Chapter Text
“Okay, Sora. You’re gonna do this. No backing down now.”
In the confines of a small bathroom, a young boy stared at his reflection in a crystalline mirror. His hands tightly gripped the sides of a white sink situated under the looking glass. He leaned into himself. His blue eyes narrowed as he repeated those words - the same phrases he had been uttering for weeks on end.
“You’re going to confess. You’re going to tell her.”
The boy spoke with an outward hostility - as though he was frustrated with himself for not having the will to do something as simple as talking to a girl.
But this wasn’t just any girl. This was the girl. The girl whose voice was like the sweetest melody he had ever heard. The girl who always had a way to make him smile - and whose own smiles shone brighter than a thousand suns. The girl with crystal blue eyes that could make even the bluest day fail in comparison.
“Crush” would have underestimated his feelings toward her. It was such an infantile phrase used by middle school kids who had no idea what true love was. It seemed so blunt. So fake. So…deprecating.
No, Sora held something for this girl that was worth so much more than a simple crush. He’d admired girls in the past, but none captivated him as much as this one had. None had gentle gazes that made him want to melt into a puddle the way hers did.
Oh no, this was definitely not a crush. This was an adoring passion. He wanted to protect her. He wanted to be her missing piece. He wanted to give her the world. He wanted nothing more than to run away with her and forget reality.
If only he could first work up the damn courage to tell her.
“Hello! Is anyone in there??”
Suddenly, a second voice and a raucous knock interrupted Sora’s infatuated train of thought. His eyes widened when he realized he must have spent more time daydreaming in the bathroom than he had intended. He quickly reached over to the nearby toilet and flushed it.
“Yes??” He responded, pretending to scrub his hands under a running faucet.
The person behind the door let out a snickering laugh. Sora rolled his eyes. He knew that chortle from anywhere. He dried his hands and opened the door, coming face to chest with a slightly intoxicated red-headed man.
“Sora!!” He grinned heartily, “How in the world did I know that I’d find you spending the night in the lavatory?”
As he spoke, Sora felt chills crawl up his spine. He had never taken kindly to alcohol, and his breath reeked of it. Still, he forced a slight grin and pushed his “bathroom session” to the back of his mind.
“Hey, Axel.” Sora replied, though his response was less enthusiastic than he meant it to be.
The man tilted his head for a brief moment, suddenly eyeing Sora - Like he knew the boy had something to hide. He took a quick swig from what Sora assumed was beer and leaned into his face, placing his free hand on his hip.
“...What?” Sora leaned back, raising an eyebrow.
“Something tells me you didn’t spend the last 10 minutes doing nothing but using the bathroom.” Axel briefly responded, straightening himself up and taking one more sip of his drink, “What were you doing in there?”
“What are you even talking about?” Sora laughed nervously, sidling around him and making his way to a table that had been covered in chips, dip, snacks, and food. He shrugged and shook his head, “Look, I just ate some food that didn’t agree with me, okay? That’s it.”
“...Bull shit.” Axel breathed, his voice barely audible to the exiting boy.
“Well, look who decided to emerge from the safety of his little lions’ den?”
A group of other party-goers had since gathered at the snack bar, where small foods had been arranged in various platters and bowls. A blonde boy in shorts and a vest waved at him from where he stood gorging himself on chips.
“Hey, Tidus.” Sora waved awkwardly in return, his previous embarrassment still lingering, “Hey, guys.”
Sora briefly scanned the small group that found their place among the edibles. His eyes suddenly caught the turquoise gaze of a silver-haired friend of his. The boy had been sipping from his own drink when he shot Sora a playful look. He knew when his friend had something on his mind.
Still, he pretended to shrug it off. He sighed to himself and slowly shook his head.
“Sora, I know Vanitas doesn’t throw the best parties,” Riku leaned back onto the table, careful not to disturb the snacks, “...But why in the world would you spend it all in the bathroom?”
