YFOD: I love this story… yeah, I know… I'm sick… But thanks to everyone who favorite-d, alerted, and that one person who reviewed! P.S. I modified it, so it's an Angelic Layer crossover… I hope you'll still read.
I don't own Kingdom Hearts.
Chapter Two
Sora rested his cheek on his palm, staring out the window and wondering how Roxas was.
"Sora." He looked up, and saw Riku standing over him; a leather schoolbag slung over one a shoulder. He looked at Sora with concern filling his eyes. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah. Fine." Sora sighed, and Riku felt worry pool in his stomach. Sora looked tired… as if he were too old for his form.
"You want to come over tonight?" He asked softly, laying a hand on Sora's shoulder. Sora looked up haggardly and shook his head slowly.
"Nah. I have to take care of Roxas." He stood up, picking up his books. Riku frowned.
"You want me to come with you?" Riku watched as Sora shook his head.
"Nah. Rox is pretty weak for visitors." He gathered up his supplies and piled them into his own schoolbag, which he slung over his own shoulder. "Later."
Riku could only stare, all protest dying in his throat as he watched Sora's slumped figure make its way out the door.
"Later…"
oOo
"Rox? You sleeping?" Sora poked his head through a crack in the door, and finding his brother wide awake, stepped in. "What're you reading?"
Roxas looked up, a rare happy look on his tired face.
"A magazine. Axel gave it to me earlier." He held the magazine almost daintily in his frail hands. Sora pulled up a chair and sat on it backwards, folding his arms on the back rest. He craned his neck to see what he was reading. It was an ad.
Angelic Layer, the new big hit!
Create, fight, make a champion!
Buy yours now!
"Hm? What's that?" Sora looked at Roxas who was reading intently.
"Something they call Angelic Layer. The next big hit." He quoted the ad.
"Hm. How's it work?" It was safe to say that Sora was intrigued.
"I dunno. I think it reads brain waves and you fight with it and stuff. Sounds cool." Roxas turned the page, all thoughts on it lost as he read on.
"Got it. So, whaddya want for dinner?" Sora gripped Roxas' calf through the sheets and shook it lightly. Roxas made a face.
"I don't have much of an appetite…" Roxas turned away from the worry dancing in Sora's eyes.
"Come on, Rox. You have to eat." Sora gave him a firm look. Roxas sighed.
"Just… anything. Doesn't matter, I'll puke it all up anyways." He played with the hem of the sheet.
"Roxas…" Sora made a move to come closer to him, but Roxas' head snapped up.
"Don't Sora. Just… don't. I- I'm gonna get some rest." Roxas reached over and turned out the little table lamp on his nightstand. Sora nodded and walked out of the room.
He was already halfway down the hallway before he realized that Roxas had weaseled his way out of eating again. His back met the wall, and he sank to the floor.
"Damn it…"
oOo
Cloud sighed, stepping into the small flat where he, Sora, and Roxas lived.
"Sora?" The brunette was sleeping peacefully on the couch. Cloud stared for a second, before walking to the closet and pulling out a worn blanket. He draped it over his elder son's body, kneeling down to plant a light kiss on his forehead. He stood up, brushing any and all dust off of his pants, continuing down the hall, pausing in front of Roxas' door. He opened it a crack, looking in silently, to find the sickly child deep into a dark sleep, form looking tiny in the twin-sized bed. He closed the door, retreating from the room.
He felt… old. Too old, too fast.
"Roxas…" He gripped the small doorknob and then released it from his grip, going to his own bedroom to wash up.
oOo
Roxas awoke from a dreamless sleep. He rubbed a cerulean eye lazily, sitting up weakly, reaching over to grasp the desk lamp's chain and pulling, engulfing the room in light. He ran a hand through his golden spikes, thinking that even his hair was deflated. He chuckled at his own little joke, before rising to his feet. He throws a glance at the clock. One-thirty in the afternoon meant that Sora was at school and Cloud was at work. He stumbled, almost falling, but steadied himself and limped to the bathroom. He needed a shower.
oOo
Roxas always found that he could think better under a torrent of hot water. He started to slowly rub some shampoo into his hair, but his hands were shaking again.
Oh no you don't. He growled. You've already taken everything from me. You aren't taking this.
An hour later, he stepped out of the shower, drying himself off.
He stared at himself through the mirror.
He was thin. He could see his own ribs protruding from his torso. He was pale. Almost like snow, a deathly white color. He looked tired. Bags hung under his glazed blue eyes. He held his hand up to his face, turning it, thinking that he could see the veins snaking under his skin, long bony fingers clenching.
He looked dead.
He looked like death in its worst form.
He chuckled soundlessly, almost hysterically.
I'm going to die. It ran through his head over and over again, nearly every day.
He slipped into his clothes, knowing that they hung off his tiny form. He staggered in a zombie-like pace to his bedroom. Every day, he slept. He couldn't really do anything else.
oOo
Sora kicked a pebble. He was hurrying home, to take care of Roxas, of his younger brother.
Then he saw it.
Angelic Layer Egg.
Make a champion.
Angelic Layer. Why not?
Maybe it would make Roxas happy.
He left the store with a bag held in hand.
For Roxas.
YFOD: Hooray, DONE! That was a lot of fun… well… I gotta do stuff. Hope you liked, if anyone read. A couple reviews would be great. Thanks for reading.