-The Comfort of Your Smile-
~These are my words~
-x-
~O~
-x-
People smile.
Every day.
It's almost impossible to go a day without even the slightest grin on your face.
"You mean you've never seen him smile? Come on, he's had to have smiled at least one time in his life!"
There are those who also frown; maybe not as much as they smile, but the smallest measure of disappointment can be seen on one's face as long as there's a reason for it. Maybe you broke up with your girlfriend/boyfriend; maybe your favourite television show was cancelled; maybe it seems like the whole damn world decided to pick only on you.
"Listen Sora, I swear! I don't think, in all the years I've gone to this school, that I've ever seen a smile on his face!"
Or maybe you've just had a god-awful day… But, there are still even the smallest things that turn a frown upside down…
"Yeah, all right, Kairi. I'm sure he's smiled before. You can't just keep that blank stare on your face forever," the slender, spiky haired brunet known as Sora Hayashi said to his best friend Kairi Inoue. The two sat in their seats conversing over a certain student, who was sitting a few seats away from them. "He seems like a nice guy!" Sora grinned as he spoke, and then turned to glance back at the lone teenager for a moment. Well… He didn't look mean, just…bored stiff.
Sora would have to change that.
"You think everyone is good deep down, don't you?" At her friend's nod, Kairi chuckled but held her chin up with the palms of her hands, "But honestly, he's kind of strange; I've only spoken to him a few times and he normally just stares back if it's anything other than a 'yes/no' question." That being said, the red-haired female risked a glance at the other teen and wasn't surprised at what she saw: an empty, slightly guarded expression on his face.
"Behind that handsome exterior, I swear, there's nothing there," she murmured quickly and glanced back at her friend in time to catch his brows furrowing as he retorted, "Come on, he doesn't look mean. If anything, he's probably bored sitting there by himself; so, let's go talk to him." Sora rose and then started to move towards the quiet silver-haired teen's desk until Kairi slipped her lithe hand around his forearm.
"Hey, don't! Why do you want to go over there so badly? How can you look at him and honestly say that he looks friendly?" Sora freed his arm from the redhead's grasp and they both spared the brooding teen a glance.
While everyone else in the room were having a merry little time chatting and laughing, he just sat there staring down at his notebook and pencil as if they were the most interesting things in the world.
Sora couldn't help but want to reach out and talk to the guy – if not to make him feel a little less lonesome.
"Jeez, you make him sound like some menacing and unsociable teenager." As the brunet spoke, Kairi's first thought was 'You don't know how spot-on you were with that comment,' but she let her friend continue without interruption, "I haven't met him yet, so I'm sure he won't mind if we just go introduce ourselves. I'm just trying to be a nice person. That sounds reasonable, doesn't it?" The brunet rose to his feet and wandered towards the desk again, with a sighing redhead unwillingly tagging along behind him.
"Hey there! My name's Sora." The brunet's sunny smile revealed itself while he extended his hand out in front of the stranger once they arrived at his desk. The sky-eyed teen's wide grin faltered slightly as the jade-eyed teen stared at his hand, and then at his face.
After a few moments, Sora saw the teen move his hand but, before he could fully raise it, Kairi grabbed Sora's outstretched arm and tugged on his sleeve. "Come on, Sora. He obviously doesn't want to be bothered," she urged nervously through her clenched teeth and Sora frowned as he shook her off.
"Kai, I'm sure he can speak for himself." After one last questioning glance at his friend, Sora turned back to the emotionless teen, "Let's try this again." The brunet's smile grew and a chuckle slipped past his soft, peach lips.
"I'm Sora, and you are?" Once again, the other male stared directly into Sora's cerulean irises. When he didn't say anything, the brunet smiled shyly as he took the time to study the other's unique silver hair and his piercing green eyes. This boy must've had people falling for him left and right – what with the waves of attractiveness that he just radiated.
"…Riku," the teen spoke in a quiet, sultry voice after the long pause. Sora's head titled to the side as if he were trying to make sure he had actually heard the other teen say something.
"Huh?" The older male grabbed Sora's hand and gently shook it.
"My name," he muttered, not making eye contact this time, "Is Riku… Riku Matsuo." He began to withdraw his hand until Sora smiled and his grip on the silver haired teen's hand.
"What a great name!" Kairi sighed and shook her head at her friend's enthusiasm. Riku tended to avoid the people who jumped all up in his face, but he didn't' seem to mind the fact that he and Sora were sharing what should have be his personal space.
"Thank you. You…also have a nice name." Riku quietly uttered, while Sora's smile grew as he took the seat next to the teen. While he made himself comfortable, he completely missed the way Kairi bit her lip and wiggled her fingers at her sides. Riku however, caught her nervous movements but said nothing as he gazed back at the friendly boy in front of him.
"Sora. Um, maybe we should, uh…go do some homework. Over there," Kairi said, urgently pointing to her desk; Sora frowned when he finally noticed her discomfort. He made a mental note to ask her about this new, jittery behavior later.
"Calm down for a minute, Kai. Class has barely started; we don't have any homework yet!" He frowned at his friend's odd behavior and then flashed her a grin, "You can go back, but I want to stay here so I can get to know Riku." The brunet turned back to Riku, whose hands were folded under his chin, and his eyes revealed that he was inspecting the brunet carefully.
"This guy's not all that interesting other than his face..." Kairi muttered quietly, frowning slightly when she realized what she had said.
"You say something, Kai?" Sora asked, looking at Kairi once she shrugged and refocused her gaze on her shoes.
"Nothing..." The red haired teen grumbled and turned away from the two; Sora watched her with one delicate eyebrow raised until he turned back to the silver haired teen, "So Riku, why are you sitting here all by yourself?" He questioned as he looking around their area. There were many empty desks because most of the students had bunched together in seats on the opposite side of the room, far away from the silver haired teen.
Riku didn't seem interested in answering the brunet's question; he appeared to be focused on Sora's eyes, which now connected with his viridian pair. Within them, Sora immediately got a good insight onto what Riku was feeling. (At least, he hoped he did.)
"Aren't you lonely?" At this sudden question, Riku finally averted his eyes and solemnly focused on something in the distance. The mood had changed rather quickly, and Sora wasn't so sure he liked where it had headed.
"I'm fine." Despite the pained way the response seemed to come out, Sora folded his arms across the desk and fought to keep a bright grin on his lips as he tilted his head to the side.
"Are you sure; why don't you come sit by us? It sure doesn't look like fun to be—" Riku made sure to lock his gaze with Sora's, the intense emotion within his eyes effectively cutting the brunet boy off. Riku swallowed lightly and seemed to weigh his words before he spoke, "I'm fine." At the restatement, Sora hesitated, but nodded slightly.
"But..." Sora felt his red-haired friend's eyes on him so he decided to drop the subject.
"So, we probably have most of our classes together! Why haven't I seen you until now?"
"Sora," Kairi whispered and fidgeted when she noticed where her friend's intentions were going. Riku and Sora were two completely opposite people! How could they possible get along? That's the way she saw it, and was part of the reason she was so antsy.
"I'd really like to be good friends with you!" The brunet declared with a smile.
"Sora," Kairi said a little louder, but the brunet continued to stare happily at the silver haired teen.
"Friends?" Riku slowly sat up and observed Sora, who stared back into Riku's exotic eyes. The brunet's lips tugged downward slightly at the way Riku's eyes reflected what he recognized as loneliness.
He quickly put the smile back on his face when he brushed away the bit of empathy that surfaced. "Yeah! Like hang out and stuff, you seem kind of bored sitting here so I thought maybe you'd like a friend. Oh hey, why don't we hang out today? I'm sure we have—"
"Sora!" Kairi shouted standing up; making half the people in the class look at her, "Um."
The teacher looked up from his book and raised his visible eyebrow. Kairi sat down embarrassedly and muttered something to herself while Riku resumed with looking down at his desk.
"What's wrong?" Sora asked after giving her a weird and obviously confused look. Kairi chewed on her lip and glanced at her friend nervously.
"Can I talk to you for a sec?" She asked, sparing both the teens in front of her a glance. With a shrug, the brunet turned to Riku, "Be right back." And then he followed his friend to her desk.
"What's up with you today, Kai?" He questioned his friend, watching her frown as she propped herself on top of the desk. "I don't think you should talk to him." Kairi ignored the confused look Sora was giving her and gave him a pointed one in return.
"Why?"
The redhead sighed and thought for a moment. She knew she wasn't jealous of Sora wanting to spend time with Riku. Though, she couldn't place her finger on why she was so nervous around the tall male. Perhaps it was because he just seemed to snub everyone who talked to him.
"I... He just isn't really that friendly." She offered with a weak shrug. Sora frowned at her words and with a small sigh, he placed a hand on Kairi's desk.
"I think he is, he just seems shy. And lonely. Haven't you ever spoken to him?" Sora's gaze flickered over to Riku and then back to Kairi.
"Well, not really. He usually never smiles or talks to anyone, so they avoid him; he doesn't have any friends." Sora once again frowned at his friend's statement and looked back at Riku, finding the silver haired teen's eyes glued to his own. Riku quickly averted his gaze, missing Sora's friendly smile.
"Then I'm definitely going to be his friend!" He said devotedly. There was nothing that the brunet disliked more than when people were ostracized and/or left to be alone – among other things, but there was just something about this situation that filled him with sympathy. If he was around to lift the spirits of those who were feeling down, that's what he was doing.
Kairi sighed again, "Fine...Try your best. But I think you're being way too pushy." She plopped her head down on her desk, playfully scowling upon hearing Sora chuckle.
"I'll try to be a little less 'pushy', okay? If he asks me to leave him alone… I'll do just that, I guess." Sora shuffled to his feet and back over to where Riku was and he apologized with a small grin.
"Hey—" As soon as he took a seat next to the silver haired teen, the door swung open—violently hitting the wall behind it and knocking some books off a nearby shelf.
Without hesitation a tall, thin mow hawked man strutted into the room and up to the teacher's desk.
He leaned forward and kissed the slate-haired teacher (who dropped his book in surprise) and then flipped a strand of blonde hair out of his face when he pulled back.
"Hey Zexy," the man spoke with a pleasant smile.
Sora's eyes widened as the fair-haired man kissed the teacher again. "What are you doing here? And I thought I specifically told you not to call me that, Demyx!" Zexion seethed and quickly veiled his flushed face with his hair.
Demyx laughed as he dropped a stack of papers on the desk. "You left these sitting at home, babe. You should pay more attention to your student's papers than your little romance books." He teased, kissing his lover's cheek and luckily dodging a huge textbook that was thrown at him (but an unfortunate teen—who wasn't as lucky—caught the stray book with his face.)
However, regardless of being a Literature teacher, he did spend more time reading his material than teaching it.
"Get out of here," Zexion commanded after he returned to the novel in his hands. Demyx simply tapped on the shorter male's nose and laughed, "Will do." The blonde smiled widely and stuffed a hand in the pocket of his tattered, faded jeans.
"And take that ridiculous instrument you left here home, this time." Zexion put the book down and folded his arms.
