This was just a little thing I had written during my free time school, since I couldn't really focus on the update for Duality until I finished it lol. For context, those who just found this, 'Puppets No More' is an AU in which Riku and Repliku(Who is called Kurow in this) are twins, among other changes.
I imagine that they're around 6 or 7 during this? Somethin' like that.
Riku gave a low noise as another streak of lightning flashed across the sky, lighting up the room, and a clap of thunder followed soon after.
Flipping onto his back, Riku stared at the ceiling. The only noises seemed to be the pitter-patter of rain, the occasional roar of thunder, and Kairi's patchy snoring from her makeshift sleeping bag. Sora laid not too far away, sprawled out on his blankets.
The four of them had been on their way back from the islands when they got caught in the beginning of the rain. As Riku's home was closest, they had decided to bunk there for the duration of the storm.
Beside him, Kurow turned onto his other side. His eyebrows were knit together and he seemed to shake. There was yet another clap of thunder, and Kurow flinched, pulling the covers tighter around him.
"...Kurow? You alright?" Riku kept his voice low, as to not wake Kairi and Sora, lightly shaking his brother.
"Huh?" Kurow's eyes snapped wide open, a sort of 'deer in the headlights' look on his face.
"Are you okay?" Riku repeated, shifting slightly to face Kurow.
"Oh." Kurow relaxed a little, burrowing into his pillow a bit. "Yeah, fine. I-I'm fine."
"Kurow, come on. You can tell me if you're scared, you know that." Riku said.
The rain seemed to pick up, hitting the window rapidly, and the noise quickly became deafening. There was a silence other than that and Riku gave a little sigh. A flash of lightning lit up the room, and Kurow buried himself even more under the covers.
"...Are you scared of the storm?"
"N-no." There was another clap of thunder, the loudest Riku had heard that night and Kurow made a squeaking noise. "...Y-yes."
Riku gave a small smile. "It's alright, Kurow. We're safe here, okay?" Riku lightly poked the other boy's forehead and to Riku's dismay, Kurow still looked terrified.
"I-I know. It's just…" Kurow hesitated, as if searching for the right words, "My h-heart… won't calm down… and I don't know w-why…"
"That's okay, Kurow." Riku assured. "Sometimes… the stuff we're afraid of just doesn't make sense. It doesn't have to have to have a reason."
"... Hey, Riku…" Kurow began after a moment. "C-can we… keep talking? Until the s-storm's over…?"
"Huh?... Yeah, of course, Kurow."
Light flitted through the window, shining onto Kurow's face. He blinked his eyes open, squinting as he slowly sat up.
Looking around, the room was completely empty besides himself. Kurow's gaze fell on the pillow on the other side of the bed. A note sat there, Riku's handwriting easily recognizable.
'Didn't want to wake you. Went to get breakfast with Kai and Sora. Be back soon.'
"Short and to the point…" Kurow yawned, pushing off the covers and walking over to the window. He pulled the curtains together, darkening the room again. Absentmindedly, Kurow rubbed his eye as he sat back down on the bed.
He laid back, staring at the ceiling. Closing his eyes, Kurow could faintly recall the images from his dream earlier that night.
A tall, lithe woman standing over him, with blonde hair and wearing a long black coat. A phantom pain all over, and a girl around his age in a white dress sitting beside him.
Kurow let out a loud sigh, and turned onto his side.
What a weird dream...