Changing Fate

Chaper 1 - Flames

I scream. The burning flames lapping at my body like a mutt, whose just gotten some cold water after being out in the sun all day. The pain is unbearable. The feeling like your entire body is burning from the inside out is enough to make you wish you were dead. I can feel the way the fabric of my leather shirt begins to melt into my skin, leaving it hot and irritated. Shit, I can't think straight. The only thing I can think of is the excruciating pain. I somehow end up sprawled out on the ground as pieces of the warehouse begin to break away from their supports.

   The only thing I can hear is the sound of the roaring fire and areas of the building collapsing.
'This is it,' I think to myself 'this is where I die'.

   Before I can even comprehend what's happening, I see a figure running towards me. I can hear his voice but the pain forbids me from making head's or tails of what he's saying. The figure rolls me onto my back with such haste that my head whips to the side and within a matter of seconds I feel myself being dragged to my feet and hauled out of the room. I want to tell him to leave me there and make a run for it but my body won't corporate. My vision begins to darken around the edges and before I can attempt to compose myself, I'm surrounded by darkness.

~~~

Hot... well that's an understatement to how I feel. My body feels like it's been cooking in a convection oven for the past year, my skin getting crisper and crisper. Between the pounding in my head and the heat running through my body, I don't know what's worse. I'm stiff and sore and for some reason, strangely itchy. Maybe it's from the heat or the pieces of rough fabric that lay over the side of my face and upper body. I have no idea why I'm all bandaged up, but at this point I don't really care. In my semiconscious state I bring a hand up to my face to investigate, my arm shaking slightly at amount of effort that goes into the movement.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. I spent way to much time on those and I'd be pissed if you went and ruined my hard work." A voice states while grabbing a hold of my hand, stopping it in its tracks. That voice... it's the same voice I heard before I passed out in the warehouse.

"...Matty...?" Jesus is that really my voice? I sound like some 90 year old grandma with bronchitis or some shit. I feel his grip tighten around my hand and I force my eyes open. It takes a few moments to focus on the person in front of me but when I do, I wish I hadn't.

His once bright blue eyes are now dull and tired, with slightly visible dark circles tracing his lower lids. It's obvious he hasn't showered in a few days what with, the slight smell of B.O. and his brown hair looking like an oil slick. But despite all that he has a smile on his face. Nothing to over the top like when he beats his high score on one of his games... no, this smile holds so much more. Even in my half alert state I can tell what he's feeling from just that one smile; relief, fear, happiness, sadness... anger.

"Hey Mells," he slowly brings my hand up to his lips and leaves little kisses to the underside of my wrist "I have some medicine to help you feel better. Can you stay awake long enough to take some?" His voice is calm and quiet as he leans over to grab a pill bottle and a glass of water.

Letting out a weak nod I try to push myself up into a sitting position but my arms buckle under my weight and I feel myself fall back into the bed. Just as I'm about to hit the mattress, a pair of familiar arms gently wrap around my lower back. When my head stops spinning from the action I find that I'm staring up into a sea of blue.

"Don't overexert yourself Koneko... Here open up." I have to roll my eyes at that stupid nickname. Ever since we were kids at Wammy's and took that stupid Japanese course together, he hasn't stopped calling me that. It pissed me off in the beginning but after several failed attempts to make him stop, I just gave up. The only thing I asked was that he not call me that in public and so far, he hasn't.

I manage to part my lips just enough for him to get the pills into my mouth before he shifts me so my back is against his chest. Once I'm situated he tilts my chin back and slowly pours the water down my throat. The water feels like a gift sent from heaven, the cool liquid soothing my parched throat.

After a few minutes the water is gone and I'm laying back on the bed with half lidded eyes. With my vision now blurred with sleep I aimlessly reach out for the hand that I know will be there.
"...Stay with... me?" The hand gently tightens around mine before I feel a pair of cool lips brush against my knuckles. I let out a soft breath as sleep finally takes over, my body relaxing into the bed.

"Always."