"Well, where is my sitar, sweetie." Demyx inquired too closely to Zexion's ear and the younger male pushed him away with a small grumble. "Over there, idiot." Zexion pointed to the corner near Sora. With a laugh, he strode over and grabbed his sitar while smiling and winking at the brunet, who was still slightly surprised. Sora watched as the mohawked male strapped the instrument over his shoulder then gave a quick kiss to Zexion, mutter an "I love you," and then proceed to walk out the door smiling and whistling jubilantly.
Zexion sighed and rubbed his temples but stopped when he was aware of everyone in the classroom staring and smiling at him. "Do your work! This is a study hall today!" He quickly returned to his book although his blush didn't subside one bit, and Sora was also blushing slightly when he turned back to his friend.
"Ha-ha sorry, Sora. I forgot to tell you that Mr. Zexion has a boyfriend." Kairi said apologetically and the brunet waved his hands in front of his face. "It's okay! I was just a bit surprised to see them being so straightforward." Riku took the time to glance at Sora, and he held his chin up with the palm of his hand.
"You don't have a problem with them?" The brunet shrugged and his lips curled back into a bright smile. "Nope, I don't mind. My friend Roxas has a boyfriend, so it doesn't bother me. Actually, I think it's great that they can publicly show their relationship like that," he admitted and smiled at their teacher, even though the older male didn't catch the action. Riku thought Zexion was missing out – on that sweet expression, that is.
Riku nodded slowly, "I see..."
There probably wasn't much that the brunet wasn't open-minded about, and thinking about that intrigued the silver haired teen to no end. Maybe this kid was different?
"Anyway, moving on. Um... Do you want to hang out with Kairi n' me this afternoon?" Sora looked at Riku hopefully, and ignored the small, protestant sound from his female friend. Riku hesitated but still slowly gave his answer, "I can't. I apologize." Sora frowned slightly but didn't let it weigh him down too deep—he hated being depressed, after all.
"Oh, don't worry about it, maybe some other time then." Riku saw the not-very-carefully-disguised discouraged expression flicker across the brunet's face and the silver haired teen bit his lip.
"I'm sorry but… I'm just busy this evening," he muttered while glaring at the desk. 'I…wish I could—"
"Oh, don't worry about it! Really, it's no big deal! We can hang out another day and go to someone's house or something. And the park is always an option since its close by!" He smiled and looked at Riku, who nodded weakly. The silver haired male looked like he was about to say something, but the loud bells signaled the end of their class. He blinked a few times after seeing the brunet jump in surprise.
"Gah. I'm still not used to those..." Sora heaved a sigh while rubbing at his ears. Kairi grinned and tugged at a strand of his hair playfully, "That's what you get for transferring when you're almost out of high school." He waved her off after she smiled and teasingly hit him upside the head.
"Yeah, yeah. See you later, Riku!" He waved and waited for Riku to make any movements. Riku started to raise his hand but stopped and nodded, making Sora mentally heave a sigh before he left the room.
~O~
Sora's classes up until lunch went by rather uneventfully, but he realized that he shared most of his schedule with Riku. (The teen just sat wherever he wouldn't be noticed.)
That evened out nicely; although, Riku was still as expressionless as ever.
Friend making process at zero percent…
"This is going to be a bit harder than I thought." Sora let his head hit the lunch table with a groan, and Selphie patted him on the back before she flip an odd end of her curled hair back.
"What is?" Kairi questioned, sitting her lunch and herself on the other side of the brunet. The red-haired teen gazed around their lunch table—which consisted of Wakka, Tidus, and her best friend Selphie—and was met with shrugs.
"We only have one more year here, ya? Though we are glad you decided to transfer," Wakka drawled with his cheerful accent, shifting his large headband slightly.
"No, not school. I meant Riku," he mumbled and rested his chin on the table when he heard his blonde friend snort. Tidus bit into his sandwich angrily and looked off to the side with a scowl. "What do you want with the miserable bitch?" He asked with the mouthful of sandwich still in the process of being chewed.
Sora glared at Tidus' choice of adjectives and his negative attitude, "Don't call him that!" Tidus merely shrugged while Sora shook his head and turned to his other friends to explain, "I decided that I should become friends with him. He's usually alone, right?" The brunet looked to Kairi for reassurance and she nodded slightly.
"He's always been like that. Something about his parents." Wakka shrugged and met Sora's worried gaze.
"Did something happen to them?" Sora bit his lip when his mind jumped to conclusions of what might've happened. His friend's all glanced at each other while he shrunk into himself as he thought about his friend's parents and possible tragedies.
"No, I don't think so," Selphie giggled as she snatched a cookie from Sora's plate, though the brunet was too relieved to notice her action. "They're like, extremely strict form what I've heard and seen," she continued, munching on the stolen cookie, "His father's kinda scary. Y'know, the real tall and serious kind of guy." She muttered and pressed a finger to her pursed lips.
Sora took a few moments to look around the large cafeteria, frowning slowly after he did so.
"If you're looking for that prick, he's right there," Tidus sighed and flicked his head to the right, obviously annoyed with having to point out the silver haired teen. Sora followed Tidus' gaze to see Riku slowly walking with his lunch until he situated himself at an empty table close to the large cafeteria windows.
"What is he doing?" Sora asked and his friend's glanced at each other.
"Eating?" Kairi offered shrugging, making Tidus snort. Sora frowned, "No, I mean why is he sitting all the way over there by himself?" The brunet's heart ached at the thought of the silver haired teen's feelings as he sat there, alone.
"He always eats there, ya? Selphie invited him to our table once, but he refused. We just sorta stopped askin' after a while." Wakka shrugged his tan shoulders again and continued to devour his own tray of food. The redhead didn't even flinch from his lunch when Tidus slammed a fist down on the table and pressed his lips together before he spoke, "He thinks he's so amazing just 'cause he's got more money, and lives in a huge ass house." Tidus glared at Riku, who didn't seem to notice, and continued, "Oooh, No one's good enough to sit with someone whose father owns the biggest company on the mainland. God forbid it!" The blonde's fingers wiggled in the air before he folded his arms and Selphie rolled her eyes at his typical rant. All of their stares relocated to Sora when he smiled and gathered up his lunch tray as he rose to his feet.
"Where are you going?" Kairi asked, but she already knew the answer. Surely enough, Sora nodded towards Riku and his friend's looked shocked for a moment. "What kind of person would I be if I let him sit by himself?"
Tidus uncrossed his arms and palmed the table. "A normal one," he mumbled as he turned his gaze away from Riku.
"Tidus, stop being such a jerk." Sora gripped his lunch tray a little tighter and put on his usual cheery smile, thinking of things to say as he walked towards the lone teen. At the brunet's former table, Tidus huffed and finished the remainder of his second sandwich.
"Well, it is Sora... He has to make friends with every living creature, you know that." Selphie smiled triumphantly when she swiped a bit of Tidus' food after he glanced away. "Yeah, but he's too nice. People like that stuck-up punk don't deserve friends like Sora." Tidus's frown deepened as he watched Sora near the other table. One of Wakka's vermillion eyebrows rose inquiringly as he saw the blonde scowl down at his lunch. "Hey, man? What's up with you, ya? We know you don't like Riku, but what exactly do you got against him?"
"None of your business. He's just a stuck-up jerk." The blonde huffed and the teens lapsed into an awkward silence. It felt rather empty without their quirky, cheerful brunet friend…
Meanwhile, Riku looked up from his lunch to meet a smiling brunet. "...Yes?" He slowly asked when the brunet hovered over the table. Sora made room for himself and graced the other teen with his musical chuckle.
"Well, I wanted to eat lunch with you today! I hope you don't mind, but I wanted to talk to you some more." After he was done speaking, Sora stared at Riku, who stared back. And stared...and stared. And then he stared some more.
"U-Um well..." Sora fidgeted slightly and his eyes rested on Riku's untouched lunch. "You don't have to sit here..." The teen offered quietly and Sora immediately waved his hands in front of himself frantically, "No! I-I want to get to know you so we can be good friends!" His eye twitched after several moments passed in silence and he occasionally glanced at Riku's expressionless face. For a moment, Sora could've sworn that a small, sad frown tugged at the other male's lips. But only for a moment, since he was now glancing back up at the brunet.
"I'm sorry. I'm not very interesting." Riku rested his head on the palm of his hand again and he twirled his fork in his food with the other. Sora flinched and then shook his head.
"Hey, that's not true! There must be something you'd like to talk about, right? What are your hobbies?" He eagerly questioned the silver haired teen and Riku's eyes narrowed in thought.
"Well, what do you like to do?" Sora urged his new friend with a kind smile. Riku sighed, but his lips parted to answer. "I...like to play the piano and guitar, I guess. That's all," he murmured quietly, not knowing that he caused Sora's eyes to sparkle with excitement.
"Really? I love listening to people play their music! Do you sing, too?" A delighted chuckle burst past the brunet's lips when Riku gave a slight nod. "I'd like to hear you sing. I bet you're fantastic!" Riku twirled his fork in his uneaten food again and something fluttered inside his chest. He wasn't quite sure, but he thought that it definitely had something to do with the brunet himself instead of the praises he was giving. After all, he had heard variations of those words from many people, though Sora was the first to seem truly interested. That…made him feel happy.
"Please... I'm not really all that great." Riku whispered, causing Sora to laugh and then recapture his friend's timid gaze.
"Don't be modest! I'd love to hear you sing." He smiled brightly at Riku, watching the silver haired teen's eyes widen slightly before he composed his emotions.
"I see... Maybe."
Sora smiled to himself and finally started to eat his food, occasionally glancing up to find Riku's gaze locked on him. The taller male would flinch slightly and avert his gaze whenever he was caught, making Sora feel a bit shy to be the person those deep irises were studying. (At least that's what he guessed they were doing.)
'Does that mean I'm making a little bit of progress?' Sora though moments before he lifted his gaze up at Riku again.
"Hey, Riku?" He continued after Riku hummed in response, "Are you always like this?" His voice had lowered as he asked the question, as if he shouldn't be going into this type of subject.
"What?" Sora moved closer to Riku with a concerned expression. He caught the other male's reflexive wince and he started to pull back before he bit his lip and leaned even closer. His curiosity had gotten the better of him – but there was just something about Riku that brought out the brunet's sense of compassion and concern.
"Are you always alone?" Riku's eyes widened slightly before returning to their usual dull, clouded gaze. He just didn't understand why Sora was asking him these things. No one had ever questioned him in such ways, or with such genuine care for his feelings. It hurt his head to think about it.
"I...Yeah." To a great extent, the teen had wanted to deny it, but he just couldn't.
"Well... You don't have to worry about that anymore. You've got me now! A-And Kairi! And my other friends, too." Sora gently placed his hand on Riku's and gave him a reassuring glance, accompanied with his heart-warming smile. Ignoring how cold the hand under his own felt, Sora closed his eyes and smiled before he spoke, "So you don't have to be alone anymore."
Riku's eyes widened at the slender hand that rested on his. He quickly withdrew his hand causing Sora to bite his lip. Riku stared at the table and made sure that his layered bangs were covering his eyes.
