Chapter 2 – His Mad Life
"Moooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooom!" Sora cried as he opened the door to his house, walking into the front foyer and ushering Riku inside. "C'mon on in." He beamed a smile, blue eyes bright. "It's cold outside, Riku!"
Riku shot him a withering look, rubbing his arms as his teeth chattered. Before, when he had ventured to the café, he had been so deeply immersed in his thoughts that he hadn't particularly noticed the cold. But now that Sora was taking him all over the town, and Riku wanted only to go back home and slip beneath his warm covers, he was envisioning the brunette dying a slow, horrible death—
"Sooooooooooooooooooooraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" a cheerful voice rang out, and before Riku could process what was happening, there was a blonde blur of movement and a blob of green was attached to Sora's chest. The thing kissed his cheeks, all over his face, squealing excitedly and clutching to him like a life-line.
Riku blinked. Twice.
Sora laughed, grabbing the thing by its sides and pulling it away from him. "Hey, Rikku—stop it!"
"But I'm not—" Riku began to point out softly, only for the thing to let out a high-pitched whine, blinking big, green eyes at Sora cutely and sticking her lower lip out. It was a little girl with a mop of braided blonde hair atop her head, and chocolate was smeared on her cheeks. The green Riku had only been able to make out was her pajamas, covered in Scooby Doo. Her little feet, the silver-haired man noticed, were also covered in Scooby Doo slippers.
She was... adorable, if not for the chocolate.
"Hey, you're really dirty," Sora observed with amusement. "Been eating again? You're going to get fat, Rikku!"
"I am noooot!" she wailed. "MOMMY, SORA'S BEING MEAN AGAIN!"
From somewhere deep within the warm house, a high, teasing voice called back. "Well, tell Sora that if he doesn't get his sweet tush over here to help lick the cake bowl, I'm gonna give it awaaay!"
At first Riku was slightly confused about this threat, but one glance at Sora and the boyish pout of disappointment on his face told Riku all he really needed to know.
"Hey, that's not fair!" Sora whined, setting the squirming mass of little girl down. "I just got home!" He paused to kick the door closed before beginning to undress in a hurry, throwing his scarf, gloves, and coat off onto a chair nearby, already halfway down the hallway before Riku even knew what was happening. And with Sora gone, he was left with the waist-high menace that seemed to be the other man's sister.
Wide green eyes stared up at him, cheeks rosy and chocolate-painted lips parted slightly in wonder. "Are you Sora's girlfriend?" she asked in her tinny, elementary-school voice.
Riku, already slightly annoyed by the fact this little girl's name sounded so much like his, regarded her with a quiet, sullen look that should have discarded any belief that he was Sora's 'girlfriend.' The girl must not have caught the look.
"Wooow, Mommy will be really happy to see you!" she giggled, reaching out with a sticky hand to grab the sleeve of Riku's coat. "C'mon!" she urged, tugging him the way Sora had gone. She glanced up with a grin almost identical to the one Sora kept giving him. "You should smile! You look like the boogeyman!"
His eyebrow twitched slightly. The boogeyman? he wondered. Why did he look like the boogeyman of all things a child could come up with? And a girlfriend?! He was by no means a girl!
Riku barely had time to look at the living room—a gigantic Christmas tree, its tip brushing the roof, stood in the far corner, currently being suffocated by hundreds of blinking colored lights and singing carols; two couches, threadbare and cozy; a TV, DVD, the works, and an entertainment system; candles lit in various areas (i.e., the window, et cetera); and a fire warming the fireplace—
"Chestnuts roasting on an open fire..." an old stereo crooned softly.
By the time Riku was entering the kitchen, catching brief glimpses of pictures as he was yanked through the hallway, there was a steady throbbing behind his left eye, not to mention the continuous ticking beneath his right one.
Sora was talking to a young woman standing by the stove who brandished a wooden spoon as she yapped away at the poor brunette. Her brown hair was long, tied back into a braid—it was beginning to frizz, no doubt from the heat—and her blue eyes were narrowed into a little glare, but... they were warm, affectionate.
Riku stared. His mother had never looked at him that way...
"Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!" Rikku chimed, tugging firmly on his hand suddenly so that he stumbled forward. "Look who's here! It's Sora's girlfriend!"
Very suddenly, he was the target of that slight glare, the young-looking woman regarding Riku skeptically before she got a really good look at him. But when she did, those blue eyes widened much like her daughter's had, and Riku had a creeping suspicion he was going to be the victim of Twenty Questions tonight. Beautiful.
"Oh—!" the woman gasped, clutching her spoon with both hands, a blush crossing her cheeks as she give Riku a twice-over... again. "Hi! Sora didn't tell me you were so handsome!" And then, as a second thought, she crouched over and whispered to her daughter, "Honey, that's not his girlfriend. Remember, Sora said he was bringing home a boy?"
Rikku's eyes lit up. "Ohhh, Sora's boyfriend!" she giggled, bouncing excitedly as Sora made a show of groaning in protest.
"Mooom, stop giving her ideas!" he said, grabbing the brown ceramic bowl on the counter that had a bit of chocolate smeared over the rim. He gave Riku an apologetic look as he cradled the bowl. "Riku, this is my mom, Seiya. I know she looks like she's still in high school, but trust me, she's nearing menopause. And mom, this is Riku—and before you ask, no, he doesn't want to try your experimental Christmas stuffing."
She gave a pout very similar to Sora's from earlier, and it was slightly off-putting for Riku, who once again felt out of place amongst so much familiarity.
"You ruin all my fun," Seiya huffed, turning her nose up dramatically. "See if you get dinner tonight."
"What? Mooom!"
And at Sora's sudden whining, Riku shook his head. It wasn't until he felt the tug at his long coat that he remembered Rikku was still there. He glanced down at her, hearing her giggle. The look she was giving him was slightly unnerving. Though he had been comfortable around Tidus earlier, he actually wasn't very good with children.
"We have the same name!" she beamed.
"Er..." was all Riku managed to get out for a long moment as those green eyes sparkled up at him enthusiastically. "We do, don't we?"
"Oi! Seiya!" a thick accent abruptly proclaimed. "I finished fixing the furnace down in the basement with San! It's all spiffily beautiful and hot and—Oh! Why, hello there! And who is this fine piece of arse standing here in this cozy atmosphere?"
An arm, slender, yet unbelievably strong, suddenly snaked its way around Riku's shoulders, and as Riku turned his head, he was met with merry brown eyes staring deeply into his. Black hair framed the heart-shaped face now hovering in front of his, a grin crossing the newcomer's full lips.
"You're a cutie, darling," the strange man practically purred.
Riku stiffened, unused to such affectionate touching, and made to push the other male away before Seiya grabbed his ear, pulling him off.
"Artemis! You can't just molest strangers like that!"
"I wasn't molesting him!" Artemis protested, hissing in pain and batting at Sora's mother. "Jesus, woman, I'm allowed to ogle the poor soul! Blimey!"
"Momm-y, what's molesting mean?"
"Artemis!" Sora exclaimed, cheeks heating with a furious blush. His blue eyes were bright with obvious embarrassment as he glanced meaningfully at Riku. "Not tonight!"
Artemis pouted. "No one loves me..." He sighed dramatically, placing the back of his hand to his forehead, the other to his heart, and closing his eyes. "Alas! I am alone in this bitter world! Thou art cruel, Sora! Thou art cruel!"
Sora rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Cut the dramatics, Drama King."
"Queen," Artemis corrected cheerfully.