“Yeah! You’re here at one of the biggest parties of the year!” A brunette girl in a yellow jumper skipped up to Sora. Her name was Selfie - and she obviously a bit buzzed herself, “The least you could do is hang out with us wallflowers.”
“She’s right, ya know.” Tidus piped up again - Now, his mouth was filled with sponge-like baked goodies, “Besides, they’ve got some of the most delicious party food I’ve ever had! I mean, just try one of these Paopu Cupcakes!”
Tidus tried to push a small cupcake into Sora’s hands, but Sora only pushed it back and shook his head.
“Nah, I’m okay.” He briefly responded, “I’m not very hungry right now.”
There was a playful gasp from another young man. He had orange hair with a bandanna around his head. He laughed.
“Sora refusing the offer of free food??” He walked over to the table, playfully nudging Sora as he went, “Now, that’s definitely not something you see every day.”
Sora rolled his eyes. He already had enough to think about with his conflicted plans with Kairi. Even if it was out of harmless fun, he did not want to have to deal with this group making fun of him for refusing a cupcake. He crossed his arms, to which Selphie only tilted her head.
“Huh. He’s not taking very kindly to our shenanigans.” She tapped her chin, “But you always seem so upbeat and carefree!”
“Yeah, what gives?” Tidus grabbed another cupcake from the platter before shoving it into his mouth, “You’re never this dismissive or closed off.”
Sora went quiet for a moment. His eyes trailed back up to the gaze of the silver-haired boy again. He’d been standing silently, patiently waiting for an answer that he likely didn’t even need. After a brief second of silence, Sora shrugged his shoulders.
“I don’t know, I’ve just got a lot of stuff on my mind.” He turned back to them, putting on a rather transparent facade of makeshift careless, “I mean… I could be doing much better things right now. But I’m here.”
“Much better things?” Wakka echoed, his eyes widening in disbelief, “What do you mean? Is this party so boring that it’s not worth your time?”
“So what if it is?” Sora simply replied.
Suddenly, there was movement from the other side of the table. The silver-haired boy’s eyebrows raised when he heard his friend say this. He let out a low breath and leaned back before taking one final sip of his drink. He crumpled it up and tossed it aside as he stalked toward Sora in a playfully mischievous manner.
He stood before Sora, his arms crossed and his chin lowered. Sora had to practically lift his chin just to meet his turquoise gaze. The boy pursed his lips and puffed out his chest as though silently challenging Sora.
“Okay, big boy.” He muttered teasingly, ignoring the excited reactions of the wallflowers behind them, “If this party is so boring for you, I’m going to spice things up a little.”
A scattered chorus of quiet hoots came from the group behind them. Sora ignored them and refused to tear his eyes from Riku. He knew Riku didn’t mean any harm - he never did. But he still refused to crack. Instead, he decided to amuse him. It would surely be much more interesting than doing nothing in a bathroom.
“Oh?” He simply responded, “And how do you plan to accomplish that?”
“Simple.” Riku shrugged, glancing up at a particular red-haired girl who danced with her friends on the patio, “Everyone knows that you have the hots for Kairi. You just don’t have the balls to tell her.”
Sora bit the inside of his cheek. Even if the comment was true - and it had come from his playful best friend - it was still emasculating to hear from someone other than himself. And the hoots and hollers from the snack table were not making things any better.
“So.” Sora let his eyes fall briefly, “...What are you gonna do about it?”
“I’m gonna challenge you.” Riku looked down at him, his sly grin lingering, “Tonight, you, my friend, are going to confess to her. You will tell her you love her.”
Sora’s heart sunk to his stomach. He bit down harder on his cheek when he heard the snack-table group cry out again. He had to physically resist throwing something at them. But even so, Sora didn’t let himself crack.
“...And what if I don’t?” Sora blinked, now drawing blood from how harshly he bit down on his cheek.
“If you don’t, I’ll do it myself.” Riku leaned back, picking his chin up slightly, “First thing in the morning, if I don’t see the two of you making it work, I will steal your thunder and confess to her.”
