Whoops, hehe I've been so busy I actually forgot about the other stories I planned to write. Just now I went to my profile and was thinking "ohhh. Crap." So now I will devote my time to you.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything relating to the creation of Kingdom Hearts.
"Sora." Impatiently, a silver headed teen stood, leaning on a black and yellow racket. Looking up at the cloudless sky, he swiped away a developing perspiration and sighed, wiping it on his torn jeans. Sora had thought it would be fun to impersonate a ninja hours earlier. The blue eyed brunette had come out of the woods with now scratches; the silver headed teen on the other hand was definitely not a wannabe. 'Come on, it'll be just like flying!' Naruto
"Sora." Said boy didn't respond; in fact, the older teen couldn't even see the brunette. Glancing around the dark green opening, Riku found nothing. He took a bright green ball out of his pocket and began to dribble it more impatiently every dribble.
"Dammit Sora, we have more than one ball. You don't have to find everyone that goes over the fence!" Riku finally yelled aggravated at his Sora's childish behavior.
"Hey Riku, I found it!" Somewhere to his left, the irritated teen heard his ecstatic friend yell in triumph. Coming over the small hill, Sora bounded to the court to return to the game. His khaki shorts and white and red shirt rustled in the soft wind as he sprinted happily. Riku couldn't help but then smile at Sora's endless energy and cheerfulness.
"Just hurry up loser, before I decide to change my mind on teaching you how to play tennis." Lifting his racket onto his shoulder, Riku grinned.
"Okay, okay, no need to be impatient." Sora smiled and walked to his place opposite of his teacher for the day. Taking a deep breath and furrowing his chocolate brows, the seventeen-year old's expression became focused. "Just to let you know Ri-ku, I won't let you beet me in this one." The silver headed teen simply chuckled.
"Is that a bet or a promise?" a silver eyebrow raised as his tone played with the other. The brunette smirked.
"Let's make it a promise this time." On that note, Riku raised his arm with the ball in its grasp and released it, preparing to serve mercilessly. Upon racket-length, the older teen thrust his right arm to make direct contact with the ball. The wind picked up slowly within this one stroke, and as Riku brought his arm down with a beautiful finish, he looked ahead across the court to prepare for the return, only to see a clearly amused Sora. And then, as the breeze made a silver halo around his head, Riku realized something.
He had missed the ball completely.
The instant he had realized this epic failure did the brunette cross court laugh hysterically, clutching his stomach in pleasuring pain. Sora dropped his navy blue racket as he fell to the court, sputtering. Riku however, first became embarrassed, his face lit up immediately with a newly discovered shade of red.
"Shut up. It wasn't me. The damn wind knocked my swing unbalanced!" the silver headed teen hurriedly attempted to cover his bad performance to the never ceasing laughing opponent. "Dammit Sora, stop laughing!" Now coughing dangerously, the spiky headed brunette was crawling to regain his composure.
"Man, I don't think you can even try to cover that one up." Sora's electric blue eyes glittered with tears from laughter as he stood shakily and grinning. "Aren't you supposed to be my teacher? Ha-ha, maybe you need to go back to school first."
"Shut up, I'll show you this time." Retrieving a ball from the basket in a quick swoop, Riku prepared for another round. The shorter brunette rolled his bright blue eyes and returned to his place, even more excited for the game to come. Then, with both opponents facing the other, Riku's expression became serious.
He would not screw up and be laughed at.
Again.
The eighteen year old threw the ball up and brought it other arm with the racket in hand to swing with full force. This time around, the tennis ball and racket came into perfect contact, as it flew down the court in lightening speed. A gust of wind followed it, making bounce and hit the fence behind the brunette within seconds. Sora stood dumbfounded.
"Fifteen love." Riku smirked and reached into his pocket to retrieve another tennis ball. He began bouncing it with his racket to warm up.
"Wait, what's love got to do with it?" Sora stopped and stared.
"Come on Sora, don't start quoting song lyrics." Riku playfully rolled his glinting aquamarine orbs.
"No really! What's love?" the short brunette put down his racket and walked over to the fence.
"Well you see my young friend, love is where a man and a woman, or man and man, or a woman and a woman really like each other-"the silver headed teen grinned.
"Dammit Riku, answer the question you know I'm asking! What is love in tennis?" Sora furrowed his brow as a pout began to form in his pink lower lip.
