Chapter 4

"Sora! That's fantastic!"

Roxas pulled me into cramped grasp when I explained the news prior to my contemporary arrival. It nearly made me faint, gasping for breath as I tried helplessly to shove him away. After minutes of hopeless struggle, and a kick in the shin, Roxas understood the torture and relinquished me at last. The wide smirk that emerged from his face the moment I returned expanded to my ultimate surprise.

Cheerful, and almost hysterical, he guided me to the love seat, and enforced his unanswerable questions. He pressed me for the most explicative, describing detail, leaving me totally wordless. I answered to the best of my ability, but soon after he began asking absurd questions like what colour Riku's socks were.

"Roxas!" I screeched, restraining him against the love seat, "will you please calm down! I can only answer one question at a time!"

Accepting my plea for survival, but still in his state of merriment, he started to ask accountable questions. These included the song he performed, how well he played it, and if he seemed fit enough to be a piano teacher. That I did not doubt. My recount of the short visit was like a illustrative novel, phrases and memories made pictures with the words I spoke. The story went as far as halting Roxas from his sudden enthusiasm, as he seemed to be in a faraway land, in a dream.

"Then, before I knew right from wrong, the song ended," I declared, noticing Roxas' calm face almost touching mine. So close I could perceive every unnoticeable feature on his skin, "and I was left in tears."

"That's it?" Roxas modulated, instantly turning saddened, "he didn't comfort you or anything? He just left you crying!"

"Roxas," I laughed, making a mental note that Roxas knew nothing of relationships, "we aren't at that stage yet. First, we bond. Piano lessons is the perfect way of getting together."

"But... you were crying, " he complained, clearly uninterested in the words I mumbled.

The duration of the conversation took us no further, as Roxas continued to be close-minded, refusing to believe Riku's dispassionate behavior. After minutes of useless argument and squabbling, Roxas rose from the love seat and went to begin preparations for dinner.

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"You already have another boyfriend Riku?"

With my parents, dinnertime was always hell. I learned to be patient and to control my anger due to these daily meals, as my parents' dinner talk consisted of nothing but complaints about business problems, money, and my lifestyles. This evening, however, anger had already boiled to boiling temperature when my mother voiced her unfair opinion.

"I finally meet someone in this miserable town and you automatically assume I'm his boyfriend. Don't be ridiculous," I said savagely.

"I don't remember accepting any invitation for a get together with your friend," she said, emphasizing friend annoyingly.

"I don't remember caring about your permission dear mother," I snapped back sarcastically.

"Shut your God damned mouth Riku," bellowed my father, consuming his nourishment whilst talking, "we did not let Lucas come to our house in the city, and it will be no different here. Your lucky even to be here now, so eat your food and get out of my face."

I opened my mouth to counter his cruelty, but the immoral look from my father caused it to close magically. I don't want to beaten tonight, I thought. It's Best to stay on his good side.

However, I wanted eagerly to press my appointment of piano teacher to my parents, but before I could voice my inquiry, they were both caught in a conversation of workplace hazards and the spreading war. The ignorance and heartlessness that surrounded the air around me caused me to play menacingly at my mashed potatoes, and I lent no theory or say in their spiritless conversation.

The continuance of their exchange of words left me sitting dormant and quiet at the end of the dinner table. I thought about the upcoming piano lessons, and the thrilled expression on Sora's face when I approved. I thought about moisture and the astonishment that filled his bewitching, but wonderful eyes. I thought about his symmetrical face. Will he ever be in my arms?

At long last, the discussion terminated, leaving the room in awkward muteness. Sounds of rain against glass, as well as silverware against dish and gulps of fluid, rang roughly against my eardrums. Wording my proposal seemed impossible, since I already upset my parents. Their plates were practically emptied, giving me notification of the near conclusion of the dinner. I had to accomplish my conversation, and soon.

"I'm probably going to be teaching Sora piano very soon," I started, bracing myself for the prevalent glower.

Almost straightaway the glares pierced my humble request. I didn't falter, but kept maintaining straight face, awaiting the foretold argument.

