Paopu Glamorous

Chapter Six

That Promise of His

Satoshi stroked the backs of his fingers along Yukito's cheek. It was for naught, however. Yukito slapped at his hand and stepped away from him with a grimace.

"Don't do that! I told you… I want nothing to do with you!"

"But you cannot have nothing to do with me," Satoshi murmured. "You are now a part of me. My blood resides within you. It keeps you alive."

"And if I could kill myself, I would." Yukito's chin rose defiantly.

"You already tried to starve yourself… and you see how far that got you…" The silver-haired man began to stalk Yukito in a circle, his hands at the small of his back, his green eyes narrowed with something close to malice.

"How do you consider that a victory? You had to come to me. I was perfectly fine dying on that couch!"

Satoshi moved faster than the eye could see. His long, pale fingers slid into Yukito's brown spikes and curled. Yukito, knowing what was coming, began to struggle. It didn't matter. Satoshi was by far the stronger of the two, and with little more than a slight pressure of his fingers, he guided Yukito's mouth to his.

Yukito placed his hands on Satoshi's chest and shoved. He knew it wouldn't do him a bit of good. But he had to put forth some sort of protest, that he didn't want this, that he was being forced into this by his maker.

The older vampire's lips were warm, bellying how cold he was. It was that thought that ticked into Sora's head as his eyes closed. Everyone watching the episode would imagine Riku's mouth as cool as ice. Only Riku and Sora knew the truth.

It took effort not to feel anything.

More effort than he wanted.

"Cut!" rose through the air. "All right, regroup, and then we're going again in two minutes."

Sora turned away and touched his mouth. It was tingling, and he hated himself for it.

"Hey…" Riku slid his hand over Sora's shoulder. "We've kissed before. What are you wigging out about?"

"I am not wigging out!" Sora snapped.

Except they both knew he was.

Fortunately, the director didn't seem to notice.

"And besides," Sora whispered. "That was forever ago."

"Two years, ten days, six hours…"

"What?" Sora's head jerked up.

"All right, from the beginning!" Rinoa called. "Sora, this time when the two of you kiss, I need you to look more shocked, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," he agreed.

"And then like you're into it."

Great…

"Sure!" he said brightly.

The raven-haired woman grinned at his enthusiasm.

This show was going to be the death of him.

Sora bit his lip as he stared out the window of Riku's room. How many nights had he sat here, trying to drill some education into Riku's thick head? How many nights had he wondered when he would be free of his silver-haired companion? How many nights had he thought about Riku's deal… that Riku wouldn't do anything unless Sora came to him first?

He'd scoffed. He'd had Kairi. But now…

The bedroom door opened, and Sora turned as the subject of his thoughts came in, breathless. His eyes were bright, his cheeks flushed. Had he run all the way here from the theater room? That was where Aqua had announced Riku was when Sora showed up five minutes ago.

"Hey," Riku said. "What's up? I can't remember the last time you came here."

Two years, ten days, six hours… whispered through Sora's head. He licked his lips.

"I—I, uh…" Sora sat on the windowsill. He pushed his fingers into his spikes and then left them there. "I just didn't know where to go, I guess."

Riku studied him and then joined him on the sill. Sora tried not to think about how close their bodies were, which was ridiculous. They'd been much closer before, and Sora hadn't over-analyzed it this much. He was on edge, that was all.

"You wanna talk about it…?" Riku's hand rose. It hovered over Sora's shoulder and then fell back to the seat cushion, like he wasn't sure if Sora wanted his touch or not. Sora felt this was fair. Sora didn't know what the hell he wanted, and definitely not right now.

"I broke up with Kairi," Sora muttered. He crossed one foot over the other and braced his hands near his hips on the sill.

"Was it—?" Riku caught himself.

Silence stretched.

"You're going to say it's not because of me, aren't you?" Riku said. He didn't even bother hiding the kaleidoscope of emotions coloring his voice. They ran the gamut from pissed, to sad, to defeated.

Back in high school, he wouldn't have thought Riku capable of more than arrogance and the defeat of a spoiled brat. He supposed that on most days he still felt that way. But was it fair to Riku? Sora knew better, he knew Riku was capable of much more. Why was he so mean to him…? Would he hold a grudge forever…?

Sora could. That was one thing he was really good at. He had no problem putting someone in his mental burn book. It wasn't easy to get on the list. You reaaaallly had to piss Sora off first. And, you know, nearly drowning him in the cistern was—

Damn it.

Sora sighed.

He claimed to himself often enough that he'd forgiven Riku for that. So why, then, did he still hold it against him? Why didn't he even allow himself to be friends with Riku? Sure, Riku wanted more than that. That didn't mean they had to remain enemies, though.

"Riku, I'm gay."

"No shit, Sherlock."

Sora shot him a glare and pushed up from the windowsill. "Come on, Riku, I'm being serious."

