Chapter 2: Questions
"Riku, I'm so glad you came back!" Kairi practically knocked the wind out of Riku as she enveloped him again with her slender arms. His mind was too troubled to think of the hug anyway and he hugged her back some what mechanically.
"Yeah," he said, hoarsely. "Me, too." Riku looked to Sora, who caught his eye, then shyly looked away. It seemed as though his love was embarrassed at his glances. Ordinarily he would do something to make him more fidgety, but Riku would have to save that for later. He wasn't up to it anyway.
Kairi pulled away, "So, where are you staying?"
"Oh," he half-smiled. "Since I just got here last night, I spent the night at Leon's."
"You're welcome to stay." Leon said, giving him a reassuring smile.
"Nonsense!" Kairi pouted. "He is our friend; he will stay with us."
Riku and Sora exchanged looks. "I'm not sur-"
"Silence, Sora." she grinned. "Riku will stay with us." her voice booked no argument.
"Unless I'm intruding." Riku gave him a secretive glance. "Because if I am, you should just say so."
Suddenly, Sora realized why chocobos don't mate in captivity. He swallowed, feeling a bit cornered.
"Sora?" Riku raised his eyebrows.
'Dammit!' he thought. 'Does he have to look at me like that?' It seemed as if he was begging to stay with him. Be near him.
Riku stretched his arm out to touch Sora's shoulder, causing him to flinch. The awkwardness of Sora was becoming quite the turn on to Riku. "Sora, can I stay with you?" he whispered.
Sora had to dig his nails into his palms in order to keep his eyes from closing. 'Don't look at me like that! Please, don't look at me...'
Sea blue stared into sky blue.
...
Twenty minutes later...
"Riku, I'm so glad you could stay with us!" Kairi (who else) said, opening the door to their apartment.
Sora mumbled. Somehow, his mouth shouted out a yes then went completely numb, thereafter. Of course, there was another thing on his mind that made his body (especially his mouth) numb. He shivered at how close Riku's face had been to his own.
"Just make yourself at home." she smiled, taking Sora's jacket. "I'm sure Sora will get over the atrocity that you've come back by the time dinner is served."
Sora blinked. "Huh?"
Riku snickered. "I see what you mean."
"Sora?" she smiled, "Can you take Riku to our guest room?"
Sora began to protest, but Kairi placed her hand up to stop him.
"I'll make dinner tonight." she kissed his cheek. "You don't worry about a thing."
He sighed, succumbing to her powers of femininity(!) Riku followed the mumbling icicle to an empty bedroom.
"This is your room." he said.
"Thank you, Sora, for stating the obvious." Riku sat on the edge of the bed, involuntarily bouncing a bit. Sora couldn't help but smile.
Riku caught the rare expression and smirked, making Sora blush.
"Riku?" Sora looked up from his thick eyelashes. "Where were you, after... you know, everything?"
Riku's face was unreadable for a moment before he tapped the spot next to him. "Sit."
He followed his orders and waited for him to begin.
"I-I'm not even sure where I was. I just... wandered." Riku said. "I wasn't going anywhere in particular. I wasn't sure where I was going or when or even why. I just-" He swallowed and paused.
"You just what?" Sora prompted.
A pale hand grasped Sora's tanned one. Sora looked up to see Riku smiling down at him.
"Remember when I told you that you would understand when you were older?"
"That life isn't that simple?"
Riku smiled, "Right." he took a deep breath. "I... I was wrong. You were right."
Sora raised his eyebrows. "Wh-what?"
"Life.. sometimes can be simple."
Sora's hand trembled under Riku's. "You're confusing me."
"Sora... the only thing that I knew while I was wandering was..." he leaned into Sora's ear, his lips pressed near the side of his head. "I had to find you."
"R-Riku..." Sora stammered as Riku's face came dangerously close to his own.
Their lips got closer, hearts pounding.
"Sora, I want you." he whispered.
Inhale... exhale... the steps of breathing.
