The cold water surrounded Riku's body as he cut through the top of the
waves like a knife. 'Oh brilliant move. Let's play hard to get. Too bad
we're leaving tomorrow morning and the chances of him catching me before
then are slim to none.' Riku's strong arms pushed through the water, his
heavy clothing making him struggle more than usual. Taking a quick turn in
the water, he headed for a small inlet, inside a cave on the other side of
the island, even Sora didn't know about it.
Water flew as Riku's head popped out of the water within the cramped, damp space of the cave. He panted for breath as his lungs burned at him. To call this place a cave was really an understatement, especially now at high tide. A small shelf stuck out from the wall of the cliff above, and there was a three foot bubble above it, forming the roof of the cavern. Not nearly enough to stand in, but at low tide, Riku had found that he could climb to this shelf and that he was short enough to sit there without hitting his head. At low tide that is.
Riku swam to the shelf, which was now underwater and sat down on it. The water level came to his stomach and he regretted not having checked how high the water was before coming here. He lay back, his lower half cushioned by the moss that grew below the water level, and his head found it's way to the smooth hole in the rock he had discovered long ago.
His big shoes swayed back and forth with the coming and going waves, and Riku found himself being gently rocked to sleep. 'No. Can't fall asleep.'
Sea-green eyes opened and looked though the bright clear water which was slowly ebbing out of the cave. His reflection stared back at him, his silver hair dripping and his chest rising. Riku took his hand and slammed it against the water, banishing his reflection. 'I am not part of the sea. I hate it.' The reflection came back nevertheless, and his eyes blended with the color of the midday water until he couldn't take it anymore. Everything about this island, and himself, seemed to remind him that he was stuck. Trapped.
Taking a deep breath, Riku let himself slip off of the shelf and sunk to the bottom of the ocean, he paused there and searched the opaque waters for a flash of a red jumpsuit. Nothing but the small fishes darting back and forth along the rippling floor. Riku used his powerful leg muscles and pushed off from the bottom, swimming for his other favorite spot, the paopu island.
After climbing up the ladder, Riku took up a seat half way down the paopu tree. This way, Sora couldn't sneak up on him so easily. The sun was directly above and Riku could feel his clothing drying when a creak alerted him to someone walking on the bridge behind him. 'Nice try.'
Sora winced as the old wood of the bridge had given away his position. 'Oh well, I've got him cornered, and he won't be able to get out of this by surprising me again.' A small, sneaky grin tore across his face as he walked towards the tree where his quarry sat. The silver head never stirred. Sora stepped closer and closer, no longer worrying about being quiet as his shoes rustled in the sand.
Riku took a deep breath, and a shiver went up his spine. 'Maybe I should just let Sora catch me.it is what I want.' This thought left as quickly as it had come and Riku stood up to meet his follower. At the same time, he reached into the branches of the paopu tree and pulled out his wooden sword.
Sora paused, if Riku dove into the ocean now, he would most likely get away, being the stronger swimmer of the two. But then Riku grabbed his wooden sword and Sora realized that he was still carrying his after his duels with Tidus and Wakka. He grinned and walked even closer to the tree, holding his sword out, pointing it straight ahead of him at the yellow shirt of his best friend.
"So, you want to duel, huh?" Riku ran along the crooked trunk of the tree and leapt to the side of the tiny island, putting a little distance between them.
"Well, a duel wasn't what I came here for. But I accept. Don't forget Riku."
"I know, the rules apply here too, guess we'll have to see how good you are at attacking, and not just blocking." Sora barely had time to block as Riku came hurtling at him, sword swinging in a graceful arc. After he heard the wooden smack of the two swords, Sora reached out to touch the pale boy who haunted him night and day. But there was no one where he would have expected.
Riku stopped as he was just about to fall off the island. He was letting his momentum do the fighting for him, and it just so happened that this kept him far out of his crush's reach.
By the time Sora had turned to face Riku, the boy's sword came from above him. Sora blocked blindly, the sun glaring into his eyes.
Again, Riku leapt back, far away from his ginger haired sparring partner. The two slowly circled each other, one tense and ready to catch his more relaxed, graceful companion. His legs like springs, Sora launched himself forward after being tensed for so long and flew at Riku. His sword hung at his side, this was no dueling attack, he had meant to tackle the larger boy. But Riku, relaxed as always, stepped to the side, allowing Sora's face and the sand to get reacquainted.
"Phses, ack." Sora spit the sand out of his mouth. Something poked his back and Sora craned his neck to the side to look up at the smiling face of Riku, holding his sword to Sora's back.
