The Ghost of You and Me

by sapphirexkat2

AU. Riku, a retired rock star at 28, returns to the home and people he left behind in hopes of setting things right, but things have changed a lot since he's been gone. yaoi. main: RS. SR?

Title: The Ghost of You and Me

Author: SapphirexKat2

Rating: R

Pairings: Want all of them? But I dun wanna spoil the story! Fine, just be aware of Riku/Sora... FOR NOW... muahahaha!

Warnings: OOCness, AU, language, shounen-ai... what's new?

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the Final Fantasy series. Wish I did, though.

Summary: Riku, a retired rock star, returns to the home and people he left behind. It isn't so easy, since he destroyed all his relationships. In this chapter, Riku announces his final decision.

Status: 1 of ...

000

"You're too damn young to retire!"

The lead singer of the Rock band, Kingdom Heartless, tried to zone out his manager for the fifth time since his announcement – which was just yesterday. He rubbed at his temples and shut his eyes, slowly counting to a hundred before he'd lose his temper.

'Therapist, my ass,' Riku thought as he reflected on this "temper controlling" method. It only made him want to strange whoever invented numbers along with his bitching manager. 'But I have improved…'. He had been seeing a psychiatrist for the duration of this third and final tour across the globe, for he didn't think that he'd survive very long without one. It was then that he had made his decision.

After seven years of being a professional artist, he was going to quit and return back home to Destiny Islands.

"What the fuck is that matter with you!" The middle-aged, chubby man roared. They were currently in their main studio in New York, right where everything started, and ironically, where it would end. The other band members, Reina, Takeshi, and Daiki were otherwise silent. They knew what Riku was thinking long before the tour when their vocalist had first thought about retiring. "Your album has topped the Billboard Charts fifteen times, each single remaining there for no less than two months, and you want to retire?"

Riku had had enough by then. His mental counting stopped at fifty when he sprung up to his feet, startling everyone in the room – the producers, the body guards, technicians, publicists, and various others who had attended the important meeting. He was well known for his temper, but most especially, how he expressed it.

"First of all, I'm fucking twenty-eight. I think that's old enough for me to make my own choices, so don't tell me what to do!" Aqua colored eyes raged with impatience and hostility, and Mr. Webb found himself cowering back. "Second of all, there's nothing wrong with me. It's just you, old man. I don't care about money or fame – I have enough of that. So you can just take those statistics and shove them up your ass."

Lately, Riku had been feeling guilty about how he left his home on Destiny Islands. He'd been selfish and hungry for fame and fortune to get him off that accursed place. Once he entered that musician's contest and won at seventeen, he took full advantage of the prize. He would be flown to New York and given a record deal with an American company. At that time, nothing mattered more to him than starting a new life, even if that meant leaving the old one behind.

The contract with The DevilRay Label Records got him going. There were auditions for a drummer, keyboard, and bass player (Riku himself playing the electric guitar). Before Riku knew it, they were writing, playing, and recording. A small gig led to recognition for bigger ones… and then their songs came out on the local radio station then the national ones. Kingdom Heartless was on newspapers, magazines, and television screens all over the world. They went to music awards banquets of all kinds and never left empty handed. Money flowed in by the millions, and by the time Riku had filled his own desires, he began to reflect.

Seven full years had gone by and he hadn't spoken to any of his old friends that he grew up with. He was surrounded by musical legends that he didn't even know. No face in the crowd was familiar to him, but when he saw an occasional brunet or a pair of ocean blue eyes, his heart froze with guilt and pain. That was when he was thinking about giving up what he had in hopes of regaining what he had lost. It was a risk he was willing to take brothe for his sanity and his soul.

The silver-haired man sighed and pulled back, realizing that he was no better than Webb if he'd caused a scene. "I've made up my mind, all right?" he said more calmly. "Contract said three multi-platinum albums with no time limit. I'm sure that can keep your wallet fat and happy. Any questions, talk to my psychiatrist. She'll tell you what you want."

Before he could turn and leave, Anna, his main publicist, stopped him. "And the fans?" she asked tentatively. "You'll leave without a good-bye?"

Riku gave her a sideways glance to her position against the wall. He saw her visibly freeze with fear of being caught on his hit list. "We already made a tape. Just play it if the media asks." With that, he gave a sarcastically weak salute to his seven year "family" and left through the glass double doors.

000

He took in the crisp night air of the city as he walked out of the building. The streets bustled with busy people left and right. Riku had put on a sweatshirt with the hood up to hide his identity, but his fans weren't too bad on attacking him. Of course, there were the occasional fanatics, but they were aware of the legal limits.

Riku began to make his way to his condominium a few blocks away. He didn't invest in a nice mansion, since he knew that he wouldn't stay long, nor did he want to pay for such frivolous things. A big home would only remind him of how lonely and empty he was on the inside.

There was a flight heading out the next morning. Riku had already packed his things that would be shipped after him. Right after his recent tour he had already made arrangements with his real estate manager for a nice home near his old district. He only hoped that everyone was still there, although he knew that they'd be different.

