I am an awful person. I promised a cute SoraRiku 'fic to xxBeautifulxxNightmarexx months ago, and I'm only now posting it. I'm sorry, sweetie! And this is unbeta'd, because my beta has abandoned me. But the obvious typos with Riku's speech is intended, considering his age in this.
"So-ra!" the little silver-haired boy screeched, running on short, stubby legs down the cobblestone walk leading away from his house.
The brunet stopped hooking the small white gate closed when he heard his name. Turning, already knowing who was bound to be hurdling towards him, his lips lifted in a wide beam. "Hey, 'Ku!" he called.
"Sora!" the child yelled again, launching himself at Sora's chest. The brunet quickly dropped the books he had in his arms to catch the boy. "I miss'd you!"
Sora laughed, ruffling the boy's damp hair. "I just saw you yesterday, Riku!" he laughed, putting the silveret down when he started to squirm.
"I know! Bu' I still miss'd you!" the little boy grinned, showing the few gaps in his mouth from lost teeth. He bent down and picked up the large text books Sora had dropped, struggling to hand them back. "Sorry!"
"S'okay, 'Ku. They're real big books."
"You can carry 'em, though…" the boy pouted, planting tiny fists on his hips.
"Only 'cause I'm older, kiddo," Sora laughed, ruffling Riku's hair once again.
"I'm not a 'kiddo'! I'm almost eight, So-ra! I'm a big kid, now!" The elder boy knelt down to Riku's height and flicked his nose.
"You are, ain'cha?" he smiled. "Oh, look! You lost that tooth already!"
"Huh? Oh, yeah! It came out last night when I was brushin' my teeth! I got a whole dollar for it, too!" Riku exclaimed, excitement dancing in his aquamarine eyes.
"Wow, 'Ku! You can buy a whole candy bar with a whole dollar!"
"I know! Can you take me to get one later? Pleeeease?" he clapped his hands together, holding them in front of his round face.
"Sure, Riku." Sora grinned. "Let's go tell your mom I'm here, okay?"
"'Kay!" Riku agreed, rushing back towards the large double-doors of the house. "Mommy! Mommy! So-ra's heeere!"
A tall woman with pale blonde hair done up in a bun stepped into the doorway, her sharp blue eyes scanning the yard. She smiled as her child wrapped skinny arms around her thigh, then looked up towards the fifteen-year-old brunet making his way towards the porch.
"Hello, Sora," she smiled. "Thanks for coming."
"No problem at all, Ms. Miyano." The brunet said cheerfully.
Nodding, the woman stepped back, allowing her son and Sora to enter the large hallway. She walked towards the first doorway on the left, talking as she went. "Riku just took a bath, but it's alright if you take him somewhere later – just as long as he's in bed by nine, alright?"
Sora followed the woman into the kitchen. "Alrighty," he hummed. He sniffed the air. "Ohhh. What's cookin'?"
Ms. Miyano grinned and grabbed a small towel before opening the oven and pulling out a tray of brownies. "I made them to go with the ice cream," she explained. "They're a small 'thank you' for watching Riku so often for me."
"Oh, miss, really! It's no problem at all. And, heh, you're already paying me."
"I know, Sora, dear. But Riku loves you so much – he's never been this excited to have a babysitter before. He's scared away most of them, you know. So you're very special." She placed the pan on the counter. "Besides, Riku's been bugging me ever since he saw the mix in the pantry." She chuckled.
"Oh! Are they done, mommy?" The little silveret stood in the kitchen doorway, his big cyan eyes wide at the sight of warm brownies.
"Yes, baby, they're done. But you can't have any 'til after dinner!"
"Aww, mom-my!"
"No, Riku," she said in a scolding tone. Walking to the doorway where her son stood, she grabbed a black purse from the hook. "Now, I have to get to work. I can't afford to miss the train again."
"Alrighty!" Sora chirped from his spot sitting at the kitchen table. "Have a good day, miss!"
"Thank you, Sora." She nodded at the brunet and kissed her son's forehead. "I should be home around five, okay? Behave, Riku!" She called over her shoulder as she left the house.
The two boys sat in silence, staring at the closed door. Riku turned to grin at Sora just as the older boy opened his mouth to say, "So. Brownies?"
Two hours later found the babysitter and babysittee watching cartoons, a bare tray covered in chocolate crumbs and an empty tub of ice cream on the table in front of them.
"Ugh," Sora groaned. "I ate too much."
"Me too…" Riku murmured, but he reached to swipe a small finger around the rim of the ice cream tub. After licking the creamy treat off, he turned to Sora. "Can we go buy me my chocolate bar now?"
Sora glanced back at the clock and then at his textbooks, which he had placed on the table. He should have known he wouldn't have time to study while watching Riku.
"Okay, Riku. Go get your money, alright? I'll wait right by the door."
The little boy grinned and nodded enthusiastically. Jumping up, he rushed towards the stairs.
Sora slowly got up, feeling about ten pounds heavier after eating so much. By the time he had made it the front door, Riku was already running down the stairs, his dollar clutched tightly to his little chest.
