This story has become a bit toxic to me and I almost didn't want to finish writing it…
Please enjoy and happy reading…
00oo00
Two and a half years later
00oo00
Life is rough. It's like you're living under a giant glass dome where some head honcho is keeping you under constant watch. Your parents are the guards. Everyone else makes up the hoard of lab assistants that are to watch you and take notes. Judgment. Harsh reality.
And Riku felt like he'd been living under some stifling blanket the past two and half years where he was overly conscious of everything he did. He distanced himself. He left the blitzball team, claiming to want to put all of his efforts in his studies. The entire team called him crazy; he was top in their class. But some things were necessary when you have to hide the fact that you're ninety-nine percent sure you're ga- not normal.
He also broke things off with Cindy not long after his realization. He knew that staying with her would have been good for keeping up the image of normal straight guy, but he was just too uncomfortable. He knew the time was right when, possibly feeling unstoppable after giving him a successful blowjob, she made moves about wanting to go all the way. He barely got through foreplay, he was sure he wouldn't be able to get through sex.
And just like that, Riku became 'that guy' who preferred to eat outside on the grounds by himself and stick to being home or going down to the beach alone. He wasn't unfriendly, exactly; he just refused to show interest. And he honestly wasn't interested. He was too focused on keeping his secret that he couldn't worry or care about anything else.
Except, of course, for his best friend.
He could never abandon Sora.
00oo00
Yet his mother had been a bigger deal than anything. The worry was written all over her face. Of course, moms always knew when something was bothering their children. He just had to be a single child. Couldn't he have a sibling to distract her?
He was much more content to be around his father these days. They watched sports games together each night and talked little. It was perfect. If his father had any concerns about his loner tendencies, he didn't express them; in fact, Riku felt a little certain that his dad was enjoying their quiet time together. It was nice.
The problem was that his secret was slowly eating holes in him. It seemed to thrash about inside him some days and at times, when at the table eating dinner with his folks, it started to creep up his throat and stayed there, waiting for him to do the rest. It was like lead that refused to be swallowed; heavy and unpleasant and needing to come out. But his courage would waver without fail every time and his parents remained clueless.
Having an unshakable secret sucked. Going through high school with that secret sucked. Not having friends sucked. But he had to make it okay. There was nothing else he could do.
00oo00
Sitting at the beach at night was relaxing. The sound of the waves lapping at the sand while the stars twinkled at him made the entire world melt away. There was just him and that beautiful sky. The moon would listen to him, wouldn't it?
"I feel like it'd be easier if I told everyone. But if I was certain, then I'd have done it years ago."
Maybe the moon wasn't really listening, but he could always pretend that it was. No shame in that, right? He felt ashamed enough, in this tiny little town that would treat him like a devil child if he did let his secret slip. Tradition here dictated that you get a wife, build a family and lead the next generation. Anything else was simply an impossibility.
Coming to from his musings, he took notice that he wasn't alone. Soft laughter was coming from his right side. There were two figures walking side-by-side coming closer and closer. He wasn't used to seeing others on the beach this late at night. The moon was fairly bright, allowing him to take in some details. They were holding hands, both tall and slender. Both male.
Realization of what he was seeing slapped him in the face. The pair passed him without much notice, too interested in each other and with each step they took, Riku was feeling more and more alone.
This was his chance to finally get this secret out there. Complete stranger would be okay, right? They didn't seem to be locales (he was sure he could pick out every Destiny Island native easily) so it should be okay.
And before his courage was sapped away, he stood up and called, "Hey! Do you mind if I ask you something?"
00oo00
The second the words left his mouth, he felt like a spontaneous idiot. But his spontaneity proved to be a blessing and walking home, he felt immensely relived.
The couple had been nice. Riku was terrified that he had made a complete assumption but after awkwardly getting the question out, stammering over his words, he felt better when he found relaxed grins looked back at him.
The pair were on vacation. They attended university in Radiant Garden. Riku had been a bit shocked when hearing that. Actual city people. He hadn't met many. And they were quite open about themselves. "It seems things are a bit more conservative here," one of the two said. "We didn't realize that until a few not so friendly looks were sent our way. It's completely different back home."
Destiny Islands was behind on the times, Riku mused after listening about what else was out there. Apparently in Radiant Garden, same-sex couples were common enough and pretty well accepted. They had marriage rights there and from the sounds of it, they didn't have to smother their secrets.