Riku didn't know what to think. Too many people were talking at once, bustling around him, fussing over him, over each other, touching, being affectionate, over-all cheerful, and it was... it was...
It was...
Suffocating.
This wasn't helped when even more people piled into the small kitchen, new faces, new voices, all bustling around him as he stood there, confused, wondering yet again what the hell he was doing here. It was all so foreign to him, this warm, happy family atmosphere, so intimidating, and no one seemed to notice at all, or care about his discomfort.
"Hey Cloud! How was work?" a cheery voice called—Riku wasn't sure because of the chaos around him, but he thought it was Sora speaking.
The tall, handsome blonde that had just entered the kitchen seemed to be "Cloud," for he replied with a weary sigh, dragging a hand through his Sora-like spikes. "It's Christmas season. What do you think?"
Before Riku could listen for a response, the tiny hands tugging at his coat caught his attention, and with an increasingly foul mood, it was hard for him to look relatively friendly as he glanced down at the two children at his waist.
"Sion, Sion look! Isn't Mr. Riku really pretty? I claimed him, so you can't have him!"
The child named Sion, who looked like he could have been a six-year-old Sora, looked up at Riku with large blue eyes. "H-HI!"
Too many hands pulled at him, sticky, curious, prodding, pulling, testing—and he was about to scream when a deep male voice cut in through the cacophony of giggles and conversation, silencing everyone at once.
"Hey! Let's give the kid some slack!"
And all at once, the children squealed with glee—"DADDDYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"—and immediately left Riku, rushing over to grab their father as he laughed and swung them up in his arms.
The man looked young, like Seiya, but there were laugh lines around his green eyes, and his hair, blonde and soft-looking, was slightly spiky, a hair trait that Sora and Cloud had obviously inherited. He was covered in black—soot?—and his clothes were a little rumpled, but other than the slight weariness on his face—a long day?—he was like... A burning light.
Riku's lips pressed into a soft frown. His father had never been that happy...
"Grrrr!" the blonde man mock-growled. "Are you two heathens behaving?"
"Yessssssss!" Rikku cried as Sion giggled and nuzzled his father's cheek, then smacked a wet kiss on it.
"Noooo!" Sora protested mock-angrily and rustled his sister's blonde hair.
"San," Seiya said, smiling sweetly and wiping her flour-covered hands on her apron. "Is the furnace fixed?"
"Yes," he replied, setting his children down and beaming as he kissed both their foreheads. "Thanks to Artemis."
Artemis struck a pose, raising his arms and flexing his muscles. "Oh, yes, I am that man, oh."
Sora rolled his eyes again. "Spare me."
"Spare you? Aha-ha-ha! Don't be ridiculous Sora, why would I spare rap—"
"Shhhh!" Sora said frantically, blushing a brilliant red.
Artemis stuck his tongue out, mahogany eyes crossing. "You're just so molestable, Sora—"
"Mommy!" An impatient stomp of feet. "He just said it again! What's molestable mean?!"
"Rikku, honey, why don't you help Sion and Cloud set the table, hmm?" Seiya said pleasantly, avoiding the question easily as she returned to cooking.
"Aww, but Moooom!"
"I want to stay with Mr. Riku!"
"Yeah, he's really cool!"
"Can we keep him?"
Riku couldn't understand for the life of him why these children were already so attached to him when he hadn't even uttered a word. Expertly swiping his fingers around and around the bowl of left-over chocolate cake mix, Sora grinned at the silver-haired man, a smudge of brown already on his chin. With a twitchy glare and false grin to meet Sora's amused expression, Riku reached down to ruffle the children's hair.
"Listen to your mother, alright?" he said, feeling something warm pique his heart as he watched Rikku and Sion beam up at him.
They simultaneously nodded and giggled, bouncing over to latch on to Cloud, who shot Riku a curious but grateful look as he turned to leave the room.
"C'mon, let's clean off the table."
"Okay!"
With the monsters gone, Riku relaxed a little, breathing a sigh of relief and raking a hand through his hair.
"Danceeeee!" Artemis suddenly cheered, and he began to wiggle his butt around the kitchen.
"You don't have any siblings, do you?" San said, green eyes focusing on Riku intently, who only shook his head and bowed it, gaze flickering to the floor in almost embarrassment. "I can tell."
Riku's eyes snapped up, and he opened his mouth to demand what that was supposed to mean, but San only chuckled a waved a hand, expression warm.
"It's just—the way you handle children. You're very quiet." He smiled kindly. "You don't speak much, do you?"
Seiya began dancing with Artemis. They pressed their butts together and shook them.
"Er... Not really," Riku replied quietly. "I haven't got anything to say."
"Danceeeee!" Artemis and Seiya crowed. Sora eyed them oddly.
"That's sad," San replied, placing a comforting hand on Riku's shoulder, and the silver-haired man couldn't find it in himself to move away. Not with those warm eyes gazing firmly into his own.
"Stay for supper."
"Danceeeee!"
"Will you two cut it out?!" San cried in exasperation. "I'm trying to invite him to stay for dinner!"
Without missing a beat, Seiya giggled—"Already invited!"—as she finished her dance with Artemis and returned to her cooking, now brandishing a spatula. "I called Sora while he was out! This is Riku, honey."
"Ri-ku, eh?" came Artemis' thick accent, and Riku turned, promptly narrowing his eyes in silent warning as the other man swung his hip out, eyeing him with a mischievous look. "Hehehe..."
"Artemis, stop ogling!" Seiya snapped, though her voice was riddled with playfulness. "Do me a favor and get on the phone and see why Runie's late!"
The man in question placed his hands over his heart, looking hurt while managing to still grin like an idiot. "Oi, Seiya! I wasn't plannin' anything, I swear!"
"Riiight—Go get yourself to the phone, mister, or I'll—"
"I'm goin'! Sheeeesh!" He waved a hand, laughing, brushing past Riku with a long wink.
As soon as he was gone, San chuckled, and everyone's attention returned to Riku. A large hand came down and patted the silver-haired boy on the shoulder. "Pleasure to meet you, Riku. You a friend of Sora's, or...?"
Sora cut in this time, holding up a chocolate-covered finger. "Met him at work just a few hours ago, actually." And then he smiled, looking proud of himself for whatever reason. Riku was beginning to worry about the sanity of the members of Sora's family.
San blinked. Once. Twice. Finally, his hand fell away from Riku's shoulder. The boy immediately felt relaxed, though a little guilty—he understood San's intentions, he supposed, but... he didn't feel very comfortable with people touching him...
"...A few hours ago?"
"It's okay, San!" Seiya assured cheerfully.
But he didn't look convinced. "...Hm..."
My thoughts exactly. Riku's eyebrow rose.
"Yeah, c'mon, Dad, he's a cool guy."
"Not to mention really fine..." came the now-familiar accented voice as Artemis re-entered the kitchen, cell phone in hand.
"Artemis!" the members of the kitchen groaned.
"Okay, okay! Sheesh! And in any case, it's not like Sora can't defend himself." Grinning, the raven-haired man did a quick chop in the air, eyelid pulling down in a suave wink. "Hiya!"
Sora blushed hard, red coloring the tips of his ears, and he sulked around his finger, taking it out of his mouth briefly to mutter, "Artemis, I haven't taken Karate since the first grade..."
"Dolt!" Artemis smacked a hand to his forehead, raising his eyes to the heavens as if to ask for some form of divine inspiration. "Don't tell him that! Now he knows you're really a scrawny boy that couldn't defend for himself if he tried!"
"Yeah—wha?! HEY!"
