Reversal: Lost beginning
(standard disclaimers apply, in other words, I don't own Riku, Sora or any of the other KH characters.)
"Itsu no ma ni atashi wa, Konna ni yowaku natta no darou"
-When did I become this weak?
Bag, Check….
Towel, Check…
Shoes, Check…
Did I miss anything?
Smile, Check…
A sloppy sling bag hung precariously on one shoulder and a slightly damp towel draped limp upon the other. A head of toffee coloured spikes, tapered wet at each individual point, bobbed together with a tuneless hum that escaped upwardly curved lips. What could only be described as "humongous" shoes, clunked ungracefully upon the cement floor.
Blue gaze catches the silver glint in the distance.
Sprint.
Figure in the distance grows closer.
Smile, Check…"Riku! RiKU!"
Older boy doesn't look up from his book.
"I am making dumplings! Do you want to come over to my house for dinner?!"
Soft jingles of silver chains against red fabric.
"I can't go. I have to attend a blitzball council meeting. So I will not be home till late."
Silver fringe fell forth, but aquamarine eyes do not see the blocked words.
"I will wait outside the stadium! Let's go home together!"
An enthusiastic offer.
"No, with Wakka chairing the meeting, it will surely last till midnight. You should go back first."
Cold concern.
"Hah! That's even worst. The later it get, the more dangerous it may be. What if something bad happened… no no… knock wood."
Warm concern.
Frustrated eyes look into innocent blues.
"Nothing will happen!"
Silence. Awkward. Silence.
"Don't you want to go home with me?"
Disappointment.
"I… I didn't say that… I just…"
Shrug.
"I know. I will go home first…"
Nonchalance.
"Not through the window! Damn it!"
"Riku, BaKa!"
Riku stands up.
"You're the idiot!"
Softly.
"Sora."
He disappears.
---
The wan silver of the moon could not be compared to the shimmer of Riku's silver hair. Nine years have past since the time he had met Sora. And it was only then, did Riku have the courage to stand up to his parents. He remembered…
"…. Why do you have girly hair Riku?" Sora asked as his wide blue eyes reflected the silver from the braid his gaze was focused upon.
Riku retorted, "Why do you have spikey hair Sora?"
"Huh?" the famous porcupine head tore his gaze from the neatly plaited braid into Riku's aquamarine eyes.
Then Sora laughed as he sheepishly ruffled his own gravity defying spikes. Riku smiled as he looked at his newfound friend. There was a certain affinity between them. Which is why Riku spoke of what he felt, instead of adopting a mature silence that did injustice to his young nature.
"I don't like my hair."
Sora stopped laughing.
"My parents say that it is safer that I pretend to be a girl."
Innocent Sora could not help but stare at Riku's rose pink sundress.
"They have too much money. It's better if I am a girl so the relatives will not fight."
Naïve indignation would not be denied.
"How can your parents do this to you? How can they make you unhappy?"
Riku just shrugged.
"Can't you tell them you are not happy?"
"I don't get to really talk to them."
Eyes widened in shock.
"They are never around enough."
Sora's chubby fingers caught hold of Riku's pale hands.
"It's okay then. You can talk to me instead!"
---
Riku had been deeply moved by Sora's selfless affections. With renewed self-confidence, he refused to obey his parents' wishes and took to wearing nothing if forced into those darn petticoats. His parents were quite upset but they relented to their only heir's request, only after Riku's blatant act of rebellion by shearing off his waist long braid (with the help from Sora of course). Also, Sora brought Riku home and introduced the shy boy to his parents, who immediately took a liking to Sora's pretty friend.
Since then, Riku had been adopted into Sora's loving family. Even after loss of Sora's father, his mother still welcomed him with open arms because Riku had become family. Despite protest from his housekeeper and servants (the utter shock at their young master mingling with poor commoners), Riku refused to give up the love and warmth he felt from Sora's family. The cold mansion was never home to him. Home was where Sora was.
Well, this was the case up till recently.
---
Riku paused in his step. With a sigh, he spoke, "Sora, I thought I told you to go home first?"
Sora stepped out from behind the street corner. He had thought his hiding position was well shadowed and Riku should not have discovered his secret guarding. " Ah, how did you know I was hiding? Maybe I haven't trained enough neh?"
"Humph, that's not the only area you need training in," drawled Riku.
" Well, we are having dumplings for dinner! Dumplings! Yummy dumplings! Ah!" Sora stopped hopping around and turned towards Riku, " I need more training in making dumplings! I need to learn how to make different types of dumplings, right?"
" What you need is common sense you dolt. Common sense and the ability to think sometimes." Riku's cold comment could not douse Sora's excitement at having dumplings for dinner.
Sora just flashed his trademark smile that shone through the dimly light night. Riku responded with a faint curve of the lips.
They had dumplings for dinner that night.
Dcal's note: Decided rant at the end of this sad excuse of a chapter. I deliberately kept it short because I used different writing styles and if I put in too much you might just get confused. This chapter is suppose to portray the present and include a bit more background information into the character's relationship and sorts. Also to cement the character's personalities. There is more dialogue and fewer descriptions so that the story actually gets moving. Hopefully, there will be more illustration of the setting and stuff in the next chapter. Gomen if you find my language erratic. Blame it on MS Word; it's my only justification for a beta reader. Review if you like. It really bolsters my ego and keeps me going. - Or just make me happy by reading my other KH fics. And thank you if you have been constantly keeping note of my writing . You know who you are.