i do say that this is, so far, the most important chapter yet. with the flashback and all the foreshadowing, and all the confusing bits...yeah. it's utterly important. read carefully and excuse typos and whatnot. thank you all for the reviews, i love you dearly. please leave one and tell me what you think so far. i'd love you forever. Heavenly Sora was sleeping over Riku's house that night. Although the two bickered a lot—mostly due to Riku's immature, bossy behavior—they still did 'best friend' type things. And among those was the famous sleepover. The brunet had arrived early and was hoping with all his heart that now that they were alone, in Riku's house, he would be kind to him. Usually when people weren't around Riku was kinder to him. Sora labeled it as unfortunate peer pressure and he figured one day he'd fight back and end it. He just didn't want to lose Riku in the process. It was a hard concept for his thirteen year old mind to work out and accept.
Sora dropped his things in the familiar hallway near the entrance of Riku's home. Riku hadn't greeted him at the door with his usual smirk. That was peculiar. The brunet glanced about. "Riku?" he called into the home.
After a moment, shuffling was heard upstairs. "I'm upstairs," announced a voice from up the stairs. Thumping was soon after heard—like a drawer being slammed, or forced, shut.
Curiously, Sora left his bags by his friend's front door and headed up the carpet-adored stairs. As he trekked up, his feet produced clonking noises, announcing his ascend. It took Sora less than a minute to reach the top. When he did such, he took a sharp right into Riku's room. "Hey, sorry I'm early I—" he began.
Sora stopped speaking when he entered Riku's room. His eyes made contact with a black, metallic, shining object in Riku's hands. The boy's nose scrunched up and he lifted his gaze to stare accusingly at the silveret. "Riku," he hissed warningly. "That's your dad's. Don't touch that!"
Riku paid no attention. "It's a lot heavier than I had imagined," he murmured to himself, the pad of his thumb running along the smooth edge.
Sora stiffened and remained near the entrance of the room. "Riku. What if your dad comes home early and sees that? He's going to yell at you," Sora warned with a hint of vacillation in his voice. "I really would put it…"
"Don't tell me what to do, Sora," Riku ground out as he elevated his aquamarine stare to observe his scrawny best friend. "Do you want to touch it as well? I'm sure you've never touched one before, Sora."
Sora lowered his gaze to the floor. "I'm sorry," he mumbled.
Silence reigned over. "These things are pretty dangerous, huh?" Riku wondered, idly turning it in his hands. His fingers brushed teasingly along the trigger, down the body of the weapon. It was obvious he was enthralled by the gun—as any other child would be when being able to see one up close for the first time.
"Well, yeah," Sora answered at once, shuffling his feet worriedly. "Can we put it away, please?...I really don't like guns…" He was terrified of them. Violence always scared Sora. Ever since he was young…and his father had—no, he didn't want to think about it. His father was nonexistent now. His step dad was his 'dad' now.
"Does it scare you?" Riku asked as he mockingly raised the small firearm, indolently aiming it towards his friend. "It's not like it's loaded or anything, Sora," he cooed with a dark laugh.
Sora frowned and shook his head. "Still. Please…just put it away," he said, nervously side-stepping away from the line of fire. Even if it wasn't loaded he didn't like being near it.
"You're a chicken," Riku chortled, a shadowy grin on his face. "You're never going to succeed in life if you're afraid of guns, Sora. Grow some balls, my god."
Sora blanched. "Hey! Riku, wait a minute!"
Riku tightened his grip on the weapon, looking as if he was aiming. "Eh. Don't argue, Sora. Now, why exactly are you afraid of these? Why can't you be like every other boy in the world and like them?"
"Because! They kill people!" Sora barked back, lifting his hands defensively. "Riku, please."
"It's not like I'm gonna do anything," Riku laughed, that teasing smirk still present on his lips. "Even if I," his finger rested on the trigger, giving it a small force, "pulled it, it wouldn't do anything."
"Riku…" Sora whispered; his voice cracking.
"I wonder what it feels like to shoot one of these," he murmured to himself, his finger becoming like lead to the metal trigger.