"Heeheehee... OW! Don't kick me!" Artemis griped, hopping around the kitchen and clutching his shin. "You lot are so bloody abusive..."
Sora gave a sharp "Hmph!" before going back to his bowl of chocolate, his face still an interesting shade of red as he cast Riku a cautious glance or two, who was looking quite confused because he honestly didn't know what to think with all this commotion around him.
"San, if you could start placing the dishes on the table—"
"Oh, right. Almost ready, then?" San asked, grabbing a giant bowl of mashed potatoes from the counter, cradling it carefully as he moved toward the dining room.
"Yup, just a few more minutes now! Art, did you get ahold of Runie yet?"
"Getting right on it!" Artemis replied, flipping open his cell. Riku watched as the man speed-dialed a number and held the phone to his ear, leaning casually against the far counter next to Sora.
As if sensing Riku's gaze, the boy looked up from finishing cleaning the bowl, pausing in mid-lick to blush again. He quickly turned around to avoid the awkward tension, setting the bowl in the sink and turning the tap on to fill it with water.
"C'mon Runie, bloody hell! Pick up the pho—OH!" Artemis' face suddenly split into a sheepish grin. "There you are!"
"So he's still alive?" Seiya laughed, tackling biscuits with her spatula.
Artemis cast her a warning, playful glare. "Yes, darling, I'm here. ...Heehee, I love you, too, sweetcakes—"
An indignant squawk so loud it hissed over his cell phone, "Do NOT call me sweetcakes!"
"Sugar plum!"
"ARTEMIS!"
"Geeze, you're grouchy today." Artemis pouted, fingers tapping lightly against the counter's surface in no particular rhythm. "...Anyway. Are you coming to dinner? ...Yes, tonight! ...You forgot? ...Predictable. ...I love you, too," he said dryly.
Riku blinked, brows furrowing, and his eyes followed the line of Sora's body as the younger man reached up into a cabinet, standing on his tiptoes as his hands curled around a stack of shiny plates. The brunette's body was really lean, slender, his waist small enough that Riku was sure his hands could fit comfortably around it. Hmm...
Artemis was coyly winking at him.
Realizing that his gaze had drifted farther down to Sora's cute little tush, Riku's face blossomed into a fine blush, and he cast a pointed glare at Artemis so hard that the older man shivered, waving a hand in surrender before continuing to chat on his cell.
"Hey—! Pay attention, Riku!" Sora suddenly pushed some plates into his hands. "Come on, lay those on all the seats around the table, I'll get the silverware and stuff, m'kay?"
"...okay..."
But just as Riku was leaving the kitchen, he heard the sharp snap of a cellphone closing, followed by an amused laugh from Artemis.
"Runie's on his way."
"What happened?" Seiya wondered, stuffing a large bowl of warm biscuits into the man's hands.
Sora and Riku watched as Artemis grinned, easily handling the bowl in one arm. "He got caught up in his videogames. You know how he gets sometimes."
An "Ahhh" of understanding resounded in the kitchen, and once again Riku felt completely out of the loop and like a total foreigner. San and Cloud returned to the kitchen, and Riku followed Sora into the dining room, and the next few minutes were pure chaos, two tiny children weaving amongst adults as everyone worked together to set the very large table.
Family dinner was something Riku had never had the chance to appreciate, for his parents always preferred eating out alone, leaving him to fend for himself or order delivery with the money they would leave him. He knew that some time in his past his family must have eaten together, at least a handful of times, but he couldn't recall any specific memories.
He felt so... different here, because of that...
"Sora, you and Riku can sit here—OH, Sora! You forgot to take his coat!"
Riku's silver head rose in surprise as hands were suddenly grabbing at him again. He did consider telling them it was alright, but he realized that eating with his coat on was probably a little impolite, though he hadn't really dressed for a family dinner... Managing a small, polite smile at Seiya and Sora as they hurriedly unbuttoned and removed his long overcoat, he tried to hide his awkwardness at being the center of attention again.
"Oh, wow, look at you!" Seiya giggled, stepping back to get a good look at Riku without his excessive coat. Underneath, he was wearing what he'd worn to the university earlier that day—and for a second he cursed himself for not spending more time at home, at least to change. While everyone else was wearing colorful warm sweaters and pajama pants and such—except for Sora who was still in his work uniform, and Artemis who had on a simple, conservative black turtleneck and a pair of jeans—Riku stood out in his expensive black corduroys and gray clingy cashmere turtleneck. Very anti-seasonal.
Though Sora had already seen Riku coatless back at the café, Riku hadn't been standing, and hadn't been in this comfortable/uncomfortable atmosphere, surrounded by people, and...
Well, he was very unnerved by all the stares he was receiving now, especially Artemis from across the room... and whilst everyone else didn't mind ogling Riku the Stranger, Cloud seemed very nonchalant, casting him a quick glance before looking away again, pushing his tiny brother and sister to their seats at the table.
Riku knew he was good-looking by normal standards—goodness, he'd gotten enough love confessions in his youth even with his cold demeanor, so he understood that... but did people have to stare?
"You probably don't have any color in your wardrobe, do you?" Sora teased, blue eyes bright as he smiled at Riku.
"Sometimes," was his simple answer.
The brunette blinked once at the fact that Riku had answered, then grinned, prodding his side and ushering him to sit down. "C'mon, you can sit next to me."
"Ooo! Ooo! I want to sit next to Riku, too!"
"Waaaah! No, Artemis, you great big meanie! I wanna sit next to Riku! He's got myyyy name!"
"Move it, twerp, don't make me get nasty—HEY, don't pull my hair! Owww!"
"Grrrr! Take that!"
"OW! Stop beating me!"
Riku stared on in amusement as Rikku giggled, continuing to kick the British man's shins, and finally Artemis snarled and reached down, picking up the girl, who issued a delighted shriek and began pulling his hair again. Riku winced slightly, his ears sensitive and unused to such loud shrieking, but no one in the room noticed as they laughed and situated themselves down at the table.
"Come here, Rikku, sit next to me," San said softly, holding open his arms.
"Okaaaay!" the blonde pouted, hurrying over to her father, and he boosted her up into her chair.
"That's a good girl," he soothed, long fingers moving through her hair, and she beamed a smile, clapping her hands giddily and looking around the table with bright green eyes. Riku stared at her for a moment, suddenly nostalgic, and it wasn't until Artemis sat down beside him that he shifted uncomfortably, green eyes shifting to Sora for some sort of rescue signal.
Either the brunette didn't notice or he was having too much fun at Riku's expense by letting the British man torture him—though Riku thought it was probably the former. "Runie should be here anyyyy minute!"
"Runnniieee!" Rikku squealed excitedly. "Runiiieeee! Runie's coming?! Uncle Ru-nie!"
Seiya smiled warmly at her daughter, San chuckled, and Artemis mocked choking, running a finger across his neck in a gesture of killing himself. Riku raised a quizzical eyebrow at him, to which Artemis merely grinned and patted his head as if he were a mere child, which earned a scowl in response—gone ignored, of course.
"Runie's not so great, now, Rikku," Artemis assured the child.
"YES, he IS!" Rikku cried indignantly, lower lip pouting out sharply.
"Shhh, Rikku," San said softly. "Keep it down, okay?"
"Nyahhhhh!" Artemis pulled down on his right eye, sticking out his tongue.
"Oooooo! MEANIE!"
"Pfffttt—yeah, right." Artemis dried his voice conspiratorially. "We both know that I wear the pants—"
"Thanks, Art," came a dry voice, and everyone jumped and whirled, startled, as they had been intent on the conversation between child and man. "I'll be sure not to let you sleep over tonight."