"Why would he want to be taught by you," said father, though it wasn't a question.

"Well, for one thing, I'm probably the only one in this town who even plays piano," I said truthfully, "and why not? I'm not bothering anyone."

It was my mother who snickered, which felt like a strike across the face.

"Ha! You teaching piano!?" she snorted, her words muffled by the sounds of her mocking laughter and the sudden roar of the thunder, "if only my mother would live to see the day. Live to see her piano banged on by some stupid, useless brat."

"You have no right to call him stupid," I screamed, rising to my feet and getting ready to butcher her remarks.

"Why not?" she continued, "anyone who would take lessons from a boy like you has to be. Besides, it's not even your piano. So if I were you I would keep your voice down and thank us for even letting you keep the wretched thing."

My stomach lurched as she criticized my piano, and the anger was far too great to evade. The last thing I would do is thank my parents for anything.

"Riku, listen to your mother and take a seat so we can discuss this," commanded my father. I opened my mouth to fight back, but once again the unpleasant look from my father forced me onto my seat.

"Now," he continued, "you are here to ask for our authorization, correct?"

The calm tones he spoke in didn't subdue my fur,. as I clung onto the most blunt response I could muster, "No, not exactly. I just wanted to notify you about the lessons. That's all."

"And I quote, it is my piano, and I can do whatever I want with it," stated my mother.

"Since when have you ever cared about my piano," I retorted, my voice rising.

"It's my mothers Riku," my mother reminded, "and you would do well to remember it."

"It's as good as mine," I informed, "I'm sure grandmother would of loved to see her antique piano laying in the pieces on a mound of garbage."

"She would of rather seen it there then in the hands of you, her most hated grandson," she barked.

"Her only grandson," I snapped back, "and why are we arguing about this now of all times? You never seemed to have cared who owned the piano until now!"

"Not until you brought up the subject of teaching your boyfriend piano," said my father.

"He's. Not. My. Boyfriend," I refreshed, standing up once again. My mother readied a command, but my father calmed her down, smirking evilly. Highly amused, he continued rigorously:

"Oh yes, how could I of forgotten dear Lucas. Where is he these days? I do miss him. Oh wait! I remember. He's dead."

"Shut up,"

"The war took him correct? If I'm not mistaken, he was killed because he deserved it. I'm surprised they didn't take you either-"

"Shut-up,"

"-shame they didn't. I would of loved to of seen you dragged away begging me for forgiveness, along with that wretched filth Lucas-"

"SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH!"

My temper had reached the border of my fingertips as I grasped my uneaten plate of food and flung it toward my father. I forgot one very important thing about my father, however, and I soon regretted the sudden attack. He had the quickest reflexes, and had caught the remains of my dinner just before it broke his nose. My mother wailed frighteningly and crossed the table to chastise me, but my father beckoned her to leave the dining room.

"I'll take care of this," he said, heaving himself off his chair as my mother leaved the room giggling insanely.

Clenching his fists, he advanced to me, monotonous, eventually landing me cornered. The evil simper still stretched across his face as towered over me, seemingly deciding what to do with me. Whatever it was was not going to be enjoyable.

Soon he had me in a full body bind against the nearest wall, pushing me so hard into it I felt as if I was part of the it. The rough material against my delicate cheek caused me to let out a muffled whimper as it cut my skin. Whispers echoed throughout my mind dangerously, speaking to me in rough tones, telling me to fight back, to save myself from most certain death. The whispers, whom I learned belonging to my father, where not words of encouragement, but words of mockery, as I was entirely defenseless. Not even the consoling images of Sora could of saved me now.

Turning me around, he pelted me across the cheek, where blood now trickled due to the coarse wall. Pulling my hair, he threw me to the ground, forcing me onto my stomach, and began to beat my back in a frenzy. Fearing he might pull every last hair from my head, I tried relentlessly to wrench free from his secure grasp over my wheezing, but my effort proved unavailing.