Before either knew what was happening, Riku's finger had pressed all the way back on the trigger. The unexpected force caused Riku's body to jerk backwards, instantly dropping the gun as his limbs became paralyzed. The power that was released from the weapon caused his body to tremble as his ears began to figuratively bleed from the sound. Realization did not hit until Riku stumbled backwards into his bureau, the unexpected gunshot having cast him into a dreary daze. But when he did see what happened, his heart stopped and he fell to his knees, face turning a ghostly white as he crumbled. His hands curled into fists and he shakily held onto his carpet, hyperventilating. His mind went black.
He could have done something, but the fear that he had just committed a horrid act upon his best friend, the…the boy who made him feel so damn weird...took over and left him on the floor, a complete mess, as the brunet slowly, painfully, tearfully died.
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Sora found himself trapped between reality and the disillusioned world he had crash-landed into. Things weren't going to get any better and the earthbound angel had to accept this. Riku hadn't changed (despite his persistent attempts to show otherwise) and he wouldn't be allowed to even /be/ with his older brother. These ideas had already begun to rock the brunet's world, sending him into a silent fit or pure rage and hatred. Why had they /sent/ him here? They knew full well of the bad blood between Riku and him/didn't/ they? What did they have against him to actually throw him back on Earth and pair him up with Riku?
"Sora."
The brunet lifted his gaze and glanced upwards. Riku was in the threshold to Sora's bedroom, silver hair gleaming and all, looking at him with a gaze that not even Sora could begin to comprehend. The silveret looked puzzled—no, bothered.
"What?" Sora asked, his brown locks of hair purposely obscuring his line of vision.
"Do you want me to go?" Usually when Riku said that he meant leave as in come back later or take a walk, but from that look he was giving the brunet, Sora abruptly knew otherwise. Riku meant something else entirely.
"You can stay," the angel said in a murmur, his head hung low. "It's not even /really/ my apartment. I don't have the right to—"
"No, Sora. It's your choice," Riku said, swiftly cutting the seemingly younger off. "You /have/ the right."
Sora stiffened. Riku was his job. He had to stick around, no matter what. The brunet proceeded to cringe. True, he didn't really desire Riku to stay but…to cast the other out onto the punishing streets of New York City was something he could not do. That truly would be heartless. And Sora might have been an angel but he still had a heart. "Stay," he muttered.
Sora was extremely caught off guard when the older stepped over. His crafty, soft hands landed, at first, on Sora's shoulders, but then drifted up to run along Sora's face. Blue eyes glazed shut, a tremor soaring through his body, down to his toes. Sora found that after a moment he had begun to lean into the other's touch. Alarmed by this, he attempted to stammer stupidly, hoping to get himself out of this mess, but found that his effort was in vain.
"Sora," Riku whispered, the name sounding like what heaven /ought/ to have been like. He spoke no more words and instead held the angel's face in his hands.
Perplexed, Sora sat there. Millions of things rushed through his head. Everything in him told him to push Riku away and yell at him for being a creep, but he didn't. He was about to finally flinch away, coming to his senses, when the other pivoted their heads at just the right angle. The silveret then covered the angel's lips with his own.
Hot tendrils of heat that Sora thought only the incinerator was capable of producing danced through him. The seduction of the kiss was leaving Sora breathless and it had barely begun. Riku, though, leaned closer, deepening the kiss. His hands soothed the angel's tanned face, mistakenly lovingly, along Sora's cheeks, neck, and then back. The massaging of lips did not cease and Sora soon found himself empowered by the stolen kiss.
It might have been an indecent caricature of affection but Sora found his body acceptingly moving closer. His toes curled and he shyly, at last, returned the kiss. A feral and human need grew in the pit of his stomach. God, he needed this from Riku.
Desperately, their lips clashed together, moist and wet, rendering Sora helpless—not like he wanted to be helped anyway. Hot spots began to form on his untouched, sensitive, virgin skin. Sequins of undistinguished emotion began to seep through the angel. It was messy but so damn gorgeous, this kiss.
"Sora, you have no idea," gasped the silveret.
Riku supported his body by pressing a hand firmly down onto the bed before him. He leaned even closer to Sora, his knee creeping up on the bed as well. His hand and knee barely supported his lankly form as he pushed flush to Sora's body, fitting perfectly against the angel.