"What?! Ack, nooo!" Artemis cried, and he leaped onto his...
Boyfriend?
Riku frowned.
The newcomer—obviously Rairune—was... short. A head shorter than Artemis and Riku, give or take. Even shorter than Sora. But... his cute features made up for it, and though girly, he was quite attractive. His hair was a deep chestnut brown, what looked like natural red highlights glimmering from its layered depths beneath the dining room table lights. The young man's eyes were a deep, chocolate brown, almond-shaped and very gorgeous. His lips looked as if they might have been made to smile, but at the moment, they were pressed into a thin line, and his face was contorted into a glare directed at the British man.
"Get off me."
"I love you!" Artemis chirped, nuzzling cheeks with him and clinging to the smaller body.
Riku's eyebrows rose in response, and he could feel his cheeks warming, so he turned his head, embarrassed. He missed Sora's contemplative look, as well as Seiya's devious grin, both of whom were studying the silver-haired stranger closely.
"Ugh... I don't know why I bother with you..."
"Because you love me, too!"
"...whatever."
Artemis only grinned, squeezing him tighter, as if he were a cute stuffed animal, and hearts were practically shooting out of his eyes.
"I think Runie's been taking lessons from Leon again," Sora snerked, and the newcomer's glare immediately settled on him, softening a little.
"I'm sorry I almost forgot to come."
"Runie!"
"Uncle RUNIE!"
Riku watched with slight amusement as two small bodies collided with Runie's legs. For a moment he sympathized with the smaller man, who looked a little awkward with Sion and Rikku clinging to him now—he looked a lot like Riku had earlier. And, Riku mused with relief, he now wasn't the only one not dressed for a family dinner, as Rairune had on wine-colored leather pants and a black hoodie that had a red arrow pointing southward. Very, uh... lewd.
The small man grimaced as Sion and Rikku tugged on the sleeves of his hoodie and, along with Artemis' insistent push, moved him toward the dining table where everyone else was already seated. Riku noticed Artemis' hand slip a few times behind Runie, each time causing a new shade of red to cross the smaller man's face, though it didn't seem like anyone else noticed or cared. Definitely boyfriends.
"We're glad you could make it, sweetie," Seiya beamed. With her words, it was like the tension evaporated, San and the rest of the family talking again almost immediately, laughter bubbling around the table as conversations started up, but Riku kept his gaze focused on the newcomer and his boyfriend.
It wasn't until Rairune was almost to his chair that he noticed Riku was even there, those brown eyes widening in surprise as he paused there next to Artemis' chair.
"This is Riku," Sora chirped—
To which Artemis automatically added, "Sora's friend," as he made little quotation marks with his fingers.
Sora promptly nudged him, blushing, and while that innuendo didn't escape Riku, he found it hard to keep back a smile of his own. Even Runie had a small, amused tilt to his lips. Looking away from the other men, Riku caught Seiya's careful gaze, one of her eyes coming down in an encouraging wink.
Oh God.
They were all against him!
Riku lowered his head, scowling a little into his empty plate, feeling slightly... violated.
"Let's um—let's just say Grace!" Sora said hurriedly, holding out his hands, the tips of his ears a bright red. Seiya grasped his hand, and Sion grabbed hers, and Rikku grabbed his—and on and on around the table until everyone was looking expectantly at Riku, who had yet to hold on to Sora and Artemis' hands.
Blinking slowly, curious, and if he admitted it to himself, a bit nervous, he cautiously held up his hands. Sora's fingers brushed his hesitantly, then clasped firmly, and he frowned, lowering his eyes like everyone else when a little knot twisted in his stomach. Artemis's touch was unlike Sora's own, however—he grabbed all too eagerly, beaming like a bright bulb on a Christmas tree, and it took a moment for Riku to realize that the glare burning into his temple was coming from Rairune's direction.
He ignored it. It wasn't his fault Artemis was a lech.
Grace was said by Sora, and then they were muttering Amen and beginning to pass the respective bowls around the dinner table, laughing and chattering away as if it were an ordinary occurrence to have one such as Riku here, and maybe it wasn't so abnormal for them to dine with a complete and total stranger. The college student remained quiet, only answering a question if spoken to, green eyes flitting over the merry faces and the brightly knit sweaters. The food, he noticed, tasted superb, cooked with love, something he hadn't ever experienced before.
It took him a long moment to realize that he was jealous, and when he did, he immediately felt ashamed of himself. ...Jealousy... Well... maybe he couldn't consider himself above it, but...
"So how's Leon faring, Sora?" Seiya jabbered, taking a bite of her green beans and then waving her fork around enthusiastically. "Still Mr. Scrooge?"
"For the most part," Sora replied with a laugh, shaking his head. "But I know he's a big softy. He even let me off work early today!"
"Why didn't he come tonight?" came a new voice.
Riku glanced up and it took him a moment to realize that Cloud had spoken. The older man hadn't looked up from his dinner to speak.
"He took the last shift tonight," Sora explained. "And no one else could take over. Besides, I think he knew we were going to invite him, so he made himself busy."
"Sly bastard isn't he?"
"Mommy what's a bastard?"
"Artemis, don't use that kind of language at the table!"
"Oops, sorry Seiya. Kids, a bastard is a type of fruit."
"..."
Laughter pooled around the table again, only broken by the clinking of forks and knives on porcelain. Riku ate very quietly, glad too many people weren't trying to bring him into the changing conversations. Though he did find himself wanting to ask questions, he didn't, thinking that probably after tonight he'd never meet Sora again anyway, or have to suffer through another family gathering like this.
Leon had the right idea, skipping out on this hectic dinner.
With that thought in mind, Riku took a bite of cranberry jelly—
GROPE.
—and promptly dropped his fork onto the table, yelping.
All the occupants of the table ceased in their conversation, staring up at Riku with wide, curious eyes, brows raised. Rikku blinked twice, mashed potatoes coating her lower face, Sion ignored the world around him and chewed on a piece of turkey, fingers covered in jelly. Seiya, San, and Cloud remained paused with their forks halfway to their mouths. Sora and Rairune looked suitably confused.
And Artemis smiled darkly at him, brown eyes twinkling with mirth.
Riku ducked his head, an embarrassed blush covering his face, and after a few seconds the family shifted, easily falling back into their conversation from before. Artemis's hand still remained on his thigh, however, as he chatted with San cheerfully, and the silver-haired man subtly lowered his fork beneath the table when he was certain all eyes were off him.
STAB!
"BLOODY HELL—"
The hand promptly fled.
Seiya huffed. "Artemis, what did I just say about language?!"
And the children crowed. "Bloody hell, bloody hell! Heeeeee!"
"Oh dear..." San laughed, shaking his blonde head as everyone giggled around the table.
"S-Sorry Seiya!" Artemis grinned, though his expression was riddled with pain.
But did Riku feel guilty? Oh no. He smiled to himself, forking himself some mashed potatoes as Artemis inspected his wounded hand. This time Rairune's glare was set on his boyfriend, and the British man wilted under it.
"I love you, muffin?" he whispered.
"Hmrph," came the return hiss. "I'd like to see you try and get anything tonight."
The rest of dinner went relatively smooth with few incidents and Riku found himself relaxing and opening up a little more as the night went on. Even when the plates were cleaned and the family remained sitting to chat, Riku didn't mind, enjoying the old stories that were passed along. He heard about the time Sora used to think there was a troll living in his closet and used to sleep with a plastic lightsaber to protect himself at night, and the time Artemis was bit on the butt by a large dog and spent two hours answering questions to the police before he could be rushed to the hospital, and the time Rairune and Cloud were forced to cross-dress their senior year of high school and were suspended for 'being a distraction.'
