Heart to Heart Chapter 5

[eiahmon]

Title: Heart to Heart
Rating: R
Disclaimer: Disney and Square own it all; I only wish I did. Why in the hell cant I come up with these wickedly cool characters and twisted plots? Why?
Summary: Sequel to Burning Heart and Earth's Rebirth. A special assignment from Ansem sets Dilan's conscience on edge, and he reaches out to the only person that he knows can help, the one person that he though he would never speak to again; Xehanort.

5.

When Xavier blinked his eyes open in the morning, he quickly realized that there was a child curled up against him, and he looked down to see a mop of white hair poking out from under the quilt. Xehanort was sound asleep, his breathing deep and even, and Xavier carefully scooted away from him so not to wake him up, and got out of bed. Xehanort whimpered softly, so Xavier gently tucked the blankets around him before he left the room to get ready for the day.

After he finished his morning routine, he went downstairs just as the rest of the family was finishing up with breakfast. He sat down in his usual spot at the table, and his mother put a plate with ham, eggs, and biscuits in front of him. The usual chatter faded and stopped as everyone turned to look at him, and Jascha asked the question.

"How is he?"

Xavier sighed. "Still sleeping at the moment. I hope that I can get him to eat today. He skipped two meals yesterday, and he can't afford to be doing that."

"Are you going to be staying close to him today?"

Xavier swallowed a drink of coffee and nodded. "Likely. I doubt he's ready to be left alone right now."

Jascha nodded. "Do what you need to do. He's more important than anything else right now."

The rest of the family filtered out then to begin the day's work – planting season was almost upon them, so there were many preparations to make – while Xavier accepted a second plate of breakfast and a big glass of apple juice from his mother and took it upstairs to check on Xehanort.

The boy was still sleeping, but his nose twitched with Xavier set the plate down in the nightstand. His stomach rumbled then, and Xavier couldn't hold back a smile as he shifted in bed, and then rolled over to face the food as his eyes opened.

"Good morning." Xavier said quietly, and Xehanort sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"Good morning," he replied with a yawn. He looked at the plate then, and his stomach rumbled again. "Is that for me?"

Xavier nodded. "I want you to eat as much as you can. You skipped two meals yesterday. After you eat, you can bathe and dress, and we'll go from there."

Xehanort nodded eagerly, and Xavier had to warn him to eat slowly as he began to hungrily devour his breakfast. While the boy ate, he went to the bathroom and drew him a bath, and once Xehanort was finished eating and was sitting in the tub, scrubbing himself down, Xavier took the plate to the kitchen to be washed and wondered what to do. He knew that Xehanort was in no way ready to be left to his own devices in a house full of people that he didn't know, but he certainly didn't want the boy hiding in his room all day either. He was still not strong enough for most physical activity, but he needed to get moving to start rebuilding his strength.

He waited outside the bathroom door for Xehanort to come out. "Would you like to go for a bit of a walk outside?"

Xehanort blinked at him and was silent for a moment. "I... guess?" he said finally, looking up at Xavier uncertainly.

Xavier draped one arm around the boy's thin shoulders. "You've been cooped up for too long; you need fresh air and sunshine."

They walked back to Xehanort's bedroom, but his coat was missing from the hook, and Xavier realized that his mother had likely collected it to be washed. Instead, he had to give the boy one of his own Black Coats, which, thanks to the inherit magic that was made into them, sized itself to fit him. Xehanort stared at it in awe for moment, and the look on his face reminded Xavier of the first time his original self had seen Master Limahl perform magic. The summoning of the keyblade had barely made him raise an eyebrow, but true magic had thrown him for a loop, and Eraqus had gotten a good laugh at his fellow apprentice's facial expression. Still the sight of Xehanort in a Black Coat, the uniform of the Organization, made Xavier feel a little uneasy, and he resolved not to have him wear it again if he could help it.

He carried the child downstairs and walked him out the front door. The cool spring air hit them, and Xehanort yelped and dove behind Xavier.

"What is it, Xehanort?"

"It's cold! You didn't tell me it was cold!"

"It's not cold." And it wasn't, at least not to Xavier. With the normal harsh winter of Haven's Bridge giving way to spring, the 40 degree weather was practically balmy. Xavier remembered that his original self had had quite an adjustment period after the leaving the tropical, nearly always summer, Destiny Islands, yet Xehanort's memories were faked, so he should have no intolerance for colder weather.

"It is too!" Xehanort looked up at him. "Can I go back inside until it's warmer?"

