game; Kingdom Hearts II
pairing; SoraKairiRiku
warnings; none
disclaimer; I do not own Kingdom Hearts II or any of the characters used.
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"You've been thinking a lot lately, haven't you?"
"Thanks to you. If you hadn't come here, I probably would've never thought of any of this. Kairi, thanks."
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During any other circumstances - circumstances that wouldn't involve the robbing of her picturesque childhood, the black mass gradually swallowing her and many other homes, the many inhabitants of the worlds left heartless, the darkness that was balancing on the knife-sharp edge between ruling in these discouraging times of war, and being beaten by what little light was left - she'd merely brush it off as another daydream, a creation of her own longing turned obsession.
But, there was no denying his over-whelming presence; as chord-striking and breath-quickening as two years ago.
Only, two years ago he had been hers. Her boy, her best friend, the brave silver-haired one with a pretty heart filled to the brim by questions born out of his own curiosity and the craving to know more; know everything. One out of the two main gears in her sweet-scented life, with his rare beauty and the ability to turn any small movement to magic, with his wise words and safe hands and eyes as vast as they were deep; almost as if you could fit the volume of all seas into the space of his aquamarine irises.
Now, his eyes were shielded; hidden from her sight by silky black material, betraying nothing.
Kairi waited for him to speak, wondering what her facial expression looked like. She felt lax-limbed and empty. Eventually, he did speak.
"I could take you away", he declared to the almost non-existent yet light-year-long distance between them in which only their breathing could be heard. "By the time they found out, you'd be a lifetime away, in a world still untouched by the war. I could keep you safe."
She smiled because the love that swelled in her chest was only weighed down by the tragedy she knew bound their destinies together.
"Don't cry", he asked, voice drained of emotion, halting in his motions to touch her as if burned.
"I can't", she whispered, rising from her bed where she had once been able to slumber peacefully, "I can't, you know that. What about you? And Sora?"
Riku stayed silent, something tensing around his otherwise immobile mouth. His gloved hand twitched by his side.
"I don't want that; a future like that is meaningless without the two of you", Kairi begged.
"I can't keep you safe like this", he admitted, and suddenly his voice wasn't tainted by time; it was his own, the voice she knew by heart, easier to read than his newfound shielding tone. "I can't keep you safe and fight this battle at the same time."
"Riku, you underestimate me", she laughed, silent, eyes blank with hopeless heartache. "When all of this is over, we'll take a swim in the ocean. We'll sunbathe, eat some ice cream. Maybe build a raft just for fun. Watch the sunrise by the beach, just the three of us - if Sora manages to get up that early, that lazy bum. Until then.. I can take care of myself. You just.. go find Sora, and get back here, both of you idiots."
Her heart hammered in her chest. Carefully, she put one hand against the side of his face. Cold. Yet the warmth that filled her at the sensation of his smooth skin was more than enough. Craving more, she moved until their foreheads were pressed together, sharing breathing space and momentary doubt. He didn't move, face waxy and motionless as if marble-cut.
Kairi wished she could see his eyes - beautiful and raw and everlasting - wished she could taste the heavy heartbreak on his tongue. There was no mistaking the change in his taut body at the reminder of the other part of their trinity.
"I'll find Sora", he vowed quietly against her pale lips. "In the meantime, don't change, Kairi. Ever."
The squeak of leather, the moment of gravity shifting, and the ghost of his touch left.
Kairi felt numb while staring out the sole window of her room; she could see the sea and the sky, both painted nightmare-black, both too big and constantly altering while existing in harmony only to meet at the horizon - seemingly so, so far from the steady concrete of the earth by the shore.
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"Riku, don't go!"
"I'm no one. Just a castaway from the darkness."
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A/N; this is part 1 out of.. 4. yeah. i've always wanted to write something about the destiny islands trio, but i never really got around to doing it. anyway, this piece.. what can i say. i don't like it too much, but it's a start. i haven't been writing much at all lately, but maybe this can get me back on track. so stay tuned, part 2 featuring sora and kairi is coming uppppp!