a/n: i apologize in advance my friends
i cried like a baby
a-far-off-memory
"It's getting light out," Demyx said nervously as he looked out the window in the front room. "What's taking so long?"
"I don't know," Zexion sighed, pulling his glasses off and rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Dammit, Axel, would you please stop pacing?" he growled, glaring at the redhead.
Axel stopped, reaching up to tug at hos bright red spikes. "I should be with them. Roxas might need me right now! What if Ven's gone? He'll be shattered, guys."
"Riku and Naminé will look after him. You need to calm yourself, before you worry yourself sick. It's not like he can be hurt or anything," Demyx said softly, teal eyes gentle. "And Roxas is strong, Ax. I'm sure he'll be okay."
The redhead sighed deeply, sinking down onto the couch and groaning when the movement sent a lance of pain through his broken ribs. "I just...I just don't want him to be hurt in any way. He means way too much to me..."
Zexion and Demyx shared a look before the shorter teen heaved a sigh, pulling himself to his feet and limping over to sit beside Axel. It was at that point that he gently wrapped his arms around the lanky teen, shocking him. "Roxas is going to be okay," he whispered, tightening his hold slightly. "Believe that, Axel."
Axel relaxed into the sudden embrace, hugging the soft-spoken teen. "I'll try."
A sudden commotion was heard from the hallway. All three heads whipped to the side in time to see a distraught Sora run by. Small black creatures were chasing him, their small hands curled into claws, antennae standing high.
All three shared a look before standing. Demyx dipped down so that Zexion could hop up onto his back, and then the three of them ran out into the hall.
It was there that they almost ran right into Riku, Roxas and Naminé. "Did you see Sora?" the silveret asked breathlessly.
"We were just about to follow him," Axel replied. "He ran up the stairs...there was a bunch of little black things chasing him."
Riku swore and ran ahead, followed by Naminé. Roxas, however, launched himself into Axel's arms, a sob escaping him, and that's when the redhead knew that Ven was gone.
"Come on, we should follow them," Demyx said softly, jogging toward the stairs while Zexion held on tight. Nodding, Axel wrapped an arm around a distraught Roxas and gently pulled him toward the stairs.
He had a bad feeling about what lay in wait.
Sora and Vanitas wandered the basement, looking for another way out. The black-haired teen was leaning heavily on his younger brother, feeling his body grow weaker and weaker as he lost more blood. His breath was labored, and Sora didn't know what to do.
"Sora, you gotta put me down," Vanitas finally gasped out, clutching at his wound. "I'm just—ah—slowing you down," he added with a wince.
"No!" Sora exclaimed, holding him tighter. "I won't just leave you to die, Vanitas! I can't—" His voice broke, and he was forced to take a few seconds to compose himself. "I can't lose you too..." he finished, his voice a whisper.
Vanitas' golden eyes were sad and resigned as he sighed. "Sora...I'm dying. I'm losing too much blood, and there's nothing anyone can do about it." He swallowed hard. "I'm in pain, Sor...I don't want to move anymore."
Choking out a sob, Sora shook his head. "Vani, you can't give up, not now! I need you! I can't live without my big brother, I'm not ready..."
"Sor..." the black haired teen whispered, leaning his head on the brunet's shoulder. "You gotta let me go. I don't want anything to happen to you too...then I'd be dying for nothing. Please, Sora...just leave me here and get yourself out. I won't let you die in here too."
"But...Vanitas..." he sobbed, blue eyes shining with tears. "Who else will be grumpy about me and Riku always making out? Who else will tease me? Who else will I bicker with? I don't want to lose you!"
Golden eyes soft, Vanitas weakly raised an arm to lay a hand on Sora's cheek. "You don't have a choice, Sora. There's no hope for me, but you...you can still get out of here. You'll have Riku and the others—you'll be okay. Please, Sora, just do this for me. I don't want mom and dad to lose us both."
Biting back a sob, Sora gently lowered his brother to the floor. He then hugged him tight, crying into his shoulder. "I love you so much, Vanitas...you're the best big brother I could have ever asked for," he cried, clutching his brother's black shirt tightly.
"I love you too, Sor," Vanitas whispered. "And I'll always love you, y'know. I'm glad I got to have an amazing little brother like you..." He kissed the brunet's cheek, smiling sadly. "Now go, Sor...I'm sure Riku's looking for you."
