work, blushing brightly as she measured up the inside of his leg, hands wandering where none (other than his own) had gone before.
Turning his head over his shoulder, he gave a small, distressed look to Axel. He felt the need to ask if this was the norm on this world, to have custom-fit clothing, but didn't want to sound rude or anything. When the back of a small hand bumped into his crotch, his face turned as bright as Axel's hair, and Roxas whipped around, unable to look the tall teenager in the face anymore. He was mortified.
As soon as the blonde turned away, Axel pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and peered at the contents, flipping through the munny and scowling in disappointment. He didn't allow the needed sigh to escape, slipping the small leather billfold back into his jeans. He'd treat Roxas to a small lunch. He couldn't afford going anywhere but to Tifa's bar. They'd be able to get sandwiches there anyway. Munny was tight- even for someone who'd grown up living on the streets most of their lives. His big brother had taught him that even if you were low on cash, treat a newcomer with as much hospitality as you can to make them feel welcome, because chances are that that same newcomer has gone through just as much hell as you have at least once in their lives.
Axel smiled at the memory of Reno's speech, and scribbled down the final measurements that Garnet called out. The young woman gave Roxas a small push towards Axel.
"Go on and pick out the outfit you like." She said gently, shooting Axel a brief look of worry. It seemed everyone knew the redhead barely had enough munny to live on his own between slaying heartless and taking magic lessons from Merlin.
Axel placed his hand against the back of Roxas's shoulders. "Pick whatever one you'd like to wear for training with Merlin and Leon," after the Heartless attack last night, the two boys had decided between them that Roxas would start training, "and then we'll get you a set of pajamas and something to wear around the apartment."
Gaze traveling over the many mannequins darted around the store, Roxas also noticed the price tags attached to each one and felt himself pale with every glance. He had the rough idea of how much munny was worth from bustling through the marketplace earlier, and he could tell these things were expensive. Finally, he stopped at a table where several catalogues were spread out- he pulled one for boys closer to himself and started flicking through it, looking for something that he both liked and was fairly cheap.
He could feel Axel hovering over his shoulder occasionally, probably interested in what he was about to spend his munny on. Roxas kept note of a few of the pages, then eventually decided on an outfit. He couldn't refuse the redhead's charity but he could do his best to minimize it- the set he had chosen was fairly cheap (yet it was still going to make a dent in Axel's wallet).
"Is this one okay?" he looked over at his shoulder to Axel, wanting to check with him before informing Garnet. The costume consisted of mostly blacks and whites, the main feature being a thick white jacket that reached his elbows with large black circles patching around the shoulders and a black stripe across the bottom hem. The gloves were black and fingerless, and undershirt was also black, with a white circle in the center. An asterisk at the bottom indicated that if the customer had a personal design, that their emblem would replace the circle.
There were straps on the back of the shoulders that connected to the white pants. Roxas figured they reached about his mid-calf. They had deep pockets, most likely for storing items, and a thick black belt that hooked around the hips to sling a sword or gun to. The sneakers were black with a large white 'X' crossed over the front half. The outfit was simple, and it would look cute on Roxas, if Axel had any say in it. The redhead's eyes trailed down across the page until they caught the cost.
Axel winced at the price, but he shot Roxas a grin. "No problem, kid- do you have any design that you want on the chest?" Roxas thought for a moment as Axel handed him a slip of paper that he'd ripped from the pad and the pencil he'd used to jot measurements down.
Roxas shooed Axel away as he thought. Something that would show he wanted to help fight heartless-without saying it outright. The image came to mind and he scribbled it down. Axel peered over his shoulder again to watch as Roxas drew an upside-down heart, before he erased the top and then pinched the sides in before making a thick dash though the center. Satisfied, Roxas stood straight and handed the paper to Axel for his examination.
A smile spread onto the redhead's face, "I like it- simple, and original." Garnet walked up and took the catalogue, examining it, and Roxas's drawing, and then biting her lip before giving the blonde boy the same smile that Axel had.
"I'll have it made in no time. Axel told me you like this color scheme, correct?" The nod from Axel had them both walking to the register, leaving Roxas behind momentarily. They argued quietly as the walked.
"Axel- you can't afford this. I'll cut the price down for you," Garnet punched in the code for the outfit, watching the tax and add on price for the boy's measurements appear. Axel looked away.
"Just ring it up." Garnet sighed softly and pulled up the price. Axel lifted his wallet out, extricating a good half of the munny that had been in it. He handed it to her and Garnet took it with a sad face.
"I'll make him a set of pajamas then, free of charge." Axel's eye grew wide at her offer. She couldn't possibly be serious, could she? Judging by the kind smile on her face- the girl was completely sincere. Axel looked down, flushing.
"Thanks." Roxas would be happy- he just knew it.
Roxas thanked Garnet as they left the shop, and once outside he turned to Axel and thanked him profusely.
"I want to pay you back somehow," they were moving in some direction, Axel leading him somewhere- he wasn't exactly sure where, "I'll... get a job or something. Since it seems..." he watched the cobblestone streets as he walked next to the redhead, not especially wanting to bring up the topic that seemed to depress him and Leon earlier, "...I'll be here for awhile, I suppose. What kind of things can you do here?"
Axel shoved his hands into his jean pockets, thinking hard. "You can help to fight heartless, for one. Merlin is training me to be an apprentice- so I'm sure Leon could use you on the days I'm at the old wizard's. Aerith, Tifa, and Cid could probably always use an extra hand at their shops. Cid's been working on gummi ships lately, so I wouldn't be surprised if he needed someone to help him with the harder stuff. It's up to you what you want to do, really."
Axel knew that Cid needed Roxas's help more than he did. Cid was getting old, and Axel was sure that one day he'd throw his back out or something else unhealthy whilst working on a ship or crating supplies. Axel was young, his body would eventually adapt to his stressful schedule, even if it did take a few years to do so. Just thinking about it made the knots in Axel's shoulders throb and he winced, rolling his neck back and then pressing his fingertips to the back of his collarbone, pressing down in an attempt to ease the sudden stabbing pain.
"I haven't met Aerith and Tifa yet... they work with Cid?" Roxas got a sudden mental image of Cid's foul-mouthed, boyish daughters, and a small fear of the names Aerith and Tifa grew in the pit of his stomach- worried, he followed up with another question, "...they aren't related, are they?"
However, he kept in mind the job opportunities- he'd check them out as soon as he had some free time. Noticing Axel's wince, he slowed his pace and turned back, concerned, "Are you alright?"
Axel uttered a small groan, moving his free arm in a circular motion to try and dull the twisting pain in his shoulder. "Yeah- I'm fine. Just muscle pains. I think I've got a knot in my shoulder the size of a deadbolt." Roxas felt sympathetic for Axel's pain- had the fire mage been Sora, he probably would have sat him down and worked out the knots in his back for him. However, he barely knew him, and despite the affinity he had for the friendly teen, he wasn't about to do something as intimate as a back rub. That'd just be weird.
Axel clenched his eyes shut for a moment before he let out a long breath and answered the blonde's initial question, "They're not related- far from it. Aerith is the town's healer. She's the only one with a strong enough magic level besides Merlin to cast a life-saving spell... Well... life-saving under the impression that you still have your heart. Tifa's a fighter- she grew up with a friend of my brother's. They're both pretty nice." He let his head fall down, fingertips moving to massage at his neck before he looked up again.