"Okay, okay. Love just means zero. Simple okay? All it means is I received fifteen points and you have zero since you didn't return the serve; let alone know it was coming." The older teen paused. The statement he had said related to reality a little too well.
Around the age of eight, Riku's parents knew he was gay before he even knew himself. Since the brunette and he had been together as best friends, the boy only thought he was overprotective of the other. When the third installment of their party had come, many situations had changed. Kairi, a sweet looking good natured girl was the candy to the brunette's eye.
"Heya, my name's Sora and this is Riku." A brunette eight year old walked onto the porch of the mayor's house happily. The older boy following him narrowed his eyes at the girl sitting before them. "We saw you were new and wanted to meet you. Isn't that right Ri-Ri?" Sora grinned and nudged his best friend.
"Oh, uh yeah, nice to meet you." The silver headed boy stiffened. Uncomfortable he looked away and put his hands in his pockets. The soft island breeze picked up as the smell of the sea salt could be sensed from the neighborhood. Cicadas chirped obnoxiously and the clouds passed by silently watching the summer scene.
"Hello, my name is Kairi."
"Nice to meet you Kairi. Where're you from?" the energetic boy asked innocently.
"I dunno." The girl shrugged harmlessly. "Not here apparently." She smiled.
"Anyway, let's be friends okay?" the girl wearing the purple skirt and white shirt smiled and jumped off of her swing.
Ever since the first meeting, Kairi had joined their group and they became the trio. Riku had supported them both as the eldest of the group and cared for their well being.
That was exactly why he kept his feelings hidden.
If the teen had told his real feelings to the spiky haired brunette boy, he believed he would've been disowned by all around him. The decision he made to hide that fact from everyone around him induced the self torture he inflicted on himself. The teen believed he was nothing better than disgusting for harboring feelings for any man. When the door to darkness had opened on his island, it was the perfect chance for him to escape a world of judgment;
And to find the love of his life.
"Riku, hurry up and serve!" Sora's wide blue eyes were close the Riku's now. During his stage of thought the brunette had come up to the other to see what the problem was. The silver headed teen's aqua eyes widened then snapped back into reality.
"Oh yeah, sorry about…that." Riku mumbled and continued to bounce the tennis ball with his racket as Sora eyed him warily, walking back to his location cross court.
"You sure you're ok? It's not-"
The relapses you have…
"No Sora, it's not. Now let's just get back to the game. I wanna get some sea salt ice cream when we're done." the silver headed angel smiled through his happy lie. Repeating the same serving motion, the game started out well enough. The brunette actually decided to return the serve and the competition turned into a moderate paced volleying.
"So…how're you and Cloud?" the shorter teen asked what he thought wasn't suspicious.
"Well enough. He wants to come see our home island." Riku replied nonchalant.
"Aha, you're serious? Who would want to go back there? Isn't he happy here in Radiant Garden?"
"I suppose so, but he wants to know…where I originated I guess…"
"Oh… I can come if you'd like. I mean Kairi would sure love to see the whole gang back together too."
"Sure if you'd like, I don't mind." The idle chat carried on for an hour longer, varying from to their old island friends to the new worlds they've seen. Suddenly Sora silenced as his brows creased and his expression became solemn. He returned the volley harshly to the older teen, making him no able to keep up with the speed.
"Riku…it's been a year since then. Don't you want to tell anyone anything?" Riku had never seen such a hurt expression on his best friend before.
"Kingdom Hearts is over Sora. There's nothing I can do about my past besides try to forget and repent."
"So is that why you've been constantly trying to cheer me up? You treat me with ice cream and video games because you're sorry for me?"
"No Sora, that's not what I'm saying. I just want things to be normal between us again."
"It always has been Ri Ri." The other boy mumbled rolling his azure eyes. "We all make stupid mistakes and it's no use trying to bother with them once their done besides learning from them ok?"
"Wow, you sound like Leon. Please, don't ever try to do that again. I don't know what I would do with myself if you turned into…that." The silver headed teen smiled softly and quietly provoked his long time friend.
"I'm gonna tell him you called him a 'that', and then you'll get it."
"Yeah right. Come on; let's go get some ice cream, it's too hot to be out here this long." Riku threw his racket carelessly to the court ground and walked through the gate to his car.
"Hurry up or you're paying for it."
"Eh, I know you'll back me up." The brunette shrugged, walking casually.
"It scares me when you're right."
"That's what friends do."
And that is what love counts for. Not one of my best stories, but I'm getting back into the groove ok? So please, spare me.
Review?