"'Kay! Le's go!"
Sora grinned and opened the door, stepping aside as the seven-year-old rushed out. He closed the door behind them and locked it, slipping the extra key Ms. Miyano always gave him when he babysat in his back pocket.
Riku was waiting by the white fence at the end of the walkway, swaying from foot to foot. Sora grinned at how easily excited the little boy was and hastened his steps to reach him.
"Okay, c'mon. Let's go," Sora held out his hand and Riku grasped it.
"Make sure to look both ways!" Riku chirped and made of a show of looking left and right before tugging Sora onto the paved street in front of the house.
The walk to the small collection of shops was pleasant, Riku asking questions (What kind of bird is that? and What's that flower called?) and Sora answering them (I think that's a Chocobo and It's called a Thalassa Rose).
When they reached the candy shop, Sora opened the door with a jingle from the bell. A kind old man sat behind the counter.
"Hello, Mr. Merlin!" Sora called, waving.
"Hello, Sora," the man called back with a smile. The brunet returned it as Riku begun dragging him to the back of the store.
"I want a really nummy one!" Riku informed his babysitter.
"Oh? Like what?"
"Like… uhmm… a nummy one…" was murmured as the little silveret looked around at the assorted chocolate, his pretty eyes wide.
"What about a Potion?" Sora asked, holding up a wrapped chocolate container that was shaped like a vial. "It's full of little pieces that pop in your mouth," he shook the candy so Riku could hear them clanking together.
"No…"
"Alright… what about a gummi ship?" Sora held up a giant chewy candy in the shape of a spaceship.
"Nah uh…"
Sora frowned; he'd forgotten how picky Riku could be. "Well, what do you want?"
"I want… this!" The little boy snatched a large chocolate bar off a shelf. The wrapper had a picture of a weird key-like sword made of chocolate on it.
"A Keyblade Bar? Never heard of it."
"I want iiiit!"
"Okay, okay," Sora smiled. "Let's go pay for it, then."
"Yay!" Riku rushed passed the brunet to the counter.
Sora emerged from the back to see Riku handing over his dollar. Merlin smiled at Riku and handed him back the candy bar he'd picked out.
"Thanks, Mr. M," Sora said with a polite nod of his head.
The old man nodded back. "You enjoy that candy now, Riku. And make sure to brush your teeth really well so it doesn't rot your teeth!"
Riku nodded vigorously, tugging on Sora' hand. "I will! Bye, Mr.!"
When they stepped outside, the silveret immediately started ripping the paper off his chocolate. "I wanna go eat this at the beach," he announced.
"Alright, 'Ku."
They took the quieter back roads, avoiding the main bustle of Destiny Islands' late afternoon traffic. Upon reaching the shore, Riku plopped up onto a bench, nibbling on what was left of his candy and watching the waves.
"Can I go swimmin'?" he asked, turning to look at Sora as the older boy sat down.
"You didn't bring any swim trunks," Sora pointed out.
"Oh… can I go play in the waves? Only the lil' ones on the beach? I promise not to get m'clothes wet!"
"Okay, Ri'." Sora conceded. "But if you get your shorts wet you're gunna be in trouble!"
"'Kay!" the boy chirped and raced off towards the ocean, his half-eaten chocolate bar left forgotten on the bench.
Sora shook his head helplessly and tossed it in a nearby trash bin. Looking up, he caught sight of a red and blonde heads. "Hey!" he called, raising his hands high.
The tallest looked in his direction and motioned towards him. The other three in the group turned.
Sora walked towards his friends, meeting them halfway. "Hey, guys," he grinned.
"Wassup, shrimpy?"
"Shut it, Axel. I'm not a shrimp."
"Sure you're not."
"Now, boys," the little blonde girl cut in with a tiny grin on her face. "Behave."
"What're you doing here, Sora?" the other blonde, Roxas, asked.
"Babysitting," he replied, motioning towards where Riku was down by the ocean. The little boy was running towards to water, only to skip away when it came back; his loud giggles reached their ears.
Namine smiled, "Oh, he's such a cutie!"
"He's gunna be gorgeous when he's grown up," Kairi agreed.
"Sure, sure," Axel waved a hand dismissively. "Gunna be the prettiest boy in school. Maybe I should go give him some pointers, then."
"No way. You'll corrupt his mind," Sora said, a frown on his tan face.
"Will not!" Axel argued.
"I'll make sure he doesn't," Roxas spoke up. "Besides, I want to go stand in the water. C'mon, Axe." The blonde wrapped his hand around the redhead's wrist and began dragging him away.
There was a silence before Sora opened his mouth. "Are they dating?"
Namine laughed. "You know Axel is dating Larxene, Sora."
"I don't think Roxas swings that way, either," Kairi added.
"Okay," Sora shrugged. "Just asking."
"Aww, So-so, don't worryyy," Kairi cooed. "You'll find your knight in shining armor one day!"
Sora glared. "That wasn't why I asked and you know it."