Riku himself had grown to about 5'10. His hair was a little longer, for his band mates though it had more of a "rock star" image (ironically, it did). He was still toned, lithe without much bulk, but his skin turned pale from the lack of sunlight.

"I wonder what everyone is doing right now," Riku muttered, not for the first time, as he distantly watched the busy bodies around him. "I bet… I'm too late."

000

During the plane ride, Riku's heart hammered wildly in his chest. He knew that it was going to be a two-day's flight, and he tried to find some rest, but he couldn't. Anticipation and anxeity fueled his adrenaline. How would everyone back at home accept him after all this - after what he'd done to them? And his best friend… Sora… God, it tore Riku's heart to think about how he hurt him. Who was once his closest friend since he was six was also his lover for five, blissful months, and he blew it all in just a single night.

Riku and Sora came back to Sora's home from the mall where the musician's competition was held. They were drunk with joy and disbelief. Riku won! He won a record deal! This was the big break he was looking for, and he earned it.

Sora wrapped his arms around Riku's waist from behind as the silver-haired teen re-read his award. "I'm so proud of you, Riku," he squealed into the other's neck, holding him tightly. "This is actually happening!"

Riku took one arm and placed it on top of Sora's. "I know! Holy shit! I still can't believe it!" He read the contents aloud. " 'Congratulations! You have been chosen as our new, emerging artist for The DevilRay Label Records. If you choose to accept, this includes a contract, and a ticket to your new studio in New York. You will also receive everything you will need to start your new career, free of expenses.' I'm so psyched!"

Suddenly crestfallen, Sora released him. "You mean, you're going to be leaving?" he asked softly.

Riku turned to him, beaming and unaware of his boyfriend's sad expression. "Yeah! I get to go to America first thing when I call these guys."

"But what about high school ...a-and our plans for college?"

Riku shrugged. "They'll be put on hiatus, I guess. Man, it doesn't matter!"

Sapphire eyes narrowed in hurt and confusion. "Yeah, it does! It's your senior year, and I wanted to see you graduate. You promised you'd go to mine," he said, whining slightly. His best friend was leaving, and it didn't even phase Riku what the consequences were going to be.

Riku chuckled, quailing Sora's fears for the moment. He kissed the brunet's lips softly and stroked his hair. "Of course I'll see you graduate, babe. And we'll do that college thing. Don't worry about it."

Sora wasn't convinced, however. "Riku, your new career will demand a lot from you. You won't be here in time! You'd be so busy that you won't even think of anything else." He hoped that Riku would see the horror that would come with such an opportunity. They needed commitment, and Sora knew that he would receive none from Riku since his priorities would be set elsewhere.

The older teen frowned, not liking his friend's attitude at all. He stepped away to fully meet his gaze. "Sora, I know what you're saying. Just… trust me on this, okay?" He didn't understand why Sora was suddenly overreacting about something so miniscule as a "graduation." It was nothing but a commercialized celebration blown out of proportion. "It's just high school, anyway."

"Look, you can't just take this lightly," Sora reasoned firmly. "Things won't be the same. You—"

"Can you just shut up for a second, Sora?" Riku suddenly yelled, his temper getting the better of him. "Stop being so goddamn selfish. I thought you'd be happy for me."

Tears of anger and pain built up behind blue eyes as Sora locked gazes with Riku. "Fine!" he cried in resignation, never the one to expand on arguments. "I'm happy for you. I hope you make millions of songs worth millions of dollars, and I hope your fucking life is what you've always dreamed of it to be!"

Riku had never seen Sora so grief-stricken and bitter, so utterly hopeless as he was that night. Riku's pride had gotten the better of him, and he'd stormed out. He even had a fight with his mother, and the next thing Riku knew, he was with Mr. Webb at the hotel, eager to begin his new life.

He had lost both his best friend and his mother that night, the only people he ever loved. Riku made no attempts to contact them, nor did they reciprocate. He did occasionally wire money to his mother's bank account and had received some of the statements. The money lay untouched.

Sighing, the former rock star leaned his leather seat back and closed his eyes. Perhaps he could change things around for the better when he would return, given he had an opportunity to begin with.

000 000

"Sir? Do we have any homework?"

The class immediately began hissing at the girl, telling her to just close her mouth already. Their teacher just smiled from his position in front of the blackboard, lowering his lecture guide.

"Yes, Ms. Chaco. You do." Blue eyes scanned the fallen faces of his pupils as he regarded them. "Everyone read the next chapter and answer the questions at the end."

The freshmen groaned and closed their books, preparing to dart off before the bell would ring. Twenty-six year-old Sora walked to his desk at the corner by the window, his lesson done for that day. His students never failed to amuse him. Although they were clowns, talkative, and troublemakers, he still had a few who made his day a lot brighter. That, and he wouldn't trade a single person in his World History Honors class for anything. It just made all his days of Hell at the University worth it.

