Defining Moments
Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, any of the characters and such. I am not making any money off this story so don't sue me.
Summary: It's your actions that define you. Sora shows Riku this after their return to the island in KH2. "Stop looking Riku and start seeing..."
Authoress Notes: It's SoraxRiku because I think Kairi should have died. I just find her annoying and I enjoy destroying things that annoy me.
Riku sat on his island, staring out beyond the great expanse of the ocean. Its colour only rivalled to his eyes. Eyes that seemed to be searching for something. Answers, questions, reasons. Sora sighed as he resigned himself to the fate of never knowing. Despite what people thought, Sora was not as oblivious as what they thought. Hell, after all he has been through it had to have had some effect on him. He is not a kid anymore.
But Riku was still a mystery to him. He hid his emotions too well. Sora knew he wore a mask but it hurt that his best friend saw fit to wear that mask around him. After everything they had been through together. Well, today's the day it all stops. Something has been eating at Riku inside out, and today Sora was going to find out what. Or at least that's what he kept telling himself.
Riku heard the tell tale sound of crunching sand as someone approached him. He sighed but did not turn to look at who it was. He really had just wanted some 'alone time' to sort out the chaos that was his mind. The footsteps stopped and Riku turned his head only to be frozen. Blue eyes held him in place and it was only blue eyes that he could see. Only one person had those eyes. He smiled slightly.
"Hey Sora," was all Riku said as he turned back to watching the sea.
Sora smiled back and leant next to him against the tree, he too turned his sight to the sea. "Hey Riku, what's up?"
Riku shook his head and replied softly, "Just thinking."
There as a moment of silence between them. Only the crashing of the waves against the sand and the seagulls were heard. No questions asked or answers given.
"Riku," Sora started softly, "I'm worried about you." This got Riku's attention. He looked at his friend, confused, and slightly taken aback. Sora continued, "Something's wrong and you won't let me help you. You've been distance ever since we came back. Maybe it's just me, but I'm worried." Sora turned his gaze towards Riku and watched his friend.
Riku shook his head and gave a small laugh. "I'm fine Sora; there is no need to worry about me." Sora shook his head at his and pinned Riku with his gaze, "You have been avoiding me Riku. Hell, you have been avoiding everyone!" Riku's eyes widened when he heard Sora curse. Sora only cursed when he was really mad. Gulping slightly, after all an angry Sora was scary, Riku replied, "I thought you needed space and I need to sort my head out, Sora."
Sora looked at Riku, or his eyes to be exact. Riku's eyes could never lie to him. Sora looked slightly confused at the reply. There were a hundred thoughts running through his brain. "Why would you think I needed space?"
Now it was Riku's turn to look confused. Sora was staring at him expectantly. "Well," Riku started, "I thought maybe you would want to spend time with Kairi now that we are all back together." At this Sora laughed and replied, "Riku, I know Kairi has a crush on me but I love her only as a sister. And I saved her because I promised myself I would protect her."
At this Riku was flabbergasted. Sora didn't love Kairi? What the hell happened to the fairytale ending those two had? Sora could not help but laugh at his friend's facial expression. He had obviously had believed otherwise.
Riku gathered himself and he had to ask his friend, "You don't love Kairi in a romantic way, at all?" Sora shook his head and smiled. There was a new light in Riku's eyes, something that had been missing for a long time and Sora just couldn't place it.
"Now that that's cleared up, what's been bothering you Riku?" At this Riku turned away and Sora knew the mask was back up. He could help but let out a sigh. There was no answer to the question. Time passed and the sun set.
Sighing again, Sora stood up straight. "I won't force you to tell me anything Riku. I care too much about you to do that. Sometimes Riku you have got to stop looking and start seeing what's really there." And Sora walked away leaving a guilty and confused Riku alone on his island.
Sora had spent the next day with Riku but not once did he speak about the previous day. It was driving Riku insane, slowly but surely. All his thoughts revolved around the brunette and he could certainly not tell his best friend that! Riku almost gave a snort of laughter as that scene played out in his head. He could almost imagine it. 'Oh, and Sora, the reason I'm being so distant is because somehow I've fallen head over heels in love with you.' Oh yeah, he could just see that happening. Worst case scenario is that he loses Sora completely, and he couldn't let that happen. Rather be just a friend than him not being there. Or at least that was the reasoning Riku used.
During Riku's ponderings, Sora grew more worried. The day had not gone well, even though he had not brought the topic up. Riku was still lost in his own world in his mind. Sora gave a groan of frustration; he might as well have spent the day alone. Ignoring the stab of pain in his heart, Sora put on a fake smile when they reached the street of his house.
"Thanks Riku," Sora said brightly, even though the disappointment lurked in his eyes, "I had fun. We are definitely doing this again, soon." And with a wave, he walked to his house and entered. Leaving Riku to deal with the guilt at what he had done.
'Stupid!' he thought furiously to himself as he walked not to his house but his island, 'I had a whole day to spend with him. Just him and me, and I threw it away! He didn't have fun at all. Riku took a deep breathe.
"Sora!" Riku called out, "It's still pretty bright. How about we head over to the Island for a little bit?"