He explained his situation in as little detail as possible. It felt so much better having finally confided in someone. "Maybe this isn't the place for you," he was told.
And maybe they were right, he thought.
But the fact of the matter was; he had no place else to go.
00oo00
He was seventeen. His birthday was in a few weeks. He was just starting his senior year and so far, it was going pretty well.
He felt ostracized, but he didn't mind.
Listening to all of the guys around him talk, he was realizing that he was pretty inexperienced in the sex department. He wanted to not care, but he had urges. He had no choice but to care for himself, though.
But the thought occurred to him that, should the opportunity ever arise, he didn't want to be totally clueless on what to do, what to expect or what would be expected of him.
Straight out of a movie. The internet. Google. He felt clichéd, but it was his only option. A few keystrokes, hit 'Enter.' Bam. It's like he walked into an odd dimension filled with people's sex lives and porn. There was enough information to keep him busy for hours.
So much he didn't know. He had the basic concepts. He knew about sex and gay sex was, in a way, similar, right? But there just seemed so much more and there were precautions and not everyone liked this and could he ever, really, be the bottom?
Head spinning, heart racing. He was almost tempted to click on one of the porn sites but couldn't muster the courage. Enough for one day. Delete the browser history (never know if your parents snoop, right?).
Well that was all fine and dandy. Was he turned off from the idea of gay sex? No. Would he like to try? Sure.
But there was no way that could happen in this little gossiping town.
00oo00
He was eighteen today. He didn't feel different. It wasn't a different day. Saturday birthdays are perfect to spend with friends out in town or at the beach. Riku stayed upstairs in his room, lounging on his bed with a book. He liked to read, so this could be a good birthday after all.
"Riku?" His mother, coming up the stairs. He was even more on edge with her lately and every time she approached his heart raced with anxiety. "You got a letter. From Sora and Roxas."
He sat up rather quickly and his book fell from his hands. He hadn't gotten a letter from them before. He always just talked to Sora on the phone.
His mother eyed him and handed him a white envelope that was sealed with a smiley face sticker. Typical Sora. As he opened the envelope he felt his mother's eyes studying him. His actions slowed and he looked up at her carefully.
She obvious read his questioning face. "You don't have any plans, sweetie? It's your eighteenth birthday, this is the big one. You could go out with some friends; you know your father and I wouldn't mind."
He hated that she sounded sad. He hated that he had to lie. "I've had a headache since I woke up so I figured I'd just rest at home. I'll see everyone in school, I'm sure I'll be harassed about my birthday there." Unlikely, he thought, but she didn't need to know that. He finished opening the envelope and felt his mother peering over his shoulder to see what was inside.
The hand drawn birthday card was better than anything from the store. The difference between Roxas' work and Sora's was evident; Roxas had always enjoyed art. But the brightly colored "Happy Birthday!" on the front made him feel so sad at that very moment. And when he opened the card and the recently snapped picture of the twins smiling fell out, he wanted to curl up and sulk.
00oo00
He didn't know what it was like to be in love. He had never fallen in love with anyone.
When he saw the picture in the card, his eyes immediately went to Sora and those beautiful blue eyes and his heart jumped into his throat, his voice was caught, his eyes were eagerly looking over every feature, every change, and his lungs felt squished and hurt like he was talking too much and running out of air…ai…a-
"Look how much they've grown," his mother said and he was startled back into reality and everything right at that moment got so much harder because he was afraid of what this feeling could mean.
Love, huh? What a weird sensation.
00oo00
He felt like their conversations were more private on his new cell phone. A birthday gift from his parents. His father joked that the home phone was holding up a white flag lately due to Riku's excessive use during his conversations with Sora.
"Now we can text each other too!" Sora was excited. More access to his best friend. Sora and Roxas have had their phones for a while now. Twilight Town was a bigger place than Destiny Islands, so their parents had encouraged an easy way to stay in touch.
He didn't have to worry about needing to get off the phone when it was late at night nor did he have to worry about getting off if his mother needed to place a call. He could be down at the beach at night as he liked to be and now, Sora could go with him and it was like he was right there beside him in the sand.
"Oh, guess what?" Sora spoke rather excitedly. Riku amused his friend, asking a drawn out "Whaaat?" with a smile on his face. The night wasn't as clear with thin clouds drifting lazily before the stars.
