~Five Years Ago Pt.4~
Kori shot up from her bed and barreled straight for the bathroom, dropping to her knees in front of the toilet. She barely managed to lift the seat before she was throwing up.
The action took hold of her body, dulling her senses to the outside world.
She was so violently enraptured that she didn't notice the footsteps coming up behind her until someone grasped her hair and pulled it back over her shoulders.
Though she was startled, she was unable to tear herself away from the toilet bowl.
Instead, she reached back, grasping the calf of the person responsible.
"Shh, sweetheart," the person whispered, "I've got you."
Kori knew that she knew the voice but she couldn't bother to try to identify it while she was emptying what felt like the entirety of her insides into the toilet bowl before her. She simply kept her grasp on the person for comfort and lost herself to the spasms wracking her body.
Slowly, the heaving came to a gradual stop.
"F-fuck," Kori rasped out weakly.
"You're alright."
Kori jumped.
She'd nearly forgotten she wasn't alone. She turned to see…
"Roy?" she inquired quietly, squinting as an acidic taste drilled in her mouth. She turned to spit into the toilet bowl before addressing him once more. "What are you doing here?"
Roy opened his mouth to answer before something occurred to him. "Where do you think 'here' is, sweetheart?"
Kori eyed him irritatedly. "My house?" she deadpanned.
Roy raised his eyebrow at her.
That action told Kori all she needed to know.
Think again.
She thought back to when she'd first woken up.
Those weren't the sheets she'd had on her bed when she'd last left her house. The bathroom was on the opposite side of the room. The walls weren't even the same color.
This was not her house.
But she was no stranger to it.
"What the fuck?" Kori whispered, "What am I doing at your house?"
But, then, her mind provided her with an explanation.
She froze as she zeroed in on Roy's shirtless torso.
She gulped as she slowly looked down at herself.
She was wearing one of Roy's shirts… but that was about it.
Suddenly, a pattern of words slammed into her like a freight train.
"I think I should get a kiss for that."
"Oh, what the fuck," Kori groaned pitifully, holding her head in her hands, "I slept with you. I basically jumped you."
"Kori-," Roy tried.
"I'm so sorry," Kori continued, "I'm a horrible, horrible person. I shouldn't have even been drinking."
"Kori-," Roy started once more.
"If you don't wanna be friends anymore I completely understand," Kori went on, "This was completely unfair of me, and I know it'll be awkward, and-"
"Kori!" Roy said sharply.
Kori shut her mouth immediately.
This wasn't a tone she was used to hearing from Roy but she knew he meant business.
"Sorry," Roy sighed, "But, Jesus, you're talking too much."
Kori narrowed her eyes at that.
"Don't look at me like that," Roy dismissed playfully, "Your mouth was running a mile a minute. It's too early and you're too hungover for your brain to keep up. I need you to slow down and think, you hear me? Think about what happened last night. Really push for it. Because I guarantee you, the last thing you remember is not the last thing that happened."
Kori closed her eyes, ignoring her headache as she tried to remember the night before.-
Kori gave him a bright smile and moved her leg off of his lap so she could flip around and lay, partially, on his chest. "So, I saved your life, huh?" she inquired goofily, "I think I deserve a kiss for that."
Roy was sure that if Kori was slightly more cognizant, she'd have paid more attention to the fact that he'd nearly drunk himself into an early grave.
She'd probably even be outraged.
And, with that thought in mind, Roy chose to simply bask in her obliviousness. "Do you really?" he hummed idly.
"Mhm," Kori confirmed, looking up at him and nodding slowly.
Roy grinned at her, showing off his perfect sharp white teeth as he leaned in slightly. And, then, he shook his head, dropping a kiss on her forehead.
"Not the kind of kiss I meant, Roy," Kori sang.
"Well, it's the kind of kiss you're getting, Kori," Roy replied in the same tone, lips still ghosting against her skin, "You're drunk. And heartbroken. Adding kissing your childhood friend to the mix is not a good idea, sunshine."
He laid back so that his head was resting on the arm of his sofa.
