From Eternamente -- Yes, it has been a long wait indeed. My move is 100 percent complete, and I'm getting somewhat settled in employment-wise and the like. Plus I now have bleach-blond hair, so I am now 100 percent smexy. Good times. Before you read this chapter, admittedly, it is short. Well, not very short, but shorter than my normal length, which is never incredibly long to begin with. In short, it's... well, a new chapter at least. I believe this story has only two more chapters left... it was intended to be a short story from the start. I won't promise a sequel, though, as I'm still trying to finish writing An Angel's Savior: Sequel. I'll update that eventually. I also want to take the time to thank readers for posting reviews, even though I've been on a very long hiatus. It means a lot to me to know that there is still interest in my stories.
Without further ado, please enjoy my latest chapter. I promise to try and update a bit more often.
Disclaimer -- Sora, Riku, and everyone else are property of Square-Enix and Disney. The term 'silveret' was borrowed (stolen) from Katraa, as I kept running out of terms to use for Riku... because saying Riku over and over again, while a good mantra, is very repetitive, reiterative, and redundant. Thank you, thesaurus.
--
Chapter Three -- Unfathomable
"Oh, he doesn't stop talking about you," Kairi mused as she waltzed through the shopping mall, one arm interlaced with Riku's, and the other wrapped around a strawberry-banana smoothie, compliments of the DJ. "He thinks you're just fabulous."
"Really now," Riku smirked. Who better to get the dish on Sion's feelings from none other than the cutie's best friend? Never mind that the best friend was actually Detective Sora Tsukada's partner, Detective Kairi Monroe. The plot thickens. "Did he say anything else about me?"
"That you're tall, toned, and just wow," she grinned in response. "And he wasn't kidding about the wow," she continued with a wink and an evil giggle. How she enjoyed setting her partner up on dates. Although she did have a lapse of judgement when she tried to get Sora together with one of the guys he later had to bust for soliciting a prostitute while he was undercover as one.
"So, what do you think of me?"
Kairi eyed her company briefly before making up her mind. "You bought me a smoothie, you listened to me, and you seem like you care about Sion. You'll do."
"It's mainly because I bought you the smoothie, isn't it?"
"Bingo."
--
"So, tell me what it was like," Roxas nervously asked as he sat before the raver. The two decided to get desert at a nearby ice cream parlor while Kairi ran off to get married to Riku, or whatever Sora could fathom that the girl would possibly do. She was, admittedly, crazy, but Riku was, admittedly, drop-dead gorgeous. "How did your parents take the news that you were… you know…"
Sora sighed internally; Roxas couldn't even really bring himself to even say the word. "They took it hard," Sora replied as Roxas frowned. "My mother was any kind of mother you'd expect… she just wanted her son to be happy. But my father…" Sora cleared his throat and bit back the pain of his own memories. "He threw me out of our home."
"I'm so sorry," the blond murmured.
"He, um… he wanted his son to be a man's man, you know?" Sora continued before pausing to chuckle. "Little did he know that's exactly what he got." Roxas chuckled slightly at the joke as well. "Hey, I got you to laugh," Sora beamed. "It's always good to laugh, even if the world is handing you a pile of crap."
"But why does it have to be so hard?"
"People are weird. Some accept anything different willingly, and others reject it because they're afraid of a new idea. My father was incredibly old-fashioned, stubborn… the type of guy who insisted on using cash for everything because he didn't trust a bank to hold his money." The brunet sighed heavily. "I guess I should have seen it from a mile away; he'd never approve of me. I did, in a way. I tried so hard to hide myself from him, but in the end I just couldn't hide who I was. I couldn't deny myself any longer." Roxas' expression grew more and more curious as Sora continued. "I came downstairs one night for a date with this guy… I don't even remember his name. I looked incredible, but you know… obviously gay. I was trying to impress the guy and such… you know how people can get. Anyway, my father caught me, berated me, and basically made me feel as if I was the worst possible thing in the world. I wanted to crawl in a hole and die."