"I want... want.." Sora began to shiver. Why did Riku have to be so beautiful?
"Boys, dinner's ready!"
Sora jumped away so fast from Riku, when he pulled back and jumped to his feel, Riku fell forward and off the bed on to his face.
"I-I... uh, coming Kairi!" Sora yelled back. He turned to Riku, who was picking himself up. Still, he somehow managed to look semi-graceful doing it. Sora would have laughed if the situation was a little less awkward. He made a beeline to the bathroom to wash his hands. Riku followed suit.
Riku shut the door behind him and caught Sora's worried and blushing face. "Don't worry, you little idiot. I'm not gonna abduct you and..." he smirked. "make you mine."
Sora swallowed, realizing that Riku had read his thoughts. He turned to the basin and turned on the cold water, hoping to shift his attention to something different.
No such luck. Riku's deathly hands, artistic and pale, were next to his own under the running faucet. He bit his lip, remembering what his hand was like wrapped around his own.
Riku splashed the water a little, flicking droplet's onto Sora's face. "A penny for your thoughts."
He shook his head. "Nothing." his hand went up to wipe his face free of the drops of water, but Riku's hand caught his wrist.
"I think I deserve some sort of welcome back present, don't you Sora?" he whispered, smiling deviously.
Sora's heart quickened. "What do you mean?"
Riku's reply was his hands cupping Sora's face. His thumbs began rubbing away the water.
"Riku.." he whispered. "You can't-"
"Shh..." he mumbled and pressed his lips upon Sora's forehead, kissing away most of Sora's inhibitions.
"BOYS?" Kairi's voice pierced through the air. "My bathroom better be clean!"
"Hm." Riku muttered." I don't think I can finish unwrapping my present now." he dropped his hands from his love's face. "Oh well, I'll have to wait until next time." Riku turned on his heel, leaving Sora in the bathroom, alone and very confused.
Sora arrived to the table two minutes later, bracing himself for a secret encounter with Riku behind Kairi's back. But Riku's powers of courting and love waned a little in the presence of his fiancee with good reason. Now that Sora was engaged and his soon-to-be was in the seat next to him, Riku wasn't sure what to do with himself.
"Riku?"
He snapped out of his pensive state to see Kairi's smiling face. She was one of his best friends. He couldn't possibly take something away from her that she won fair and square, could he? "Yes, Kairi?"
"Would you like some rice?" she said, sweetly. 'Almost too sweetly.' Riku thought, slightly raising an eyebrow. If he didn't know better, she was up to something. He looked at the rice bowl, which was near Sora's plate. He looked back to her, his eyes asking questions.
'What are you up to?'
Reddish brown eyes flashed back with secrets unknown. 'Wouldn't you like to know?'
"Sure."
"Sora, pass Riku the rice."
Sora blinked. Something was amiss. Kairi was planning something. He picked up the bowl and handed it to Riku. But when Riku was receiving the bowl, his hands eclipsed Sora's, causing Sora to jump at the position. They looked at each other. Ice blue and sky blue.
Sora let the bowl drop.
"If it wasn't for your sharp reflexes, Riku, we would be cleaning up rice grains all night." Kairi said, washing the dishes. Riku was sitting on the countertop, looking cool yet mildly child-like in a way. Sora was no where in the kitchen, as after dinner he sped away as fast as possible.
Riku looked at her through silver locks. "You're up to something."
She turned off the water. "What makes you say that?" She pointed to the dishcloth he was sitting on and he passed it to her. She wiped her wet hands.
"Gut instinct. Kairi-raydar..."
"Woman's intuition?" she smirked.
Riku blinked. "What are you trying to say?"
She put a finger to her cheek in mock stupidity. "What am I trying to say? How about the fact that I knew that you were gay for, like, ever?"
"I never told you that?"
"What do you know!" she clapped her hands together. "I was right."
"Wait, you mean you didn't know?"
She smiled, "I did, but it's fun messing with your head." She threw the dishrag at his head. He caught it cleanly. "What am I up to? Nothing at the moment except trying to get Sora to accept you again like a friend."
