Unwritten
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"I don't get it. I really don't. He…he used to be so loving and he'd do anything to spend time with me. He always scheduled things around our dates. He's never canceled. And now he's canceling date after date. Is something wrong with me?"
Namine folded her arms on the top of the table and then promptly leaned her chin down against them. Her pretty, light blue eyes danced up to meet Tidus' confused ones. A sigh escaped the blonde's lips as she parted her lips, appearing like she was about to speak, but in the end she did not. Instead, she watched Tidus intently, hoping that some words of comfort would come flying out of his mouth. Anytime now. Please?
"Namine, there's nothing wrong with you," Tidus pointed out as he shifted uncomfortably in the café chair. For such a high-income school they really could use more comfortable chairs for their, not only paying students, but customers. Oh well. No one's perfect—especially not the school system.
"Tidus…" Namine sighed and averted her gaze from the male's. "…I'm so scared of losing him," she admitted and then laughed despite herself. "I just…" her shoulders hunched up before she began drawing absently on the table with the pad of her index finger, "I just don't know what I'm doing wrong. He's…amazing and I don't to lose him. Ever," Namine concluded.
Tidus sighed. "I understand. You're not losing him, Nami, trust me. No one could that easily let someone like you go," the blond explained with a helpful smile. A smile that radiated warmth and compassion. A smile that brightened up the dreary campus café and lightened the other blonde's moods.
"You wouldn't be lying to me, would you?" she asked, tilting her pretty head to the side as she surveyed Tidus' face with silence.
Tidus chuckled and nervously shook his head to the right. To the left. "Of course not. I'd never lie to you," he stated straightforwardly and offered another lustrous smile. It was picture-perfect, truly.
"Thank you," Namine responded sincerely and laced her skinny fingers together. "You know, you're the first person to ever say that to me," she whispered. "Not even Riku has said that…"
"I'm sure he means it, though. Every time he kisses you I'm sure he means to say it," Tidus suggested with a dim and rather melancholic feeling appearing in the pit of his stomach. He did his best to fight it off and continued grinning at Namine,
Namine raised her gaze to Tidus' with a tiny blush apparent on her cheeks. "You're quite the romantic, Tidus," she complimented in a gentle and rather maternal voice.
Tidus didn't dare to argue because he knew, deep down, that statement was true. Tidus was a Shakespeare and romantic at heart and, at times, was not afraid to show it. "Well, thank you then." A laugh was shared between the two students.
"So you're majoring in English?" Namine wondered as she attempted to yank her mind off her boyfriend who was still missing in action. Where was he? This would be the third date he had blown off…a mini date… more so just lunch, but nonetheless a date. It meant a lot to her.
"Yep," said Tidus. "And you're majoring in?..."
"Law," Namine answered with a swift nod. "Corporate law, to be exact."
"That's cool," replied Tidus as he leaned back in his chair. The blond's eyes drifted over to the large window, as if expecting Riku to be standing there with a pitchfork, ready to murder him for speaking with his beloved girlfriend. Tidus shivered at the thought and pried his gaze off the empty window and back over to something entirely more pleasant—Namine.
"You look…worried?" Namine drawled as she lifted a skinny eyebrow.
Tidus chuckled apprehensively under his breath. "'course not," he responded articulately. "I was just thinking, that's all."
"Oh? About what? If you don't mind me asking, of course," Namine said and expectantly smiled at Tidus.
It was a small smile, to be honest, but it was a small nonetheless and for some reason that made Tidus' heart swell a thousand times over. If he had been a cruel man prior he might have likened this to a modernized Grinch. Oh well. "Just wondering why Riku would blow off dates with someone like you, that's all," he stated honestly.
Namine blinked in sheer surprise. "I'm sure he's…busy," she suggested, though she didn't sound all that confident.
Tidus noticed her fear. It was easy to detect. "Namine, I'm sure he isn't going to break up with you. The guy's practically in love with you. I can tell," he reasoned.
"Practically," Namine echoed and lowered her gaze once more. Tidus paused as well. "Practically isn't good enough, Tidus. I know we've only been dating for awhile but I … I just don't believe him when he says he loves me. Does that make me a bad person, Tidus? Am I overthinking things?"
