Hello, everyone, and welcome to the third chapter of Of Love & Thieves. I'm actually surprised I've kept this up for so long. I'm glad people like this story, and it makes me want to write more, write faster, and write better. But, unfortunately, I don't know if I can write any better with the limited amount of talent I possess, yet even so, I shall try my hardest:D
I'm so sorry for the extremely late update. I had Homecoming stuff to do at my school(we had a rally where we do skits and dance, and I was a dancer so I had to practice) and I've had loads of homework.
This is a very random chapter. So, uh.. yeah.
Disclaimer—I do not own KingdomHearts, FinalFantasy, Disney, or any related places/characters…except for Rosetta. :
Warning—Eventual shounen-ai and cussing.
Chapter 3After a long, relaxing bath, which included about ten more bath beads than Sora requested, Riku stepped onto the cool marble floor of the bathroom, water dripping off his muscular form. Sora had ordered the servants to scrub him until he smelled presentable. They had scrubbed for two hours straight, scrubbed until Riku's skin was red, but still, the stink would not wash off. So, they left him in a tub full of rose petals, letting him soak and get pruny. Hours passed and when Riku finally decided he looked more raisin than human, he pulled himself out of the lukewarm water. He dried himself with a fluffy towel that was left there by one of the servants who tried to clean him and took in his surroundings. Beautiful marble flooring, intricately cut stone pillars, huge glass windows, sparkling mirrors, and polished sinks adorned the room. Riku snorted. It was a typical rich-people room.
Wrapping the towel around his waist, the ex-thief walked through the hanging beads that separated the main room from the bathroom. His new master sat on the soft bed, awaiting his arrival. They watched each other for a while, Riku standing in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest, Sora sitting cross-legged with his hands on his feet. After a good while, Sora spoke.
"Do you smell good yet?" he asked, leaning forward, trying to catch a whiff of Riku's scent. Riku raised a silver eyebrow, a smirk on his face. "Come here! I have to sniff you to make sure." Sora ordered, bouncing up and down on his bed. Reluctantly, Riku stepped forward. He watched Sora breathe in deeply, watched his nose flare slightly as it took in more air then it was used to.
"Well?" he said impatiently. Sora had been sniffing the air for well over five minutes now. Startled, the prince opened his eyes, plopping back down on the bed after crawling on all fours to get closer to Riku's aura of smells.
"I can't smell anything…" he replied quietly, blinking.
"That's because your servants scrubbed the shit outta me. Then, since the scrubbing didn't work, they left me in rose petals for three hours." Riku snapped. He walked over to Sora's bed and sat down on it. He heard Sora gasp.
"GET OFF MY BED, GET OFF MY BED!" the prince screamed, pushing on Riku's back, trying to shove him off.
"What the--? Why?" Riku slipped off the bed, holding tightly to the loosely wrapped towel around his waist. Sora was patting the place Riku had occupied seconds earlier. His face twisted in a frown, he carefully put his cheek to the damp covers. After a few moments, Sora lifted his head, his brows furrowed in anger, his blue eyes dark and menacing. Riku cocked his head. What was wrong with this kid?
"You … You made my bed wet…." Sora muttered, his eyes glowing. Riku stared at him in shock and disbelief. "YOU MADE MY BED WET! YOU WILL PAYYYYYY!" he roared, jumping off the bed to tackle Riku.
"Oof!" Sora's head hit Riku squarely in the chest, knocking the wind out of him momentarily and bringing the two of them to marble floor. Sora straddled Riku's barely-covered waist and began beating at his servant with his small fists. Incoherent shouts escaped from both boys' mouths. One could hear some words like "stop!" or "bed-wetter!" if one listened close enough. Eventually, the babbling ceased, along with the flying fists of fury.
Panting, Sora glared at Riku from his place on the older boy's waist. His arms were at his side, limp and tired from overexerting themselves in an attempt to punish the bed-wetter. Riku's own arms were over his head, protecting his face from harm. Realizing the onslaught was over, Riku lowered his naked limbs and stared at his master.
"What the hell was that?" Sora blushed slightly.