At this point, the noise from the snack-table had garnered enough attention from the surrounding party-goers who had begun to tune in on what was transpiring. Sora’s entire facade suddenly dropped; he stared up at Riku and let his crossed arms drop to his sides. A loud laugh could be heard from the party’s host, who lifted his cup in Sora’s direction.
“I could booze her up for you if you’d like!” He taunted the boy, receiving a light slap on the back of the head from his blonde friend.
“Shut up, Vanitas.” His friend muttered, taking no notice to the raucous laughter that sounded in response to the senseless joke.
While the group continued to reel behind them, Sora harshly grabbed Riku’s wrist and pulled him aside into a corner.
“Are you serious??” He harshly whispered, fighting the urge to slap him, “Right now? In front of all these people??”
“Sora, you’re my best friend and I would do anything for you. But let’s be honest.” Riku shrugged and lightly pressed a finger into Sora’s chest, “You obviously don’t have the confidence to tell Kairi you like her on your own. So I’m gonna make you. I’m gonna give you that push you need.”
“Yeah. But in the middle of this massive high school party?” Sora placed a hand on his hips, apparently unhappy, “Are you insane?!”
“I never said that.” Riku shook his head, “I’m not making you do it now. I’m not even making you do it at this party. You just have to do it tonight.”
Riku let his eyes linger in the direction of the concrete patio outside. There, a large group had gathered to dance to music that played from a stereo system set up outside of the door. His eyes automatically fell upon the form of a specific red-haired girl who had been dancing with a small group of friends. They all seemed just about as buzzed as she was.
He laughed to himself when he saw her eyes sparkle. Riku turned back to the unimpressed Sora and subtly pointed in her direction.
“I mean, come on. Look at her.” Riku whispered when Sora finally allowed himself to turn, “She’s having the time of her life out there.”
At that moment, it was like a switch flipped in Sora’s mind. When Sora saw Kairi’s beaming grin, he remembered just how much he liked her. He felt his hair stand on end when her melodious laughter reached his ears. He felt himself melt internally.
“Yeah…” The word came out quietly - as though it were almost muffled. He knew Riku was right - he was always right. It just horrified Sora to know that would likely make a fool of himself in front of the girl he loved more than life itself.
“Look, I know you’re really nervous about this whole thing.” Riku sighed, lightly gripping Sora’s shoulder, “But I know you. If you keep your feelings hidden from her forever, you’re never going to get over it.”
Riku lightly elbowed Sora, who had to practically pry his hypnotized gaze from Kairi.
“And who knows? She might actually feel the same way about you.” He shrugged, giving Sora a look through the corner of his eyes, “But you’ll never know until you try. So, be a man and make the first move for her.”
Sora took a deep breath. His eyes lingered back toward Kairi as he swallowed a small mass of saliva that had accumulated in his mouth. He knew Riku was right - but that did nothing to still his rapidly beating heart.
“I know, but-”
Sora looked back, expecting to see his silver-haired friend before he was greeted with an empty space. As expected, Riku had gone back to the snack table for a bite to eat. He glanced at Sora from where he stood behind a platter of brownies. He winked when he locked eyes with Sora. Riku had left him to figure out what - and how - he was going to confess to the girl of his dreams.
And this time, he wasn’t going to give him any guidance beyond that.
Sora sighed and turned back to the dance floor. Kairi had since caught sight of him. Sora felt his heart flutter when she beckoned him over. He laughed to himself and shook his head, crossing his arms. Kairi quickly excused herself from the floor and trotted up to him.
“Come on, Sora!” She gripped his wrists tightly, urging him to follow her, “I’m not going to let you be a wallflower for the whole party.”
“Kairi, I’m perfectly fine. Don’t worry about me.” Sora lightly tugged back, “Go and have fun with your friends.”
Kairi placed her hands on her hips and shot him a playful glare.