"That's so terrible," Roxas commented as his face fell more and more sympathetic.
"In the end, though, I stayed true to myself, and so should you," Sora concluded as he finished up the last of his ice cream. Nothing like neon green mint chocolate chip ice cream to brighten up your day.
"What about your father?"
"Hmm?"
"Has he ever apologized?"
"No," Sora replied bluntly before continuing, "but that doesn't mean he hasn't begged to be part of my life once again."
Roxas shifted uncomfortably at Sora's resolve. "Why haven't you gone back?"
"He wants his son back, but he doesn't accept that part of me. I mean, I don't sit here waving rainbow flags or anything," Sora chuckled. "I'm gay, but it's just a fact about me. It's not the basis of my personality. I'm not who I am because I'm gay. I'm who I am because it's who I want to be. He just doesn't get that yet, so until then he's not a part of my life."
"What about your mother?"
"She loves me. We see each other all of the time," Sora smiled. "She sent me to my aunt's when my father kicked me out, and she helped fund my college education."
Roxas' face grew into total shock. "You graduated college?"
Sora cursed himself internally; he almost said too much. "Yeah, but nothing important. I just wanted a degree in case I had to actually get some kind of stuffy job someday. But I live to enjoy each day as if it were my last," he finished with a smile as he congratulated himself internally for catching his slip-up. It's not easy investigating a case about a missing person, and talking to the missing person posing as someone who works for one of the missing person's best friends. Especially when you just ate a ton of ice cream. Mint chocolate chip ice cream can play tricks on your mind. Neon green tricks. "What about you, though?"
"What about me?"
"Why'd you run away?"
"Cuz… because my parents didn't approve of me," Roxas replied. "I couldn't live in that kind of awkwardness."
"So you just left? Weren't you afraid of how you'd survive?" Sora inquired.
Now it was Roxas' turn to sigh, albeit with irritation. "What, you think just because I came from a rich family, I automatically can't take care of myself?"
"Hey, hey," Sora waved his hands defensively. "I'm on your side… I'm just curious."
"Heh, sorry," the blond huffed. "I get defensive of that. Axel was almost the same way when we first met."
"Mmm?"
"I started going to his club a few years ago, and he asked me 'what's a spoiled brat like you doing in a place like this?'. I wanted to kill him for that remark," Roxas replied as Sora nodded. "But then once he saw how defensive I was going to be, he laughed and flashed a smile that let me know he was teasing, and that it was alright. Since then I kept going to Enigma to be with him."
"So why'd you stop going?" Sora leaned back into the booth in an effort to get comfortable. It's hard work being undercover in an ice cream parlor!
"Eh?"
"I've been going for around three months now, and this is really the longest I've ever seen you," Sora explained. "Plus if you're so close to Axel, wouldn't you want to go to the club to support him?"
"Well…" Roxas cleared his throat. "I decided to hide out so the police wouldn't find me. I just wanted to wait it out until…"
"Hey, there you two are," a voice piped up beside them. Sora glanced up to see who the voice belonged to, and it was none other than Axel himself.
"Hey," Roxas smiled as his expression softened.
"Ice cream? Without me?" Dramatically, Axel placed a hand over his heart in an effort to overact his supposed loss. "How could you do this to me?"
"Oh, calm down," Roxas chided. "Just get some yourself."
"Nope, we gotta get going," the redhead responded. "Besides, Riku and Sion have to get going as well soon."
"Hmm?" Sora glanced up in inquiry.
"Your date, silly. Don't think Riku didn't tell me about that," the redhead grinned a Cheshire grin. "Don't forget to bring condoms and lube like a good little boy," he winked. "Though, I think you of all people know that."
"Axel!" Sora's eyes widened. Why, oh why, did Axel have to think he was a former prostitute?