"They're all friends- but they have different jobs. Tifa runs a bar- you'll meet her soon enough. We're going to eat lunch there. Aerith is in charge of the pharmacy, and you know what me, Leon, and Cid do."
"Oh right- that's a relief," the words spilled out by accident, and Roxas covered his mouth in embarrassment, "I mean... I thought that they were maybe Cid's daughters or something... I... never mind."
Lunch time was busy in Traverse Town- the district they had just entered was particularly busy, people bustling about everywhere. Roxas still felt a bit self conscious in his oversized borrowed clothes, but managed to fight down the blush and follow Axel through the crowd towards a moderately sized wooden building. Seventh Heaven was painted above the door in bright white letters. A singing drunk stumbled out of the front door, nearly crashing into Roxas (who barely managed a dodge), and then proceeded to fall down the few steps the duo had just climbed.
The front door was swung open again, a tall woman bustling out with her hands on her hips, "Stop complaining! I told you to go home and sober up! Or do you need another ass whooping?!"
The man grumbled something unintelligible and staggered off, and the woman's attention turned to Axel and Roxas.
"Axel!" she smiled brightly, mood brightening instantly, "Great to see you!" she quickly noticed Roxas, "Oh! You're a new face. My name's Tifa, I run this bar here--" Roxas opened his mouth, perhaps to introduce himself, but she waved her hands, "Sorry, no time! We're running our feet off and we're under-staffed. Save the introductions for later! Just seat yourselves, I'll come and serve you as soon as possible."
She turned around and disappeared back into the bar, and Roxas stood there, mouth hanging open. That woman was like a female version of his brother or something- always on the go, so loud and-- did you SEE her chest?!
He turned to Axel and his mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. One good look at Roxas's shell-shocked face had Axel laughing so hard that he had to clutch at his sides. It took a moment for him to recover, and he wiped a tear from his eyes, taking a deep breath.
"Yeah. Tifa'll do that to ya." He ushered Roxas inside, picking a small two seater table near the window. He slipped into the metal chair, pushing the little menu towards Roxas. "She's short-staffed, and this is where a lot of people come to eat in their free time. You might want to think about getting a part-time job here."
Now that Roxas was seated, he suddenly realized exactly how hungry he actually was. Eyes scanning the menu, he really didn't care what he ate- still feeling guilty about Axel's earlier purchase, he chose the cheapest thing on the menu he could find and put the menu down. Watching Tifa run around wildly, her only other waiter hobbling along slowly, he felt bad for her as the bar was excessively busy.
"She definitely looks like she needs the help," he said to Axel, turning back to face him. It looked like it'd be quite awhile before their orders were even taken, so he figured he should try to start some form of conversation with him.
Axel took in Roxas's statement as he watched the older woman rush about to serve everyone without causing complaints. He'd wanted to talk more to the blonde about his life before he'd shown up in Traverse- possibly to learn about some of his likes and dislikes-- but Roxas was right.
"I should go and help." He muttered, excusing himself and standing up to walk over to Tifa, exchanging a few words with her before he was directed to a small staff door to the back room. Axel disappeared behind it for a second, re-emerging with a white apron draped over his neck. He quickly tied the strings around his waist as he approached Roxas.
"Sorry kid. I wish we could spend this time to talk about stuff, but Teefs needs my help. I'll get your lunch order in a sec." He gave Roxas a weak shrug and then turned away to go and deliver an order of sandwiches set out on the bar.
Roxas stared after Axel as he got up and left- he hadn't meant to suggest that! Roxas sighed, sinking back into his seat and watching Axel go about his business, swinging his feet under the table idly. At least the place was lively and interesting to watch. Axel never made it back to him, and after a half-an-hour he was starting to get bored of half-listening in on snippets of other people's conversations (it was too loud to really zone in on specific ones for too long).
He reached out to gently place his hand on Tifa's arm when she passed, grabbing her attention. "Hey, um- if you want, I could help you out," his eyes followed Axel across the room, who stopped to rub his shoulders once again- it was quickly becoming a constant habit of his, "I think Axel's tired- I can wait for my lunch."
Tifa beamed at him, "Oh, that'd be lovely!" she literally pulled him out of his seat by the hand, dragging him to the back of the room (she stopped three times on the way to take people's orders for more drinks) where she handed him an apron and shoved the first order of plates to him, "Alright, get working!"
Not expecting such a sudden reply, Roxas was a bit disoriented for a moment- however he was lucky as he had worked part time in a similar establishment on Destiny Islands once, so he was able to pick up what he was meant to be doing pretty quickly.
An hour and a bit later, the lunch rush was finally coming to a close- there were only a few stragglers left behind and Tifa was able to handle them on her own. Axel looked exhausted and she insisted that he and Roxas sit back down. Roxas watched Axel with a mild curiosity as he rubbed his eyes, then moved to rub at his collar bone again.
"Are you sure you're alright?" he didn't want to feel like a pest for asking, but he couldn't think of anything else to say. He was terrible at starting conversations.
"Yeah, m'fine." Axel muttered, using his free hand to make a shooing motion at Roxas, "Thanks for helpin her out. She really needed it. If I wasn't so busy I'd haul my scrawny ass over here to lend a hand more often." He rolled his head back and forth, wanting to let out a groan of despair as the heated pain continued. He sat down, hunching over to rest his head on his arms.
'Did you eat?" He yawned, smacking his lips and peering at Roxas over his arms.
The blonde shook his head at Axel's question, "She was too busy to take my order earlier, so I just waited--" as if on que, his stomach let out an embarrassing growl. Roxas grabbed a hand to his abdomen, mouth pulling into a line as a blush enveloped his face, "I uh... I guess I'm pretty hungry now."
"Man, I'm real sorry I didn't have time to take your order. Here, I'll go get you something, what do you want?" Axel grabbed the extra menu, searching for something he thought Roxas might have liked. He felt guilty for ignoring the blonde for so long, instead helping Tifa. "The double bacon burger looks good." It was kind of expensive, being one of the larger meals, but it did look tasty... He held back the urge to rub his neck whilst reading.
"Don't worry about it," Roxas gave him a small smile, "Besides, I wasn't waiting for long before I started helping out too," their attention was turned to the menu again, and Roxas found the burger Axel was referring to. And then the price- he was about to suggest something cheaper when suddenly Tifa was standing next to them.
"The double bacon burger is one of our specialties! It'll be really good! You'll like it, Roxas!"
His mouth flapped open and closed as he wondered how she knew his name (and as he was baffled by her chest once again).
"One for you too, Axel?" She scribbled down the order on her note pad, not really waiting for a reply, and she gushed, "Thank you soooo much for your help you guys, you really saved the day!" pausing from her scribbling, she looked up and smiled, "Meals will be free of charge since you helped out- if only I could kidnap you two as permanent staff," she sighed, "I just can't get hard workers like you! Anyway, your meal will be here shortly."
