Disclaimer: Unfortunately, Kingdom Hearts doesn't belong to me. Neither does Kingdom Hearts 2. But 3 now...evil cackle
AN: Small note to the kiddies. This will eventually be yaoi. Yes, yaoi. That's male/male sex stuff. So if you don't like it, don't read it. On with the fic!
To Angel K.D.: Thank you! I'll try to keep it in mind. Thanks for reading in any case!
-------
Previously:
His shoes were silent as he went back into the cave, hands feeling over still dark and cool walls. That door would be sealed if it was the last thing he did, and he was going to make sure nothing ever came through it again. As he stepped into the final chamber, he glared at the door, then looked to the side, kneeling by a boulder before starting to push it. A sudden shaft of light made him look up sharply, then his keyblade appear in his hand as he summoned it, a determined look on his face. The door was again, opening.
Chapter 1
The shaft of light increased until it was almost blinding him, and his frown only increased. They should be coming out right about...now. But instead of seeing heartless, whether new or old, a sole figure stepped forward very slowly, the door closing behind him.
The newcomer paused, as if looking at Sora, his pale lips the only thing showing from underneath his hood. They formed a word, then were still again. His body wavered, then suddenly pitched forward, the hood falling back to reveal moon-kissed silver locks and eyes with pale lashes as he fell forward.
Sora's eyes widened and he darted forward, barely catching the other teen before sinking to the ground with him. And he'd just been about to close that door. If he had only come five minutes sooner and done it..then he would have never even known. He shifted his hold on the other teen, turning him so he was laying more in his lap, the keyblade laying forgotten on the floor of the cave. Trembling fingers slowly pushed gossamer strands of silver away from the other boy's face, finally showing the beautiful visage that had been haunting him since he'd sealed him within Kingdom Hearts. The other boy's face was paler than usual, his lips a dull pink. It marked of someone who'd either not seen sun or someone who was ill. He gathered the other closer, holding him tightly against his chest, his own eyes closing. After all his time searching, he hadn't been the one to find Riku, Riku had been the one to find him. It was ironic, but he wouldn't put it down. He finally had his friend back, and nothing was going to change that. Not Kairi, not Selphie, Wakka, and Tidus, and certainly not their parents. If anything, his own mother would be happy because he wouldn't be depressed so much, or at least he hoped. A soft moan directed his attention from his own thoughts back to the boy lying on his lap, and a soft smile lit his lips as he watched aqua green eyes open slowly.
One of Riku's hands raised slowly, as if to touch him to see he was real, then hesitated. But Sora reached down to catch the hand and bring it to his cheek, nuzzling into it some and sighing softly. Words weren't needed as the younger of the two watched tears slowly slip down Riku's temples to mix in with his hair. He pulled him up and hugged him tightly, not caring for the moment that he wasn't hugging him back. Things were going to change now, and they would change for the better.
"Riku...you're back..." he said quietly, his own eyes feeling warm with the sting of tears. He only received a quiet sound in response and he drew back to look at him, a concerned frown on his face. "What's wrong...?"
Riku simply shook his head, pulling away completely to look at the sandy dirt beneath them. How could Sora possibly forgive him, much less welcome him back? He'd willingly gone along with Ansem. True, it was to get Kairi back for Sora since he couldn't have him himself, but he'd done it, and he'd nearly killed Sora afterward.
"Riku..."
He shook his head again and looked back up to him. "I think...I should go home," he said quietly, his voice near a whisper.
Sora nodded understandingly and stood up, offering his hand to his friend with a little smile. "I'll take you back." He watched as Riku took his hand to pull himself up, the other hand moving to pull his hood back up. He wanted to tell him that he could just leave it down, but he supposed that he didn't want the others to see him so soon. He knew that he wanted to keep Riku to himself for a while anyway. He led the way silently out after Riku was settled and tugged him toward the docks, where his small boat was bobbing as if welcoming them both.
He helped his older, slightly weaker (for the moment) friend into the boat silently, feeling eyes on him from the Paopu island as he did so, though he knew none of them were starting toward him. No one questioned his actions, even if said actions were leading an unknown person from the secret place to his boat. No one could see Riku's face or hair but him. So they wouldn't bother him for the moment.
