Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ A diamond in the rough ❯ One Inch Punch ( Chapter 3 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Snow slammed her hand over Otori's mouth a bit harder than she intended "How about being quiet before those guards come in here and shackle both of us." She hissed into his ear "Technically I am commiting treason against my father to get you out of here and to my brother ." Snow moved her hand from his mouth and dug around in her sleeve pulling out a map that was marked showing the way to Raven."If you love my brother as much as it seems you do there he is." She shoved the map into his hands "Right at the forests edge we have a chocobo hidden waiting for you." Snow peeked around the corner making sure Tsuzuki was ok "Now go before I kick your butt."
Otori looked at her for a moment and reached for the map. "My clothes. . ." He protested weakly, before he spotted where they had tossed them before they chained him. He turned his back to Snow and sorted thru them before he started re-equiping himself with that careful slowness of one suffering from a hang over or still drunk. Either by a trick of the light or some other means high up on his back between his shoulder blades something glittered, rust red, black and white at her. At the distance it looked like some sort of horribly infected wound.
Snow noticed the marking on Otoris back but dismissed it for now "Hurry up." She said as she saw the guards growing tired of Tsuzuki's flirting ."Damn.''Snow said as she saw the guards coming back .She quickly pulled the hood up over her head and stepped out to great them with a sucker punch to the stomach and a round house to the jaw "Go now before they wake up!" Snow ordered as Tsuzuki came running up pulling on her cloak "Damn Snow did you kill them?" She asked.Snow shook her head "Nope but they will wish they were when they wake up .Get out of here Tsuzuki go on home I will be right behind you." Tsuzuki nodded as she ran towards the forest .Snow turned and poked Otori's shoulder "Hurt my brother and you will get the same." She said with a grin as she took off after her sister.
Otori stared at her then at the downed guards, he abruptly vanished and there was the sound of soft boots on the stone seeming to go impossibly fast. Otori was out of the gates and just inside the tree line before he had to stop for breath. He pulled out the map and looked at it, then raised his head and glanced around for a chocobo. He saw it not far off and headed toward it. He clucked his tongue at it, to get it's attention as he approached so it didnt shy. He dug out a somewhat squashed piece of bread to feed it before he mounted. He sent the Chocobo off in the direction the map indicated, both hands clinging to the saddle bow while he slitted his eyes. Even the filtered light coming from the treeline seemed far to bright.
Raven got a fire started in the fire place as he rubbed his arms trying to get warm."The nights are getting cold." He said as he stoked the fire "Oh well cant complain at least we have a roof over our heads." He got up and closed the shudders making sure they were locked ."Going to be a sleepless night tonight." Raven set out to lighting a latern and a few candles to give him some light .Basically he was doing anything to keep busy if he went idle then he began to think back on the days earlier events and he wanted to stay as far away from those memories as he could.He sat down at the table and began to read a book trying to entertain himself "Kinda miss Snow and Tsuzuki bouncing in now." He sighed and leaned his head into his hand "And Otori."
It was dark outside when Otori finally found the cottage. His head still hurt but not nearly as bad as it had earlier. He slid off the Chocobo and led it to the small stable and made sure it was fed and unsaddled before he let it mingle with the other two. The long ride and the cold air and made his bruises and sore muscles stiffen. His eye had swollen shut and began to throb along with his head. He limped around to the cottage's door and knocked on the door, waiting and shivering until someone answered.
Raven's head snapped up from the book "Snow? Tsuzuki? " he said as he got up pulling his cloak tightly around him as he placed his hand on the door and began to unlock it.He opened the door to see Otori standing there and closed his eyes in agrivation "My sisters can not keep their big mouths shut." He sighed and moved out of the way to let Otori in "What is it that you need?" Raven asked as he watched Otori "I told you before you dont have to worry about this I can do it on my own and what happened to your face?" For some reason the vision of Snow beating the life out of the man popped into his head.
"They didn't tell me where you were." He said his split and bruised lips made it hard to understand what he was saying. "I came because I love you," He said and dropped bonelessly into a chair. "I don't really remember what happened to me."
Raven sighed as he closed and locked the door "Otori ." He said as he leaned his head against the door closing his eyes " You dont want to have anything to do with this its all on me so dont worry about it.I free you of any obligations you think you have to me." Raven laughed "I have proven many times I can take of myself a baby will not be a hardship on my behalf." Raven walked over and took Otori's face into his hands looking over his injuries and caught the smell of alcohol "Looks like someone was neck deep in spirits tonight and Im sure it wasnt for celebration purposes."
