Author's Note: Okay this is the first time I've ever written a fanfiction ever and I'm so nervous and I have so many ideas for this story and just bare with me. I promise it's going to be great! c: But just to let you know, it's gonna be rated M in later chapters for like, ya know. So if you aren't into rated M like R-18 stuff, then I'm sorry but you could just kind of skip over the chapter in the future that's gonna have that stufffff in it? I don't know but just thank you so much for everyone reading and I'll update as often as possible! To follow my updates or posts or anything, I have a Tumblr you can follow under the URL of criostalaithe. Again, thank you for reading and enjoy! c:
Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Kingdom Hearts or anything just to clear that up. And credit goes to RS for the cover image from Crown.
I
"Sora, you lazy bum. Hurry up before we miss the subway!"
Kairi stood at the entrance to the underground subway station in Osaka, waiting on Sora's slow butt to catch up to her. Gasping for air, stumbling and clumsily moving through the crowd of people, Sora clutched his school items and grasped the railing beside Kairi for support. "T-this place is a nightmare," he panted, wiping sweat from his eyebrow. "How can you get through the crowd so fast and easily?"
Kairi giggled, holding tightly to the straps to her backpack. "When you're a cute girl like me, people move out of the way for you!"
Rolling his eyes, Sora replied, "Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'm just as cute."
The duo made their way down the steps as Kairi looked around to find their train number that would take them back to the small apartment they were renting out as they attended their first year of college. It was exciting for the both of them, being so far away from home and independent, being able to do as they please in a city where no one knew their name. Kairi & Sora had been best friends since they were little, and they were inseparable. Promising each other at a young age, they said they'd never change and they'd always stick together.
"I wonder how many people think we're dating," Kairi said, playing with the edge of her green and blue plaid skirt, a part of the college's school uniform. Sora matched exactly with his loose green and blue plaid tie and his white button up shirt. He fumbled with the tie nervously as large crowds made him nervous, and now that he was underground in a huge herd of people, his claustrophobia kicked in. Sora mumbled something along the lines of, "That's awkward," as he responded to Kairi's statement.
Suddenly, Kairi cried out and pointed at the train that awaited them. "Come on, I don't wanna have to stand the whole way home!" She yanked Sora by the hand into the train, pushing past people to get a good seat. Plopping down satisfied, she placed her backpack beside her and sighed. "Stressful," she muttered as Sora took a seat beside her. For some reason, he wasn't really paying as much attention as normal. He was always a bubbly, alert person, but something felt odd about today—maybe it was because it was their first day of school.
Kairi's tiny pink phone buzzed abruptly, causing her to make a noise of curiosity. Flipping it open, she gasped, placing her hand to her mouth. "What is it?" Sora asked, one eyebrow rising up as he tried to avoid the busy situation around him. "Selphie's in town! I didn't know she was going to Handai for school! She wants me to stop by her apartment. Is it okay if I go? Please, Sora, pleeeease?"
Taken back, Sora squinted. "You don't have to ask me for permission! Go on ahead, no biggie."
Kairi smiled, patting Sora on the knee. "I know I don't have to, but it's just to make sure!"
Sighing, Sora put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes, trying to block out the noise around him. Kairi fiddled with her phone for a while, talking endlessly about this new game that came out and this new movie and this new anime and all the latest, hottest stuff. Sora was never really one interested in trends, he just followed his own style—but Kairi was different, and he just let her ramble on and on about what she liked the most. It entertained him really, seeing her get all worked up over things that didn't really matter. Chuckling to himself, the train began to move.
About ten minutes later, Kairi snapped her fingers in front of a now sleeping Sora. "Sora? Sora! I thought you'd end up snoozing on here. I gotta get off!" she exclaimed, jumping to her feet and putting on her backpack. Snapping awake, Sora cried out, "Wah—?! Oh, sorry. I hope you have—wow, I'm tired. I hope you have a good time with Selphie. See you later." A big yawn followed his reply as Kairi pointed her finger at him. "Be careful, okay? I'll pick up some groceries on the way back and we can pig out later! See ya!" Kairi hopped off the train as Sora watched her make her way through the crowd before the train took off again.