Water slipped into his shoes as he jumped in to push the small boat away from the dock before he jumped in, grabbing the paddle to take them away. Silence reigned on the boat as he took them over the morning swells, both boys thinking of their own roles in the last adventure they'd taken together but apart. Sora, as the hero, savior of the worlds, and Riku, the one who had caused the worlds harm, though it wasn't always his choice to. One had fought to stop the other, and they both regretted ever getting involved. It had torn them apart, shown that their friendship perhaps, wasn't as stable as they had thought it was. Then again, Kairi had shown them that. Inadvertently, she'd been what separated them. Just as her name implied. She had started this.
They both knew it, though they thought differently on how. Riku, believing that Sora had been his to begin with, saw Kairi as the force that had initially taken Sora away from him. Sora mentioned her before, when they'd explored the Secret Place, and then they'd gone to see her. And rather than be cute and shy, she had latched onto Sora as a new playmate. She had taken his Sora away from him, making him feel unneeded. It wasn't really fair. He'd had Sora all his life; just as Sora had him. So she shouldn't have interfered. Everyone knew it was always Sora and Riku, Riku and Sora. Nothing was ever between that until she came to the island, from that other world. She should have stayed on the other world. A slightly bitter feeling of resentment settled in Riku's chest as he looked over at Sora from beneath his hood, feeling slightly envious of the girl he now despised.
Sora, on the other hand, believed that it was his own fault. Kairi was merely there to help. It had always been him and Riku, but then he just had to mention Kairi that day in the Secret Place. For some reason, which he knew now, Riku had stayed back in the cave after him, and Sora had waited for him outside. Together, they had walked to the Mayor's house, and seen the girl playing in the yard. After not five minutes of talking to her, she had hugged him so tightly she was cutting off his air. Rather than pushing her away, like a normal little boy would do, he had hugged her back rather awkwardly, stifling his shout of 'Girl cooties!' After all, she was the new girl, and he was supposed to be nice to girls, like his mother said.
So he'd been nice, and he'd seen the angry look on Riku's face. From then on, it wasn't Riku and Sora; it was Riku, Sora, and Kairi. Now, Sora liked her, that was sure. But he didn't like the way he and Riku never had time for each other. Where Sora went, Kairi was never far behind. She followed them to the play island, and when he went into the Secret Place, her plaintive voice had followed him inside. Then she had suggested drawing their pictures on the wall, she would draw his, and he would draw hers. He had agreed, but had secretly drawn Riku, out of a longing to have Riku beside him instead of her.
The few times they'd managed to escape from her, she'd found them. Riku had taken him to the mall and gotten a pizza cookie slathered in frosting and a cute design for his birthday, and not soon after they sat down to eat it, they had heard her calling their names. So his delicious birthday treat had to be shared three ways instead of two. He would never forget Riku's blank stare that day. The silver-haired boy hadn't even been listening, and it was clear to Sora at least, that he was angry.
The few times they'd managed to escape from her, she'd found them. Riku had taken him to the mall and gotten a pizza cookie slathered in frosting and a cute design for his birthday, and not soon after they sat down to eat it, they had heard her calling their names. So his delicious birthday treat had to be shared three ways instead of two. He would never forget Riku's blank stare that day. The silver-haired boy hadn't even been listening, and it was clear to Sora at least, that he was angry. Kairi hadn't seemed to notice, or if she did, she was happy because of it. She had kept ignoring him, and now that he looked back, had only paid attention to Sora. A bit of a sigh escaped him as he thought on the other times, and realizing them, understanding dawned on why Riku had acted like he did.
He'd merely been trying to get Sora's attention again. His eyes drifted across the boat to where Riku was sitting, the pale skin of his cheek more visible since he'd looked off to the side. Things would change now; they already had after all. He wasn't as close to Kairi as he had been, and she seemed to slowly realize it. Times when she was trying to talk to him as he sat on the Paopu tree had led to silence on his part, and her eyes slowly drifting to where Wakka and Tidus were practicing on the beach. Sora had even gone so far as to go into the Secret Place and make the drawing of Riku have longer hair, so he could definitely call it Riku now. Kairi had walked in on him as he'd finished, and said nothing as he walked out past her. He figured she had gotten the point, but apparently, she hadn't, as she still followed him around. Well she would now. Riku was back, and, as she had ignored him, Sora was going to ignore her. Riku needed his attention far more than Kairi did.
