Summary: One-Shot. A shared moment between nightmares helps convince Riku that perhaps the shadows don't matter as much as they use to.
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters and am merely borrowing them.
A/N: Be for warned this is a Riku/Sora fic, meaning that there will be maleXmale coupling.
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Not All Light Dies
By: Kane's Light
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The rain was never gentle here and this night it was no different than to be expected.
The moon was new, leaving all shadows swirling with the imagination of those gathered around them. Some took real forms reaching out and falling just short of their goal of a black trench coat trailing across the surface of puddles. Claws stretched out and then fell effortlessly into pieces.
The air was stale and stifling making even breathing a chore. The scent of decaying grime wafted heavily in the air as even the rain was unable to completely rid the city of the stench. It was uncomfortable but Riku had little other choice than to appear here.
A bright light split the darkness but it didn't take more than a moment for it to be completely swallowed again. It was useless to struggle here.
A child was screaming, a woman was crying, and someone was fighting, but Riku couldn't tell where. Every sound was embellished here. Even the scrape of his shoes against the slick concrete; he imagined it to be the sound of sandpaper rubbing against a chalkboard. There was no hope of finding the people in question. That is, of course, assuming they were people. Even if they were he wouldn't have tried.
The rain stung like small pebbles. The water was cold and Riku was shivering, but really it didn't matter. In a few seconds he would be rid of this place. It was just one shift and his time was about up. No one ever escaped from his watch. Not even Sora…
Yellow eyes followed his every movement. It was impossible to tell where one being started and another ended. It just looked like shadows with eyes, and they were always watching. It was just like all those horrible fairytales, only Riku was no knight.
Morning never came. Time always seemed to be placed on pause right between twilight and dawn. The shadows were always plentiful and they were always hungry just another constant in the land between shadows.
Another scream only this time Riku could see the person it belonged to.
It was a boy who couldn't have been any older than Sora with spiky blond hair and frightened brown eyes. He looked worse for wear. He was probably dying, but sometimes even that was difficult to tell.
He was screaming again and this time it dragged on as though, with it, went his soul. His legs were disappearing into darkness so thick it left no glimpse of the boy's body. The boy was bleeding from new scratch clawed deep into his face. He had stopped screaming now and was slowly collapsing on the concrete. Riku wondered when he would be allowed to leave.
"Riku…"
Riku glanced sharply at the body of the boy who was now facing in his direction. He was nearly gone now, everything except his head which was smiling pleasantly in Riku's direction.
"You've done horrible things…he'll never accept you now…"
Riku's grip went to his blade and his fingers tightened around the handle as the boy began laughing. It was a disgusting laugh that sounded neither human nor animal. It echoed throughout the city for many minutes after the head had fallen to the shadows.
"He'll never accept you now…"
"Never…"
"Riku…"
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Riku sat upright. Sweat was prickling across his face and his breath was anything but steady. He tried to still the beating of his heart. It continued to pound mercilessly in his chest.
The rain was making soft pattering sounds against the window and the shadows seemed to be swirling in the absence of light. In this room there were no yellow eyes, only bright blue ones trained on his form.
"Having trouble sleeping again?"
"Something like that," Riku mumbled and then fell backwards onto his pillows. The bed dipped slightly next to him as Sora made himself comfortable.
"Riku," Sora paused as though he had to shape each word separately, carefully, "are you sure you're alright?"
"Yeah," Riku reached out with one hand to intertwine his chilly fingers with Sora's sleep warmed ones, "it's no big deal."
His only conformation that his answer had been heard was a quick squeeze from the hand holding his and a sleepy sigh from his companion. The room fell silent except for the soft ticking of a clock that Riku knew to be located in the next room. It was comforting and stifling at the same time, but neither felt the need to break the gentle understanding that seemed to follow Riku's reply.
The bed dipped again as Sora shifted closer to Riku's still form. Their hands were still tightly locked and occasionally Riku would give his lover's hand a soft squeeze when the chill of the nightmare refused to fade.
Soft lips rested against Riku's ear and he sighed into the caress of warm breath against his damp skin. It was soft and light and everything that his dream was not.
"You shouldn't think about it so much," Sora's voice was but a murmur against skin.
"I'm trying," Riku replied but then it didn't matter because Sora's lips were on his.
It was pliant and warm and the shadows didn't really matter any more because Sora's tongue was sliding against Riku's in just the right way that made him want to groan. It was the kind of kiss that melted knees and chased away all demons and only once Sora pulled back did Riku realize that his lover was the one now gripping his hand.
The shadows swirled and for a moment Riku thought of yellow eyes and crimson painted claws, but then Sora's other hand was cradling Riku's face and the shadows didn't seem quite as important.
He was safe and he was loved, even if the rain still stung.
"It doesn't look like you're trying too hard," Sora's smile was all teasing teeth and foolishness.
But Riku didn't have a reply so he nuzzled the hand still cradling his face and offered another squeeze to their intertwined hands. The moment didn't really need words and as Sora shifted into a more comfortable position and his breathing began to shallow it seemed the message had been conveyed either way.
"I'll always accept you, no matter what horrible things you have or might do," and with one last squeeze Sora's murmured words were absorbed into the shadows.
Riku smirked depreciatingly and as the rain continued to beat down on their shared roof he guessed that not all light died in the shadows after all.
"Never," the shadows whispered.
"Always," Sora had said.
Riku didn't think any amount of darkness could stifle the butterflies fluttering pleasantly in his stomach. Shadows just weren't all that important, and perhaps now he could finally believe that.
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