Summary: Takes place after "Who you Come Home To" Riku stops drinking but things don't get any better, so Sora decides to take his life into his own hands. With the help of Roxas and Axel things almost are better than before, almost. Multi-Chaptered 1/3. Sora/Riku, Axel/Roxas, Axel/Sora, Sora/Roxas, Axel/Sora/Roxas.
A/N: This started as a one-shot and grew into something entirely different. I plan on having 2 more chapters after this, the 2nd of which is almost completed. But who knows, this story seems to have a mind of its own.
--
Fracture
By: Kane's Light
--
He didn't have to say anything. It already hurt without the additional burn of words. Just the stench of sex and one too many beers made Sora want to throw up. Just the fact that Riku was here, in their shared apartment, looking at him, with those completely lucid eyes, made him feel colder than the sleet slamming angrily against their windows. Sora was cold, and so very sick at the moment that he almost couldn't find the strength to look away from his boyfriend's piercing green gaze.
It shouldn't have hurt so much; it wouldn't have hurt so much, really, if only Riku weren't so sober.
But the fact remained that he was and so in his right mind for the first time in what felt like forever. It was the first time that the door had not slammed so hard against the frame that it stayed open until Sora could be bothered to get up and close it firmly. It was the first time that Riku had not collapsed into a tangled pile of cursing limbs knocking everything down in his path. It was the first time that Riku did not need Sora to help him to bed. It was the first time in what felt like forever that the usual did not apply, and Sora wasn't as grateful for it as he thought he'd be.
He had imagined whispered apologizes against familiarly warmed skin, not this cold stare-down that Sora had already forfeited. It was supposed to be different, but in a wonderful way. He would have happily embraced any other scenario than this one.
Riku's eyes burned Sora's skin more than any liquor ever could.
Riku's suitcase fell to the floor with a deafening crash that spilled papers all across their living room floor. His tie joined the pile and Sora took a step away from the silk as it landed elegantly at his feet. Riku sighed loudly, or maybe it was quietly and Sora was just listening too closely. Either way his sigh filled the room and blood began to hum in Sora's ears.
"I'm home," Riku's voice was not the least bit hoarse or slurred.
"I could tell," Sora automatically responded. He felt so empty that he didn't even have to think about how tightly his arms were squeezing him. It was already so hard to breathe.
Riku was still staring at Sora who was staring at the white carpet, the scattered papers, the emerald tie, anything other than Riku. The silence was louder than any scream, and Sora would have given anything to have the strength to just walk out. Instead, he dropped his arms and leaned numbly against the wall beside him.
"I didn't drink tonight." Those words brought Sora's eyes effectively up to Riku's.
"Oh?" his voice quivered slightly on just the single syllable.
"Wakka invited me to one of his parties and I couldn't just turn him down," Riku sounded so sure of himself, so different, so unconcerned with the world. Sora wanted nothing more than to punch him or cry, he wasn't sure which one would win.
"Was it fun?" he was smiling when he said it, no trace of sarcasm or hurt to be found.
"Not really,"he was still so empty.
"I'm sorry," and Sora sounded it even if he didn't feel it.
"Don't worry about it, Sora," and Riku was smiling now too.
Riku walked steadily forward and bent to lay a kiss on the top of Sora's head as he went upstairs. His black business shoes had crushed some of his papers, and Sora was somewhat glad.
A door opened and then closed again, but it wasn't particularly loud and there was no cursing to be heard. Sora slid to the ground and buried his head in his knees. Drinks or not Riku had still reeked of sex and stale cigarettes.
--
Sora decided that in the morning he was going to confront Riku about the previous night. He had stayed awake most of the night planning and re planning all the things that needed to be said. But eventually he had fallen asleep; the sounds of his harsh breathing echoing against the tiles of the bathroom floor.
--
He awoke to the shuffling of heavy feet. He blinked for what seemed like an eternity before he realized where he was. The bathroom made a painful resting place, and an inconvenient one at that when Riku was awake and suffering from one of his typical hangovers.
The footsteps had stopped and Sora had stretched, each joint protesting and his back popping delightfully, before he realized there was no frantic rush for the other to get to the bathroom. He then belatedly noticed that Riku had been the first one to wake up. Sora couldn't remember the last time that had happened.
But as it was Riku was in no rush to empty his stomach and stood patiently in the hallway for a few moments before he knocked rather loudly on the door.
"Sora? I've got to use the bathroom and would appreciate it greatly if you would hurry up."
As Sora brushed past Riku and heard the click of the door closing he doubted if Riku had anything left inside of himself that could truly appreciate anything.
--
"I'll be back in a little while," Riku yelled into the quiet house as he was pulling on his coat.
Sora rushed from his perch on the kitchen counter to meet up with Riku, to tell him everything, to stop him from leaving, to make everything the exact same as it was so long ago. He nearly slipped on the linoleum and brushed painfully against a table only to arrive to the sound of Riku's car starting.
By the time he made it to the window Riku was no where in sight.