Xavier opted to play along for the moment. "It's never going to get as warm as you're used to. Our summers are much milder here. Besides, you do need to get some exercise, so why don't we just walk to the pasture and see the horses, and then you can go back in." He pulled Xehanort's hood up. "You'll get used to the weather quickly."

"I don't want to get used to it." Xehanort grumbled from within the shadows of the hood "I want to go back to where it's warm." Even as he grumbled, he allowed Xavier to guide him away from the house and towards the barn and horse pasture, where several of the horses were grazing contentedly. A few other horses, an elderly gelding, and a mare with a young foal, were in the barn, sheltered from the colder air.

One of the horses, a middle aged bay mare that was a favorite of Xavier's, spotted the two as they approached and trotted up to the fence to greet them. Xavier reached out and ran his hand down the soft fur of her neck, and she reached out and lipped gently at his hair. Xehanort watched silently, and once the horse had noticed him, she reached out with her soft, velvety nose to investigate him. He stepped back in fear and surprise, and Xavier coaxed him forward.

"This is Hannah." he said quietly "She won't hurt you; she's a gentle soul, and she was the first horse I made friends with. She also loves children. Here." He gently took Xehanort's hand and held it out for Hannah to sniff. Xehanort closed his eyes and turned his head, but Hannah only ran her short, course whiskers over the back of his hand before she lipped it twice and moved away.

Xehanort opened his eyes and looked at her as she stepped away. "That's it?"

"She knows that you're afraid of her." Xavier said quietly "So she backed away."

Xehanort swallowed, and he took a tentative step forward and hesitantly reached out with one hand. Hannah stepped up to him and ran her nose across his hand again, while Xavier smiled as he watched the two interact with each other. Hannah then stretched out and lipped at Xehanort's hair, which caused the boy to laugh quietly.

"What does it mean when they do that?" he asked.

"That's one of the ways horses show affection."

"So she likes me?"

Xavier nodded and smiled again. "She does."

Xehanort smiled, and he slowly reached up and ran his hand down the horse's neck. Xavier stood back and watched as Hannah began to coax the timid child from his shell.

"You said they can be ridden?" Xehanort asked without taking his eyes off of the animal in front of him.

Xavier nodded, even though he knew Xehanort wasn't looking at him. "They can."

"Could you teach me?"
"Once you're a little stronger, then yes, I will teach you."

Xehanort turned away from Hannah for a moment and smiled the most beautiful, genuine smile that Xavier had ever seen. He then turned back to Hannah just as another horse, a blue Appaloosa mare named Kema, approached, wanting some attention as well. Not longer after, a palomino gelding by the name of Tater ("Alexander named him." Xavier explained.) came up to the fence, and soon, Xehanort had nearly the entire herd of horses gathered in front of him, all vying for his attention. The boy smiled and laughed as he petted the horses, and Xavier just stood back and watched.. He could see his mother watching from the house with a smile of her own, and he could also see Masa watching from the tool shed with a grin.

A few minutes later, Xavier felt darkness fizzling across his skin, and he took a protective step towards Xehanort just as he felt a portal open nearby. He couldn't tell who it was, but even though only Even and Roxas knew where to find him, there was always the possibility that they would be forced to give him up.

"Xavier!"

Xehanort darted over to him at the sound of the unfamiliar voice, and Xavier felt a small prickle of fear as he wrapped one arm around the boy's shoulders. He then spotted Roxas coming from the house, and he tried to shove the fear off, but for some reason it would not leave, and it strengthened as Roxas approached. Roxas waved, and Xehanort stepped close and wound his arms tightly around Xavier, shaking.

"He's not going to hurt you." Xavier murmured soothingly as he stroked the boy's hair. "He's not going to take you away." Xehanort just whimpered and hid his face in Xavier's coat as Roxas walked up to them.

"We need to talk." Roxas said simply, and his eyes flicked down to where Xehanort was.

Xavier looked down at the frightened child that was clinging to him. "Do you want to go to your room and wait while Roxas and I talk?" Xehanort shook his head, and his arms tightened, and Xavier looked back up at Roxas. "Can it be said in front of him?"

Roxas looked down at Xehanort. "It can, but he's not going to like it."

"Let's go inside then." Xavier gently nudged Xehanort forward, but the boy refused to move, so he gently scooped him up and carried him towards the house. Strangely, the fear that he was feeling eased some once Xehanort was in his arms, but it did not go away.

