Love Is Blind
Chapter Two
"Sora. Sora. Sora." From the room of the silver-haired boy, these soft cries could be heard.
Suddenly, his aqua-green eyes opened slightly. Riku was awake now. He closed his eyes again. He knew he had been sleep-talking, he just knew. But he was thankful that no one else heard.
Again, he dreamt of the one person he had found himself thinking about every day.
"Sora. Damn him," Riku mouthed. Haunted by the cute brunet, Riku had not had a single day without going back to thinking about his friend. He knew he shouldn't be, but he couldn't stop it, couldn't help it.
Riku couldn't recall what exactly was happening in his dream but he did know that Sora was in it. Oh, Sora. Sora with his mesmerizing eyes and smile, but most importantly he was smiling at him. And coming closer to him. That was why Riku was chanting his name, encouraging the brown-haired boy to come to him. Oh, how he wished the dream would finish.
Riku peeked out the window. The sun was just blooming with mixed colors of orange, red, yellow, and blue. Beautiful.
Sora must not be awake right now, Riku knew. Then he chastised himself. He was thinking of Sora again. Damn it. Why could he stop?
He thought of how Sora would look asleep. The blankets slashed to the side? Or on the ground? Peaceful face? Scrunched up face? Smile? Frown? Lying on his stomach? Half an arm out of the bed side? Half a leg out of the bed side? Arms and legs apart? Snoring? Drooling? What ever the image, Riku knew that Sora would be just gorgeously cute. Love is still blind after all.
He sighed and then stretched on the bed, trying to relieve himself of his tired self. After a while of resting his thoughts and recovering from his sleep, Riku swung one then both his legs to the side of his bed and got up. He changed and then headed out the door. He had picked his usual clothes; there was no need to change his tastes in clothes, which he preferred mostly black. Sometimes Riku wondered why in the world he would like Sora. Riku preferred darker colors while Sora was brighter than the sun. Sora wears red, blue, and yellow and all those bright colors. Riku liked black period. How could someone like that love someone like Sora. Well, there's something called opposites attract so Riku guessed that that must be it.
"Riku," said a soft woman's voice.
"Good morning, Mother," Riku greeted his dear mother, who had made breakfast already for him. Her mother had beautiful sea-green eyes and long silver hair, thus, is where Riku got his looks. His father was different. He was a blond with blue eyes.
Footsteps were heard coming down the stairs. "Mornin'," said Riku's father. He was smiling as he came down, dressed in his usual tee and trousers. Nothing on this island required them to dress elegantly.
Riku's father gave his wife a peck on the cheek while Riku's mother said, "Good morning," in return. Riku said morning as well.
Sometimes Riku wondered how many times people say 'morning' or 'good morning' in a year or in their lifetime. Was it really needed? Was it important to say 'good morning' to the people around you? Upon thinking about that Riku instantly thought if he had to say good morning to someone everyday of his life it would be Sora. He wouldn't mind greeting Sora everyday in the morning.
After Riku finished his breakfast, he walked outside with the wooden sword Soar gave him with him. His father had already left. Both his parents bid him a good day. They were good parents, good normal parents.
Riku decided to spar in the usual spot that he and Sora had fought many, many times. It was a clear, flat, raised plateau. They liked it. If they stood on the horizontal trunk of the Paopu Fruit tree, they could see the vast sea in clear white-shining blue. And it was even more enchanting during the sunrise and sunset. They had watched it many times, but not much alone, the two of them, but with others like Kairi and their other friends. Riku secretly wished that someday he and Sora would be able to watch the sunset together. It would be romantic...
Riku sparred by himself for a good forty-five minutest. He was good at whatever he does, or so he was told. His moves were so elegant, graceful, quick, and precise. Compared to the spiky-haired boy, Riku was definitely the better sword wielder of the two. But Riku did not think his friend was weak. Sora was not weak. Even though he looked so scrawny and small, Sora was still a good sword wielder. There were handfuls of times where Sora almost got Riku down but somehow, just for some miraculous reason, Riku always managed to reverse his losing position.
He was thinking of Sora again. Damn. It never fails. Everywhere Riku went, he would always have time to think of that brown-haired boy.
Riku stopped to sit on the ground, back resting against a coconut tree. "Sora..." he mouthed, longing to see that boy's face now.
"Riku!"
Riku turned his head to the caller. And he got his wish. Sora was running towards him, a wooden sword in one hand. He was smiling yet again at Riku. Another smile for him. If only that smile was more like the ones the brunet reserves for Kairi. Riku was envious yet again. Why though? Why did he want Sora to smile at him and only at him?
When Sora came up the plank to the plateau, he tripped on something invisible and landed with an eek on his hands and knees. Sora was never really coordinated and sometimes one could call him clumsy, but he was just so cute that way too, Riku thought.
Riku came hurriedly in front of Sora immediately worrying if the brunet was hurt. When he got close, Sora cocked his head up and simply smiled with a ridiculous cute grin on his face and his eyes closed. It was incredibly adorable, not to mention that Riku had wanted and dreamt of Sora on hands and knees in front of him. Sora was simply the innocent thing. Riku wanted him bad. He wanted that innocent thing in his arms.
But Riku shook his disturbing thoughts away. "Get up," Riku said not harshly but plainly, not trying to show any emotions as always.
Sora obeyed and got up. He smiled once again at the elder boy. Then he asked, "Wanna have a little fight?"
