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The Price: Family Part 2
Rating: R for the mansex even if it's not graphic.
Disclaimer: Disney and Square Enix own it all, though I wouldn't mind “renting” Xehanort for a while. He's just so cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute – even when he's summoning his keyblade and yanking out hearts with it.
Summary: Follow up to Rejection, in which life for the five on the Destiny Islands is not as easy as they had hoped. When Xehanort becomes obsessed with a local legend, what will it mean for him and the
Xehanort battled the second stage for three more days, and he was much sicker the second time around. His head throbbed constantly, the nausea returned with a vengeance, and his fever skyrocketed, and he began to hallucinate for real. (Is that a contradictory phrase? he wondered with a delirium fueled giggle.) Sometimes the hallucinations were strange or amusing, like the bizarre one of Even, Dilan and Aeleus facing off against a strangely garbed version of himself (Really, a feather boa, a long pink coat, and green stilettos? Seriously? What was his fever fried brain thinking?), who was sitting astride a weird looking cannon of some kind. Others were terrifying and made him scream and cry, even as Even tried to soothe and quiet him, such of the one of the dark figure that hovered in a corner of the room and glared at him threateningly.
"Not real! Not real! Not real!" he'd scream and hide his face in Even's shirt as the blond assured him that nothing was there. "Make it go away!"
"You're hallucinating, Xehanort." Even said gently as he rocked him "It's not real." During the worst of the hallucinations, the stranger would approach him and lightly stroke his hair, and somehow, his touch was enough to ease Xehanort's fear and calm him down.
There were also the fever dreams to contend with, as if his regular nightmares weren't enough. His raging fever brought wave after wave of nightmares, many of them of enduring months of abuse from Braig, and they were frequent and vivid enough to make him not want to sleep, even though he desperately needed it. As ill as he was, the doctor was reluctant to give him something to allow him to sleep without dreams, so he spent many hours either nestled in Even's arms, or with Even actually lying next to him, hoping that the other's presence would keep the nightmares away. Sometimes, when he fought against falling asleep, Even had to just talk to him soothingly, and sooner or later, his eyes would close, despite his best efforts to keep them open, and he would nod off, though he usually woke up only a few hours later, screaming.
Finally, finally, nine days after he was brought to the hospital (He had been carried there through the driving rain by Dilan and Aeleus, he found out later.) his fever broke, and he slept deeply, free of nightmares and hallucinations for nearly two straight days. The illness had left him so very weak and nearly twenty pounds lighter, so the doctor kept him in the hospital for four more days before he was sent home with orders to rest and eat. It was also then that he learned just how lucky he had been. Even explained to him that second stage Seven Day Fever always caused either meningitis, liver damage, kidney damage, or organ failure, and sometimes all of those. Yet, though he had been dangerously ill, none of those had manifested. He had been very, very lucky.
It wasn't until he was back home that Xehanort realized that the stranger had vanished without a trace once his fever had broken.
Tired and weak, Xehanort did little more than sleep for the next week. He ate when Even coaxed him into it, but he only left his bed to relieve himself or take a quick bath. He didn't see the stranger during his recovery, which a part of him found disappointing, but he did find a strange trinket on his nightstand late one night, when he woke up to go to the bathroom. He recognized it as a Wayfinder immediately; he'd seen quite a few of them in the months since coming to the Destiny Islands, and he gingerly picked it up as he sat up in bed to look at it.
As was normal for a Wayfinder, it was made of five thalassa shells in the shape of a five point star with a token of some kind in the center. When he turned on his bedside lamp, he saw that the shells were an unusual color, dark blue at the bottom, lightening to lighter blues as the color moved up the shell, and white at the tips. The token in the center was circular, and made from an exquisitely carved piece of blue sea glass, etched into the shape of a cresting wave.
Where have I seen that before?
The detail was incredible, and the craftsmanship for the entire charm was much, much better than he had seen before. The question was: who had made it and left it there? He felt warmth blossom outward from his heart as he held it, and he couldn't stop the smile that appeared on his face then, even though he wasn't sure why he was smiling to being with.
"Xehanort?" came Even's sleepy voice from the other side of the room "Why is your lamp on? It's two in the morning. Go back to sleep."
Xehanort did not look up from the Wayfinder in his hand. "Even," he asked "did you make this for me?"
Even grumbled something, and Xehanort heard him shift in bed. "No," he said after a moment "Where did you find that?"
"It was on the nightstand just a moment ago."
