Ch.3 – Awakening

Darkness was all around him. He couldn’t move for some unseen force pressed down on him, making him feel numb.

“Sora…” echoed a faint familiar voice. “Sora….Wake up….”

That voice…I know that voice, he thought. Am I dreaming?

“Sora….please wake up…”

Riku! That’s Riku’s voice! He sounds so…sad. Where is he? I can’t see him.

He tried to move, to call out to him, but nothing happened. No sound emitted from him. But he felt warmth on his right arm and something wet dripped onto his skin. What was this feeling?

“…Wake up….” echoed the voice. “Sora….please wake up…”

Wake up? I…need to…wake up?

Blinding white light pierced through the darkness. Blue eyes were revealed from behind once closed eyes. It took several blinks to ease the sting of sudden light and the sound of faint sobbing rang in his ears. His body was stiff and turning his head to his right was a slow process.  Silver hair from a head bowed over his arm gleamed from the overhead lights. Again he tried to move, but to no use. He parted his lips to speak but only a soft groan escaped.

The silver-haired head jerked up, a face of sadness and surprise looked back at him with emerald eyes ablaze and shining with tears.

“S-Sora?!” the handsome boy exclaimed in a soft voice.

Riku…why are you crying? Is what went through his mind but not through his mouth.

The brunet boy that had awakened from his dark slumber parted his lips to speak and a soft whisper so faint that he himself could barely hear escaped him.

“Riku…”

“Sora you’re awake!” Riku cried happily, as he stood and bent over Sora.

With his right hand, he placed it gently on Sora’s chest and the other free hand was placed against his cheek. His touch was warm against his skin, but seeing his face wet from tears confused him. Riku moved down slowly and brushed his lips to Sora’s.

“I was…so worried,” said Riku in a soft voice, his lips still brushing Sora’s as he spoke. “This is all my fault, please forgive me.”

He didn’t understand what Riku was talking about and Sora shifted to move closer to Riku but a horrible pain shot through him from a spot on his back.  He groaned in pain and gripped the sheets of the bed. Hearing this Riku pulled away suddenly, fear glowed in his eyes.

It was his fault that Sora was like this and Riku knew it. Sora is hurt every time he got close to him like this.

Sora looked at Riku standing there and his confusion didn’t lessen. He had no idea what had gotten into Riku and the only thing Sora wanted most right now was him; to be close to him again. With difficulty Sora managed to lift his right arm and he reached for Riku.

“Riku,” said Sora in a soft voice.

Riku’s eyes saddened but he quickly reached and took Sora’s hand, pressing the back of it to his lips gently. He moved forward and sat sideways on the bed beside Sora, his hand still held in Riku’s that was pressed over his heart. Sora could even feel Riku’s heart pounding. Riku leaned forward and kissed Sora’s lips again.

With his other hand, Sora reached up slowly and placed it behind Riku’s head, pressing it down and Sora kissed Riku more deeply. With a soft moan, Riku let go of Sora’s hand and slipped his arm under Sora’s shoulders. With his other hand he placed it against Sora’s cheek and Riku kissed Sora passionately; parting his lips and closing it again just like when the two had first kissed.

Finally, after a long moment, Riku forced himself away from Sora, needing air. Both of them were breathless now.

“Hey Riku?” murmured Sora weakly.

“What is it?” asked Riku concerned.

“What happened? Where am I?”

For a second Riku hesitated.

“We’re at the hospital and well…something punctured your back in the shower and you lost so much blood and that caused you to loose consciousness,” Riku explained in a low voice that sounded somewhat guilty. “It was mostly my fault that happened in the first place.” He made a faint chuckle and shook his head weakly.

Sora looked up at Riku. Noticing how upset he was about this, Sora reached up and placed a hand on Riku’s cheek.

“It’s okay,” said Sora gently. “You don’t need to feel sorry about anything. It wasn’t your fault at all.”

Riku turned his head to look at Sora and he placed a hand on the one on his cheek.

“Sora…” he murmured sadly. “You could have died and it was because of me. But when you didn’t wake up…I was so scared I couldn’t bare it. I don’t want to loose you Sora, not again.”

“And you won’t. Not ever,” he replied, trying to comfort his friend.

He tried to sit up but that sharp pain shot through his body and he groaned through gritted teeth and the pain caused his eyes to water.

“Sora!” exclaimed Riku leaning forward quickly and placing his hands on Sora’s shoulders. “Stop trying to move. You haven’t recovered much yet.”

“I-I’m fine,” Sora groaned. Soon Sora became to exhausted and just laid there seeming breathless.

Riku made a quiet sigh as he looked down at Sora. Then he lay down beside Sora, slipping his arm under his shoulders and placing the other arm over his chest, pulling him over carefully. Sora smiled weakly and snuggled against Riku. He made a faint chuckle because Riku’s breath was tickling his ear and neck. Even Riku chuckled as he let out an even stream of air from his nose against Sora’s ear which caused Sora to laugh.

“Riku that tickles!” Sora laughed as he turned his head so he was nose to nose with Riku.

Riku chuckled and smiled as he rubbed his forehead against Sora’s before kissing his lips lovingly. Sora returned the kiss with that same intensity. The arm that was wedge between Sora and Riku’s chest was moved to place a hand right over Riku’s heart and the other hand was moved to grasp Riku’s arm that was placed across Sora’s chest.

The pain in Sora’s back hurt terribly but Sora just ignored for he didn’t want Riku to worry. His eyes started to water and he wanted to cry out in pain but he only kissed Riku harder to prevent it, keeping his attention directed on Riku and away from the horrible pain.

He felt Riku pull away from the kiss slightly to bite down on Sora’s lower lip gently. With his eyes still closed, Sora smiled softly as he felt Riku worry his lower lip before kissing him again and pressing his tongue against Sora’s lips to gain entrance into his mouth. Sora chuckled as he willingly opened his mouth, his own tongue meeting Riku’s.

Sora turned on his side to face Riku, forcing back a cry of pain. He felt Riku wrap his arms around his waist and Sora wrapped his arms around Riku’s neck, pulling himself closer. The pain was unbearable and Sora just wanted to scream and a few groans escaped him but Riku mistook them for pleasured moans. Sora was glad because he didn’t want this to stop or for Riku to be to scared to be near him.

“I love you…Riku,” whispered Sora after the two finally broke apart.

“I love you too Sora,” Riku whispered back as he smiled warmly.

Sora looked into Riku’s eyes and they looked dull and darkened.

“Riku, you look tired.”

“I am,” Riku replied with a slight chuckle. “You’ve been asleep for one and a half days and I didn’t sleep at all.”

“One and a half days?!” exclaimed Sora in surprise. “Why did you stay awoke for that long? It’s not good for you!”

“Calm down,” Riku said in a calm voice. “I didn’t sleep because I was worried about you.”

“…Riku…” Sora sighed, smiling softly as he closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against Riku’s. “Well you don’t need to worry about me anymore so get some sleep. You’ve earned it.”

“Alright,” Riku replied softly as he closed his eyes and soon falling asleep.

Looking at the year older boy sleeping, Sora couldn’t help but smile. Riku cared so much about him and that made him happy. He snuggled against Riku’s chest so the top of his head was under Riku’s chin. His back didn’t feel as bad anymore now that he was laying still. Sora smiled as he closed his eyes and falling asleep instantly just as Riku had done.

~To be continued…