A/N: Thank you for reviewing, you guys! ^_^ Apologies, Ruaki, for the big hunk of text that it was. But it's doing better now, it seems.
DISCLAIMER: See before.
Going to the Light
Chapter 2
---
Something didn't register right in Sora's brain. The man had said he was Riku. How could he be..?
How could he not be?
He had the same platinum hair, the same aquamarine eyes, the same pale skin that Riku always had. And yet, there was something different about him. Something broody and foreboding. Something sad, even.
Riku's eyes bore into Sora's. "You've changed.." he murmured under his breath, examining Sora's slightly matted down hair.
Sora shook his head in reply to Riku's comment. "Not really," he said. "Not ever."
Riku smirked. "Sure." There was a short silence, which Riku abruptly broke. "How's Kairi?"
Sora blinked. "She's good. She misses you, but she's good." He ran a hand through his damp hair.
Riku took this time to take a better look at Sora. He still had the same spiky, chocolate brown hair, although it was a bit disheveled and flat at the moment. And his eyes... His sea blue eyes were still the same. He was a bit taller now, and his features had slightly changed. But it was only expected. After all, it had been three years.
Sora glanced around the now half-empty pub. "You said this place didn't have a name," he said, glancing back at Riku.
Riku nodded. "That's because it doesn't." he said. "I've been here for three years now, and the only thing that seems suitable to call it is Hell."
Sora's eyes remained on Riku's face. "Speaking of which... Why didn't you escape with us? When we were closing Kingdom Hearts?"
Riku blinked in mild surprise. "You needed me to help you close it," he replied.
"You could've come out and pushed it with us." Sora pressed on.
"King Mickey needed my help," Riku again replied, hoping that would appease the younger man's hunger for answers.
"No he didn't. He had a keyblade Riku. He was more than capable of taking care of himself."
"I had my reasons, okay?!" Riku growled.
Riku quickly regretted having snapped at his friend when he saw Sora's stricken face. Suddenly, Sora smiled. "You're the same old Riku, that's for sure." Suddenly, he leaned forward and hugged the older boy.
Riku blinked and tenatively hugged back. Sora continued smiling. "I missed you.." he said into Riku's ear.
This was SO typical of Sora. Riku would've held the younger boy a little longer, but he knew that Sora meant it only as a hug between friends.
Sora let go of Riku, and looked at him with his irresistably blue eyes. "It's been so long.." he said.
By now the candles were burning low, and the last of the pub's patrons were preparing to leave. The waitress kept a respectable distance away from the two men, awaiting their departure. Riku glanced over to her, nodded, and set down just enough munny to pay for their drinks. He stood, turned to Sora and said, "You can stay at my place. We'll talk more there." Sora nodded in reply, standing as well.
As they walked through the pouring rain, Riku asked, "How did you get here, anyway?"
Sora shrugged. "I don't know myself. All I know is that I'm here and that I've found you... So everything'll be alright." He replied, smiling ever so slightly. The rain matted his hair down even more then it already was.
As the rain plipped down the hood of Riku's cloak, he asked another question. "What happened between you and Kairi while I was gone? You didn't have any kids or anything, did you?" He half-joked, raindrops dripping down his bangs.
Sora shook his head. "Nah.. We were together for a while, though.."
Riku said nothing. That was exactly the reason why he had left. So Sora could be happy. With Kairi. They no longer needed him. He sighed morosely, staring at the sky.
Sora tilted his head so he could get a better view of Riku's face. "Is something wrong..?" he asked, concern tinging his voice.
Riku shook his head. "It's nothing." After a short silence, he added. "You said you guys were together. What do you mean?"
Sora sighed."We broke up after a while. It turns out that it had become impossible to love eachother under these circumstances, and--"
It was there that Riku cut in. "Circumstances?"
Sora remained silent. They continued their trek through the rain, walking abreast of eachother. "What circumstance--"
"Well, where is this place of yours?" Sora asked hurridly, eager to change the subject.
Riku wanted to press on, but he knew that he should give his friend some space. "Ah..Nowhere special.. Just down the street from here." They rounded the corner and entered a run-down motel. Sora stuck close behind Riku, drinking in all of the grungy sights around him.