“Sora, you are my best friend.” She grabbed his wrists again and pulled him more forcibly, causing Sora to stumble slightly, “It would be horrible for me to let you just sit here while everyone else is off doing their own thing.”
Sora followed her for a few steps before looking back at Riku again. Riku puffed out his chest as though taking a deep breath before gesturing for Sora to just “talk”. But before Sora could respond, he was already on the dance floor.
The moment Riku lost sight of Sora, he turned back to the platter of cupcakes on the table. Tidus had since taken to the bowl of chips beside it, and it didn’t seem like he was going to stop eating anytime soon. Selphie and Wakka sat on a couple of stools not far from the table. Wakka had been watching Sora closely and the second Sora left, he pulled out 2 ten-dollar bills.
“20 dollars says that Sora won’t be able to do it.” He slapped the counter with the bills, leaning back and pursing his lips together.
“Oh no, 45 dollars says he will.” Tidus piped up, his mouth full of chips.
“You’re on.” Wakka playfully pointed at the hungry boy.
The two of them laughed. As fond as they were of Sora, they knew he can hardly hold a simple conversation with her without gushing. Riku gave no response to their harmless bet and simply reached for a cupcake. Selfie glanced up at Riku.
“So, do you think he’s gonna do it?” She tilted her head.
Riku took a deep breath and looked over at her. The look on his face was one of trust - but doubt. He slowly shook his head.
“Honestly? I love the guy.” He took a bite of the cupcake, “But I don’t think he’ll be able to tell her.”
- - - - - - - - -
A while later, a breathless, exhausted Sora emerged from the dance floor. He’d just spent the last couple hours trying to keep up with Kairi, who seemed to have a boundless supply of energy. Part of him was disappointed in himself for not being able to stick it out on the floor for as long as she did - but one can only pretend to know how to dance for so long.
As soon as he heard the door shut behind Sora, Riku looked up from a plastic cup of ice water he had been downing. His gaze was bright and expectant - and for a brief moment, he looked around for Kairi, only to see that she was nowhere to be found.
Tidus, Wakka, and Selfie had engaged in a game of cards beside Riku. They too peered up from their game to see Sora.
“So, Sora?” Wakka suddenly piped up, speaking the very question that had been on everyone’s minds, “What did she say?”
Sora only quietly made his way to the snack table, busying himself with a cupcake. Riku let out a deep sigh, though it was only loud enough for those at the snack table to hear. Tidus slammed his hand of cards down on the table, meanwhile, Wakka burst into a fit of laughter.
“Damn!!” Tidus crossed his arms, but not before he reached into his pocket to retrieve a couple of twenties and a five.
“Pay up, Tidy.” Wakka held a hand out for the crisp cash, “You owe me.”
Riku placed his newly emptied cup and crossed his arms, leaning back onto the table. He glared at Sora, who stared sullenly at his cupcake. After a moment, Sora locked eyes with his disappointed friend.
“You’re really gonna make me do it for you?” Riku frowned, rather disappointed that he was actually right in his prediction.
“No!” Sora shook his head suddenly, still having not taken a bite out of the cupcake. His voice went quiet, “I just… can’t do it in front of everyone here.”
Riku took another deep breath and reached into his pocket, retrieving his keys. He shot Sora one last look before making his way to the door.
“Good. It’s late and we’re going for a drive.” He stated simply, marching toward the door, “Let’s go home.”
Sora’s eyes widened and he darted after Riku as he went out to the patio. Kairi caught sight of the two of them before quickly checking her watch; at this point, it was almost 1 in the morning.
“Is it already time to go?” Kairi tilted her head, slightly disappointed.
“I’m afraid so.” Riku shortly replied, lifting his keys and motioning toward a white truck that had been parked in the front yard of the house, “Come on, Kairi. We’ve gotta go.”
“Man…” Kairi sighed before looking back to the girls she had been dancing with. She waved to them briefly and trotted over to where he and Sora were walking out to the road.