"No idea 'bout what?" Sora murmured, his conversational skills hitting an all time low. His hands joined in the beautiful, silvery mess of hair and he found himself falling backwards. No, he wasn't falling to his death this time. Not to his death but to the bed behind him. His back greeted the bed with eager, earnest want. Never before had he felt so entirely enthralled by Riku.
Anger seemed to slip away as Riku towered above him, body molded perfectly to Sora's. It was what Sora had wanted.
"How badly I need you," the older teen rasped out, fingers kneading and trailing from Sora's wrist that he had pinned to the bed, down to the angel's curvy sides. He remained above the angel, keeping him pinned beneath him.
It wasn't want. It was need. Riku had uttered need. Riku was making him an oozing puddle of submission. Sora's eyes rolled inward as he felt Riku's crafty lips skip away from his mouth and then traverse along his face, his jaw, and then his neck. Need. This wasn't want. It was better.
"Can't…" Sora mumbled. He wouldn't deny the pain he felt towards Riku just as much as he wouldn't deny just how /amazing/ Riku was making him feel. "We can't…"
"God Sora, why not?" Riku all but moaned as his lips tentatively danced along Sora's neck. He watched in adoration as the angel's neck curved, arching, giving him more room. He needed this just as badly as he needed air. God, they both did.
"I…want you too," Sora blurted out, heated mews and moans cascading from his lips. All that rage was temporarily forgotten and all he could think about was that old dream of being laid by Riku. How long had he wanted to be this intimate with Riku? The beautiful, charming…amazing Riku?
"Then what's the problem?" Riku questioned with a guttural sound. He licked Sora's neck, hips pressing dangerously hard to Sora's. The problem? The problem was obvious.
Sora's senses returned at the mere thought. He shouted it, "I'm dead!"
Riku stared down at the flustered brunet beneath him. Their bodies remained flush and both were painfully aware of how badly they wanted this. Maybe not want each other, but this euphoric sensation that this intimacy would surely bring.
"But you're here. Sora, you're breathing and living." His hand darted down in between the angel's legs, giving a blunt stroke to the restrained, clothed arousal. "Don't tell me that isn't real."
Sora's breath hitched and he screwed his eyes shut. As much as he despised Riku and as much as he wanted this dreamt about pleasure, he refused to kill the other in the process. "It'll kill you," he whispered, panting heavily.
"What?" Riku was honestly confused. "No, you won't. I've heard of crazy stories about sex but I doubt you'd be able to kill—"
"Don't you get it?" Sora was recovering from his fog. "I'm here for a month! I'll kill you if we have sex because it's just the way it is!"
"By choice?"
"No! Not by choice!" Sora was growing frustrated. "Gah, Riku! Why couldn't you have let me live? I could have been yours. All yours."
Silence.
Sora harshly looked away. He refused to be jaded by Riku's appealing touches again. He had almost murdered Riku. A part of Sora thought that killing Riku would be fair, considering Riku had done the same to him, but he couldn't bring himself to do it, no matter how badly turned on he was. Hot tears filled in his eyes as he irately gripped at the blankets, trying not to move against Riku's achingly hard body. He wanted this so bad. Sora wanted Riku more than he thought imaginable.
"Sora…" Riku stared coldly down at the brunet and began kissing his neck again.
"What…did I just tell you…" Sora grumbled stubbornly, the submissive side disappearing for that moment. "Get off…"
"I want you so badly," Riku reiterated, kissing the skin with desperate need. "I've wanted you for so many years. I don't care if it 'kills me'. I want you so, so much."
Sora stared blankly at Riku. "I was sent here to keep you from making stupid mistakes…this would be one of them. Save your libido for someone else." The angel pushed his hands against Riku's chest, shoving him back a bit. "I'm not interested."
"You just said you were!" Riku argued, pinning Sora back down to the bed.
The brunet stared with bewilderment. The angel's chest rose and fell quickly. "You killed me. What makes you think…"
"It. Was. An. Accident. Damn it, Sora. Why can't you accept that?" Riku stared at Sora, oddly pleadingly. "I didn't want you to die! I stayed by your hospital bed. I skipped school to go and see you even though you were on life support. I cried during school because of you."