With that thought in mind, he reached out and picked up the rope, tossing it over one of the pillars on the docks and climbing out before offering Riku a hand. A smile came to his lips as it was taken and Riku pulled himself up and onto the docks to walk home with him. At least he wasn't skittish about touching still. That would probably be the first step in the long road of recovery. They both had things to fix with each other. First thing to fix would be their slightly tattered friendship.
Out of a habit they'd lost awhile ago, the two boys fell into step beside each other. Normally, they would head to Sora's house now, but this time, they were heading to the virtual mansion that Riku lived in. Quietly, he accompanied the still taller boy up to his door, though he paused before going in. "You should probably tell your mom you're home, without me around. She's been missing you a lot..."
Riku nodded, then offered Sora a slight smile. "Thanks Sora...for everything. You didn't have to help me back..."
Sora shook his head in response. "That's what friends are for Riku," he all but chirped, reaching out to pull him into a hug before turning to leave. "See you later! Probably at dinner, if you plan to come back over like you usually do." He could feel, rather than see the eyes staring at him as he made his way down the stairs and out onto the street again, almost skipping as he made his way home, a bright smile on his face. His mom would be relieved to know Riku was home as well.
When he reached his own house, he threw open the door, grinning to his mother. "Neeeee guess who's back! RIKU!"
TBC
Well, isn't this a fitting end? First a tiny cliffhanger, now a happy look. Don't worry, next chapter's going to involve more Riku of course, and unfortunately, there will probably be some Kairi bashing. Now, I love the good heroine as much as anyone (okay, technically, I tend to bash them because I like yaoi too much) but Kairi grates on my nerves. She was...okay, until I saw what she was doing in the game, BEFORE I got it. After, well, let's just say she made me hate her. Riku is Sora's friend and she's so callous to him! sigh Anyway. See you guys later.
Review Button: FEEED MEEEEE!!!
AN: Small note to the kiddies. This will eventually be yaoi. Yes, yaoi. That's male/male sex stuff. So if you don't like it, don't read it. On with the fic!
To Angel K.D.: Thank you! I'll try to keep it in mind. Thanks for reading in any case!
-------
Previously:
His shoes were silent as he went back into the cave, hands feeling over still dark and cool walls. That door would be sealed if it was the last thing he did, and he was going to make sure nothing ever came through it again. As he stepped into the final chamber, he glared at the door, then looked to the side, kneeling by a boulder before starting to push it. A sudden shaft of light made him look up sharply, then his keyblade appear in his hand as he summoned it, a determined look on his face. The door was again, opening.
Chapter 1
The shaft of light increased until it was almost blinding him, and his frown only increased. They should be coming out right about...now. But instead of seeing heartless, whether new or old, a sole figure stepped forward very slowly, the door closing behind him.
The newcomer paused, as if looking at Sora, his pale lips the only thing showing from underneath his hood. They formed a word, then were still again. His body wavered, then suddenly pitched forward, the hood falling back to reveal moon-kissed silver locks and eyes with pale lashes as he fell forward.
Sora's eyes widened and he darted forward, barely catching the other teen before sinking to the ground with him. And he'd just been about to close that door. If he had only come five minutes sooner and done it..then he would have never even known. He shifted his hold on the other teen, turning him so he was laying more in his lap, the keyblade laying forgotten on the floor of the cave. Trembling fingers slowly pushed gossamer strands of silver away from the other boy's face, finally showing the beautiful visage that had been haunting him since he'd sealed him within Kingdom Hearts. The other boy's face was paler than usual, his lips a dull pink. It marked of someone who'd either not seen sun or someone who was ill. He gathered the other closer, holding him tightly against his chest, his own eyes closing. After all his time searching, he hadn't been the one to find Riku, Riku had been the one to find him. It was ironic, but he wouldn't put it down. He finally had his friend back, and nothing was going to change that. Not Kairi, not Selphie, Wakka, and Tidus, and certainly not their parents. If anything, his own mother would be happy because he wouldn't be depressed so much, or at least he hoped. A soft moan directed his attention from his own thoughts back to the boy lying on his lap, and a soft smile lit his lips as he watched aqua green eyes open slowly.