"It's Roxas! I was going to ask if I could borrow one of his shirts and I walked into his room to find him and some other guy like, going at it. I can't believe he never told me he likes boys!"
"Wow," slipped past his lips. Little Roxas. Gay. Like him. The scent of the sea salt seemed to choke him suddenly, or maybe it was possibilities this opened. If it were true with Roxas, then what about-?
"I know, right? But hey, whatever makes him happy. I just wish he would have told me."
But Riku understood how Roxas felt. And sitting here by the rippling water and the not-so-cloudless sky, Riku knew he couldn't tell Sora either.
00oo00
But as the weeks went by and he stared at that picture of Sora and Roxas and everything about him was solidified, he knew he had to do something.
He'd have to start slow and with the safest person possible.
"Mom?" It was a quiet evening. His father was staying overtime at work and this was his best chance. He hadn't been able to speak up during dinner and even after he had offered to wash the dishes he was thinking about calling his plan off and suffering with his secret until he died. But this moment of spiked courage couldn't be sacrificed and he knew it had to happen. So as the pair sat in the living room with a family sitcom to ease the silence, he had finally found his voice and spoke that one word that would change everything.
"Hmm?" She looked over at her son. He wasn't looking at her and he wasn't sure if he'd be able to through this entire conversation. And as she waited, patiently, he tried to find the voice that was suddenly slipping away. He could feel her eyes and for some reason, he had a good hunch that she was expecting him to finally spill everything that had driven him into seclusion. "Riku?"
With a sigh, he ran his hands over his face, surprised to find them clammy. He felt hotter; of course he would, his pulse was ridiculously out of control at the moment. Racing through his head were the words he wanted to say and his throat felt odd, like the words were truly sitting there behind a barrier of fear that wouldn't let them through. 'Just do it, just do it, just do it!'
But he couldn't and he switching the position he was sitting in, bringing his legs up onto the couch. His hands brushed over his bare calves, up to his knees and back down to his ankles. He swallowed once, then again. Her stare was burning and he was thankful that she was waiting for him instead of pushing.
And from somewhere came a burst of willpower and the words suddenly came tumbling out, "I'm gay."
00oo00
Now, he wasn't expecting her to smile proudly at him and open her arms acceptingly. Her face quickly became a hard mask too indiscernible to read. As much as he wanted her to say something, he silently begged for her to keep her mouth shut. He had glanced at her face for less than a second before turning his eyes to the floor. He felt like he reverted to being four-years-old and was waiting to be scolded for using an entire tube of toothpaste for wall paint.
Tick-tock, tick-tock said the clock. Audience laughter on the television. Suffocating tension and two hearts beating so crazily out of control yet in perfect sync.
Racing thoughts, dry throat. Questions, questions, questions.
Silence.
"How long?"
That was her question and Riku felt that he could breathe a tiny sigh of relief that she wasn't screaming at him. He couldn't muster telling her just how long. "A while," he said. Vague, interpretable.
And like that, it was over. She said no more and after nearly fifteen minutes, he felt that no more discussion was going to take place. So he picked up his trembling self and ambled to the stairs. Looking around, everything seemed to be surreal. His house was still his house. Everything was the same. Nothing was truly different; he certainly wasn't different.
It was just the fact that someone actually knew now.
But, the world didn't explode? He wasn't lying face down on the floor with ringing ears waiting for hell to swallow him whole.
No, he was now lying on his back, on his bed, staring up at that same ceiling. Would it look different tomorrow?
00oo00
The next week brought an uncomfortable feel in the house. Riku was disappointed to find his mother acting differently. Very slightly so, but different none-the-less. Her eyes would drift away from him when she spoke and she didn't seem keen on hanging around the same room as him for too long. While he ate breakfast she moved away to the laundry room. When he joined his parents for evening television, she was suddenly very tired and went to bed.
He knew he was the problem and that struck a sad chord within him. Days after his confession he found himself avoiding his own home. He stuck to being down at the beach where he made friends with the lazy clouds. Always in his hand was his cellphone which he would frequently check. He didn't have it in him to text Sora but he was forever waiting for a message to be sent to him.
00oo00
Finally one night she found her voice. "I'm sorry."