Riku unlocked the car and the three of them climbed on in - Riku at the helm, Sora in the back seat, and Kairi sitting beside him. Riku started the truck and began to pull out, but not before shouting to the drugged Vanitas beforehand.
As they drove off, Kairi propped her chin onto her hand and proceeded to look out the window. Now that she wasn’t as full of adrenaline as she had been, she had come to realize just how tired she really was. She yawned. Riku peered up into the rearview at Sora, who looked back at him helplessly.
Riku pursed his lips together and turned a corner. He silently decided to take the long way home as he proceeded to make small talk with the two of them.
“So, I’m assuming you had a lot of fun out there.” He commented, looking in the rearview at Kairi, who’d taken to wiping her sweaty face with a small rag she had brought to the party, “The minute you hit that floor you just couldn’t get off, could you?”
Kairi quietly giggled, tightening the ponytail she’d only recently made. She looked bashfully at Riku out of the corner of her eyes.
“Is it that obvious?” She murmured lightheartedly.
“Would you say you were the best one out there?” Riku continued, scanning the road before him.
“Well, I don’t think I’d go that far.” Kairi shook her head and looked back out into the passing night, “Yuffie was there, and she killed it the whole night. I mean, she and Leon had it out at one point, so that was a lot of fun to watch.”
There was a brief moment of silence before Kairi made her next statement - almost as though she was a little hesitant to make it in the first place.
“Though, I made Sora join us a short bit before we left.” She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, “He was pretty good too. He doesn’t give himself enough credit.”
Riku tightened his grip on the steering wheel and glanced up at Sora, who seemed to be like a deer caught in the headlights. Kairi giggled at his stunned silence. She playfully tapped his arm.
“I’m telling the truth! You weren’t half bad.” She continued, now talking to Sora personally, “I mean, the moment you left the floor, Xion looked at me and told me she wishes Roxas knew how to dance like that.”
Riku snorted suddenly, Sora shooting him a quick look. Riku coughed, pulling a transparent cover over his sudden urge to laugh. Kairi only playfully kicked Riku’s seat, wordlessly scolding him. Now, Sora’s face was about as red as a strawberry’s.
“Riku, don’t be so rude.” Kairi’s smile still lingered as she playfully glared at him through the rearview, “You don’t give him enough credit.”
“You’re right, you’re right.” Riku lifted a single hand off the wheel for a brief moment, surrendering from the situation, “Sorry. I just can’t see Sora as a dancer.”
“And frankly, I can’t see Riku as a dancer either.” Sora returned promptly, sticking his chin up towards his friend.
“Touche.” Riku smiled at Sora, entering the area of a large intersection that had been busy even this late into the night.
Sora and he held each other’s gazes in the rearview for a moment before Riku looked forward at the red light in front of him. He slowed to a stop and focused upon the road ahead while still speaking to the passengers in the back.
“Anyway, Kairi.”
Kairi’s eyes widened and she peered into his reflection again, “Yes?”
“I think Sora has something to tell you.” Riku simply stated, looking at Sora one last time. Sora bit the inside of his cheek again, his heart suddenly racing. Riku stared at him for a moment with the same intensity as a stern parent to a child.
Sora took a deep breath. It was now or never. Kairi looked at him questionably. She tilted her head as a curious puppy would. The light turned green and Riku began to pull forward. Sora gripped her wrist firmly, but his gaze was as nervous and gentle as he was.
“Kairi, I-”
Suddenly, there was a loud blaring horn. Riku let out a loud curse when the blinding headlights of a big rig peered into the vehicle. Kairi screamed and shielded herself. Sora instinctively tightened his grip on her wrist as they were thrown to the side, their heads harshly colliding together. Kairi cried out. Truck barreled into truck as the two cars went flying one way into yet a third that had been innocently waiting to leave.
The sound of slamming metal was deafening. For a horrifying moment, all three of them were blinded by the bright headlights they’d just seen. Their ears rang with the blaring horns and the shattering of glass. All at once, there was a plethora of jerking movements before everything eerily came to a sudden stop.