Tidus swallowed thickly. "I'm sure he means it…"
"He won't look me in the eye when he says it," Namine admitted as she hugged her arms tightly to her body. "He always looks away or kisses my cheek when he says it. He never looks directly in my eyes…is he afraid I'm going to see something I'm not supposed to?"
Tidus shifted, growing more uncomfortable by the moment. If Riku knew he was having this conversation with Namine, with his girlfriend, Riku would kill him on the spot. With that pitchfork of death, no doubt. "Namine… sometimes actions speak louder for words. You see it all the time."
Namine sighed miserably and pushed her bangs out of her eyes. However, after a moment, the blonde changed her mind and moved them back, too ashamed to let Tidus see her eyes. "I'm a horrible girlfriend. Riku deserves better."
Wait. What? "Namine, don't say that. You haven't done anything wrong!" Tidus pointed out and blinked in confusion.
"I guess I'm just a boring person…" Namine wondered and rubbed her temples thoughtfully.
"Namine…you're not. He's probably just busy. Didn't you tell me he was with Sora? Sora's probably…going through a hard time," Tidus said and nodded to his own words, hoping to convince Namine of them and calm the pretty girl down. Anything to calm Namine down he would do. Anything. It was only in the code of the secret admirer, after all.
"I know…I know he's with Sora. I know that I shouldn't be acting jealous like this…but three dates in a row, Tidus? Three?...I can understand one. Maybe even two, but three in a row? Tidus…I don't think this is working," Namine murmured.
"You're not breaking up with him, are you?" Was that a thread of hope in his voice?
"I…no. Not yet. I'm not going to jump the gun. I really care about him. A lot. Breaking up over my own stupid thoughts won't do any good," she whispered a bit brokenly. "Please don't tell him I told you any of this. He'd…be hurt and break up with me then. I don't want that. I just…needed to vent, I suppose."
Tidus frowned. Strike three, and he's out of there. "It's fine, Namine. I won't tell. I'm glad I was here for you so you didn't do something you'd regret."
"Hah, I know," Namine whispered with a faint smile. "I'm glad."
"Me too," Tidus said though his heart disagreed with the outcome. Part of him wanted Riku and Namine to break up. A huge chunk of his heart, in fact, did. Not just a small part.
Namine finally looked up to stare directly at Tidus. "Thank you, Tidus. Thank you so much."
Tidus forced a broken smile onto his lips. "No problem, Namine. As long as you're happy, it's no problem whatsoever." A problem it might not be but a heartbreak it most definitely was. How could he get the girl to fall for him when she was enthralled with someone else?
Unrequited love. It downright sucked.
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Seven. It was seven-thirty, to be exact.
Sora fidgeted uncomfortably as he stood in the bathroom of his dorm, listening to the silence that surrounded him. In less than an hour he'd be at the movie theaters with not only Riku but Axel. Sora shifted and placed his hands squarely down onto the sink. Now, it wasn't that Sora was crushing on either of them, it was just that they were both extremely attractive guys and…and Sora had never truly been in a real gay relationship before with making out and whatnot and his mind couldn't help but wonder how Axel would kiss and—
And he needed to stop thinking about that this instant. His mind didn't venture off to Riku, however, for the reason that Riku was straight and dreaming about a straight man snogging you was entirely pointless. So, subconsciously, Sora's mind remained on Axel. Axel this. Axel that. Sitting in Axel's lap—
Stop. Stop right there. Sora brushed his fingers through his hair as he turned a shade of pink. This was normal, he told himself. After a breakup you did this. That's all. After a breakup you looked for someone to take out all your built up passion on. That had to be it. Axel was just that person. Thinking about Axel took his mind off the pain. That's all.
Right?...
Seven forty-five and Sora left, tossed the key to the room in his pocket, and locked his heart away, refusing to see what was right in front of him.