"Who says I'm heartbroken?" Kori questioned defensively, tilting her head back so she could look at him.
"It's faded now but your gloss was smeared when I found you, sweetheart," Roy replied quietly, "Wasn't from the guys that were with you at the time because no one there had any stains on them." A pause. "It happened while you were at the bar, didn't it?"
"Roy, I don't," Kori tried.
"It was Xavier," Roy interrupted.
It wasn't a question.
Just a sure statement.
Kori refused to say anything but Roy knew he had hit the nail on the head. And he knew she was curious about how he'd done so.
"I saw Cole's story," he continued, "The one about you guys heading to Pandemonium. But, I bet if I looked now, I'd see that you ended up stopping off at a bar to pregame. And I bet I'd see the whole gang there. Xavier included."
Kori only tilted her head back down so that her eyes were on their feet.
Roy sighed quietly, moving his hand so that he could tilt Kori's chin until she was looking up at him again. "Am I wrong?" he asked.
Kori removed his hand, her head drifting back down so that she didn't have to look at him anymore. "I don't want to talk about it, Roy," she mumbled, "Kind of why I had those drinks in the first place."
"Dissociative drinking is how I almost lost my life," Roy reminded gently, "I don't want that for you."
"I know…" Kori sighed quietly, "I just… I needed to feel something else. It hurt too much."
Her fingers were twitching where they laid on his stomach.
And, although Roy knew she didn't mean anything by it, the sensation was extremely distracting. He swallowed thickly as he tried to come up with a talking point. "Do you…" he began shakily, "Do you wanna talk about it?"
"You know I don't," Kori muttered, "But, you're gonna tell me I shouldn't keep it bottled in because it's not good for me."
Roy grinned at the prediction, though the reality of the situation kept his smile from being too bright. "So…?" he urged carefully.
Kori sighed quietly, burying her face in Roy's abdomen as the memory reared its ugly head.
Roy's breath caught in his throat. "You know, Kori, I'm starting to think you're doing this on purpose," he groaned.
"And, what if I was?" Kori inquired teasingly, looking up at him through her eyelashes.
Roy sighed heavily but forced himself to maintain eye contact. "You're not cute enough to get over on me, sunshine," he informed with a chuckle.
Kori pouted dramatically. "Still cute though right?" she prodded.
"Calling a woman your age 'cute' is insulting," Roy dismissed, feigning seriousness, "You're beautiful."
Kori's smile was a surprisingly soft one. "You sure know how to make a girl swoon, shooter," she laughed.
Her laughter lasted for a good while before trailing off into a sigh.
And then silence.
Roy didn't want to push the issue any further. He was about to change the subject when Kori spoke again.
"We kissed," she said quietly. Her tone was slightly wistful, taking on a hint of sadness as she said her next words. "And, then, he kissed someone else." A pause. "I turned my back for two minutes… and he kissed someone else."
Even in her drunken state, she could tell the words made Roy upset.
His whole body tensed with it.
"Roy…" she called cautiously.
"I could go to the bar for you, you know," Roy offered suddenly, "Express that you didn't appreciate his tomfoolery. Because I sure don't."
"Tomfoolery?" Kori echoed, snorting a laugh.
It even startled her.
"Yes, what else," Roy huffed in faux indignation.
Kori laughed even harder, covering her face as she tried to calm herself. She was confused about why she was no longer upset but the laughter didn't allow her to linger on it. "No, it's-," she tried, barking out another laugh, "It's fine." The laughter subsided into something somber, just then. "What is up with these mood swings?" she mumbled to herself. She shook her head before addressing Roy. "He was drunk," she told him, "We were playing pool to sober him up and I sunk three shots. I got excited, he got…something. And, then, he kissed me. It was hardly a profession of love. I honestly shouldn't have reacted the way I did."
"The way you reacted was completely warranted," Roy dismissed firmly, "Don't invalidate that."
Kori said nothing, resigning herself to simply laying on his chest.
Roy wracked his brain for what to say, recalling the advice his best friend had once bestowed upon him.