More than a few times Riku found himself mesmerized by the sound of rich laughter, sounding in unison, echoing in the cozy dining room. This place was warm, so friendly... So unlike what he was used to. Yes, that nagging inside of him was jealousy, but...
This atmosphere... It almost scared him, too. It was infectious. Even Cloud and Rairune, who at times seemed more sullen than Riku, were laughing with the others, eyes bright with mirth and love for the occasion.
And when Riku wasn't a part of the joke, or couldn't crack a smile...
It hurt.
When storytelling time and dessert was all over, Riku felt himself sink with relief, his stomach full and his heart feeling rather... floaty.
Now he could go home and sleep through the rest of the holiday and everything would be okay again. Or not okay, since his life lacked the color, the love that this family seemed to possess...
He rose from his chair as the rest of the group began to take plates and dishes to the kitchen, Artemis even joining in on the cleaning as Runie and Seiya stood off to the side to talk. Riku didn't just want to leave like this, without a word, so he thought he should at least thank the woman for the fine meal, and apologize to Sora...
But as he was approaching Seiya, two warm bodies attached to his legs, making him nearly topple over. He turned his waist, looking down to find Rikku and Sion beaming up at him with large, expectant eyes.
"You're going to stay, aren't you? Aren't you? Huh, huh?"
"C'mon, Mr. Ri-ku!"
Oh great.
Riku grimaced, his smile rather pained. "I don't think so, I really..."
"Pleeeeease?"
Twitch.
He glanced up, looking for help, only to find Seiya gleaming at him with a look that basically said, If you disappoint my kids, I'll tie you up in the basement and torture you with cooking utensils! And give Artemis free reign over your body. Fufufu...
And that, he decided, was a frightening concept.
Wilting under Seiya's look, he glanced away, catching Sora's eyes. The boy panicked for a second before grabbing another dish and hurrying to the kitchen, an embarrassed smile on his face.
Something about that shyness in Sora stirred Riku's curiosity, and that more than anything made up his mind.
"Alright... It's pretty late anyway," he said quietly, immediately flinching when the children gave loud squeals of excitement.
Seiya flashed him a bright smile. "Great! Riku's staying! How about you, Runie? Or are you..."
Looking suddenly like he'd been caught red-handed for something, Rairune quickly shook his head, cheeks coloring. He curled his hands into his hoodie, giving a small, pleased smile. "No, Artemis is staying over at my place."
"Ohhh, that's right!" the woman giggled, reaching forward to ruffle Runie's layered hair, the boy surprisingly not pulling away. "Well, you boys have fun, okay? Just be sure to visit sometime before Christmas is over."
A quick nod. "Alright."
That was when Artemis came sweeping out of the kitchen, grinning ear-to-ear as he gathered Runie up in a big hug. "Alright, we're set to go!"
"Murgh.. Let go," was Runie's response, his disgruntled look only half of what it had been before dinner had started. The shorter man glanced around, catching Riku's watchful gaze, and flushed, sinking into Artemis' embrace. "..."
Artemis grinned over at Riku, mussing Runie's hair, who squirmed angrily, definitely a different response from when Seiya had done it. "He gets embarrassed in public easily, hehe," Artemis explained, pinching his boyfriend's nose. "Don't you?"
"Artemiiiiissss..."
"Ack, don't bite!" Artemis promptly released the other man, grinning sheepishly over at Riku. "Well, it was nice grop—I mean, meeting you, Riku," he said, and here he winked, slinging an arm over his seething boyfriend as he steered toward the door. "Ahahaha..."
"Bye Uncle Artemis! Uncle Runie!" Rikku called, releasing Riku to chase after them, Sion following her tracks.
"Come back soon! BYE!"
"See you, kids!" Seiya called, smiling brightly as he crossed her arms over her chest, watching after them.
Riku gave a small wave as Runie glanced back at him, both of them smiling a little when Artemis was putting on his coat and not looking.
"See y'all later!" the British man grinned, blowing kisses at Riku and Seiya before swooping down to kiss the children on their cheeks. "MWAH! Behave, okay, and don't hang on Riku—he's Sora's okay?"
"Okay!"
As Riku gave a withering glare at that, Artemis grinned and Runie giggled, heading out the front door together... and then they were gone, leaving Riku as the main guest of this crazy family.
But thankfully, someone had decided to take pity on him.
"C'mon kids, bed time!"
"Aww, Daddy!"
San laughed as he came from the kitchen, patting the kids on their heads. "No whining, it's time for bed," he said. "Give everyone kisses."
"Muu..."
"Alright..."
Rikku and Sion immediately bounced over to their mother, getting separate kisses before they were pushed over to Riku, Sion looking shy and Rikku brimming with excitement.
"Kiss!" she giggled, holding her arms up.
What the...? He was actually expected to kiss these children goodnight?
Not wanting to risk another scary look from Seiya, Riku knelt, studying their young faces quietly. They attacked simultaneously, wet lips smudging his cheeks before they both giggled and ran off, bumping into Sora who was on his way out of the kitchen.
"Ack, slow down!" he laughed, bending over to kiss them without prompting. "Sleep well and don't give Dad any trouble, or Santa won't bring you presents tomorrow night!"
Riku rose back to his feet just as the kids were running off again, his gaze meeting Sora's, who gave his usual smile, this time free of embarrassment. Wiping his wet cheeks with his long sleeve, Riku managed a small smile in return, so as to not discourage the brunette.
Seiya brushed past Riku, giving a quiet laugh as she pat his shoulder, moving towards Sora and the kitchen. "Well, you two go ahead and set up for bed. I'll help Cloud with the dishes. Goodnight!"
And just like that, he was alone with Sora again. Actually, it was a comforting type of loneliness, one he hadn't really appreciated until now, after such a hectic night with kittens and orphans with more to be thankful than Riku did, gay men with idle hands, and a crazy family with too much happiness to spare.
Oh yes, he was ready to sleep. Sleep like a log.
He gladly followed Sora as the younger man led him into the warm living room, the twinkling Christmas tree almost mocking Riku with its happy colors. The radio had sometime been turned off, and the shutters were closed over the fireplace, the remaining embers in the log stand glowing with a soothing orange.
They were going to sleep in here?
As though Riku had asked aloud, "Sion has my room now," Sora explained as he stacked the couch cushions off to the side and motioned for Riku to help him unfold the couch-bed. "So I've been sleeping here."
They heaved the frame out, its old springs and metal skeleton groaning in the quiet air. Sora smoothed out the few blankets that were already covering the tattered mattress.
"There," he said, stepping back. "Alright, this way—"
"So you're just visiting?" Riku questioned curiously, following Sora to the closet to grab the pillows and blankets they would need for the night.
"Yeah, just staying for Christmas break. Don't wanna stay at the dorm." Flashing a grin over his shoulder, Sora tossed him four pillows. "Mom's always prepared, see?"
Riku nodded, eyeing the closet stuffed full with towels, wash cloths, quilts, comforters, and pillows of all sizes and shapes. He raised an eyebrow slowly, amused, but his heart gave a strange twist of pain at the sight of all the worn items. Back at his house, his closet was nearly bare, filled only with a few towels for if he ever had a guest stay the night... and not one ever had. He preferred it that way, too. ...Didn't he?
A quilt hit his face.