One of Riku's hands raised slowly, as if to touch him to see he was real, then hesitated. But Sora reached down to catch the hand and bring it to his cheek, nuzzling into it some and sighing softly. Words weren't needed as the younger of the two watched tears slowly slip down Riku's temples to mix in with his hair. He pulled him up and hugged him tightly, not caring for the moment that he wasn't hugging him back. Things were going to change now, and they would change for the better.
"Riku...you're back..." he said quietly, his own eyes feeling warm with the sting of tears. He only received a quiet sound in response and he drew back to look at him, a concerned frown on his face. "What's wrong...?"
Riku simply shook his head, pulling away completely to look at the sandy dirt beneath them. How could Sora possibly forgive him, much less welcome him back? He'd willingly gone along with Ansem. True, it was to get Kairi back for Sora since he couldn't have him himself, but he'd done it, and he'd nearly killed Sora afterward.
"Riku..."
He shook his head again and looked back up to him. "I think...I should go home," he said quietly, his voice near a whisper.
Sora nodded understandingly and stood up, offering his hand to his friend with a little smile. "I'll take you back." He watched as Riku took his hand to pull himself up, the other hand moving to pull his hood back up. He wanted to tell him that he could just leave it down, but he supposed that he didn't want the others to see him so soon. He knew that he wanted to keep Riku to himself for a while anyway. He led the way silently out after Riku was settled and tugged him toward the docks, where his small boat was bobbing as if welcoming them both.
He helped his older, slightly weaker (for the moment) friend into the boat silently, feeling eyes on him from the Paopu island as he did so, though he knew none of them were starting toward him. No one questioned his actions, even if said actions were leading an unknown person from the secret place to his boat. No one could see Riku's face or hair but him. So they wouldn't bother him for the moment.
Water slipped into his shoes as he jumped in to push the small boat away from the dock before he jumped in, grabbing the paddle to take them away. Silence reigned on the boat as he took them over the morning swells, both boys thinking of their own roles in the last adventure they'd taken together but apart. Sora, as the hero, savior of the worlds, and Riku, the one who had caused the worlds harm, though it wasn't always his choice to. One had fought to stop the other, and they both regretted ever getting involved. It had torn them apart, shown that their friendship perhaps, wasn't as stable as they had thought it was. Then again, Kairi had shown them that. Inadvertently, she'd been what separated them. Just as her name implied. She had started this.
They both knew it, though they thought differently on how. Riku, believing that Sora had been his to begin with, saw Kairi as the force that had initially taken Sora away from him. Sora mentioned her before, when they'd explored the Secret Place, and then they'd gone to see her. And rather than be cute and shy, she had latched onto Sora as a new playmate. She had taken his Sora away from him, making him feel unneeded. It wasn't really fair. He'd had Sora all his life; just as Sora had him. So she shouldn't have interfered. Everyone knew it was always Sora and Riku, Riku and Sora. Nothing was ever between that until she came to the island, from that other world. She should have stayed on the other world. A slightly bitter feeling of resentment settled in Riku's chest as he looked over at Sora from beneath his hood, feeling slightly envious of the girl he now despised.
Sora, on the other hand, believed that it was his own fault. Kairi was merely there to help. It had always been him and Riku, but then he just had to mention Kairi that day in the Secret Place. For some reason, which he knew now, Riku had stayed back in the cave after him, and Sora had waited for him outside. Together, they had walked to the Mayor's house, and seen the girl playing in the yard. After not five minutes of talking to her, she had hugged him so tightly she was cutting off his air. Rather than pushing her away, like a normal little boy would do, he had hugged her back rather awkwardly, stifling his shout of 'Girl cooties!' After all, she was the new girl, and he was supposed to be nice to girls, like his mother said.