"Don't remember." Otori said and reached for Raven. "Don't make me go back alone."
He looked like he was still half drunk, otherwise he would have been feeling the bruises that showed. "Snow said to prove that I loved you by finding you. . . found you." He hugged Raven tightly as he could with cold stiffened arms.
Raven closed his eyes and placed a hand on top of Otori's head stroking his hair "We dont agree on this it wouldnt work even as much as I would want it to ." his voice began to break with tears "Your past is leaving you blind to your future and I can not help you with that.You must fight those demons on your own." Raven pulled away from Otori and turned his back before the man saw the tears falling from his eyes "Im not going back.I love my child to much to go back but your free to do as you wish."
"Then I'm staying, too." He said softly. He climbed to his feet and took a few steps toward Raven, before he toppled over and hit the floor. He lay like one dead and the only sound that could be heard from him was a low, steady snoring. He'd either pushed himself past exhaustion or passed out.
Raven sighed as he heard Otori hit the floor "I saw that coming." he muttered as he picked the man up by his shoulders and drug him across the floor and set him up in a chair.Raven walked over and grabbed a blanket and covered Otori up "I will just have to find another place to hide come tomorrow and not tell my sisters ." He said as he walked to the back of the cottage to go to bed.
Otori woke a few hours later and silently drug his blanket into the back room. He pulled his armor, belt and boots off and climbed into bed with Raven. As soon as he put his arm around his lover he started to drift off again. "Please don't leave me again." He said softly.
Raven woke up the next morning and found Otori next to him .He sighed as he got out of bed and got dressed .Raven pulled on his cloak and went outside to feed the chocobos .He stood there scratching Rain's head "Good morning." Raven said as he gave the chocobo his feed "How is my boy this morning?" He poured the rest of the feed into the trough and stood there leaning against the fence watching the chocobos eat dreading going back inside.
Otori woke when the space that had previously contained Raven cooled. His head only ached a little but his body was sore and stiff and not in a good way. He climbed slowly out of bed, without making an attempt to put his armor on and limped off in search of Raven. He really needed to talk to the Prince but he wasn't sure that the prince wanted to listen to what he had to say. He opened the door to the cottage and blinked at the bright sunlight. He saw Raven over by the fence watching the chocobos and walked over slowly, trying to make it appear as if he didn't hurt as much as the cuts and bruises that covered him appeared.
Raven heard Otori coming and sighed "Coffee is over the fire place." he said as he looked back over his shoulder at the man .Ravens eyes softened a bit as he saw Otori trying not to limp over to him "Go sit down before you fall ." Raven said as he turned to look back at the chocobos "If you fall down I cant pick you up and carry you back into the house."
"Wouldn't expect you to." He said and walked over and leaned heavily on the fence. "If I ate or drank anything it would be a horrible mistake." He winced a little. "Raven." He started even as he gazed absently up at the trees. "You do know you have to go back, don't you? If Snow and Tsu don't come get you, your father will send out search parties. If you thought your cage was small before, they will shove you in a smaller one." He didn't add that it would be one without him in it. Even if he persuaded Raven to return, things would not be pleasant for him.
Raven sighed as he closed his eyes "I know Otori I know all this all to well."His dark eyes opened and looked at Otori "Ever consider what will happen to you once they find out?" He asked as he stood there "If I go back they will make me marry some noble that I hate or they will make me get rid of the child ." Raven placed a hand on his stomach "How could I live with myself after having to do something like that?" Raven fought back tears "I cant do it I rather die myself."
Otori shrugged and looked at Raven, "You are the crown prince, yes? They may make you marry, but stand up for yourself. Unfortunately it is the duty of the king and prince to marry and produce and heir. No one really cares if the one you marry is cukolded." He reached over and pulled Raven to him. "What happens to me when they find out is moot, unless they cheat they won't keep me locked up for long." He hugged the Prince. "How much power you have depends on who finds you first. If you go back before you are dragged back, your father will be angry but you will have the best hand to play. At least it seems so to me."
Raven began to sob onto Otori's shoulder "I want you I want my baby it isnt fair." His hands clutched Otori's back "Otori I want to marry you." Raven admitted "I want to stay with you the rest of my days." Raven began to hiccup from crying so hard " Why cant things be simple? Why cant you be royalty so we can be married?" raven began to wail like a child lost from his mother as he hugged Otori almost crushing him.