Turning me over once again, he sent one last powerful blow to my gut, leaving me breathless as the wind was knocked out of me. Before leaving my senseless presence, he gave me one last look, not of remorse for his acts of hatred, but of pure pleasure. Within seconds of his pure hostility, he left me panting on the dining room floor, and a wave of contentment devoured my unmoving body. It wasn't as bad as it could of been, I thought.

However, I could not wander my household tonight, as my father would be in his disturbing mood long into the night, and into the proceeding day. Every time he beat me while I lived in the city, I would always go to Lucas' and stay the night, or to another's inviting sanctuary. Tonight would be no different, as one home already crossed my mind.

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When Roxas' dynamic mood finally tempered, we got into the less interesting topic of Roxas' work life. My eyes and ears ambled to anything they could stick to, trying to block out Roxas' words, but it was pointless. As he complained about several useless workers and his unreasonable boss, my sight centered on the front door, almost completely hidden in shadow. Exposing myself to anything my body could take in, I noticed the ceiling fan twirl incoherently, feeling the bitter breeze reach my unprotected skin.

My centering averted from the rotation of the ceiling fan when I apprehended a person walking on the sidewalk alongside my home. The footstep patterns were at complete random, implying a limping or drunken man, or maybe both.

"Do you hear that?" I interrupted as the sounds continued. Roxas scrutinized me for a moment or two, but ears widening, he focused on my analysis. The footsteps seemingly came closer, enlarging my stomach, and my heart was overworking itself. I couldn't even begin to explain why I was fearful of this individual, drunk or not. The proximity of the footsteps came closer and closer, until they discontinued on my front doorstep leaving the atmosphere in intense silence. My respiratory system failed when the figure knocked three times.

On instinct, I rose and leapt to the door, Roxas following closely on my heels. There I was greeted by the rambunctious sounds of a collision on the opposite side of the door. My hands trembling with anxiety, I carefully opened the door, and half laughed, half screamed.

It was Riku, but something was terribly wrong. He seemed to have stumbled across some appalling incident, resulting him in his current state. Over his wheezing and exhausted breath, I inspected his appearance, shocked. There was several long marks on his cheeks that bled noticeably, blood streaming down his neck, staining his clothing.

"Sora, help me lift him to the love seat," ordered Roxas.

Even with the both of us, Riku was extremely laborious to carry, each of us using our muscles to their fullest strength.

Once on the love seat, I secretly hated myself as the seductive urges returned, even amidst the fierce pressure of the scene. Through his gasping choking I wished to bend over and kiss him full in the lips, to take his awful pain away, to give him my breath to live, to give him my utmost love. I wished to take god's healing hand to regenerate his lost blood, and to rid him of his torn flesh...

My mind was already abundant with suspicious theories concerning his dramatic entrance. Yet I was almost one hundred percent positive I knew the reason. Riku was in no condition to converse, but my contemplation would not be forgotten easily. His quivering eventually slowed, along with my tempting urges.

"Thanks," he croaked, as a huge sigh of relief slipped off my tongue.

"Can I get you anything?" asked Roxas speedily, already halfway to the kitchen.

"Just some water thanks," he responded.

Downing the entire glass without hesitation, he turned to us and smiled. Although the site of the scrapes that infected his fragile cheek were horrendous, he looked simply adorable.

"Riku, what the hell happened?"

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The last thing I wanted in the world was to upset or worry Sora, so I thought of the most convincing lie I could muster.

"I accidently fell down the stairs" I conjured swiftly.

"Fell down the stairs? What about the marks on your cheek?" Roxas asked confused.

"Because... my face scraped against the rug," I told.

"Then why did you come here?" Sora challenged, undeniably unconvinced.

"My parents are out of town, and I was... lonely," I said, overwhelmed by my improv, "before I left the house I fell down the stairs."

Roxas sympathetic stare led me to assume he believed me, but Sora was sulking.

"What about your parents?" inquired Roxas, "won't they be worried about your disappearance?"

"My parents wouldn't care if I died eating rat poison," I explained, a light chuckle escaping from Sora's lips.

"So... you came here because you were lonely?" said Sora. His voice was returning to his accustomed emphasis, "how long do you plan on staying?"

