X.X.X.X
Disclaimer: I would buy Sora, keep him in a box, and love him until the end of time. Too bad Riku took all my boxes and stripped me of my nickname 'Box'. I will get your boyfriend one day Riku, just you watch, Sora will be mine!
Title: Dead Gardens
Authoress: Tysonkaiexperiment
Warnings: Character Death, yaoi, maybe some dark thoughts…
Couplings: RikuSora and LeonSora with some mentions of AkuRoku, Yuffiri, and Zemyx
Summary: COMPLETE. Of course Riku loved Sora more than anything, he only lacked the care to tell him. And Sora? Sora just got tired of waiting for someone who seemed to never care. RikuSora/LeonSora.
Dedication: To anyone who lost someone they loved or had been in love with. It's always hard to loose someone who you thought you'd spend the end of time with.
Song Title: Dead Gardens
Artist: Nightwish
Album: Once (2004)
Note: I listened to the song once (I didn't get into Nightwish into a while ago, so I'm downloading their old songs like they're new because I refuse to listen to the new ones) and this idea came into my head without warning. I actually feel bad for Riku, seriously.
X.X.X.X
The story behind the painting I drew is already told
No more tearstains on the pages of my diary
Tired but unable to give up since I'm
Responsible for the lives I saved
There was a small click of the suitcase; it was past one in the morning so he only had a small end table lamp on as he packed in the night. There wasn't much in there to begin with, a few crumpled shirts, pants that barely fit him, some extra undergarments—being a writer, when he traveled he was used to buying and wearing new clothes or not being seen in public often.
"You leaving again?"
He looked up and met the eyes of childhood crush and best friend. Looking away, he nodded and continued to shuffle his things around. Sora would understand, he always did. In all honestly, some people were surprised they lived together, but one of these days he would tell Sora how he felt, he knew Sora felt the exact same way but it was still hard. So instead he picked up his items as he held down three on his phone—speed dial—a taxi service just after his editor and publisher's numbers and right before Sora's. It took them less than ten minutes to arrive—they were like his lifeline—before he bid a quiet Sora goodbye and left to travel to where he would write his next book.
Sora stood there, alone in the open doorway as he watched the taxi zoom to life and down the street before disappearing around the corner. Riku was such an idiot, his romance novels were always top sellers, but when it came to his own real feelings, Riku couldn't realize anything. Shuffling back into the apartment, Sora realized that things between them were moving at Riku's pace—the pace of a man who cared more of books than someone he loved. There had always been that one suitcase he'd left in his closet in case of anything, it was time to use it. He was sick of waiting, sick of being asked out to dinner, getting there and waiting several hours before paying for his glass of water and heading home only to receive a phone message that Riku had once again took a sudden flight to write a book somewhere around the world.
He was sick of playing second fiddle and coming into importance only when Riku felt that he could do so. He was tired of waiting for Riku to pull off a stunt from one of his books—Sora had read them all—but Riku hadn't even done as much as hug Sora when he got back from anywhere. It was useless waiting for someone's love and affection when it was rarely even given. Why should he wait? Love was there, but it could even possibly come and go, so what use was it? They hadn't even hung out together for more than an hour before Riku's editor or publisher would call and the silveret would shove Sora out of the door to race to meet either one and listen to them about his work. He just couldn't do it anymore, he just couldn't.
And so he picked up his crushed and broken heart from it's dark pit and made his way to his things before calling his brother and pleading to help him become important again.
The play is done
The curtain's down
"I'm home!" And after two months of being in Korea, he couldn't be happier to smell the wonder smells of home. Laying his suitcase on the couch he made his way to the answering machine, knowing Sora would still be at work at this time. There were only two messages on the machine, one was his publisher welcoming him back, while the other was Axel—recorded a month ago—saying that he had to talk to Riku about something important. But whatever that was, Riku figured it could wait. He'd spent two months without seeing Sora's sleepy smile, the smell of breakfast—it was all Sora could ever make—and the loving and gentle like way Sora was around.
Within three hours Riku began to get worried, Sora should've been back an hour before, but then in these two months, Sora could've done a new habit like get a new job or meet someone for lunch. Trying to ease the nagging of his heart and mind, Riku called Axel back, wondering what was so important that he called Axel a month ago on his home phone and not his cell.
"I didn't think you'd want news while in the middle of inspiration." Axel repeated over the phone before answering all of Riku's rushed questions, "I was just wondering if you were going to give Leon permission."
Grasping one of the nearby bills he just saw, Riku questioned, "What permission?" Into the phone before reading across To: Riku Umino. It had him wondering even more, wasn't it always addressed to him and Sora?
