Special thanks to AmorettiElle for oh-so affectionately dubbing me a shitmuffin and for being the awesomest Junior to ever walk the face of the earth. <3 //Plus she's a goddess ;D
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Chapter Seven: Truth or Dare
"What? No, I would never."
The bed shifted as Kairi adjusted herself. "I'm calling bullshit on this one, [Name]. I'm pretty sure you've had at least one."
You shook your head. "No. I was twelve when I went blind- do you really think I could've gotten a boyfriend before then?"
Someone huffed, and you assumed it was Ryann. "Fuck yeah. I mean, you're gorgeous and a great person. Hell, if I were a guy, I'd date you."
You felt your face heat up. "Shut up. You're just being a good friend."
"Whatever," Kairi said, patting your head. "Keep believing that, beautiful."
You blew your hair out of your face and crossed your arms. "You guys are just trying to make me feel bad because I can't compliment your looks and sound sincere about it. Dickheads."
You heard them laugh, and that brought a smile to your face.
"So who's next?" You asked. "Kairi? Truth or dare?"
"... Dare."
"Ooh," Ryann said, cackling. "Wait a sec, I'm brewing up an evil plan."
"Ryann!" Kairi teasingly shouted at her. "I don't want any of your crazy dares."
You laughed. "Are they really that bad?"
"Nah," Ryann said. "Kai's just a pussy."
Kairi giggled. "It's better than being a dick."
"Yeah, I gue- I GOT ONE!" Ryann started bouncing up and down on the bed in excitement, and you laughed.
"Well don't leave us hanging!" You said. "What is it?"
"Kairi, what's your favorite drink?" Ryann asked, a hint of mischief in her voice.
"Um... Arizona Iced Tea with Ginseng. Why? This is supposed to be dare, is-"
"I'll be right back. You two continue the game without me."
The bed dipped and then rose sharply as Ryann hopped off, and it was just you and Kairi in the room.
"So, um..." Kairi said. "Truth or dare?"
"Dare." You smiled softly.
It was time for you to live a little, you know?
"Hm.... I dare you... To step outside, and kiss the first guy you see. If you want, you can wait until it's someone in our group."
You blushed. "Kairi, I can't see."
"Oh, I know. That's why I'm going out there with you. But don't worry, we'll bring the guy inside so you aren't too embarrassed."
"But Kai-"
"No buts!" She tugged on your arm as she slid down into her wheelchair. "Let's go."
~~
"Kairi, I don't think-"
"Shh!" She interrupted you. "I think I see Riku coming."
You groaned. It wasn't that you had anything against him or anything, just that you really wished you wouldn't have to give your first kiss away to someone you'd just met three days ago.
"Can it be on the cheek?" You asked her.
Please say yes, please say yes.
"Nope," she said, popping the "p". "Smack dab on the lips."
"But I-"
"Here he comes!" Kairi gripped your hand tighter in excitement.
You sighed. You guessed you were just going to have to go along with Kairi's evil plan.
"Whoa, who grabbed my hand? What's going on-"
"It's Kairi! Come with me!" Kairi piped.
"Let go of my hand!" Riku fussed.
"Nope! [Name] needs to do something first!"
You groaned and Riku chuckled.
"You alright there, [Name]?" He asked you.
"I will be when this is over," you mumbled.
~~
"Kairi, this is so embarrassing," you complained. "At least give us some space."
Riku laughed nervously. "I have no idea what you guys are going on about..."
"But I have to set the mood!" Kairi said.
"Out," you said. "Or I'm not doing it."
Kairi whined like a two year old throwing a tantrum. "But how will I know you did it?"
"Trust me!" You cried.
"Oh no, hold on. I have the perfect idea. Pucker up, babe."
You pouted, but that must've been enough because Kairi started smearing something on your lips.
"What the fuck is this?" You cried. "What did you do?"
"Lipstick," Kairi said proudly. "I'll know if you really did it or not because most of that will be on him." She laughed one more time before wheeling herself out of the door. "Have fun!"
"So, what do you need to do?" Riku asked. "Kiss me?"
You blushed furiously. "Yes..." You muttered.
Riku seemed taken aback. "Woah, what?"
