It was getting late and Sora was growing more and more agitated by the moment as he waited on Riku Tanaka; whose excuse for being late had better not have anything to do with a bar, a nightclub, or some random groupie/hooker he happened across...or so help him God!
Sora Miyake (the poor little brunet waiting on the time challenged Tanaka) was the manager for one of Japan's most popular bands; Oblivion. The band's front man just so happened to be the very same man who lacked a sense of time; Riku Tanaka, who was in desperate need of a watch.
The brown headed manager sighed heavily as he checked his digital watch (digital because he couldn't understand an analogue) yet again. He was going to kill him...or at the very least maim him! It was as simple and uncomplicated as that! ...True, it'd be going against what he had promised his cousin, but, Riku had known him since high school for God's sake! He should really know by now how deeply Sora hates tardiness of any kind.
Sometimes, Sora swore, Riku did this sorta thing just to piss him off (of course, it worked every time). And, he'd find himself questioning the reasons for staying on as their managed and what seemed like Riku's damned babysitter. He always chose to ignore the fact that he had been managing this band since Riku had brought up the suggestion to his cousin and twin brother.
And, Sora being Sora, followed their lead. And, he had been there ever since. Through the times when Riku's best friend joined up and even when the record label refused to sign them unless there was a fifth member. Oblivion had been his life at one point...just has it had been for everyone else involved.
...his devotion for Oblivion had absolutely nothing to do with the microscopic crush he had been harboring on Riku since the silveret's first day at Destiny High. No, nothing at all.
He checked his watch yet again as the last secretary left the label's office, "I'll leave the light on for you, Sora." She said as she tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear, waving good-bye with her free hand.
"Yeah, thanks Kairi." Sora replied, giving the over worked and under paid woman a sheepish grin as she disappeared into the main lobby and out of the front doors.
Still no sign of Riku. Sora was beginning to give up hope. He had been waiting for up and near two hours and an hour and a half of that had been Riku being late for the damn meeting he had originally asked for.
Though, it wasn't like Sora had any plans anyway. It was only his birthday. Which everyone seemed to forget. His movie plans with his twins had been canceled earlier this morning when Roxas had called and said that Axel (the band's bass player and Riku's best friend) wanted to take him out for his birthday.
And, his dear cousin was busy with his lover as Sora had found out when he called Cloud to invite him out to lunch that afternoon and caught him at a rather awkward time with Leon; the band's drummer. Yeah, that was one call that'd forever be burnt on the younger manager's brain.
Then, when all hope is lost, Riku randomly calls him and asks him to meet him at the label for something. But, that was way over two hours ago.
He had already asked himself, what seemed like a hundred times, why he hadn't just given up and gone home already. But, then again, he always did crazy things for Riku. Something was programmed within him to force him to run along with anything the silveret said.
"How long have you been waiting?"
Sora didn't even have to look up from his Blackberry to know who the silky smooth voice belonged to. He had been listening to it for years, "Too long." He replied, not even bothering to mask his obvious annoyance and his general discontented feeling with the elder male.
Riku rubbed the back of his neck in a sheepish fashion as he walked over to the cushion bench his friend sat on, "Yeah, sorry about that Sora." He replied softly as he sat next to him.
The said brunet sighed heavily before he shoved his Blackberry back into his pocket, "You always are!" He replied, frowning deeply as he looked up at the elder man, "...and, yet you never change!" He was quiet for a moment simply staring at the silveret before looking away again, "And...I'm sick of it, Riku." He finished, his voice was soft and laced with hurt and sadness.
Riku was silent for a moment before replying with something that Sora did not want to hear when he was being completely serious, "Well, you're the one who keeps falling for the charm. But, don't feel bad, you're not the only victim."
Under normal circumstances, Sora would've laughed. But, not this time, "I'm serious!" The little brunet snapped, turning to glare at the man before standing, grabbing his shoulder bag from the ground, "Sometimes, I wonder how in the hell you manage to fit that overblown ego of yours into buildings." He muttered disdainfully before moving to walk away from the elder.
Then, Riku did something completely unexpected. He grabbed the brunet's arm and tugged him back to him, "No! Sora, that's not what I meant!" He said, standing, pulling the younger into his arms, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound like a jackass."
Sora snorted at that, pushing himself out of the place he wanted so badly to be, "No, you don't have to sound like one to be one. You do it every well without having to say a word." He replied, glaring at the elder, "I want out. I'm sick of having to relay on you and you never pulling through for me. I'm just tired of it." He was tired of hurting. Of being tugged along then pushed so far away.
