~ Chapter 8: No Room to Breathe ~
Riku:
"Oh my god, Sora, what happened to your nose? That's why you didn't let me see your face for forever? Did someone hurt you? I will kill them, Sora. Kill them."
A female voice echoed with a high-pitch distortion from Sora's phone. Whoever it was, her threat was overshadowed by the evil-chipmunk voice, and Riku glanced as Sora sighed at the person's cyber threats. The brunet rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
He stared into the phone like taking a selfie, but started talking, "Kai, this is why I don't tell you these things, because you turn into a murderous psychopath. But it's fine now, they're gone. I think."
Riku almost told him that he saw Xemnas lead Xehan through the front gates with a woman that was likely his mother, and that Braig and Isa were picked up as well, but Sora didn't let him.
"Riku," the brunet whined, and the silveret flinched; god, was his voice ever not melodic? "You said it looked fine, but the tan marks are noticeable, aren't they?"
Riku pretended to be occupied with his phone. Sora was laid across his bed while Riku sat on Roxas's old bed, because Xemnas told them to wait for him to prepare a room for them and they had nowhere else to be. "Err, I didn't really notice," Riku lied, resisting the urge to get just one more peek at the cute tan-less strip of skin across Sora's nose.
His nonchalance backfired; the brunet clambered up and plopped himself next to Riku on the bed. With a frown, Sora showed Riku the clip he recorded. The silveret was confused; why was Sora's nose covered with a black animal's with light brown fur around it, and why did two bear ears rest atop his head? When the clip played, Sora's voice was high-pitched like the girl's from moments before.
"See?" Sora said, "Even with this filter you can see it!" He pouted, and then sighed at the phone, pressing the send button anyway. "When I get back, Kairi is gonna kill me."
"I highly doubt that," Riku responded, chuckling. Sora was about to retort but he got another notification on Snapchat. Riku didn't understand why they didn't just text, but said nothing as Sora pressed the notification.
"Murderous psychopath?" a redhead with the bear ears and nose that Sora had scoffed, "That is a gross exaggeration. More like…" She paused, blushing as she realized she didn't have a rebuttal. Her eyes were like Sora's, though maybe a little deeper, but just as kind. The silveret couldn't tell if that was due to the 'filter'. "Well, whatever, I'm not that bad! And hey, are you going to be alone for two weeks? That's way too long!"
Sora giggled this time. "That's Kairi."
"I could tell by her name 'KaiSky'," Riku informed the brunet, pointing.
"Oh, right," Sora laughed, tilting. Their arms brushed, and Riku sighed.
Just them for two weeks? He didn't know if he could take it, but he didn't think Sora would give him a choice. He didn't understand what the brunet saw in him to begin with. If it wasn't a hero illusion, then what was it?
"Hey Riku, say hi!" Sora commanded, having already started his next snap to Kairi. Not really registering the reality, Riku looked at the device blankly, watched his face transform from the filter, and immediately put his own phone over his face to hide. The brunet giggled, "Aww, come back!" He tilted the camera back onto himself more, "Anyway, he's still here, so I'm not alone."
The silveret pursed his lips. He wanted so badly to be annoyed, but he couldn't bring forth the emotion. He never let even his own mom take pictures of him; he couldn't stand the monster hiding in his eyes that photos always seemed to show.
Sora didn't seem to notice though, rewatching the clip before sending it to his friend. "Ha, you looked good with the ears," he said simply, snickering, "like a grumpy bear."
Riku snorted and replied before he thought better of it. "Then that makes you a baby bunny."
"What? Am not. Look, I'll show you the bunny filter." Sora did it before Riku could argue, snapping a selfie and showing Riku. Sora had pink bunny ears and whiskers. His blue eyes were crossed and his tongue peeked out the side of his mouth.
He wondered if Sora's friend would be willing to kill Riku before Sora did.
"Thats…" Riku said, desperately trying to hide his awe. "You're such a fucking doof, Sora." There was no malice in his voice at all.
The brunet giggled, rubbing the back of his head. "Guilty as charged. So do I win?"
Riku didn't honestly know what Sora was winning but he knew he had, and probably would for the rest of their arguments forever at this rate.
But before Riku could find some means of recovery, someone knocked on their doorframe. "Riki~," Larxene called, and the silveret froze.
Sora leaned over to view the blonde in the doorway, and glanced at Riku in confusion. He mouthed, "Riki?" But the silveret didn't respond to him.
"What, Larx?" the silveret growled, standing from the bed to face the lightening queen. Sora must have followed, because her piercing green-apple eyes danced between the two. Her lips curled into a wicked grin.