"Kairi, Ryann, and I are playing truth or dare and Kairi dared me to kiss the first guy we came across in the hallway."
"Woah..." Riku said, rubbing your shoulder. "I'm sorry."
You tilted your head. "Why?"
"Because you're stuck with me," he said softly. "You're better off with someone who can actually see and help you. We're both literally kissing in the dark."
You placed your hand on his. "I'd much rather kiss you than any of the others," you confessed. "You being blind doesn't change a thing."
"Wow, I even beat Roxas?" Riku laughed. "Sweet."
You chuckled. "So um... Are we going to do this, or..?"
"I guess so..." His voice came out huskier than usual, and you felt more blood rush to your face.
He grabbed both your hands then placed one on each side of his face, and you felt like you were going to pass out right then and there. Using your arms as pathways, ghosts of his touch trailed slowly up your forearms, then your biceps, and then to your shoulders and neck, which made you jump.
Riku laughed, leaning in closer to whisper in your ear. "Ticklish?"
You shook your head in denial, unable to speak.
His hands made their way to your cheeks, but they didn't rest there. His thumbs trailed up your cheekbones, below your eyes, up the sides of the bridge of your nose, then brushed over your eyebrows and made their way back down to your lips.
"Relax," he whispered, his breath hovering on your lips. "I'm not going to hurt you."
Somewhere along the way you realized that you'd squeezed your eyes shut, and you tried to relax them a bit so that they were still closed but not as tightly.
His right thumb rubbed circles on your bottom lip as his left did the same to your cheek. You felt him lean in and you unintentionally stiffened.
This was it.
His lips softly made contact with yours, and you let out the breath you hadn't even realized you were holding in.
You know how people always said that when you were being kissed, it felt like an out-of-body experience?
Well, they weren't lying.
You felt like you were floating on Cloud Nine, and your hands automatically buried themselves in his silky hair in an attempt to pull him closer.
You didn't want this to end, but you two had to breathe sometime. So you eventually separated from each other, but your foreheads remained in contact.
You both were panting pretty heavily, and you were sure that your face was currently the brightest shade of red.
Riku took in a deep breath. "[Name], I-"
Suddenly the door flew open, and all contact between you and Riku was lost. You scooted away from him, attempting to look calm.
You obviously failed at that.
"Damn," Ryann said. "You two got it on."
"It was my dare that got them like this!" Kairi said proudly. "Riku, I'll give you a napkin or something to wipe all the lipstick off your face with. Thanks for participating, but now our game must continue."
"... Yeah." It took him a while to respond. "I'll see you around, [Name]. I- I mean, I'll hear-"
"Yeah, yeah," Kairi interrupted him. "Just leave already."
Kairi and Ryann squealed once Riku was out of the room and the door shut behind him.
"How was it?"
"You look pretty turned on, was he that good?"
"It's a damn good thing we stopped you, otherwise we would have little Riku's and [Name]s running around!"
"Ugh, shut up..!" You fumbled around, trying to find a pillow, and when you did you buried your face into it. "What is this, 'Interrogate [Name]' time?"
"... Yes," they both said in unison. "We want to know how your first kiss was!"
You groaned. "What am I supposed to say? That he was amazing and I'm pretty happy about him being my first?"
They were silent, and you turned to face them.
"… Because if that's what you wanted to hear, then I'll gladly say it again."
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"So where did you go, anyway?" You asked Ryann.
"Oh! I had to get Kairi's tea for her dare. She's drinking it right now."
"Though I don't know why this is such a big deal," Kairi said smoothly. "I'm almost done with it."
"Well either Ryann's good dare skills are lacking, or you're going to be in a shit ton of trouble afterwards." You laughed and Ryann pat your shoulder.
"See, [Name] gets it. Don't doubt me, Kai."
"Yeah, whatever," Kairi said. "There's nothing torturous about drinking Arizona tea."
"So, it's Ryann's turn now, right?" You asked. "Truth or dare?"
"Hm… Truth."
"OH! OH, I GOT ONE!" Kairi said excitedly. "If you could date any of the guys in our group, who would you choose?"
Ryann laughed. "That's the best you could come up with, Kairi?"
Kairi huffed. "Just answer the damn question."
"Dude, that's like the cheesiest truth ever."