Sniffling, Sora reluctantly let go. "Bye, Vani..." he choked out before running through the door.
Vanitas sighed, letting his body fall back until he was lying on the cold floor. "Bye, Sora..." he whispered, closing his eyes.
"This place is like a maze," Riku muttered as they exited yet another room. They'd yet to find anyone else, something they were slightly grateful for. None of them were sure they could handle another dead friend...
"We just need to keep looking...they can't be too far," Naminé said quietly.
They looked at Roxas, who was staring intensely at the floor. "Rox? What are you looking at?" Riku questioned, following his gaze.
"It's...blood," the blond remarked, leaning down and touching his fingers to a small droplet. They came back red. "Someone is hurt badly..."
Riku swore, looking for more blood. At the very least, it could lead them in the right direction.
They followed the drops of blood, occasionally encountering a bloody handprint on the wall. They were all on edge as they found more and more blood, wondering what condition they'd find either Sora or Vanitas in.
They followed the trail until the hallway they were in opened up into a room. It was there that they found their injured friend, lying on the floor and covered in blood.
"Vanitas!" Riku gasped, running and kneeling beside his boyfriend's older brother and taking his hand. Naminé covered her mouth with her hands, blue eyes filled with tears, while Roxas dropped down on Vanitas' other side.
The black-haired teen coughed, groaning in pain and splattering blood on his chin. "S-Sora...I told him to run," he struggled to say, golden eyes wheeling around. "I don't know if he got away..."
Riku squeezed his hand. "Which way did he go?"
Vanitas winced, coughing once more. "Up," he rasped out. With his free hand, he reached for Roxas' hand, gold eyes dim. "Rox-Roxas," he wheezed, struggling to focus his eyes.
"Yeah?" Roxas questioned, eyes full of tears.
"I'm so s-sorry," he whispered. "I couldn't save him. I-I tried. But I...I held him as he died. He was loved."
Choking out a sob, Roxas ran his fingers through the black spikes on Vanitas' head, smiling sadly. "Thank you, Vanitas. That's more than I could have asked for."
"I...I loved him. I did. I made sure he knew it. I made sure he knew you loved him too. He...he smiled," the dying teen told him, cracked lips stretching into a bloody smile. "He was happy."
"Thank you so much," Roxas murmured, squeezing his hand.
Vanitas nodded, wincing. "Naminé," he breathed, eyes growing dimmer. "Come...come here."
The blonde girl sank to her knees beside Roxas, laying her hand over the one that held his. "I'm here, Vanitas."
"I'm sorry about Kairi," he said softly. "But, I promise...it was quick. She didn't feel a thing."
Naminé bit back a sob, lowering her head. "Thank you," she whispered, leaning down to kiss his forehead.
He smiled, eyes slipping shut. "Oh, Riku?" he slurred, sounding slugging.
"Yeah, Vani?" the silveret questioned, a tear slippimg down his cheek.
"Take care of my little brother, or I'll haunt your ass."
Riku choked out a laugh, crying harder. "Then I guess I'll have to. I wouldn't wanna have to deal with your ghost."
Vanitas made a contented sound. "Good." His grip weakened. "I don't hurt so much anymore," he told them, smile still present.
Naminé sobbed harder, stroking his cheek. "That's good. Sleep, Vanitas...we'll be here," she assured him, voice cracking.
"Tell Sora I love him..."
"We will," Roxas promised, reaching up with his free hand to wipe his tears.
After a moment, Vanitas' hands went limp. Naminé leaned her head on Roxas' shoulder, crying into it, while Riku laid his forehead on Vanitas' limp hand, a sob escaping him. Roxas wrapped his free arm around the blonde, crying just as hard as she was. It was all just too much...
After a moment, Riku gently laid Vanitas' hand over his stomach and stood, wiping his tears. "We can't stay," he said softly, taking a deep breath to compose himself. "Sora needs us."
Roxas did the same with Vanitas' other hand before he, too, stood, pulling Naminé with him. "You're right," he agreed, closing his eyes. "There will be time to mourn later. Now...now we need to find him. Hopefully...alive."
They moved towards the doorway. Naminé paused there, turning back to Vanitas' body. "Goodbye, Vanitas," she whispered before moving on, not looking back again.
a/n: yeahhhhhhh
don't worry, i hate me too :c and the deaths aren't done yet...
afom out~