Disclaimer: Sora and Riku are © Disney.
Enjoy. And Happy New Year.
Holiday
Chapter One: New Year
--oOo--
Destiny Islands loved to party. Any and all reason to celebrate and there was always some parade or what not going on. More than anything, DI loved fireworks.
This was a problem sometimes. The islanders loved to shoot fireworks at parties and celebrations. But sometimes, they would have a 'dry year'. It was too dangerous to set off fireworks during a drought. There had been too many tree fires.
The Island had been in an uproar and so Island Council decided to placate the civilians. Although it was illegal now to fire personal fireworks, the Island would set off their own under careful regulations.
The beginning of the New Year was prime time for the booming bursts of color. It even beat out Independence Day.
Barges were lined across the coastline. They were lined carefully and meticulously a certain distance away from land, keeping falling ashes in the ocean and away from spectators and trees.
It would surely be spectacular. If there was room to enjoy it. People lined the coastal shops and cafes. People smothered the beach. Many were families with giggling children with flashy clothing and silly hats. Many were having 5 o'clock margaritas in well worn beach chairs. Many were still catching up on the after-Christmas sales.
There were many people.
And it was stifling. So Sora trudged his way home, more willing to watch the spectacle from his roof than amongst a group of half drunk islanders and children with dangerous, potentially burning sparklers.
Then he spotted the docks. People were not allowed into the water after nine, so many of the boats were secured in place, rocking gently on the ocean.
The brunet was passed the floating barges now and could see one of the little play islands that families would sometimes go to enjoy picnics. Many of those dotted the seas around the main island.
The one he was staring at was about the same distance from the barges as the main island. It was just on the opposite side. Looking at one of the tiny wooden boats tied at the end, Sora passed all the speed boats and large yachts.
Shrugging, he tugged one free and settled in to paddle his way across the glittering expanse of water.
He found the little island to be delightfully empty. The sun was low in the sky, a deep red, nearing close to kiss the watery horizon. It made the water sparkle and gleam with hidden beauty.
Sora watched, eyes lidded, as the bejeweled water enveloped the flaming sun in an encompassing embrace, leaving the sky strewn with the colors of their love. Hues of soft, loving pale pinks and purples. Streaks of fiery fuchsia and passionate orange.
His cerulean eyes fluttered closed as he lay upon the sandy shore. And he stayed that way, as the sky was blanketed in the rich night sky and an almost round moon gleamed its hidden rays upon his skin. He could feel the moonlight, see it almost, through closed lids.
The island breeze tousled his hair and made the sand sweep gently at his sides. He was being caressed by an ocean of sand, feeling it move gently and lovingly across his hand. The land was loving him.
The dark of his eyelids turned darker and he peered up to see where the comforting moonlight had gone, shaking his moment of quiet.
Instead of finding the moon, he found lunar white skin framed by falling moonshine strands, accompanied by the oceans eyes staring curiously at him from above. The moon-being tilted his head to the side as he stared down at Sora.
"Well that's a relief." Words fell from pale lips, confirming that this person was indeed that, a person.
"Huh?" Now Sora's head tilted in confusion.
"I thought you might be dead." The boy moved from his line of sight to plop onto the sand next to him.
"Why would I be dead?" Sora asked, sitting up to meet this new person.
"Why wouldn't you be?"
Sora opened his mouth to refute that theory. Then shut it. There was no proper reply for that. So he simply shrugged and gave a slight grin.
"I'm Sora." He held out his hand.
"Riku." The boy supplied, ignoring Sora's inviting hand and simply nudging him.
The boys sat in a comfortable silence, staring at the moon and the new kind of glittering the ocean took. Now it was the lunar body courting the ocean instead of the temporarily forgotten sun. Creating luminescent magic upon the ocean body. A softer and ever more enchanting glow than the playful glittering of the sun.
"Do you think…" Sora turned toward his new companion. "The sun is the ocean's love… or the moon?"
Ashen brows knit together in quiet contemplation. After many moments of silence, he spoke slowly and deliberately, so as to not jumble his words.
"I think… they both want to be…" He turned to look at Sora. "But… the moon can never reach the ocean, can it? That is a privilege only given to the sun."
Cerulean hues met aquamarine. "I think the moon courts in a much more romantic way. By shining softly on it's love. The sun can be harsh, shining so brightly it can be blinding." Sora whispered, not wanting to break the careful subject he had opened up.