"Stop stalling!" You chided. "Answer the question."
Ryann sighed, seeing that you had discovered what she was trying to do. "… Demyx," she whispered.
"What's that?" Kairi teased.
"Don't make me say it again," Ryann sneered. "I'm pretty damn sure you heard me."
You laughed. "Okay Kairi, it's your turn. Truth or dare?"
You heard Kairi shuffle around. "Hold up, I gotta pee."
"Nope!" Ryann cried. "Sit your ass back down."
"What?" Kairi said a bit too loudly. "Why can't I pee?"
Ryann laughed. "That's your dare. 'I dare you to drink your favorite drink, then hold your piss in as long as I tell you to."
"But-!"
"Surely you can hold it in while [Name] and I give you another dare?" Ryann mocked her. "It won't be that long."
"… Hurry your asses up," Kairi muttered while plopping back down onto the bed. "Truth."
You tapped your chin. "Ry, can I take this one?"
"Sure. Knock yourself out."
"And make it quick," Kairi hissed.
"Um… if you don't mind my asking, what landed you and Naminé here? All I can tell is that you two are in wheelchairs."
Kairi was silent for a while and you decided to speak up. "If you don't want to tell me, then-"
"No, it's alright." Kairi pat your shoulder. "I'd have to tell you sometime, anyways."
"It was Namine and I's sweet sixteen. Our parents decided to leave town- but not before giving us the whole 'no drinking, smoking, or sex' shit –and we had the place to ourselves. We pretty much invited the whole school, and our two-story house was packed. I never really paid much attention to Nami before we got here… and I avoided her as much as I could get away with during the party.
"We were as distant as twins could get, and even during school I would pretend I wasn't related to her. I had my group of friends, and she had hers. So during the party, I was with my friends, getting wasted.
"I was having my eighth or ninth shot when one of Nami's friends told me they had saw her by the balcony with a bottle of wine in her hand. I rushed upstairs and nearly fell down them in my haste, but by then she was already leaning over the balcony."
By now Kairi was sniffling, and you rubbed her shoulder sympathetically. "… You don't have to continue."
"No," Kairi said. "I can't stop now."
"I pulled her back and slapped her in the face. 'What are you thinking'? I screamed at her. 'This is our birthday party, you should have fun.' She ripped her arm out of my grip and stumbled back. 'It's not even my party!' she yelled at me. 'It's always been about you! People always ask me why I can't be as perfect as you, and I just feel like shit all the time! Even mom and dad wish I were more like you!' She didn't lay a hand on me, but I felt like I had just been slapped across the face. She threw the bottle at me and it narrowly missed my arm. Taking my distraction as an opportunity, she ran towards the balcony. I sprinted after her and accidentally slammed her over the railing. We both tumbled over the edge, holding onto each other for dear life. The last thing I remember doing was whispering 'I love you' to her, and then we hit the hard pavement.
"We were lucky to survive. I got away with a fractured spine and broken arm, but Nam bruised her lung, broke both her legs, and went into a coma for a few months. I hate how getting into the TW was what brought us together as siblings. I regret everything I've put her through, and I never want to neglect her ever again."
You hugged her tightly as hot tears slowly made their way down your face. "I'm so sorry, Kairi."
She hugged you back, sobs racking her body. "It's alright," she whispered, and Ryann joined in your group hug. "… Can I pee now?"
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"Oh! [Name]!" You heard someone call your name and turned towards the sound of their voice,
"Doctor Aerith? What is it?"
You loosened your grip on Ryann's wrist as her footsteps approached you.
"Dear, I know I said that your application wouldn'tbe processed for another few days, but they were eager to accept you! I'm so happy for you!"
You smiled as she took your hands in hers. "Thank you so much! I'll start working as soon as I can. What's my schedule going to be like?"
"Well, I could give someone else your schedule and they could go and get you for your shifts, would that be alright?"
You pursed your lips. "I guess that's fine, I mean, is that what Riku does?"
"Oh no, honey,'" Doctor Aerith said pitifully. "Riku can read Braille. We made a special schedule for him."
Your face fell slightly. "Oh. Would it be easier to have someone come get me? Because I'm willing to learn Braille."