Riku stayed where he was. He shook his bangs out of his eyes. The producers had opted for Riku to keep that long, pretty hair of his. Went well with the ancient vampire gimmick. "Yeah, so am I."

"I shouldn't have come here." Sora had known this was a mistake, yet he'd done it, anyway. He could blame it on being lonely. Without Kairi here, he… well. Life was harder sometimes. He couldn't confide in Riku the same way he could Kairi. Kairi understood him. Kairi…

"Wait! Shit, Sora, don't go!"

"I've got to." Sora pocketed his phone. "I need to let Serena out. She's been alone too long."

"That's bullshit!"

"Yeah, well—"

Sora sighed as Riku's hand shot past his head and slammed into the door, keeping it firmly closed. Sora looked at it a moment, and then turned and frowned at the taller boy. Riku was breathless, his eyes brighter than even before, that same flush high on his cheeks. Except instead of eagerness, there was now anger.

"I'm sorry. I spoke my mind. You know I do that."

"Yeah, I know you're not the person to come to for comfort. Thanks for the reminder. Let go of the door." Sora could escape if he wanted to, he just didn't want… that. A bigger scene than this was already turning into. Gossip fodder for the maids, basically.

"Don't be like that. That's not fair. You don't come to me for comfort, sure, but that's your decision, not mine. Why did you really come here, Sora? You knew if you told me that you broke up with Kairi…" Riku licked his lips. "Why?"

"Look, don't make this more than it already is!" Sora huffed. "I just—I don't have anyone else to talk to now, okay? I just wanted a friend!"

"So I'm not a friend because I pointed out that's it extremely obvious that you're not straight?"

"You just have no tact, Riku!"

"You know I have no tact, and you came here, anyway!" Riku thundered. "Don't do this, Sora, don't play the act where I'm the bad guy! You know what I'm like! You know how I feel about you! Stop… throwing me a bone whenever you feel I deserve some pity, all right? And don't think you can kick me around like that!"

Sora didn't know what to say. Kicking Riku around? That wasn't something he'd—

"I get that you hate me, I do." Riku was breathing hard, and he had a hand against his chest. "And I know why. But I still have feelings, Sora. And I have never done anything else to hurt you, to endanger you. When are you gonna forgive me, huh? What more do I have to do to prove to you that you can trust me, that I'm your friend?"

He shook his head and stepped back. "I'm tired, Sora. I mean, what is it? You have no one else to be furious with, so you just keep it leveled at me? Get a shrink. I've got one. Does wonders." Riku opened the door and shoved Sora through it. "I'll see you on set."

The door slammed on Sora's face before he could say anything. Not that he would have. His thoughts were… blank. He felt numb, sort of hollow. Like Riku had scooped out all his insides.

For the first time, guilt tugged at Sora's heart.

He came close to the door, one hand against it. "Riku…?" he called softly.

No answer. Of course not. Riku wouldn't want to make it easy.

No, that wasn't fair. Sora had hurt him. And Riku was right in that Sora knew what he was getting from Riku anytime he went to him. Expecting differently was pointlessly infuriating for both of them.

His fingers wrapped around the doorknob.

He hesitated.

He pushed open the door.

Riku had a hand on his forehead, the other on his hip, and his lips were trembling to match the tears on his face. At that, Sora hurried inside, kicking the door shut behind him.

"Sora, what—no, go away." Riku scrubbed at his face.

"No."

"Seriously, Sora, go. I don't want you here anymore."

"I don't care." Sora touched his shoulder.

Riku pulled back. Anger slid through his eyes. "Go!"

"No!"

"Sora, go!"

"I said no!"

"Sora, I swear to God if you don't go—!"

"I'm not going, Riku!"

"SORA, GO!"

"NO! I'M NOT LEAVING YOU!"

Riku's fingers tangled in his spikes, and then Riku's mouth was on his, his tongue was parting Sora's lips—

Sora released a muffled noise. He wasn't sure what it was. Surprise, yes. Disgust? No…?

The other boy grabbed onto Sora's hip and jerked him into Riku's body.

Shit…!

What was—what was Sora going to do?!

He heard himself groan.

He was being backed against a wall.

He—

He was—

He was kissing Riku back…

And he was enjoying it.

Riku had broken his promise in an attempt to get Sora to leave. Neither of them expected Sora to arch on his tiptoes, his hands cupping over the back of Riku's neck. Sora's lips softened beneath Riku's, and he was kissing Riku just as hard, as fast.

"Sora, fuck…" Riku's hand secured around the back of Sora's thigh and lifted it over his hip.

What am I doing?

He was hard already, and they'd barely done anything.

All at once, Riku released him. He put his face in his hands, turned his back on Sora, and walked out.

Sora stayed panting against the wall, his heart pounding so fast it was mildly uncomfortable.

"Riku…?" he called weakly.

There was no answer.

Sora swallowed and squeezed his eyes shut.

Okay.

Well, that had taken an unexpected turn.

Fuck.

Shit. Fuck.

Shit!