Title: Flavors of Home
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Characters/Pairings: Riku, Xion; RikuShi by way of ice cream sharing
Rating: G
Warnings: Set during the off-screen adventures of Riku and Xion during KH: Days.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the stories I write.
Summary: In which Riku has his first taste of sea-salt ice cream.
Word Count: 328
Submitted: 21 March 2012

Special thanks to RoseOfADifferentColor and Espionage247.

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Riku stares at the sea-salt ice cream bar in Xion's hand, the same one she waves in his face before taking a liberal bite out of the popsicle. She extends her arm out to him again with wide eyes, the frozen confectionery glistening under the midday sun. Riku sighs and takes hold of Xion's wrist. His tongue sweeps across the surface of the treat and the chill of it runs down his throat.

Bursting along his taste buds is the ocean, salty and lingering as each movement of his jaw brings grains of flavor to notice. Soothing the sudden saltiness is tropic air, sweet and permeating as the last drops of flavored moisture hit the back of his throat.

Before he lets go of Xion, Riku takes a large bite and lets the chunk of ice cream sit on his tongue. His eyes shut out of the sudden chill that assaults his soft palate with jolts of pain shooting up through his sinuses and go straight to his head. Yet he doesn't swallow in favor of letting the tastes of sea and tropic air dance along his taste buds.

He thinks of home.

The cold jolts to his system are replaced with the crashing wave surfs making contact with his skin, a spray of salt filling his senses before rushing back. The ice melting on his tongue is replaced with a swift wind from the island beating at his body, a sweet scent flooding his olfactory nerves before overwhelmed again by the oncoming surf.

He swallows and opens his eyes.

Xion looks up at him, her arm still lifted and outstretched in his direction with the sea-salt ice cream in her hand. By now, the icy dessert is losing its solidity, dripping over and down the Replica's gloved fingers. A wide smile that stretches from ear to ear lights up her face, paying no mind to the mess in her hand.

"I told you that you'd like it."

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This story sounded so much cooler in my head. Why is it that the actual thing is never as awesome as we originally thought it was?

Sorry for the delay. Things got busy on the RL front—busy but fun with a smidge of frustration.

Knight-Dawn, I understand your pain. Those text-box things can be so mean. I'm glad you liked the story. Hopefully this one wasn't a disappointment after the long wait—sorry it wasn't the adorable yet tragic piece you wanted.

RoseOfADifferentColor, aww … You're so nice. And Xion really should know better, but it's always cute when she's caught unawares by Riku.

Espionage247, thanks! It's good to hear that I'm improving—hopefully I'll keep progressing rather than regress.

Next Time: Phantom-limb!RikuShi.