Even laid back down then. "Ienzo probably made it for you. Now go back to sleep."
Xehanort sighed; Even was being grouchy again, but he shut the lamp off and laid back down, though he held the Wayfinder tightly in his hand as he went back to sleep.
In the morning, Ienzo denied making the Wayfinder for him, which didn't surprise him. Ienzo was never a hands on craft project kind of child. Dilan and Aeleus also insisted that they hadn't made it, and Even denied having anything to do with it as well. Everyone was puzzled, and Dilan and Aeleus were worried that someone had evidently managed to sneak into the house in the middle of the night, but strangely, Xehanort was unafraid. He didn't know how he knew, but he was certain that the person that had made the Wayfinder meant him no harm, and he took to wearing it around his neck under his clothes. Just having it on made him feel safer, and to everyone's relief, his nightmares eased and lessened. They didn't go away completely, but they happened with less frequency, and they were not as vivid. He stopped screaming in his sleep, and he stopped needing the sedative. The others thought that he was finally beginning to heal, but he knew better. He knew it had something to do with the Wayfinder.
Nearly a month after he had found it on his nightstand, he finally remembered where he had seen the token before.
He returned to the town hall and found that other Xehanort's birth record and looked at the tiny symbol next to his name, as well as his mother's. He then compared the symbol with the token on his Wayfinder.
They matched exactly.
As he stood there, trying to figure out what it all meant, the archive lady came up to him. Upon seeing the Wayfinder in his hand, she took him by the elbow and began to lead him down the isle.
"Come," she said "Let me show you something." She led him to the back of the room and up a wobbly ladder to the storage area in the building's attic. There in the back, hanging on the wall, was a dusty portrait, and Xehanort gasped in shock when she turned on the flickering light, allowing him to get a good look.
The large canvas depicted a man resting calmly on a large rock while the sea raged around him. Even though the dust, the man's face and body were easy to make out. His white hair spilled in waves down his back, while water droplets shone on his tanned skin, and his brown eyes peered out from the painting with a piercing gaze.
It was almost like looking into a mirror, and in his hand was the Wayfinder that Xehanort had found on his nightstand.
"Behold," the archive lady said quietly "Xehanort, Lord of the Sea."
In his excitement, Xehanort ran home, ignoring that he was still in no shape to be doing so. By the time he reached the house, he was winded and tired, but he was so thrilled at what he had discovered that he ignored it. He found Even in the living room, with his nose in a book. The others were out.
"Even! Even, look! Look at what I found!"
Even nearly dropped his book in surprise; Xehanort hadn't felt or shown excitement since Braig had seriously began to abuse him. "What is it, Xehanort, that's gotten you so excited?"
"Look." With that single word, he shoved the Wayfinder, the other Xehanort's birth record, and a small faded print of the portrait that the archive lady had given him in Even's face. "See? Do you see it?"
Even reared his head back a bit, and dropped his book to take the items out of Xehanort's hands, and he looked at them for a moment as Xehanort waited with bated breath. After a long moment, the blond sighed sadly, and set them down on his lap on top of his book.
"Xehanort," he said heavily, and Xehanort felt his heart sink "this means nothing. I've known about the story of the sea god for months now, and I never told you for fear of you reacting like this. I know that you want to find the family that lost you, and while it is true that Xehanort is an unusual name, it's not beyond the realm of possibility that it exists elsewhere. This," He held up the print. "is just a legend. There are no gods and goddesses, Xehanort. You are not the descendant of this 'Lord Xehanort'. He is not real."
"But I saw him!" Xehanort protested.
Even looked at him strangely. "When?"
"When I was sick and in the hospital. He was there with me."
Even sighed again. "Xehanort," he said patiently "you were very ill then, and you were running a very high fever -"
"I wasn't imagining him! He was really there, Even!"
"- and you were hallucinating."
"I wasn't hallucinating!"
"You were hallucinating, badly, if you remember, or have you forgotten screaming in terror at something in the corner while I held you?"
"He was real! He held me, and he looked just like me!"
"Ah, I think I understand now. Xehanort, your fever was extremely high, and a high fever can affect the brain. When certain parts of the brain are stimulated, it can cause what's called the 'Doppelganger Effect'. It creates the illusion of someone that resembles yourself being nearby, and it can make you feel like someone is touching you, but it is not real, Xehanort. Do you understand? It wasn't real. There was no one there but me."