He wanted Riku. Couldn't the pop star see that?
"No! Sora, don't say that! Please, don't even think about it!" Riku said quickly, stepping after the brunet, grasping his arm again, "Please, just hear me out."
The brunet snorted, "I don't owe you anything." Sora replied, glaring at his closet crush. But, he stayed. Because Riku asked him to.
"I know you don't..." Riku said, fidgeting as he dropped Sora's arm, "But, I owe you something..."
Sora watched him, still frowning, though he was more confused than upset. He had never seen Riku...fidget before. It was a bit unsettling. Because, that meant Riku was nervous about something. And, Riku Tanaka wasn't nervous about anything!
There was a silence and Sora found himself getting steadily more and more annoyed as it drug on, "Well?" He snapped, his eyes narrowing once again.
The silveret sighed heavily, diverting his eyes, "If...I had known..." He started. His voice was so soft. So unsure. "...about how you felt..."
Sora's eyes widened at that. How I felt...? But, before he could question it, the silveret continued in the same soft, unsure tone, "...I wouldn't have treated you like this..." Riku sighed heavily, fiddling with his hands for a moment before sneaking a glance at the shocked brunet, "...I would've admitted my feelings..."
Yet again a silence. But, Sora was less annoyed with this one. Needing some time, himself to figure out just what this was about. To take in what Riku and said and let it process.
"...Your feelings...?" Sora was the one to break the silence this time, looking over at the blushing - the Riku Tanaka was blushing?! - silveret. His voice held a tone of disbelief after being brought up and let down so many times by the elder man. There was barely any room for foolish hopes anymore.
Riku nodded slowly, his aquamarine eyes on the brunet, "If I had known how you've felt about me...I wouldn't have treated you so poorly. I know that's not an excuse for doing it...but, I just wanted you to see me."
"How could I not see you?!" Sora asked, frowning in confusion, "You're all around me, everyday! Even when you're not there!" He said, looking at the silveret who had stolen his heart like a thief in the night.
The brunet shook his head, "You're blind if you didn't notice it, Riku." Sora said, glaring at the man...though, his eyes held a certain softness in them, "After everything I went through for you...after, everything you put me though. Everything I did for you...you're stupid if you didn't even realize how I felt about you."
"Sora..."
The said brunet continued as though Riku had never spoken, "It's so easy to see how much I love you." He said, his ocean blue eyes full of emotion as he looked up at the silveret, "But...you keep letting me down. It's just...not worth it anymore..." He finished, shaking his head sadly before turning and walking towards the main lobby to leave.
"No, Sora! Don't say that. Don't give up on me yet..." Riku pleaded, reaching into his pocket for something as he followed after the brunet. Grabbing his arm and pulling him back for the third time, "Here!" He said, pushing something into his hand, "It's for your birthday." He said, his pale cheeks dusted with pink.
Sora blinked, looking down at the tiny blue velvet box in his hand, "...Riku." He said, softly, looking up at the silveret as he outstretched his arm to hand the box back.
"Open it!" Riku insisted, almost pleadingly with the brunet, "Please, just open it, Sora."
The brunet relented with a heavy sigh, looking down at the box before opening it. And, nestled in between two silken cushions was a tiny silver music note earring...exactly like the one Riku always wore, "Riku..." Sora said quickly, looking up at the silveret, his eyes immediately seeking out the familiar glint of silver in the other's ear.
Riku reached for the box, taking the earring out of it before stepping closer to Sora, "You're wrong...about not noticing you know..." He said softly, slipping the back off of the earring before he gently grasped the brunet's pierced ear, "...it just took me awhile to be convinced of what I was seeing." He murmured, pressing the earring into the tiny hole, "When I finally saw it...I wanted something to cement our bond...so, I bought you a matching earring..." He pushed the back onto the earring before looking down at the now blushing brunet.
Riku smirked softly, "Because rings are dorky." He said with a snicker, his hand dropping from Sora's ear to his cheek, cupping it in his palm before brushing his thumb against the smooth flushed skin, "I'm so sorry for hurting you...but, can I have a chance to make it up to you?"
Wide-eyed, Sora slowly nodded. Not trusting himself to speak. But, luckily, Riku understood that sometimes meaning was better conveyed through actions rather than words.
The action being a kiss.
And, the meaning behind it being Thank you or maybe even I love you. Or, who knows, maybe Thank you for loving me.
...I didn't mean for it to turn out so damned angsty. Um, at least it has a happy ending? An incredibly corny ending...but, a happy one none the less!