"Well, not to sound rude or anything, but I was wondering if I could... stay the night?"

Sora's face lit up spontaneously, and immense grin following. "Roxas, please!"

"Why not!" said Roxas cheerfully, "I'll make a bed next to Sora's."

Through the excitement and enjoyment, I could of sworn I saw the faintest hint of a blush form on Sora's cheek.

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"It was your parents who beat you... right?"

It was late into the night. The only source of energy was the dimmed moonlight, peering through my unlatched window. Roxas had made a bed composed of a few smelly bed sheets and an unused mattress, but Riku accepted it, thanking him ecstatically over and over again.

"I didn't want to make you or Roxas worry," he revealed, showing sheer defeat, "so I lied. Guess it wasn't too convincing."

"Roxas believes you," I said, "he's very gullable."

"I've noticed," chuckled Riku, but I didn't continue his attempt for an enlivening mood.

"This isn't something to joke about Riku," I said, the beautiful smile fading from Riku's face, turning the atmosphere awfully sour, "how many times has this happened before?"

"Many times," he answered as horror morphed my face, "but don't worry, today wasn't the worst."

"Has he ever went as far as almost killing you?" I interrogated, worry mixed with the horror as they gradually made their way to the words I spoke.

He hesitated which confirmed my suspicion all the more, but I listened to his response anyway.

"Rarely, but there have been times."

Anger arose from my chest, weaving in and out of the remaining feelings that welled inside me. This poor boy must of had a terrible life, I thought.

"You don't have any other distant relatives that you could of lived with when your friend died?"

He flinched, as if the question stabbed him painfully, "No," he claimed, "all my grandparents are dead, and I have no cousins."

"I'm... sorry," I murmured apologetically.

"Don't worry about it, you didn't know," he said disheartedly. Neither of us uttered another word due to the uncomfortable environment brought among us, causing my mind to aberrate.

I still felt that Riku hasn't told me his true history yet. There were many unsolved mysteries pertaining to Riku's life took every space in my mind, as I tried to piece the missing pieces of his one thousand pieced puzzle. He was born a mistake, and his parents beat him a lot for some unknown reason. He plays the piano, and was forced to move with his parents when his friend died during the war...

Then it hit me like a bullet shot from a revolver.

Was it all this perfect? Or was it just mere coincidence?

It fit perfectly though, like peanut butter on toast. It was Riku's boyfriend who died in the war, not just his friend. Which meant he lied to me, to hide his sexual preferences to save himself from embarrassment. But that wasn't the problem right now, the problem was to pressure him to telling the truth. How was I going to consult him? It can't be completely irrevolent to our chat. Whatever it was I would have to do it quick, as Riku was halfway asleep.

"So... what was life like in the city?" I said, starting at the location.

"Dull and boring," he replied, "I either stayed home and played piano or I was with my boyf-"

"Your what?"

"My uh... friend."

Jackpot!

"Oh yeah your friend, was he or she the one you planned to move with?"

"He, Lucas, and yes, but as I've told you before, he died."

"Lucas, beautiful name. That's terrible, how did he die?"

"Haven't I already told you this Sora!" his voice rising, "the war. That's why. All because of that O'Neil. Everything is his fault!"

"So he was... homosexual?"

"Well of course!" he shrieked, beginning to frighten me a little, "he was the world to me, he was everything to me! And O'Neil and his army of heartless bastards came and took him away!"

He was almost yelling now, his fists clutched tightly as he punched the mattress. Before I could voice my response, he started to cry, the moon illuminating his falling moisture. It was when I saw these tears of despair and hatred I knew I made a irreversible error.

"Riku, I-"

"Goodnight Sora," he mumbled, covering himself from my stare.

Authors Note - Sorry it's late! wouldn't let me post this... I know the ending was really rushed, but I crammed it all together to reach the deadline. I need reviews for inspiration! So this is what's going to happen, if by the next time I update I don't have a decent amount of reviews to inspire me, I will not hesitate to delete the story and no one will know what happens. So thanks for reading. Hope your enjoying it.