They walked into the house, and once they were inside the back door, they left their boots and coats in the mud room and then walked into the parlor and sat down, where Elissa brought them warm apple cider. Roxas and Xavier drank theirs, while Xehanort simply clung to Xavier and refused to touch his.

"They're looking for him." Roxas said simply after he drank down about half of his cider. "His escape was noted less than a day after you took him out, and now everyone knows that he's gone. They're all looking for him."

Xehanort whimpered again and nestled closer, and Xavier kissed him lightly on the top of his head before he looked at Roxas seriously. "How hard are they looking?"

"Very hard. They're certain that he's going to meet up with Isa and Braig somewhere and rain hell down upon us all."

Xehanort grimaced; in order to keep it a secret that Even and the others had aided him, Braig's death had been kept quiet, and only those that had been in the Keyblade Graveyard that day knew about it. "Do they know anything about Dilan's role?"

Roxas shook his head. "No, not yet at least. They interrogated all of the guards at the prison, and Dilan was absolved of any blame, but there's always the chance that they'll come back to him. Some people are saying that you were responsible, while others are insisting that you must be dead somewhere, because you haven't been seen or heard from in so long."

Xavier smirked. "Good. They can just keep thinking that. Do you think they'll start checking the worlds anytime soon?"

Roxas shook his head again. "I doubt it. There are too many worlds and not enough people to check them. Even if they did, how many times did we travel the universe? And we never found this place, but to be on the safe side, I wouldn't go world hopping any time soon. I'm going to stop by Lea and Isa's and tell them the same thing."

"Has anyone made any noises about where Lea vanished off to?"

"Not really. I know Sora's curious, but after hearing of the state Isa was in, he's already figured out that wherever Lea is, he's with Isa, and he's kept quiet about it." Roxas looked a little saddened, and Xavier knew it was because his insistence to Lea that Isa had deserved to be locked up had greatly strained their friendship. They were still friends, but not as close as they used to be.

Roxas stood up. "I'm off to Lea and Isa's. Tell your mom I said thanks for the cider."

"Thank you for the warning, Roxas."

He nodded his head. "I'll show myself out." He walked out of the room, and a few seconds later came the sound of the front door opening and shutting. Only then did that uneasy fear finally cease.

Xavier looked down at Xehanort, who was still clinging to him. "Are you going to drink your cider? It will warm you up."

Xehanort shook his head. "They're looking for me." he whispered.

Xavier took mug out of his hand and set it aside before he dropped it, which prompted the boy to climb up on to his lap and put his arms around his neck. He then wrapped his arms around the child and held him. "Yes," he said quietly "they're looking for you, but they're not going to find you, because no one is going to give you up."

"But what about Dilan? Didn't he help me? What if he tells?"

"Dilan did tell Even about you, who then told me, but Dilan won't tell anyone where you went. He'll keep your secret."

"And if someone forces him to tell?"

"Then they still won't know where you are, because only two people know what world I'm living on and where it is."

"But what if they find me?" Xehanort shivered and Xavier soothingly ran a hand up and down his back.

"Then they will have to go through me to get to you." Xehanort laid his head down, and Xavier ran his fingers through his hair. "I won't let anyone take you away from me."

"Why are they looking for me? Why did they hurt me? What did I do wrong?"

"You did nothing wrong, little one. Nothing at all." I'm the one who committed the wrongs. "I don't know why they hurt you," Lies... "but I will make sure that it never happens again."

Xehanort raised his head, and he managed a feeble smile. Xavier hugged him eased him off of his lap and back onto the couch, before he handed back his mug of cider. "Drink that. It'll make you feel better."

Xehanort looked down at the brownish colored liquid inside and wrinkled his nose. "What is it?"

"It's apple cider."

"Apple? I've never heard of that before. What is it?"

"It's a fruit that grows on trees. Apple trees prefer cooler climates, so you won't find them in tropical areas like the Destiny Islands. Cider is made when you crush and press apples to squeeze the juice out. The apple juice that you had with you breakfast is made when you make cider and then filter it to get the larger particles out."

Xehanort nodded, and then he shrugged and took a sip. He smiled slightly at the taste and began to drink it down, while Xavier put an arm around his shoulders and drank in the quiet.

******

In the afternoon, Lea came by for his daily training, and to Xavier's surprise, Xehanort boldly walked forward and greeted him with only a second's hesitation. Of course right after the introductions were done, he scurried back inside the house to escape the cold and watched from the kitchen windows. Xavier stared after him for a moment before Lea cleared his throat, and he shook his head and turned his attention to his apprentice.