So he'd been nice, and he'd seen the angry look on Riku's face. From then on, it wasn't Riku and Sora; it was Riku, Sora, and Kairi. Now, Sora liked her, that was sure. But he didn't like the way he and Riku never had time for each other. Where Sora went, Kairi was never far behind. She followed them to the play island, and when he went into the Secret Place, her plaintive voice had followed him inside. Then she had suggested drawing their pictures on the wall, she would draw his, and he would draw hers. He had agreed, but had secretly drawn Riku, out of a longing to have Riku beside him instead of her.
The few times they'd managed to escape from her, she'd found them. Riku had taken him to the mall and gotten a pizza cookie slathered in frosting and a cute design for his birthday, and not soon after they sat down to eat it, they had heard her calling their names. So his delicious birthday treat had to be shared three ways instead of two. He would never forget Riku's blank stare that day. The silver-haired boy hadn't even been listening, and it was clear to Sora at least, that he was angry.
The few times they'd managed to escape from her, she'd found them. Riku had taken him to the mall and gotten a pizza cookie slathered in frosting and a cute design for his birthday, and not soon after they sat down to eat it, they had heard her calling their names. So his delicious birthday treat had to be shared three ways instead of two. He would never forget Riku's blank stare that day. The silver-haired boy hadn't even been listening, and it was clear to Sora at least, that he was angry. Kairi hadn't seemed to notice, or if she did, she was happy because of it. She had kept ignoring him, and now that he looked back, had only paid attention to Sora. A bit of a sigh escaped him as he thought on the other times, and realizing them, understanding dawned on why Riku had acted like he did.
He'd merely been trying to get Sora's attention again. His eyes drifted across the boat to where Riku was sitting, the pale skin of his cheek more visible since he'd looked off to the side. Things would change now; they already had after all. He wasn't as close to Kairi as he had been, and she seemed to slowly realize it. Times when she was trying to talk to him as he sat on the Paopu tree had led to silence on his part, and her eyes slowly drifting to where Wakka and Tidus were practicing on the beach. Sora had even gone so far as to go into the Secret Place and make the drawing of Riku have longer hair, so he could definitely call it Riku now. Kairi had walked in on him as he'd finished, and said nothing as he walked out past her. He figured she had gotten the point, but apparently, she hadn't, as she still followed him around. Well she would now. Riku was back, and, as she had ignored him, Sora was going to ignore her. Riku needed his attention far more than Kairi did.
With that thought in mind, he reached out and picked up the rope, tossing it over one of the pillars on the docks and climbing out before offering Riku a hand. A smile came to his lips as it was taken and Riku pulled himself up and onto the docks to walk home with him. At least he wasn't skittish about touching still. That would probably be the first step in the long road of recovery. They both had things to fix with each other. First thing to fix would be their slightly tattered friendship.
Out of a habit they'd lost awhile ago, the two boys fell into step beside each other. Normally, they would head to Sora's house now, but this time, they were heading to the virtual mansion that Riku lived in. Quietly, he accompanied the still taller boy up to his door, though he paused before going in. "You should probably tell your mom you're home, without me around. She's been missing you a lot..."
Riku nodded, then offered Sora a slight smile. "Thanks Sora...for everything. You didn't have to help me back..."
Sora shook his head in response. "That's what friends are for Riku," he all but chirped, reaching out to pull him into a hug before turning to leave. "See you later! Probably at dinner, if you plan to come back over like you usually do." He could feel, rather than see the eyes staring at him as he made his way down the stairs and out onto the street again, almost skipping as he made his way home, a bright smile on his face. His mom would be relieved to know Riku was home as well.
When he reached his own house, he threw open the door, grinning to his mother. "Neeeee guess who's back! RIKU!"
TBC
Well, isn't this a fitting end? First a tiny cliffhanger, now a happy look. Don't worry, next chapter's going to involve more Riku of course, and unfortunately, there will probably be some Kairi bashing. Now, I love the good heroine as much as anyone (okay, technically, I tend to bash them because I like yaoi too much) but Kairi grates on my nerves. She was...okay, until I saw what she was doing in the game, BEFORE I got it. After, well, let's just say she made me hate her. Riku is Sora's friend and she's so callous to him! sigh Anyway. See you guys later.
Review Button: FEEED MEEEEE!!!