Kingdom Hearts Fan Fiction ❯ Dirge ❯ Birthday Present ( Chapter 19 )

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

Title: Dirge

Pairing: CloudXRiku!

Rating: M

Warnings: Yaoi , and violence, and bad language, lots of language.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Kingdom Hearts, Square Enix does

Music: L`Arc~en~Ciel - Existence

Prompt: Sin



“You guys are late,” Squall growled as Cloud and Riku stepped in from the roof. Riku threw him a dirty look before shoving past him and heading toward their room. Squall raised his eyebrow at this and looked to Cloud for an answer. The blonde simply shrugged and walked by without answering.

“Not going to say anything? You know, Sora came in here crying, won’t talk to anyone, not even Roxas….what happened out there?”

“It has nothing to do with you.” Cloud replied, fishing through his pockets for a cigarette. He finally found one and popped it into his mouth.

“What do you mean it has nothing to do with me? I’m part of this group too and-”

“Shut up Squall. Seriously, you don’t have to be in the middle of everything that goes on. I’ll clue you in if I think you need to know, until then, stop acting like you’ve got a stick up your ass and calm down.”

“What the hell are you talking about? You’re the one with a stick up your ass! Ever since you brought back that fucking kid you’ve been doing nothing but acting like a total ass!”

“Riku has nothing to do with this, I-”

“You just want to take back what’s yours right? You just want to take over the gang like Zack meant for you to. Well I say screw Zack. It’s because of me that you’re here; I’m the one that found you and rescued you from that hellhole you were in. I’m the one who was here first, this gang is as much mine as it is yours, in fact, it’s mostly mine. You’re just a whore from the House with a vision of grandeur. Don’t get cocky just because you’re wearing the pants around here.”

“And I think you better shut the hell up before you find yourself out on the street without any clothes and without any balls.”

“You can’t just suddenly decide to take over this group. Power doesn’t work that way Cloud. You can’t just all the sudden be mister mach-”

“And neither can you. If you want to fight come to me any time, I’m ready and waiting.”

The two males stared at each other, not willing to say any more or make a move. The tension in the room could have been cut with a knife. Cloud knew this argument would have come eventually, Leon was constantly trying to take control, and sometimes Cloud worried about betrayal, but then again, family was thicker than that, and they were a family, no matter how mismatched they were.

Leon was the first to leave. He turned from Cloud, his eyes not leaving the blonde’s until the very last second, and slipped out the door. Cloud stared at the spot he had been standing in for a few more moments, then shook his head and puffed out a ring of smoke from his cigarette. “Don’t kill me Squall, I’m just doing my part…,” he mumbled to the empty air.

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Three days passed before the words Roxas had said to Cloud came floating back to his mind. The 21st. Dirge. Riku’s birthday.

Cloud sat up in the bed and yawned. Today was Riku’s birthday. The feisty newcomer had turned 17. Running a hand through his hair, Cloud searched the room with bleary eyes. Riku had left already, his pile of blankets in the corner were folded neatly and pushed to the side, out of the way. Squall slept soundly next to Cloud.

Cloud made a disgruntled noise in the back of his throat and forced himself to get up. Careful not to disturb the chocolate-haired man next to him, he slipped from the bed and headed toward the roof. As he reached the top, he could just begin to hear the chant of the monks in the distance.

Riku sat on the edge of the roof, his feet dangling down into the street below. Cloud noted the difference in his body structure. Riku seemed ganglier, taller, and more defined. It was a complete contrast to the struggling, defiant boy he had first met.

Without saying a word, Cloud walked over and sat down next to the silver haired teen. Riku didn’t even bother to look at him.

“Today’s Dirge.” Riku stated. Cloud nodded in response.

“Yeah.”

“It seems strange, how I’ve gotten used to the life out here.”

“Yeah.”

“…Do you think that one day, the monks will come for my body too?”

Cloud paused at this, considering the question carefully. “I think that the monks eventually come for everyone. We all die Riku, weather we are Insiders or Outsiders.”

“You were an Insider once, and so was I. Does the time seem to go faster out here? I mean, it’s been so long since I’ve come here, and already…already…”

“You’re 17.”

Riku nodded, not bothering to ask Cloud how he knew about his birthday. Instead, he just leaned to the side, resting his head on Cloud’s shoulder. Cloud didn’t object.

They sat like that for a while, just listening to the wind and the far-off chant of the monks. As the time pasted, the soothing chant grew louder, until Riku spotted the procession several blocks away. The hydrolicized cart made virtually no sound as bodies were piled in. Riku noticed that the monks were careful not to let the carcasses touch their bodies. Instead, Outsiders were required to put their own dead on the cart, piled haphazardly and at weird angles.

