Sorry it took me so long! I got this idea for a fic (Baseballs, "Friends", and No-Crying Rules. If you guys could check that out it would be great!)
So uh...enjoy!
Chapter 23
Roxas~
"Xion...why'd you sneak off like that?" Cloud demanded from the front seat.
We were driving home from the hospital, and everything seemed unreal and fast.
"I'm sorry dad! I had to!" Xion insisted. "If it was Zack, you would've gone too!"
My heart stopped and I got this funny feeling around my eyes.
"Xion." Cloud said in his forever-even tone.
She shot a look at me. "Roxas! I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean that!"
I shook my head "It's alright."
~x~
The second the rubber toe of my sneaker crossed the metal doorstep, I was attacked by a whirlwind named Tifa.
"Roxas! You're ok!" she yelped.
She held me by my shoulders. "Say something!"
"Tifa..." Cloud mumbled, sounding embarrassed.
"Nope! Cloud, shut up!" she stared at me.
"Um...hi?"
She squealed again and hugged me.
Xion slammed her head on the dining room table and Cloud was trying to pull his wife offa me.
Five smothering minutes later...
"Ok, what do you want for dinner, Roxas?"Tifa asked, her hands on her hips in the standard "Tifa position."
"Tifa, it's noon." Cloud reminded her, slipping his arm around her waist.
She grinned a little. "Right." she stretched up on her tiptoes to kiss Cloud.
Xion and I blanched.
"Aw shut it you two." Tifa said, pulling away from Cloud. "You'll be kissing each other soon enough."
Xion and I stared at each other for a veerry looonng time before Xion jumped up and yelled: "Black Ops marathon! I'll beat you to my room!" she tore off to her bedroom.
I stood there for a second in awkward silence with my best friend's young and crazy parents, before making a very smooth ninja walk to Xion's room.
For about three hours of playing multiplayer with random people across the world, and finally being able to yell out insults over the mic, we switched to playing zombies with just the two of us.
At one point, Xion pumped her arm in the air, causing her jacket arm to ride up.
I saw a strange bruise on her wrist, it seemed to be on the outside of her skin, but it was purple.
"Xion..." I murmured, pointing at her hand.
She examined it. "What the heck?"
Then something caught my eye: a man with brown hair and a raggedy leather jacket stumbled past her window.
Blood poured from a wound on his face.
~x~
Squall~
I finally stopped bleeding. The pain had faded to just an ache.
I fidgeted with my wedding band behind my back. Doing so made me think about Riona.
I told myself to stop. I told myself that I would never see her again and would be trapped in this place forever. To be tortured by that...girl everyday until she couldn't resist the urge anymore and she killed me.
Unless that equally crazy man...Ansem...holds her back and I truly will be stuck here forever.
I'm not exaggerating.
After being here (wherever 'here' is) for so long, I've noticed I never have to eat or drink and my wounds, even the most mortal injuries, heal quickly. My hair doesn't grow and I never sleep. I've decided that I need nothing.
They've stripped me of my humanity.
...no, I'm wrong. If my humanity was completely gone, I wouldn't have to pull myself from thoughts of Riona.
The door opened and I was surprised. She had already come and cut me open, why was the witch here again?
Was she going to kill me?
"Please..." I mumbled, finding myself begging her to end me.
She smiled and I would've been fooled if I didn't know the sadistic things she was capable of.
"I'm sorry Squallie." she said, putting emphasis in my nickname.
My blood turned to cold steel.
"How...?" only Riona called me that.
She traced patterns up my exposed arm. I felt a searing pain and the patterns became visible.
She was holding back, I could tell because she had touched me for five seconds and I wasn't bleeding.
She sat on the arm of the chair.
"You know...Squall...you have beautiful eyes..." she murmured, stroking my cheek.
More pain.
Still no blood.
"Don't touch me." I growled. This has nearly become a tradition.
She would act like she loved me for a minute. Pet my face. I would tell her to stay away. Then she would dig her nails into my neck and rip.
But today she just sat there, running a finger down my jawline.
"But I love you, Squall." she whispered. Something was up.
"Oh, so you're cheating on the devil?"
She looked at her lap, as if ashamed.
"If you actually loved me, you would let me go." please...
She looked up at me again.
"But, Squall," I started hating my own name. "then I wouldn't have you."
I saw a window, but it was closing.
I looked away from her and (trying not to throw up) whispered: "Maybe I'd stay."
She touched my wrist and I winced.
"Really? Would you?" I heard the hopefulness in her voice and tried not to smile; my plan was working.
"Yes."
She got up and untied my hands, every time she touched me it hurt.
I stood. I was about to make a break for the door when she stepped in front of me.
She smiled as if I'd just agreed to marry her or something. She reached up and locked her hands behind my neck.
I flinched, not used to any kind of touch that wasn't intended to cause me pain. It still burned when she touched me, but it wasn't on purpose.
I had utterly no idea what she was doing or when she would take her hands off me.
The next thing I knew, she was kissing me.
It hurt so much. But I couldn't move. Blood began trickling from my lips.
My shirt soaked up what flowed from my neck.
I couldn't remember being in so much pain.
She began cutting shapes on the back of my neck with her fingernail.
The edges of my vision darkened. Blackish stars flashed in front of my face.
'Is this really how I'm going to die?' I wondered.
'I'm sorry Riona.' I thought.
Riona deserved someone who would love her. She deserved a family.
'Maybe she'll realize I died and find somebody else.'
No. She would wait until she's dead herself.
"Ri...on...a..." I whispered.
The girl paused when I managed that and broke away from me, I collapsed on the floor.
She knelt beside me.
She took my hand in hers and sliced open my wrist. Blood was spilt immediately.
She held my bloody wrist so my hand rested on her shoulder for a second.
She put her hand on my chest, easily pinning me down. The girl leaned down to my face.
She bit down hard on my neck, then whispered: "I hope you bleed out."
She walked out, leaving the door wide open.
I dragged myself towards it. The opening.
It took me a while, but finally I was at the front door.
"You let him go?!" I heard an angry shout.
A slap that almost made me hurt rang out. A whimper. I pushed myself out of the door before I was found.
The second I stepped foot outside, I remembered where I was, when I got here and why.
I had to get away from this place soon.
Do I know anyone here...? In...Twilight Town?
Then I remembered.
I started off in the direction of Cloud's house.
X
Uh...yeah...there...