--
A little while stretched into a few hours and a few hours sludged into a whole night. But Sora stayed up anyway, and he wished that he didn't care so much.
Riku arrived with the chirping of birds and the sun shimmering in a cloudless sky. He didn't announce his presence, and Sora didn't have the strength left to call attention to himself. Instead, Riku walked right past him and headed into their once shared bedroom. The door was shut quietly, and Sora decided that the living room chair would have to make do and promptly passed out.
--
He awoke to the smell of frying bacon. His eyes took longer to adjust than usual but then he noticed he wasn't alone. Slowly, he walked into the kitchen and had just enough will power left to pull out a chair and plop down into it. Riku glanced at his tired partner.
"Are you hungry?" he asked in a tone showing amazing disregard for anyone outside of himself.
Sora hummed low in his throat and shook his head tiredly. He wouldn't be able to lift a fork if he wanted.
"Suit yourself," and with a careless shrug he set about finishing his bacon. By the time he had sat down and eaten the last bit of food Sora had almost missed the fact that Riku seemed to be hangover free. He sighed heavily and almost wished things would go back the way they were. At least then he knew how to act.
"Where were you last night?" Sora narrowed his too tired eyes.
"Out," Riku replied and moved to place his dishes in the sink.
"Out?" Sora watched the older man's shoulders tense and wished he had the energy to get angry.
"I was out, Sora," and with that simple statement he exited the kitchen leaving the dishes for Sora to wash.
--
Four more weeks passed in much the same way with Riku disappearing and Sora wishing he could make everything better but not knowing how. Riku always came home and the lack of scents always made Sora's heart beat a little faster only for it to shatter a little more as Riku once again remained coolly out of reach.
Riku was pulling on his coat and Sora was busy washing dishes as Riku called out his false promises. Sora quickly dried his hands and walked lazily to the front door where Riku had already left. He listened for the start of Riku's truck and then exited the house. Tonight he was going to find out exactly what he was up to.
He started his own car and thanked every deity that his neighborhood was rather large and there was only one way out. It wasn't long before he had Riku in his sights and he followed at a wide distance until he could get a few cars between them.
The drive was long and miserable with Sora spending too much time thinking and following. His concentration was shot by the time he noticed Riku stopping outside of Wakka's bland yellowish house. Sora immediately pulled into a side street and waited for other people to show up.
They never did.
By twilight Sora was exhausted and his mind had run out of excuses and he knew that Riku wasn't just chatting with old friends. He remembered the drunk Riku and found that it hurt a lot less now to think about everything that had brought them here. He wasn't sure what he had done wrong, but at the same time he was discovering he no longer cared. He was tired and he was getting older and the pitiful looks that people were giving him never seemed to stop.
In the end he decided to simply drive home and take a quick nap before he caught up with Riku.
--
They had had an extraordinary blow out with Riku flushing and screaming like he hadn't since the beginning of his drunken escapades. Sora had stayed fairly calm though his shouts probably echoed through the neighborhood. Riku didn't think it was any of Sora's business where he was at night and he certainly shouldn't be following people around.
Sora found with an alarming rate that although the hurt was there, strong and bitter against the roof of his mouth, he was starting to not really care.
"I'll be home whenever the hell I want," with that said Riku stormed out of the house forgetting his coat and briefcase.
Sora listened to him drive away and though he cried for a little bit he congratulated himself on his ability to still function. He collected his thoughts and set about doing the things that needed to be done. He decided to start with the dishes.
--
When Riku arrived home Sora imagined that he would read the note neatly laid out on their old bed before shredding it into ten-thousand tiny pieces. He guessed the older man would rush about checking each room before realizing that Sora was indeed gone. He would probably rush over to Wakka's house in a frenzy of complaints and unplanned words that would only blow up in his too pretty face. Sora imagined all these things but he knew what really happened.
A few days later Wakka starting dating a beautiful young lady by the name of Lulu. They had met by chance in the grocery line and after several more meetings Wakka had asked her out on a date. People claimed it was love at first sight.
Riku was once again getting drunk every night and Roxas complained to no end about Axel constantly having to assist in getting Riku home. In the end it was planned that the previous night was the last that Axel was to help his old friend.
Sora was trying to pick up the pieces of his life and he supposed that Axel's sharp humor and Roxas' endless patience would eventually be enough. He knows now that what he did was for the best and his new grocery checkout lady is quite friendly. There are no more awkward glances and nights spent waiting alone, but sometimes Sora missed the old Riku. The Riku he first fell in love with.
But the memory of bruised hips and less than tender kisses is soon replaced by too fiery hair and too blue eyes. Somehow Sora knows that everything will work out fine, because in the end it has to be.
"Stop brooding Sora. You'll get wrinkles," Axel musses his brown locks lovingly and Sora thinks that perhaps that sums up his life quite nicely.
--
A/N: Don't worry bits and pieces of the old Sora will eventually be returning and there will be plenty of interaction between all of these characters. Please review!! It motivates me.