It was going to be a long night...
---
A/N: Well, this one if better formatted then the last, at least.
DISCLAIMER: See before.
Going to the Light
Chapter 2
---
Something didn't register right in Sora's brain. The man had said he was Riku. How could he be..?
How could he not be?
He had the same platinum hair, the same aquamarine eyes, the same pale skin that Riku always had. And yet, there was something different about him. Something broody and foreboding. Something sad, even.
Riku's eyes bore into Sora's. "You've changed.." he murmured under his breath, examining Sora's slightly matted down hair.
Sora shook his head in reply to Riku's comment. "Not really," he said. "Not ever."
Riku smirked. "Sure." There was a short silence, which Riku abruptly broke. "How's Kairi?"
Sora blinked. "She's good. She misses you, but she's good." He ran a hand through his damp hair.
Riku took this time to take a better look at Sora. He still had the same spiky, chocolate brown hair, although it was a bit disheveled and flat at the moment. And his eyes... His sea blue eyes were still the same. He was a bit taller now, and his features had slightly changed. But it was only expected. After all, it had been three years.
Sora glanced around the now half-empty pub. "You said this place didn't have a name," he said, glancing back at Riku.
Riku nodded. "That's because it doesn't." he said. "I've been here for three years now, and the only thing that seems suitable to call it is Hell."
Sora's eyes remained on Riku's face. "Speaking of which... Why didn't you escape with us? When we were closing Kingdom Hearts?"
Riku blinked in mild surprise. "You needed me to help you close it," he replied.
"You could've come out and pushed it with us." Sora pressed on.
"King Mickey needed my help," Riku again replied, hoping that would appease the younger man's hunger for answers.
"No he didn't. He had a keyblade Riku. He was more than capable of taking care of himself."
"I had my reasons, okay?!" Riku growled.
Riku quickly regretted having snapped at his friend when he saw Sora's stricken face. Suddenly, Sora smiled. "You're the same old Riku, that's for sure." Suddenly, he leaned forward and hugged the older boy.
Riku blinked and tenatively hugged back. Sora continued smiling. "I missed you.." he said into Riku's ear.
This was SO typical of Sora. Riku would've held the younger boy a little longer, but he knew that Sora meant it only as a hug between friends.
Sora let go of Riku, and looked at him with his irresistably blue eyes. "It's been so long.." he said.
By now the candles were burning low, and the last of the pub's patrons were preparing to leave. The waitress kept a respectable distance away from the two men, awaiting their departure. Riku glanced over to her, nodded, and set down just enough munny to pay for their drinks. He stood, turned to Sora and said, "You can stay at my place. We'll talk more there." Sora nodded in reply, standing as well.
As they walked through the pouring rain, Riku asked, "How did you get here, anyway?"
Sora shrugged. "I don't know myself. All I know is that I'm here and that I've found you... So everything'll be alright." He replied, smiling ever so slightly. The rain matted his hair down even more then it already was.
As the rain plipped down the hood of Riku's cloak, he asked another question. "What happened between you and Kairi while I was gone? You didn't have any kids or anything, did you?" He half-joked, raindrops dripping down his bangs.
Sora shook his head. "Nah.. We were together for a while, though.."
Riku said nothing. That was exactly the reason why he had left. So Sora could be happy. With Kairi. They no longer needed him. He sighed morosely, staring at the sky.
Sora tilted his head so he could get a better view of Riku's face. "Is something wrong..?" he asked, concern tinging his voice.
Riku shook his head. "It's nothing." After a short silence, he added. "You said you guys were together. What do you mean?"
Sora sighed."We broke up after a while. It turns out that it had become impossible to love eachother under these circumstances, and--"
It was there that Riku cut in. "Circumstances?"
Sora remained silent. They continued their trek through the rain, walking abreast of eachother. "What circumstance--"
"Well, where is this place of yours?" Sora asked hurridly, eager to change the subject.
Riku wanted to press on, but he knew that he should give his friend some space. "Ah..Nowhere special.. Just down the street from here." They rounded the corner and entered a run-down motel. Sora stuck close behind Riku, drinking in all of the grungy sights around him.
It was going to be a long night...
---
A/N: Well, this one if better formatted then the last, at least.