Sora stopped and turned. He stared at his friend. At the mention of them hanging out together, offered by Riku, he smiled. Riku's breathe caught in his throat at the sight of that smile. His offered his own smile in response as his friend walked back to him. On impulse, Riku offered his hand to Sora. Sora looked up at him and this scene suddenly felt very familiar. But this time Sora took Riku's hand and smiled.
Soon they were sitting, close together, barefoot at the water's edge, just relaxing. The silence was comfortable and familiar, this time. Sora stared at his toes as they wriggled in the sand and he left out a huge sigh. Riku let out a sigh a moment later. Sora glanced over at his friend as Riku looked at his. They both burst out laughing. And the tension of the whole day fell away.
"It's weird," Riku said slowly, "I don't know why but I feel so… I don't know. I feel so different and I can't fit in back here." Riku dropped his gaze from Sora and looked at his own feet, and said in a frustrated tone, "But this is home. This is where I fought to be for two years. To be year with my friends and family. And when I finally do get to live here, I feel like I can't. It's just… I don't know how to explain it."
His monologue was met with silence and Riku silently cursed himself. He didn't need to dump all his problems on Sora! His thoughts were cut off by Sora.
"I know what you mean, Riku," Sora said softly, "It's like we have changed too much to fit in here again. You feel," Sora looked up and locked his eyes with Riku's eyes, " disconnected."
Riku nodded, but he felt himself drowning his those sky blue. "No," he murmured to himself unaware that Sora could hear him, "more of a aquamarine blue, like the gems, but with more sparkle."
Sora frowned slightly, "What is, Riku?" he asked softly, heart hammering. Riku broke out of the trance, and blushed slightly.
"Nothing," Riku muttered and turned away. Sora sighed and shook his head, "There is something else that is bothering you but you won't tell me."
Riku shook his head, "Nope."
"Why not?" Sora asked.
"Drop it Sora, it's nothing important," Riku replied, eyeing his friend.
"Fine, then tell me what was it that you think is like gems?" Sora said with a grin.
Riku groaned, "Sora."
"Riku!"
Riku glared at Sora who promptly stuck his tongue out at him. Sighing, Sora went back to staring at the sea. The sun was setting now and it was getting dark. He knew he should go home now but, he really didn't want to leave Riku.
"Sora," Riku eventually said softly . Sora sighed, knowing that his friend would say it was time to go home, "you told me to see what's in front of me. So what's worse, seeing reality and knowing you can never have it. Or living in a fantasy world dreaming that you do have it?"
Sora turned his head to look at his friend, the light from the setting sun made Riku's silver hair shine of gold and reds as it fluttered in the breeze. "It depends what 'it' is, Riku," Sora murmured softly, afraid of disturbing the moment. Something was changing now, in this moment, and something in Sora told him it was for the better.
Riku took a deep breathe and threw caution in the wind when he saw Sora in the light of the setting sun. "And if it's a person?" he asked softly, hands drawing shapes in the sand but eyes on Sora. The look in Riku's eyes almost made Sora gasp. The mask had fallen away and the emotions swirled in emerald eyes.
"I suppose," Sora said slowly, letting his walls down as well, "that reality would be better. You never know, you may already have that person's heart but you were too busy dreaming to see it."
Seeing the emotions in Sora's eyes, Riku took a plunge and barely whispered, "And where's your heart Sora?"
Sora smiled slightly, "I gave it away a year ago and the one I love doesn't even know it. Where's yours?"
Riku smiled at his, "Mine is in a dream world, but I think it's time to came back to reality."
Sora nodded, and his breathe caught in his throat as Riku shifted closer. Placing one hand on the side of Sora's cheek, Riku lost in himself in those eyes again.
"Your eyes are like gems," was all he said before crushing is lips against Sora's. Sora's eyes widened then closed as he kissed back, smiling. The first kiss was fast, passionate, desperate. The second soft and a promise of love. The third was interrupted by footsteps approaching, so Riku pulled away with his hand still on Sora's face. The blue gems sparkled on a flushed face. Sora didn't move his hand from Riku's hair.
"Riku! Sora! Are you guys here?" came Kairi's voice from the other side of the island. Swallowing but eyes never leaving Sora, Riku called out, "Yeah Kairi? What's up?"
The footsteps stopped and he heard her again, "Is Sora with you? His mum wants him home for dinner!"
Riku's fingers stroked Sora's cheek softly, causing Sora to sigh and close his eyes. "Yeah, he's here. I'll tell him. Thanks Kairi."
"Okay, I'm going home now. My mum's going to kill me if I'm late for dinner again this week!" And then he heard footsteps walking away.
Riku placed his other hand around Sora's waist, pulling him close. Sora opened his eyes to look at Riku. Riku's finger traced his lips.
"This is reality?" Riku asked softly. Sora smiled and nodded. "I'll treasure it, always have, always will."
"Welcome back," Sora said with a smile, before pulling Riku by his head, to kiss him again. Eyes fluttered close and they pulled each other closer. Moaning at the sensations, moments like this are the defining ones.
What do you think? Too fluffy or not enough fluff? Any requests for stories? Leave a review then!
A. Devant.