"Uhm… Er… You wet my bed?" he suggested innocently, a big grin plastered to his tan face. Riku stared at him for a while, and then smiled evilly. Noticing the smile of pure evil, Sora gulped loudly. Smiles of pure evil were never good things. Scared, Sora climbed off of Riku and began to run for his life. Riku quickly got up and chased after him. Sora ran into the bathroom, the stringed beads clashing together and tangling. Riku was on his tail, arms outstretched, his face a mask of determination. Sora would pay for trying to beat him up. Oh, yes. He would pay.
Sora ran around the tub several times, dodging Riku's hands every time they tried to grab him. He dashed back out of the bathroom and jumped onto his bed with such a force, his pillows went flying. Unfortunately for Sora, the bed was soft, and soft things are not easy to maneuver upon. Riku ran out of the bathroom, jumped onto Sora's bed, and grabbed his legs, yanking down on them to pull Sora away from the headboard.
"NoOoOoooo! You can't do thisss! I'm your masterrr!" Sora giggled, clawing at his blankets and sheets.
"Too bad," Riku replied. He smirked and straddled Sora. The prince squirmed underneath the ex-thief, struggled to be free of the malicious boy he had acquired earlier that day. Once Riku had Sora firmly in place, he readied his fingers for the attack.
"RIKUUUU! YOU CAN'T DOO THISS!" Sora screamed.
"Yes, I can."
"NO YOU CAN'T! THIS ISN'T FAIR!" He squirmed even more, but alas, he could not free himself. "RIKUUU!"
"This is what you get, Your Highness," Riku declared, malice in his voice. He brought his fingers to Sora's exposed belly and wiggled his fingers, tickling the brunette. Sora burst into laughter, his arms flailing every which way. Riku's smirk widened and he moved his hands up to Sora's armpits. Sora's eyes grew large, and his laughs harder. He gasped for breath, tears streamed from his sapphire eyes, and still, Riku would not stop.
"Ri—" Laugh. "--Ku!" Giggle. "This isn't--" Squeal. "--Fair!" Deep breath and more laughter. The silver-haired boy ignored him, continuing his torture. Sora squirmed and wiggled. His loose silk shirt rode up and his bed sheets crumpled. Riku's not-so-fluffy towel slipped off his slender hips, revealing to the world his firm buttocks.
"OH HEAVENS!" a woman's voice squealed. Riku froze, still straddling the younger boy. Sora continued giggling like a schoolgirl. "Sora! I demand to know what is going on here!" Laughter still noticeable in his voice, he explained to the woman what had happened.
"So, he was just tickling me, that's all." Sora said, pulling down his shirt. Riku climbed off the prince and picked up his towel, rewrapping it around his waist, his cheeks red with embarrassment.
"Oh. For a second there, I thought you two were doing naughty things." The woman winked. Sora sat there looking clueless. Riku blushed, his cheeks turning even redder than they already were. They had probably looked very inappropriate. Riku's towel had fallen off and he had been stark naked, Sora's shirt had ridden up, his belly uncovered, and, finally, the naked Riku had been straddling the half-naked Sora, had been touching him in places he'd never touched anyone, and had fun for the first time in his life. The last didn't really have anything to do with indecency, but it was first for Riku, so he took mental note of that.
"Naughty things? Like what?" Sora asked stupidly, tilting his brown head to one side.
"Oh, you're too young to know about that, Sora. But I'm sure Riku over there knows, judging by the way he's blushing," the woman said slyly.
"Do you know, Riku? What's she talking about?" Sora turned to look at his servant. He was just so cute, with his big blue eyes and his button nose. Riku looked away, his blush deepening just a little bit.
"I don't know anything," he replied shortly.
"Yes, you doo! I know you do! You're hiding it from me!" Sora whined. He grabbed Riku's arm and swayed from side to side, his lips forming his trademark pout.
"Aggh, no, I don't!" Riku exclaimed, trying to reclaim his arm from Sora's grasp.
