Sparrow trudged through the gloomy street towards the lighthouse, her home. Her enthusiasm on saving Leslie had dispersed along with her will to live.
"My powers are gone, I teleported Leslie somewhere, and now Wren is gone." She muttered to herself as her head bent down to stare at her rough and dirty bare feet. "I can't do anything right. I'm useless."
Sparrow felt her eyes puff up but no tears leaked, she had already shed all her tears over Wren's passing, a part of her gone forever.
As she continued to stare at her feet, she noticed dark gray dots hitting the area around her and wet droplets falling onto the back of her neck, sending a chill down her spine.
"It's raining." She informed herself. Being on her own made her have the urge to point out the obvious. Lifting her head, she smiled as she poked her tongue out, tasting the rain and remembering a time before this mess.
Leslie and Sparrow held hands and spun around in the rain, ignoring their wet clothes and hair.
Leslie let go and lifted his head up towards the sky, letting the droplets glitter his face. Sparrow continued to slowly spin around in the rain, her bare feet making splashes everywhere.
Suddenly Leslie wrapped himself around Sparrows waist, making it awkward for her to be able to hug him back so she just rested her hands on his back.
Lifting his head with his arms still resting on her waist, he gave her a kind smile, making Sparrow wonder why he was acting this way.
"Will you protect me Sparrow?" He asked, leaning in and nuzzling her neck. It was the first time he called her by her proper name.
"Leslie." Sparrow felt the guilt tug on her heart like a leash; she couldn't even promise that to him.
'Why did I even think I could stop Ruvik? I…' She stopped her thoughts before she could carry on. The man that experimented on her best friend, who brought her nothing put pain since she entered this world whether it was intentional or not- 'I still forgive you.' She realized, her tears silently blending in with the rain.
Love was a totally different topic altogether, she didn't know what it meant but she couldn't help feel that the ache in her heart meant something. "Why does my chest ache? Did I break a bone there?" She wondered as she rubbed the spot.
The rain continued to gently land on the ground as a bright light drifted over her form, making her see her shadow on the ground. Sparrow turned towards the light, realizing it was the lighthouse beckoning her.
"When Leslie vanished, I sent him to my home thinking I meant my parents house," Sparrow realized as the light from the hospital drifted over her form again briefly, "But my whole life I've been stuck in the hospital… did I accidentally put him there?"
Sparrow suddenly started jogging towards her home, a new goal settling in her mind that she may know where her friend is. She wasn't sure what would happen when she eventually found him again. Could she really stop Ruvik? Probably not, but she would do anything to keep Leslie safe.
"Will you protect me Sparrow?"
His timid but sweet voice surrounded her ears, giving her the energy to find him.
"I'll try Leslie, I'll try my hardest even if it costs my life." Sparrow said with determination as she bolted into a run up to the hospital. Even when her joints started to burn she didn't stop.
When she reached the hospital doors she barged through and headed upstairs to her and Leslie's room. However her energy was short lived as she arrived at the room only to find it empty. Sparrow walked into the empty room and sat on his former bed to catch her breath.
"Think! Where could he be?" Sparrow asked herself as she stared at a space on the wall. Suddenly her attention was averted to the small window in Leslie's bedroom. From where she sat she could only see the gloomy sky but as she stood on the bed she noticed the courtyard below. "Maybe… the courtyard?"
Sparrow once again ran towards the entrance to the courtyard and pushed open the double doors that lead outside, feeling the rain land on her face again. Her wet hair clung to her face as she stared at the form across the courtyard from her in similar clothes like her own.
"Leslie?" Sparrow called, watching as Leslie had his back to her, tilting his head upwards towards the rain. Upon hearing his name, Leslie turned and spotted Sparrow and his smile widened.
Sparrow didn't hesitate to quickly run up to Leslie and engulf him in a bear hug to which he returned.
"I'm never letting you go… you realize that right?" Sparrow chuckled as she pulled away from Leslie but kept her arms resting on his shoulders. Leslie's eyes smiled before leaning in and connecting their foreheads.