School was exhausting. Sora already had to do two essays, one about him and one about social anxiety for his psychology class. It was funny, seeing Professor Vexen rambling on and on about how first days always make people nervous and he never knew why, being an extrovert himself. "For your first assignment, I want an essay on social anxiety, because I'm sure many of you have that right now, starting college for the first time!" the professor laughed almost manically as everyone else sat silent, exchanging weird looks. Sora giggled to himself, always being amused by the slightest things, especially outgoing people like the professor before him. He continued to doodle random chibis onto the prompt in front of him, grinning occasionally as the professor continued to make a fool of himself. However, the rest of the school day was stressful trying to make it through the huge university without getting lost, not knowing anyone in class, and trying to stay focused instead of dozing off like Sora always did. So now, here Sora was, alone and yawning like he hadn't slept in three days. He almost felt half-lit.
Sora checked his phone for the time, which read 3:46 PM. His apartment was thirty minutes away from the university, so he'd be on the subway for about another twenty minutes. How would he spend the time? Continuing to sleep and then eventually missing his stop? Or maybe he could work on the manga he had been creating since his senior year of high school. Sora was majoring in art and minoring in psychology, so one day he hoped to be a successful manga artist—maybe his manga would even turn into an anime some day! But Sora had big dreams like that, and he always had since he was a little boy.
It felt like centuries waiting for his stop, but finally it arrived. Sora grabbed his school books and loosened his tie even more. He didn't want to look all uptight in his school uniform, and he needed his own personal style, so he wore his tie loosely around his neck. Stepping off onto the platform, anxiety struck him as he tried to make his way through the crowd, finally managing to reach the steps to above ground when suddenly, his heart dropped.
A flash of silver hair. A flash of a memory in Sora's mind, back home in his secret place where someone, crying, once promised that he would never forget Sora, and he would always keep Sora in his heart. It had been years, but Sora still knew that silver hair. And he had to reach that silver hair.
The man was making his way through the crowd up the stairs the opposite direction of Sora, meaning of course that Sora would have to go that way. Pushing and elbowing through people, Sora pleaded, "Excuse me! Sorry! Pardon me!" as he chased after the man, keeping his dark blue eyes glued to that silver hair. The man he was tracking was wearing the same school uniform, so did that mean—?
He emerged from the crowd stumbling, tripping over his feet. "Wait!" Sora cried out, running up the staircase as the man reached the sidewalk above and turned to the right. Sora's heart was pumping at an extreme rate, sweat dripping off his spiky brown hair as the heat of the subway got to him. He finally managed to get out, reaching the open world as a blast of cool air hit him, nearly taking his breath away. Searching around frantically, cars honking and people casting weird looks his way, Sora saw the silver hair far down the sidewalk along the people getting off work and making their way home. Hope igniting within him, Sora quickly started his way again, swerving around person after person as he got closer and closer to the man. "Hey, watch it!" a woman croaked, pushing Sora backwards as he tried to make his way around her.
"Oh, I'm sorry, ma'am, I'm just trying to reach up to my friend," he quickly apologized, peering over her shoulder as the man got farther and farther away. The woman, face coated in wrinkles, pointed a sharp finger in Sora's face, causing him to step back, shocked. "Did no one ever teach you manners, kid?" she yelled, causing a scene. Sora, holding his hands up defensibly as people scowled, took in a sharp breath as the man rounded the right corner of a building. Nervous and frustration rising, Sora had to draw up a lot of courage as the woman went on and on in front of him. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, knowing what he had to do.
And he pushed past the old woman, knocking into her shoulder as he ran down the sidewalk, her angry screams getting more and more distant as he approached the corner. Turning and skidding, Sora nearly laughed as he thought of what he just did. That was unbelievable! That was so rude—what has gotten into me? What if he's not even the one I think he is? Jesus Christ, I'm losing my mind.