As soon as the bell made its first ring, the students began filing out, eager to get out of the institution as fast as possible.

"Have a good weekend!" he announced over the bustle. Some (mostly the girls) flashed him a smile and a few kind words before taking off.

Once alone, Sora stretched in his seat, sighing in pleasure as several joints popped. Although he loved his job, it could be taxing sometimes. During his lectures, he'd lose himself in the subject and go on and on, expanding on questions or completely going off the topic. He heard from several students that he was one of their better teachers, but he just accepted that in modesty, for he doubted that he could compare to their Literature teacher.

A knock came at the brunet's door, and he looked across the room to find the one and only, infamous Mr. Squall Leonheart, literature extraordinaire and English III teacher. He was five years older and more unprofessional in his attire, for he had a knack for wearing black, leather, silver, and more leather (which much of the female population noticed with glee). Sora just stuck to the "preferred" dress code of slacks and polo shirts.

"Are you busy?" Squall asked, a manila folder tucked under his arm. Today, he had his black pants with various zippers and buckles with a white, long sleeved turtleneck. Sora smiled, shaking his head.

"Nope. I'm free for the moment," he replied, sitting back in his computer chair. One of the perks of teaching at one of the best schools on the island was having luxury. "What's up?"

Squall shrugged nonchalantly, stepping in and closing the door behind him. "Did you hear the news?"

Sora laughed. "You're asking me that?" he said cockily. His friend and colleague just shook his head, showing his amusement. It was rare that Squall showed any emotion, really, the only exception being Sora. To others, he was a strict, don't-fuck-with-me-or-you'll-be-put-in-detention-forver kind of guy - oh, and also very "mysteriously sexy."

"Whatever. Here. I got these from Kairi." Squall then tossed the folder on Sora's desk and took a seat in one of the student desks closest to Sora. Confused, the history teacher took the presented item and opened it.

"Wow. The New York Times." It was a printout, as if a copy of the original newspaper. Kairi was a reporter for their local news station, D.I.N.D., and so she always knew everything a day before Sora did. He scanned the headlines and froze.

" 'Singer Gone "Heartless" for Rock,'" Squall recited sarcastically, his eyes darkening to reflect his displeasure. "What, he found that he was too good for that, too?"

The younger teacher remained silent, reading the article and trying to keep his eyes off the picture of the band, most particularly the lead singer, in the center. Even as Sora saw Kingdom Heartless every time he turned on the television, looked at magazines, walked into stores, or read the papers, age-old agony still reverberated throughout his body. It was something Sora forced himself to accept. He tried ignoring the pictures on girls' binders or the latest gossip about them, but failed miserably.

"Just retired, huh?" Sora whispered, closing the folder. He only managed to read the first paragraph before giving up altogether. He tried to remain casual. "Who would have thought, huh?"

Squall looked at him. "You're done reading it?" When Sora didn't answer immediately, he continued, understanding. "What do you think about him coming back here, then?"

Sora swore his heart failed a second. Riku was coming back? Why? Hadn't he left enough damage and destruction in his wake? A rampant super-typhoon never came back to hit the same place twice. God had too much mercy.

"I… I don't know," he muttered, but loud enough for Squall to hear. "I don't think I care, really." And Sora didn't. Riku made it clear that he could do whatever he wanted a long time ago, and what anyone said or thought about it didn't matter at all.

"Neither do I. Kairi just sent a copy of it, since she has so many connections. It hasn't even been printed yet," Squall said indifferently. "I don't know what made her think either of us would care. Not all of us are his personal stalkers." His gaze softened at Sora's solemn expression even as he chuckled at the joke. Squall saw right through it. "I almost didn't show it to you, but I wanted you to know."

Sora looked up and flashed a genuine smile, the action only managable because of the older man before him. This was why he forced himself to let Riku go and find someone else. Otherwise, his mending heart couldn't be exposed to all the other, more worthy people in the world. "It's all right, Squall. Really," he replied sincerely.

Squall stood and glanced at the window on the door. When he saw that no one was there, he approached Sora's desk and gave the occupant a soft, gentle kiss. Sora moaned and wrapped his arms around Squall's neck, pulling him closer to deepen their lip-lock. The older man growled and licked at Sora's lips, requesting entrance. Sora obliged eagerly, allowing their tongues to meet inside his mouth. Squall placed a knee on the desk, damn near close to climbing over to reach his lover. The sound of the pencil cup clattering to the floor broke them apart.

Dilated blue eyes glazed into passionate light brown ones. Squall, unmoving from his position, brushed through Sora's soft, unruly hair. "Ready to call it a day?" he whispered, his thumb coming around to caress the history teacher's flushed cheek.

Sora nodded, the manila folder and its contents forgotten. "Yes."

To Be Continued...

Sorry for the gaps in time. Man, I've always wanted to write a KH fic. I hope you liked it.

P.S. And a nice recognition for whoever can guess what D.I.N.D means. Hah... I bet no one even cares...

SapphirexKat