"Why are you... why are you being so nice to me? Is this some kind of joke?" Riku questioned in a low, skeptical voice. Sora gasped at the other's furrowed eyebrows and the hopeful, yet still guarded look in those viridian orbs.
"What? No! Why would you think that? I'd never do that, Riku!" The brunet panicked and opened his mouth, only to close it and repeat that process over a few times.
Sensing the brunet's struggle, Riku looked away. "I... It's just... No one ever speaks to me, so I thought... I'm sorry." Riku bit his lip, but his new 'friend' gave him a relieved, understanding grin.
"Believe me. I'm not playing a joke on you; I truly want to be your friend. I like you!" The happy and sincere way that Sora had spoken those words made something in Riku's heart clench – however, for once, it was not an entirely bad feeling.
"I see..." Was Riku's standard reply; though, this time he had a miniscule shade of pink on his cheeks which were hidden behind his long silver bangs.
Sora opened his mouth exactly as the bell rang. 'Guess I'll ask about his family some other time...' The students gradually threw their trays away and headed into the hallways.
"Well, I'll see you eighth period, right? See you then!" Sora waved to Riku and started to walk backwards, turning slightly until he saw Riku raised his arm.
"See you, Sora..." Riku said with a small wave, watching the brunet grin and then retreat down the hallway. Riku took a moment to gather his thoughts with a sigh, and headed for his class.
"Friends...huh?"
-x-
~O~
-x-
A certain slender brunet came wandering out of his final lesson with an exhausted sigh; he had remembered that it had, in fact, been his own decision to change schools.
"Three days here already and I still get lost and get startled when the bells ring," he muttered, languidly stuffing his books into his locker. One of the textbooks, however, managed to slip out of his grasp and fling itself down to crush his foot.
"Ahh!"
He squealed in pain and grabbed his abused limb, blushing slightly for the unmanly yelp that had just left his lips. Great way to end the third day of school. Just…great.
"You still aren't very organized..." Kairi observed from her new place beside him and retrieved the brunet's evil textbook. "So, how's befriending Mr. Stoic going?" She asked sarcastically while her friend shook his injured foot.
Sora rested his head against the lockers and almost wanted to repeatedly slam his face into them. "He really doesn't smile. At all. Not even a small laugh or half of a smile...! It's sort of discouraging." Sora walked with Kairi out of the building's exit, nodding sagely and folding his arms.
"What did I tell you? He's not a pleasant person." Sora frowned at her words, finding them to be untrue. It wasn't that Riku was bad person; he was just shy and seemed sort of awkward around people. Sora had wanted to tell Kairi that she didn't know Riku at all, but when the brunet thought about it, neither did he.
"Kai... He's a good person, I just know it. Maybe if he had more people around him, he'll be happier. We'll force him to smile if we have to!" Sora shouted with a teasing grin, pumping his fist in the air (which earned him several glances from passing bystanders.)
Kairi sighed even though she couldn't help but smile fondly at Sora. If there was one thing about him that she had to pick above everything else to love, it would be his unparalleled sense of justice; his free spirit. "I've never met anyone with such a compassionate heart. Is it even possible for you to get mad at anything?" She looked at him and he laughed. 'What do they think I am? I can't be happy all the time...!' The brunet thought, slightly amused and slightly offended.
"Well. I try."
The two stopped at the corner of the street and turned towards each other, knowing they had to part. "I'm going to go check on the shop really quick, so walk home without me, alright?" She took off in the opposite direction as her friend and smiled when he sent her a wave.
"Okay, bye!" The brunet waited a few seconds before rounding the bend, smiling as he glanced down his favourite street; it was lined with myriads of diverse trees and flowers. Being the type of person that loved the outdoors, Sora reveled in the calm atmosphere around him as he walked the two remaining blocks to his house.
As the teen strolled towards his street – while occasionally looking up to admire the clear sky – he returned his focus to the path in front of him and caught a glimpse of silver disappear around a street corner. The house that stood at the corner blocked out whatever it was, but the brunet was sure of what he saw.
"Silver…? Was that Riku?" The brunet smiled, chuckling at how he now associated that colour with Riku. 'He is the only one around here with that hair colour...' Sora jogged forward and slowly peeked around the house that was lining the corner. What he saw was indeed, the silver-haired teen. Riku had apparently stopped to take a break in front of the small home and was crouched down looking at several flowers in the small garden there. Sora couldn't help but tiptoe closer when he saw Riku gently taking in their aroma when his viridian eyes closed to show his contentment.
Something about the sight before him just made his chest fill with warmth.
"Riku," Sora saw the teen jump slightly when he heard his name being called. Sora giggled and walked up to the teen who had placed a hand over his heaving chest. "Sorry," the brunet apologized with a timid laugh, "What are you doing?" He asked curiously, although he knew the answer.
Riku coughed and straightened himself out, turning to walk down the street once more. "N-Nothing..."
Sora grinned at the nonchalant face Riku was unsuccessfully trying to pull—what with that light blush underneath his eyes. The brunet chuckled once again when the silver haired teen coughed into his hand and then cleared his throat. 'He's embarrassed because I caught him looking at flowers?'
"Aren't you going home?" Riku asked several moments after he noticed the cheerful brunet following him. It was odd, having someone near to him – someone content with the silence that normally followed him wherever he went. But as he thought about this, he realized that he didn't mind because it was Sora in particular. (He still wasn't sure as to why he was so comfortable around the brunet.)
"Yep. My house in on Traverse Street. What about you? Are you going home?" Sora folded his arms behind his head and looked at the sky while he continued to hum to himself. Riku sighed and nodded, but continued to walk. 'I'd like to find something to keep me away from that place, even for a little while…' The content state of his mind seemed to darken as Riku thought about his home. No. He really didn't want to be there.
"Yeah, I'm going home as well," Riku also lifted his eyes to the bright sky. He noticed that the light blue colour up there was highly similar to the irises of the boy next to him, but he held back the urge he got to look into Sora's eyes.
"Why don't I walk to your house with you?" Riku gazed back down at the brunet's dazzling smile and any opposition he could've ever formed was immediately chased away. "...Suit yourself," he stated a bit hesitantly. The brunet smiled and joined his friend down the intersection of Twilight Street instead of his normal route; Traverse Street.
Sora happily followed Riku, talking with him and trying to keep a light conversation; although, the silence was nice too. "So, you like to look at trees and flowers, don't you?" Sora interrogated the taller male and missed the way Riku faltered in his steps.
"Yeah... I do," Riku confirmed gently. The softness in his voice brought a small, yet still incredibly bright smile to Sora's lips.
"Me too, I love looking at plants and stuff like that. They're so beautiful." Sora's cerulean eyes captured the scenery around him—the surrounding green and clear, and the shining sunlight reflected everything perfectly. It really was such a quiet, aesthetic town.
The brunet had failed to notice Riku staring at him until the older male sighed and lightly touched his shoulder.
"This is where I live," The taller teen murmured after he came to a stop. At the massive residence before him, Sora's eyes widened and he took a step forward. "Whoa!" He looked up at the fairly large gate that surrounded the fairly large house. He put his hand on the tall and elegant gate as he peeked through it, smiling at the lovely garden on the other side that caught his eye. "You live here, Riku?"
"Unfortunately," the silver haired male muttered to himself, "I guess I'd better get going."
Feeling a little sad, Sora tapped his fingers together and peeked up at the older male. "Yeah. Still, I didn't know you lived here! We actually live pretty close; we can even walk to each other's house!" The brunet exclaimed and was unaware of the way that Riku's body had tensed.
"Maybe..." Sora sighed and stretched, letting out a cute groan before he rocked on the balls of his feet. Riku could tell that he was stalling, and that small fact made him want to let the brunet stay. "I guess…I'll see you tomorrow, then. See you later, Riku!" Sora waved at his friend before taking a few steps in the opposite direction.
"Goodbye...Sora." He said quietly and waved back. When the teen was positive that the smiley brunet was gone, he turned to look at his house and scowled before he leaned against the gate. Sliding down against the cold, metal bars until he hit the ground, Riku tilted his head back and closed his eyes.
'What a day...' Riku ran his hand through his hair while trying to rid the image of brown hair and clear sapphire eyes from his thoughts.
In one day, just one person knew more about him than anyone else in his whole life up until now did. Sora knew about his hobbies, knew where he lived, knew how goddamned lonely he is. And the brunet had been the one to ask the questions himself.
Riku didn't care if he was late. He didn't care if his father would be angry with him. He just wanted to sit there and think about his new 'friend.' (That was such a foreign word, really.)
With an exhausted sigh, the teen's emerald eyes opened to rest on the sky, which now reminded him of his friend's clear, cerulean irises.
"He's…not so bad."
-x-
~O~
-x-
After all-but skipping home, Sora walked through the front door of his home. He immediately smiled at the 'cozy' feeling he got just from being in their small dwelling.
"Mom, I'm home!" The boy called out with a grin, throwing his shoes and his bag into the corner before he walked to the living room. His expression brightened when a woman of almost-equal height also swiveled into the room—her wild, curly brown hair bouncing as she walked.
"Hi there, sweetie!" She dropped the clothes basket she was holding onto the sofa and began to fold the clothes. Watching his mother happily fold their laundry, Sora grinned and offered her a small wave.
"So, how was your day?" Her cobalt eyes danced when she looked at her son to catch his shrug.
"Not bad, actually. I made a new friend, I think." His mother smiled and chuckled at his response. Though, she knew Sora would still be making friends even after being at the new school for a few days.
"You think? That sure helps. Is it a girl or boy?" She asked, wagging her eyebrows—an action that always made Sora laugh and shake his head.
"A guy. His name's Riku." Sora explained, imagining Riku's face in his mind as he spoke.
"Ohhh, I see... What's he like?" From the way her smile expanded, Sora could tell that she was eagerly awaiting a response. He chuckled because he knew that she was just as excited to hear about his day as he was to tell her about it. So he began with, "He's tall and has really nice silver hair. He's...not very enthusiastic, though." The woman chuckled at her son's exasperated expression and hopped up to sit on the arm of the sofa.
"Silver hair? How unique. Sounds sexy if you ask me. Is he shy around you or just altogether anti-social?" She folded a pair of socks while looking at her son, giving him a look.
Sora fidgeted. "He's just really shy and reserved. Kairi said he had no friends before me…" Sora his head to the side and stared at the floor through sad, lidded eyes, "He just looked so lonely, mom…" He shook the image from his mind, frowning; and his mother also frowned.
"The poor baby... I'm glad you decided to talk to him. Small acts of kindness can really change the flow of a person's day. Remember how happy you can make someone just by smiling at them." The woman grinned at the words she had constantly spoken to her son. "Why don't you take it a step further and invite him over sometime? That'd be fun!" She bounced up from her seat, grabbing the basket along the way.
"I guess so. I wanted to, but Kairi told me that he doesn't really go anywhere." Sora's mother stopped in the doorway to glance back at him, looking as if she had suddenly remembered something, "Oh yeah, Kairi called for you earlier. She said she'd be in the backyard if you wanted to stop over." Sora watched his mother waddle into her bedroom humming some random melody loudly and off-key.