"Anyway, we're gonna get going," Axel smirked as he wrapped a possessive arm around Roxas in an attempt to usher him away. "You'd better grab Riku before your friend molests him."
"Eh?" Sora glanced behind him to see his auburn-haired partner practically blushing away in his hopeful soon-to-be maybe if-everything-works-out boyfriend's arms.
"Yo," Riku called out as he approached the group, all the while trying to wrestle his way out of Kairi's grip. Upon arrival he deposited her in the booth where Sora once sat. "So, ready to go?"
"Sure," Sora smiled as he allowed his date to lead him away.
--
"I assure you that Detective Tsukada is a capable and competent member of our squad."
"I understand that, Captain, but honestly it has been three months and he has yet to locate our son. We want him off of this case so that a better detective can find out damned son already!"
"Mrs. McAllister," the captain turned to face his audience with exasperation. "He's doing what he can. He's infiltrated Club Enigma, and he's building a foundation of trust within the group. If Axel Kasai has your son, as you say, he'll report to me the moment he finds him."
"Well, for your sake, he had better find him damned soon," Larxene quipped as she stormed out of the office.
"We expect good results soon, Captain Leonhart," Luxord concluded as he joined his wife outside.
The two strode briskly to their limousine before being let inside. Once inside Larxene turned to her husband and simply glared.
"Alright," Luxord sighed as his face fell into a darn stare. "We'll just have to take matters into our own hands."
--
"How did you know I loved going to the boardwalk?"
"I come here every now and again," Riku smiled as the two strolled down the planks. Sora grinned like a child as he dug into a mountain of cotton candy. "I love to watch the ocean as the tide rolls in and out. It makes me feel happier. And you have the same air about you."
"You're always so poetic," Sora giggled as he polished off the last piece of fluff.
"Well, that's just how I am," Riku smirked as he continued. "Always thoughtful, and always imaginative. I never stop telling someone just how wonderful they are. It's just my nature."
"And so very modest, too."
"Hey, come with me," the silveret smirked as he grabbed Sora's hand. "I want to show you something incredible."
"Where are we going?" Sora called out as the pair raced towards the tide, not that it wasn't obvious.
Moments later the two were standing just where the ocean would crash upon the shore. "Stand here with me, Sion," Riku said lowly as he embraced Sora. "I want you to look down."
Sora glanced to the ground, thoughts rambling in his head. "What am I looking for?" A moment later his question was answered as the tide rolled in, up to Sora's waist. "Woah!" the brunet exclaimed as he watched the ocean swallow his torso, and then glide away as if nothing had ever happened.
"Isn't it an amazing feeling to just be standing in a spot, and then suddenly you're engulfed?" Riku mused, almost cryptically. "It's like you have no control over what happens, and you feel as though you could fall, but there's a force that just catches you."
Sora glanced up into Riku's eyes and sighed internally. "You have no idea."
"C'mon, let's go," Riku smiled as he led his half-wet date out of the sand.
"Riku?"
"Yeah?"
"Can you promise me something?"
The DJ grinned. "Anything for you, Sion."
Sora worried his lip for a moment. "Promise me that you'll always like me, regardless of anything?"
Riku arched an eyebrow, but simply shrugged. "Sion, I… I think it's deeper than me wanting to like you, but I'm not going to jump to conclusions. Just… don't worry about right now."
The detective breathed a nervous sigh. He'd been doing a lot of internal sighing as of late.
"Hey, look," Riku smiled as he led his companion to a nearby game. "Shoot three ducks, win a prize," he smirked as he read off the details of the game. "Well, let's give it a shot. I'm gonna win that bear for you," he said as-a-matter-of-factly as he placed some money on the counter and picked up the gun. "These games are easy. It's all about aim."
Pow! Miss. Pow! Miss. Pow! Miss.
"It was a nice try," Sora smiled as he attempted to pull his date away.
"No way, I'm not done yet," Riku smirked as he slammed down another bill on the counter.