Otori grunted as Raven squeezed him hard enough that he was sure he heard his ribs crack. He sat down and pulled Raven close against him, stroking his long hair and rocking him slightly back and forth. "Hush now. It will be all right. We'll figure something out. " Seeing Raven crying like this made him feel horribly for his lover being shoved into what must seem an unbearable situation. He made what he hoped wasn't a hasty decision and picked up his prince and carried him into the cottage. He shut and locked the door behind him and carried the heartbroken elf into the bed room. He set him on he bed, and pulled off Raven's shoes. He climbed in the other side and put his arms back around the elf. "See for the moment, everything is safe and nothing can hurt you. I'm here to watch over you and the baby. Nothing can pull us apart right now." He continued his soothing banter as he held Raven against him, continuing to stroke his hair.
Raven curled up onto Otori sniffling "The baby is more important than me ." He said as he put a hand on his stomach "Im sorry Im causing so much trouble but Im not sorry for deciding to keep it." Dark eyes opened to look at Otori "I love you so much I couldnt do it."Raven rubbed his puffy eyes getting rid of stray tears that threatened to fall again "Im behaving like a child Im sorry." He muttered as an apology "I dont know what has gotten into me ." He sighed and burried his face into Otori's chest "Do you want to keep the child? I have to know so I can know what to do."
Otori made a small noise of suprise at Raven's actions, and the fact that he was burying his face in a particularly livid bruise. He smiled softly and hugged Raven tighter. "Yes, love, keep it. I'm sure we can make sure it has a better life and brighter future than most children ever dream of." His breath caught in his chest as Raven continued to try to hide on that bruise. ". . .itai." He protested softly. "Be careful, Raven."
Raven smiled and kissed the bruise on Otori's chest and then kissed his shoulder "Im sorry ." He muttered against his lovers skin "I didnt mean to." Dark eyes moved up to Otori's face and grinned "Want me to kiss it some more and make it better?"Raven began to laugh and laid his head on Otori's shoulder .He sniffled "I dont feel so good." A hand reflexively flew up to his mouth as he got out of bed and over to the window to get sick.Raven heaved until nothing was left on his stomach and wiped his mouth on the back of his hand "Ok I wont miss that once its gone." He said as he rubbed his stomach and grinned at Otori sheepishly.
Otori looked over at Raven, worry warring with mirth. He picked himself up from where the elf had shoved him in his rapid flight to the window. "It's all right, just a little longer and it will be gone." He got up and brought a cup of heavily creamed and sweetend coffee and a round of bread and handed them to Raven. "This should help settle your stomach."
Raven took the food and drink with thanks and set down to eat "Good." He said as he ate the bread and looked back at Otori "Sure youre not hungry?"
Raven eyed Otori's back and tilted his head "Where did that come from?" He asked as he got up and touched the marking between Otori's shoulder blades "And where have I seen that before?" He asked more of himself than anyone else "Looks like a fox." Raven said as he ran his hand lightly up Otori's back "I wonder if I can look it up in a book and find it because I swear I have seen it before ."
A shiver followed Raven's hand up his back. "Where did what come from? What Fox?" He looked over his shoulder at the prince wholly confused. He turned and looked at Raven. "Please explain what you are talking about."
Raven touched the marking "Looks almost like a tattoo of a small red fox." A look of determination crossed Raven's face as he tried to remember where he had seen it "It means something important I know but I cant remember."Raven touched it once more before moving over to his bag and began digging out some books "I dont know how to explain it I have never seen it on you before." He slammed the book down on the table with a loud bang "Do you feel any pain in that area?" Raven asked making sure it wasnt a tattoo that Otori might have gotten while he had went out drinking.
"Pain where?" Otori was beginning to feel really frustrated as well as confused. "Almost everything hurts." He flinched away as Raven slammed the book down. "I don't have any tatoos, what are you talking about? Why would I tatoo a fox on me?" He dropped down in the chair across from Raven and broke a round of bread and swiped one of the tarts.
Raven looked over at Otori "I swear Im not crazy just give me a moment to collect myself here." He began flipping through pages at a furious pace "If its anything important it will be in this book." His eyes scanned the pages before he found what he was looking for.Raven got a look of shock on his face as he sat down in a chair "I cant believe this." He said as he pushed the book over to Otori and pointed to the fox drawing on the page "That right there is what is between your shoulder blades."