Riku looked down for a moment. "What do you mean?"
She smiled, "Do look so worried. I'm sure he'll get use to you in no time." She grabbed his arm and tried to pull him off the counter. "In fact, you should go get more aquainted with him right now."
"Huh?" he chuckled as she gave up trying to get him off of the counter.
"Go to him, stupid." she put her hands on her hips. "NOW!"
Riku jumped at her voice. "Okay, you don't have to get so... maternal." he lept off the counter and out the door before she could become creative with her dishtowel.
He shook his head. Sora was gettting married to Kairi. Perhaps he was just in love with him because he was forbidden fruit. He smirked. A very scrumptious and succulent fruit. One that was made to be picked from a tree by a certain silver-haired lover who longed to bite into him.
Riku reached the room with a little more that a twinkle in his eye. He knocked on the door.
"Come in," Sora mumbled. Kairi wouldn't have bothered knocking, so he braced himself for the worst.
Riku nudged the door with his foot, just enough for it to swing out and reveal the lustrious man against the doorframe. His hair ran into his eye, so when he looked up at him, Sora shivered.
"Hello, you." Riku grined. "Kairi asked me to pay you a little visit."
"Obviously, she must have hit her head." he looked at Riku's stance and made a face. "Very hard."
"Oh, Sora," Riku sneered. "You give me too much credit." he looked at Sora's positioning. He was on the bed, leaning on the frame. He also had his knees pulled up and a notepad on his thighs.
He bit the pen, which by the way was purple (snicker) "What do you plan to do with me?"
"This all depends," Riku got off the doorframe and walked to the edge of the bed. "What do you like?"
"..." Sora looked at Riku cautiously as he slowly took the pen out of his mouth. (...) He focused his attention back on the notepad, but he couldn't shake off Riku's eyes running over his body, like an X-ray.
"What are you writing?" Riku asked, raising his eyebrows.
Sora glared at him through his bangs. "My wedding vows." he deadpanned.
Riku widened his eyes. "Really?" he bit his lip. "Cool."
Sora blinked. 'Another side of Riku I forgot about?' "Y-yeah."
Riku took a deep breath. "Do you love her?
"What?!?" Sora yelled. "What are you saying???"
"I'm asking you if you love her." Confidence began to build in Riku's voice. 'There may be a chance after all.'
Sora hesitated. "Of course."
Riku leaned in so that his forehead touched Sora's. "You, what?"
Sora felt Riku's breath tickle his lips. "I.... I love... her."
Riku paused for a moment, then snatched the pad away from Sora's unsuspecting hand. "Let's see how much you love Miss Kairi!" he snapped.
"Riku, wait-"
Riku put a hand in front of Sora's face, stopping his chatter. "Sora, why is this page, and all the others, completely blank?"
"I-..." Sora flinched as the same hand Riku used to stop him stroked his cheek.
"Do yourself a favor and shut up." He leaned into Sora's face again and brushed his lips against his love.
Sora pulled away."Riku," he mumbled. "I can't."
"Why not?"
"I... I do love Kairi, Riku." Sora watched Riku's face contorting pain.
"Fine." he whispered. "I... understand." he moved but not before Sora ran his hands through his silvery locks.
"Forgive me." Sora murmured. "But I can't do that to her."
Riku didn't reply. Instead, he quitely left the room. He shut the door behind him and leaned on the closed door. "One day, Sora, you will understand and you'll be mine. One day."
Kairi picked up her guitar from the case. She had taught herself how to play ever since she and Sora checked out the island to see if any inhabitents were left. She even had been working on a few she was writing.
She put the guitar on her knee and strummed a measure of practice then smiled and cleared her throat.
You've given me so many things
Lately, you're all I need....
Chapter Owari
A/N: I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I wrote this chapter like a zillion years ago but could never type it up until now!!! Ack, I've got finals at the begining of next month! It's so weird!!! Oh, study, study, study! But please R&R...