The sidewalk was clearing as Sora headed down a side street following the silver-haired man. It wasn't exactly the best part of town, kind of dirty and reckless, but this was worth it—if it meant Sora finding him again.
"Sora—I'll never forget you. I'll always be in your heart. I'll find you again, one day. I promise."
Sora suddenly found himself fighting off tears as he slowed down and watched the man open the door to an apartment building. He still couldn't get a close look at his face, so was it okay to just go into the building and continue to follow him? If it was him, then…
Sora decided to keep going. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, the time read 4:13 PM. Kairi wouldn't be at the apartment until later on that night, so really it was okay. Sora had all the time in the world! Right? He sighed, knowing he was just making up excuses to justify following a man he didn't even know for sure.
Holding his school books close to his chest, he pushed the door open to the apartments. He glanced around cautiously, deep blue eyes wide and eyebrows up. Sora heard footsteps above him so he quietly sneaked his way up the stairs, one arm carrying his school supplies, the other tracing lightly across the dusty staircase railing. Voices started to become apparent as Sora rounded the corner and tip-toed down the hallway, seeing that silver hair disappear behind a door, his back to Sora. I never got to see his face.
The sudden voices turned into yelling, coming directly from the door that the man entered. Sora, daring and eavesdropping, continued to make his way down the hallway despite the consequences that could occur. If it was him, many things could go wrong—but if it wasn't, and he was alone in this dangerous place…
"Oh, look who finally decided to show up!" a woman yelled.
"Think you can just take your time getting home when you know we got shit we need to do? Think you're better than us just because you're getting a fuckin' education? Where the hell have you been, it doesn't take that long to get home from the college!" a man, voice deep and hoarse, now screamed.
"I'm sorry. The subway was crowded. It won't happen again."
Sora nearly fell to his knees. He had to clamp his hand over his mouth from crying out. Tears burned in his eyes as he squeezed them shut and struggled to breathe. He knew that voice. It was him. It was him. He had found him after all these years. After all that had happened, he found him.
"Damn straight it won't. You got another thing coming, boy."
"No, please. I'm sorry. I promise I didn't do anything."
"You've lied to us before, you'll lie to us again," the woman sassed, a sharp slap noise echoing across the hall. Sora winced just hearing it. They—they were hurting him. Hurting his long lost friend. His best friend. His—his—.
"Take care of him, I gotta go to work. Just make sure he learns his lesson," the woman said, heels clanking and keys jangling as she approached the door. Stricken with fear, Sora fumbled to come up with a plan to avoid being confronted by the woman. He yanked his phone out of his pocket and leaned against one of the apartment doors. He would act like he was scrambling for his keys while taking a busy phone call. That's it! Smart thinking!
"You'd think he'd already know by now, goddammit!" the man roared, the woman suddenly appearing as the door creaked open. Blonde hair stacked in a messy bun on top of her head, she was smothering her lips in a bright red lipstick, her dress short enough to see her cervix, for god's sake. Sora, stuttering uncontrollably, avoided looking at her and mumbled into his phone, "No, I'm not busy later. Just got home from school, I can meet up with you sometime tonight if you want." Lame.
She walked right past Sora, nearly choking him with her strong perfume. The door was left wide open, revealing a dirty home, a fat bearded man, and—.
His friend was clutching his cheek when his jaw nearly dropped to the floor, eyes wide with fear, confusion, denial. He already seemed to be crying before, but now…
"Yeah just leave the door wide open, why don't you! Hey, you—take a picture, it'll last longer, faggot."
Sora dropped his phone in shock, turning to see the fat bearded man speaking to him in the doorway. Sora peered behind the man, trying desperately to see that silver hair. Sora was scared, he was just wanted to run in there and hug his friend and tell him everything would be okay, that they had found each other, finally.
"S-S-Sora?" he asked.
Their eyes met for a split second. His screamed confusion and hurt. Sora's screamed an apology.
The door slammed shut and Sora regretted following Riku home.