Turning, she left. Roxas closed his mouth, stared at Axel, made an unintelligent I'M-REALLY-CONFUSED sound, and then resisted the overwhelming urge to pout. Axel had to mentally slap himself at the urge to kiss that adorable expression straight off of Roxas's face. He laughed, his arms falling onto the table. His shoulders didn't seem to be getting any better either way. "See- all of our work has not gone to waste! We get to gorge." Axel offered the blonde boy another wide grin, hoping to wipe that bewilderment away from Roxas's face.
"After this, we can find you a job. You think you might want to work here?" Axel knew better than to make the offhanded comment that he'd eventually get used to Tifa's giant breasts being shoved in his face (seeing as Roxas only reached her breasts anyway. Damn, that kid was short.).
"I dunno..." Roxas's gaze shifted across the room to Tifa, who was already bringing over their plates. He gulped, turning back to Axel, "The work is fun, but..."
"Here's your meals!" Tifa placed them on the table with a clunk, smiling brightly at the boys, "Enjoy them- or else!"
Roxas thanked her, then waited until she left, "...she's kinda intimidating, if you know what I mean," he plucked a french fry off of his plate, popping it into his mouth.
Axel smiled, picking up a few of his own french fries and biting into them. Roxas would get used to life around here, he was sure of it. "Don't worry, kid. After a few days, you'll get your bearings." And with that, they fell into a comfortable silence as they ate.
Sure, Axel could most definitely get used to this.
They'd been driving for what seemed like hours, Sora slipping in and out of consciousness throughout the ride. Night had approached rapidly, and Sora had been stirred from his semi-wakeful state to Reno's voice informing that they would be making camp for the night. He groaned, arching his head back as another stab of pain struck him, now originating from his left shoulder blade.
The noise surprised Riku, who sat up suddenly- Sora had been silent since he had been knocked out, and now he seemed to finally be coming to.
"Sora!" he peered down at his friend, trying to meet his gaze, "You're awake- are you okay?"
"Hurts" The brunette gasped out, raising one hand to grasp tightly to Riku's bicep, his brows furrowing and then slitting one eye open to peer up at his companion, "It hurts."
Reno's head peeked back in the jeep, "We've got a place set up. Bring him over by the fire and Vincent will check his back out."
Riku clasped a hand on the boy's elbow, supporting him, "Do you think you can stand, Sora?"
"I don't know." Sora muttered, forcing himself to sit up by pulling his body forward, using Riku's arm as leverage. He winced painfully when he did so. The brunette hissed, biting down on his bottom lip so hard it nearly bled. Sora's entire weight rested against Riku's chest, one hand held tightly to the side of the seat, the other sliding down to clutch Riku's thigh that was beside his knee.
Aqua eyes winced- he hated to see Sora in pain like this, "Vincent is going to have a look at your back, okay?" moving forward, he slipped his hands underneath Sora's thighs, intending on lifting him up, "Hold onto me, I'll carry you out."
Sora nodded weakly, his arms rising to slip about Riku's neck as the silver-haired teen lifted him. He cried out in pain when they moved, stifling himself by burying his head into Riku's collarbone as he was lifted much like a child, the entire front half of his body pressed against his friend's strong chest, legs on either side of the male's hips. With the help of Reno, he was carried out of the jeep and brought to the campsite, where Vincent sat next to a crackling fire. Reno's hands nested themselves underneath Sora's arms, partially lifting him out of Riku's grasp to help the brunette to the ground, and when Sora stumbled, Riku was there to hold his arms, catching him. Ever so slowly, he was lowered to his knees.
"We have to take his shirt off." Reno murmured, and Sora flushed brightly, giving them a nod.
Riku volunteered himself silently, reaching forward and carefully removing the boy's shirt. He made sure not to let the fabric brush against the boy's back the best that he could, as he was unsure of how much damage had done, or if there were any open wounds. He was careful with removing it from the boy's head as well, since he still had the bandage from before. He felt an overwhelming feeling of pity for Sora- everything seemed to be going wrong for him right now.
Finally, the shirt dropped to the boy's knees, and Riku watched Sora's expression to judge if he was alright. It was close to freezing- the ground was bumpy, but there was no frost yet. Almost immediately, Sora's body began to wrack with shivers, his hands moving to grasp at his biceps, jaw clenching.
Reno's large hands encased over his shoulders and guided the brunette down onto his stomach. Sora reluctantly obeyed, gasping at the feeling of the icy dirt against his bare skin. His shoulder was almost numb with pain, a sickening throb attacking him with each beat of his heart.
"Ah… ah- m-my shoulder... h-hurts," He stuttered, shaking from the cold of the ground as it bit into his skin. He clenched his eyes shut. It was like lying atop a block of ice, and he clutched at the dirt.
Vincent approached, hovering beside Reno on one side of Sora, Riku on the other. His long fingered hand slowly ghosted over the boy's back. It was like one giant bruise- there didn't seem to be a single un-marred patch of skin along the entire expanse of Sora's back. Riku bit his lip at the sight, and his hand instinctively went to Sora's, gripping the cold fingers tightly to console him.
"This will take time to heal," Vincent murmured, glancing up at Riku. "Two weeks, at best."
"Is there anything we can do right now?" his looked up from Sora, meeting Vincent's gaze, "To help ease the pain."
A moan escaped the brunette, followed by a gasp. His shoulder was burning now, as if something was scratching at it with a dull knife.
"Keep pressure off o-" Whatever Vincent was going to saw was cut off by Sora's scream as his body arched, hand grasping painfully tight to Riku's. Someone had plunged that dull knife into his shoulder, and was carving a hole into his skin. The others couldn't see it, but Sora felt it. The brunette cried out again, tears pricking in his vision, voice breaking off in mid-scream with a jerk of pain. He moved to roll onto his back, but Vincent's hand on his hip forced him to stay down. "Hold him!" The raven-haired man's voice commanded forcefully. Sora could barely hear him though the sudden haze of agony he'd been struck with.
Riku didn't need to be asked twice- he gripped the boy's biceps from behind, pushing him back down firmly- but he didn't have enough leverage from his position at the side. Thinking quickly, he moved to straddle the boy's hips, pushing him down as the brunette thrashed, desperately trying to roll onto his back.
"What the hell's going on?!"
"That's what I'd like to know!" Reno exclaimed as Sora began bucking, his arms flying out to grasp at any and everything, another strangled scream escaping him. Riku's added weight kept him from moving onto his back to press his injuries into the ground to try and alleviate the sudden itching, burning agony in his shoulder. His cheeks became tear soaked, face pressing into the cold dirt.
"Sora- what's---" Riku stopped dead, staring down at the boy's back. It suddenly looked shiny, wet almost- and suddenly he realized his left shoulder blade was seeping blood.
"Wh-- what--" There weren't any open wounds there a moment ago- and suddenly it was bleeding- what if those weren't normal bruises?! Wait, his heart is on the left side, what if--
Panic gripped him and he suddenly found it hard to breathe- not many things scared Riku, but the unknown, when it concerned life and death and his best friend, was one of them.
Vincent's eyes had grown wide, a single hand reaching out to gently dab at Sora's back, withdrawing to reveal blood on his fingertips. Sora's screams were still as prominent as ever, though they'd broken off into body-wracking sobs. "It hurts! It hurts, make it stop, please!" The brunette cried out, his fingers beginning to bleed as they scratched at the ground and rocks so forcefully that it broke the skin.