And for a horrifying moment, the stunned friends felt nothing.
- - - - - - - - -
Sirens.
At first, the distant wailing of sirens was the only thing Riku could process aside from an aching throb in his head. He groaned to himself, feeling nothing but cold, hard concrete against his back. Something trickles down the side of his face and the disoriented boy brings a hand to it, his eyes opening just wide enough to see the red liquid on his fingertips.
Blood?
Suddenly, his turquoise eyes burst open as he snapped to attention. The memories came flooding back now and all form of recollection flooded his being all at once.
The lights. The screams. The horn. The collision. The shattering glass.
Car accident!
He paled and jumped to his feet, his being suddenly flooded with an overwhelming rush of adrenaline. He looked back and felt his heart sink to the pit of his stomach. His white truck had been jammed in between an eighteen-wheeler and a smaller car.
Bits and pieces of grey and white metal scattered the road. Horrified late-night pedestrians were already rushing onto the scene to offer any help they could. Some had taken to anxiously calling emergency services. Others had begun to offer aid to the surrounding victims.
His heart throbbing in his throat, Riku glanced around the scene. There was no sign of Sora or Kairi. He took a deep breath and cupped his hands around his mouth. He darted forward, desperately scanning the scene for either of his two friends.
“Sora! Kairi!” He called out, “Answer me!”
Suddenly, he heard a scream from someone nearby. He skidded to a stop and looked in the direction of the cry. Kairi was there, clinging tightly to an arm that hung motionless out of a shattered window. It had been where the big rig had nearly snapped Riku’s truck in half - and exactly where Sora had been sitting. Riku felt what remained of his color drain from his face.
“Sora!!” Kairi screamed, her voice breaking in anguish, “Answer me! Please!”
“K-Kairi!” Riku breathed, his false relief only lingering for a mere moment.
Kairi looked back at him. A small stream of blood trickled down her arm from a deep gash in her shoulder. Her face had been significantly bruised - though she offered no notice of it. She had luckily gotten out of the wrecked car with nothing but a few bloody cuts and bruises - but from the desolate way she looked at him, Riku understood that she was much more emotionally damaged than she was physically.
“Riku, i-it’s Sora!!” She breathed, her words practically flying out of her mouth at a rate nearly too fast for him to comprehend, “He w-won’t talk to me. I-I don’t even think he’s even alive!”
That last statement tore through Riku like a machete to a piece of paper. He shook his head, dreading that what she said was true. Sora’s arm hung out of the shattered window like a dead weight. He took to gripping it like a lifeline, searching for any reassurance that he was even there. But there was hardly any tension - hardly any reassurance that he was even there.
But suddenly, there was a groan. A low, gurgling noise from someone within. Kairi and Riku suddenly held their breaths as they peered into the window again, finally catching sight of small, trembling movements.
Then they saw him.
His glowing blue eyes had glazed over like a frozen puddle. His eyes were empty, dull and lifeless, but so full of pain that it drove daggers into Kairi and Riku’s heart. His golden skin had become pale and clammy and his previously vivacious complexion had become dismal. He could say nothing, but his ashen gaze spoke volumes.
“H-Help me…” Sora pleaded, his eyes filling with tears of pain and confusion. He could hardly finish a simple sentence without nearly choking on the puddle of blood that had gathered in the back of his throat, “...Ri-...K-Kai…”
Kairi swallowed a massive lump that had formed in her throat. She reached into the vehicle and tried to wipe Sora’s tears.
“It’s gonna be okay.” She said, trying to reason with the confused, distraught boy, “R-Riku and I are gonna get you out of there, okay?”
Riku had turned from the truck and began to push the big rig from where it had buried itself in his truck. He groaned loudly, ignoring his throbbing head while he struggled to separate the metal from the metal. The creaking was loud - and everyone heard it. Some pedestrians had even figured out what was happening and had taken to helping him.