"All right! I'll just change and then head over." He jumped up and went to his room and plopped down on his bed while removing his shirt. "What a day." Sora placed his arm over his eyes and fell backwards.
'It's always great to meet new people.'
A large smile tugged at Sora's lips when he remembered the look of hope on Riku's face when they spoke for the first time. After a few minutes, he sat up and glanced around his room. The teen eventually got up and threw on a different pair of cargo shorts and grabbed his favourite teal hoodie. With a small chuckle, the teen glanced at the photo on the nightstand at the side of his bed. "
See ya later, dad..."
With that being said, he walked out of the house – shouting to his mom to let her know he was leaving – and jogged across the street to his red-haired friend's house.
-x-
~O~
-x-
"You should've seen Riku's house! It was amazing!" Sora exclaimed from his spot on the grass in Kairi's backyard.
"You went to his house?" The auburn-haired female asked with raised eyebrows that illustrated her surprise.
"Well, not inside; I kind of walked with him there—and it was so huge. You know that gigantic house at the back of Twilight Street? That's it!" Kairi sat down in the grass next to him when he began making exaggerated motions with his hands.
"Oh really... I never knew. That's really close." She flopped down on her back, swinging her thin legs into the air with the movement. She hadn't been like those other girls who had giggled and fantasized over where Riku lived and if she'd ever get to see his house. It made her wonder how Sora had managed to do what many have always been too afraid to do. Follow Riku, that is.
"Sora. What made you decide to talk to him?" She asked slowly but curiously. Although, considering how Sora was an incredibly kind and social person, it wasn't too hard to imagine what his motives were.
"I wanted to at least meet everyone in the school. And I hadn't talked to Riku before you told me about him... I can't imagine how he feels being alone like that." Sora sat up and ran his fingers through Kairi's cat's fur after the animal had situated herself on his lap.
"To be honest, I never really thought about him much. I know that many girl's are still falling over him; he's had a lot of admirers, but he rejects them all for some reason. I assume it's because they're only after his looks," Kairi picked up her cat as she mused, "But who knows?"
She held the cat by her underarms and shook her up and down slowly. "You're getting fat."
Laughing at Kairi's taunt, Sora poked the cat in the stomach and earned a glare [yes, glare] from the animal. "Well, he is attractive so I'd imagine..." Kairi stopped playing with her cat and sent an amused look to her friend to find him so lost in thought.
"You think he's attractive?" Kairi's smirk widened and Sora sat up quickly, startled out of his reverie.
"Wha?" At his flustered features, Kairi smiled. His reactions were so predictable; he couldn't hide his feelings from anyone. "W-Well—" Sora fiddled around with the hem of his shirt and jumbled with his words until Kairi reassured with a laugh, "Don't worry. I won't tell."
"There's nothing to tell!" The brunet pouted and folded his arms, falling back into the freshly cut lawn to avoid his friend's amused stare. Kairi also stretched herself out and flicked at the poor ant that was struggling to climb up her leg. "Yeah sure. Still, I do wonder if he'd let you go over to his house."
"Is there a reason he shouldn't? I'm not really going to force him to invite me over, but that would clarify whether or not we're friends." After he finished speaking, Sora listened to his friend while his fingers drew small patterns through the neat blades of grass.
"He never invites anyone to his house. Even if people invite him somewhere or ask to go to his house, he always answers with the same excuse. 'I'm Busy. Sorry.'" She deepened her voice to mimic Riku's and moved her bangs so that they covered her eyes—the actions making Sora chuckle, even more so when her eyebrows furrowed. "And after a while..." Her quiet giggles slowly faded so that she held a serious expression, "People just stopped talking to him. It was sad to see him like that." Kairi closed her eyes, remembering that every single thing Riku did—sitting, eating, even walking—he did by himself.
Completely alone.
"It must be hard, to be on his own all the time… Oh, before I forget; my mom said I could invite him over sometime soon! I think it would make him feel better to hang out with a friend." He smiled and hauled himself to his hand and knees to stretch in a cat-like way, and he ignored his friend's laughter.
"Really? He'd probably feel awkward. Hopefully he doesn't mind how small your house is compared to his." She poked at him and his lower lip jutted out.
"Sorry for having a small house," he mumbled and jabbed an elbow into her arm before he rose to his feet. "I don't think Riku's that kind of person," Sora stated confidently, grabbing his discarded hoodie off the lawn chair and rubbed his arm. He stretched again and threw his friend an idle grin. "Ah, I should get going."
"Need to clean your house for Riku?" She teased him and watched the teen try to hide a small wince and the red colour that rose to his cheeks.
"No...! Well, yes. I think I will ask him to come over after all." The brunet sheepishly rubbed the back of his head and a yawn drifted from his lips. "I'm a bit tired, too. See you later, Kai." Sora waved to her and hopped over the easily-passable backyard fence.
"Bye!" After her friend had left, Kairi once again spread out on her back into the grass and her cat jumped onto her stomach. With a smile, she scratched the animal behind her ears. "What do you think, Momo? I think they'll be good friends... If there's anyone who can wiggle into Riku's heart, it's Sora." The small creature mewled in what Kairi took as agreement.
"In fact, I think he already has…"
-x-
~O~
-x-
"Riku, where have you been?"
The silver haired teen's father spoke as icily as he possibly could when he spotted his son.
The man's lip curled into a nasty sneer and he folded his arms when he saw his son's wince. "What could you have possibly been doing that caused you to be fifteen minutes late?" Riku cursed inwardly and turned to face the man without saying anything at first. 'Why did he have to be waiting here? I didn't even have time to make up an excuse… Shit. Why now?'
The silver haired teen had been in the process of sneaking past the maids and his parents in order to get to his room. Obviously he failed.
'I don't want to have to deal with this now…' The teen sighed and ran a hand through his long, layered hair. "I stopped to talk with a...friend," he muttered stiffly and avoided all eye contact with the man before him.
"A friend?" His father raised a slender eyebrow and folded his arms. "I thought I told you not to associate with any of those lowly, distasteful people. Only one more year and you'll be free from that pathetic excuse for a school. If there were anything better around here, I'd enroll you there."
Riku glared at the floor before turning away from his father and walking away. The man sighed and idly fixed the cuff of his sleeve as he said, "I don't know how you can stand any of those repulsive students."
Stopping in his tracks, Riku clenched his fists and pressed his lips together to keep from immediately saying something he'd regret.
"Don't you dare call him that..." The teen muttered angrily, his eyes flashing wildly at the thought of his father scorning his new brunet friend. He wouldn't allow that; he wouldn't allow anyone to belittle Sora, since the brunet was the first to treat him like a human – and not the godly entity that everyone else saw him as.
"Excuse me?" His father stalked towards him menacingly—at once hovering over his son. "What did you say?"
"I didn't say anything." The silver haired teen averted his gaze away from his father's glower and it the inside of his lips as the man spoke: "I believe you did. I also believe that I told you not to hang out with those people, Riku." His father grabbed his collar and pulled him close, that familiar, misplaced rage apparent in his eyes. "Understood?" Riku clenched his jaw tightly and his eyes narrowed further into angry slits.
"Yes," Riku hissed through his teeth and the male hiked him up a bit higher.
"Excuse me?"
"Yes, father." The tall white-haired man let go off his son and sauntered out of the large foyer, calling out to his wife who had been standing near their wide staircase. His mother glanced at him with her standard and vacant expression, but behind her stoic façade there was a great sadness in her eyes.
"It's... for your own good."
While straightening out his twisted collar, Riku watched her hurry into another room and call out to her husband. "Having no friends, being alone...turning into an anti-social bastard. How the hell is any of that supposed to be good for me?!" The silver haired teen hurried to his huge bedroom door and slipped inside to stare at the room.
He had wondered, for the longest time, why his father bothered to move them to this town if he hated the "low class" like he claimed. It was because of his current job they had moved to Destiny Islands—but even so, there were other locations where there weren't "poor people" or "middle class" and despite that, their house was the nicest on the street after his father had it renovated. The damn show-off.
While walking to the corner, he inhaled gently and sat down at his ebony piano. The grand instrument was definitely the only good thing in his too-giant room. But even as he rested his hands above the keys, a familiar emptiness swirled around in his chest while he thought of their first few days here.
It was hard – rather awkward when he thought about it. And the only reason for moving to Twilight Street that Riku saw was his father's excitement for tormenting and chastising people who had less than he did. His hatred ran so deep…and Riku had no idea why. What possible excitement was there to gain by looking down on those who had less than you—and just looking down on anyone at all?
But...moving to Destiny Islands gave him the chance to meet Sora—his first possible 'friend' in a long while. The brunet was different in a good sort of way.
Though no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't get the image of wild chocolate spikes and friendly cerulean eyes out of his mind; he was very sure that he had never met anyone as adorable as the brunet. Sora was cute, kind, and so goddamn friendly. What on earth could have prompted the brunet to talk to him? Even three days after transferring to Sunset Hills High School, the brunet had already befriended almost everyone in the damn school; surely he didn't need Riku—didn't even need to communicate with him.
But he did.
And it made him happy. (A shocking fact when taking into account that Riku was rarely happy these days.)
Perhaps it was because Sora was actually allowed to make friends, or maybe he had a loving family who let him freely choose what he wanted that made him so...innocent and extraordinary. No matter what his father said, he truly wanted to get to know more about this fascinating teen. How would his father find out anyway?
Letting his thoughts ease out, Riku brushed some of his bangs out of his eyes before effortlessly letting his long fingers dance across the keys.
Maybe one of these days, he could show Sora some of his music. The brunet had said something about his love of listening to other's compositions... In all honesty—Riku had always wanted someone listen to his music and to let the calming melodies ease all their worries away. He had once liked making a deep, profound impact on people. He wanted them to feel the emotions he put into creating those pieces.
But things like that had disappeared right along with the happiness in his life as he grew and was unable to find anyone truly interested in his music.
Because the silver haired teen had memorized the song he had started, he didn't need to focus on the keys and he let his eyes trail around his room. Even though it was so spacious and elegant, he felt trapped and lonely. He rarely had or wanted company, but now that he thought about it, inviting Sora over when his parents were at one of their ridiculous parties (or rather, what they liked to call 'meetings') didn't seem like such a bad idea.
And if he told them not to, the maids wouldn't say a word to anyone if Sora was ever here.
Riku shook his head and kept playing. He needed a decent song if he was going to sing to...for Sora. That is, if he was really going to invite the slender teen to his home.
Though with several things on his mind, Riku got up and moved from the piano to open his nightstand drawer and get out his sheet music (while grabbing his pencil, sitting back at his piano, and starting to scribble down the notes that he played.)
Normally, when he created his own music it was serious and a little empty. But somehow, this time it seemed different; it was relaxing, but at the same time it stirred up different emotions in him—some of them new and exhilarating. It just felt so easy to create music that was peaceful and actually seemed to flow when he was thinking of the brunet. Not that it was surprising in the least bit.
Sora was the only person who, other than his family, actually noticed him. (His family barely paid attention to him anyway.)
He sighed for the thousandth time and then pressed his pale lips together. 'Maybe I will...'
A strange twinge of excitement at the thought of having a friend, Sora no less, at his house caused the teen to grow restless and he slid off of the stool to grab one of his guitars.