The gaze held fast. "Wouldn't that mean the sun is simply passionate? That's why, at the end of the day, they embrace as lovers."
"Only to be courted by the moon once the sun is out of sight?" They were talking themselves in circles. But neither could bring themselves to stop.
Sora's eyes darted from those captivating jewel-like eyes to take in flawless alabaster skin encompassing a high cheekbone. His gaze lowered to a strong jaw and traced the perfection there downwards to a milk throat. Feeling embarrassed, he made to meet Riku's eyes once more, but got caught off guard by a pair of pale lips upturned in a smirk.
Those lips looked so very inviting, and he felt so obvious when he licked his own, his mouth suddenly dry.
"Maybe…" those lips spoke, and Sora darted his eyes back to meet Riku's, heat rushing to his face. "… there is no such love affair among the heavens. Maybe… they are simply dancing…"
And it was all so poetic that Sora couldn't bring himself to reply. So he merely stood up and grinned down at the other.
"Would you like to light some sparklers?" He turned around, missing as Riku's gaze dipped to follow the curve of his back and land on his rear… where he was currently pulling out a small pack of sparklers.
He settled himself back into the sand and waved the box at Riku, encouraging him to take a few.
The silver haired boy took a few and smiled as he watched Sora fumble around, digging into his pockets, and patting his shirt and pants. "Looking for something?"
"I can't believe it. I forgot a lighter." Sora was genuinely distressed. One of his favorite parts of the New Year was sparklers.
"I have some matches. Here." Riku dug in his pocket to produce instant happiness for Sora. He lit one match, the red tip instantly engulfed with a miniature flame.
Sora's face lit up and he held the little stick out to meet the flame, watching in delight as it sparked into life. Riku made to light his own, but Sora halted him.
"Don't you know that once you light one sparkler, you have to light all the others with a sparkler?" He held his out for Riku. Both watched as the second stick caught sparks and lit.
There was silence once more as they watched the sparklers glow and sputter in the darkness. Sora giggled and wrote out his name in the air and encouraging Riku to do the same.
"So… what's your New Years resolution?" Sora questioned.
"But if I tell you, it won't come true."
"That's only true with wishes Riku. C'mon… what do you hope to accomplish in the New Year?"
"I haven't really given it much thought… I guess… I don't really have one." He trailed off before asking. "What's yours?"
"Hmm…" Sora pondered with a finger on his chin. "To have one thousand kisses." He laughed. "Just kidding. I guess I just want to be happy… but that's not really a resolution is it?"
"It's better then what I have. I think it's good to aspire for happiness. Not many people want that. Just for that… I have something for you…" The brunet peered curiously as Riku reached into a bag at his side. Sora had never even noticed he had one with him.
Riku pulled out something flashy and shiny… and promptly dropped it on Sora's spiky head. "Wha?" He removed the hat, which was a simple gold foil cap with 'Happy New Year" in glittery letters. He started laughing.
"You don't seem the type to have a New Year hat."
"A friend shoved it at me. I just put it in my bag. But you seem like the type to want a New Year hat."
"Just what I've always wanted. How did you know?" Sora joked as he placed the ridiculous hat back on his head, adjusting his hair and pulling the elastic strap securely under his chin.
They sat in comfortable silence once again, neither having anything really important to say, and neither caring to fill the silence with uncomfortable small talk.
Sora searched the sky for shooting stars and UFOs and Riku occasionally glanced at his watch, keeping track of how close they were to a new year.
The brunet would ask "How much longer?" and Riku would always reply "Soon."
Then, when Sora had exhausted all UFO possibilities, Riku turned towards him.
"Sora?"
"Wha- " Riku leaned inwards to brush their lips together shyly. It was just the barest brushing of skin, so light that it tickled and tingled, sending shocks up and down Sora's spine. And he saw fireworks. First, they appeared behind his eyes, and then…
BOOM
An explosion of light burst in the sky. Firework after firework made its heavenly ascent. Sparks of every color and blooms of every shape bursting in the sky. One after the other with deafening sound.
And Riku pulled the barest hint away. Their lips were still so close. And he counted, "One."
--oOo--
To Be Continued.
This chapter was very Sora-centric. Maybe I'll make the next one focus on Riku.