"Hehe. I know! But it's still fun to tease you."
"Hey, kiddo," Riku looked behind him when he head the voice. He recognized it, but didn't know who it was until he saw green eyes and red hair.
"Hi, Axel!" A shorter blonde boy with blue eyes stood by the redhead. "Hi, Rox!"
"Hey," the blonde returned. "What're you doin'?"
"Playin'," he answered, the gaps in his teeth showing when he smiled up at them.
"Looks like fun." Roxas glanced wearily up at Axel as he spoke; he didn't like his tone. The faked innocence in it would be obvious to anyone but the little silver-haired boy. "But how come," he continued, "you aren't playing with So-ra?"
"Huh?" Riku cocked his head to the side.
"I would have thought you would be playing with Sora. Not all by yourself."
"Oh! Uhm, he's watching from…" aqua eyes widened when the bench he looked towards was empty. A little gasp sounded. "Sora's gone!"
"No, no he's not," Axel cooed. Kneeling down, careful to avoid getting the knees of his jeans wet from the water and sand, he placed his hand on the small of Riku's back. "He's over there, see? Talking to those two girls." He raised his other hand.
Riku followed to where Axel was pointing. Sora was laughing along with a blonde and rosette girl. Tears filled his big eyes. "So-sora…?" he gurgled. "He left me…?"
"Looks like," Axel said.
"B-but… why?"
"'Cause they're girls. Sora likes them more than you."
"W-why?"
"Because he likes dresses. See? They're both wearing dresses."
Roxas had kept quiet, not quite knowing what Axel was planning. But now that he mentioned Sora liking Namine and Kairi (which was a lie, since Sora was gay) and telling Riku it was because of the dresses… it clicked. Oh, Axel… Roxas smirked.
Sora once again walked along the stone pathway towards the Miyano household. He'd left his books at home, knowing full well that he'd never get any homework done with Riku wanting to play.
He knocked on the large white doors, surprised that the little boy he babysat wasn't out there to greet him like always.
Hearing the door click, Sora smiled and opened his mouth to say hello, but instead furrowed his brows. Riku's mother, Jenova, had a very unsettled look on her pretty face.
"I'm so glad you're here," she said at the same time Sora asked what was wrong. "Oh," she sighed. "Riku locked himself in his room the moment he got home from school, and refuses to open to door for anyone but you."
"Is he alright?"
"I'm pretty sure. He doesn't sound hurt or anything…"
"Maybe it's a boy thing? Girl trouble, or something."
"That's what came to mind… but isn't he a little young to have a crush yet?"
Sora chuckled, "No, Ms., I had a very big crush on my friend Kairi when I was six. And he's almost eight. If anything, I'd say he's a little late in realizing girls don't have cooties."
The woman looked relieved. Nodding, she side-stepped Sora. "Alright, well… I suppose I'll leave, then, since he won't come out with me here… but please call right away if something is wrong."
Sora nodded. "Of course."
After saying goodbye, the brunet stepped into the house, closed the door and walked down the hallway. Standing at the foot of the staircase, he called, "Riku?"
There was no answer. Sighing, Sora started up the steps.
When he reached the white door to Riku's room, he lifted a hand and rapped a knuckle against the wood. "Hey, 'Ku? Are you alright?"
This time a muffled voice answered. "Is mommy gone?"
"Uhm, yeah. How come you can't come out if she's here?"
"Axel said no one could see but you."
"Axel?" Sora murmured to himself. His eyes narrowed. "Riku, open the door."
A creak sounded as the door swung open. Sora's demands of what Axel had said to the boy died in his throat.
Riku stood in his doorway, a white dress that was much too big for him hanging off his shoulders. A pink bow was sloppily pinned to his pretty hair.
"Riku! Wh-what are you wearing?"
"Y-you don't l-like it... ?" A deep frown marred Riku's little mouth as tears came to his eyes.
"Riku," Sora groaned, "boys aren't supposed to wear dresses!"
"B-but Axel... he said... he said..."
Sora knelt down in front of the silveret. "What did Axel say?"
"He said that you liked Nam'ne and Kayree better 'an me a'cause they wear dresses..." he gurgled, his lower lip wobbly. "I don't wan' you to go 'way and make mommy get me another babysitt'r that's mean!"
"What... ? Riku, I like all of you the same! In fact, I like you more sometimes."
"Y-you do?"
"Yeah! They're girls; they talk about stupid stuff like makeup and dumb romance movies. You're way cooler," Sora wiped away a tear on Riku's cheek with his thumb.
"So you're n-not gunna go babysit them instead of me?"
"Is that what Axel said?"
"Ye-yeah... h' said that."
"And if you wore a dress I'd like you more?"
"Mm'hmm..."
"No, 'Ku. I like you just fine. And I don't like dresses; Axel was lying."
"Why would he lie?"
Sora's eyebrows knit together in a grimace. "Because he's a jerk. Now c'mon; let's get you out of that stupid thing and into your normal clothes, mm'kay? And then we can go play some video games."
Riku's little face beamed. "'Kay!"