"I should probably practice..." He strummed the strings once and cleared his throat.
~O~
"Hey mom… Do you think I could invite Riku over, um, tomorrow?"
Sora timidly asked the question while he twirled his fork around in his dinner—glancing at his mother who also lifted her gaze to her son's.
"Sure, sweetie. Is that why you've actually cleaned your room?" She smirked playfully and rested her elbows on the table. She had remembered the utter shock of being able to see the floor in her son's room when she went to tell him it was time to eat. She even had to brace herself on the doorway just in case the surprise made her keel over. (A little over-the-top, but yeah…) It was still startling.
"Yes! Wait, no! Yes! No! Ah!" He lowered his crimson-hued face and shoveled a heap of spaghetti into his mouth. "It's good to spend some time with your friends." She winked at him and sauntered off to the kitchen with their finished plates, laughing and swaying her hips all the way.
"Oi." Sora frantically ran his hands through his unruly hair and muttered an early 'goodnight' to his mother before retreating to his room. He really didn't want to stick around for her teases. Despite the dark flush that remained on his cheeks, Sora smiled to himself as he eased open his door and slipped inside his room.
"Hey dad, I've made a new friend today," The brunet commented as he closed the door behind him and then glanced at the photo on the desk before he flopped down on the mattress. "Granted, he doesn't really smile or talk much but... I think I can help him with that." The brunet smiled at the picture, which was taken of his family four years before his father died.
It had become almost a ritual since then to tell his father about his day, although sometimes he wished the photo could talk back to him. (That didn't make him crazy, did it?)
The brunet's eyes finally fluttered shut and he yawned, settling under his light comforter—for some reason, even though it was technically always 'summer' on the island, his room was the coldest in the house at night.
"G'night dad..." Those words slipped past the brunet's lips before he rolled over and fell asleep.
-That I've never said before-
~O~
-x-
"See ya, Mom."
Sora waved to where he thought his mother was as he struggled to pull his shirt down over his head.
"Bye! You better hurry!" He heard her call out as he closed the door behind him and rushed down the street. "Ahh, I'm going to be so late!" He sprinted down the street and zipped around the corner only to be unexpectedly stopped by something.
After colliding with the 'something'—sending it forward and sending himself spiraling to the ground in the other direction—he groaned and rubbed his throbbing wrist. "Ow." The brunet sat up and looked up to into none other than the concerned face of his silver haired friend.
"Are you okay?" Riku stuck his hand out for Sora to grab.
"Yeah, thank you."
Sora winced when his friend grabbed his hand. "Huh? Does it hurt?" Riku examined Sora's arm, which had a fairly large cut leading to his wrist. "I...I just scraped it." He offered weakly as he stared at his bleeding wrist. The silver haired teen sighed and snaked a hand into his bag, bringing out an elegant, embroidered handkerchief after he had carefully inspected the wound. "Here. This should stop the bleeding until we get you to school. I really am sorry." Sora winced as Riku gently dabbed at his wrist before folding and wrapping it around the injury.
"Hey, don't worry about it; it's not your fault. I was the one who ran into you!" Riku helped Sora up and took his uninjured hand, quickly leading him to the school.
'At least that stupid handkerchief they force me to carry finally made itself useful,' the silver haired teen thought as he glanced back at the brunet. His eyes softened at the worried look on the other's now-pale face as he was obviously trying to concentrate on things other than his injured wrist.
"I really am sorry."
It actually wasn't until after the two had entered the building and were half-way to the nurse's office that Sora noticed that Riku had not once let go of his hand. 'His hand is so warm...'
"Um, my…friend scraped his wrist, can you take a look at it for him," Riku murmured to the nurse as he walked through the door to her office. The fragile-looking woman quickly stood up and walked over to Sora, her long braid swaying with the elegant movement.
"Oh no! Please let me take a look at it."
She removed Riku's cloth and looked at Sora's wrist, frowning slightly. "Oh my, you poor thing. Hang on for one second, sweetie." Sora winced when he saw her discard the sullied cloth into her wastebasket. 'Mental note: buy Riku a new hanky!'
And as she then walked to her closet to lug out her gigantic first aid kit. (How she carried that monster was beyond Sora.)
Riku's worried expression eased as he watched her disinfect and rewrap the brunet's wrist in a large bandage with a heart on it. Sora looked at it with a chuckle as he happily tracing the cute design with his finger. (He'd never admit it out loud, but he'd developed sort of a liking for sweet things like that. He blamed Kairi and Selphie, since they were always going on about 'adorable' things.)
"Thank you, Miss...Um?" When he tilted his head the woman smiled and moved her bangs out of her face. "Miss Gainsborough. But feel free to call me Aerith." She clutched his uninjured hand and shook it.
"I'm Sora," the brunet offered with his friendly smile.
"Nice to meet you, Sora." Riku watched the brunet thank the woman and bow to Aerith, his sweet expression making her smile once more. "I guess you better get to your classes before you get in trouble! Thank you for bringing him, Riku. Please try and be more careful, okay Sora?" She advised and put her utensils away while the slender brunet beamed at her.
"I will!" He called and waved to the kind woman, before he led Riku out of the office.
"…Thank you," he quietly thanked the silver haired teen a few moments after they had been walking.
"What for?" Surprised by the brunet's appreciation, Riku stopped walking and turned to Sora, who smiled.
"For helping and taking care of me! I get dizzy when I see blood." He warily looked at his bandaged wrist and put his other hand over the small heart shape.
"Oh... You're welcome." Riku's eyes lingered on Sora until a chuckle slipped past the brunet's soft-looking lips, and he started to walk faster. "Come on, we're going to be later if we creep around here any longer!" He grasped Riku's hand and bolted for their class.
Somehow, it felt like he and Sora had made some profound leap in their new friendship.
He couldn't think of a better way to get the morning started.
~O~
Sora was happy.
So far it had been a great day—despite the damage that was done to his poor arm. But the main reason for the brunet's happiness was that he'd gotten Riku to talk to him more; the teen seemed a smidgen less awkward. The only way his day could get any better was if Riku agreed to come to his house and hang out.
He wanted to spend as much time with Riku as possible; which was the reason he currently was standing outside the school with Kairi, waiting for his silver-haired friend.
"Wait, so... You cut your arm—blood oozing everywhere—and you didn't pass out?" She asked, raising a thin eyebrow when he nodded proudly. "That's a first," she taunted while the brunet laughed and stuck his tongue out at her.
"Aw, stop teasing! Anyway, do you see Riku anywhere?" He looked around timidly and Kairi folded her arms when she leaned back against the fence they stood by. "You're really getting excited about this, aren't you?" She looked over her friend and shook her head at his nervous smile and he fidgeted.
With a light pink blush on his face, Sora lowered his head and gave a quick nod. "Maybe a little," he admitted while scratching the back of his neck.
Though her friend was so eager, Kairi bit her lip when she thought about Riku's previous answers to a question like Sora's. "I wouldn't be getting too excited. Oh look, there's Riku!" Kairi pointed behind Sora at the school and the brunet smiled when he saw the teen walking out of the building.
"Hey, hey Riku!" Sora waved wildly to get his friend's attention until Kairi rolled her eyes and pushed him. "Hey, Riku!"
Said teen caught sight of his shouting friend and strolled over towards him. "Hey," he nodded at the two and Kairi folded her arms, but tried to give a friendly smile. 'He could've at least sounded happier…'
"Hey, I have a question for you." Sora didn't waste any time getting to the point, once they started walking. Riku looked at Sora as he shifted the strap to his bag on his shoulder. "Yeah?"
Sora fiddled with his fingers but forced himself to stop being so nervous. "W-would... Do you want to come over my house today?" Kairi could see the nervousness on Sora's face as he hoped for the best. Kairi's lips thinned into a fine line when she saw the silver haired teen's shocked expression. 'Please say yes!'
"What?" The question had obviously caught Riku off guard.
'How did he ask first?' The teen had just been debating on whether or not he should invite Sora over, if he ever even gathered the courage to ask him. It was just hanging out anyway...
"Ah—I mean, if you don't want to then that's fine…" Riku intensely disliked the way that Sora tried to cover up his disheartened expression. "I—" He bit his lip when the brunet's face fell. "Its fine, I know you're busy and stuff! I just..." Sora was trying his best not to show his disappointment and he hoped that Riku was bad at reading people's emotions. (However, it wasn't like Sora was the master of subterfuge to begin with.)
Even though Kairi wasn't making eye contact with either of them, she also wore an upset expression before she locked eyes with Riku. She mouthed the words 'he really likes you' to him and watched his eyes flicked to the cement sidewalk.
The silver haired teen could always tell his parents he had afterschool activities… "I'll… I'd like that, Sora." Riku accepted quietly. His breath caught in his throat as Sora's face lit up—the brunet's beautiful sky irises shone more radiantly than the setting sun in front of them.
Being unable to contain his joy, Sora lifted himself onto his tiptoes and threw his arm around Riku. "Really?! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Kairi disguised her giggled with a cough when she glanced at Riku's face, which was tinted a soft shade of pink that looked oh-so amusing on his surprised visage. "Y-you're welcome."
"This is so great," the brunet laughed as he slowly unwound his arms and then glanced up at Riku. 'Hopefully, I can see your smile!'
"Really, thank you. It's nice to be able get away from home." Riku spoke softly, and Sora smiled at his friend's appreciation before he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet.
"All right then, no time to waste! I'll call you later, Kairi!" The teen grabbed Riku's hand and sprinted down the block, towing the poor, still-slightly- shocked silver haired teen behind him.
Kairi couldn't help but smile as she watched their retreating forms and she cupped her hands around her mouth to call, "Have fun!"
'Sora gets excited so easily. I probably should've warned Riku.'
She laughed to herself and headed for her own home, stopping only when a realization hit her. "Ah… Now I have nothing to do…"
~O~
"Mom, I'm back! And I've brought company!" The slender brunet's voice carried into the room after he opened the front door.
Silence.
"Mom?" Both teens were met with more silence until a small explosion resounded from the kitchen, which resulted in his mother stumbling out of the kitchen, which was filling up with smoke. "Be right with you, hun!" She gestured to him and glared/pouted when the smoke detector went off.
"Argh!"
The two watched her rush back into the smoky room. Shortly after that, Riku lifted a platinum eyebrow and glanced at Sora, who hung his head. "...You really shouldn't ask." He muttered with a blush heating his face. "She doesn't really cook often." Sora explained when he looked at Riku.
"I can't imagine why..." The silver haired teen added sarcastically and the delighted laugh he received from Sora made his heart leap. Normally, people couldn't catch the teasing note in his voice and got upset, but Sora apparently knew when the older male was joking.
"Well, she tries." Both of Riku's eyebrows lifted when Sora's mother resurfaced—covered in smoke and dust—holding a small, square tray. She was rather short, just barely taller than Sora, and she was rather elfin now that he took in her appearance.
"Oh, my gosh! Sora! Look, I did it! I actually almost made cookies!" She held the dish close to the brunet's face and Riku peered down over Sora's shoulder at the remains of charred...cookies? Was that what she called them?