The panic quickly changed into frustration as Vincent and Reno provided him with no answers and Sora's pain seemed to increase. Riku swore under his breath, grip tightening on Sora's arms as he leant forward, speaking into his ear, "Hang in there, Sora- you're going to pull though this, okay? You're going to be okay."
He pulled away, "Can't you guys do anything?!" he shot over his shoulder, panic obvious in his voice.
He received simultaneous headshakes from both men, as neither of them had seen such a thing happen before.
Riku held the thrashing Sora down to the ground for what seemed like hours, though it was truly only over ten minutes, before the pain suddenly dulled and faded, just as quickly as it had come. Sora collapsed limply to the icy ground, breathing heavily, his face streaked with un-dried tears.
Panting, the silver-haired boy hesitated for a minute before slowly getting off of Sora, moving to sit next to him. Blood had seeped across the boy's back and down his arms, and now it covered Riku's hands. He couldn't believe how fast it suddenly stopped. He was expecting Sora to jerk back into spasms again, but it seemed to be over... he hoped.
"Sora?" he spoke softly, leaning in closer to him, "Are you okay? I think the bleeding's stopped."
Sora's response was a slow, keening whine, his bloodied fingers reaching out to grasp onto Riku's. This seemed to kick both Vincent and Reno into action, the redhead standing up and hurrying back towards the jeep whilst Vincent reached back to tear off a decent column of cloth from his cloak.
When Reno returned, he held a water canteen in one hand, and knelt down beside Sora whilst unscrewing the cap. Once the icy water hit Sora's bloody and cold back, the brunette hissed in pain, eyes clenching shut. Vincent reached out to dab ever so gently at the blood, and the two meticulously began to clean Sora off whilst the teen held onto Riku's hand like a lifeline.
Riku made sure to speak to him quietly throughout the entire process, informing him of what was going on- Reno and Vincent were cleaning his back, there was a wound, but they couldn't see how it was made or what shape it was in- they were bandaging it up. Finally the two men pulled back, and Riku looked up to them, gratitude evident in his eyes.
"Can he get up now?" and he received a nod in reply, so he reached down, telling Sora he was going to help him sit up.
Sora sat up with painstaking slowness, leaning heavily on Riku. Reno left again, coming back soon enough with two large sleeping bags. He dropped one at Riku's knees and then undoing the second one, he flipped it out and placed it onto the ground beside the fire.
"You'll have to share," The bags were large enough for two; it's probably what they had been designed for initially.
"Alright... thanks, both of you," Riku's appreciation was sincere in his voice, and he turned back to Sora slowly, reaching out and using the wet cloth from earlier to wipe both of their hands from the blood. He did so silently, unsure of what to say. He wanted desperately to bring the boy into a tight embrace, but he knew doing so would only hurt him. He asked Sora to sit back, and he ran a now clean hand against the boy's chest, brushing off what frozen dirt had clung to him. Once he had finished, aqua eyes met blue.
"Thanks," Sora breathed out, gratitude evident in his voice as he watched Riku, silently questioning what was going on in his companion's head.
"Don't mention it," Riku whispered, bringing a warm hand to the boy's cold cheek, the flickering campfire's light playing with the shadows around them.
Not too far off, Reno and Vincent were settling themselves on the opposite side of the fire, their voices a low murmur as they conversed in the bundle of their sleeping bag. Sora could feel fatigue creeping up on him, but he doubted he'd be able to climb into their own bag without a bit of Riku's help.
"You're going to have to sleep on top of me, is that okay with you? I don't know if sleeping on your side will be safe..."
Sora's face flushed, but he nodded. "It's... it's fine," he murmured, relishing in Riku's warm hand upon his face, "you don't have to." He didn't, the brunette knew that- he also knew that it would be painful for Sora to sleep anywhere but on his stomach, and he doubted there would be room for him to do so without bumping into Riku sometime during the night.
"I want to," a small smile touched his lips, cheeks flushing slightly, "I- I mean- I don't want your back to get hurt, so- and I don't wanna freeze to death, so--" he looked away, embarrassed, before turning back to Sora, "Lets just go to bed."
Sora couldn't help the smile that lit up his face, not fully understanding why Riku would be stumbling over his words. "Alright... but... I need help." The last part of this, Sora whispered sheepishly, not wanting to admit that he was incapable of doing something on his own.
Riku nodded, fighting away his blush as he messed with the sleeping bag, laying it out and unzipping it completely, before sitting in it, beckoning for Sora to follow him.
"Uhm..." Sora moved his body so that he was crawling towards Riku. He stopped next to the sleeping back, and almost squealed when Riku's hands grasped at his arms and tugged the brunette into the older teen's lap, Sora's chest nearly flush against Riku's own
"Oh! Uh..." Sora's face was most likely crimson by now, and his hands gripped to Riku's shoulders as the silver-haired teen slowly lay backwards, bringing Sora with him until the younger of the two was laying flush on top of Riku's body. "Am I too heavy?" Sora asked meekly. He could feel Riku's somewhat rapid heartbeat against his collarbone.
"Not at all," the boy breathed, twisting so he could reach the zip and pull it back up, encasing them in the bag. Riku returned to a more comfortable position, back straightening and legs parting, one of Sora's knees falling between his own, thigh brushing--
Riku blushed faintly, heart racing as he focused on not getting a complete hard-on then and there. Hoping to distract Sora, he spoke to him, "Comfortable?"
Sora shifted about for a moment, but nodded. "Uh... uh-huh..." He muttered, burying his face into Riku's chest. "Thank you..." The brunette whispered into the cloth that pressed against his mouth.
"Anytime," Riku murmured into the boy's ear, moving his arm upwards to clasp Sora's hand gently. Sora smiled, grateful, and slipped his hand to the side to intertwine his fingers together with Riku's, shifting again to get comfortable and practically cuddling against his silver-haired companion. "Goodnight, Riku."
"Goodnight, Sora."
Sora slept through the night, and into the following morning. It took some struggling on Riku's part for them to awaken the brunette. They managed to get him out of the sleeping bag and back into the jeep, wrapping him up in the blanket from earlier, before Sora slipped back into a dreamless sleep. It worried Riku, but Vincent's calm voice spoke up that it was common for one with a concussion to be extremely fatigued- and that the night before was enough to make Sora tired for the remainder of the day.
The brunette was jostled from his cold haze of sleep when they reached the inn. He could feel warm arms lifting him up as an icy wind whipped about. There was a sensation of being carried coupled with Riku's steady heartbeat under Sora's ear. His breath came out in puffs of white, thick eyelashes and brown hair becoming dusted with snow. The cold fell away to a blast of warmth as they entered the inn. He felt himself being transferred into another set of arms- this one stronger. His cheek rested on the crook of the older man's neck, legs dangling on either side of the raven-haired man's hips as claw-like fingers dug softly into his shoulder and long hair tickled his nose.
The chest below him rumbled as Vincent spoke. He vaguely registered seeing Riku hover, watching him with concern as a woman approached, hands grasping his head. He cried out in pain when her fingertips connected with a sore spot on the back of his skull.
"He has a pretty severe concussion. He'll be groggy for a few days. Make sure someone's always with him. He's going to have a lot of dizzy spells until it heals over. Are they any other injuries?"