Sora rolled his eyes apathetically. "Did it ruin your reputation?"
"Sora…" Riku fixed his gaze directly with Sora's. "Do you really think I cared more about my fucking reputation then I did about you?" It was meant to be a rhetorical question, really it was. If Riku had not had asked he wouldn't have had to deal with his answer.
"Yeah," Sora responded honestly, wanting nothing more than to scamper away, out of Riku's grasp. Or push Riku off his bed. Either would suffice for now.
"How can you say that?! Do not know me at all?" the silveret demanded, frustration growing in his widened eyes. "Sora. Do you realize how hard it is for me to be here right now with you under me, alive again, and resist taking you? Do you know how long I've dreamt of this?"
Sora looked away harshly. "You're the one who was an ass growing up. If you were kind you wouldn't have—"
"Don't you see, moron? I want you."
Sora fell silent. His heart stopped and he ceased trying to push Riku off. "No. No, you don't," he drawled, eyes screwing themselves shut. "You're just frustrated right now and will say anything to get want you want. But don't you see, Riku? We can't. I won't. And I don't believe anything that falls from your lips."
"Why do you have to be so stubborn," Riku breathed out shakily, releasing his tight grip on Sora's arms. He relinquished his pinning of Sora and got off the boy, sitting beside him on the bed. The sexual frustration and desire was temporarily forgotten. It all was.
"Because I'm trying to finish my job so I can go back to being a good little angel. I don't want to play dead anymore, I just want to be dead already," the brunet snapped as he shot up into a sitting position.
Riku harshly looked away. Maybe he deserved that sarcasm. "I can't believe you've changed this much," he muttered, hands gripping at the bed sheets below him. Their kissing seemed so far away all of a sudden. It was as if it never even happened.
"What do you expect?" Sora grumbled as he shifted his body off the bed. His hard gaze remained on the door. Silence. "I told you they scared me and you had to be the jerk you were and continue teasing me. Well, I would say Karma does exist after all, but I still don't know what I did to deserve death. Maybe Heaven got mad because I didn't like girls," he mumbled and made his way to leave the bedroom.
"Sora, wait!" Riku sprung to his feet, expression unreadable.
"Hm?" Sora spared a glance over his shoulder.
"You never did anything wrong, Sora. Nothing at all. Never…" he whispered, offering the brunet a broken smile. Something to reassure the brunet.
"Then I guess I just died because I sucked at living and being your best friend," the brunet decided as he actually left this time.
Why did things always get so damn good and then suddenly so bad?
Riku sighed miserably and kicked the floor out of self pity. "I don't get this at all."
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It took Sora nearly all day of doing research at the small libraries and available computers he found to discover what had happened to his parents after their deaths. Apparently they were cremated and it seemed likely that Sora's older brother held the ashes. The brunet groaned at the idea. Riku had told Sora not to visit Leon because if Leon figured it out…he'd just be a complete mess. Sora actually agreed with Riku on that. What would his brother do if he knew his younger brother was back for only a month. Amongst the living. From heaven. Then again, Riku had accepted the idea without a single question…so maybe Leon would do the same.
"Why is he so accepting," Sora pondered as he sat in the Starbucks, his visits being perfunctory. Riku wasn't working today so it was safe to come here. "Why doesn't he freak out and think I'm an illusion or something," he grumbled, rubbing his forehead.
Riku was a mystery. Sora just didn't understand him—he never did. He sighed helplessly and buried his face into his shoulders. He was stressed. Sora thought that after he died the stress would be gone but it seemed to be even worse now. At least when he was alive he had Heaven to look forward to—the big, pearly gates, the smiling angels, the wings, the halos…but no. He had nothing to look forward to at all. The whole idea of Heaven had been a caricature that had developed over the years. That's what it was. But…how could someone make up angels with wings? Weren't angels supposed to have wings? Sora shrugged away the thought. Maybe they were invisible. Hah.
"Hey, Sora!" Axel greeted as he slapped his younger friend onto the shoulder.