"Uh, yeah mom. They actually are shaped like cookies this time." He cautiously offered her a smile and gently pushed the tray back after patting her shoulder, "Thanks. But uh, we're not hungry right now, right Riku?" He looked back at the nervous teen, who cleared his throat and nodded, "Uh... No. Not really." Sora's mother looked at Riku—actually acknowledging his existence this time.
"Huh? Who are you?" She set her tray down and looked at him.
Riku straightened his posture, falling into the refined disposition he had been taught to greet new people with, and bowed his head slightly, "I'm—"
"Wait, don't tell me! Silver hair, nice body, calm features...lonely green eyes... You must be Riku!" She exclaimed and looked at Sora for confirmation, "Am I correct?" She articulated with her wide grin and Sora rubbed the bridge of his nose in mortification. Why did she seem so embarrassing when they had company? But, he decided that didn't love her any less for it, so it was okay. (But still slightly mortifying.)
"Yeah." Sora nodded and pulled his friend forward, smiling and patting the teen on the back.
The curious woman tapped her finger on her chin and circled around the silver-haired teen, slowly enough to cause him to fidget.
"Wow, your hair; is that natural? Do you dye it? Can I touch it?" Riku saw her sapphire eyes twinkle—similar to another blue-eyed brunet—as she questioned and stared at him in anticipation, her childlike features bright. "Mom. You're probably making him uncomfortable." Sora noticed the 'okay-what-the-hell-is-this-woman-doing?' expression on his friend's face and gave the teen an apologetic smile.
"Oh shush, I am not! You don't mind, right?" She asked and if she noticed the teen's crimson-hued cheeks, she didn't say or do anything about them. "I-I..."
"Mom..." Sora poked his fingers together when Riku's eyes probed his own. "So you don't care, right?" She looked at his hair again and he sighed.
"N-No." He didn't know why, but he fidgeted as she inspected his hair and played with some long strands. To be quite honest, Riku loved the feeling of someone combing their fingers through his silver tresses. But just knowing that it was Sora's mother, well, made him feel that if she didn't like something about him, then Sora wouldn't either. He was surprised to know that a thought like that made his chest ache.
"Oh, it's so shiny and soft! I wish my hair was like yours!" She continued to jubilantly mess with Riku's silky strands until Sora sighed and grabbed her shoulders. "Ohh-kay mom, I think that's enough!" He pulled her back slowly and she giggled.
"Fine, fine," the impish woman held her hands up in defeat, "You're no fun, Sor." She folded her arms behind her head and stuck her tongue out. (Everyone knew what traits the brunet inherited from his mother.)
"Anyway, you're lucky. I'm going out with Mina tonight, to that place I told you about yesterday." She declared as she grabbed the tray and trotted into the kitchen. "Oh no—not with Kairi's mom!" Sora grabbed his forehead and would've seriously considered fainting if Riku hadn't touched his shoulder.
"You okay?" The silver haired teen asked and Sora held back as smile at the concern in the taller boy's eyes. Riku was really nice – it made Sora wonder why no one took the time to get to know him… But despite that, his mind wandered back to his mother and her plans for the evening. He groaned again.
Both his and Kairi's mother had this weird ritual of always going out to have fun in random places. Shopping Centers. Restaurants. Bars… The backyards of unsuspecting neighbors. Wherever they could that was legal—or well, almost legal.
Whenever they got together Sora knew that they were causing hell for some poor unfortunate soul, who would probably have to scrape their wasted asses off an unknown sidewalk in the morning... "Well, I should be back much later so don't worry about it, my little ducky!" She stuck her hand through the doorway and waved.
"So, you're going drinking?" She came back into the living room and looked at her son while twirling a piece of hair on her finger—that little nervous habit she couldn't quite break.
"Sor, don't worry. We always end up here anyway," she reassured her son with a big smile. Sora looked at the ground briefly before meeting his mother's eyes once again. He trusted her, but he knew how carried away she could get after a few drinks.
"Mom please, try not to get too drunk – if at all... I don't want you becoming one of those typical abusive alcoholics!" He warned, folding his arms. He really wished that Riku did not have to hear this conversation, but it happened more frequently than he cared to admit. Quite often, actually…
"Oh please, Sora. It's not like we go out every day!" She saw the concern on his face increase and her expression eased into her gentle, maternal one – one that was so unlike her normally silly expressions, but still suited her entirely. "Sor..." She walked over to her child, frowning when she finally noticed the bandages on his arm. "Hey, what happened?" The slim woman moved closer and inspected his wrist when she noticed him trying to cover it with his other hand.
"What? Oh, this morning I ran into Riku—literally. I scraped it when I fell and Riku helped me to the nurse's office." He looked back at the quiet teen with a grateful smile.
"Thank goodness. With your whole blood-phobia thing I'm glad someone was there to keep you from fainting." She smiled and kissed him on the cheek. He flushed and batted her away. "I guess I better head to Kairi's house, then," she grabbed her purse and let the strap hang from her arm as it folded across her stomach.
"You know, you guys really should find a safer hobby. Like...knitting." Sora pouted when his mother started laughing at his comment, and Riku just watched them banter with a quiet amusement that only present through his vibrant eyes.
"Sorry Sor. I'll hit the knitting and prune juice when I'm older. Though you'd be surprised how many alcoholic drinks require prune—"
"Ohhh-kay, that's more information than I need, thanks. Are you trying to drive me to drink?" Sora asked through a laugh, and his mother soon joined in to chuckle at his taunt. She slung an arm over her son's shoulder and kissed his forehead, and then remembered that there was another person in the room. She spared a glance at Riku, who she noticed had been nervous and tense. "Hey kid, don't be such a stranger! Lighten up! Our house is your house." She patted him on the back and pushed him towards Sora.
"Y…yes ma'am," he spoke as he grabbed Sora's shoulder to steady himself—his weight causing the brunet to stumble a bit.
"I'll be gone for the day so feel free to do whatever. Just try not to get too wild!" She winked at both teens and went into her bedroom.
"Ahh. Sorry about this, Riku." Sora looked exasperated until his mother flounced back into the room with a pair of different clothes hanging around her arm. "Hey Sor, do you know when the Paopu thingy begins?" She questioned her son, while rummaging through her large purse.
"What? We used to go to that all the time! It's on Saturday, right?" The teen remembered his father once told him that Destiny Islands was special because they held certain festivals—which were exciting and romantic nights when couples got together to do whatever it was they did. Sora just went for the fireworks and food. He loved free toys, too.
"Ah, I remember it like it was yesterday. Your father proposed to me on the night he invited me to the Paopu thingy..." His mother closed her eyes; apparently lost in her memories. Sora was confused be the woman's brief reverie, so he inquired, "Why do you ask?"
"Well, I just thought that maybe you and Riku could go. Why don't you?" She suggested after a few moments and smirked when Sora choked on his spit. "Huh?! Mom I really don't think–"
"I'm sure it'll be fun, so go and hang out! It's not just for couples, Sor." His mother leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead once again, further embarrassing the blushing boy.
"I'd rather go to the one in the summer, but I guess we could... T-To hang out and stuff." Sora made sure not to look at his taller friend as this was being said. To be honest, the idea sounded rather fun to him.
"Good." His mother smiled and swung the purse still on her arm around in circles, miraculously not spilling its contents. "Anyways, I'm leaving now, duckies!" She patted Riku's head and walked past the two and spun around. "Love you, have fun!" She quickly slipped outside and closed the door.
"I swear I'm not related to her..." Sora muttered after looking at the door. Throughout the whole exchange Riku's impression of the woman changed. She definitely was different... But not in a way that made Riku want to scream and flee in terror, no, the silver haired teen honestly liked her to a great extent. It was easy to see how similar she was to her son, and yet very unlike him in many ways. And she looked as if she could be his older sister. But her large blue eyes and attractive smile was obviously passed down to her son.
Sora shyly glanced at the silver haired teen, idly pointing to the sofa. "Hey, go ahead and sit down, I'll go get some snacks." Riku nodded and situated himself on the furniture as he watched the brunet disappear.
In all his life he'd never met anyone quite like Sora and his mother. They were so kind; so friendly. Was that how families acted—real families? His parent's were the exact opposite... He barely even spoke to them, aside from his mother on a few occasions. Now that he was on that subject, would his parents get angry? Maybe they didn't even notice he wasn't home.
Somewhere in-between Riku's musings, Sora walked back into the room whistling and carrying several bowls of food. "There you go." The brunet placed the snacks on the table and plopped down next to Riku. "I thought we could talk for a while and then maybe watch a movie or something. That's usually how Kai and I spend our time."
"That's fine. You can ask me something first." Sora smiled and grabbed his bowl of pretzels, kicking his feet up as he took a moment to think. "So, do you have any brothers or sisters?" Sora started. It was time to get to know each other better.
Sora/Riku bonding—initiated.
Riku frowned, his thoughts immediately deviating to his sister. "I have an older sister, but she moved out of this town a while ago." The silver haired teen spoke softly and dipped his hand into the bowl to take out a few of the salty treats.
"Somehow I pictured you as an older brother, but it must be nice to have someone look out for you, too," the brunet chuckled but continued on, "What's her name? Do you miss her?" Riku nodded and pictured the blonde-haired woman. A good portion of his past involved her and how she kept him company when no one else would. Yes, he did miss her, and all he had to remember her by since she left were her paintings—the ones he had hung in his room to make it a bit livelier.
"Her name is Naminé. I do miss her every now and again... What about you; any siblings?" Sora shook his head and smiled a bit sadly.
"Nope! Only child. Although, I think it would be fun to have a little brother or sister." He kept his grin while munching on the snacks.
The brunet always wished there were little kids running around, laughing and having fun. He loved children and somehow always attracted their little attentions—which usually meant getting followed and climbed on. (Kairi teased him about this to no end.) But he always wished he had a sibling—maybe twin or something.
Riku noticed that the brunet had begun think to himself, so in that time he decided to study his friend's soft features. What was it about this boy that just made Riku feel?
"Sora...can I ask you something?" Riku spoke in a low voice and briefly avoided the brunet's eyes. "Hn? Well, that's the point of the game, right?" The brunet laughed cheerfully and set his empty bowl on the table. "But sure. Don't worry about personal questions, I'll answer anything. Honesty is my policy!" He smiled and placed his hands on his crossed legs.
"Why are you so determined on becoming my friend?" After his question, Riku finally locked eyes with Sora and he could tell that his inquiry surprised the smaller male.
"Huh? Do you...not want me to talk to you?" Sora frowned at the thought. Had he been reading Riku's actions and expressions the wrong way?
"No, it's not that... I just can't imagine someone like you wanting to get close to someone like me." Riku shook his head ruefully and missed Sora's hurt expression.
"Someone like me?" Sora blinked a couple of times before he rested his gaze on his bare toes, wiggling them as a small frown spread over his lips. 'Does Riku not like me?'
Riku nodded as the brunet's words and dipped his head the slightest bit closer, "You're so optimistic and straightforward. Do you really want someone as dull and depressing as me around you?" Sora had to admit that his friend's words had surprised him. He sighed and took the opportunity to scoot closer to Riku when he saw the other male pull backwards.