He was in the entrance way, having just come home from his usual spot in the sand. Her voice startled him, not just because he wasn't expecting it but also because of how sincere it sounded. He looked directly into the aqua-eyes that mirrored his own in color. Surprised she was looking directly at him. Surprised to find the fear that shone brightly. It made him swallow nervously. He didn't speak, but she seemed willing to finally admit to why she had been avoiding him.
"Your father is working late again, so we should talk." And there she went, walking away from him. She was probably expecting him to follow her and Riku fulfilled her expectations. Just like the night he confessed, they sat themselves in the living room. Only this time the tension seemed to emit from both of them and heavy air was pushing at both their chests.
His mother seemed to finally lose her nerve and was unable to look at him. "You're my son," she said quietly to the coffee table. Riku's eyes were pointed straight at his mother's face which suddenly looked extremely worn out and stressed. Her hands rubbed together and her eyes shifted about as though she'd find the needed words she was grasping for written out on the floor. "I love you Riku, and I know as a mother I have to support you with any decision you make."
Something inside of him wanted to scream that he didn't wake up one day and decide that he wanted to be gay. It wasn't a choice, it just was. His lips remained closed in a tight frown.
"This is just so much to take in, though. But I can't get upset with you. And I may not like your decision and I may not fully support it but I won't stop you from doing what you want."
Despite the softness of her words, Riku felt each word stabbing at him and filling him with subtle venom. She was upset and she wasn't admitting to it. She didn't want him to be gay, nor did she support it. So what, then? She said he was her son, but what did that really mean?
He thought he should apologize then, but he couldn't figure out what to apologize for. He couldn't even think of what to say. Her words were too hard to swallow. So he stood up and walked from the room.
"Where are you going?" she called after him. A sense of relief quickly filled him when he realized his mother got up to go after him. She was still showing that she cared.
"Out," he replied. He was at the front door, hand on the doorknob and ready to leave the house. "I just need to be alone." The knob turned in his hand and the door opened. Before him stood his father.
"Oh. Going out, Riku?"
It was already late; nearly eight and the sun was ready to set. But he couldn't be in his house, smothered by his mother's worries and piercing looks. And there was a new obstacle now, one that was standing before him with an expectant look. "Just for a walk," he replied. His father stepped inside.
"Don't be out too late. Unless you have a date," his father joked with a chuckle. With a wink he added, "Then you can stay out however long you need to."
Riku said nothing as he hurried out the door.
00oo00
It was cold down on the beach. He'd been down there since he had hastily escaped his house that night. It was morning now and he'd been awake the entire time, watching the stars and basking in the rhythmic motion of the waves. And he thought. About what was happening to him now and what he needed to do.
His mother was step one. He had believed that telling someone he trusted enough to not freak out would lift the burden he was carrying. But he felt no relief now and almost felt a bit guilty about giving his mother this new burden which she seemed to be struggling to carry.
It was odd, how she apologized for avoiding him then moving on to tell him that she didn't exactly accept his sexuality. Was she on his side, or not? He liked to believe that she was. He needed to believe that he had someone to lean on. Perhaps his mother didn't want him to be gay, but she didn't seem like she'd abandon him.
His father was the new challenge. Surely the man would pick up that something had happened. Riku was certain that he and his mother wouldn't be completely normal toward each other anymore. If anything, Riku's confession ostracized him from one of the last sanctuaries he had.
He had to prepare himself. He knew his father wouldn't take the news well, but he couldn't go on pretending anymore. Two and half years was far too long of a time to lie to your parents. It was too long to keep on suffering. His father had to be somewhat understanding, right? Even he should be able to see that he had been suffering these past years. Finally knowing why should spur some kind of sympathy within him, shouldn't it?
Riku sighed and looked down at his cell phone. It was after three in the morning.
Sympathy from his dad?
Doubtful.
00oo00
The next evening at dinner the family trio was seated around the table. No one spoke; only the sound of clattering silverware on plates was heard. Riku bushed his pineapple salsa around his plate. The same nervousness that he experienced when working up to tell his mother was choking him now. Only his nerves were at least a hundred times worse. His mother kept shooting him looks, as though silently urging him to speak up. The message was clear; your father needs to be told and I refuse to do it.
Riku drained his entire glass of water and clenched his fists beneath the table. He felt like smashing his head down onto the hard wooden surface multiple times rather than telling his father he was gay.