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Sora got there five minutes early. The brunet figured that Riku and Axel wouldn't mind if he picked the movie. That way they both wouldn't argue over what they wanted to see. So…Sora just ended up buying a ticket to see National Treasure two, staring at precisely eight thirty. That gave Riku and Axel thirty whole minutes to arrive, get their tickets and snacks, and wander in to the theater. Of course, Sora would wait for them. He was polite, after all.
Kairi hadn't even entered his mind once. In all honesty, his mind was centrally focused on his writings and stories. How could he get the two main characters together? Should they go to a movie theater as well? That'd be cliché…yet at the same time practical. People went to the movies all the time in real-life. It was a normal thing.
"Hey, Sora!"
Sora lifted his gaze off his ticket and noticed Riku meandering over, a beautiful grin plastered onto his thin lips. The silveret ambled over until he stood astutely in front of Sora, hands nestled deeply into his jacket pockets. "So, what are we seeing?" he asked, peering down at the ticket stub in Sora's hand with idle curiosity.
"Uhm…I just picked a movie," Sora murmured, trying not to seem embarrassed. What? He really wanted to see this movie. It seemed amazing and he had loved the first one.
"All right," Riku answered simply. The silveret tossed Sora a smirk before passing by him, patting Sora on the shoulder as he moved past him. Sora watched in befuddlement as Riku walked over to the ticket booth to purchase his own ticket.
Sora said nothing and turned his attention back down to his stub. Is Riku going to be mad that Axel's here? Of course not. They're best friends, I think. Everything will be fine. Why am I worrying? I should be worrying over the fact that they might ignore me during the movie and talk amongst one another. That's what I should be worrying about! Sora laughed mentally and leaned back against the brick, outside theater wall as he waited for Axel.
Sora must have drifted off into his fictional world for he was stirred awake when a hand placed itself a bit provocatively onto his chin. Sora snapped his eyes open—they had been closed?—and stared deeply into the sea green eyes that were staring back at him. Axel. Good lords. "Axel!" Sora squeaked and then cleared his throat, mustering up a manly, "Hey."
Axel let go of Sora's chin and snorted deeply in amusement. "That was the funniest greeting I've ever heard. Swallow a toad or something?" Axel sneered and flicked Sora's nose with utter enjoyment.
Sora's nose twitched as a frown appeared on his lips. "Axel! I was just…caught off guard! It's not everyday that a guy squeaks so I was just—!" Sora just stopped talking. He had no idea what he was trying to prove anymore.
"Whatever, shorty," Axel said and hooked his arm in Sora's and led the brunet over to the ticket booth.
That was when chaos surely ensued.
The moment Axel and Sora neared the booth Riku turned around with a ticket in hand. His aquamarine eyes locked with Sora's at first before drifting over to the taller's. They were arm in arm? Riku stared confusedly for a moment as Axel steered both of their bodies over to the ticket booth where he jostled through the crowd and promptly bought his ticket. It was peaceful, despite the curses that were thrown his way for being so damn rude.
Axel dragged Sora, and his ticket, over to Riku who was standing frozen in the doorway to the actual theater. "Hey, Riku!" Axel chirped with a smirk. "How are you on this fine night?"
"Good..." Riku drawled and eyed the pair. "And you?"
"Fabulous," Axel answered, purposely tossing that word in there. Riku's eyebrows knitted together and he said nothing. Axel spoke for him. "Let's go find our seats, shall we?" he hummed and hooked Riku's arm in his other and dragged the two teenagers inside and towards their designated cinema, not once being asked for their tickets. It was a slow night, after all.
It was five minutes later when the trio settled in their seats—Axel insisted on the back row. Sora in the middle, Riku on Sora's right, and Axel on Sora's left. It was… expected, mostly. Sora nestled into his seat and glanced nervously from Axel and to Riku. Were either of them upset? It didn't seem so.
"…This movie is okay, right?" Sora asked to no one in particular. Sora's eyes wandered from his lap over to Riku who was staring distantly at the black movie screen. Sora sighed and looked over to Axel who was staring at him in return.
"Sure," Axel responded and glanced over to Riku. "Hey, cheer up would you?"
Riku grunted in response and shrugged his shoulders before saying, "I'm fine."