"I win Sora. Better not let that happen with anyone else on the island, you'll never hear the end of it from them."
Sora scrambled to his feet, but Riku was already across the bridge and walking down the beach. 'Oh I'll get you, you just wait.'
Water flew as Riku's head popped out of the water within the cramped, damp space of the cave. He panted for breath as his lungs burned at him. To call this place a cave was really an understatement, especially now at high tide. A small shelf stuck out from the wall of the cliff above, and there was a three foot bubble above it, forming the roof of the cavern. Not nearly enough to stand in, but at low tide, Riku had found that he could climb to this shelf and that he was short enough to sit there without hitting his head. At low tide that is.
Riku swam to the shelf, which was now underwater and sat down on it. The water level came to his stomach and he regretted not having checked how high the water was before coming here. He lay back, his lower half cushioned by the moss that grew below the water level, and his head found it's way to the smooth hole in the rock he had discovered long ago.
His big shoes swayed back and forth with the coming and going waves, and Riku found himself being gently rocked to sleep. 'No. Can't fall asleep.'
Sea-green eyes opened and looked though the bright clear water which was slowly ebbing out of the cave. His reflection stared back at him, his silver hair dripping and his chest rising. Riku took his hand and slammed it against the water, banishing his reflection. 'I am not part of the sea. I hate it.' The reflection came back nevertheless, and his eyes blended with the color of the midday water until he couldn't take it anymore. Everything about this island, and himself, seemed to remind him that he was stuck. Trapped.
Taking a deep breath, Riku let himself slip off of the shelf and sunk to the bottom of the ocean, he paused there and searched the opaque waters for a flash of a red jumpsuit. Nothing but the small fishes darting back and forth along the rippling floor. Riku used his powerful leg muscles and pushed off from the bottom, swimming for his other favorite spot, the paopu island.
After climbing up the ladder, Riku took up a seat half way down the paopu tree. This way, Sora couldn't sneak up on him so easily. The sun was directly above and Riku could feel his clothing drying when a creak alerted him to someone walking on the bridge behind him. 'Nice try.'
Sora winced as the old wood of the bridge had given away his position. 'Oh well, I've got him cornered, and he won't be able to get out of this by surprising me again.' A small, sneaky grin tore across his face as he walked towards the tree where his quarry sat. The silver head never stirred. Sora stepped closer and closer, no longer worrying about being quiet as his shoes rustled in the sand.
Riku took a deep breath, and a shiver went up his spine. 'Maybe I should just let Sora catch me.it is what I want.' This thought left as quickly as it had come and Riku stood up to meet his follower. At the same time, he reached into the branches of the paopu tree and pulled out his wooden sword.
Sora paused, if Riku dove into the ocean now, he would most likely get away, being the stronger swimmer of the two. But then Riku grabbed his wooden sword and Sora realized that he was still carrying his after his duels with Tidus and Wakka. He grinned and walked even closer to the tree, holding his sword out, pointing it straight ahead of him at the yellow shirt of his best friend.
"So, you want to duel, huh?" Riku ran along the crooked trunk of the tree and leapt to the side of the tiny island, putting a little distance between them.
"Well, a duel wasn't what I came here for. But I accept. Don't forget Riku."
"I know, the rules apply here too, guess we'll have to see how good you are at attacking, and not just blocking." Sora barely had time to block as Riku came hurtling at him, sword swinging in a graceful arc. After he heard the wooden smack of the two swords, Sora reached out to touch the pale boy who haunted him night and day. But there was no one where he would have expected.
Riku stopped as he was just about to fall off the island. He was letting his momentum do the fighting for him, and it just so happened that this kept him far out of his crush's reach.
By the time Sora had turned to face Riku, the boy's sword came from above him. Sora blocked blindly, the sun glaring into his eyes.
Again, Riku leapt back, far away from his ginger haired sparring partner. The two slowly circled each other, one tense and ready to catch his more relaxed, graceful companion. His legs like springs, Sora launched himself forward after being tensed for so long and flew at Riku. His sword hung at his side, this was no dueling attack, he had meant to tackle the larger boy. But Riku, relaxed as always, stepped to the side, allowing Sora's face and the sand to get reacquainted.
"Phses, ack." Sora spit the sand out of his mouth. Something poked his back and Sora craned his neck to the side to look up at the smiling face of Riku, holding his sword to Sora's back.
"I win Sora. Better not let that happen with anyone else on the island, you'll never hear the end of it from them."
Sora scrambled to his feet, but Riku was already across the bridge and walking down the beach. 'Oh I'll get you, you just wait.'