"Sorry to interrupt," she said, winking at Sora. It was like she knew already, and the silveret wanted nothing more for her to disappear. But she continued, "You and this cutie are being relocated in a staff lodging while these cabins are cleaned up."
The brunet looked bewildered and concerned as he glanced between Riku and Larxene. The silveret dreaded the questions that would inevitably follow. But Riku replied, "Well, it's about time. Are you going to tell us where it is or what?"
She rolled her eyes, and spoke to Sora. "There's no patience in this one, kid." Riku glared icily in warning. After a quick giggle, she threw him room keys. "That's your room key. I promise the bed there will be more comfortable than this one." She gave another wickedly suggestive glance at Sora. If she does that one more time…
He felt Sora's gaze on him and decided to flee to fight another day. "Whatever," Riku said, sighing, forcing his body to relax. "Just give us a bit to gather our stuff and we'll head over."
"Of course," Larx agreed, voice sickly sweet, "Oh, and before I forget, you're allowed to eat whatever from the staff lounge and there's a closet with TV's and stuff." Despite the kind gesture, the silveret couldn't bring himself to thank her.
Sora hesitantly does it for him. "U-uh, thanks," he said.
"Anytime," she replied, winking again. Then, she waved and finally walked away, her flip-flops slapping the wood floor victoriously.
Riku exhaled a sigh of relief, shoulders dropping their defensive stance. "Sorry about her," he said, voice softening in his apology, "She's… crazy." It was Riku's turn to rub the back of his neck, feeling forlorn as his explanation was lame even in his own head.
Sora shook his head. "Er, nah, it's fine." He looked like he wanted to say more, but thought better of it. "Uh, I guess we should pack?"
"Yep," Riku said, backing out the door. It was awkward but that's all he said as he left, crossing the hall to his room.
Sora came to stand in Riku's doorway only a couple minutes later, suitcase in tow. "U-uh, need any help?" he offered. Riku looked over, amused. Clothes poked out the ends of the zippers, and the silveret snorted, dropping his bag of clothes on his bed. "Looks your suitcase needs more help than me."
The brunet smiled, stepping in. "Nah, it's fine. We're walking like, a couple feet and dumping everything out again." The silveret rolled his eyes, stuffing cords and controllers into a black backpack, throwing in his phone charger and DS, too.
"Did you bring school with you?" Sora asked curiously, eyeing the bag.
Riku chuckled. "Oh hell no. I brought, like, all my game consoles."
"All?" Sora reiterated, obviously shocked.
"Safer with me than collecting dust at home – or worse," Riku explained, thinking about Sam.
But Sora nodded, practically jumping in place, eyes lit up. The silveret raised his eyebrows.
"Can I play?!" Sora asked immediately, a childish, impatient grin on his face.
The air momentarily decided to evacuate Riku's lungs. Only Sora could act like a six-year-old and yet still compel his way so strongly. The silveret knew Sora didn't even know he did it. How could he possibly argue with that expression? Riku nodded, looking away because he couldn't bear to see the excited explosion that would ensue.
Sora cried with glee, "Yes! C'mon, let's go, let's go!"
Riku laughed in spite of, and at, himself. Two weeks, of them alone. Just kill me.
Riku:
Riku barely opened the door before Sora burst through, urging him to put down his backpack so they could set up a console. Chuckling, Riku obliged and set the heavy bag down on a small, plastic table in the room. While Sora practically plundered the bag, the silveret chucked his duffel bag of clothes across the room and nodded affirmatively when it landed square on the bed.
The whole room was about the size of a motel room with a small kitchenette, bathroom, queen-sized bed, a lonely, beaten dresser and a cushioned bed-end. Next to the dresser was a toddler-sized futon, obviously placed in haste as it wasn't aligned with the wall. Riku glared at it; were they serious? Was this a prank of Larxene's? There was no way either of them could use the thing; one could breathe on it's rusted hinges and the damn thing would fall apart. Riku sighed in outrage.
But Sora didn't seem concerned with the room's features. Riku watched him make a neat stack of PlayStation games with a fanboy grin and the silveret couldn't help but smile back.
"Oh my god, I never got to finish this game when Leon went off to college because he took our PlayStation with him and I was so devastated–" Sora babbled, a game in each hand. Was that drool on the side of his mouth? Riku crossed his arms, tilting his head.
"Who's Leon?"