"Riku, I'm so glad you came back!" Kairi practically knocked the wind out of Riku as she enveloped him again with her slender arms. His mind was too troubled to think of the hug anyway and he hugged her back some what mechanically.
"Yeah," he said, hoarsely. "Me, too." Riku looked to Sora, who caught his eye, then shyly looked away. It seemed as though his love was embarrassed at his glances. Ordinarily he would do something to make him more fidgety, but Riku would have to save that for later. He wasn't up to it anyway.
Kairi pulled away, "So, where are you staying?"
"Oh," he half-smiled. "Since I just got here last night, I spent the night at Leon's."
"You're welcome to stay." Leon said, giving him a reassuring smile.
"Nonsense!" Kairi pouted. "He is our friend; he will stay with us."
Riku and Sora exchanged looks. "I'm not sur-"
"Silence, Sora." she grinned. "Riku will stay with us." her voice booked no argument.
"Unless I'm intruding." Riku gave him a secretive glance. "Because if I am, you should just say so."
Suddenly, Sora realized why chocobos don't mate in captivity. He swallowed, feeling a bit cornered.
"Sora?" Riku raised his eyebrows.
'Dammit!' he thought. 'Does he have to look at me like that?' It seemed as if he was begging to stay with him. Be near him.
Riku stretched his arm out to touch Sora's shoulder, causing him to flinch. The awkwardness of Sora was becoming quite the turn on to Riku. "Sora, can I stay with you?" he whispered.
Sora had to dig his nails into his palms in order to keep his eyes from closing. 'Don't look at me like that! Please, don't look at me...'
Sea blue stared into sky blue.
...
Twenty minutes later...
"Riku, I'm so glad you could stay with us!" Kairi (who else) said, opening the door to their apartment.
Sora mumbled. Somehow, his mouth shouted out a yes then went completely numb, thereafter. Of course, there was another thing on his mind that made his body (especially his mouth) numb. He shivered at how close Riku's face had been to his own.
"Just make yourself at home." she smiled, taking Sora's jacket. "I'm sure Sora will get over the atrocity that you've come back by the time dinner is served."
Sora blinked. "Huh?"
Riku snickered. "I see what you mean."
"Sora?" she smiled, "Can you take Riku to our guest room?"
Sora began to protest, but Kairi placed her hand up to stop him.
"I'll make dinner tonight." she kissed his cheek. "You don't worry about a thing."
He sighed, succumbing to her powers of femininity(!) Riku followed the mumbling icicle to an empty bedroom.
"This is your room." he said.
"Thank you, Sora, for stating the obvious." Riku sat on the edge of the bed, involuntarily bouncing a bit. Sora couldn't help but smile.
Riku caught the rare expression and smirked, making Sora blush.
"Riku?" Sora looked up from his thick eyelashes. "Where were you, after... you know, everything?"
Riku's face was unreadable for a moment before he tapped the spot next to him. "Sit."
He followed his orders and waited for him to begin.
"I-I'm not even sure where I was. I just... wandered." Riku said. "I wasn't going anywhere in particular. I wasn't sure where I was going or when or even why. I just-" He swallowed and paused.
"You just what?" Sora prompted.
A pale hand grasped Sora's tanned one. Sora looked up to see Riku smiling down at him.
"Remember when I told you that you would understand when you were older?"
"That life isn't that simple?"
Riku smiled, "Right." he took a deep breath. "I... I was wrong. You were right."
Sora raised his eyebrows. "Wh-what?"
"Life.. sometimes can be simple."
Sora's hand trembled under Riku's. "You're confusing me."
"Sora... the only thing that I knew while I was wandering was..." he leaned into Sora's ear, his lips pressed near the side of his head. "I had to find you."
"R-Riku..." Sora stammered as Riku's face came dangerously close to his own.
Their lips got closer, hearts pounding.
"Sora, I want you." he whispered.
Inhale... exhale... the steps of breathing.
"I want... want.." Sora began to shiver. Why did Riku have to be so beautiful?