"He was there, Even! He talked to me! He held me when you were gone!"
"I am sorry that I left you alone while you were sick, Xehanort, but there's no need to make something up like that."
Xehanort felt the tears forming in his eyes then. "I'm not making it up! Why won't you believe me?"
"Because there is nothing to believe. You were hallucinating, end of story." Even stood up from his chair and tucked the items into a pocket of his jacket. "Now it's time to start supper, so why don't you go wash up and help me?"
Xehanort shook his head as the tears began to fall, "No, I don't want to." and he fled to the back of the house, to the bedroom that he and Even shared. He slammed the door behind him, curled up on his bed, and cried.
Even never came back to check on him.
Xehanort groaned softly as he woke up. He groggily raised his head and realized that he had likely cried himself to sleep on his bed, and a quick glance at the other side of the room showed that Even's bed was empty. He slowly sat up and looked out the window to see that night had fallen, and the moon was shining down on the waves that broke over the beach behind the house. His crying had left his head stuffy and his throat feeling dry, so he got up and wandered out of the room in search of a glass of water.
As he walked down the hall towards the front of the house, he heard Even and Dilan's voices, and then he heard his name mentioned, so he crouched down in the hallway to listen.
"I'm at my wits' end, Dilan." Even said quietly "I don't know what else to do anymore. Now he's insisting that some mythical sea god was in his hospital room with him, even though I know full well that no one was in there but me."
"He wants to find his family so much it's saddening." Dilan replied in a soft voice.
Even sighed. "It's times like these that make me wish that King Mickey had taken us to any other world but this one. As soon as I heard the legend of Xehanort, I knew that it was only a matter of time until Xehanort found out about it, and I knew how he would react. And I was correct; now he's obsessed with it and believes that the Wayfinder was given to him by a mythical entity that doesn't even exist." Even sighed again, and his voice became muffled, as if he was resting his head on his arms. "I don't regret for an instant taking him in and protecting him from Braig, and the lords know that I love him, but..."
"He has been a great deal of trouble, hasn't he?"
"I know it's not his fault. Braig is to blame for all of this, and if the bastard were in front of me right now, I'd turn him into an ice sculpture! But really, how many full nights of sleep have we gotten since coming here? How many times have we had to coax him into eating, into sleeping? How many times have we had to tell him that he's safe, that no one will hurt him anymore?"
Now it was Dilan's turn to sigh. "Too many to count."
"I don't know where I'm going to find the energy anymore. At least Ienzo was quiet after his parents died, and his clinginess was much easier to bear."
"Ienzo's parents loved him and didn't abuse him though."
"Xehanort doesn't know what loving parents feel like. Hell, for all we know, his parents could have treated him as badly as Braig did. He doesn't remember anyway." There was a pause, and then Even continued, in a quieter voice. "He's gotten so desperate. He keeps insisting that this must be his homeworld, so therefore, he must have someone that is kin to him here. He's ignoring that there are no records of him, that no one has left the islands in so long, and that no one knows who he is. He's just so needy, and I don't have the energy to take care of him anymore."
Dilan made a noncommittal sound, and Xehanort could picture him nodding slowly in agreement with Even's words.
"Sometimes," Even said after a long moment "Sometimes I wish that he had never been found that day. I wish that Ansem had never taken him in."
Pain erupted in his chest, and Xehanort slumped against the wall. Tears instantly began to trickle down his face, and he stuffed his fist into his mouth to stop the pained wail that wanted to come out as he got to his feet and moved back down the hallway into the bedroom. He quietly shut the door behind him and then began to climb out of the open window. He couldn't stay.
Even didn't want him anymore.
He hopped down to the sandy ground behind the house and ran silently down the beach away from the residential area. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He had to get away, away from the house, away from Even's words, away from the pain that burned in his heart. He wasn't wanted. He was just Braig's little whore that made life difficult for the others. Maybe, he thought as he ran past the last of the houses and into a forested area that separated the town from the extinct volcanic hills that marked off the north side of the island, it would have been better if he had died on Ansem's desk that night. He knew that it had been King Mickey's healing spell that had saved his life. Maybe the king shouldn't have used it.
He reached the base of the hills, and he used a narrow pathway made by the few islanders that lived on the other side of the hills to scramble up and over them. His lungs burned, and his legs were aching from the exercise, but it was nothing compared to the pain in his broken heart as he kept running, scrabbling down the hills on the other side of the path, though a grove of palm trees, and to a small cove, where he collapsed into a ball of misery and burst into sobs. He knelt on the edge of the small pool as the sea water sloshed around inside with each wave and gasped out his pain as the moonlight shone down on him.