He didn't answer, lost in the loot. Finally, he pulled out Riku's favorite game, and gasped. "Ah! I love this one!" He waved Kingdom Hearts I around. "Leon wouldn't buy it though. Said it was Disney trash," he pouted.
Riku scoffed. "Okay first of all, no. And second of all, how do you love a game you've never played?"
Sora looked sheepishly back at him, shrugging and admitting, "Uhm, I watched playthroughs of some parts….?"
Riku didn't notice his shark-like smirk. "Wow, that is cheating."
The ocean eyes widened. "No! I just couldn't get the game, it's not my fault!"
Tsk-ing, he retorted, "This is blasphemy. Heresy. You have to do it right."
Grinning in sudden understanding, Sora nodded. "Yes, oh playstation overlord, whatever you say!" He nodded his head like a bow, expression reverent.
"Heh," Riku darkly chuckled, picking out the other games in the series from Sora's stack, "Which have you not seen yet?"
Sora grabbed Chain of Memories from Riku's hands and then jiggled it like it was a prize. Riku swore he saw stars in his eyes. "H-help me beat it? Please, please, please?"
It scared Riku how the silveret couldn't bear to say no. Just one glance at Sora's pleading face made the decision for him. The brunet acted like a kid at Christmas, possessing enthusiasm Riku simply didn't have for anything – but it was oh, so endearing. Did the brunet have any flaw? And again, why did he choose Riku?
The silveret sighed, "That one's the hardest."
Sora bobbed his head, his expression like it was his sole duty to beat the game. Riku rolled his eyes. "Alright, but you're playing. I'm just a deck builder."
He tilted his head. "Deck builder? Like, YuGiOh? Ah – never mind – I accept!" He whirled around, finally surveying the room. He turned back like a cartoon with no excitement lost. "We need to find a TV."
Laughing, Riku nodded toward the door. "Time to raid that electronics closet."
Sora:
At about two in the morning, Sora could barely keep his eyes open or a grip on the PlayStation controller. While he could scarcely hold concentration on the game, Riku was actively guiding him. If he weren't so tired Sora would have teased him for breaking his vow of near-silence, but the brunet was only capable of nods and small grunts of affirmation. After several instance of running straight into a wall, Sora saved, and dropped the controller.
Riku elbowed him. "Hey, you need to stay awake."
"But… wwwhhhyyy?" Sora exaggeratedly replied, leaning back so that he was half on the bed, arms spread out above his head in surrender. "I feel like I'm already dreaming. Is this real life?"
"Think of this as the small print in the terms and conditions of letting you play my video games," Riku threw back, smirking again with a prideful, relishing expression.
Despite his sleep-deprived-foggy-brain, Sora couldn't help but giggle at Riku's strange behavior. "Is it a full moon or something?" Sora teased, "You're so different."
"You're dreaming it," Riku denied it, lips pursed as he scowled down at a very drowsy brunet.
"Still, you may draw powers from the UV rays reflecting off the moon, but I don't. This is so past my bedtime."
"Your science jokes are going over my head again," he chuckled. He took the controller that was in Sora's lap and started customizing the battle decks.
"Ah… I just got used to the cards I had, too…" Sora mourned the loss of his barely memorized set-up, and corrected him half-heartedly, "and it's more werewolf lore than science…"
The brunet started to nod off when Riku didn't continue the banter, falling into a ludicrous dream almost immediately. A few minutes later, the silveret glanced over. "What, you really still have a bedtime?" Sora visibly twitched awake. Riku smirked.
He glanced again as he saved their progress on Chain of Memories (again, not trusting Sora's attempt at saving). Before Sora could drowsily reply, he said, "Never mind, I know the answer. You passed out earlier than this last night, too."
"Well, whatever, but I'm going to bed," Sora finally said, surrendering with a weak glare. He rose slowly, planning the easiest route to the bed that didn't involve vaulting himself like a pole. Then, it suddenly occurred to him that there was only one bed. The toddler-futon was clearly not an option. But then, wouldn't that mean they'd have to share the bed?
Sora never had sleepovers of his own. He never even stayed over at friend's houses – not for want of trying, but Sora would always get terribly homesick and panicked and would inevitably end up back home. He finally grew out of it around seventh grade, but by that time his only true friend was Kairi. A girl. Anyone who knew anything about anything knew that would never be allowed, though the redhead always joked about dragging Sora to her mega-birthday-sleepover-parties.
So that meant he had not even an inkling what was the norm for this situation. Was it okay for friends to share a bed? Or, was it totally weird? Sora wracked his brain even in his tired state, dreading the worst of all: making some awkward suggestion and permanently making things unbearable for the both of them for two weeks.