Vincent shifted his arms, muttering something about Sora's back and warm hands pulled up his shirt- but he tried to shift away. He didn't want to be touched by a complete stranger. Vincent asked him softly to stay still, and Sora- filled with guilt at having caused err for his savior, remained motionless as aged hands ran gently along the expanse of his back, pressing into sore places and eliciting multiple hisses and groans of pain from the brunette.
"Have him sleep on his stomach or side- He's going to be bruised for a while. I'll get you some ointment to help treat the injuries. They're not too severe, so you're lucky." He heard the woman say. The faded clicking of high heels indicated her departure. Sora's mind shut down again as he drifted off into sleep once more.
Vincent shifted the bundle in his arms again, catching sight of Reno walking up, hand clutching tightly to his electro rod. "Barrett says the ship's going to be here in an hour or two. I can't believe they don't have a fucking heater in here that goes above seventy." The second part was muttered more to himself than to Vincent, thought the stoic man allowed a slight smile to adorn his features.
Reno placed a hand on Vincent's shoulder. "When we get the kids a room- you'll talk, right?"
"Of course." His soft reply seemed to put Reno at ease, and guilt nagged at Vincent's mind. He wasn't going to talk about anything that Reno wanted to talk about. Vincent wanted the other male to remain clueless until the time came. He had to do it. Reno had too much at stake with these kids.
The innkeeper returned soon enough and Reno's hand fell from Vincent's arm, taking the ointment and two room keys with a small 'thanks.'
As he carried the sleeping Keyblade Master to his room, Vincent felt as if each step he took only sealed his fate further into it's tomb. He spared a glance at Reno. Wild, gorgeous red hair, pale skin and an aristocratic nose. High cheekbones and a lanky figure taut with muscle from years of living in the slums. He was like a light that attracted others to him. It was no wonder that Cloud had fallen in love with the redhead, much like Vincent.
Unlike Cloud, however, Vincent was more than willing to give up what he loved- because he knew that this was where their fates would divide.
Finally stopping in front of their room, Riku took the key from Reno before opening the door and pocketing it. He held the door open for Vincent so he could bring Sora inside, a frown in place. He hoped this area was going to be safe, especially if Sora was going to be out for a few days- he figured he'd have to watch over his friend, not that he minded. As Vincent sat a dozing Sora down on the bed, he turned to Reno who handed him the ointments.
He spoke quietly as he felt he shouldn't be too loud around Sora, "Hey uh- I just want to thank you for everything. I'm not exactly sure what this Keyblade thing is about, but just... thanks for looking after him."
Reno gave him a wry shrug, "It's okay kid. It's not just an obligation. You remind me a little bit of my brother," he scratched at the back of his head, giving Riku a weak smile. "Either way, you're still kids. You've got a lot going for you. Rest up; we're meeting Barret early tomorrow morning. He's gonna show up sometime around midnight with the ship, and we'll start packing pretty early." He stopped, turning to look at Vincent softly.
"The ship can only hold three. But Barrett said he'd help fix it so we'll be able to manage four of us. It'll be a tight fit, but worth it." Having said this, Reno smiled warmly at Vincent- but when his smile wasn't returned, it became a look of hurt.
He swallowed thickly and turned to Riku. "Bundle up. It gets cold at night, and there's a chance the heater will freeze over. There's extra blankets in that little closet over there." He pointed. "Sleep tight." And with a wave of a hand, he and Vincent departed.
"G'night," closing the door behind him, Riku sighed, hand lingering on the doorknob. He turned around in the dark room, the moonlight from the clear sky outside illuminating the bed, where Sora sat, hunched over, swaying just slightly. He walked over carefully, sitting next to Sora while placing the ointment on the bed. Bodies closer now, he found that the boy was frozen- glancing at his arm, he discovered goosebumps scattered up his arm, just visible by the dim white lighting.
"Hey... how are you feeling?" he leant forward, getting to eye-level with Sora and peering at him, while running the back of his fingers down his forearm, "You're absolutely freezing."
"I- I can't s-stop shiv-shivering." Sora stuttered out, his body wracking with involuntarily shakes. He sniffed, a wave of dizziness over-coming him. The cold was keeping him coherent enough to go over the events of yesterday.
"Are you o-okay? The hear-heartless d-didn't get you, ri-right?" His hazy eyes attempted to examine the expanse of Riku's body, checking for rips in his clothes or blood. He didn't see any, forgetting that they had slept last night and Riku had been fine- but one was never too sure.
As Sora shook, Riku picked up one of the boy's ice cold hands and held it between his warm ones, blowing on the freezing digits softly. He shook his head slowly, "No, I'm fine. You saved me, remember?" he smiled gently, but truthfully underneath he was still bitter that he couldn't do anything, he was helpless- and now Sora was hurt to this extent.
"I need to put some medicine on your back, Sora, but afterwards I'll try to warm you up, okay?" he removed his hands from Sora's to pick up the ointment, moving to unscrew the lid.
Sora's arms reached out and grabbed onto Riku, pulling him close with a breathy groan. The action caused Riku to drop the ointment back on the bed, and it rolled off the edge and onto the floor as the mattress shifted.
"I don't c-care. I'm cold," he mumbled into Riku's collarbone, leaning back to pull the silver haired teen down onto the bed with him, curling up against the heat and sighing in satisfaction, "I'm g-glad you're alright."
His lips were cold against the older teen's collarbone and Riku felt a small shiver travel down his spine, but it made him smile. His smile faded, however, when Sora winced in pain.
"Your back is really beat up so you're not meant to lay on it- here," he helped him roll onto his side, before climbing beside him, body as flush up against Sora's as possible. One hand cupped the boy's cold cheek, his other arm loose around his hip, warm fingertips drifting across the small of his back- but not touching.
"I can't believe how cold you are," his thumb rubbed across Sora's cheek, trailing down across the boy's bottom lip. Still freezing. He brought his face in closer, like the rest of his body, to warm him up- their noses touched and he smiled at the moment they were sharing.
"I can't believe h-how warm you are." Sora whispered back, nose brushing Riku's. He reveled in the warmth that radiated from the hand against his face.
"You're too good t-to me." It was true. Sora was forever grateful for Riku's existence. He never wanted to give him up, to anyone. Ever.
All that was separating their lips right then was Riku's thumb- he could feel Sora's breath on his lips and his fingers twitched against Sora's cheek fractionally- he felt he was pushing it enough, moving into a position like this with his friend- yet he hadn't been rejected yet. It was times like these that he truly wondered if the boy even thought of him in a similar way- all the times they had curled up on Sora's bed on a hot summer afternoon, in nothing but their swimming trunks for an "afternoon nap"- most teenage boys just didn't do that. But they did.
"I'll try to warm you up," pressing his forehead against Sora's, he removed his hand from his cheek, and thus the barrier from between their lips. He drew a shaky breath and brought his warm hands to Sora's cheeks, sliding them down his neck to his shoulders, before dragging off to an arm, rubbing his hands against Sora to create heat from the friction, eventually making his way down to the boy's hand, which he brought up to his mouth to blow on gently.
He stopped after a few minutes, still holding Sora's hand between his own, a faint blush covering his cheeks- luckily it was unnoticeable in the moonlight, "Is... is this okay?"