He avoided his mother's burning looks, continued to push his food around and begged himself to force the words out. They sat heavy on his tongue, too heavy to push past his lips. Several times the words were nearly out but his fear gripped him and he swallowed them back down.
By the end of dinner he had unsuccessfully finished his meal and successfully qualified as a coward.
00oo00
And his cowardice won him over for another week.
Sora had been texting him when he finally sent the message he'd been dying to get an answer to.
Did Roxas tell your parents about him liking guys?
His curiosity was killing him. He just needed to know. Sora responded after a few minutes and the answer sparked the courage within him that he was missing a week ago.
Yeah, they were totally cool with it. Mom kind of suspected already so she was happy when he finally told them. Dad's happy too.
So he thought to himself that if Sora and Roxas' parents could be okay with it, why couldn't his own parents? The twins' parents grew up on the island with its strict traditions. If they could ignore the conservative ways of the island, why couldn't his parents?
And his courageous thoughts led him to finally getting the words out to his father one evening as the pair sat about watching sports like it was any other night.
His father was seated, frozen in his recliner. "What did you just say?"
Suddenly Riku was extremely fearful. His father's tone of voice was dangerous. But he'd come this far; he had accepted that this probably wouldn't go well. He couldn't keep living this lie! But after chancing a look at his father's rapidly reddening face and the way he gripped the television remote with white knuckled suddenly made him think that lying was far better than facing his father's wrath.
But a sudden resolve washed over him and it hit him that he had come this far and that he couldn't turn back. If his father couldn't accept him, then it was best that it be made clear. This was band-aid best ripped clean off. "I said I'm gay," he repeated. The blood rushing through him made his ears pound.
"No," his father said firmly. His eyes were still pointed to the TV but were out of focus. "You're lying to me, and it isn't funny. I would never raise a faggot for a son. Never." And his eyes suddenly shifted, targeting Riku. "You better take those words back right now, boy."
The words slammed him right in the chest and all air from his lungs had been expelled and his brain was so frozen in shock he couldn't remember how to inhale. But reality shifted in and though time was frozen things kept moving and his dad was shifted in his chair, moving to the edge and for a split second Riku truly believed his father was going to get out of that chair and beat the gayness out of him.
"I'm not lying. I'm gay and I can't change that."
And it was evident that his father believed that he could and would change that fact. But after suffering for so long, Riku knew that it had to come out at some point. So it did and he had to deal with it now; the consequences of reality.
"Oh no, boy. Not in this house. I refuse to have any of that here. What will everyone think, huh? What will you do? No one worth anything in this town will have anything to do with someone like that. Respect, you're throwing it away! And for what? For a lie!" He was like a steam engine that was finally on a roll and his red face was charging forth with raging fury. "I won't have it in this house!"
"But dad-!"
"Don't you call me that! If you swear you aren't lying about this, then get out! OUT!"
But his bones turned to ice and his muscles went into a rigor mortis state and he couldn't move, couldn't think, couldn't breathe, couldn't believe. In a matter of less than five minutes he went from being a decent son to being the scum of the earth. His dad wasn't serious, was he? He wasn't really kicking him out was he? His voice box was a cracking, shattering mess and he was only able to open his mouth in disbelief. He hadn't thought it would go like this. Even if his father disapproved, he didn't think the man would actually tell him to leave.
"I said to get out!" And up his father went, throwing himself from the chair and stomping his way through the house, each footstep like an earthquake that threatened to demolish their family. Sitting there on the couch he heard the quakes ascending the stairs and his mother shouting after his dad, trying desperately to reason with him. Then after the clock was broken by settling reality and time flowed once more, Riku finally jumped up from the couch and ran up the stairs. His dad was throwing things around his room, mindlessly shoving items into his bag. And finally everything, every emotion within him burst forth.
"I'll do it! I'll pack everything and leave! If it'll make everything okay."
His mother and father stood arguing in his room as he rushed about in an effort to get everything he absolutely needed. He had a more than decent stash of cash that he could actually thank his dad for. Years of birthday and holiday money stowed away for safe keeping. 'Best to build a supply. You never know when you'll need it,' his father had said years ago. How right he was proving to be.
His parents moved their arguing out of his room. Riku was quick to pack, hands shaking and legs threatening to give out. His stomach wasn't right and he was only thinking of the here and now and he was thinking that right now he had to get out of here.
