Disclaimer: If it was mine, you'd know. Trust me.
Pairing: Soriku
Summary: It was like thee parts to a poupu (SoRi) Kairi's part was a little smaller, but no less sweet.
Notes: Post KH2, 'cause I can. No dialogue... which I actually only JUST noticed, lol. Um... it's basically after they get back - a day to just breathe and take in the fact that their was no lives depending on them for once C= .Feedback, as always, adored. Love, Jaffa xxx
Of Sweets and Sugar-highs
Sora smells like cinnamon and sweat as he bounds his way to the picnic blanket. He drags a bag full of goodies; swimmers and towels and licorice drops, along with a half devoured box of cinnamon doughnuts.
He lands with a 'thump' beside Riku, who does his best to stay calm and collected despite the warmth and laughter Sora promotes.
Riku smells like sweat and salt water, hair dripping with the latter from his swim.
Sora doesn't mind the aroma. He's always put it together with laughter and warmth and a giddy-thump in his chest. Which hurts a little, sometimes, but is far to precious to dislike.
Kairi appears a little way off, chatting with Selphie as she wanders her way down to the beach. She's bright and cheerful and full of love as she tiptoes onto the sand with a call to farewell her friend.
When she skips and dances her way over, she smells like perfume and mint bubble-gum. She throws herself between her friends with a cheery laugh as she snags a sweet from Sora's hands.
Sora pretends to mind, so Riku tried to thieve one too and before two long the three of them are racing each other across the sand.
Kairi lags a little behind - but she doesn't mind. Somewhere in her deepest of hearts she knows that's where she's needed most. Something to ground the others.
Sora laughs like he was born to, as though there was nothing waiting just in reach of his sword-hand, as though he'd never have need to call the keyblade from hiding.
Riku grins like Sora makes him - 'cause nothing in all the worlds could compare to the sound of Sora's mirth.
They run together - free as birds - across the glittering gold of their island paradise. Loving the smell of sea and the sound of carefree laughter like never before.
Finally, Sora collapses onto the shore, spilling his lollies all around him without a care. Riku falls beside him with a 'thud', playfully kicking sand at Sora's feet.
They share a smile when Sora reacts with all the exaggeration he can muster, throwing himself into the water just a little way to his side and splashing the liquid all over the sand.
With a chuckle, Riku retaliates in turn, drenching them both before Kairi had even caught up with them.
She squeals in delighted rage as they both focus their attacks on her when she was close enough to splash. Chasing her back from the water's edge with handfuls of dripping sand to slide inside her top.
They were all out of breath and beaming by the time they'd made it back to the picnic blanket. They fell in a panting heap with Sora in the middle and his friends the closest they'd been in years.
They gazed up at the perfect blue of the sky, naming random shapes the obscure clouds seemed to imitate.
Suddenly sitting up in a rush, Sora pointed across the busy beach, a moment later hid friend heard the simple jingle and shared an eyeroll as Sora eagerly raced over sand dunes to reach it.
He was devouring his second ice cream by the time they'd made their way to his side, his bright face covered with chocolate and sprinkles in a completely endearing way.
The ice cream truck pulled away as Riku and Kairi bought one each and Sora a third.
Re-energized with his sugar-high, Sora bounced like a toddler, sliding his way back over the sand dunes and declaring they were going to make the biggest sand castle Destiny Islands had ever seen.
They made an odd little triangle sitting atop the damp sand just to far for the ocean to steal, piling handfuls of sand higher and higher.
Sora laughed at every inch of growth, gleeful and free like no one was watching. They shaped it with care, but every mistake just made them laugh so hard more sand came tumbling down.
Eventually, the castle was complete. Tall and glorious, including a moat and a gate and a pretty green leaf for a flag on top.
Satisfied, Sora grinned, shaking sand from his body and proclaiming loud and clear that he was the king of their castle.
Kairi circled the castle slowly, admiring the beauty. Then she locked eyes with Riku, all but glowing with mischief.
Knowing her plan from the glance, Riku grinned like a devil, pointing out a flaw in the castle that needed the kings attention. Leaning forward to inspect, Sora didn't suspect a thing as Kairi stopped circling and Riku couldn't stop his cough of laughter.
The look on Sora's face was priceless as Kairi gently prodded him forwards and gravity took him the rest of the way.
He fell in a tangle on their castle, comical 'omph' sounding as he hit the sand, but his surprise didn't last long as Riku latched onto his hands and Kairi sat apon his legs.
Sora squirmed and fought as laughter spewed uncontrollably from him as Kairi's fingers raced across his sides in a tickle-frenzy.
Somehow he managed to turn himself around, begging and cursing them between half gulps of air, his laughter ringing like music around them.
Kairi and Riku were laughing too, with Sora's contagious sound it was imposable to resist the urge and before to long the three of them were again out of breath.
They flopped where they were for the moment, smiling like the kids they really wanted to be sometimes.
Slowly, Sora reached out to snag a hand from them each, promising so much with his smile as he made a silent pack that they would always be friends, no matter what.
They watched as the sky turned that pretty mix of pink and orange and blue, the sun setting against that ever far-off horizon.
They pushed themselves to their feet then, dragging their steps despite the sudden chill. Kairi eventually had to run a little ahead to claim her jumper from the picnic blanket, and Sora released her hand with a brotherly squeeze.
Riku and Sora dawdled in the cold, the warmth of each others company taking off it's edge in a way Kairi's hadn't, couldn't. Not really.
They spoke together softly, almost solemnly, but Sora didn't lose his content smile and Riku didn't seem to be brooding.
Sure enough, when Kairi glanced back out of the corner of her eyes, Sora had reached out to claim Riku's hand and Riku tugged him closer to taste Sora's lips.
The girl watched as the boys shared their first kiss. Happy she'd seen the moment, no matter how private, and happy for them in a way she wasn't fully expecting when she'd seen the first of the shy-blushing-glances.
She smiled with only a hint of sadness, though she knew they'd still love her the same as always.
It was like Selphie's silly poupu legend. They'd all seemed to share one somehow - and though Kairi's slice was a little bit smaller, it still tasted just as sweet.
She giggled a little and the boys sprung apart like she'd scalded them.
At the sight she laughed all the harder and raced back to them, sweeping them both into her arms and informing them just how proud she was of their choices.
Sora blushed a brighter pink before he met Riku's soft smile with that giddy-thump feel between them.
(xxx)