I wish that he had never been found that day...
Xehanort let out a gasping cry as Even's words replayed in his mind; he wasn't wanted anymore.
Is this what it feels like to be rejected by a loving parent?
But this was so much worse than it had been when Master Ansem had rejected him. Even had promised to always be there, to never leave him, to keep him safe, but now, but now...
He threw his head back and screamed in grief and despair, and he felt something within him break. Something dark, angry, and full of hate rose from somewhere deep within him, and he threw his wounded heart open and welcomed it. Anything was better than the bottomless despair that filled him, and he would take any escape he could from it.
Finally! a reedy old voice said, and pain exploded in Xehanort's head as the block on his memories began to break and crumble. He cried out in agony and fell sideways to the sand, as a sense of horror welled up within him. What had he done?
I don't want this! I don't! Stop! Go away!
The words were no more effective than they had been with Braig.
He laid on the sand,, staring up at the moon, gasping for air as fire raced through his veins, unable to escape from it.
Even! I'm so sorry for everything! Please don't leave me! Please don't let this happen!
But Even wasn't there. No one was around, so there was no one to see him writhing in pain on the sand, no one to hear his tortured screams.
But then, when it seemed that it was about to consume him, it stopped. A pair of arms gently scooped him up from the sand, and he was cradled close to someone's body. A scarred face, with patchy hair, melted ears, and a strip of cloth covering the eyes looked down at him. Xehanort heard an enraged snarl, but the sound faded as the darkness that had surged up within him subsided and settled, leaving him panting in the stranger's embrace. But it wasn't a stranger, no, he knew who it was.
"Lord Xehanort?" he said faintly as a scarred hand brushed his sweat soaked hair out of his face. The face smiled, and though the eyes were covered, he knew that somehow, the man could still see him. The arms around him held him closer, and the raspy voice spoke a single word:
"Yes."
Xehanort wanted to faint, from relief, from exhaustion, from shock, from pain, but he had to know something else first. He had to ask.
"Am I... am I your... descendant?"
Lord Xehanort smiled gently at him. "You are. Now rest, my little one. I will keep you safe."
Xehanort went limp in his ancestor's arms with a sigh, and the world swam away into a blur of color before fading to darkness.
It was the feeling of being cradled and gently rocked, something that Even had done to him so many times, that pulled him from the depths of sleep. He made a soft sound as his eyes fluttered open, and he saw the empty, moonlit beach around him, and he felt Lord Xehanort's arms holding him gently. It had all been real; he hadn't been dreaming it.
"Are you awake, little one?"
Xehanort nodded faintly as he sat up, and he buried his face in the patchy white hair. A warm chuckle sounded in his ear. His inner scientist ran around in panicked circles; he was being held by a god, a mythical being that simply did not exist, but he shoved it down and sighed at the soothing feel of being held safely in someone's arms.
"I knew you were real." he said quietly after a long moment "I just knew."
He heard the warm chuckle again. "I have watched you since you arrived here. I saw that you had been hurt and were suffering still, so I watched you. Your family loves you, little one, and I saw that they were doing their best to help you."
"I don't have any family anymore, aside from you." Xehanort closed his eyes as Even's words echoed through his mind again. "Even doesn't want me anymore."
"He does, little one. He wants you, and right now, he's worried to death about you and has the entire neighborhood out looking for you. He loves you as if you were his own child, but he's frustrated because he knows that you're hurting, and he doesn't know how to help you."
"But he said that he wished that I hadn't been found."
"He's tired and angry with himself, because he knows he can't take your pain away, no matter how much he wants to. Anger makes one sometimes do and say things you don't mean. Trust me, little one, it's something I know all too well." Lord Xehanort trailed off, sounding sad and regretful, and Xehanort snuggled close and wrapped his arms around him.
"Your brother?" he asked quietly.
Lord Xehanort laughed quietly without humor. "I loved Xehas so much, but due to my own foolish actions, I lost him forever. But that is all in the past, and even I cannot change it. The important thing is you." He squeezed Xehanort gently. "I realized that this was beyond Even's ability to help you when you ran away and hid in the cave. I carried you home when you became ill, and you saw me watching you while you were in the hospital. I wanted to approach you, but..." Lord Xehanort hesitated. "I try to avoid doing anything that will call attention to my descendants."