Axel. He's accepting of my death and sudden return as well. What is wrong with these people?! Why aren't you freaking out?! Sora looked up at the redhead who was seating himself. He looked like the paragon of scheming. Sora just couldn't put his finger on what it was. "Hi, Axel…"
"Why so melancholy?" Axel asked, tapping his fingers on the table. "You look like you've just seen a ghost."
Sora rolled his eyes. "Very funny…"
Axel noticeably cleared his throat. "Oh right. Not the best…expression," he laughed and looked away. "How are you and loverboy doing?"
Sora groaned. "Let's not talk about that, please," he suggested dimly.
"All right," Axel agreed, glancing around the shop aimlessly. "So, what's wrong? You seem really down." The redhead's gaze returned to the angel before him. Sure, Sora had been sully since he returned to Earth, but today he appeared worse. Axel's gaze remained on the brunet, trying to decipher the things floating through Sora's head. If only he was a mind reader. It'd make this whole conversation ten times easier.
"Nothing I wanna talk about," Sora admitted, lowering his gaze. I'm tired of bothering people with my problems. I'm tough. I can keep them to myself. Besides, Riku and I always get into fights. This is normal. That's all. Normal. And that look Riku gave me when I left, that was normal. It was… No matter how hard he tried to convince himself that the fight was just a random tussle, he couldn't. Hurt had been in Riku's beautiful eyes.
"All right," Axel reiterated and leaned back in his chair, arms folding to his chest. "So you what, have three weeks left?" he guessed, glancing over at Sora who appeared to be out of it. Zoning out, if you will.
"Three weeks," Sora echoed, thoughtfully tapping the table in front of him. "Three weeks to turn Riku's entire life around and convince him he doesn't care about me." The brunet groaned audibly and buried his heads into his arms, not wanting to face his friend from across the table.
"I understand the first part but what about the latter? Why the hell do you need to make Riku think he doesn't care? Wait… He knows it's you?" Axel asked curiously, his eyes widening in honest surprise. It was simply amazing how Axel remained silent about their kiss shared days prior. They had talked about it, yes, and Axel had almost willingly given up. Sora's defiance to admit that he still cared about Riku was all Axel needed to make a choice. He wouldn't interfere with the dead.
"Yeah…" Sora groaned, sounding awfully displeased about the situation. "Don't ask how. The story is really complicated and I don't wanna talk about it…"
"But why do you have to convince him he doesn't care?" Axel said, tilting his head at his brunet friend with growing curiosity. Now, this was interesting.
"Because!" Sora argued, shaking his head angrily. "Riku can't live a normal life if he cares about someone who's dead, Axel! Don't you see that?"
Silence.
A worker glanced over at Sora oddly. The brunet stiffened, his clenched fists resting silently on the table. Deep breaths. A moment passed before Sora dared to look back up at Axel who seemed to be quite amused. The worker had gone back to doing what they did best and silence once again was victorious. Still, he felt the presence of countless eyes on him. Perhaps not those of Earth but those of Heaven. They were warning him. Warning him that he was going to be deported soon if he didn't cut the crap or something along those lines, but perhaps a bit more refined. Heaven wasn't really one for cussing.
"But doesn't that tell you something?" Axel wondered, breaking the eerie silence that had befallen them. "The idea that he still cares after all these years?"
"He was dating my brother," Sora snapped, argumentative till the end. Honestly, he was truly a benevolent, shy, humorous guy, but this past week had driven him to the point of insanity. He could not deal with Earth much longer. Riku was getting on his last nerve with all the lies he constantly spoke and frankly, Sora was glad that he was dead.
"So?" Axel quipped, shrugging.
"So a lot of things," the brunet murmured. "If he cared about me that much he wouldn't have dated Leon or anyone for that matter."
"Sora, do you realize how selfish you just sounded?" Axel asked, cocking a brow. "And unreasonable. Riku apparently was trying to move on with his life. A lot of people don't get over those they care about, true, but they try to move on and have a life."
"A life that sucks, apparently, because I'm here."
Axel sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Sora…a lot of people care about you. Riku cares, I care, and I bet Leon cares as well. You need to look at the big picture. Your job, right? That's important. Forget about Riku and his feelings. Just get the job done. You'll be happier that way, I'm guessing."
