By some act of God, no one had noticed that we had fallen asleep sans
clothing on the Paopu tree. Amazing; the sun had almost set too. That, and
the fact that we had managed to keep our balance and not topple over into
the sand as we slept left me in a state of wonderment.
Maybe it was meant to be perfect.
I raised myself off of him carefully, not wanting to disturb him but at the same time anxious to stare deep into those beautiful seagreen eyes. Once I moved, however, he stirred beneath me, somehow mentally noting my absence and wishing me not to go. His arm tightened around my waist and he spoke with his eyes still closed.
"Don't go." His voice sounded sad, almost hopeless. I felt bad for a moment, but I hadn't intended on leaving him; I just wanted to put my clothes back on.
"I'm not going anywhere." I leaned back in to kiss his nose. He reflexively pressed his lips to mine, gently rubbing them together before pulling away again. He opened his eyes and looked at me expressionless. He sighed and brought one hand up into my hair, pulling my face close to his.
"Don't ever leave my side, Sora." He looked like I was going to abandon him. I wondered what had brought this on, but decided it best not to question. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, putting one hand on either side of his face.
"I never will." Never. I kissed him again, sliding my tongue along his lower lip before lifting my head again. "But right now, I'd like to put some clothes on."
He smiled and waved dismissively with his hand. "Go. Go wear your clothes. I'd be happy to stay like this forever, but I suppose if you must..." I grinned at him and slid off the trunk of the Paopu. I found my pants and put them on before tossing Riku his own. He smiled and put them on, jumping rather gracefully off the trunk to stand in front of me. His fingers caressed my cheek as he pushed a few strands of hair behind my ear. "Better?"
I smirked and nodded, leaning in to kiss him. When I pulled away, I had a lovely idea. "Riku..." I brought my hands up to my neck, wrapping my fingers around the cool metal chain. "Wear this." I lifted the crown necklace over my head and lowered it around his neck.
He took a moment before he did anything. Finally, he looked down at it, lifting the crown in his hand to admire it, glinting softly in the moonlight. "Sora..." He smiled at me and I smiled back. He knew I never let /anyone/ wear my necklace. He'd asked me before when we were younger, and I'd flatly refused. He didn't ask anymore after that.
He hugged me, leaning his head on my shoulder. I wrapped one arm around his back while the other stroked his hair. "For if we're ever separated. Know that I'll always be there." I leaned my head on his. "I love you."
He kissed my neck a few times, hands tracing the outlines of my muscles on my back. "I'd die without you." I'm dead right now. I felt him lift his head to look at the sky. "It's dark. Your mom's gonna be pissed." He let go of me and smirked.
"Well I guess I won't go home, then, will I?" I grinned broadly at him and he laughed.
"So what shall we do?" He put his hands on his hips and regarded me with a slightly mischievous grin.
"Oh, I don't know..." I teased, trailing a finger down his chest.
"Oh, honestly, Sora. Surely you don't want sex /again/?" He laughed, suddenly grabbing me in a headlock. I laughed heartily as I struggled to get out of his hold, eventually resorting to poking him in the sides. "Ow!" He managed between breaths. "That's not fair!" He smiled as I rounded on him.
"Who said anything about being fair?" I joked back. He smiled, running a hand up through his hair and letting it rest on the back of his neck. The pale moonlight reflected off the droplets of sweat on his bare chest, glistening with the twinkling of the stars as he breathed softly.
God, he looked so sexy.
But I digress.
I walked up to him slowly and wrapped my arms around his waist. His eyes seemed to pull me in. I wondered if he felt the same when he looked into mine. He draped his arms over my shoulders, pulling us closer. A kiss wasn't necessary at the moment, and I leaned my head on his shoulder, breathing in his scent. Heat, sweat, salt, ocean, love. Yes, he smelled like love. It's hard to describe. You'll know it when you experience it.
"So what /do/ you wanna do?" I asked again, sighing into him.
"I dunno. I'm not tired at all." He trailed a hand up through my hair, pulling my face closer to him.
"Me either." I slid my hands up his back. If I could just touch him one more time...
He breathed deeply, and I rose and fell with the movement of his chest. I loved moments like these, where talk was unnecessary, and a warm embrace was the only physical contact we needed. It would be one of the last.