Pow! Miss. Pow! Miss. Pow! Barely hit…
"Well, you at least got one," Sora remarked as he tried to drag Riku away.
"Why don't you try?" the vendor smiled as he nodded at Sora.
"Yeah, Sion, give it a shot," Riku nudged.
"Nah, I don't think so…" Sora chuckled as Riku continued to egg him on. "Alright, fine." Sora picked up the gun, took a perfect shooting stance, and let his extensive experience do the job for him. After all, it isn't every day that Sora would allow himself to pull the trigger on his target.
Pow! Direct hit. Pow! Smack in the middle. Pow! The duck didn't have a chance.
"Now can we go?" The detective huffed as he set the gun down, walked over to Riku, and pulled his awestruck date away from the booth.
--
"And so that is the meaning of life."
"Wow, you put a lot of thought into that one," Sora chided as he relaxed into Riku's arms. The pair had driven back to Sora's hotel, but remained in Riku's car as they discussed any random thought that came into their minds. Neither of them wished for the night to end, but the sun had set hours ago, and they both knew it had to end at some point.
Riku exhaled. "So, you're staying at the Twilight Towers," he stated.
Sora shrugged. "I couldn't find a place to live, so I live here… I haven't gotten around to finding a place."
"If you want, you could come stay at my place," Riku started but was cut off once he was on the receiving end of a chaste kiss.
"That's sweet of you, Riku, but… you don't want to do that," Sora replied once he released Riku.
"Sion, I want to help you. Living in a hotel is no way to…"
"I know, but I'm fine. Really." Sora chuckled a bit. "I don't have to bother cleaning, and I have fresh towels every morning.
Riku held the detective tighter. "I want you to think about my offer," he stated before adding, "at least as a friend and co-worker."
Sora bit his lip. "Riku, there's a lot you don't know about me…"
"And I want to find out everything," Riku finished.
Sora shook his head. "I'm afraid if I told you every detail about me, you'd hate me."
"I could never hate you, Sion," Riku replied. Sora cringed once again. Why did he have to use an alias?
"I gotta head up to bed," Sora responded as he made for his door. His arm was held tightly by Riku, though.
"Can I come up for a few minutes?"
'Yes, a thousand times yes,' Sora thought, but pushed the thought away. "Another time."
Riku pulled Sora back into the car and swooped in for a desperate kiss. After a moment of being melted into the kiss, Sora was released to face Riku's pleading eyes. "Sion, I haven't felt this way about anyone in so long. And yet here you are. Please, whatever you're hiding, don't let it come between what could happen between us. I would only ever treat you with respect, adoration, and love."
"Riku, I…" Sora's response was cut short by a cell phone… his own, to be exact. "Excuse me… I thought I turned that off." Sheepishly he pulled out his phone; it was his work phone, and anyone who called him surely had an emergency. "Hello?" he inquired. "What? No, when? I'll be right there." Sora looked up at Riku, a look of sheer horror etched across his face. His worst fear for this case came true; his reality was about to clash with his alias.
"Who was it?" the silveret inquired.
"That was Kairi," Sora replied, nearly beside himself. "Riku, where is Roxas?"
"He should be at my place; Axel drops him off there every evening."
"Take me to Axel's place."
"Why?"
"Just do it," Sora demanded, his voice desperate. "I don't have time to explain everything, but please forgive me. But I need you to take me to Axel's right now. He's in trouble."
Riku started the car, pulled out of the parking lot, and began plotting a list of questions for his enigmatic date.
--
"Where is he?"
"I don't know," Axel responded sharply. Another gunshot filled the building as his captor fired a round at the ceiling.
"Either you tell me where my son is, or I will leave you for dead right here, right now," Luxord demanded as he cocked the trigger. "Don't think I'll miss when it's a real shot."
From beyond the locked bathroom door, a panic-stricken Roxas prayed for his father's mercy.