"Ha ha, don't tell me you forgot Riku!" Axel chuckled, "I mean, Sora always joked about how you never knew anything while being gone, but seriously!" There was a pause, and to Riku's silence, there was an intake of breath from the redhead, "You… you really don't know?"
"Would I have been asking if I knew?" Riku hissed in the phone, honestly, what permission was Leon requesting?
There was a pause before Axel sounded nervous, nervous and just a tad bit unsure, "… Leon wants your permission, since you're Sora's best friend… he wants your permission so that he could ask Sora to marry him." He waited a whole minute before speaking again, "Riku? Riku??"
But all he heard was a startled choke and the dial tone loud against his ear.
All the tales are told
All the orchids gone
Lost in my own world
Now I care for dead gardens
"I stopped waiting." Sora answered simply, as if he were talking to Riku about how to add numbers. Honestly, it took Riku days to track Sora down, and it was all the brunet had to say?
"Sora, what were you waiting on?" He didn't know, he didn't know anything. How much had he missed? How much had he destroyed without even realizing it?
"You." Sora answered calmly, "I got tired of waiting for you to tell me how you felt."
That's where he grew even more confused, "But you'd always known—."
"Knowing is only one part Riku." The brunet sipped his warm cup of tea and the silveret darkly eyed the beautiful gold band dripping with diamonds on the brunet's ring finger, "Just like being left at a restaurant while you set me aside for your work is only a part." He set down his cup, looking Riku directly into his eyes without regret, "I've done everything for you, everything in my power, I was sick of always playing second fiddle, you may write some of the best romance novels ever, but when it comes to your own feelings you don't even know how to put two and two together."
Riku's pale hand slid over Sora's tanned one; he locked their fingers together before noting how perfectly they melded together. "I work too much, I know—Sora, just, just come back—."
"To play second fiddle again?" Sora answered, eyes dark with a silent anger, "You've tried those words on me before, I know better now."
And when Riku blinked, Sora was standing to leave, next to him was Leon, who had just gotten off work—by the look of his clothes—and came to get Sora, who had told Leon that months ago Riku had given him permission. And within a second blink the two were walking away, hand in hand, while Riku could do nothing but look down into his bitter, black coffee.
My song is little worth anymore
Time to lay this weary pen aside
He didn't get out much more—not that he ever did before considering his deathly pale skin—so people that saw him told him he looked dead. He felt like it, wasn't the heart the most important organ for life? It was to Riku, at least. Which is why he was dead, a piece broke every time he saw Leon give a rare laugh to Sora, or when Sora would lean up and peck Leon's nose, or when Leon gave Sora so much love and warmth and closeness that Riku had only ever seen in his own books.
It was like Sora knew what he was doing to him, but at the same time Riku knew the feeling was just affecting Sora's mind. There had never been an ounce of romance between him and Sora, and for him to be around Sora while he received some, it sent Sora's subconscious into overdrive and caused the brunet to melt into it like a child to candy.
He'd missed a lot for his work, Axel and Roxas had stopped dating and had married two years ago, Kairi came out of the closet herself and had been dating a college friend of Leon's—Yuffie Kisaragi—and Zexion had just, last year, popped the question to Demyx. It was a little weird, while everyone laughed about memories he would sit there with his bitter black coffee in silence and wait until it was a topic that he knew and would help get his mind off his problems.
Of course most of the time they did hang out, his eyes were on Sora, the brunet beauty happier than Riku had ever seen him when they lived together. The brunet's eyes would sparkle, cheeks pink as he would give a small laugh while Leon had an arm wrapped around his waist, gentle smile on his lips, and large hand securily entertwined with Sora's smaller one. Then, on random occasions, Sora would look up at his fiance, lean up, and place a random kiss to his cheek or jaw and, when no one was looking, whisper three words that Riku had only ever written. Leon would reach down, kiss Sora's temple and do the exact same.
And while at the time Riku hated it and wanted to pull Leon away, he just couldn't help but notice how well they fit together. For all his quietness and stoic ways, Leon was warm and comfortable around Sora, he treated him like royalty, and Sora—always a modest one—would pout but accept his lover's ways anyways. It was odd, Riku realized, to see the one he thought would be with him wrapped up in another person's arms so comfortably and carefree.
And it was usually at that time that Riku would stand, excuse himself with some writing excuse, and drive home just to beat his fist into a pillow that he'd duct taped Leon's picture to. It was as close as he would ever come to hurting someone Sora cared for.