Otori looked blanky at the picture of the fox and then back up at Raven. "But Tavnazia has no nobility, they all vanished or were killed." He still looked confused, how could he be nobility? "Who would put that on me and why should they bother anyway? This has to be a joke." 'If I'm nobility, how come I grew up on the streets?" He wanted to rail at some divine power, or beat his fists bloody at the unfairness of it all. 'Why me? why now when it doesn't make anything better.' He was happy for Raven but he knew precious little of politics and had no wish to be dragged into them.
Raven leaned his head into his hand "Most were killed but like you said some vanished and apparently your parents were nobility and had you." He wanted to burst out laughing at the ironic twist fate took right now "Love face it you are of royal lineage and from Tavnazia no less." Raven smirked "The most royal of the blue bloods.Otori you are royalty only the nobility from there have it and I think its time you claim whats yours."
Otori's face was completely blank as he numbly shook his head. "I. . . I. . I." He stammered and got to his feet so fast he fell over backwards and hit the floor hard. "I . . . no. It's a mistake. Why would they abandon me if I'm nobility. How come no one came for me?" He looked up at Raven with tears in his eyes as he remembered all the nights he went to bed cold and hungry. All the beatings and abuse for what he was and some of the truly horrible things he'd been forced to do merely to survive.
Raven got up from his chair and went to Otori wrapping his arms around him "You werent abandoned your family had to run they had no choice if they would have stayed the would have been killed by the horde that attacked." He placed a hand on Otori's cheek making him look into his eyes "I dont know what happened to your parents but Im sure it was something bad because no one would run off and leave you like that to live on the streets as a child." Raven leaned forward and gave Otori a kiss on the lips "For all the years of torment you have been through this is your reward for staying strong and surving." He smiled gently "You need to go there and find out what exactly happened to your parents and who they were.You owe them that they left you a great gift would be a shame to let it go to waste."
Otori closed his eyes and kissed Raven back. "I can't go there now. You need me too much and I don't know where it is." He wasn't entirely certain he wanted to go. Why should he care about a whole country full of people who had abandoned him to whatever existance he could eke out? He sighed and shook his head. "At least it means you get your wish, Raven." He buried a hand in the prince's hair and drew him into a deep kiss. "They can't tear us apart."
Raven groaned as he kissed Otori back running his hands up his sides."I know thats a plus side to it." He laughed as he looked at Otori "You dont want to go do you?" Raven asked giving him a sympathetic look "I know the way there its just a long way basically half way across the world." He stroked Otori's cheek "If we leave now we can make it there with a few months I think I can travel that far for you if you want me too."
"We can go once the baby can go too, or is old enough to be watched and not cause too much trouble." He smiled softly at Raven. "It wont hurt anything for me to miss what I never knew I had for awhile longer. There is a mess here that we need to take care of first."
Raven looked at Otori and sighed "Alright you win." He said sitting down on the floor "Thats an awful long wait though." He said as he sat there and did the math"Five and half months plus how ever long it takes me to heal afterwards."Raven scratched behind his ear everything was starting to sink in hard and fast "Oh dear." he said as he sat there thinking "We will have to get married before the baby gets here." Raven paled as reality hit him square in the face "Oh God Im going to have a baby and get married." He held his head in his hands as his world began to spin "Otori I dont feel good."
Otori looked at Raven and wrapped his arms around the elf. "Hush. . What did I tell you? Everything will be fine." He looked a little pale but then it wasn't anything he hadn't expected. When bellies get big questions were asked. "Truly its nothing to be afraid of."
Raven leaned his head on to Otori's shoulder "We will have to do it before I get any bigger most nobles are to stupid to do the math and figure out the time frame." He closed his eyes and relaxed in his lovers arms "We should head back soon ?" Raven asked as he rubbed his cheek on Otori's shoulder "So we can at least get this mess straightened out and make things right."Raven took a deep breath "I still dread telling my father the state I am in."
"Seems a shame to waste this privacy." He said and continued to stroke Raven's hair. "I don't imagine we will have much when we get back. Assuming they don't find us before we get to the castle walls." He laughed and kissed the top of Raven's head. "Let it wait until tommorrow." Raven nodded "Yes lets wait." He said as he pulled Otori into a deep kiss and smiled "Im hungry." he muttered as his stomach growled something fierce "I want some sweets." Raven said as he stood up tugging Otori to his feet and pulling him back towards the bedroom "I think I will take you back here for a bit and eat on your for a while though food can wait."