But, he realized with a jolt, Leon! Leon had his friend, Cloud, stay over for a whole week once. In fact, it was almost the same scenario! Sora didn't know the reason, but he remembered his parents whispering about it. It was a fun week, too; Leon and Cloud played excessive hours of Final Fantasy – the number, Sora didn't know – and let little Sora watch (Sora's foster mother was concerned about the violent influence on his young, impressionable age). But they stayed in Leon's room, which only had one bed . So… It should be fine, right? It must be normal, for friends. And Sora and Riku were friends.
That realization didn't take away as much nervousness as Sora would have liked. But still, the brunet cleared his throat, tapping his pointer fingers together, and shyly asked, "Uh, wh-what side do you want?"
"Side?" Riku didn't even pause, putting the controller on the console where it wouldn't fall.
"On the bed." Sora hoped the embarrassed agony didn't show through his voice.
"…Oh." Riku was turned away, so he couldn't see his face. "I'll take the futon."
Sora furrowed his eyebrows, frowning. "That's ridiculous. That thing will break if you sit on it."
"Calling me fat?" Even the joke was half-hearted, and Sora realized Riku must be nervous too. For some reason that made the situation much better. Shaking his head, Sora giggled, forgetting his doubts.
"No! Look, I know it's awkward but like, there's noooooo way you can sleep on that thing." Riku turned and sent him a hesitant, guarded look. The brunet sighed. "It's just for two weeks." Then he cough-laughed, and Riku looked at him in confusion. "Sorry, that's actually a long time."
The silveret rolled his eyes, and Sora was relieved the tension left his stance. "You're even dorkier when you're tired," the silveret said, shaking his head with a smile.
"And you're cocky when you're tired," the brunet immediately countered. Sora's smile was a little wider than he realized. "You're supposed to fight the heartless not the walls," he quoted Riku using a mopey voice.
Riku scowled and crossed his arms. "As your friend Kairi said, that is a gross exaggeration."
Sora was awake now, and leaned on against the bed. "Oh, I should tell her you said that, she thinks you're hot." Her nose-bleed, nostril-flared, way-too-zoomed-in selfie response with heart emoji's all over the screen from earlier indicated as much.
Riku's facial reaction broke Sora out into full giggles; he looked like a kid spitting out broccoli. The silveret added, "No, thank you."
"I can hear her heart breaking from here," Sora continued, relishing the way Riku looked away, his cheeks the lightest pink and his lips pursing.
"I don't even know her!" Riku scoffed, crossing his arms. Sora giggled, and decided not to mention that Kairi knew him after weeks of sending snaps.
"Okay, okay, but seriously, which side?" the brunet said finally, taking advantage of Riku's ebb in brood.
He hesitated again, but didn't avoid the question this time. "Are you sure you're cool with that?" he asked, his voice sincere.
Sora remembered his nervousness about it all and faltered, but there was little choice and out of everyone he had met this summer so far, he trusted Riku the most. Riku was different. Sora remembered the way his eyes blazed when he punched Xehan, and the conviction of his swing. More solemn, the brunet nodded. "Yeah, I am," and continued in a rush, "a-and if you keep arguing about it, I will throw the futon out the window."
Riku appeared to be lost for words, eyebrows raised in surprise with a crooked grin. Sora wanted to face-palm at his threat, cursing his big mouth. He blushed. Regardless, the brunet seemed to have broken the silveret's stubborn resolve, because he sighed again and said, "Alright. I'll take right side."
"Sweet, window side for me!" Sora exclaimed, recovering like a wave from a rising tide. He dived into the bed, forgetting not ten minutes ago he was so tired he began dreaming mid-conversation. "Oh my GOD, this bed is so comfortable!" He practically screamed it into his-side pillow, kicking his feet in happiness.
His dramatics returned Riku to normal. "Don't seem so tired now," he said, suspiciously triumphant.
Sora hesitated, caught. "…No," he admitted, "Why?"
Riku waved his black 3DS in the air as explanation and sat next to Sora, back against the wall. "God, Riku," Sora said, peering at him just over the hill of pillow in his face, "you weren't kidding about bringing all your consoles."
Instead of replying, he pulled on his ponytail that he put up earlier, hair falling in a tumble of silver over his shoulder. The hair band stayed on his wrist like it was home. Sora knew that it was. He felt his cheeks warm. Kairi was wrong, about the hotness thing; Riku was cold, like stepping into winter with snow falling outside, making all nerves tingle and prick like magic.