Even though he had been apprenticed only two years before, Lea was very advanced, and Xavier privately thought that he might give him the Mark of Master exam within another year or so, maybe even sooner. If Sora and Riku could take it after seven years of being self taught (Five years for Roxas.), then Lea surely would be ready after three years under a Master. Of course that led to thoughts of exactly how he was going to test him, but he shoved those aside as he summoned his own keyblade and told Lea to come at him. He would worry about the Mark of Mastery some other time.

Less than ten minutes later it became clear after Lea made his fourth novice mistake that his heart wasn't into training, so Xavier called a halt. He dismissed his keyblade, which prompted Lea to do the same, and he walked up to him and put his hands on his shoulders.

"Roxas' warning?" he stated, and Lea nodded.

"What if they find us?" Lea whispered "I don't want to lose Isa again."

"And you won't. No one here will let anything happen to him, especially not you or I."

"Yeah, and if they take us out of the equation?" Lea snarked, and Xavier thought for a second that Master Limahl would have sentenced him to a day of tedious, boring, repetitive chores for such an attitude.

"They won't. Anyone looking to take you down will have a hard time, and as your master, I am bound and obliged to protect you."

"And you've been taken down twice already!"

"Lea!" Xavier's voice cracked the air like a whip as a warning, and then it softened. "My Heartless and Nobody were defeated. My full self has yet to be defeated, and if anyone tries to lay a hand on you, they will have me to deal with."

Lea's shoulder's slumped. "I'm sorry, but I worry about him, you know? He almost died back then, Xavier."

"I know, Lea, believe me, I know, but Isa is stronger now, and the two of us will do whatever it takes to keep him safe. If it makes you feel better, if things ever go to hell here, take Isa and portal to the Land of Departure. Master Aqua will protect you both."

"Along with Master Terra." Lea said with a small smile.

Xavier laughed quietly. "Yes, along with Master Terra." He squeezed Lea's shoulders. "Look, go home for now. We can pick this back up tomorrow. Stay with Isa, and bring him over for dinner later. You know Mama loves having the both of you over anyway."

"You mean she likes trying to fatten us both up."

"It's not her fault that you two are so thin."

"I've always been skinny and Isa, well..." Lea shrugged. "He's been thin since we rescued him."

Xavier smiled faintly. "Try not to hover around him too much. You know how he hates that.'

"I know, but I can't help it when I worry about him."

"Go home, Lea. I'll see you and Isa tonight."

Lea nodded and walked away, and Xavier walked back into the house via the kitchen door, where he found Xehanort waiting for him.

"Is everything alright?" he asked hesitantly as Xavier took off his boots and hung his jacket up.

"Everything's fine. Lea's just a little worried about Isa, that's all."

"Oh," Xehanort looked down at the tabletop for a moment, and then he looked back up. "What was that weapon you were using?"

Xavier sat down at the table across from him. "Hmm? Oh, this?" He held out his hand and summoned his keyblade. The weapon appeared as it always did, and Xehanort's eyes widened in surprise. He got up from his chair and came around the table to look at it closer. Even though he had seen in thousands of times, in this life, and the previous one, Xavier felt new curious himself, so he also turned to look at the keyblade closely.

The weapon looked the same as it had when he had first summoned it as a fourteen year old living on the Land of Departure. The day after he had summoned it during a desperate attempt to protect Eraqus and himself from a horde of Heartless, Master Limahl had named it Dark Gaze, and even then, Xehanort had had the strongest impression that the weapon's appearance had unnerved his master greatly. A few years later, when Eraqus summoned his own keyblade, which Master Limahl then named the Master Keeper, Xehanort had begun to suspect that his master felt uneasy about him.

That wasn't to say that Master Limahl disliked him; Xavier knew that that wasn't true. The keyblade master had been a father figure to Xehanort just as he had been to Eraqus, and he had praised his accomplishments, taught him to learn from his mistakes, and punished him when warranted. Xehanort had admired the man greatly, and Xavier knew that Master Limahl's pride when Xehanort had passed the Mark of Mastery had been real.

He shook his head free from the old memories as the his Xehanort eyed the keyblade and hesitantly reached out to touch it. He smiled and held it out for the boy to take – he likely would have his own soon anyway.

Xehanort's eyes widened, and he sent Xavier a questioning look.