'Girls don't want you to fix them, idiot. They want you to listen. They want you to show you care, not get all up in arms.'
An idea occurred to Roy, then. Something that could do those things but still allow him to help Kori. "Was it a peck?" he questioned dramatically, "Or was it a 'get in the pants' kiss?"
The question startled another laugh out of Kori. "What the hell is a 'get in the pants' kiss?" she gasped out, still laughing around the words.
"Oh, you know what it is," Roy dismissed, "Come on, talk to me like I'm one of the girls, boo."
Kori screamed behind the force of this new bout of laughter. "What the fuck?" she cried out, tears streaming down her face as her laughter got the best of her.
"What?" Roy questioned innocently, "No 'boo'?"
"No!" Kori confirmed immediately, as her laughter calmed slightly, "Absolutely not."
"Fine," Roy huffed, "Your loss."
Kori's laughter quieted but she was still shaking with it.
Roy smiled at that, hand tracing up and down her side steadily. He decided to change gears, then. "In Xavier's defense…" he began.
"Don't," Kori sighed, the effects of her laughter completely ceasing now.
"In his defense," Roy repeated firmly, though his tone remained soft, "Xavier didn't do this to play with you. Of that, I'm certain. It's always been clear to me how much he cares for you."
"So, why'd he do this, then?" Kori asked quietly, "Why'd he hurt me?"
"I think…" Roy started, pressing Kori closer to him to comfort her, "He was afraid. Xavier's never been a commitment person, sunshine, you know this. So, to be stuck with that sudden urge to do so? Especially with his best friend's little sister… and he was drunk? I think the kiss may have been a knee jerk reaction. Alcohol and impulse control have never heard of each other, you know."
Kori was quiet for a moment. "So… you think our kiss was-," she mumbled.
"No," Roy interrupted, "No, no, no." A pause. "Well, yes, but not in that way. I think the alcohol built up Xavier's courage to kiss you, yes, but it wasn't the cause. He definitely meant it. With the other woman he kissed, the sole cause of that was probably alcohol. That was the true knee jerk reaction of the night. If it was even his fault."
His last statement puzzled Kori.
"How could it not have been his fault?" she wondered.
"Women approach Xavier all the time, Kori," Roy informed, "You know this just as well as I do. The woman you saw him with could just have easily made a move on him."
It was silent for a moment.
But, then, Kori let out a quiet chuckle.
"What?" Roy asked.
"I, allegedly, want to kiss you because I'm angry with Xavier for kissing someone else," Kori snorted, "Yet, here you are. Making excuses for him."
"Xavier has been a part of your life and mine for a very long time," Roy reasoned, "Why should that change because of something that could be a simple misunderstanding?"
Kori laughed again. "You, him, and Cashmere have been friends for as long as I can remember… and yet you're all so different," she mused, "Xavier would never take up for you like this. If I was angry, he would be too. There would be no reasoning. And I don't think he'd pass up on the opportunity to kiss me, either."
"A friend group is doomed to fail if you're all the same," Roy shrugged. A pause. "And what was that 'allegedly' supposed to mean?"
"I can agree with the friend group thing," Kori supposed, "And I said 'allegedly' because who says I don't want to kiss you because it's you?" She tilted her head to look up at Roy once more. "Why does it have to be because of Xavier?"
"Kori…" Roy called warningly.
"The thing with Xavier might have helped," Kori continued, using her elbow to push herself up and flip over so that she was laying on her stomach and, consequently, his, "But, how do you know I don't simply… want… you?"
Roy's eyes were on the ceiling, then. "You're wasted," he sighed, though it was more of an assurance to himself.
"Drunk," Kori corrected, "If that."
"Zombies have 124.7 ABV," Roy recited, eyes never leaving the ceiling, "Jungle Juice typically has 95. Together, that's 219.7. You're wasted, sunshine. Aware, maybe, but wasted."
Kori grinned at that, lifting herself up so she could swing her leg over him and seat herself just above his waist. "Just one kiss," she pouted, leaning over his torso and resting on her elbow so that she was face to face with him.