The play is done
The curtain's down
Sora would visit often, saying even thought they couldn't do anything beyond the limit of friendship; he still was Riku's best friend. It hurt, hurt to have Sora so near that he could smell his shampoo, but yet so far that Riku couldn't even begin to reach out his hand and hope his fingers would graze Sora's skin.
It seemed as if Sora grew more and more beautiful with each day. Hair soft as silk, eyes as large and warm as the sky itself, cheeks a beautiful rose color, small hints of baby fat, and gentle body with just a slight hint of muscle. The only thing that soured the image was when Sora opened his mouth and spoke. The tension in the air would be thick and uncomfortable and Sora, so happy-go-lucky, would try to lighten it by asking "Remember several months ago when Roxas and Axel were at that—" or "Remember when Xigbar tried to hit on Demyx and Zexion—" before realizing the situation and looking away to darken the tension even more.
Riku hadn't even realized how hard it was to be around Sora, before he could reach out and grasp Sora and it was all he needed to know that Sora was with him, but now if he touched him then Sora would flinch and reply nothing's wrong but attempt to stealthily move away from him.
And one day, he cracked, Sora was there, not with Leon, or friend, with him, and he'd be dammed if that didn't mean something. His arms were around Sora's waist within one instant, within the next Sora's back was to his chest and he was nipping Sora's ear in an aggressively suggestive manner. There was a noise from Sora—possibly a squeak—before the brunet gave a soft moan of approval.
What was he to do but continue?
Taking the sign, his lips trailed down Sora's throat, fingers slipping under his shirt to tempt the warm skin before his fingers trailed across the boarder of Sora's jeans. It was as if an alert was sent to the brunet's lust-covered mind because in the next instant he was pushing away, eyes wide with horror and shock before gasping and grabbing his things and rushing out of the apartment.
And Riku was left, standing there and feeling as if he were the biggest traitor in the world.
"Where are the wolves, the underwater moon
The elvenpath, the haven of youth
Lagoons of the starlit sea.
Have I felt enough for one man's deed?
Or is it time to challenge the Ancient of Days
And let the virgin conceive."
The wedding was beautiful; Leon's tux was a simple, standard one—the man hated over the top things—while Sora actually agreed to wear a pearl white gown. Not that they truly needed white for a wedding, but they weren't going to say anything to the priest. It was as if everyone in the city had come to the wedding, gifts upon gifts were stacked up on a table while people chatted happily over food and cooed the newly wed couple as they fed each other dinner.
Leon had managed to get the reception in the same building as the chapel, so the people didn't need to move far to get to their food. Sora, ever the glutton, found this suited him just fine and was completely smiles the whole wedding.
But as everyone chatted happily and Leon had talked to his best man—his best friend Cloud Strife—and the blond's boyfriend—Sephiroth Mako—no one watched Sora. Blue eyes dulled as they glanced around the room, it was as if they lost all hope as they helped the brunet realize that not a single person in the room had silver hair.
All the tales are told
All the orchids gone
"And as Sky laughed joyously, his new husband grasped his hand led him to the dance floor. Their favorite song filled the air and Sky's head met the man's shirt while his eyes closed without a care in the world. The man leaned down and kissed his forehead and everyone around smiled and not a dry eye was in the room. There was a small mutter of 'I love you' and Sky realized this was where he belonged, with the man he loved more than life itself.
That's why on the other side of town Land was found renting a cheap, broken down boat for a 'night out on the sea'. And when he pulled from the docks the sky's stars twinkled and it vaguely reminded him of the beauty's eyes that he loved so much. But as they looked down on him in depression, he already lowered the anchor and ignored the fact that he lost sight of the shore. The winds wisped by quietly, as if to ask him, but he merely smiled softly and clutched in his hand the picture of his beloved Sky. Without waiting he walked to the edge of the bow and threw himself into the waves as the water began to tug at the words on the back of the photo.
'And I'd rather die of a broken heart rather than take you away from your happiness'."
Shutting his newly finished book, Riku sighed and removed the photo of Sora he'd been using as a bookmark. Grabbing a permanent marker, he quickly wrote a sentence across the back and tried to avoid smudging it as he stood up to leave his new book on his desk. After boxing it up and leaving it with the apartment's tenet to give to the mailman, he quickly made his way to the docks.
Surely he too could find a cheap, broken down boat this late.
All the tales are told
All the orchids gone
Lost in my own world
Now I care for dead gardens
X.X.X.X
Reviews are love, I'm sorry it had such a sad ending. I haven't written a sad ending in a while.
Link to the song: http : / youtube . com / watch?v (equal) 8kCJm8hWUfQ