Sora stopped staring when Riku looked down at him. "Wanna watch?" Riku asked, tapping his head with the DS.
The last thing Sora wanted was to make things awkward again, so he willed his blood to attend any other veins than his face, and turned back with a smile. Riku's bump didn't hurt, but the brunet pretended anyway. "Ow! Well, yeah, but the lights are still on," he pouted.
Sora grinned when Riku rolled his eyes again; he must not have noticed Sora's mini-panic. Sora inwardly sighed in relief. The silveret had to get up to switch off the lights, so he handed the console to Sora as the brunet sat up. "Load 358/2 Days for me."
"Yes, your majesty," Sora teased, but flipped open the device.
"Kings don't turn off the lights." The brunet laughed in agreement. The room went dark, but there was a orange light outside the window on Sora's side that at least lit the room enough to see shapes. Riku took back the DS just in time for Sora the title screen to appear on the game.
"Hey! I know this song," Sora recognized, trying not to lean in too far to see the screen.
The silveret smiled, the blue light of the screen sharpening his features. "Yep. Chronologically, this game is just after COM."
"Wow, spoiler alert."
Riku bumped him with his shoulder, and Sora bumped back, but Riku's save loaded and they were equally distracted. Sora watched Riku spin in a circle in-game and laughed, shoulders touching.
"Uh, my last mission was at Beast's Castle. If you get confused, let me know. I'll fill you in."
Sora nodded but yawned. As usual, Sora concluded, he thought way too far into the whole situation. The brunet let himself get swept away in his exhaustion and Riku's gameplay. They were silent after that, the familiar piano melody resounding in the room and binding them in common interest.
Sora:
Hours later, the light in the room would be blinding, but luckily the blinds held back the ultraviolet waves. Still, it roused Sora's awareness, making a red screen behind his eyelids. They stuck together from sleep-gunk, but he was too lazy to wipe them out, being warm, and comfy, and held… It's probably afternoon already…
Wait, er, what?
Forcing himself to open his eyes, he dazedly inspected a pale hand resting on his tummy, coming from over his hip. Even in his tired gaze, Sora felt his entire face bloom into a cherry red. How did they end up this way? The brunet had no clue when he fell asleep, but it wasn't too long after Riku began playing 358/2 Days. The night before swam by like a dream; he could hardly believe the situation they'd landed in, and this did nothing to help.
His accelerated heart rate was hard to ignore so soon after waking up, his very body caught off-guard by his own reaction. The very spikes of brunet locks on his head felt sharper as he panicked on what he should do. He knew Riku had no control over how he slept – so he knew it was unintentional. It just felt so weird and foreign and why did the pit of his stomach feel so light, almost queasy even?
Sora stared at Riku's slumbering face, so peaceful and unaware and even innocent. His hair was long, crazy, everywhere; Sora remembered Kairi's response to Riku and fought a smile. He wouldn't send her a snap of this; he couldn't explain why, but this Riku would be his secret.
The brunet blinked several times at himself. He must've fallen asleep, Sora realized, looking around the bed with his limited view for the DS. He lifted his head slowly, the very thought of being caught like this mortifying. In his current spot, the console was out of sight, but he thought he heard the faintest melody of Beast's Castle somewhere close. He'd have to find it; their agreed-upon goal was to play video games all day. Riku challenged Sora to beating both COM and Kingdom Hearts 2 before the two weeks were finished. He had told him he was crazy, but Sora couldn't back down from the challenge.
Finally, Sora set about inching out of Riku's cuddly grip, moving a centimeter per hour in his absolute dread of Riku finding out. When he at last managed to slide out from under Riku's arm, the hand that was touching Sora slid to a curled position. His nose twitched, his eyebrows scrunching, and Sora held his breath for a fraction of a second until they returned to their rested position. Despite his effort for stealth, Sora had to stifle a laugh. The brunet would never admit it, but Riku could be really cute when he wasn't trying to be the ultimate edgelord.
He silently sighed in relief once his feet hit the floor. What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him, in this case. Breathing very quietly, Sora looked again for the DS. He found it behind Riku's crazy bedhead, upside down and luckily plugged in because the game was somehow still running. The doofus must have fallen asleep mid-mission.
Better find a save point for him.
A/N: I cannot tell you how much joy it brings me to use technology and memes in my fanfic writing. It gives me life.
Also, did I shamelessly write a "roommate" stereotype fic? Yeah. Yeah I did.
Thanks for reading! If you liked, leave a comment? :3 And if you tumble, like me, kaiserin-astraia