The night air was getting a bit chilly, and even with his body so close, I could still feel its icy sting on my bare back. "Cold..." I mumbled into his shoulder. He released me and handed me my shirt and jacket. I smiled graciously and put them on. He pulled his own shirt over his head and plopped down in the sand, looking up at the stars.
"So many worlds out there..." He said dreamily, noting the bright and numerous stars.
"Still wondering why we're stuck on this one?" I sat next to him, also gazing up at the sparkling oblivion.
"No. I don't care which one I'm on anymore, as long as you're there." His eyes focused on me, reflecting the twinkling of a million different worlds. One could drown in those eyes. They seemed as endless as space itself.
I smiled at him and put my hand on his before turning back to the sky. It was relatively clear, but there were a few clouds out, shadowing the moon. They weren't white, wispy clouds, though, but dark, thick ones: rain clouds. I sighed and shook my head, turning to face him again. "You know, I think it's going to-"
Almost as soon as I opened my mouth, a light sprinkle started, getting increasingly heavy. "Rain?" He finished for me, laughing. "Maybe we should seek shelter." He stood and offered his hand to me. I took it, and we ran to the secret place. We would've just stayed in the Seaside Shack, but the roof leaks horribly.
True, rain did fall through the small hole at the top of the cave, but it wasn't much, and we huddled in the opposite corner. Riku wrapped a warm arm around me and looked across the cave at the opposite wall. "Hm." He scoffed. "That picture is still there."
"Huh?" I looked to where his eyes were resting: the picture of Kairi and me. "Oh, that." I smiled at him. He rolled his eyes as if to say 'Yes, /that/.' "Heh, I always thought it kind of looked like you. Just more... Girly." I teased and poked him in the ribs.
He laughed with me and removed his arm from my shoulder, grabbing a nearby rock. With it, he wrote on the wall next to us: Riku + Sora Forever. I laughed at him as he grinned back at me. "What?" He asked in amusement.
"What are we, thirteen?" I hit him on the shoulder.
"Almost. Jeez, Sora, you're not even sixteen yet. Stop acting like you're too old for that." He grinned even wider as he ruffled my hair playfully.
"Nyah! I drew that picture with Kairi when we were nine." I smiled to myself. "To think, I thought I was in love at nine."
"I knew I was in love." He smiled a small smile and looked into my eyes. "I always knew, Sora, that I'd be with you one day. Knew that Kairi was just a distraction. I've always loved you, even if I didn't know it. Even when my mind was clouded by thoughts that weren't mine." His eyes flickered. "I'm sorry for all the times I've hurt you. I never meant any of it." His hand went to the side of my face, fingertips grazing my hair.
"I know you didn't. I know you'd never harm me of your own volition." I smiled lightly and kissed him. "And maybe I've always loved you, too." I think I have. There was something so natural about us together. I noticed it even when I was young. We just... Fit. I knew I'd always be with him, even if it wasn't in a romantic way, I knew we'd at least be friends until the very end.
The very end...
He smiled a real smile and closed his eyes, leaning into me. After a few blissful seconds he trailed his tongue along my lower lip. I opened my mouth slightly and let his tongue meet mine. He slid onto my lap, straddling my hips as his hands moved around to my shoulders. My arms traveled down his back and pulled him closer to me.
I didn't intend on going further than kissing, and neither did he. After a few moments, he broke the contact and smiled contentedly at me. I brushed a few strands of hair out of his face and leaned back against the wall. He lay on top of me, resting his head on my chest. The rhythmic sounds of the rain, our heartbeats, and his gentle breathing soon sent me drifting off to sleep.
+++
Wow, that was a long chapter, as this story goes. In the next chapter, I'm going to switch perspectives back to third person about halfway through (like I did in the first chapter). You'll have to wait and see why.
I really like this chapter. So cute and sad at the same time. But what is love if not tinged with sadness? Love is the ability to feel all emotions with and through another individual. Anyway, the loveliness of this chapter is a feeble attempt to make up for my soon-to-be absence. My ISP shall be taking a vacation around the 16th (maybe before then, I dunno), so I shall be unreachable at that time. Stupid ISP. We only switched about 2 months ago and now we have to switch /again/. Everyone keeps going bankrupt. . Well, I'll miss you when the time comes, but hopefully I'll get at least one more chapter out before then.