"Oh. I see what's going on here," Axel drawled and waggled his eyebrows. Sora paled. He knew something bad was about to come out of Axel's mouth. "I interrupted your date with Sora. I'm sorry for intruding, dear. I guess we'll just have to share him then?"
Riku opened his mouth to protest but settled upon glaring at Axel. Sora, instead, squeaked loudly and looked down in embarrassment. "Axel…" Sora whispered harshly under his breath. On a date with…Riku? That was absurd…
"Speechless, Riku?" Axel wondered and teasingly leaned forward in his seat so he could fully see Riku's reaction. Either Riku was embarrassed—which Axel highly doubted—or his face had turned red from anger. Oh well. Riku was easy to aggravate.
"You're a sick pervert," Riku stated darkly and locked his gaze with Axel, the glare never once fading.
Axel chuckled despite the response. "Oh you kids," he laughed and leaned back in his chair, getting comfy once again. After a moment of awkward silence, Axel stated coolly, "By the way, Riku, if you want to put your arm around him during the movie, go right ahead. I promise I won't tell."
Sora gaped and gulped down a lump of nerves. "Axel! You're not being funny!" Sora squeaked, covering his face with his hands. That was definitely a blush on Sora's face.
"Why the hell would I do that?" Riku remarked angrily as he continued glaring at Axel from over Sora's cowering body. "I'm dating Namine, and besides, Sora is my best friend," he deadpanned. "This isn't a date, you sicko."
Axel snickered and shrugged aimlessly. "I dunno. I mean…Sora here can certainly get your heart beating."
"Axel!" Sora whined in a moan.
"Kidding, kidding I'll shut up now," Axel said as the lights darkened. The previews began and Axel kept to his word. Not once did he speak again during the boring previews. Not even during the odd…small cartoon at the beginning of the movie. In fact, he silently snickered and watched Riku and Sora out of the corner of his eye. Oh yes, Axel was certainly up to something. But what? Not even the great beyond knew that one. Axel was a bizarre cookie, truly.
Sora flexed his hands nervously in his lap as the movie itself began. Deep breaths. In. Out. No thinking about Kairi. No thinking about how she broke your heart, Sora reminded himself as he wearily watched the beginning of the movie. Deep breaths. Just keep breathing. In and out.
It wasn't even five minutes in before he felt something, like a spider maybe, against his pinky. Sora inaudibly squeaked and looked down in fear to see what it was but when his gaze lowered nothing was there. Sora arched a brow and supposed he was just nervous.
"Sora," Riku breathed quietly, directly into Sora's ear, as if not to disrupt anyone else. Why did Riku's whispering send shivers down Sora's spine? "You okay?"
Sora breathed in frantically. "F-fine, yeah."
Riku nodded and returned to watching the movie. Axel, on the other hand, had other plans. The redhead crept his hand over to Sora's and oh so inconspicuously took it. Not gently, but forcefully. He yanked that thing away from Sora's lap and interlaced their fingers. With force. With assertiveness!
Sora paled and felt a small spark enter his veins. The brunet was too afraid to look down at his now taken hand. Oh god. Oh god. What if Riku saw? What if the very straight Riku saw that he was holding hands with another guy! Wait…?! What?!
"What?!" Sora said a bit too loudly and attempted to yank his hand away from Axel's in shock. Axel noticed Riku looking over and dragged their hands out of view, hopefully.
"Sora?" Riku murmured again, looking at Sora curiously. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Just…reacting to the movie. I…forgot that they were together in the first," Sora mumbled and gestured to Nicholas Cage and laughed apprehensively.
Riku nodded slowly and turned his attention back to the movie. Glad that Riku was distracted, Sora turned to Axel who was grinning like the devil he truly was. "What are you doing?" Sora whispered harshly as he felt his palms begin to sweat. Axel just squeezed their adjoined hands.
"Holding your hand. What does it look like?" Axel wondered and began brushing his thumb along the back of Sora's hand.
The brunet blushed darkly. "B-but…Riku…" Sora whispered warningly and made motions with his eyes to the silveret on his other side. Sora wasn't really bothered by the idea of holding another guy's hand on a date but what if Riku saw? Riku was straight and usually straight guys hated this sort of thing. Sora felt his throat tightening.