“Riku, maybe we should go in…” Cloud started, but Riku didn’t budge, he only watched as the cart moved forward, the low humming of the engine barely audible over the chanting of the monks.

When they were gone, Cloud searched Riku’s eyes for some show of emotion. He found none.

“When I die,” Riku started, finally lifting his eyes off the street below. “When I die, promise me you’ll bury me, and not put me on that cart.”

It was a strange request, but Cloud didn’t respond. Instead, he simply pulled Riku up by the arm and looked him in the eye. “Come on,” he said. “I have a birthday present for you.”

--------------------------

They made their way across the rooftops, careful to not go anywhere near the monks. Cloud didn’t want Riku thinking about death, not on his birthday. This was a happy celebration, one that should be enjoyed, not spent mourning for the dead.

Eventually Cloud led Riku to Naminè’s shop. They were greeted by the cheerful shop-owner immediately, as if she had expected them to come, which of course, she had.

“Riku! Cloud! Good to see you. I bet you’re looking for a birthday present aren’t you? Don’t worry about a thing; I’ve already pulled out my best stuff, just for you to browse through. Now, don’t worry, I know you’re on a budget, though with that extra gold Riku got you I’m sure you could spend a little extra, but anyways, my stuff is all priced fairly, and I think you’ll like it.”

“Actually…” Cloud interrupted, scratching the back of his neck. “I was thinking…of something simpler…”

“Simpler?” Naminè asked, incredulous. “Simpler like what?”

Well…I was wondering if….” at this, he motioned her closer, so he could whisper in her ear.

She blinked in surprise and stepped back, looking at Cloud with a new air of appreciation. “Are you sure?” she asked.

Cloud nodded, ignoring the questioning glances Riku was throwing at him. Naminè only nodded her consent and left the room for a moment.

“Where is she going?” Riku asked. Cloud only smiled.

“Don’t worry about it; I think you’ll like this gift.”

Naminè returned a moment later, carrying a small faded out black box. She blew a thick layer of dust off it and patted it down before handing it to Cloud reverently. “I never thought you’d do something like this…You must really love him.”

Both Cloud and Riku blushed at Naminè’s remark. “Now Naminè, don’t go saying things about people. Rumors aren’t good you know.”

“I’ve got it.’ she replied, winking at Cloud. “Don’t worry, you’re secret is safe with me.”

“That’s not what I mea-”

“What’s in the box?” Riku interrupted.

Both Naminè and Cloud looked at him as if he was crazy, but Cloud was the first to recover. “Right um…” He hesitated, scanning Riku’s face, then he led the younger boy over to a chair in the corner of the room. “Go ahead and sit down… tell me, are you afraid of needles?”

“No…why?”

“Good&# 8230;”

Riku was confused by the strange behavior that both Cloud and Naminè were exhibiting, but he didn’t give too much thought to it. After all, he didn’t know much about them anyways.

Cloud walked away and came back a few moments later holding a strange looking hand-held machine. He walked right over to Riku and knelt in front of him, checking some thing in the machine. After a few clicks he seemed to be satisfied, and held the machine up to Riku’s ear, pinching the flesh between two metal bars. “Hold still,” he commanded.

“What?” Riku started to ask, but he was cut off as a quick sharp pain came from his ear. “Ow! Dammit, what are you doing?”

Cloud sat back, seemingly satisfied with his work, and held up a mirror. Hanging in Riku’s left ear was a heavy silver wolf with a ring in its mouth. The pair to the one that Cloud wore in his ear.

“They were Zack’s.” Cloud told him. “Both of them, I took one from him when he died, this one Naminè’s been holding onto. I wanted you to have it but, you’re ears weren’t pierced.”

Riku fingered the silver treasure hanging in his ear. It was an unfamiliar weight, but it was minor, over time he’d get used to it.

“What makes you think I want an earring?” Riku asked, looking Cloud in the eyes.

“Because I know you, and besides, that’s only half your present. The other half is that I’ve considered what I want, and I think you’re right, I can’t just ignore the feelings I have, weather they are for better or worse. Just promise me, if I die while you’re still here, you’ll bury me, and won’t put me on that cart.”

“Stop talking about death moron.” Riku choked, Cloud was alarmed to see tears starting in his eyes. “You’re not going to die.” Riku bent forward and hugged Cloud around the neck. The position they were sitting in it was awkward and the almost fell over, but neither of them cared. All they knew was, even though it was Dirge, Death Song, the day of the dead, they were happy, if only for a moment.

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