"Un. Y-yeah. It's okay." It was breathed out barely above a whisper, and the brunette held tightly to Riku's hand. "It's more than okay." Sora's free hand wiggled out from between their bodies and reached up to place itself over Riku's as warmth spread through the older boy's chest at his affections being accepted.
Sora shifted uncomfortably, pulling Riku's hands to his mouth so that his lips pressed gently over their crossed fingers. Riku's breath caught in his throat. He had been so blind. How could he really think that Sora just saw him as a friend? They were close friends, but this... This had to be something more.
Sora gave the silver-haired teen a small smile and released their hands "Let's go to sleep." He pushed himself up fractionally, rolling over and wincing when the fabric rubbed gently across a certain point on his body that did not need encouragement right then. He curled up, face bright red as he attempted to cross his legs whilst still remaining comfortable.
"G'night Riku."
The euphoric feeling running through Riku started to fade and he started to feel cold- after hesitating for a moment, he shifted, moving up closely behind Sora, taking care not to press himself up against the boy's injured back. He draped an arm around the boy's hip, hand limp over his side in a casual embrace.
However, his hand was lower than he had expected- both boys froze momentarily as Riku's fingertips came into contact with the crotch of Sora's pants.
Sora's entire body stiffened. A flash of pleasure had run through him in just that one touch and he couldn't stop the small gasp of a moan that escaped his lips. Embarrassed beyond all hell, he turned onto his stomach, burying his face into the pillow. Riku's brief look of surprise quickly tweaked into an amused smirk. Climbing on top of Sora, he hovered over him, hands either side of his shoulders and knees straddling his hips. Leaning in close, he nuzzled his face into the back of the boy's hair, inhaling his scent. Breathing out heavily, he smiled and continued his path to the boy's ear, lips moving against the back of it as he spoke the boy's name in a whisper. He repeated the name breathily, not really concerned about his actions and what they meant- he was just enjoying teasing the boy beneath him and making him squirm.
"Sora- Who are you thinking about, hmm?"
Sora's eyes grew wide and he twisted his head to stare at Riku. "Riku-" He turned his entire body around, ignoring the pain in his back when he began to lay on it. As the boy rolled over onto his back, Riku frowned in concern. "Sora, you shouldn't--" but the brunette didn't seem to care, and Riku was silenced by the brunette bringing himself closer to him. He somehow knew what was happening before it had- he had such a strong sense of deja vu although he knew this had never happened before… Sora's attention was focused solely on the silver-haired teen before him.
"Riku. I-" He leaned forward, arms encircling Riku's neck. Riku felt dizzy as his heart thundered in his chest, Sora's face up close to his, breath cascading against his mouth as the boy breathed out words he never thought he'd hear yet had dreamed about for so long. Eyes half lidded, Riku thought his heart stopped
"I want to kiss you." Sora's crystalline blue eyes brimmed with hope and a lingering fear. He never got to hear the older teen's reply- however. There was a sudden slam against the side of the building that knocked them away from each other and Sora wrenched back with a cry of surprise as it shuddered again, nearly knocking both boys out of bed.
"Wh-what's happening?" Sora squeaked, eyes wide. Not another heartless- he couldn't handle another fight so soon after the last. He panicked, clutching onto Riku with terror and the silver-haired teen clenched his eyes shut- why NOW? Why did this have to happen now?! He reluctantly pulled himself away from Sora, moving to the window and wrenching the curtain back to confirm their fears as the building trembled again.
"Heartless," he breathed out, turning back to Sora, grabbing his hand and pulling him off of the bed, which proved to be a difficult task as Sora's fear had taken over him, driving him into a panic. He stood them in the middle of the room where he brought him into a strong embrace for a moment, before pulling back and cupping his cheeks, "Sora, I won't let that thing touch you. We won't be separated, and I'll do all I can to protect you. You have to trust me, you have to be strong- we'll survive this, okay?" Sora's words were still echoing around in his head despite the situation- he wanted so bad to give Sora his wish, but right now he couldn't.
He tilted Sora's face downwards and kissed his forehead, "Don't let go."
Grabbing his hand, they fled to the hall just as the wall of their room collapsed in, a hoard of heartless pouring in.
------------------------
Earlier
-----------------------
As they walked down the hall, Reno's shoulder brushed against Vincent's, his hand going to interlace their fingers. "What's up with you, yo? You're actin' all funny. Is somethin' wrong?" He asked the dark haired man softly. Vincent didn't speak, but gripped the redhead's hand tightly within his own.
Vincent stared at their clasped hands. His own nearly engulfed Reno's. It amazed him sometimes how someone so energetic and upbeat could seem so frail at the same time. He stopped walking as soon as they'd reached only a few feet before their door, turning to Reno and staring at him intensely.
"Vinnie?" Reno muttered, eyes wide with worry. Vincent's free hand rose, cupping the redhead's cheek and memorizing his face. Everything about him- his eyes, his high cheekbones and his full lips. "Vincent, what's wrong? You're freakin' me out, man." Reno said shakily, giving him a weak smile and raising his hands to pull Vincent's away from his face.
Vincent didn't speak, instead, he only leaned forward and pressed his lips firmly against Reno's. The fourth kiss they'd ever shared. Reno squeaked something beneath his mouth, but the ex-Turk wasn't listening. He stepped forward, forcing the redhead up against the wall and grasping Reno's wrists tightly.
Reno got over his shock quickly, leaning into the lip lock with his own vigor, his heart pounding into his chest. Vincent's hands released his wrists, moving to cup his face gently once more.
Reno let out a breathy moan, parting his lips when Vincent's tongue ran over them. Their heated kiss became deeper, and all worries slipped from Reno's mind while Vincent pulled back to place feverish kisses along his mouth and jaw. "Bedroom," The raven-haired man breathed into his ear. Reno nodded, stepping away from Vincent to pull out the key and unlock their room.
He allowed the older man in, and locked the door behind him. He turned and gasped when he was pressed against the door, a hot mouth covering his own. Vincent was kissing him with more fire than the Turk had ever seen in him before. He tried to ignore the way that Vincent suddenly clung to him, as if he was going to disappear any minute.
"Vincent-" Reno gasped against his love's mouth. He was silenced soon enough as Vincent pressed his mouth tightly against Reno's, only to pull back and whisper, "Don't talk, give me that much."
Reno whimpered, cold hands sliding up his shirt. He inhaled sharply, his gasp quickly becoming a moan as Vincent's lips suckled gently on his neck. His fingers tangled themselves in the man's silken hair, head resting against the back of the door.
As Vincent guided him to bed, Reno held no worries for the days to come. His mind was focused on Vincent, and only him. He didn't think of any reasons as to why Vincent had gone from being shy about their growing relationship, to suddenly forward, almost desperate. He didn't think of the raging ice-storm outside or the Keyblade Master. He didn't think of the heartless, and he didn't think of his little brother, or even Cloud, for once. His worries and fears and doubts washed away as he was lowered gently onto the bed, hands unbuttoning his shirt as Vincent trailed hot kisses along the expanse of his chest.
Vincent couldn't help but think of what he was going to have to give up, and how he was going to take advantage of this last chance before it was gone. He couldn't help but worry about how devastated Reno would be in a mere eight hours.
Both men gave themselves to each other that night, but only one knew it would be the first and last time they would be together.