"Will... someone try to hurt me or something?"
The sea god smiled at him again. "No, Xehanort. Once people know you've been god touched, no one will dare raise a hand to you ever again. No, I was worried about my father."
"Your father? The sun?"
The humorless laugh made a reappearance. "Where do people get these ideas? My father claims dominion over the sun, but the sun itself is just a star that he uses to see the world. But to answer your question, yes, he is angry at me still, so I have to hide from him. I fear though, that since he cannot find me, he may take his anger out on my children if he were to find one. He hasn't done so yet, but I still fear it as a possibility, so I did not wish to draw attention to you. But when you overheard Even's words and fled the house, I knew that I couldn't wait any longer. And when that monster," Lord Xehanort spat out the word "monster" like it was a vile curse. "tried to take over you, I had to stop him. I would not let him take you."
"Who? The darkness I felt; that was him?"
Lord Xehanort nodded, and Xehanort shivered. "Who is he?"
The arms around him held him closer, and Xehanort had the strangest feeling that they were for restraint as much as they were for comfort then. "He is your original persona."
"What?" Xehanort looked up at his ancestor's face incredulously "I don't understand."
"He is the person you were before you lost your memory. He was once a good, kind young man, but over time, he became twisted and evil, and he did many horrible things. An accident caused him to lose his memory and be locked away within the heart that you share with him. When you felt enough pain and despair, he used it to try and regain control, but I had no intention of letting that happen. I locked him back away within your heart and made it so he can never awaken, no matter how hard he tries. He will never take you away from me." A soft kiss was placed on his hair then. "I am so glad that the mouse brought you here. If he had awakened on another world, I would not have been able to stop him. Don't try to find anything else about him, little one. Trust me, you do not want to know."
Xehanort tried to process that, but then something occurred to him. "Was his name Xehanort too?"
"It was. He left the islands long ago, when he was still a boy, and when he next came back, he had become a monster. He used a very vile method to extend his life, and in doing so, locked away his memories and sense of self, which created you. It is you that I claim as a child of mine, not him."
"So the Xehanort that I read about in the town hall...?"
"Was you, long ago."
Xehanort shivered, and the sea god held him tightly in his arms. He had so many questions; he didn't know where to start.
"I cannot answer your questions, little one. If it happened off of this world, I do not know about it. The only way I can find out about things is if someone comes back here and thinks about it."
"So you can't tell me about Braig?"
"No, because he has never come here, but if he ever does, I will make him regret that his parents ever met. No one harms one of my children on my watch. No one."
"But what about -?"
"No, Xehanort, I'm not going to tell you anymore about your original self. Believe me when I say that you don't want to know. He was a monster, and I am glad you took his place."
"Are you the only family I have left then?"
"I am your only relative, yes, but I am not your only family. You have Even, Ienzo, Dilan, and Aeleus as well, so don't forget about them."
Xehanort nodded faintly in understanding, and they sat in silence for a long moment, before the twittering of birds fell upon their ears.
"My father will be here soon." Lord Xehanort said sadly "So I must hide myself away out of his sight. I will return you home before I do."
"I want to stay with you."
"Little one, Xehanort, you have a family that is terrified that you threw yourself into the sea and drowned yourself. They love you, and Even is distraught, believing that he has lost you forever. They don't hate you, they want to help you, but they don't know how. They want your nightmares to go away because they don't like seeing you frightened and upset, not because you're bothering them. They sigh and complain because nothing they do is easing your pain, and it upsets them. They love you, Xehanort. Don't ever forget that. They love you very much, and right now they are sick with worry over you."
Xehanort looked up at the sea god's scarred face, at the cloth that covered his eyes. "Truly?" He didn't dare to hope, but... if it was true...
"Yes. They are your family, even if you weren't born to them. They still love you, and they want you home." Xehanort looked at him for a moment. He wished he could see the sea god's eyes, since eyes were so useful for telling truthfulness, but they were covered. Without thinking about it, he reached out to touch the blindfold, but a scarred hand gently took a hold of his own and stopped him.
Lord Xehanort smiled sadly. "There's nothing there, little one. My father saw to that long ago."
"But you can still see me?"
"I can see you without eyes, just as I can hear you without ears. And now," he stood up, still holding Xehanort in his arms. "It is time for you to go home. Dawn is coming."