"Go ahead." Xavier said with a small smile, and Xehanort reached out with his small hand and hesitantly gripped the keyblade on the hand grip above Xavier's hand. Xavier let go, and Xehanort pulled the weapon towards him and looked at it closely. With him distracted, it was a perfect chance to take a close look at his heart.

Xehanort's heart was pretty much as he suspected; a child's heart that was mostly full of light. He had more darkness than normal, but that was to be expected after a month of horrendous abuse. Hopefully it was shrink as Xehanort healed and settled in. And right there should be the mark of the keyblade...

Wait...

Xavier looked harder at Xehanort's heart; as a Replica of him, he should have the mark on his heart that showed that he was a chosen of the keyblade. Xion had had it, and according to Even and Lea, so had the Riku Replica.

Yet, it wasn't there.

Where is it? he thought as he looked around, but it was nowhere to be found. Xehanort had not been chosen by the keyblade.

"Xavier?" came a hesitant voice, accompanied by a spike of fear and worry, and Xavier looked away from Xehanort's heart and found the boy looking at him with wide, worried eyes. His hands were empty; Dark Gaze had unsummoned itself in response to his uncertainty. "What's wrong?"

Xavier gave him a reassuring smile. "Nothing's wrong, little one. Everything's fine."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Your... sword vanished."

Xavier smiled at him again. "It does that when it feels it is no longer needed, but all I have to do is call for it again, and..." He held his hand out, and Dark Gaze reappeared, which made Xehanort's eyes nearly pop out of his head. "See?"

"Wow..." Xehanort leaned in close to look at it again. "How did you get this? What is it?"

"It is called a keyblade. They are very special weapons, meant to hold back the dark and protect the worlds. At one time, keyblade wielders numbered in the thousands, but now there are only about ten of us. When I was a teenager, a keyblade master saw that I had potential, so he offered to train me as his apprentice. It was an offer that I accepted, and now I am a master myself, and I protect this world while training my own apprentice."

"Lea?"

"Yes, Lea. Keyblade are normally handed down master to apprentice. My master offered his keyblade to me and performed a small ceremony that caused my heart to be marked by the keyblade. Months later, I summoned this one, and I have carried it since. Lea was not marked by me; he summoned his out of desperation two years ago, and then I took him on so he would know how to use it properly."

Xehanort looked at him with bright eyes and an eager smile. "Can you teach me too?"

"If you really want to learn, once you are stronger, I will teach you." He dismissed Dark Gaze and ran his hand down the boy's hair just as Elissa walked into the kitchen to start lunch. "But for now, it is nearly lunchtime, so let's go wash up and see if Mama needs any help."

Xehanort helped make lunch without any fear or hesitation, and he was quiet during the preparations. It wasn't quiet borne out of fear, but rather the quiet borne out of deep thoughts. Xavier could see the wheels turning in the boy's head, and he remembered how his original self had been consumed by this ache; to find something else, to leave the Destiny Islands, because he had known somehow that there were something special out there waiting for him. Watching Xehanort help in the kitchen, deep in thought, Xavier couldn't help but compare the two.

Once the table was set and the food was laid out, Xavier went out back and called everyone else in. They came in, loud, boisterous, and full of laughter and jokes, and Xehanort once again darted over to Xavier's side and clung to him as everyone else found seats around the table. Elissa spotted them standing off to the side, and she smiled and waved them over as Masa and Heras shuffled over to make room.

"It is alright." Xavier whispered to the frightened child as they walked up to the table. "These people are family. None of them will hurt you." They walked up to the table, and he coaxed Xehanort into sitting in the chair beside Elissa, and then he sat down next to him. "I'm right there with you, Xehanort. Now ignore them, and focus on me."

Xehanort slowly raised his gaze from the tabletop, and when their eyes met, Xavier found himself seized with the urge to bolt from the table and find a dark, quiet place to hide, but he shoved it down and concentrated on calming Xehanort's fear and getting him to eat. "Look at me. Just look at me. No one else is here with us. It's just the two of us, and I won't let anything happen to you. Are you focused on me?" Xehanort swallowed heavily and nodded. "Good, now just stay focused on me and eat."

Xehanort picked up his fork with a shaking hand and began to eat, but he kept his eyes on Xavier, and Xavier smiled at him again and began to eat his own lunch. Around them the rest of the family finished their meals and trickled back outside to resume whatever work they had been doing, and as they left, Xehanort relaxed more and more. Finally only he, Xavier, and Elissa were left in the dining room, and Xehanort managed to clear his plate and put his fork down.