Maybe it was meant to be perfect.
I raised myself off of him carefully, not wanting to disturb him but at the same time anxious to stare deep into those beautiful seagreen eyes. Once I moved, however, he stirred beneath me, somehow mentally noting my absence and wishing me not to go. His arm tightened around my waist and he spoke with his eyes still closed.
"Don't go." His voice sounded sad, almost hopeless. I felt bad for a moment, but I hadn't intended on leaving him; I just wanted to put my clothes back on.
"I'm not going anywhere." I leaned back in to kiss his nose. He reflexively pressed his lips to mine, gently rubbing them together before pulling away again. He opened his eyes and looked at me expressionless. He sighed and brought one hand up into my hair, pulling my face close to his.
"Don't ever leave my side, Sora." He looked like I was going to abandon him. I wondered what had brought this on, but decided it best not to question. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, putting one hand on either side of his face.
"I never will." Never. I kissed him again, sliding my tongue along his lower lip before lifting my head again. "But right now, I'd like to put some clothes on."
He smiled and waved dismissively with his hand. "Go. Go wear your clothes. I'd be happy to stay like this forever, but I suppose if you must..." I grinned at him and slid off the trunk of the Paopu. I found my pants and put them on before tossing Riku his own. He smiled and put them on, jumping rather gracefully off the trunk to stand in front of me. His fingers caressed my cheek as he pushed a few strands of hair behind my ear. "Better?"
I smirked and nodded, leaning in to kiss him. When I pulled away, I had a lovely idea. "Riku..." I brought my hands up to my neck, wrapping my fingers around the cool metal chain. "Wear this." I lifted the crown necklace over my head and lowered it around his neck.
He took a moment before he did anything. Finally, he looked down at it, lifting the crown in his hand to admire it, glinting softly in the moonlight. "Sora..." He smiled at me and I smiled back. He knew I never let /anyone/ wear my necklace. He'd asked me before when we were younger, and I'd flatly refused. He didn't ask anymore after that.
He hugged me, leaning his head on my shoulder. I wrapped one arm around his back while the other stroked his hair. "For if we're ever separated. Know that I'll always be there." I leaned my head on his. "I love you."
He kissed my neck a few times, hands tracing the outlines of my muscles on my back. "I'd die without you." I'm dead right now. I felt him lift his head to look at the sky. "It's dark. Your mom's gonna be pissed." He let go of me and smirked.
"Well I guess I won't go home, then, will I?" I grinned broadly at him and he laughed.
"So what shall we do?" He put his hands on his hips and regarded me with a slightly mischievous grin.
"Oh, I don't know..." I teased, trailing a finger down his chest.
"Oh, honestly, Sora. Surely you don't want sex /again/?" He laughed, suddenly grabbing me in a headlock. I laughed heartily as I struggled to get out of his hold, eventually resorting to poking him in the sides. "Ow!" He managed between breaths. "That's not fair!" He smiled as I rounded on him.
"Who said anything about being fair?" I joked back. He smiled, running a hand up through his hair and letting it rest on the back of his neck. The pale moonlight reflected off the droplets of sweat on his bare chest, glistening with the twinkling of the stars as he breathed softly.
God, he looked so sexy.
But I digress.
I walked up to him slowly and wrapped my arms around his waist. His eyes seemed to pull me in. I wondered if he felt the same when he looked into mine. He draped his arms over my shoulders, pulling us closer. A kiss wasn't necessary at the moment, and I leaned my head on his shoulder, breathing in his scent. Heat, sweat, salt, ocean, love. Yes, he smelled like love. It's hard to describe. You'll know it when you experience it.
"So what /do/ you wanna do?" I asked again, sighing into him.
"I dunno. I'm not tired at all." He trailed a hand up through my hair, pulling my face closer to him.
"Me either." I slid my hands up his back. If I could just touch him one more time...
He breathed deeply, and I rose and fell with the movement of his chest. I loved moments like these, where talk was unnecessary, and a warm embrace was the only physical contact we needed. It would be one of the last.