-
It had happened as Reno lay curled up against Vincent's body, listening to the sounds of the older man breathe and being lulled into a deep sleep. The building had lurched, and Reno's hands clutched tightly to his lover's bare chest, eyes wide.
"The fuck was that?!" He cried, head twisting around to observe his surroundings. Vincent pried the redhead's hands away, standing up and grabbing his discarded jumpsuit from the ground and pulling it on. Reno followed suit, grabbing his bottoms and tugging them on whilst hopping towards the window and wrenching the curtains open.
"Holy shit!" Reno snapped the curtains shut in an attempt to block out the beady yellow eyes of the same heartless he'd thought Sora had slain not long before. He whirled around, his unbound hair flying over his shoulder in the abrupt movement. Vincent was adjusting his cloak, Reno's shirt draped over his shoulder as the raven haired man approached to hand it to him.
"Thanks man, I-" Vincent silenced him with a passionate and sudden kiss, one that left Reno's knees weak and his chest heaving for air. The ex-Turk turned, grabbing his shotgun from where it had been left on the floor earlier that night, and proceeded to walk out of the room. Reno quickly buttoned his shirt, leaving the top four undone and grabbing his jacket and EMR before running out after Vincent.
Sora followed Riku as soon as the boy's words had registered in his brain, reality pushing panic out of his mind. His body was still warm from Riku's embrace, though the fear that had engulfed him had destroyed his previous arousal within milliseconds.
Reno was standing in the hallway, eyes wide and his face set into a look of tired resignation. The redhead was pulling his jacket on, feet bare and his hair untied, cascading down his back and shoulders. As the two boys approached him, Reno fished out a hair tie from the pocket of his jacket, pulling his hair out of his face as he addressed them.
"Barret showed up not too long ago. He's got the ship out in the storage shed next to the in. It's gonna be cold- so prepare yourselves." Reno tied his hair up, curling his toes for a moment before he led them down the stairs. "Vincent's gone to distract it long enough to give us time to get to the ship, then he'll join us." He jumped the steps, two by two. Nodding breathlessly at Reno's explanations, Riku followed behind him quickly, making sure Sora was keeping up.
At the end of the stairs, the redhead stopped, looking at Riku. "He's not strong enough to fight." The redhead pulled out a pistol, extending it towards the silver haired teen. "These won't stop the heartless, but it will slow them down enough for you to get by. I'll be in front, so you've got to watch your back. Are you ready?"
Riku clenched his hand to stop the trembling before reaching out and taking the gun from Reno. He tested the weight in his hand- he was just an island boy, he had never seen a real one, yet alone held or used one- he had only seen them on the television.
"I've never used one of these before," he admitted to Reno quickly- there was a strange catch on the back of the gun and he wasn't sure if there was some trick to pulling the trigger or not. Hearing a scrambling and a squeaking, he turned to see a small heartless at the top of the stairs, peering down at them. They had to get moving.
Cursing, Reno snatched the gun out of Riku's grasp. "This is a Desert Eagle." He held it up, as if showing it both to them, and then aimed it at the heartless. "Aim it, get your target sighted inside of the notch here." Reno's free hand pointed to a piece of metal on the top of the gun, near the end of the muzzle that had an inverted notch in the center of it.
"Use your thumb, and pull this lever here." He pulled at the catch on the back, his thumb tugging it down so that the gun gave a loud 'click.' Sora watched this happen with rapture. "Now- you fire." When Reno pulled the trigger, Sora jumped, wincing at the deafening bang that echoed in his ears. Riku watched the quick demonstration in a daze, just barely taking in the essentials he needed to know. He was lucky he was a quick learner (which he couldn't exactly say about Sora next to him). Reno stuffed the still-smoking gun into Riku's hand, careful to only let the silver-haired boy touch the handle area.
'Don't touch the barrel after you've fired, or else you'll burn the hell out of your hand." He dug into his pocket, pulling out a clip of rounds. "That can hold nine rounds, you have eight left." He tossed the two extra rounds to Sora, who caught them with a shout of surprise.
"You unhook that, and then let it drop out, that's the empty cartridge." Reno pointed to the underside of the handle. "Slide in one of these and you've got a new set of rounds. Use them sparingly." And with that, Reno ushered them out of the building as heartless began to pop up along the stairs. "Let's go!"
Clenching the gun in his dominant hand, Riku's free hand returned to Sora's and they fled from the building as the stairs started to become overwhelmed with black. Crunching through the snow, they followed the sound of gunshots- Reno was charging on ahead, snipering off various heartless and clearing a path for them. They could see a large contraption in the distance which hadn't been there earlier when they had arrived- Riku assumed it was the gummi ship that Reno had been speaking about.
Turning over his shoulder as he ran, he shouted back to Sora, "I think we're heading to that- think you can keep up?" He was given a hasty nod in return and together they plunged forward.
When they reached Vincent, who stood by the ship to keep it from being over-run with Heartless, Reno's back automatically attached itself to Vincent's, his other hand on his spare pistol, firing at the heartless wildly. He'd had a moment of panic when Vincent had disappeared, but he realized that his lover was only helping to distract the Heartless and protect the gummi ship.
"You have to find Axel." Vincent uttered quietly, taking down an armored heartless with two shots and then reloading quickly. Reno rolled his eyes, twisting to the side as he shot a nearby shadow. They took a few seconds to reform, but it was enough time.
"That's a given- why are you telling me this now?" Riku and Sora ran past them and straight to the gummi ship. The Heartless were beginning to close in, and Reno was running out of clips. He cursed, digging around in his pockets for another round when Vincent grabbed his arm tightly.
"You must take care of the Keyblade Master," He froze, head snapping up to stare at his dark haired lover.
"Vincent," It was a warning. Don't joke around. Vincent pushed Reno towards the gummi ship. "Vincent! Don't do this to me!" Reno's voice had become harsh, but desperate as he stalked towards the ex-Turk once more. Vincet's gun whirled around and pressed into his forehead. The Heartless were nearly on them, and closing in rapidly.
Vincent cocked the gun. "Go," Reno couldn't stop the tears from rising in his eyes. The dark haired man looked past Reno and to the ship, where Sora and Riku were hidden in, Barrett shooting madly at anything that neared it.
Sora understood that look, whirling around to grab onto Riku, "Riku. We have to get him. Reno's not gonna be able to get his brother if he's taken by Heartless," it saddened him that they'd be helping take Reno away from someone equally important, but the brunette had a feeling that if they ever came across Reno's brother, the kid would be devastated that he'd fallen under a Heartless siege, "Riku, please."
Riku winced as Sora clutched at his arm, pleading again for him to do something. He was sympathizing with the situation, placing himself and Sora in their positions- he was holding off an attack on Destiny Islands, shoving Sora on a boat to go find Roxas. He hated to do it, but if he didn't go, he'd be taken down too.
Green eyes scanned the interior of the ship quickly- it was void of heartless and those downstairs were fending off the attack sufficiently. Turning to Sora, he grabbed his shoulder, "Stay here, don't move," before running back down the ramp as fast as he could, grabbing Reno's wrist and tugging him back, the sudden surprise of the movement making the redhead stagger back and lose his balance temporarily.
" Reno! We have to go!"
