[Finally got this up. My internet has been down on my laptop. Thanks for your patience!]
Sora laying across the bottom steps, bloody, barely conscious, like a broken doll.
The man ahead of him, bloodshot eyes, hoarse screams.
His promise.
The promise he had deliberately broken.
Those three things were the only things coursing through Riku's veins as he lunged forward, fists tightened, a steady stream of curse words flowing from his mouth. His fist collided with the man's nose, breaking it.
Blood gushed over his pale knuckles. Sora's dad yelled, cupping his hand over his face, kneeling over.
He only had his hands and feet, but that was all he seemed to need. He was blindly hitting the man, taking punches of his own to his jaw and chest, but inevitable fury made him dismiss the pain.
The man was gasping and cursing as Riku finally left, allowing him precious time to tend to Sora.
As he reached the boy, he found that Sora had tried to move himself. He had managed to crawl a few feet before collapsing again.
His lower back was on fire and his arm seared with pain. Riku grabbed his face in his hands, ignoring the blood around his lips, and kissed him passionately.
He broke away regretfully and tried to pull him to his feet. Sora cried out in pain as his back screamed in protest. His legs couldn't hold his weight or bear the pain. Frantically, Riku laid him back down and took his shirttail and dragged him into the living room, out of harm's way, flinching as Sora yelped after each movement.
His dad shouted again and Riku scrambled to his feet, running back to face him.
Sora wanted to let the pain subside but he heard cries of pain, crashes that made his ears twinge and made blood pulse through his veins at an alarming pace.
Agonizingly slow, he crawled from his back to his hands and knees, leaving his right arm hanging uselessly. As he moved his legs, he felt another shot of pain. Biting his lip, he ignored it and continued to the kitchen.
His chest heaving and spots beginning to blur his vision, he stopped at the entrance to the kitchen.
Riku wrestled Sora's dad, a knife clutched tightly in his dad's hand. Riku was shoved into the refrigerator, grunting. Blood ran from a gash under his arm and his shirt was ripped in several places.
"You bastard!" Riku yelled, dodging a swipe and tackling his dad around the waist. They vaulted over the kitchen island, falling to the floor. Sora heard Riku yell out in pain.
Desperately, he tried to crawl towards the place where they had fallen across the kitchen, but his back seemed to paralyze him.
Riku felt the place where the knife had cut him, deep across his abdomen. As he pulled his hand away, blood dripped from his palm.
He had no second to think about anything else. At that moment, Sora's dad came after him again, thrusting the knife to the hilt into his stomach. Riku gasped, his vision blacking for a moment. He felt his arms twisted to the side and he was thrown against a counter.
He clutched his wound, grimacing as he tried to stand, but before he could gather his bearings, a fierce kick to the head knocked him near unconsciousness.
"Riku!" Sora called. Riku tried to shake his head clear. He could see Sora several feet away from him. Blood trickled down his forehead.
Tears poured down Sora's dirty face as Riku struggled to get up. He saw his dad approach Riku, a bloody steak knife in his hands.
Sora gasped. "No! Riku!"
His dad turned and saw him, snarling, his eyes swollen and red.
He cowered in fear as his dad stepped over Riku. Sora backed away, his back searing.
He closed his eyes, waiting for impact fearfully.
He heard a deep growl and he looked up to find his dad landing in the kitchen with a loud thud. Riku stood behind him, breathing heavily, holding his wound with one hand.
His dad thrashed on the floor, turning on his side, revealing the knife deep in his gut. Sora felt sick to his stomach looking at the protruding weapon. Blood gurgled in his mouth and he started to choke.
Riku dropped to the floor, his face as pale as ever. Crying softly, Sora forced his exhausted body to where Riku sat, panting.
"R-Riku," he gasped. "You came b-back."
Riku stroked his cheek carefully, trying to avoid smearing blood.
"You-you need to get help," he whispered hoarsely.
"You're hurt…badly."
Sora shook his head. "Speak for yourself."
Riku laughed weakly. "Can you walk?"
Sora shook his head. "I don't think so."
Grimacing, Riku drew himself to his feet.
"You're going to have to," he said through gritted teeth.
He pulled Sora halfway up to his feet by his good arm when pain shot through his body, immobilizing him for a few long minutes. More tears streamed down his face.
"I can't," he sobbed.
Carefully, he let Sora fall back. They stayed like that, Sora laying on his back unmoving and Riku standing, knelt over and breathing heavily until the sound of gargling brought their attention back to Sora's dad.
Blood bubbled from his mouth, his skin was turning a grayish blue, his muscles were twitching.
Sora felt his stomach heave. His dad was choking on his own blood and vomit.
He turned his attention away from his dad and saw that Riku's own face was paling.
He knew they had to find help and quickly. He wasn't worried about his own well-being. He wasn't the one who had a profusely bleeding stab wound. He bit his tongue and forced himself to find his feet somehow. He hunched his back over and slowly stumbled to where his dad was.
"Sora, there's nothing we can do," Riku warned him. He sniffed softly.
"We have to leave."
Riku thought for a moment that Sora was going to refuse again. He prepared himself for his parted heart to disintegrate, but instead, Sora nodded his head slightly.
Sora knew he had been betrayed, lied to, hurt more than Riku had ever hurt him. His dad had promised him he would stop, that he had never meant it. How many times were one too many?
"Sora, we have to get help," Riku heaved. Sora tore his eyes away, determined not to look back at his dad.
Riku limped to his side and grabbed him under the arms. Carefully, trying desperately to avoid hurting Sora more than he had to, he hoisted him up his back. "Just hold on with your good arm."
Sora whimpered as his back protested. Every movement sent a jolt of pain coursing through his body. He cried out, hot tears spilling across Riku's neck and torso. He ground his teeth together to bear the pain.
Riku winced every time Sora yelped. There was nothing more he could do. They had to get help. He wished he could put him out of his misery, take away all his pain.
Sora's arm cramped as he tightened his grip around Riku's neck. He nudged his nose into the crook of his neck, his body shaking with his sobs. His dad was choking on his own blood, choking to death. Sora closed his heavy eyelids, absorbing everything that had happened.
Riku had saved him from the wrath of his father for the final time. Neither of them would have to worry about him any longer.
Sora bit his lip, trying to stifle a sob. His naivety and willingness to believe that his father was being truthful, he had cost himself and Riku.
And Riku.
He had returned even after everything Sora had put him through. There was no doubt in his mind why Riku had returned. It was the same reason that Riku was dragging them all the way across the forsaken island to Kairi's house even though he was bleeding badly.
Sora's body became numb and a sense of security overwhelmed him. His vision blacked and all he could remember was Riku's arm slide around his waist and hold him up as his arm fell.
[So, how was it? Let me know & Review! I hope you liked it!]