"You really don't have to do that." Doctor Aerith stroked your hair. "I could have Riku teach you Braille if you like, but for now we can just have someone take you to your sessions. Who would you like?"
"Um… Could I first ask you where my office is?"
"It's right next to Riku's."
"And do I work the same days as he does?"
Doctor Aerith gripped your hands tighter and Ryann laughed.
"I think I see what you're getting at," Doctor Aerith said. "Yes, you can have Riku take you. You're lucky, he just happens to work all your days except one. On that one day, who would you like to take you?"
"I can do it," Ryann said. "Would that be alright, [Name]?"
You smiled. "Of course."
"Okay!" Doctor Aerith piped. "Ryann, I'll place a copy of [Name]'s schedule in your room later today. And if I happen to find Riku, I'll give him a copy as well."
"Sounds good." You smiled. "See you around, Doctor."
~~
"What kind of ice cream do you want?" Ryann asked you. "They have mint chocolate, chocolate-dipped vanilla bars, sea-salt, and Melona bars."
"Hm… I'll take a vanilla bar, please."
After getting your orders, Ryann took you back to your room where Kairi was waiting.
"Did you have a good pee?" Ryann teased. "Here's your sea-salt ice cream."
You heard a dull thud that you assumed was Kairi whacking Ryann's shoulder. "I really hate you for having me wait that long to pee. But you made up for it by buying me ice cream, so thanks."
"What does sea-salt ice cream taste like, anyways?" You asked, biting into your vanilla bar and breaking the chocolate shell. "I've never heard of it before."
Kairi gasped. "You, my friend, are seriously missing out," she said, patting your shoulder. "Here, have a bite."
You swallowed your bite of vanilla ice cream then opened your mouth. As soon as Kairi fed you her sea-salt ice cream, you shuddered, as you'd never really been one for salty things. But as soon as the saltiness came, it was gone, sweetness taking its place.
"How was it?" Kairi asked you, and you could picture a smile on her face.
"... Salty," you started, "but sweet, too."
Kairi and Ryann laughed. "That's what everyone says," they told you in unison.
You laughed too, and bit your ice cream. "Well then, I guess I'm not special."
"Oh, shut up." Ryann whacked you playfully. "You're very special, and don't you forget it."
You smiled. "Thanks."
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"Hey [Name]!" Riku called out to you.
"Riku?" You turned in the direction of his voice. "How did you know it was me?"
He laughed. "Your footsteps are pretty distinctive. So uh... How are you? I received a copy of your work schedule; congrats!"
He fell into step with you and you loosely grabbed his wrist. "I should learn how to detect people by their footsteps," you said, giggling. "And I'm pretty good, thanks! So um, when's my next... 'appointment'?"
"Tomorrow at eight in the morning. Should I wake you up at seven so we can get breakfast first?"
"Sounds good," you told him. "By the way, where are you headed?"
"It's a surprise," he replied, sliding his arm up so your hand fell into his. "I need to ask you something."
You tilted your head. "I don't like surprises, Riku."
He chuckled. "Says the girl who did this exact thing to me this morning."
"I like giving surprises, not receiving them."
"Sure."
~~
"I think we've been visiting the garden way too often," you said, giggling. "What did you need to ask me?"
Riku led you to a bench and you two sat down. Taking a deep breath, he tightened his grip on your hand.
"I... I couldn't stop thinking about our... you know... kiss... all day today," he started, and your chest tightened.
"And I know this is crazy of me to even consider asking you this, but... Will you-"
You abruptly wrenched your hand out of his and clutched your head. Your breathing became ragged as a sharp throbbing pain attacked your senses- it was as if someone was repeatedly attacking the back of your head with a sledgehammer.
Your heart pounded loudly in your chest and you had to struggle with each breath.
"Make it stop..." you whispered, and Riku placed a hand on your shoulder.
"[Name]?" His voice sounded miles away, even though you knew he was right in front of you. "[Name], stay with me-"
And that was when the pain intesified and overrode your senses, making you lose consciousness.
~*~ Alistair's Dark Corner ~*~
I know, I know. I suck at everything.
This chapter was kind of rushed, but I had things I wanted to be done and I had no other ways to achieve them (bullshit).
The new chapter should be coming soon. I have lots to say.
Vocomfo my sweets <3