Her proximity called his attention back to her face almost immediately. Her pouty smile made Roy laugh.
He brought his hand up to her face, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "It'd be my honor," he assured vehemently, his tone taking on a teasing edge, "But I can't do that to you Kori. It's not fair. I'll help you cope with what happened tonight but not like that."
Kori let out a heavy sigh laced with faux frustration. "Fine," she huffed, beginning to push herself up, "I'll just go find someone who will."
Roy seethed at that, quickly grabbing her forearms and flipping them so that Kori's back was on the couch. He cursed himself quietly as Kori smirked at him. "Come on," he sighed, "It's time for bed."
He pushed himself to his feet and then reached down for Kori, hauling her over his shoulder in a fireman's carry.
He knew it was a bad idea and that she could've easily heaved her guts all over him and his floor.
But Kori's squeal of childlike delight erased his guilt.
He shook his head in amusement, securing her on his spot over her shoulder before moving to exit the living room and go to his bedroom, hitting the lightswitch as he went.
When they finally reached his bedroom, he didn't bother turning on that light, heading straight for his bed and depositing Kori.
In a bold rush, she reached up and pulled Roy down with her.
Roy's arms shot out immediately, holding strong as he narrowly avoided crashing into her. He hovered over her just barely, face to face.
Kori looked mildly surprised but her eyes were hooded. "Fancy seeing you here," she murmured with a tired grin.
Roy swallowed thickly before shaking his head and lowering himself so he could push off the mattress and roll over safely without launching himself to the floor or colliding with Kori.
As if nothing happened, Kori sidled up to him, laying her head on his chest.
Roy was sure she could hear his racing heartbeat.
In spite of it, though, her own breathing was slowly mellowing out.
She was falling asleep.
"Promise me something," she mumbled.
"Anything," Roy replied quickly. A pause. "Except a kiss. Or sex."
Kori snorted at that. "What kind of a girl do you take me for?" she chuckled, "No, I don't want that. Just… take me somewhere."
Roy wasn't sure he heard her right. "Take you somewhere?" he repeated.
"Yeah," Kori said, "Cabo, Tokyo, Bahamas… when I'm sober, tomorrow, take me somewhere for a week. Doesn't matter where. Just not here."
"You want out of the country?" Roy clarified.
"Yeah," Kori said again, "I'll tell you not to, tomorrow, but don't listen, alright?" A pause. "I need this."
Roy nodded in response as if she could see him. But he knew she got the message.
"Who knows?" Kori continued, "Maybe I'll even get my kiss."
Roy snorted at that. "Breaking my pockets for a kiss, huh?" he hummed.
"Perhaps," Kori grinned. She was quiet for a moment.
And Roy thought she was finally asleep.
But, then, she spoke again.
"And if I wanna stay longer… if we do… can we?" she asked
Roy smoothed her hair back as she let out a yawn. "Of course, sunshine," he replied quietly.
"You promise?" Kori slurred drowsily.
"I promise," Roy assured.
He was sure she was asleep before he could even get the words out, her slow breathing reaching his ears. He peeked around to see her peaceful, sleep-ridden expression, huffing quietly in amusement.
He waited a beat before slowly moving out from under her and out of bed so he could go sleep in his guest bedroom.
He had barely taken a step away from her when she stirred awake.
"Roy?" she murmured, "Where're you goin'?"
"Fuck," Roy muttered before turning back to her, "Nowhere, sunshine. Just getting us a change of clothes."
He thought she'd simply lay back down and go to sleep but of course life could never be that easy.
Her sleepy eyes were on him the entire time as he rummaged through his drawer for a shirt for her and some pajamas for him.
He returned to the bed, handing her his shirt to put on.
He respectfully turned away as she sluggishly struggled to remove her shirt and put the one he'd given her on.
She'd started fumbling with her jeans when she eventually called to Roy for help.
Roy let out a quiet sigh as he deftly unbuttoned her jeans and pulled them down her hips, careful to avert his eyes until he finally managed to get the blankets over her legs.