"My job," Sora repeated, nodding to himself. "My job that I so kindly was given," he grumbled. "Of all the people…they gave me Riku. And of all the people for him to still be in contact with, it had to be you. Both of you are probably the only two who could recognize me no matter what. And I just had to stumble upon both of you…"
"How unfortunate," Axel muttered and looked off into the distance, out the glassy windows. "You'd think that more people would have people like you, Sora."
Sora stared silently at Axel. "What do you mean?"
Axel appeared like he was struggling for a brief moment. After what seemed like a moment of heavy deliberation, Axel finally said, "To have someone come down and fix their lives. You'd think that everyone who is doing horribly would have one. But no."
Sora blinked. "That's…true…" So why was Riku so god damn special?
"Maybe there's an ulterior motive," said Axel hesitantly.
"You don't think that Heaven would be that cruel to try and slam us together only to tear us apart, right? Because they made a point to say…" he leaned closer, "…that any sex with a human would result in their death. I doubt they wanted me and Riku to somehow magically mend things."
"…Wow," Axel laughed. "They give you a chance to be human for a month but rip your heart out by saying you can't indulge in one of mankind's greatest pleasures. Wow, that's just fucking cruel. And to think we were making out." He began chuckling absentmindedly, shaking his head at the irony.
Sora shifted uncomfortably. "And I'm not that heartless to kill someone."
"Wait…" Axel's gaze widened.
"Riku and I almost had sex," Sora said for no real particular reason whatsoever.
Silence, yet again. "So you do like him," the redhead declared triumphantly. "I knew it. See? You can't help but fall right back into his trap. Sora, I know you too well. We've been best friends since I can remember. I can tell when you've got it bad."
Sora glared. "See, I'd probably be a blushing idiot right now if it wasn't for the fact that I'm not alive," he whispered hoarsely, meeting Axel's gaze again. "Axel, I can't handle this. I'm trying so hard to be someone I'm not… I'm not this strong person that I'm supposed to be. I can't help that I have these stupid feelings for him. It's so twisted considering everything that happened but god, Axel…I just don't know what to do…where to go from here. I just don't know anymore."
The confession wasn't something Axel had been expecting. "Talk to him," he suggested after yet another moment of eerie silence. "Do it, please," he urged.
Sora pushed out of his seat, rising to his feet. "I'm going to go see Leon," he announced.
Axel appeared flustered at once. His catlike hues widened and he scrambled to his feet as well. "Why? I don't think Leon knows it's you… why would you go see him?" Yeah. Axel appeared to be quite nervous over the whole idea.
"Because I need to see my brother, regardless!" Sora snapped, his mind reeling in a thousand different directions. Not even the simplest things made sense anymore. Nothing did. His mind hurt and he just wanted to run away from his problems. But how could you? How could you run away when you were already dead? Sora didn't know, and he deduced that he wouldn't know for a very long time. He was stuck here, with Riku and Leon and Axel, no matter what he said against the matter. In the pit of his stomach, he knew, deep down, he really wouldn't ever see Heaven again. He had screwed up far too much to be awarded with such a heavenly gift…
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Sora's hand rested nervously on the apartment door. He sucked in a few, shaky breaths before mustering the courage to knock. His knocks echoed against the wooden door, drifting solemnly down the hallway. His blue eyes averted themselves, not wanting to meet his brother's gaze whenever he chose to open the door. No. If Leon met his gaze that sternly, that wholly, he would certainly know it was his brother and not some newcomer by the name of Roxas. Sora went frigid as the door was unlocked and soon after opened. With a deep breath, he shyly glanced in Leon's general direction, gaze hitting the man's shoes. Okay. That was a good starting point.
"Roxas?" asked the taller in a demanding tone.
Sora stiffened and lifted his gaze from Leon's large shoes up to the man's stoic expression. Uneasily, Sora offered a nod as he bit his bottom lip. He smiled apprehensively and proceeded to answer with, "Yeah, it's me."
Leon leaned silently against the threshold, allowing his bony fingers to beat gently against the threshold. What a contradiction. "Is there any specific reason you're here?" Sora didn't answer at first. "If it's to collect the rest of Riku's things, go ahead. The sooner his things are gone the quicker I can start fixing my life again," he groaned, absently looking back into the apartment with an apparent frown.