"Boys, dinner's ready!"
Sora jumped away so fast from Riku, when he pulled back and jumped to his feel, Riku fell forward and off the bed on to his face.
"I-I... uh, coming Kairi!" Sora yelled back. He turned to Riku, who was picking himself up. Still, he somehow managed to look semi-graceful doing it. Sora would have laughed if the situation was a little less awkward. He made a beeline to the bathroom to wash his hands. Riku followed suit.
Riku shut the door behind him and caught Sora's worried and blushing face. "Don't worry, you little idiot. I'm not gonna abduct you and..." he smirked. "make you mine."
Sora swallowed, realizing that Riku had read his thoughts. He turned to the basin and turned on the cold water, hoping to shift his attention to something different.
No such luck. Riku's deathly hands, artistic and pale, were next to his own under the running faucet. He bit his lip, remembering what his hand was like wrapped around his own.
Riku splashed the water a little, flicking droplet's onto Sora's face. "A penny for your thoughts."
He shook his head. "Nothing." his hand went up to wipe his face free of the drops of water, but Riku's hand caught his wrist.
"I think I deserve some sort of welcome back present, don't you Sora?" he whispered, smiling deviously.
Sora's heart quickened. "What do you mean?"
Riku's reply was his hands cupping Sora's face. His thumbs began rubbing away the water.
"Riku.." he whispered. "You can't-"
"Shh..." he mumbled and pressed his lips upon Sora's forehead, kissing away most of Sora's inhibitions.
"BOYS?" Kairi's voice pierced through the air. "My bathroom better be clean!"
"Hm." Riku muttered." I don't think I can finish unwrapping my present now." he dropped his hands from his love's face. "Oh well, I'll have to wait until next time." Riku turned on his heel, leaving Sora in the bathroom, alone and very confused.
Sora arrived to the table two minutes later, bracing himself for a secret encounter with Riku behind Kairi's back. But Riku's powers of courting and love waned a little in the presence of his fiancee with good reason. Now that Sora was engaged and his soon-to-be was in the seat next to him, Riku wasn't sure what to do with himself.
"Riku?"
He snapped out of his pensive state to see Kairi's smiling face. She was one of his best friends. He couldn't possibly take something away from her that she won fair and square, could he? "Yes, Kairi?"
"Would you like some rice?" she said, sweetly. 'Almost too sweetly.' Riku thought, slightly raising an eyebrow. If he didn't know better, she was up to something. He looked at the rice bowl, which was near Sora's plate. He looked back to her, his eyes asking questions.
'What are you up to?'
Reddish brown eyes flashed back with secrets unknown. 'Wouldn't you like to know?'
"Sure."
"Sora, pass Riku the rice."
Sora blinked. Something was amiss. Kairi was planning something. He picked up the bowl and handed it to Riku. But when Riku was receiving the bowl, his hands eclipsed Sora's, causing Sora to jump at the position. They looked at each other. Ice blue and sky blue.
Sora let the bowl drop.
"If it wasn't for your sharp reflexes, Riku, we would be cleaning up rice grains all night." Kairi said, washing the dishes. Riku was sitting on the countertop, looking cool yet mildly child-like in a way. Sora was no where in the kitchen, as after dinner he sped away as fast as possible.
Riku looked at her through silver locks. "You're up to something."
She turned off the water. "What makes you say that?" She pointed to the dishcloth he was sitting on and he passed it to her. She wiped her wet hands.
"Gut instinct. Kairi-raydar..."
"Woman's intuition?" she smirked.
Riku blinked. "What are you trying to say?"
She put a finger to her cheek in mock stupidity. "What am I trying to say? How about the fact that I knew that you were gay for, like, ever?"
"I never told you that?"
"What do you know!" she clapped her hands together. "I was right."
"Wait, you mean you didn't know?"
She smiled, "I did, but it's fun messing with your head." She threw the dishrag at his head. He caught it cleanly. "What am I up to? Nothing at the moment except trying to get Sora to accept you again like a friend."