The night air was getting a bit chilly, and even with his body so close, I could still feel its icy sting on my bare back. "Cold..." I mumbled into his shoulder. He released me and handed me my shirt and jacket. I smiled graciously and put them on. He pulled his own shirt over his head and plopped down in the sand, looking up at the stars.
"So many worlds out there..." He said dreamily, noting the bright and numerous stars.
"Still wondering why we're stuck on this one?" I sat next to him, also gazing up at the sparkling oblivion.
"No. I don't care which one I'm on anymore, as long as you're there." His eyes focused on me, reflecting the twinkling of a million different worlds. One could drown in those eyes. They seemed as endless as space itself.
I smiled at him and put my hand on his before turning back to the sky. It was relatively clear, but there were a few clouds out, shadowing the moon. They weren't white, wispy clouds, though, but dark, thick ones: rain clouds. I sighed and shook my head, turning to face him again. "You know, I think it's going to-"
Almost as soon as I opened my mouth, a light sprinkle started, getting increasingly heavy. "Rain?" He finished for me, laughing. "Maybe we should seek shelter." He stood and offered his hand to me. I took it, and we ran to the secret place. We would've just stayed in the Seaside Shack, but the roof leaks horribly.
True, rain did fall through the small hole at the top of the cave, but it wasn't much, and we huddled in the opposite corner. Riku wrapped a warm arm around me and looked across the cave at the opposite wall. "Hm." He scoffed. "That picture is still there."
"Huh?" I looked to where his eyes were resting: the picture of Kairi and me. "Oh, that." I smiled at him. He rolled his eyes as if to say 'Yes, /that/.' "Heh, I always thought it kind of looked like you. Just more... Girly." I teased and poked him in the ribs.
He laughed with me and removed his arm from my shoulder, grabbing a nearby rock. With it, he wrote on the wall next to us: Riku + Sora Forever. I laughed at him as he grinned back at me. "What?" He asked in amusement.
"What are we, thirteen?" I hit him on the shoulder.
"Almost. Jeez, Sora, you're not even sixteen yet. Stop acting like you're too old for that." He grinned even wider as he ruffled my hair playfully.
"Nyah! I drew that picture with Kairi when we were nine." I smiled to myself. "To think, I thought I was in love at nine."
"I knew I was in love." He smiled a small smile and looked into my eyes. "I always knew, Sora, that I'd be with you one day. Knew that Kairi was just a distraction. I've always loved you, even if I didn't know it. Even when my mind was clouded by thoughts that weren't mine." His eyes flickered. "I'm sorry for all the times I've hurt you. I never meant any of it." His hand went to the side of my face, fingertips grazing my hair.
"I know you didn't. I know you'd never harm me of your own volition." I smiled lightly and kissed him. "And maybe I've always loved you, too." I think I have. There was something so natural about us together. I noticed it even when I was young. We just... Fit. I knew I'd always be with him, even if it wasn't in a romantic way, I knew we'd at least be friends until the very end.
The very end...
He smiled a real smile and closed his eyes, leaning into me. After a few blissful seconds he trailed his tongue along my lower lip. I opened my mouth slightly and let his tongue meet mine. He slid onto my lap, straddling my hips as his hands moved around to my shoulders. My arms traveled down his back and pulled him closer to me.
I didn't intend on going further than kissing, and neither did he. After a few moments, he broke the contact and smiled contentedly at me. I brushed a few strands of hair out of his face and leaned back against the wall. He lay on top of me, resting his head on my chest. The rhythmic sounds of the rain, our heartbeats, and his gentle breathing soon sent me drifting off to sleep.
+++
Wow, that was a long chapter, as this story goes. In the next chapter, I'm going to switch perspectives back to third person about halfway through (like I did in the first chapter). You'll have to wait and see why.
I really like this chapter. So cute and sad at the same time. But what is love if not tinged with sadness? Love is the ability to feel all emotions with and through another individual. Anyway, the loveliness of this chapter is a feeble attempt to make up for my soon-to-be absence. My ISP shall be taking a vacation around the 16th (maybe before then, I dunno), so I shall be unreachable at that time. Stupid ISP. We only switched about 2 months ago and now we have to switch /again/. Everyone keeps going bankrupt. . Well, I'll miss you when the time comes, but hopefully I'll get at least one more chapter out before then.