Kori stared up at him owlishly, waiting for him to come back to bed.
"Might as well go all the way," Roy mumbled.
He went to his bathroom, retrieving a washcloth out of the bathroom and dampening it in the sink before wringing it dry and bringing it back to Kori. He gently took her chin in his hands as he used the washcloth to clean the makeup off of her face.
Once he was satisfied, he deposited the washcloth in a nearby clothing hamper and went back to his dresser in search of… "Bingo," he hummed.
Spotting a silk pillowcase in his drawer, he pulled it out and brought it back to Kori, drawing her hair into it and sliding a hair tie off of her wrist so he could secure it. Pulling at it to make sure it wouldn't slide off easily, he smiled at his resourcefulness, narrowly remembering to remove Kori's earrings.
He placed them on the side of the dresser before moving on to his own maintenance, quickly stripping his clothes and redressing in the gym shorts and tank top he had picked for himself.
As soon as he slipped into bed, Kori wrapped herself around him like a sloth on a tree. "Goodnight, shooter," she murmured, barely finishing the sentiment before she was asleep again.
Roy huffed quietly at that. "Goodnight, sunshine," he whispered.
It wasn't long before he was asleep, himself.-
Kori let out a quiet breath.
"Do you remember now?" Roy sighed.
"Yeah," Kori winced, "I remember. I'm still sorry for holding you hostage like that."
"If I wanted to 'escape', I could have," Roy assured, "Easily. It's fine."
Kori blew out a short, indignant breath. She tried, and failed, to push herself up, twice, before Roy took mercy on her and looped his arms under hers, gently hauling her up. "Thanks," she mumbled.
"No problem," Roy smiled as he helped her over to his bed.
Kori needed no prompting, letting her head sink back against the pillow. But, then, something occurred to her. "Isn't my head supposed to hurt?" she wondered.
"It should," Roy agreed, "But, I woke up early and put an herb under your nose to prevent that. I'm out of the one for throwing up, so…"
"It's alright," Kori dismissed, "I've thrown up way worse than that." She winced at the way it sounded. "Thank you. So much."
"Not a problem, sunshine," Roy grinned.
He went to his dresser and pulled what could only be described as a mountain of clothes out of it.
"What are you doing?" Kori inquired.
"Packing," Roy answered as he exited the room, taking the clothes with him.
"Business trip?" Kori called out as he went.
"Not a business trip," Roy replied from further in the house, "Going to Kauai."
"Oh," Kori mumbled quietly.
She heard shuffling a little ways away before Roy was in front of the doorway again.
"Might wanna brush your teeth so you can come eat breakfast," he advised, "Our flight leaves in an hour."
And, then, he was off.
Kori hummed quietly.
But, then, her eyes widened in realization.
She shot up from the bed and speed walked after Roy's retreating form. "What do you mean 'our flight', Roy?" she questioned.
Roy only shrugged, not paying her any mind as he came to a stop in front of the couch in his living room where his bags lay. He rummaged through one of them, pulling out a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a miniature bottle of mouthwash. "Here," he mumbled, handing them to her and nudging her back towards his room, "Hurry up so you can eat. Everything's already on the table."
"I don't even have any clothes," Kori protested.
"We'll buy you some when we get there," Roy dismissed, "Go brush. Or do I need to do it for you?"
Kori sighed heavily. "You're not gonna let me out of this, are you?" she said knowingly.
"Nope," Roy replied sweetly, "Now, go on."
Kori grumbled quietly at that. "Fine," she conceded, "But only for the week that was agreed on, shooter. I have a life, you know. As do you."
Roy grinned at that. "Sure thing, sunshine," he replied placatingly, waving her off before turning back to his bags.
Kori shook her head and walked away to brush her teeth, cursing her intoxicated counterpart. 'A week', she repeated.
They did not stay away for a week.
In fact, they didn't even stay in Kauai.
On the fourth day, they traveled to Maui.
And they stayed there for over two years.
And, during that time, they found a special solace in each other that few were lucky enough to truly experience.
They fell in love.