"I'm glad." Leslie replied, his repeated speech seemingly had left him. "I want us to always be together, I want you to stay with me forever. You will won't you?"
His fluent speech baffled Sparrow a little but she didn't let it bother her too much. Maybe like her, he also got his voice back?
"Of course Leslie, I care for you deeply and I'm sorry I wasn't able to say it sooner." She said before backing away but taking Leslie's hands in hers.
"It's okay." Leslie replied, before slowly starting to spin around with Sparrow in the rain like they did before they both got trapped in that world. Sparrow used Leslie as leverage and leaned her head back before laughing. It wasn't a maniac laugh either; it had been a genuine one filled with happiness.
Suddenly Leslie brought them both to a stop and stared longingly into Sparrows eyes, "I love you Sparrow."
The words that escaped his mouth sent her eyes widening before she smiled back, "I love you too Leslie; you're like a brother to me."
"No," Leslie shook his head before smiling again. "I really love you."
Sparrow stood speechless, Leslie was this innocent boy who had a mental age around 8-10, what did he know about love?
Before Sparrow could process what was going on, Leslie had quickly cupped her face and leaned in, kissing her softly. Sparrow didn't close her eyes or respond but she didn't want to hurt Leslie either. The kiss was experienced like he had done it before. Was this really Leslie?
Sparrow leaned away as she felt a wet muscle glide over her lips, confusion written clear across her face. "L-Leslie?"
"Move your lips against mine." Leslie simply said before leaning in again and connecting their lips, his hands trailing around her waist. Sparrow felt wrong in every way, Leslie was like a brother to her, nothing more. Then, in realization, a flashback played itself throughout her memory.
"Move your lips against mine." Ruvik instructed before leaning in, this time more gently he connected his lips with hers and she did as he said, a bit sloppy at first but she followed his movements.
"R-Ruvik?" Sparrow asked as she pulled away, gazing into her friends eyes as if trying to find a part of Ruvik somewhere in them.
"Shh." He said before leaning in again and molding his lips into hers. Sparrow felt his hand cover her eyes, silently telling her to close her eyes but she refused, pulling away completely but when his hand was no longer covering her eyes all she saw was Ruvik, Leslie nowhere to be found.
As she stared at Ruvik she wondered what she should say to him. Actually she had many unpleasant things to say to him but couldn't find where to begin.
"You… you experimented on my friends!" Sparrow yelled at him, already feeling emotion hitting her hard as her tears on the edge of her eyes blurred her vision.
"I did." He simply replied, an emotionless expression on his face. "Do you hate me?" He asked before walking towards her until their bodies touched and she could feel his breath brush against her face.
"I should." Sparrow replied through gritted teeth. Despite the rain that continued to pour down on them, Ruvik could tell which were her tears and which were droplets of rain.
"But you don't." Ruvik confirmed, slightly surprised that she wasn't mad but he didn't let it show, he already showed her more emotions than he was comfortable with.
"No… I don't." Sparrow briefly wondered why he wasn't surprised with her being able to talk now but decided that maybe he already knew.
"Why?" he asked. That is a good question. Why wasn't she mad at him? The thumping in her chest reminded her of her feelings but she denied herself the chance to ask him.
"Leslie? Wren?" Sebastian's voice emerged from across the courtyard with Joseph by his side. Wren's name alone sent a wave of guilt to pass though her and she wondered how Sebastian had survived at all. Looking back at Ruvik she noticed he took up the appearance of Leslie once more, nearly fooling her again.
Sending Sebastian a mischievous smile, Leslie/Ruvik slipped his hand into Sparrow's before walking calmly up the stairs near them and pushing the doors out of the way. Sebastian sent Joseph a quizzical look as they watched Leslie and Sparrow disappear into the hospital.
The door gently shut behind them.
Sorry this chapter is pretty short (like all my chapters) I just thought it was a good time to end it, hope you like! Been a while since we had some Ruvik action going on ;) please leave a review tille next chapter!