I was going to turn in an order to the chef when the telephone rang. Dutifully I went to pick the speaker up.

“Hello, this is Twilight Café, how may I help you?”

“Paying your debts would be very helpful.” Shit. “How long do you plan to run away from it, little guy?”

“Where the hell did you get the phone number?!” I asked almost angrily. I can’t believe they’re seriously coming up to the doors!

“You know, yellow pages are free across the worlds.” I could hear him smirking smugly.

“Damn you.” I cursed. I know; I really shouldn’t do that when they have my life on their hands, but I just can’t take it anymore! “I will pay you back as soon as I can, just don’t call here anymore!”

“We won’t make it difficult for you, as long as you cooperate with us.” I heard a few guys laughing in the background. These gangsters are seriously trying to…! “You know, there’s another way to cooperate with us, too. And this way will make it a lot easier for you.” There was more laughter in the back. I almost broke the speaker. “You’re pretty cute, if you’d just get down to your knees and-“

Sora slammed the speaker back into its place. I. Fucking. Hate. This. He could feel his face going flush red and the veins in his temple pounding his skull with a pulse. Furiously he resumed working, a chef calling the completion of a dish right on time. Without a sound he picked up the plate, his expression dark and menacing. The pulse pounding in his head got worse and his lungs started tightening.

Cough! Cough!

He looked away and covered his mouth to prevent coughing into the food, but that did nothing to cease his coughing. No, it only got worse. Soon his legs started trembling and he could no longer hold the plate properly, the white porcelain slipping out of his hand and smashing onto the floor.

“Sora!” Kairi exclaimed, rushing to the brunet’s side. He was crunched over, trying hard to compose himself. “Sora, are you okay?” Patting her friend’s back, she could do nothing but wait until Sora stop coughing.

As the itch in his lungs traced away, Sora realized something was wrong. He let go of his lips and looked.

There was blood on his hand.

“Oh my God…” The maroon-haired girl whispered with horror, staring at the thick liquid and then at Sora’s wide skeptical eyes. “Sora, we need to take you to the hospital!”

“No-but, Kairi…” Sora started, his voice coarse and weak, “There’s work…”

“Screw the work! I’m telling boss to let you off for the rest of the day!” She spoke bluntly before disappearing into the manager’s office.

--

“We did a comprehensive body check with you, and it seems like you have the early signs of having pneumonia.”

What..? But… That can’t be!

“Don’t worry.” The doctor reassured me, “We haven’t completely confirmed it yet, that’s why we want you to make an appointment for an X-ray check so we can diagnose it. You’re still in the early stages, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Do I have to be hospitalized then?” That is the thing I’m most concerned with. I can’t afford to miss work!

“No, no.” The doctor waved carelessly, “Pneumonia isn’t very hard to treat. You don’t even need to be hospitalized. I’ll just have to give you prescription for antibiotics, but let’s not go into that now; we’ll worry about that later.” He made a few notes on a paper. “Just make sure that before you leave here, go to the reception and make an appointment with the nurse for the X-ray check, here’s the note.” He handed me a piece of paper with a comforting smile. I took it and nodded doubtfully.

----

One, two, three… Ack! Another one! Damn, stupid girl can’t get anything straight. I bet the only reason she’s here is because of that asshole boss of hers.

“Yuffie! Get over here!” I cried out. And she came running like she just finished a 26 miles marathon.

“There’re at least four mistakes in the first graph of this report.” I pointed on the paper accusingly, “Redo it!”

She took her report guiltily and went away. Hah. That should teach her a lesson.

“Axel, come see me in my office.”

Damn it!

“Yes, sir?”

“Sephiroth.”

“Sorry.” I grumbled.

“Have a seat.” He gestured to the chair across the desk from him. Grudgingly I sat down. He lifted his legs off the desk and stood up, ambling over to the window, observing the employees outside through the blinds. “I notice that you… harass my niece more than you complain to other employees. Is there any explanation for that?”

What?! What harassing?! I didn’t! “I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve never harassed Yuffie. It was her mistake.”