And with his backpack and duffle bag brimming and ready to burst open he stormed from his room, walked right down the hall and directly out the front door.
00oo00
Except that he had no plan of where to go or what he was going to do. The buzz of chemicals working inside of him was fading fast and his paralyzing fear was wrapping its dark hands around him once more. He stood outside of his house for a mere moment thinking that maybe he was being ludicrous, when he finally figured that going back inside would accomplish nothing. So he headed down to the last place he had; the beach.
Sinking his toes into the sand was comforting. The moon was out. His phone was vibrating in his pocket. His mother wasn't stopping with her calls but he had no intention of talking to her. He appreciated her like no other for making an attempt to stand up for him. But he couldn't help but think of her lack of full acceptance and how it frustrated him to no end.
Sitting there on the beach, he thought of a lot of things. He thought of what he was supposed to do and what all of this meant and that his father was an absolutely horrible man. He also thought of those ringing words he had been told not long ago; maybe this isn't the place for you.
And without dwelling on those words, he finally brushed the sand off his pants and set off for the train station. Luckily it was the weekend; the trains ran later on the weekends.
00oo00
Even once he was on the train he had no idea where he was going to go. There were few other people on the train and he picked a seat furthest away from them all. He felt like they were all staring at him and he'd look up every once in a while only to find them minding their own business or nodding off.
His hands were still shaking. His legs bounced anxiously and he knew that if he was a person who showed what they were feeling, he'd probably be shedding a few tears at the moment.
But hey, he was gone, right? He was away from that tiny islands of perfect tradition and the world was set out before him; he could go anywhere and be anything.
But there were new issues.
He left home without really thinking things out. Despite the money he had, he needed to find a place to sleep. Food to eat. Not to mention he completely abandoned school. What the hell was he thinking? He should have found some place on the island to stay.
At the same time it was like a huge breath of fresh air to be away from there.
"Next stop is Twilight Town. Departing passengers, please ensure that you have all personal belongings before exiting the train."
And that robotic voice that chimed above was like a voice drifting down from the heavens. Because Twilight Town was a place he was familiar with. Because there was one person there that he could rely on.
Sora would never turn on him.
00oo00
After arriving in Twilight Town, Riku had wandered about before finding a small motel to stay in. He'd finally swallowed everything he was feeling and answered his mother's call. He remained collected and answered her with a stony formality that wasn't anything like a son talking to his mother. She was obviously distraught and sounded like she had been run through but Riku held very little sympathy. He had thanked her for her concern and asked her to help him arrange things so that he could transfer to Twilight Town's local high school so he could finish the year.
"Riku, surely you can't stay out there all alone."
He stared ahead at the stained motel wallpaper unblinkingly as his father's ultimatum replayed in his head. "I don't think I have a choice. It's pretty unlikely dad will turn around."
The woman sighed tiredly. "Couldn't you live on the island at least? Find a place to live here."
Her words made his stomach boil. That was her solution? Be close but not too close? Would she even suggest he come back home at all? "Just help me out a little. It's the least you can do, right? I'll find a way to take care of myself."
In the end she agreed and decided to take care of his school transferring. Meanwhile Riku set out into town, moseying about and poking around shops. He needed a job. If he was going to take care of himself, he needed to earn money somehow. But it seemed that all the local places were already filled with young workers who probably wouldn't appreciate some foreign kid stalking in on their territory. Twilight Town was much larger than Destiny Islands, but there still seemed to be an air around this place as though everyone knew everyone else's business.
The locales were friendly, though, and waved and smiled in greeting as he strolled the sidewalks. There were many family-run businesses that were surprisingly busy for a Monday morning. He stopped short when he noticed a glorious little sign in the corner of one shop; Help Wanted. He glanced up, noticing the place was a computer repair shop and shrugged; it couldn't hurt to make an attempt, right?
He stepped into the shop where a classic bell rang as it was pushed by the door. The place was empty of customers and fairly small with shelves of computers parts and broken laptops. At the front counter was a man who appeared to be tall though he was sitting. A pair of glasses sat low on his nose as he was leaning forward over a laptop, examining its underside. The man didn't seem to notice that anyone had entered his shop but with a polite, "Excuse me," from Riku, his head jumped up and long brown hair swung in front of his eyes.