"Why do you insist on saying that? I like you for you. I won't ask you to be my friend if you don't want to...because I don't like seeing people unhappy." The brunet chuckled and stole a few snacks from Riku's bowl, "But I already consider you my friend. It's okay if you don't think that way." Riku looked away when those words were accompanied by the brunet's bright smile. Even though Sora was trying his best to look happy, it hurt Riku to see that there was still a small hint of sadness behind his expression.
'I do think of you as a friend, Sora...'
The brunet leaned forward and inspected Riku's face for any signs of joy. None. He couldn't find anything. "Hey, Riku. Why don't you smile?" The slender teen asked curiously. "What?" Riku's bangs fell over his eyes, hiding his curious look and he waited for the brunet to speak. "Well, I haven't really seen you smile."
Riku shifted around, his movements quick and nervous, and he sighed—knowing the reason full well, but couldn't bring himself to share it. "I can't remember the last time I've smiled. A lot of things have happened since then."
"If you don't mind me asking, what kind of things?" Riku lowered his head, afraid that his friend would ask that particular question. "I..." When Riku hesitated, Sora put a hand on his friend's bicep (the brunet was surprised at how muscled it was) and smiled. "It's okay. You don't have to if it's something that bothers you. I was being too curious, sorry!" Riku looked the slender hand resting on his arm, then at the teen it belonged to.
"Sora..."
"Hi guys!!"
Upon hearing the foreign voice, Sora screamed and fell off the couch. Riku, in-turn, jumped and turned to look behind him. "Jeez." The red-haired teen scratched her head and regarded the two with an uneasy smile on her face.
"Oww." Riku flinched at Sora's whine, then looked back at the brunet and helped him up off the floor. "K-Kairi! When did you get here?" Sora rubbed his injured wrist and head.
"I guess you and Riku were too caught up in your conversation to notice me waltz through the front door." She smiled and hopped over the couch so that she was sitting in the middle, "I got bored and decided to interrupt before you guys got too emotional." She looked at Riku's face, finding that he looked extremely tense. "Hey, were you guys going to watch a movie or something? Mind if I join for a while?" She asked as she spotted the food and drinks on the table. Sora just stared at Riku nervously before he subconsciously nodded.
"I guess I'll pick!" Sora sighed when his friend smiled and pulled her crimson hair back into a ponytail.
Riku/Sora bonding—interrupted…
Kairi scrambled to the television and sifted through the collection of many Disney-centric movies. "How about The Lady and the Tramp?" She held up the case and watched the brunet fidget—he remembered how embarrassed he used to get when the two dogs shared their spaghetti noodle. "Uh, I don't know if—" She cut her friend off by holding up another case. "Pochohontas?" She placed it back in the drawer when Sora shook his head.
"Do you two always watch movies like this?" Riku asked the pair, looking at Kairi and then Sora."Yep. Since we were kids, we'd usually get together and watch movies—mostly Disney." Kairi explained as she fiddled with a bundle of VHS's.
"I see..." Riku had to admit that he was a little bit envious. He never had time to watch movies with friends (because he didn't have the freedom of making so-called friends) or to do things he actually enjoyed, besides play his guitar and piano. He shook his head and banished the jealousy that had started to form inside his heart.
"So, what's your favorite Disney movie?" Sora asked, gazing back at Riku. The silver haired teen was at a loss; he didn't even know any of the movie titles to help him act as if he knew what they were talking about. So he opted for the truth. (That was always good, right?)
"I haven't really watched any...Aren't they intended for children?" He answered honestly as he shrugged one of his shoulders. The silver haired teen was having second thoughts about his answer when Sora and Kairi stared at him before exchanging a gaze with each other.
"Wait… What?!" They both shouted in unison at the silver-haired teen.
"None of them, seriously? Not even Tarzan? The Lion King?! Or Bambi? None of the classics?"The redhead's mouth hung open when Riku shook his head. He was a poor, poor depraved child.
"Kai, you do know that we need to right this terrible wrong?" Kairi smiled and nodded when Sora exchanged another look with her, though this time it was playful.
"I'll get the popcorn." Kairi got up and wandered into the kitchen.
"We're going to watch Disney movies all night!" Sora exclaimed happily as he sat next to Riku and one of the teen's silver eyebrows arched.
"Disney Marathon!" Kairi called from the kitchen, making Riku raise his other brow as he opened his mouth to speak, "But I—" Riku glanced at the clock on the wall behind him and then watched Sora happily converse with their friend even while she made their snacks.
Depending how many movies were included in this "marathon" he might not even make it home in time for his father to kick the shit out of him. But, looking at the cheerful atmosphere and lovely smile on the smaller teen's face, he decided it would be worth it.
He couldn't…he didn't want to leave.
"Say no more. We shall educate you on the amazing-ness that is Disney," Kairi reassured a few moments before she entered the room with two large bowls of popcorn, smiling from ear to ear. "I still can't believe you've never seen any of these movies. Sora and I watch them almost religiously!" Kairi situated herself on the floor while Sora and Riku got comfortable on the couch.
She smiled at the quiet teen and scooted to the television to pop in the movie she selected. "Try not to cry when the old lady let's Todd go, Sora." She teased the brunet and Riku tilted his head to the side slightly.
Avoiding his redheaded friend's smirk, Sora blushed and folded his arms. "I do not cry!" After his little outburst, Sora tried his hardest to keep his eyes away from the older male's curious pair.
"No, you bawl. Like a little girl." She smiled triumphantly when he sunk into the couch and covered his face. "Well you could always use Riku for emotional support—if not to wipe your tears on." Both teens blushed, but Sora—being the more dramatic one—felt his face take on the colour of a ripe, red tomato.
"Kairi!"
"Shush, the movies starting!" Sora quickly and gladly complied as Kairi skipped past the beginning commercials and started the film. She gave a simple smile and spread out on the floor with her huge popcorn bowl after a swift glance at the two boys on the sofa. After confirming the little theory she had been playing with, the redhead would indeed have an interesting night with her friends. Oh, fun times were to be had in the future.
All three teens happily (well, Riku was happy on the inside) watched the movie.
-x-
~O~
-x-
Several hours and popcorn bags later Riku decided it was time to leave. He looked at the clock and panicked—it was almost ten p.m. Ho Shit.
He was a little more than just fashionably late.
There's no way his parent's would believe that he stayed at school for six and-a-half extra hours. He gently eased the sleeping brunet off his shoulder and into a more comfortable position against the sofa cushions. (And he had had a mini panic attack when the small body had fallen against him, at the time making the still slightly awake redhead grin at his reaction.) The two younger teens had fallen asleep by the fourth movie—which was now ending. Riku had been rather interested in the movie, and stayed awake. He was beginning to think that they were "fantastical" as Kairi put it. Even though he past the phase of believing in fairy tales, the good ol' Disney 'magic' his friends had talked about brought a light, tingly feeling to his chest—like they really were magical.
And other than the occasional awkward situation that resulted from one of Kairi's remarks, he had really enjoyed spending time with them.
Riku looked at the two sleeping teens. It was a good thing he hadn't joined them in their slumber; he wouldn't have returned home and there would've been some serious hell to pay. And in addition to that, he really wanted to live long enough to be able to do this again.
It had taken him a few more moments to gather up the will to get up and walk to the front door. His fingers slid around the small, golden doorknob and he carefully began to twist it – wincing moments later when it gave a loud squeak.
"Riku?" Said teen flinched and turned to catch sight of the brunet slowly rising into a sitting position. He almost laughed at the boy's sleepy expression and the languid way he tried to smooth out his disheveled shirt. "Whereareyougoin'?" Sora mumbled tiredly and moved the back of his hand across his eyes in a childlike manner.
Riku walked back to the couch and put a hand on Sora's shoulder, trying to coerce the smaller teen to go back to sleep. "You should get to bed. I've got to be getting home now, Sora. Thank you for today." His calm voice belied the way his eyes shone with the nervousness that made his stomach twist.
"Oh, okay. I'll go with you." Sora stood up and stretched, happy that he caught his friend before he departed.
"No... It's late. I wouldn't want you passing out on the way; you should go back to sleep." Sora looked at his other friend on the floor before he brought his stare back to Riku, wondering why the older male seemed so uneasy all of the sudden. "But I'd be worried if you left here alone," Sora yawned and slipped past the silver haired teen and stood by the entrance. "I want to go with you..." The glossy sheen to the brunet's pleading eyes—a result from the yawn—made it impossible for the older male to deny him his request.
Riku sighed, though he couldn't help but feel a certain fondness for the cute teen. 'Just like a stubborn child when he's half asleep.'
"All right. But make sure not to make any noise on the way out." Riku put his finger to his lips as he looked at Sora and he pointed to the redhead passed out on the floor. Sora chuckled and nodded, quietly following his friend out the door, locking it behind him and slipping his keys into his pocket.
"Gah, it sure got cold." Sora shivered and hugged himself. If there was one downside to the night-life of the islands, it was how damn cold it got at night. (Which didn't even make sense because of the whole tropical thing.)
"Yeah," Riku stared at the shaking brunet and moved closer to him—enough so that the brunet's shoulder was brushing up against his arm.
"I want to thank you for inviting me to your house. I had a good time." Riku looked down at his wild-haired friend's smiling face. Seeing the brunet's ecstatic features made him want to smile so badly. But he couldn't... Every time he tried to, the wounds in his heart ached terribly and it was just easier to keep his face blank.
"I'm glad. I had fun too!" Sora leaned a bit closer to his friend and grinned lightheartedly, "We could do that again sometime, if you want." He looked at Riku with hope hidden in his cerulean irises and missed the small sigh that drifted past the other teen's lips. 'If I live through tonight, I'd love to,' the silver haired male thought sullenly.
The two had continued to walk for several more minutes and kept their thoughts to themselves, quite content with the silence. However, that calm semblance was shattered, and Riku's insides twisted as he saw the large gate come into view.
"Hey, we're almost there," Sora pointed out and Riku glared not only at the gate, but the house it encircled as well.
"Is something wrong, Riku?" Sora asked when he noticed the irritated look on his friend's face.
"No," Riku answered, a little too stiffly. He walked to the gate and used a great deal of strength to open it quickly.
"Whoa!" Riku stopped and looked back at Sora, amusement easily recognizable in his eyes after he took in the brunet's awed expression. "I bet you built those muscles by opening this gate all the time," Sora laughed quietly and observed Riku moments before scrutinizing the gate and the small control box located on the concrete wall there. "It can be opened physically or by pushing the controls, but the butler or the maids usually open it..." He explained and watched his friend nod. "But I was born with these guns." Sora recognized the teasing tone in which Riku had spoke and although he wasn't smiling, the brunet chuckled at the response.
"I'm so jealous." He squeezed the teen's arm and hoped to get even a small twitch of his lips, "But I bet you give great hugs!" The brunet tried again and was able to see the colour of Riku's cheeks darken. At least that was something!
The two teens stood silently, staring into each other's eyes until Riku coughed and looked away.