"!" Brows furrowing sharply, Riku shook his head free of it and glared over its soft, worn surface at Sora, who was laughing and closing the closet door with his foot, arms full with pillows and blankets.
"You looked zoned out. So I thought... why not hit you with something, right?"
Riku's glare did not soften.
"Oh, c'mon, it was just a blanket!" Sora mocked. "It didn't really hurt, did it?"
"No," Riku muttered angrily. "But that's not the point, Sora."
"Heehee." Sora stuck his tongue out playfully. "So? I think it is!"
Rolling his eyes, Riku followed him back into the living room, and they began to make their bed for the night. The silver-haired boy wasn't certain how he felt about sleeping in the same bed with somebody, but the family was nice enough, and he... didn't think he'd get raped in his sleep or anything.
He shook his head, issuing a soft sigh. No, he would be all right. There was nothing to worry about, even if he felt really strange and... awkward in this warm, cozy atmosphere.
Riku's fingers ran over the velvety surface of the quilts, and he looked at Sora questioningly. "Did you really buy all of these?"
"Nope! Mom made 'em." Sora laughed, hitting his pillows to fluff them up, then tossed them casually at the head of the bed. "You don't mind sleeping on this lump of rocks, do you? I know you're probably used to better beds, but our house is small, and... well..." He trailed off, but instead of looking sad, his smile was fond... affectionate. He really loved his family, and it was very noticeable.
Uncomfortable suddenly, Riku looked down and shook his head. "No, I don't mind." In truth, he didn't know how to feel about the whole bed-couch matter. After all, his furniture did not have them, and he had never slept on one before. He hadn't even seen one in his life.
Riku supposed the reason he was taking this whole night in easy stride was because it was... well... different. Something new and refreshing from the miserable life he led back at his house. Anywhere was better than that... that suffocating Hellhole.
"C'mon, Ri-ku!" Sora chirped, and Riku glanced up, blinking as he was drawn from his thoughts. "Let's get some sleep. It's been a looong night." His lips spread into a familiar grin.
"Sure," Riku replied softly, distantly, and complied by helping pull back the covers and climbing into bed.
"Oh, wait!" Sora suddenly exclaimed. "Clothes! You can't just sleep in those!"
Riku blinked, startled, and glanced up at Sora. It took a moment for him to digest what the brunette had said, but by then Sora was already hurrying up the stairs.
"Sora—it's fine!" Riku called after him as he disappeared to the second floor.
"No, it's not!" came Sora's muffled voice in return, and then silence.
Riku heaved another sigh, this one more soft, and allowed his eyes to shift to the Christmas tree brightly illuminated by colorful lights. The poor thing looked as if they had smothered it, along with the ornaments dangling freely from about every available space of branch.
He plopped down on his back, placing his hands to his forehead, and gazed up at the ceiling. What was he doing here? He didn't fit. He was... definitely out of place. This was—this was all insane.
Minutes later Sora came hurrying back down the steps—
"Sora, don't run!"
"Sorry, Mom!" Thud, thud, thud, thud!
—And came into view carrying a bundle of old clothing in his arms. He grinned sheepishly, setting them down beside Riku and rubbing the back of his head. "Here—Dad's letting you borrow some of his pajamas."
Riku lowered his hands, looking at Sora with a quirked eyebrow, then shook his head and took the proffered clothing, heading in the general direction of a bathroom.
"The left, Riku, not the right!"
He turned a sharp left, clearing his throat in embarrassment, and gave Sora a thankful nod before finding the bathroom a few feet down. He took off his clothes and began pulling on the pajamas—which were admittedly comfortable. There was a large shirt, white and covered in a giant Christmas tree...
"..."
...a gray sweater with a hole at one of the elbows...
"..."
...and a pair of green plaid boxers...
"..."
Riku stared at his reflection, fingertips running briefly over the shadows lurking beneath his eyes, and he shook his head, gathering up his clothing and stepping out of the bathroom. Turning off the light and shutting the door quietly behind him, he padded softly back into the living room, opening his mouth to thank Sora for being so thoughtful—
But the boy was already asleep beneath the covers, back facing Riku, soft snores filling the quiet, comfortable air.
Shaking his head again, Riku set his clothes down on the arm of the couch on his side of the bed, then crawled into it and rolled over so that his back faced Sora's. Slowly, his eyes drifted closed, and he nodded off to sleep.
Or so he thought.
An indeterminable amount of time later, and Riku's eyes were shooting open, staring into the darkness of the living room. The Christmas tree lights were off, meaning Seiya or San had probably unplugged them sometime earlier, and this was fine, but... but... Something had woken him up...
There was a butt rubbing against his.
Eyebrow twitching, Riku glanced over his shoulder to see Sora mewling softly, clinging to a pillow, lips curved into a happy little smile. The silver-haired male could feel his cheeks growing almost unbearably hot, and he sat up, gently pushing Sora away and giving the two some much-needed space. Ignoring the whimper of protest, Riku numbly rolled back over and allowed his eyes to flutter closed again.
Sleep.
Riku's eyes shot open for the second time that night. Sora's butt was rubbing against his again.
"...!"
"Muuuuuuu..." Sora mewled behind him, and giggled in his sleep. "...Muuuuuuu... Mmm..."
Dear God...!
Lips pressing into a thin line, Riku again sat up and moved Sora a safe distant away. Twitching and holding his hands out firmly, Riku huffed, bangs fluttering up at the gust of breath, and yanked the covers over his shoulder as he settled back down to sleep. It claimed him easily.
"!"
Riku shivered, hands groping around for the blankets, but he found none available. Growling softly in his throat, Riku snatched them up in his hands after discovering that Sora was hogging them, and he pulled to receive some, but—
"Nu!" Sora huffed in his sleep, clinging to them firmly.
"Sora!" Riku hissed. "Give me the blankets!"
"Nuuuuu!" Loud protesting.
Riku frantically released them, making soft shushing noises, and patted Sora's shoulder gently to reassure the sleeping form that he had possession of the blankets. The brunette's snoring echoed around him, and after making sure that Sora's yelling hadn't woken anyone in the house up, Riku sighed and rolled back over, curling into a ball and shivering. Sleep didn't claim him so easily this time.
"... Mmm..." Riku hummed, eyes slowly fluttering open. He felt warm... and really comfortable... But why? Had he managed to wrest some of the covers away from Sora while he had been asleep?
"Muuuu..." came a soft mewl—
Right next to his ear.
Suddenly more alert, Riku noticed that a pair of slender arms were around him and hugging him to a chest. His cheeks immediately flamed in a burning blush, and he choked in surprise, coughing violently in an attempt to gain his breath back.
"Sora...!" he gasped, sitting up and fighting furiously to disentangle Sora's limbs from his owns, but the brunette clung tightly, opening his mouth and unleashing a loud snore... and a full-frontal drool.
"Oh, gross..." Riku muttered, but his disgust was drowned out by how warm Sora's body was. It was... like a furnace. Comfortable, cozy, like this house, and...
Riku's eyes drooped heavily as his adrenaline left his body in a sudden rush. He sleepily fell back on his side, giving a jaw-cracking yawn, and Sora happily mewled, cuddling into his back and wrapping around Riku more securely.
Oh, fuck it... Riku thought drowsily. Sleep came as easily as it had the first time.
"Mrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrroooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwww."
Riku's eyes blinked open, and he stifled a sleepy yawn, running a hand over his face and into his hair. Sniffing, he licked his dry lips and tried to force away the nice, warm haze covering his mind.