"Let go of me!" Reno snarled, yelling out Vincent's name when a Heartless jumped atop the older man's back. His body felt weak as Vincent fell forward. He couldn't even find the energy to fight back as Riku pulled him towards the gummi ship. They were too far for Reno to even come close to stopping what happened next.
"Vincent!" The redhead screamed, watching in horror as the claw of a heartless dug into Vincent's chest- the pain actually tearing forth a cry of pain from the raven-haired man. Reno pulled against Riku's wrist, trying to break free. It was like watching a horror moviethat played back in slow motion. The flash of light that erupted around the beast's hands before it's dark mouth opened to the shining heart held in it's claws. Within seconds, that light dissapeared.
"No!" It was a broken, despair filled cry that wrenched from Reno's throat, tugging vainly at Riku's hand to try and return to the spot where Vincent's body dropped to the ground in a crumpled heap. He didn't care if Vincent was already gone, or that the heartless were so close that the ground was beginning to disappear under the mass of black. They were almost to the ship, but Reno's mind had shut down. Tears were streaming from his cheeks as he let out another heart wrenching scream of Vincent's name, his voice breaking into a sob as he collapsed to the ground, his hand grasping to Riku's forearm.
"No."
Gritting his teeth, Riku did all he could to keep hold of Reno as the older man struggled against his grip- he was lucky they were of similar height or he wouldn't have had much of a chance against him. "Reno, we have to get inside before any more come-" he grabbed at the male's arm, fighting to pull him up, but only staggering over as the redhead collapsed back to the ground. He saw the hatch open out of the corner of his eye as Sora ran out. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the heartless were nearly done swarming over where Vincent and Barret had once been- there wasn't much time to waste.
"Quick Sora! Help me out here!" he looped his arm back under Reno's shoulders again, hoisting him up as Sora ran up to them. With Sora taking half of Reno's weight, they were able to move quickly up the ramp- Riku risked looking over his shoulder once more to find that some of the Heartless were starting to follow them up.
Somehow they made it into the door of the ship and they dropped Reno to the ground- Riku yelled to Sora to close the hatch, and he took out the gun Reno had leant to him, taking aim at one of the heartless, eye traveling down the sight- he pulled the trigger- his shot pinged off of the ramp as it moved upwards. Cursing under his breath, he took aim again, this time hitting the heartless in the shoulder, throwing it off of the ramp. He started to aim for the next one, but the hatch closed.
He turned to Sora, giving him a worried look before looking down at Reno, "What now?" he breathed out, only realizing now that adrenaline had made him breathless.
"We have to get out of here!" Sora exclaimed, before he paused to stare down at Reno, who had become like a lifeless doll, sitting on the floor of the ship and staring at the closed door.
"Barrett told you how to start the ship, right? I'll... I'll try and take care of Reno. We should leave." He reached down, struggling with the taller male's weight as he tried to drag the redheaded over to the cockpit, where the three seats were installed. Reno was barely providing assistance, muttering to himself and trying to push Sora away at the same time.
Riku looked to the panel as Sora mentioned Barret- he had barely even met the man, let alone had an explanation on how to fly a ship from him. He hesitated, but was jolted out of his thoughts when the ship suddenly swayed, as if something was slamming into the side of it. Whipping around to Sora, he clenched his fist as he confessed, "Actually, he never did- I don't know what to do--"
Reno collapsed against his arms again, this time sobbing full out and clinging to Sora like a lifeline. The movement caused Sora to bend forwards and made his injuries jolt in pain.
"Just- Just hit the buttons or something until we take off!" He fell to his knees, wrapping his arms around Reno's shoulders and holding him tightly, uttering reassurances to the redhead as best he could. Reno's fingernails were digging through the fabric of his shirt and into his arms. It stung, but Sora knew that it was nothing compared to the agony that his red-haired friend was currently suffering.
Riku bit his lip, tearing his eyes away from the sight of Sora and Reno on the ground- it was terrible to watch Reno, who seemed like such a happy and strong person to be so broken. Darting over to the control panel as another wave of tremors shook the ship, his eyes scanned the panel. He had no idea what to do. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and took a leaf out of Sora's book and chose a button at random, pushing his fingers up against it. Upon receiving no reply, he continued his random button pressing until suddenly the computer roared into life, engines of the gummi ship starting.
He let out a breath he didn't realize he had held- Riku: 1, Computer: 32. Just because the most advanced piece of technology he had back home was a VCR-- anyway. Now wasn't the time for nostalgia. The screen was asking for coordinates- it offered a list of prelisted ones and Riku scrolled down it and chose one at random. Suddenly the ship was rumbling, vibrating- but not in the way it was when they were under attack. No, they were flying.
When the ship gave a lurch, it was like breaking a spell. Reno stiffened and shoved Sora away violently, scrambling to his feet. "We can't leave him here!" The redhead yelled hysterically, ignoring Sora's cry of pain when he landed on the hard floor of the ship on his bruised back. "He's not dead! Stop the ship!" Reno fell forwards onto the door, his hand reaching for the hatch, but a buzzer sounded, signifying that unless the ship was stopped, a built in safety mechanism would prevent the doors from opening.
"Dammit!" He screamed, his fist hitting the closed hatch angrily. Another scream of rage and despair escaped as he continued to hit the door, cries of Vincent's name escaping. "You lied to me! You said we'd find him together! Dammit Vincent! I hate you!" His head hit the door as a wail erupted from his throat. He had nothing left. Vincent had been the only solid reality he had. Axel was somewhere- but he didn't know where. And all Reno had was a barely pubescent Keyblade Master and his best friend.
Character Biography of the Week!
Vincent; The Ex-Turk
Home World: Midgar
Currently Residing in DECEASED
Suffering from memory loss at the age of 19, Vincent joined the Turks as a means of distraction. At the age of 20, he ran into a red haired teen who'd attempted to steal his gun from him. After apprehending the teen and forcing a name out of him, Vincent forced Reno to become employed into the Turks in order to help the younger male to support his little brother. They became friends quickly, and within the year, Vincent began to fall in love with this exuberant redhead who had only eyes for the SOLDIER Cloud Strife, a blonde man who had discovered Vincent's unconscious body when he was nineteen. When the heartless attacked, Reno volunteered himself to be left behind because of the lack of space on the few ships they had. Vincent stayed with him, allowing Yuffie to take his place on the ship. Months later, Vincent walked into the shared room he had with Reno and discovered the man in the midst of a nightmare. Awakening him caused Reno to break down. After comforting the redhead, Vincent kissed him, and stepped away. Reno stopped Vincent's departure and their relationship was formed, however unsteady it was. When the Keyblade Master arrived, Vincent knew that it was his time to make a sacrifice for the restoration of the worlds, and died in order for Reno to live and help the Keyblade Master and his companion on their journey.
As they were led through the lush green forest, there was a thump from behind them, and the two boys, along with the rest of the group, turned around. Reno was stumbling away from a tree, grasping his head and looking utterly embarassed.
"Sorry, I was watching the Lemur."
YukaYuka: -sniffs- Ohmygod NO D:
Psycho Rooster: I'm glad you found my writing touching. ;D
YukaYuka: It's not THAT! Roxas isn't going to be in the story for a few chapters! -HORROR-
Psycho Rooster: ... DX
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