Fabricated Affections {RepliRikuXVanitas/KH FanFiction}

Chapter 20: Chains

With a loud yelp Vanitas slammed into cold metal flooring and his face collided with the hard material. He coughed a hoarse cough from the impact; between his injury and the wind being knocked from his lungs he could barely breath. As his ragged breathing filled the silence of the room he strained to flip himself over so he could lay on his back and face his captor.

Xehanort didn't give a second thought before he spat out, "Once your boy toy comes back with reinforcements they'll regret it. I'll keep you alive until then... But after who knows what will become of you?"

Vanitas could barely focus on the nasty words being spat in his face. His shoulder was throbbing and his vision was blurred as he was barely able to continue functioning. What strength he has left was used to put pressure on his wound to prevent himself from bleeding out. The stab was one of the worst conditions Xehanort had ever put him through.

"He'll... Come." Vanitas wheezed. "And when... He does... You're dead."

Xehanort snickered. "I'm sure he'll try. Love is disgusting; it's weakness. His love for you will be your undoing and it will end your life and him along with it. You're a fool."

He hissed those words before he exited the dungeon, slamming the metal door shut behind him out of pure rage. Vanitas was helpless and could only watch with his eyes. Once Xehanort was out of sight Vanitas was able to collapse and loosely lay on the floor as he left his guard down. He found his thoughts jumbled and uncoordinated at everything going on and that fact made him feel exhausted.

Vanitas needed to find an escape but wanted to ponder Xehanorts words. Love? Love? How would a Master of Darkness know about love? Why did Xehanort even think such a thing? Was it that obvious? Before, Vanitas recalled feeling protective and territorial over Riku and soon he realized the feeling he possessed was indeed love. It was a feeling he finally understood on the spiral hill, a feeling he never thought he'd get to experience.

If anything he was lucky to have fallen in love. How he felt when he was around Riku, the adventures they planned together and even their current adventures. Vanitas reminisced on everything they've been through and how easily his feelings for Riku blossomed. One who once was a prisoner ended up being someone Vanitas cared for deeply.

Vanitas found himself chuckling, a chuckle that turned into a splutter of coughing. With a slap back to reality Vanitas ripped off his jacket and began to focus on survival. Vanitas focused every ounce of energy he had to tying the jacket sleeve around his wound and tightening it, though uncomfortable he used his teeth to ensure it was secured and tight enough to assist the bleeding to cease. His entire body clenched at the surging pain that he felt from his actions, but he reminded himself he would be useless to Riku if he was dead.

Xehanort as intelligent as usual. If Vanitas was this weak he couldn't focus on creating any corridors to escape. He could barely focus on his environment in the first place. Vanitas felt his consciousness slipping quickly from the loss of blood and the agony he was enduring.

"Just... Focus..." Vanitas began talking to himself with the intention of keeping himself awake. "Push..."

Vanitas groaned with effort as he used his legs to push himself towards the corner of the cell. The amount of blood loss made the task easier as he slid across the floor with ease, using his own loss as a slippery substance. When Vanitas finally managed to prop himself into the corner he used the walls as support and sat himself upwards. By that time Vanitas was panting heavily and he could feel the sweat dripping from his forehead, his body screaming for him to stop while his head was slipping into unconsciousness. Vanitas couldn't focus, he couldn't stay awake. His eyes were getting heavier by the second and the more he attempted to fight it the more exhausted he was.