Riku's things…that's a good excuse. "Yeah…" Sora repeated quietly, not certain what to say to the other. "I won't take long, I promise." As long as I'm here for a bit, with my brother, I'll be fine…just long enough to remember everything about him. God, it's been so long…
"I take it you two are still living together," Leon said as he moved aside, allowing Sora entryway. Quietly, Sora entered, glancing around the desolate apartment with a frown. It looked so lonely, so dull, maybe even deceased. An apparent frown appeared on his small lips at the sight.
"We are," Sora agreed, sheepishly walking around the apartment he had been in days prior. Back when Leon and Riku were still together. Back when he assumed Riku didn't know it was him. Sora's stomach churned and clenched. "What things are Riku's?" he asked.
"In the corner," Leon remarked at once, walking over to the couch. He didn't seem all that extroverted. Then again, Leon never was. He usually was the quiet, reclusive type. Oh well. "Take all that you can carry. It'll help me out."
"Why are you so eager to see Riku out of your life?" Sora didn't mean for the question to be so blunt or so demanding, but it just floated out of his lips that way. The angel tensed, at once scuffling to the corner. He didn't want to see the look on Leon's face, nor did he want to hear his reaction, but he figured he'd have to considering he brought it up. Damn it all.
"I want him out of my life. He was good back then but things have changed," Leon answered simply, sounding drained of all emotions. The tall brunet sat on the couch, arms folded to his chest. His feet remained planted squarely on the ground. He appeared to be dead, almost, with that lifeless glimmer in his eyes. Cumbersome.
"What happened between you two?" Sora dared in a hoarse whisper as his fingers landed on a jacket of Riku's. It smelt like him and the scent nearly drove the brunet into insanity: That was if he hadn't already reached that point yet.
"Nothing worth telling," murmured the older, remaining as hostile as ever. "Just collect his things and hurry off."
"Leon…" Sora began, his fingers gripping Riku's coat increasingly tighter. "What did he do to you?"
"Why do you care so much?" the older brunet snapped, his head pivoting to the right to glare directly at Sora. And damn. That anger…Sora had never seen that much hate in his eyes. The angel visibly shrunk back, terrified at the sudden change. "I'm not going to tell a complete stranger all my life secrets and stories. I'm sorry," he groaned irritably.
Sora didn't expect anymore. Though…there was something about the way Leon said that that made the brunet stiffen farther. "I understand," he murmured, grabbing one of Riku's bags as he held the coat in his other hand. Suddenly, Riku didn't seem all that bad anymore compared to his vengeful brother. God, why was everything so fucked up?
"Relay a message for me?" Leon requested apathetically.
"Sure," Sora whispered, his voice broken and utterly weak.
"Tell him, 'I told you so'."
And never before had Sora felt so out of the damn loop.
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"Don't lie to me," Leon spat as he harshly looked away from the silveret. "I saw the way you were staring at him earlier tonight, Riku. You just don't know when to quit."
Riku sat dejectedly on the couch, staring blankly at the floor. "Leon, listen…you know that he's important to me. You know everything. I've told you everything. I'm not gonna pick him over you, though," the silveret tried to reason, desperation flaring in his eyes.
Leon scoffed. "Riku, just stop it."
"Leon…" Riku lowered his gaze again, a wave of ice covering his body. "Sora's back and you don't even seem glad. What the fuck is wrong with you?"
"What is wrong with me?" Leon demanded, harshly throwing Riku another glare. "How can you even ask me that? How can you have the guts to say that to me, Riku? After everything. After all you've done. Why are you acting like I'm the villain here?!"
Riku flexed his hands angrily by his sides. "Don't…"
"You should be fucking distgusted by yourself," Leon deadpanned, shaking his head. "Not just because of this fight but because of everything. Sora doesn't deserve this one ounce…"
"This?"
"Don't play stupid," Leon muttered and looked out the window. "You're going to pick him. And don't think I don't know why…I know more than I ought to, Riku."
Riku sighed miserably, refusing to look at his boyfriend.
"And Riku? When this all blows up in your face and Sora hates you?... I told you so."