"Mrrrrrrrowwwwwwww."
"Hm?"
Riku abruptly realized that a gigantic furball comprised of black, brown, and white colors was settled on his chest, and it was purring as it blinked amber eyes at him. A tail flicked idly behind it, and—claw-less?—front paws rubbed on his chest as it opened its mouth to issue another loud Mrrow.
"Jesus!" Riku yelped in surprise, sitting up and scrambling back, only to find himself suddenly on the floor seconds later and wincing as his elbow and tailbone throbbed in protest to this abuse. He hissed in pain.
"Mrrrrow." The cat stuck its butt up in the air and climbed onto Sora's chest next, who was waking up drowsily from the sharp, resounding thud Riku's body had managed to create as it kissed the floor.
"Ummm?" Sora blinked tired blue eyes over the side of the bed. "Who are you?"
"..."
There was a long silence in which Riku gaped at Sora, jaw hanging open, eyes wide with disbelief.
How the hell could Sora put Riku through all that last night and not remember who he was?!
Brows drawing together in an angry glare, Riku held up a finger to ask him this—
"OH! Riiiiiku!" Sora breathed sleepily, smiling over the edge of the bed. "Sorry, brainfart, hehe. What're you doing on the floor...?"
"..."
"Mrrrrow..."
"Oh, hey Izzy," Sora crooned, running his hands through the cat's fur. "Hewwo my lil perverted kitty..."
Puuuuurr.
"..."
"Yesh, you're so cuuute... Smooch."
"...Sora...?"
"Oh, yeah?"
"...never mind."
"Hehe, you're so weird, Riku."
"..."
"C'mon, Izzy. Let's see if Mommy's awake and has breakfast!" Sora continued to croon, picking up his giant cat and cradling her as he slid out of bed, stretching his back. "Ohhh man, I slept great last night!"
"Mrrrrow..."
Riku considered throwing himself back into the couch-bed and sleeping until noon, but he realized that, with this family, it was probably not a wise thing to try. With a small groan, he climbed to his feet, raking a hand through his hair.
He glanced up to find Sora staring at him, the cat in his arms. "Wow, Riku."
"What?" he muttered. When he went to scratch his stomach, he remembered just what he had worn to bed, and sighed. "..."
"Hee, you fit right into my family now!" Sora said, and it seemed the cat agreed too, for her purring could be heard even from across the room.
"...I'm going to go get dressed," Riku grumbled, gathering his folded clothes in his arms as he got to his feet. "And then I'm going home. To sleep. Through the entire holiday."
"Waii! That reminds me! Happy Christmas Eve!"
"Mrrrow!"
Did nothing deter this man?
Riku sighed a quiet, "You too," before he brushed past Sora to head to the bathroom down the hall.
Unfortunately the bathroom was occupied when he reached it. The light was on and the door was open, so Riku just peeked right in, clothing tucked in the crook of one arm.
"Hello?"
"Ah—" Cloud suddenly glanced up, eyes wide, a short pencil hovering in front of his face. "Oh, you..." he sighed, almost in relief. He pressed the pencil to his eyelid as he returned his gaze back to the large mirror in front of him. "Riku, was it? Sorry, I'll be out in a minute."
Riku stared, blinking a few times in silence before he deemed it safe to ask. "Is that... eyeliner...?"
"Mm-hm."
"Ah."
He fell silent again, shifting his weight from foot to foot. Cloud seemed like he would answer some of Riku's questions without letting it get back to Sora... He didn't know why, but as glad as he was that he was going to be rid of this family in a few minutes when he left, he still wanted to know more about them. From the stories he'd heard last night during the dinner, he knew a few things, but...
"Hey, Cloud..."
"Yeah?"
"...is Sora gay?"
"..." At this, Cloud smirked, looking up at Riku through amused blue eyes. "You spent an entire evening with him, ate dinner with his family, and slept in the same bed as him... and you still don't know?"
"I just wanted to make sure," Riku replied in a flat voice, eyes narrowing slightly.
The blonde laughed, finishing up his makeup. "Well, yeah, he is. He dated Artemis and Rairune before they got together. He's single, if you can't tell. My mom's been determined to hook him up again and you're the new victim. Couldn't you tell?"
"...yeah, I could."
"And what do you think of my little brother?"
"I'm not gay."
Another laugh this time, more of out disbelief now. Cloud put his various things away, brushing a hand through his spiky hair as he got to his feet from his stool, standing a few inches taller than Riku. A crooked smile was on his face as he gave Riku a once-over.
"Not gay, huh? Is that a statement of denial or have you just never tried?"
Riku's eyes hardened into a glare. "Whatever."
"You sound a lot like Leon now." Cloud's smile spread. "Well, I hope you had fun last night. You'll be subjected to more of that now that my mom knows your name and what you look like. She can be pretty obsessive, you know."
"Great."
"Yeah. Well, I have to get to work. Sora should be leaving soon too," Cloud sighed, and that was when Riku noticed he was wearing a sky blue polo shirt and black work slacks.
"...where do you work?"
"Diamond Dust," Cloud replied easily, turning back to the mirror to mess with his hair.
Riku cracked a smirk at that. "So Sora works with coffee... and you work with ice cream. I didn't see you as the friendly ice cream man type."
"I'm not," Cloud said, returning the smirk as he moved away from the mirror, heading to the door. "Anyway, maybe I'll see you around."
Riku brushed past him into the bathroom, shrugging. "Sure." And then he was closing the door behind him and stripping, eager to get back into his own clothes and away from this stiflingly friendly place.
"Ahhh! I'm gonna be late! Late late late late LATE, and Larxy is going to THROTTLE ME!"
Sora was rushing back and forth across the house as Riku stood by the door, waiting for him, hiding a smile at the other man's panicking. He stuffed a piece of toast in his mouth as he hopped on one purple-socked foot, tugging an orange sock on the other. When he got it on, nearly falling into the Christmas tree as he did so, he scarfed down the rest of his toast, looking around wildly.
Through his full mouth he managed to cry a muffled version of, "Where the heck are my shoes?!" just as his mother came from the kitchen with a small keychain.
"Sora, give this to Leon—"
"Okay, Mom!" Sora gasped, grabbing the small gift—
"And this one to Riku—" she whispered, to where Riku couldn't overhear.
Sora's eyes widened in surprise at what it was, but he nodded, grabbing that one too and stuffing them both into his coat.
"Argh, shoes, shoes..." He hurried into the hall where Riku was still waiting.
"In here," Riku said quietly, pointing to the obvious shoe rack by the door.
"D'oh! ThankyouRikuIloooveyou!" he breathed, snatching them up, grabbing onto Riku's arm with one hand as he used his other to slip his shoes on like a pro. He'd obviously done this many times before. He beamed up at Riku when he was done, cheeks rosy from running around for the past half-hour in a panic. "Alright, let's go—!"
"Sora, make sure you call if you stay out!"
"Alright, Mom! See ya!" And Sora promptly grabbed Riku's other arm, snatching a colorful scarf and a pair of earmuffs from the wall rack, and dragged him out the door, heaving a huge sigh of relief. "Oh man, I'd better hurry," he laughed, glancing up at Riku again with bright eyes. "Larxene—the manager—she will throttle me if I'm late! Leon's used to it, but she can get kinda scary!"
Riku gave a soft laugh, shaking his head as they hurried to the sidewalk, the door slamming behind them. "Yeah, you better hurry..."
But Sora did the opposite, slowing his walk suddenly and pulling Riku to a stop as well. "Hey, um..."