"Yes, you do!" Sora tugged harder on his forearm. They played a small game of tug-o-war for a few minutes before Sora gave up and let go of Riku's well-muscled limb. Riku flopped onto the bed, since that's what he and Sora were sitting on. Sora had planned that. He had planned Riku's harder tugs, and let go at just the right moment to make him fall back. The silver-haired boy glared at the prince, as if saying, "I'll get you back". However, Sora hadn't seen the heated glare. He had turned around to sulk, his lower lip jutting out and his arms folded across his chest.
"You're a meanie, Riku," he muttered childishly. The "meanie" raised an eyebrow.
"Sora, don't be like that," the woman in the doorway scolded. She waggled a finger at the brunette.
"But he is a meanie!" Sora protested, "He won't tell me what you're talking about!"
"Doesn't that make me a meanie, too, Sora?" she asked gently. Sora faltered, his bright blue eyes softening.
"But…You're different. You're you. And he's him," Sora attempted to defend his position, but failed miserably.
"That doesn't matter, Sora. He's a person, too."
"Yeah, Sora. I'm a person, too!" Riku taunted, sticking his tongue out at the younger boy. Sora frowned and turned his whole body away from Riku, looking as if he was about to cry.
"Sora, don't be like that. It's called manners, you know. You can't just go around calling people meanies. It's not polite, and it's—"
"Just not done by royalty. I know, I know." Sora finished, his voice thick. He would've sounded incompetent had it not been for the tears in his eyes and voice. The woman came over and patted Sora's spiky brown head. Then she pulled him into a tight embrace. Just like a mother and son, Riku thought. The scene before him made him want to scream. He had never had parents to treat him like this. Never had parents to care for him. They had been killed when he was little, and he had been forced to roam the streets since then. Why did this impolite little prince deserve a family, when he, Riku, had been through so many more horrible circumstances?
Then the answer came to him. Because Sora was royalty. Because Sora was part of the family of bastards who annihilated his parents. Narrowing his eyes, Riku scooted away from the loving pair. He jumped off the bed and began searching for clothes to wear, looking for something to do to keep his mind off of families.
He found a pair of black, tight-fitting trousers and slipped them on. After searching and rummaging through Sora's bureau and drawers, he found a big shirt, hopefully big enough to fit his muscular body. He pulled it over his broad shoulders, smiling when he found it was a perfect fit. Turning back to the intimate pair on the bed, Riku saw they were finished with their cuddling. Sora was wiping away the remnants of his tears, and the woman was patting him on the back, her hand moving in soothing circles.
Sighing, Riku ran a hand through his tangled silver hair, pulling out the knots and kinks. Sora glanced at the older boy, his eyes slightly red.
"Sora, don't you have something to say to Riku?" the woman asked. Reluctantly, Sora nodded. Squirming, Sora turned to face his new slave. Riku quirked an eyebrow, tilting his head to one side. "Sora," She nudged him when the prince didn't speak.
"… I'm sorry for calling you a meanie, Riku." Sora whispered, his voice barely audible. Smirking, Riku leaned against a nearby wall, crossing his arms over his chest in a pose that said he was all that and a bag of chips.
"Come again? I didn't quite catch you, 'Master'," Riku teased. Sora's brows furrowed and he repeated his apology a little bit louder. "Hmm? I still didn't hear you." The prince groaned in frustration. Already he was tired of reiterating his words. Amused, Riku watched the brunette clench and unclench the sheets of his bed in his fists. The woman hissed Sora's name and nudged him again, harder this time.
"I'm sorry for calling you a meanie." Sora said, politely. Riku stared at him for a while, his green-blue eyes boring into the top of Sora's head, burning holes into his scalp, a smirk on his lips. Riku watched Sora fidget and twitch under his gaze. After a good while, Riku spoke.
"Apology accepted. And I'm sorry for tickling you to death." Riku said calmly, the smile gone from his nearly perfect face.
"… I'm sorry for overreacting about my bed…" Sora murmured. Snorting, Riku walked over to where Sora sat on his large, poofy bed.
"That's okay," he said, patting the younger boy's head. Surprisingly, his brown spikes were as soft as feathers.
"Really, Riku? You're not mad at me?" Sora sounded hopeful. The boy in question shook his head, his damp, silver hair flying every which way.