Riku looked down for a moment. "What do you mean?"
She smiled, "Do look so worried. I'm sure he'll get use to you in no time." She grabbed his arm and tried to pull him off the counter. "In fact, you should go get more aquainted with him right now."
"Huh?" he chuckled as she gave up trying to get him off of the counter.
"Go to him, stupid." she put her hands on her hips. "NOW!"
Riku jumped at her voice. "Okay, you don't have to get so... maternal." he lept off the counter and out the door before she could become creative with her dishtowel.
He shook his head. Sora was gettting married to Kairi. Perhaps he was just in love with him because he was forbidden fruit. He smirked. A very scrumptious and succulent fruit. One that was made to be picked from a tree by a certain silver-haired lover who longed to bite into him.
Riku reached the room with a little more that a twinkle in his eye. He knocked on the door.
"Come in," Sora mumbled. Kairi wouldn't have bothered knocking, so he braced himself for the worst.
Riku nudged the door with his foot, just enough for it to swing out and reveal the lustrious man against the doorframe. His hair ran into his eye, so when he looked up at him, Sora shivered.
"Hello, you." Riku grined. "Kairi asked me to pay you a little visit."
"Obviously, she must have hit her head." he looked at Riku's stance and made a face. "Very hard."
"Oh, Sora," Riku sneered. "You give me too much credit." he looked at Sora's positioning. He was on the bed, leaning on the frame. He also had his knees pulled up and a notepad on his thighs.
He bit the pen, which by the way was purple (snicker) "What do you plan to do with me?"
"This all depends," Riku got off the doorframe and walked to the edge of the bed. "What do you like?"
"..." Sora looked at Riku cautiously as he slowly took the pen out of his mouth. (...) He focused his attention back on the notepad, but he couldn't shake off Riku's eyes running over his body, like an X-ray.
"What are you writing?" Riku asked, raising his eyebrows.
Sora glared at him through his bangs. "My wedding vows." he deadpanned.
Riku widened his eyes. "Really?" he bit his lip. "Cool."
Sora blinked. 'Another side of Riku I forgot about?' "Y-yeah."
Riku took a deep breath. "Do you love her?
"What?!?" Sora yelled. "What are you saying???"
"I'm asking you if you love her." Confidence began to build in Riku's voice. 'There may be a chance after all.'
Sora hesitated. "Of course."
Riku leaned in so that his forehead touched Sora's. "You, what?"
Sora felt Riku's breath tickle his lips. "I.... I love... her."
Riku paused for a moment, then snatched the pad away from Sora's unsuspecting hand. "Let's see how much you love Miss Kairi!" he snapped.
"Riku, wait-"
Riku put a hand in front of Sora's face, stopping his chatter. "Sora, why is this page, and all the others, completely blank?"
"I-..." Sora flinched as the same hand Riku used to stop him stroked his cheek.
"Do yourself a favor and shut up." He leaned into Sora's face again and brushed his lips against his love.
Sora pulled away."Riku," he mumbled. "I can't."
"Why not?"
"I... I do love Kairi, Riku." Sora watched Riku's face contorting pain.
"Fine." he whispered. "I... understand." he moved but not before Sora ran his hands through his silvery locks.
"Forgive me." Sora murmured. "But I can't do that to her."
Riku didn't reply. Instead, he quitely left the room. He shut the door behind him and leaned on the closed door. "One day, Sora, you will understand and you'll be mine. One day."
Kairi picked up her guitar from the case. She had taught herself how to play ever since she and Sora checked out the island to see if any inhabitents were left. She even had been working on a few she was writing.
She put the guitar on her knee and strummed a measure of practice then smiled and cleared her throat.
You've given me so many things
Lately, you're all I need....
Chapter Owari
A/N: I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I wrote this chapter like a zillion years ago but could never type it up until now!!! Ack, I've got finals at the begining of next month! It's so weird!!! Oh, study, study, study! But please R&R...