"Yeah?" Riku turned, regarding the younger man with curious eyes, taking in Sora's flushed face, askew scarf, and worried expression.
Putting on a bright smile, Sora started to fix his scarf, adjusting it properly. "Well, I really had fun with you," he admitted, looking away as he continued to smile. "I don't just want you to walk away and... Well, it'd be awesome if we could be friends!"
Riku blinked, looking a bit muffed. He had been expecting to just walk away and go back to his normal, boring life, actually... But...
That was a bit selfish.
He did have some fun last night, hadn't he...? Sora was great company...
If Riku did walk away now, would it haunt him? Would he regret disappointing him?
"Sora..."
Taking Riku's tone of voice the right way, Sora jumped in, waving his hands. "I know I dragged you into all this, but I do want to get to know you better! Maybe just the two us? I know it would be a lot better than being alone, wouldn't it? Riku?"
Yeah... It would be better than being alone. Definitely. But...
"Sora, I'm not ga—"
But he cut himself off, blinking as those blue eyes widened expectantly at him, pleadingly, Sora's fingers curling tightly into his arm.
And he couldn't do it. He couldn't disappoint him.
"...sure...when are you free?"
Sora's body sagged with relief, his eyes shining with gratitude. "Five. Leon's taking over the last part of my shift," he replied, releasing Riku's arm with a smile. "Thank you so much! I didn't want to spend tonight at home... Cloud's going out tonight, and Art and Runie will be together, and I didn't want to be with my parents and the kids, so..."
Riku nodded, understanding, feeling a strange warmth settle on his heart. "Yeah, I get it. I'm not a fun person, so you'll have to do the planning," he warned.
"That's alright!" Sora assured, grinning. "I'll take care of it! You just show up at five!"
"Okay..."
But then Sora practically leapt onto him, eyes wide as he cried, "OHMIGOD! I'M GONNA BE LATE!"
And he was, by a few minutes. Riku and he separated down one of the main streets, waving goodbyes, Riku disappearing down the block with a parting smile. This alone was enough to inflate Sora's spirits and realize that, even if he was late, it'd been worth it.
He had a date tonight! With a hot guy!
Though, this was dampened a bit by the time Sora got to the Red Nocturne Café, for Larxene had a mad gleam in her eye.
"You're laaaate!"
"Muu, it's Christmas Eve!" he pouted as he came through the jingling door, a few of the morning patrons looking up as he arrived. He threw off his scarf and coat and earmuffs in the back, grabbed his apron and put it on. When he returned to the front, Larxene was tending to a customer, so Sora was free from punishment, if she had been about to give it at all.
He practically danced around the café all morning and early afternoon, mind swimming with images of last night and happy imaginings of later. A few times he caught himself singing as he worked, and though this wasn't a rare occurrence for a worker like Sora, it was a little more upbeat than usual today. Patrons brushed it off as seasonal spirit, but Larxene knew him better than that.
Sometime around four-thirty when he was dancing with his broom a little too enthusiastically, she let on the question.
"Get laid last night?"
He twirled around her, singing, "Must be dreeeeeam—" And then he stopped, her words sinking in. Ah, he had been asked a question. "Oh, what?" And then the meaning of her words sank in. "WHAT?! NO! I, err..." and he trailed off, flushing, sweeping the floor more normally. "A person can't be happy these days?"
"Sora, you're already happy. Always," she pointed out, waving a chewed-on straw in his direction as she smirked at him. "Something's going on with you."
Once again picturing Riku's shy smile in his mind, Sora beamed, twirling with the broom. "Maaaaybe..."
"You're such a tease!"
"I'm not telling you anything!" he laughed, shaking his butt tauntingly he continued to sweep.
But a dry, slightly amused voice suddenly commented, "Real attractive, Sora."
The boy yelped, spinning with his broom to the door to find Riku standing there, looking fresh and a lot more alive than he had been this morning. A smile was even gracing his lips as he watched Sora blink in surprise. A part of him had been worried that Riku was going to skip out on him, never show up at all...
Yet here he was.
"Riku! I, oh—What time is it?!"
"Not five yet," Riku replied, brushing a gloved hand through his silver hair. "I came early. Was bored." And with that, he took a seat at the table he'd occupied the night before, not bothering to take off his trench coat.
Something about those curt words made Sora's heart swell even more, knowing that Riku had come early to be with him, even if his excuse had been boredom. Riku ordered nothing and thirty minutes passed quickly, the blonde-haired manager pulling Sora aside right before his shift ended.
"So what's with that hot guy sitting in the booth over there?" she whispered, nodding her head in Riku's direction. "You totally got all Mr. Shy when he walked in!"
Sora rubbed the back of his head and grinned. "A date. That's right, Sora has a date. Nyah!" He stuck out his tongue as he untied his apron and slipped it off.
Her eyes widened, but more out of awe than surprise. "NO WAY!"
"SHHH, keep it down!" he whispered, though his grin didn't fade. He spun into the back room, peeking his head around the edge of the doorframe to watch Riku discreetly. The other man was sitting relaxed in his booth, drumming his hand on the table as he stared out the window. He looked almost nervous.
Larxene laughed, watching him watching Riku, shaking her head. "Oh, man, Sora... You're not shitting me, are you? Wow..."
A faint red painted Sora's cheeks as he continued to stare at the silver-haired angel. "Nope... OH, and here comes Leon! Eeee! Shift is oooover!" he sang as he danced back out to the front, brimming with excitement. "Leeeeon!"
The tall brunette froze in the doorway as Sora hurried up to him, throwing his arms around him. Leon stiffened, but didn't pull away.
"Thank you thank you thank yoooouuu!"
Leon relaxed a fraction. "Sora, let go."
"Okay!"
And he did.
Sora beamed, tugging Leon to the back, away from Riku's curious stare. He picked up his coat and pulled out the two gifts his mom had given him to hand out, and he gave the small one to Leon.
"From my family," he explained quickly, tugging on his coat and planting his earmuffs on, talking louder as he did so. "I picked it out!"
"...a Tinkerbell keychain?"
"Yeah! So whenever you have a happy thought, you have pixie dust nearby!"
"...Thanks."
"You're welcome!"
Sora bounced back to the front of the café, Leon trailing behind him, Riku getting to his feet when he saw that Sora was ready to go.
"Riiiiku, Merry early Christmas!" he said, moving behind the taller man. He unraveled the squishy gift his mom had given him to give to Riku, and before Riku could turn and see what it was, he swiped the large green scarf around his neck. "There, now you'll have a warm neck," he said, pulling Riku's silver hair out from under the squishy material. He moved back around the taller boy, reaching up with cold fingers to tuck the scarf in properly. "There. You look great!"
Slowly Riku reached up to touch the scarf, fingers pressing into the velvety material in an almost fond way. He glanced down at Sora, managing a quiet smile. "Thanks. It's really soft..."
Sora's smile brightened even more. He turned to Leon, who was pulling on his apron, and threw his arms around him again.
"Thanks for taking my shift!"
"I don't see why I'm doing this for you..."
"Merry Christmas, Leon!"
"...Merry Christmas."
Sora released him, breezing back to Riku, grabbing onto his arm. "See you later! Bye, Larxene!"
"See ya!" the woman called from behind the counter, a knowing smirk on her face.
Riku studied it with a suspicious look, but then Sora was pulling him out the door, the bell jingling happily as he pushed it open. He had just enough time to glance back again, spotting Leon with a tiny Tinkerbell keychain, and a small, warm smile on his lips.
Then they were out the door...
And on their date.
To be continued...