There was a dizzying swirl of colors and light that last for only a second, perhaps two, and when it ended, they were in the living room on the house. Even was slumped in a chair, asleep, but it was clear that he had been crying before he fell asleep. His face was pale and streaked with tear tracks, and his eyes were ringed with exhausted shadows.
Xehanort was gently set down on his feet. "Go to him." Lord Xehanort urged "Place your hand over his heart. Feel what he feels for you." Xehanort hesitated; what if Even really was tired of him, and he looked back at the sea god, who looked away from the steadily brightening horizon long enough to nod encouragingly "He loves you. Trust me, and look."
Swallowing a lump in his throat, Xehanort nodded and walked up to Even. He knelt down in front of him and reached out a shaking hand and placed it lightly against Even's chest, over his beating heart. The spiritual heart lurked in the same area, so he would be able to feel it there.
"Close your eyes," Lord Xehanort said softly "and feel."
Xehanort took a deep breath and closed his eyes, and for a moment there was nothing, and then a rush of emotions came flooding in. He felt Even's fear, fear that Xehanort had harmed himself, fear that he was gone forever, the grief that the mere thought caused, the desperate hope that he would be brought home safe, his anger at himself for being unable to ease his pain, his frustration, his burning hatred of Braig for causing Xehanort's pain to begin with, and under all of that, he found it.
Xehanort began to cry as he felt Even's love for him. The blond truly loved him as a son, like Lord Xehanort had said, and he leaned forward and laid his head on Even's lap, still holding his hand over his heart.
A delicate, long fingered hand closed over his own then. "Xehanort?"
Xehanort raised his head to see Even looking down at him with tired, yet hopeful eyes. "Even?"
"Oh Xehanort. You're home. You're safe." Even slid out of his chair and down to the floor, and he gathered Xehanort to him and held him tight. "I was so worried."
Xehanort cried as he laid his head on Even's shoulder and wrapped his arms around him. "I'm so sorry, Even. I'm sorry that I ran away. I'm sorry that I made you worry. I'm sorry that I'm so much trouble."
Even was crying as well. "Don't apologize, Xehanort. Don't cry. It is I who should be apologizing. I love you so much, and I'm sorry if I made you think that I didn't want you. You and Ienzo mean the world to me, and I don't know what I'd do if I lost one of you. I love you, Xehanort, and I will never ever reject you or leave you."
Xehanort cried as Even held him, and a few minutes later, a child's happy squeal sounded in the room, as a small body impacted with his own. "Xehanort, you're home!" Ienzo shrieked, and Xehanort looped one arm around him. "Don't run away again, okay?"
"I won't, Ienzo, I promise I won't run away again."
Ienzo nodded firmly. "Good."
"Ienzo," Even said "Go find Aeleus or Dilan. Tell them that he's home, and that they can call off the search."
Xehanort winced, and Even hastened to reassure him. "No one will be angry with you. Everyone's been worried that you were hurt, and they'll be glad to know that you're home." Xehanort nodded in understanding, and he sighed as he relaxed in Even's embrace. Not long afterward, Dilan and Aeleus came through the door, and Aeleus hauled him to his feet and engulfed him in his strong arms.
"Don't ever scare us like that again." the redhead said evenly, and Xehanort shook his head. He was then passed off to Dilan, who simply held him tight without saying a word. He was then handed back to Even, who walked him out of the living room towards the bathroom.
"You need a bath, and a meal, and then you're going to bed." the blond told him firmly, and Xehanort nodded. A bath, food, and bed sounded just perfect to him. He took a quick bath while Dilan made him pancakes and toast, and after he had eaten, he crawled into bed. Even tucked him in, but before he left the room to let him sleep, he pulled the Wayfinder out of his pocket, and Xehanort raised his head from the pillow so the cord could be slipped around his neck. He clutched it in one hand, and a feeling of peace and safety washed over him.
I cannot make your pain go away, little one. All I can do is make it bearable while your heart heals. Rest now, and know that I love you and will be watching you. If you need me, I'll be there.
Xehanort smiled as he closed his eyes, and Even sat beside him and soothingly stroked his hair until he fell asleep.
"Even?"
"Hmmm?"
"Love you too."
He felt Even's weight shift, and he felt a kiss being placed on his temple. "Rest now, Xehanort. Your family is here with you."
Xehanort nestled down into the soft mattress and allowed himself to be lulled by Even's hand on his hair and by the weight of the Wayfinder in his hand, and he fell asleep there, safe and secure, surrounded by family.
Part 1 --
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