"I guess I should be going." Riku slipped slightly into the gate and glanced over his shoulder when Sora chuckled. "I'll walk with you to the door!" He also tried to move through the gate but stopped in confusion when Riku shot his hand out. Taken aback by the alarmed expression on Riku's face, Sora opened his mouth to speak until his friend cut him off, "That's not a good idea. I don't think you sh—"
"Riku."
Said teen flinched before he spun his head around in horror. Sora glanced around Riku's shoulder in order to see the owner of the voice and found an extremely ticked off, middle-aged man glaring at the silver haired teen. His dark jade eyes flashed and he flipped a strand of long white hair that was cascading down his chest over his shoulder. A petite woman in her night-clothes slowly approached the man's side, "Riku, thank good—" The enraged man cut his wife off by bumping into her as he took a large stride forward to seize Riku by the hair, an action that forced a strangled gasp from both Sora and Riku's mother.
"Where have you been?" The man practically spat out, ignoring the way his son grunted and tried to pry the hand from his hair.
"Let...go." Gritting his teeth together, Riku's body cringes when the fist in his hair tightened its grip.
"Answer me when I am speaking to you! Do you know how upset you've made your mother, boy? Learn to show some respect," the man's voice came out as a harsh growl, and Sora couldn't help but take a step towards his friend.
"Riku!" Sora's fingers grasped at the shirt fabric above his heaving chest, and tried to calm the pounding of his heart down. What was going on? Why was Riku's father being so rough? 'Please tell me he doesn't act like this all the time!' Sora thought and took another step towards the silver haired teen.
"Sora, go home!" Riku shouted back and his father turned his eyes to the brunet for the first time, then back to his son.
"Who is this?" He asked angrily, glancing at Sora once more. "I—"
"Get out of here! Now!" Riku hissed and gave the brunet a distressed look while a bunch of different things rand through his mind, the predominant thought being: 'Please don't hate me for this.'
After his father roughly released the tight grip on his hair, Riku fell to his knees against the ground and his mother rushed to his side. "Sora, get out of my sight." Riku had a great difficulty forcing those words from his mouth and he struggled to get up until his mother took hold of his arm. "Please, stop. Don't do anything stupid!"
Sora stood still as Riku's father approached him. "Who are you? What business do you have here?" Sora stood up straight and closed his fists, although Riku could see him shaking through his brave stance. 'Please, leave.' Riku made another move to get up, but his mother placed a hand on his shoulder and held him down as she shook her head once again.
"I'm Sora Hayashi; Riku's friend," he stated proudly despite his being in fear.
The brunet's posture faltered slightly at the man's scowl and he bit his lip. "Friend? That miserable boy doesn't have any friends. Especially low class filth like yourself." His features developed a smirk at the brunet's shock/hurt.
"You're not worth enough even to be in his presence. Leave, before I report you for trespassing." Riku clenched his teeth as his father spoke and he struggled once within his mother's surprisingly strong hold.
'If he so much as lays a finger on Sora, I'll rip his goddamn throat out.'
"Leave," Sora looked up at the man when he spoke more firmly, "You are not welcome here, vermin. Crawl back to your hole." His father waved his hands nonchalantly; it was clear that he was enjoying his childish game.
Sora tightened his fists and his face twisted in anger—an emotion Riku didn't think he'd ever see on the brunet's face. And Sora, in all of his seventeen years, believed that he had never met anyone as arrogant and ridiculously snobbish as the man before him.
"That's enough, Sephiroth!" Riku looked at his mother in surprise. She still hadn't released him, but she looked as if she were ready to cry.
"Please." Her sad eyes focused on Riku for a moment before she glanced at Sora. "If you know what's good for you... You'll leave," She gave the brunet a wary glance and her face saddened, "And not come back." Riku clenched his fists and looked at Sora. He mouthed the words "I'm so sorry" to the brunet, hoping he would catch them and the remorseful look on his face.
Sora's eyes trembled with sadness and he closed them before spinning around to run out of the gate. After the brunet's figure disappeared, Riku hung his head, closing his eyes tightly when he felt the familiar ache in his chest. He was all alone again…
"Riku..." He roughly shook himself from his mother's hug and stumbled to the house. His father glared after the brunet boy and then turned around.
"Riku, what did I tell you about those people?" Riku stopped in his tracks and felt his stomach flip until his father spoke again, "I clearly stated for you to avoid them, did I not?"
"Yes," the silver haired teen spat through clenched teeth but didn't face the taller man.
Sephiroth smirked when he could practically feel the anger and hatred seeping off of the younger boy. "I forbid you to speak to or be around that boy. If I have to, I can have him expelled from your school." Riku lifted his head and spun around to find his father's eyes lidded and the corner of his mouth turned upwards slightly.
"What!?" The silver haired teen's face twisted in anger and he growled, baring his teeth at the older man as he thought, 'You can't expel him for that kind of reason, you bastard!'
Sephiroth took his time in strolling up to his son's side and once they were side by side, he regarded him with the same condescending attitude that he always did.
"You heard me. You don't need him—he's a hindrance you don't want, and he obviously doesn't care about you as an actual person considering your status – you that know very well. When that boy's done using you for his own gain, he probably won't speak to you ever again, so just forget about him." As the man spoke, Riku bit his lip so hard he drew blood. There was so much hatred; hatred for his father. Hatred from being told not to see his friend. Hatred for not being able to do anything about it.
His father snorted and it was all Riku could do to not punch the son-of-a-bitch right in the face. But instead, he just glared at the ground and tried to ignore the bitter taste of the crimson liquid pooling around the cut he had made on his lip. He'd rather feel the small, stinging pain from that tiny wound then the one that resulted from the fact that he had probably just lost his first and only friend.
"You will receive some disciplinary actions for disobeying me. Go to your room and go to bed – now." Sephiroth dramatically pinched the bridge of his nose and finally sauntered past his son, secretly smirking at Riku's emotion-filled eyes.
The silver haired teen felt his mother hurry past him, but he missed the look she gave him as she turned back towards him. "Riku, I... Goodnight." The woman bowed her head and, greatly suppressing the natural impulse to comfort her child, she quickly ran back to the house after nodding at the butler who held the front door for her.
Riku fists tightened even more and he suppressed the urge to scream as he stormed through the long hallways to his room and slammed the door, clutching his head when the noise loudly echoed around the room. He had always hated how quiet it was… It was more of a fenced in cell than a bedroom – it was never warm and comfortable. And it certainly didn't help to put his anger at ease, either.
"Damn it!" He punched the wall and then leaned against it, threading a hand into his hair and pulling lightly at it.
'Like hell I'll stop being around Sora.'
Why did everything have to be so frustrating? He took a moment look over at his guitars and then grabbed one before he took a seat on his bed. He angrily flicked his wrist to strike at the guiltless steel strings; though, soon he would be playing some sort of calming song. He was too tired to go to his piano and play—which was generally the only way to calm him down after something like this.
'But...will Sora still want to be around me?'
Riku stopped playing and looked at the sheet music he'd written that was on his nightstand. Would he still want to hear it?
"I still want to sing for you..." Riku reclined against the large pillows and let his guitar rest on his abdomen as he stared at the high ceiling. He had just started to get used to the feeling of having a friend, but naturally his father had seen to destroying that. It had always been like this when he was younger; he was never allowed to associate with those who had less than he did – and if he ever became closer than just mere acquaintances with a classmate, his father would end the friendship as soon as he found out about it. Though, this didn't really bother the silver haired teen for the reason that he realized there hadn't been anyone who wanted to befriend him because he was just 'Riku' and not 'that rich guy.'
But Sora… Sora was different. He knew this even after their first meeting. So he wasn't going to let their friendship slip away before it could truly develop.
Groaning at the disheartening thoughts, Riku put his guitar on the floor and fell back onto the bed, trying not to think about his many conflicting emotions. If he had a stress ball it'd probably be ripped apart and scattered throughout this entire room. He most likely needed about five of them... Five dozen roomfuls would work, too.
He returned his gaze to the ceiling as the lights from outside reflected into his dark room (he didn't turn on the lights when he came in) and he just couldn't blank out the sad look on Sora's face before he had run off.
"Can you forgive me...Sora?"
Even in his dreams, the blue-eyed boy refused to leave his mind.
-x-
~O~
-x-
"I cannot believe him!"
Sora stormed into his house after coming back from his walk. All the tricks he had learned to control his anger were completely blown aside – even the flowers he loved to look at hadn't cooled him down as he trudged home.
"The nerve! The—The arrogance of that guy!"
He walked into the living room and glanced around. Kairi was still sprawled out, asleep on the floor, and now his mother was flung over the couch and Kairi's mother was passed out on their coffee table.
'They're home unusually early...' He shook his head and tugged off his hoodie—the temperature seemed to have risen with the brunet's anger—and tossed the clothing aside. "I need someone to vent to!" He shouted and stormed to his room.
It was one of those rare occasions where something really set him off and he just needed to explode to anyone within hearing distance. "Ugh!" Sora kicked his shoes off before throwing himself onto his bed. "I still can't believe that guy, dad. You should've heard the things he said to me—well, maybe you did, but still!" He turned over and pouted at the picture.
"It...hurt. You don't think Riku feels the same way, do you?" Sora chewed on his bottom lip before he snuggled against his pillow. The desperate look on the silver haired teen's face as he watched his friend leave just would not leave his mind.
"I'm so sorry."
Riku's expression had practically torn his heart in two. He was hurt. And then the loneliness became visible again...
The brunet at least understood why his friend hadn't been too happy when they first met. It must be rough with a father like that, especially the way he grabbed Riku by the hair. Sora winced and frowned into his pillow just thinking about it. What if it was like that all the time!? Riku could be getting abused and there wasn't anything Sora could do! And if Riku thought the same as…
"But…he's not that sort of person." Sora hugged his pillow and forced a smile despite the way it pained him to do so. "I don't want to see that abandoned expression on his face ever again. No one deserves to feel like that." He turned to look at the portrait again and grabbed the stuffed penguin resting beside it.
"He is my friend, after all." With a yawn, the brunet set the puffy toy next to him and closed his weary eyes. "It'll be fine…"
Yes, it would…wouldn't it?
"G'night dad."
……………………
End – Chapter 1
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DISCLAIMER: I NO own—YOU no sue! Much obliged if you review! [OMG. That rhymed.]
Yeah. I redid it again and fixed all the stupid errors :D Although looking back at it now—there sure are a lot of separate sections.
I've just been so bored because there's not much to do right now…
Oh, and I'll clear this up now – Sora went to a different school than his other friends from grades 1-8. Since Kairi and Sora's mothers have been bff's since they were little kids. Sora met Kairi, and by becoming friends with her at a young age, he also met Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie. When his father died, Sora's mother decided it would be better for Sora to be with his good friends and moved closer to Kairi and his current school – where he meets Riku. They're all 17 (besides Riku, he's a year older) and they are juniors. I hope that makes sense. I'm just too lazy to work that into the story XD
And I'll admit it. I cry when the old lady *her name escapes me* lets Todd go. Seriously, 'The Fox and the Hound' is really sad DDD:
ENOUGH RANTING FOR NOWZ. So anyway… Read and review please! : )
ありがとうございます。