Pushing his bangs back, the man jumped up, "What can I do for you?" he asked in some accent that convinced Riku he wasn't from around here.
Feeling his heart beating wildly in his throat, Riku leaned forward against the counter. "I see you're looking for some extra help?"
The man eyed Riku carefully then slipped his glasses off. He wasn't all that much older than himself, Riku noted. "What do you know about computers?" he inquired.
Riku smirked. "Enough. I'm a fast learner, too, if that helps." He took care of his own laptop for years and leaned plenty from messing around with it and obtaining a bit of knowledge from Google. Too bad his computer wasn't something he slipped into his bag before leaving home.
Again the man eyed him curiously before saying, "How about you come on back with me and we'll talk."
It wasn't a solid yes, but at the moment it was all he could hope for.
00oo00
Settling into the town wasn't too hard. He was beyond lucky to find a place that wasn't a motel. It was small, it wasn't the most comfortable place, but it was a place to stay and for a decent price given that it was furnished. He was also beyond lucky that the guy at the computer store took him under his wing and he was given working hours. It was a tricky situation but after explaining everything and promising that he would have himself sorted out ASAP, he was handed some papers to fill out and asked to drop by the following day to get a run through of the shop and to meet the other guys who worked there.
His mom was a saver as she had gotten everything set up for him as far as school went. "Have you found a place to stay?" She sounded uncomfortable and she was talking in a rather quiet voice. Riku guessed his father was around.
"It's not home, but it's a place that's not a park bench." He could picture his mother pursing her lips. "It's just a small apartment. I got a job too, so I'll be okay."
She didn't say anything for the longest time and he was a bit concerned that she might have hung up. "That's good," she finally spoke. She didn't sound convinced.
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He started school the following Monday. He spent his morning in the office making sure everything was straightened out and getting his schedule that he had worked out with his new adviser the week before. He was set for classes and ready to finish his last school year in a place he'd never been before.
The nerves were creeping up on him. He just couldn't seem to escape them.
He was sure this would be a difficult school year but at least he wouldn't have to return here if this year turned out to be absolutely abysmal. He was a senior; he just needed to pass his classes and get out. He didn't need to make friends, that wasn't the goal.
He was, however, curious to find Sora. He knew his long-time friend was in school here, but the school was larger than the one back at the islands. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to find Sora here anyways. They weren't in the same grade, so they wouldn't have classes together.
He'd been at school for two hours already. He'd missed his first period class when he was in the office but he'd made it to his second period English class. Third period was math. In both of the classes he'd attended, he'd suffered through being introduced then gawked at like a caged lion. He hated the whispers that roamed but he refused to be affected. He'd sat diligently and did his best to pay attention, take notes and find where the class was lesson wise compared to where he left off at the islands.
Being in the hallway gave him mixed feelings; he could blend in with the crowd between classes but there was a larger crowd that would stare and point. Why was high school so much like a zoo, anyways?
Riku stood before the new locker assigned to him and sighed. He already missed how everyone at his old school let him be. He entered his locker combination and lifted the latch. His locker stuck a bit (finally, something just like back home) before finally giving way and opening. He stashed his new math book inside and frowned at the empty space he had no intention of filling with personal items. Taking in a breath he hoped would calm himself, he shut the locked door again and shifted his backpack that was slung over one shoulder.
"Riku!"
He didn't even have time to turn fast enough before something full out tackled him. He lost his footing and stumbled backwards while at the same time momentum from the collision caused them to spin. Whoever was latched to him slammed hard into the lockers and Riku's immediate action was to grab hold of the person to steady them. A groan reached his ears and he glanced down to find a head of spiky brunet hair fall back to rest against the lockers. Arms were attached around his torso, holding him tightly as though they were afraid he might just disappear. "Please tell me you're real," the voice said and Riku felt that wonderful fluttering and heated warmth spreading from his chest to every inch of his body. Without a care he folded himself around that small frame that he had missed for so many years.
"Good to see you too, Sora." Those beautiful blue eyes shined while looking up at him and a smile that stretched from ear to ear made his own smile grown just a bit. Every ounce of his anxiety melted away, replaced by relief and complete rapture. Hugging Sora close, Riku felt for the first time in so long that everything really would be okay.
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Complete! This is officially finished and now I have other projects that need attending to. Thanks for reading, everyone and reviews are greatly appreciated (they get my writing mojo working).