Kairi, meanwhile, was using everything she had to keep Sora alert. While the metal groaned and screeched beside her, she continued to hold his hand. She kept telling him to hold on and that help was going to come soon, but there was only so much she could do.
“S-Sora, come on.” She cried, glancing uneasily back at Riku, “Come on, S-Sora.”
At that moment, there was a loud crack. Riku pulled back from the overheating engine, ignoring his newly blistered hands. He bit his bottom lip and took to prying the door of his truck open. He stumbled slightly, his head suddenly pounding. He had to physically will himself not to lose focus.
“K-Kairi!” He groaned, having finally opened the jammed door wide enough for an opening, “G-Get him out of there…!”
Kairi nodded sullenly and skirted herself around Riku. She leaned in and unbuckled the nearly unconscious Sora. He suddenly cried out when the leather violently ripped from where it had left raw belt burns across his shoulder and side. His head fell forward as what was left of his strength abandoned him. Kairi pulled him into her arms, her aching heart throbbing in her throat.
She could feel Sora’s haggard breathing against her and had to physically refrain from giving into the plethora of sobs that threatened to escape her lips. She could feel the blood cascading down the back of Sora’s neck. She could feel it staining her clothes. Who knew how much blood he’d already lost??
But instead of giving into her worst scenario fantasies, she turned her attention to Sora, who needed all the consolation in the world.
“It’s gonna be okay.” She whispered sullenly, not even sure she herself believed it, “I-I promise… It’s gonna be okay. Just stay with us. Stay with us. Please.”
Kairi pulled him into her arms and had taken to hauling him out of the car. Riku reached over from where he had been holding the metal apart and slipped an arm around Sora, wishing to help Kairi in whatever way he could.
“We got you, buddy.” Riku murmured, glancing up gratefully at the helpful strangers who continued offer whatever assistance they could. Sora offered no response. He barely hung on to what little life he had left.
Riku and Kairi quickly hauled him from the street and into the grass of a nearby clearing. Kairi fell to her knees beside Sora and pulled him into her lap. Riku paced back and forth as he made one more frantic 911 call despite all the calls that had previously been made by others on the scene.
Sora, meanwhile, had to use every inch of his being to will himself into remaining conscious. He could taste the coppery blood pooling in his mouth. He felt his bones crack and ache with each movement and breath he took. He struggled to breathe, for every breath he took, it felt like his lungs were only collapsing further.
A soft groan escaped his lips when a numbed ache in his head suddenly sharpened again. He let out a breath, his face contorted in silent, explicit agony.
Kairi gently shushed him, cradling him close to her. She looked down him and caressed his cheek, trying to offer what little solace she possibly could.
For a moment, his glazed eyes stared up into hers. He knew she was crying. He could see the tears glistening in her vision. He could see the bruises on her face and the fear in her crystal gaze - and for a moment, he didn’t care about how much pain he was in; he just hated to see her so scared.
“K-Kai..” He breathed through the blood in his throat. He lifted a trembling hand to her face - though he barely had the strength to simply focus on her broken gaze.
Kairi’s breath hitched and she gripped his cold, discolored hand tightly. She quickly laced her fingers between his and held the hand close to her heart. Tears now cascaded down her cheeks though she continued to reassure him.
“S-Sora…” She responded simply, struggling to speak against her burning throat, “I-I’m here. I’m not leaving you... I-I promise.”
At that moment, the pain that once laced through Sora’s body like a raging fire had since become icy and numb. Though he continued to look up into Kairi’s teary blue eyes, a shadowy, black hue had begun to fill the edges of his vision. All the sounds around him suddenly became so distant and quiet - all except for the sound of the heartbeat in his ears.
Blood had begun to trickle from the corner of Sora’s mouth and his breathing had become more harbored than it had been. Still, despite all of this, he found it within him to smile up at her. His dulling eyes began to lose focus as he uttered a single phrase that held all the sincerity his slowing heart could muster.
“I love you…”