“Oh?” He closed the blinds with a snap, and turned around. “Well then,” He inched closer, and I tried to slide away on the wheeled office chair, but his strong hand fixed the chair on the spot. “Wouldn’t you fix her mistakes for her? Since you’re her boss…”

Wahhh I could feel his hand on my thigh! I wanted to pull away but I couldn’t. I looked to a side, refusing to acknowledge our physical closeness. Shit. Why is my face so hot?!

“W-Why are you doing this?” I did NOT just whimper, did I?

“I already told you.” His face got yet closer, his hand grabbing the back of my collar. I tried futilely to push him away by his chest, but he only gripped my wrists. “I want to taste you, raw.”

Fucking A! He’s licking my collarbone! Just as I was about to kick him in the balls, he did the most unimaginably cheap thing: grabbing my crotch.

God should’ve damned my libido, not my conscience.


And so Yuffie wondered where Axel went when she finished fixing her report.

----

Today was the last day. I’ve sinned, I’ve broken hearts, and now I’ve redeemed myself. Tomorrow, I will no longer be the old Riku; I will no longer be a drug addict; I will start over; I am refreshed; I am reborn.

“Riku! Stop zoning out and come help me!” Marluxia yelled.

With a smile I went over to the barbeque grill, grabbing charcoal from a sack to put under the grilling rack. Marluxia smiled warmly and lit the fire. I watched the bright flame crackle and burn, thinking about everything and nothing.

The first thing my mind drifted to was Sora again. I wonder how he is now. It’s been a total of three years. No doubt that he and I both changed a lot. I signed up for the bus ride back home, partly because I knew Sora wouldn’t come pick me up, and partly because I didn’t want to see him just yet. I think… I’m still unfit to love him. Roxas called me, and I told him my arrangements. I’ll rent a small place and live there by myself for a while first, and when I think it’s time, I’ll go see Sora. It would be better for both of us this way.

“Riku? Riku? What are you so absorbed into?” Marluxia shook my shoulder lightly.

“Huh? Oh nothing.” I grinned, catching Xemnas far from us at the outskirts of the beach, sitting in the sand with cell phone in hand. “That lucky bastard. Must be having his partner taking him home.”

“Ha, yeah.” Marluxia sighed, “Seems like Saïx is going to pick him up from here.”

“Psshh.” I snorted, “What about you? Aren’t you gonna find your father?”

“Naw.” He waved it off, eyes staring far into the distance. Having you here is enough… “He’s not gonna come anyway.”

“Oh.” I shrugged, and the topic just died off. Gradually the fire grew hotter and hotter until it was suitable for grilling. Marluxia called Demyx and the latter came running with some juicy steaks, a grin on his face as always.

We sat around the fire at night. Chatting and joking and passing time. The night was dark and the air was breezy. Stars sparkled in the clear sky like jewels on a layer of velvet. I rested on my hands, closing my eyes momentarily to enjoy the peace.

“You’re not alone;
Together we stand,
I’ll be by your side,
You know I’ll take your hand…”

Someone started singing to the quiet tune, and soon it evolved into a group singing, our shoulders slightly swaying to the beat.

“…No I won’t give in…
Keep holding on,
‘Cause you know we’ll make it through,
We’ll make it through.
Just stay strong,
‘Cause you know I’m here for you,
I’m here for you.

There’s nothing you can say;
Nothing you can do.
There’s no other way when it comes to the truth,
So keep holding on,
‘Cause you know we’ll make it through,
We’ll make it through.

So far away, I wish you were here;
Before it’s too late this could all disappear.”

Sora, I wish you’re here with me…

“…And it comes to an end…
With you by my side I will fight and defend.
I’ll fight and defend…

Keep holding on,
‘Cause you know we’ll make it through,
We’ll make it through.
Just stay strong,
‘Cause you know I’m here for you,
I’m here for you.

There’s nothing you can say;
Nothing you can do.
There’s no other way when it comes to the truth,
So keep holding on,
‘Cause you know we’ll make it through,
We’ll make it through…”

Amidst the unmoving shining stars, a trail of bright meteor flashed. I made a wish before it disappeared.