"Of course not. I can't stay mad at my master," Riku reminded the brunette, flopping back down on the bed, arms behind his head. Sora sighed, relieved. The two boys jumped when they heard a giggle.
"That's right, Sora, he can't be mad at you. But if he does get mad, you could tell him to jump off a cliff," the woman said seriously, a faint shimmer in her green eyes.
"Jump off a cliff! Rosetta, that's horrible!" Sora exclaimed. So Rosetta was her name. It kind of matched her. Warm and caring, loving and sweet. But all the while strict and firm.
"I was joking, Sora," Rosetta said, laughing.
"Oh… " Sora blushed in embarrassment, "I knew that…" he said shyly. Both Riku and Rosetta broke into peals of laughter. And well, since laughter is contagious, Sora started laughing, too, not knowing the other two were laughing at him.
"Oh! I just remembered!" Rosetta exclaimed. "Your brother wants to see you in his room, Sora," she explained. Suddenly, Sora went quiet. Following suit, Riku did as well, a confused look in his green eyes.
"My brother? What does he want?" Sora asked reluctantly. Slight fear shone in his blue orb and Riku was not oblivious to it. Rosetta shrugged.
"He just told me to come fetch you. He didn't say why exactly." The woman shrugged nonchalantly, apparently missing the stress written on the brunette's face. "I think you should get going, Sora. You know how he is when he's angry."
Nodding, Sora slowly got up and walked out the door, turning to the right in the direction of his brother's room. Riku slowly began to get up, to follow his master through the corridors to the other prince's room, but was stopped by Rosetta's strong arm on his chest.
"You cannot interrupt them," she announced solemnly. Riku stared at the woman for a while, and then sat back down on Sora's gigantic bed. Rosetta and Riku sat in relative silence, neither of them speaking to the other, both waiting for Sora's return.
Sora walked through the empty hallways, occasionally passing a young maid or an old, gray-haired servant. He dreaded going to his brother's room. Every time he went in there, he always came out crying or confused. He didn't want to start crying again in front of Riku, especially over something his brother did. He already felt silly for sobbing on Rosetta's shoulder over something so silly as name-calling. Sora paused in his gait, thumb coming up to touch his lips as he bit the nail worriedly. Realizing his brother would criticize him for an ugly nail, he quickly brought his hand back to his side. He continued his journey to the older prince's room, hoping he wouldn't scold Sora for being late or for any other little thing.
Finally, Sora reached the intricately carved wooden double-doors of his brother's luxurious room. He took several deep breaths to calm his soul and to quell the movements of the madly fluttering butterflies in his stomach before grasping the cold iron handle of the right-hand side door. With his free hand, he knocked softly on the hardwood.
"Come in," a deep baritone voice rumbled through the door itself, sending shivers up Sora's spine. Taking one last deep breath, Sora turned the knob and slowly pushed it open, trembling slightly, his breathing shallow. The door creaked open to reveal Sora's older brother and heir to the throne of Destinopolis lazily lounging on a suede couch, one arm cradling his head, the other limp, its hand grazing the soft, plush carpet of the room.
"Well, Sora, it took you long enough," he muttered almost mockingly. "Come closer," the older prince ordered, and Sora obeyed without hesitation. The young royal could hear the door creak closed as his brother's magic slowly pushed it shut. Over his loud gulping, Sora could faintly make out the click of the lock being slid into place. Glancing back at the door, Sora shivered, then turned to face his brother.
He could see a mixture of cruelty, mischief, and hate in those amber eyes. And when those three ingredients combined to make one emotion in his big brother, Sora was not in for a good day.
CHAPTER 3 ENDWas it a horrible chapter? PLEASE REVIEW!
I feel as if the characters are out of character in this chapter. Sora's like .. retarded in this chapter. Or something. I just couldn't get him right.
Do not expect the next chapter up as quickly as this one. My AP classes are killing me, and I barely had time to write this chapter. I'm sorry if it's not of the best quality I really really am. I'm so braindead from all the homework I've been getting and the lack of sleep. I hate Ms Yenter.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN:DDD