"He won't notice," Axel reassured Sora and drew a small circle around the tip of Sora's thumb.
"S-stop." Sora looked away in embarrassment. "You…"
"Hm?"
"You…why?" Sora murmured and tried to focus on the movie but couldn't. Not with someone fondling your hand like that.
"Keeping your mind off things," Axel cooed gently into the air and offered Sora a brilliant smile. "Am I doing a good job?"
Sora blinked. Actually… "Yeah…but I don't think fear is any better than sadness," Sora muttered in response and looked back to the movie. The pair said nothing for a long while.
It wasn't until an hour later that something else happened. Riku got up to get a drink. And of course, he chose to exit the isle in front of Sora and Axel. Sora's eyes widened as he attempted to pull his numb hand away from Axel's. However, before he could pry the dead limb away from Axel's Riku's eye caught the exchange. The silveret blinked, not really caring that he was now blocking a few people's views.
"What are you guys—?"
"I was helping Sora adjust the seat," Axel reasoned and dropped Sora's hand and moved a few inches down and yanked on the lever, moving Sora's seat back a bit. "See, Sora? All better. The lever's right…" Axel snatched Sora's hand again and placed it on the lever. "There." Adjustable theater seats. What a convenient, innovative idea…
Riku eyed them for a long while, shrugged, and sat back down, completely forgetting why he had got up in the first place. No one dared to speak another word until the end of the movie. It was the climatic part, anyhow, so Sora didn't really mind. Axel, of course, snatched Sora's hand again. This was becoming a nuisance. Yet…Sora didn't mind that much.
It was just…lacking something, perhaps?
Perhaps it was just thoughts of Kairi.
The movie ended shortly afterwards. Before anyone could get up from their seats, Axel leaned over expertly and brushed his lips almost sweetly against Sora's left cheek. The brunet froze in his seat as his hand was dropped from Axel's. The redhead lingered there for a moment, brushing his nose a bit seductively against Sora's jaw line, and then pulled away with a predacious smirk. Wordlessly, Axel exited the isle and left the embarrassed Sora and clueless Riku sitting there.
"Did you like it?" Riku asked.
"No!" Sora shouted.
"…you didn't like the movie?" Riku stated slowly and eyed Sora, a bit worried.
The remaining people in the theater stared. "Oh…yeah, I did." He didn't mean the kiss. Right. Sora so knew that. Riku hadn't seen the kiss and therefore wasn't asking him about it. "I think…there'll be a third movie, how about you?"
"Agreed," Riku concurred and got up, stretching his arms over his head. With a yawn, the silveret extended his hand, allowing it to hover in the air. When Sora didn't take, Riku curled his fingers in, beckoning for Sora to take it.
Sora stared up at Riku for a long moment and then graciously took it. The silveret's fingers curled around Sora's briefly, sending a surprising amount of shock through his body. Sora blinked slowly as his breath caught in his throat. Blue eyes widened when he thought he felt a gentle caress on his hand…but before he could investigate it was gone. …perhaps he just imagined it. It seemed reasonable. Riku would never cheat on Namine. Riku had just helped him stand up. Riku was a very straight man who was in eternal love with Namine and wanted her. Yes. That was the story.
"Why was Axel here?" Riku asked as the two made their way down the isle and out of the theater itself. The night was cold and Sora wanted nothing more than to go to bed and forget today ever happened. Axel had held his hand. Why? Axel said he was taking his mind off Kairi but… Sora shrugged and decided not to think about it any longer.
"Uh…I felt bad so I invited him?" Sora lied and shrugged. "I'm sorry if he bothered you…"
"Eh, it was fine," Riku answered honestly and shuffled his hands into his pockets. "It didn't bother me. Though…he seemed to bother you? That lever excuse…what was he doing?"
Sora gulped. "Helping me adjust my chair?" Sora responded lamely.
Riku rolled his eyes. "Do I look dumb, Sora?"
Sora didn't dare answer that one.