Xavier wiped his mouth with his napkin, tossed it down onto his plate, and opened his arms. Xehanort gratefully hopped out of his chair and climbed up onto his lap.

"I'm proud of you." Xavier said quietly as the rocked the still trembling boy in his arms "You were frightened, but you managed to function despite it. You did very well."

Xehanort snuggled closer and said nothing, and after a moment, Xavier felt him relax, and a downward glance showed that he had dozed off. He smiled and laughed quietly as he stood up and carried the boy upstairs for a nap.

******

Xehanort napped for about an hour, and once he was awake, Xavier showed him around the rest of the farm; the barn, the cattle, the chickens, and the fields and showed him how they cared for the animals and worked the land. Xehanort was fascinated by it all, and before they knew it, it was almost time for dinner. As they had with lunch, they went inside, washed up, and offered Elissa their help, which she gladly accepted. Just as they were setting the table and waiting for the food to finish cooking, there was a knock at the front door, followed by the sound of it opening, and Isa's voice calling out the standard greeting: "Hello the house!".

"In here, Isa!" Elissa called back, and after a moment, Isa appeared in the dining room. Elissa waved him to a seat at the table, and he sat down next to Xehanort, who looked up him with mild curiosity.

"Where's Lea?" Xavier asked as he helped carry the food to the table.

"He went out back to see if anyone needed a hand finishing up."

"How have you been, Isa?" Elissa asked as she set the main course – a large pot of roast – in the center of the table.

"I've been good, aside from Lea's hovering. I had to threaten to shove Lunatic someplace unpleasant before he backed down."

Elissa smiled. "He's just worried about you."

"I know he is, and that's why I didn't make good on my threat."

"What is Lunatic?" Xehanort asked, and Isa turned to him to answer his question, so Xavier used his distraction to step outside and call the the rest of the family in. He then returned to the dining room and sat down on Xehanort's other side, just in time to see Isa lean down and whisper to Xehanort.

"It will get easier."

"It will?" Xehanort said softly.

"It will." Isa smiled at him. "I know it's frightening right now, but no one on this world will try to hurt you or take you away. Just take things one day at a time, and they will get better."

Xehanort gave him a tentative smile, and Isa lightly ruffled the boy's hair just as the rest of the family came inside to wash up.

"You hate it when I do that." Lea said as he sat down on Isa's other side.

"That's because you're annoying about it."

"Hey!"

Xehanort giggled quietly at the two of them, and Xavier nearly sagged with relief to hear it. He didn't know why Xehanort's fear had dropped off so sharply, but he wasn't going to complain about it. Instead he filled up a plate and set it in front of Xehanort, but he was so busy talking to Isa that Isa had to point to it and remind him to eat. Xehanort picked up his fork, but he had Isa talked quietly throughout the meal, though Xavier couldn't hear their conversation over the babble of the other voices around the table.

After the meal was eaten and the cleanup was done, Isa and Lea made to head home, and Xavier was shocked further when Xehanort gave Isa a hug and allowed himself to be hugged in return. Isa and Lea then departed, and the rest of the family scattered around the house to relax before bed. Xehanort yawned, and he didn't fuss or protest when Xavier picked him up and carried him upstairs to get ready for bed.

"Isa told me what happened to him." he said quietly as Xavier helped him dress in his pajamas.

"He did?" Xavier was a little surprised that Isa had disclosed something so painful. He had moved past it, but he still didn't like to speak of it.

Xehanort nodded. "He said that he had a lot of trouble after he was rescued, but he said it gets easier. He said he nearly died and that they're looking for him still. And if you and Isa trust everyone here, then I feel that I should too. If he can live through that and move on, then I can too, right?"

Xavier sat down beside him and put an arm around his shoulders, which prompted him to lean against his side. "Yes, you can." Xehanort looked up at him and gave him a hesitant smile, which was interrupted by another yawn. "C'mon, bedtime for you."

Xehanort obediently crawled under the quilt and curled up on his side. "I'll be downstairs for a bit longer if you need me, and then I'll be in the room next door. Don't hesitate to call out or come get me if you need something."

Xehanort gave him a sleepy smile and closed his eyes as the quilt was patted around his shoulders. "Goodnight."

Xavier leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Goodnight, little one." He then stood up and walked out of the room, and Xehanort did not call out for him to stay.


Chapter 4 -- Chapter 6
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