Riku sighed and shook his head. "Seriously, what was he doing? I can't possibly think of anything other than something perverted. And I swear, if he was being an ass and trying to creep you out and do something completely out of line I'll kill him."
Sora didn't know what Riku considered 'out of line'. "Um…"
Riku sighed, again. "Just tell me, Sora."
Axel would kill him if he told Riku that Axel was gay. "He was just helping me with the lever, Riku!" Sora said, a bit too angrily for his liking. He was scared. He didn't want Riku knowing he was gay either. It…would hurt to see the rejection and hatred in Riku's eyes. It would just hurt too much.
"Whatever…lie to me, I don't care," Riku muttered darkly and looked away from Sora.
"Riku!"
"I know that's not what he was doing. I just don't get why you're lying to me, Sora. I didn't realize that you couldn't trust me," Riku seethed under his breath as they continued walking back to their dorm-rooms, Riku's pace increasing a bit. Sora paled and snagged Riku by the arm. The silveret stopped walking altogether and glanced over quietly at Sora. "What?"
"Please, please don't tell Axel. Please, Riku. I…I'm trusting you to not tell him that I told you… but…he…he's uhm…"
"He's what?" Riku responded lamely, staring at Sora from behind judging silver bangs.
"Uhm…" Why was it so hard to say the simplest thing? Sora gulped and then just shouted, "Gay!"
Riku snickered under his breath when Sora squeaked and hid from embarrassment. Had he just shouted that? Nervously, Sora looked back at Riku, hoping that he wouldn't seen an applauded look on Riku's face. Would Riku hate Axel for being gay? The wind swept past them as they stood near the dorms, now in complete silence. Sora's heart beat quickly as he awaited a response from the taller male.
"Oh," Riku said and nodded knowingly. "Well, that makes sense, then," he reasoned.
That made sense?...Of course it did. "Yeah," Sora whispered and offered Riku a weary smile.
Riku didn't say anything else. All they did was return to their dorm-rooms.
Tonight…hadn't gone as expected, to say the least. Not one ounce.
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"Hey…Riku?"
Riku shifted on his bed and turned to lie on his side to glance across the dark room. "Hm…what is it?"
"Why…did you cancel your dates with Namine? I mean, I could have just stayed here by myself and all. I sorta feel really bad," Sora whispered from his bed. The brunet nervously tugged the seats closer and breathed in deeply, uncertain how this conversation was going to end. IT was late. Riku probably just wanted to sleep, not talk.
Riku sighed and then murmured, "Sora…Namine's my girlfriend. You're my best friend. You do the math."
Sora laid there in silence. "So you…you would choose me over her?"
"What?..." Riku wearily opened his eyes and glanced back over to Sora. "What do you mean?" Sora didn't even know what he meant by that.
"I…dunno."
"Sora, just go to bed," Riku suggested as he hugged his pillow close to his body.
"But I'm afraid you and Namine…will end up like me and Kairi," Sora blurted out and then sheepishly hid his face under the covers. Finally. He had said what he wanted to say all day. Sora gulped and opened his ears, hoping for a response. Anything would suffice.
Riku snorted and then murmured, just loud enough for Sora to hear, "Well, if that happens, I'll have you, now won't I?"
Sora didn't dare answer. His heart had stopped and his mind was running in different directions.
Green eyes…green eyes…The memory … And that hand pulled his body back up to earth. And those eyes. They searched his soul, giving him hope. And those lips…they crashed onto his own, rendering him helpless once more as he was lulled into a submissive, beautiful state. And kiss he did. Kiss until his lips turned a new shade of blue. Kissed until he felt his heart bursting with newfound love.
Kissed until he realized who he was kissing And scream, he did. Scream until those beautiful aquamarine eyes swalloed him whole. Screamed until his lips were silenced by another pair of feathery soft ones. Rolled shut...his eyes rolled shut. Bliss was felt. Kiss, he did. Lovely, he felt. Fingers through silver hair. Soft, just how it seemed. Kiss him, he did. And it was beautiful. … Sora felt like throwing up.
It wasn't Axel he had been kissing in his dream. It was…
Riku?