Riku grinned. "I'm always up for one." With you, Riku wanted to add.
"K, then," Sora said as he shifted himself into position, his face was now serious.
Even though his face was serious, it was still cute, Riku thought.
"Com'on, then," Riku said with a smirk as he got into his position.
The wooden swords came into a clash and then more clashes. They fought for a good long time. Riku fell twice and got up. Sora fell five times but on the last one he could not find the strength to beat the older boy.
Feeling defeated, Sora pouted up at the silver-haired boy.
Riku resisted the urge to scream or something. That pouting face Sora always makes is just so darn cute. He would love to have the blue-eyed boy pout beneath him or on top of him, he didn't care, as long as it is with Sora.
"I win again," Riku said to break his uncomfortable situation.
Sora got up. "Someday I'll find a way to be on top of you," he grinned.
/I wish you would./ Riku thought to himself, meaning something entirely different than what the younger boy meant.
"Sure," Riku said as he walked over to the Paopu Fruits' tree trunk and sat on the horizontal trunk.
Sora joined him not too long after. He sat beside his friend, wondering what the seventeen year-old was thinking since he always seemed to be thinking.
"Riku," Sora said breaking the silence.
Riku looked into mesmerizing sky-blue eyes. "What?" he managed to ask without sounding as breathless as he felt. He felt a blush come over him but thankfully Sora didn't notice.
"I need some advice, said the brunet, who was not afraid to look at the other's eyes.
Riku looked at his, waiting for him to continue.
He did. "It's very personal but since you're like my best friend, I want your advice."
/Do you really just think of me as a best friend? Just that? Nothing more? Nothing else/ But still Riku felt honored that Sora wanted his opinion on something. "What?" he asked again patiently.
"I think," Sora talked slow, "I'm in love with someone."
That struck Riku's hear badly. Something was tugging at both sides of his heart as if to break it in two. Who could Sora possibly be in love with? Who could steal Sora's heart when he wanted it more than anything? Riku wanted Sora's love. And he would gladly give him his life, his soul for him.
"Who?" Riku asked flatly, trying to hide override of emotions from the boy beside him.
"You probably already know," Sora said. "It's Kairi."
Riku could swear his heart was in two and bleeding. Kairi. He would have thought it. No, he knew it. But somehow he wised that maybe, just maybe with the slightest possibility that it was not true and that Sora would not say her name and maybe instead, he fantasized his name.
Again, why did Sora choose Kairi over him? Sora's not gay, Riku chastised himself. The brown-haired boy was straight, which means that even if he did not like Kairi, he would never love him. Riku had never thought of himself as gay before either. He would not look at another guy the way he looks at Sora, so does that make him gay?
But still, the idea of Sora and Kairi together hurt so very much. Riku wanted to be with Sora. He wanted to be love by him. He wanted to be cared by him. He wanted him. He wanted Sora to belong to him and he would in return belong entirely to his Sora.
"I want to tell her. I just don't know how. I'm so scared to tell her, but I really want to. It's been bothering me for such a long time. Riku, what should I do?" Hearing his love confess feelings for another was like needles going through his hest and coming out from the back, penetrating everything. He felt like he had just been killed and revived only to be killed again.
"Riku?" Sora sounded concerned for the boy who had a pained expression on his face.
Riku looked at the lovely brunet. "Huh?"
"You seem kind of sad," Sora inquired. He thought for a horrible split second of the cause. "Oh god!" he exclaimed, "Do you like Kairi too?"
Riku looked up at the boy who had just stood up in shock. /No, Sora. I love you./
Sora continued, "'Cause if you do, I won't..."
He didn't get to finish. Riku stopped the boy from rampaging into something totally unnecessary. "I don't like her. It's something else." He put on a fake smile. "Don't worry," he chuckled teasingly, which was a bit hard since his throat got considerably dry when he almost wanted to cry. "I won't take Kairi away from you." /But she took you away from me./
If only Riku could say what was in his mind and the feelings he had for Sora. But he can't, not now, not ever. Sora loved Kairi; he could see that and as painful as it I was he had to admit the truth that they would be perfect for each other.
But then wouldn't he and Sora look good together too? Riku could picture them very happy together. Riku would love Sora to the point of death. He would protect him, care for him, and give him anything he wanted that was humanly possible. Sora would be happy and so will he. But that image maybe true to only Riku. Riku might think they may be perfect but love blinds all reason and poisons one's mind.
Love is dangerous, Riku concluded. He should have never loved at all. It pains too much right now. But he couldn't help remembering the times, mostly at night and alone, when he would fantasize about his love for Sora like a girl with a new found crush. His stomach would flutter like butterflies were trying to escape by traveling down his body. He would feel so happy and light from the core down. It was the greatest feeling when he imagined the possibility of him and Sora together.
But love hurt too much right now. Riku regret ever letting himself get so far in love with this boy. That was right; he shouldn't be in love with the boy. Sora would never love him back the way he wanted. Forget it, Riku said to himself, Sora wants Kairi not him.
Tears, so many tears were waiting to be released. Riku had to either get away from Sora or get rid of him. His tears were about to overflow.
"I think you should tell her," Riku said shakily and quickly. He stood up and pushed the brunet's back. "Go tell her now." Riku looked down at the ground, trying not to let Sora see his facial expression.
"Riku, I'm not sure about this," Sora said with uncertainty written all over his pale face as he was pushed onto the plank by his encouraging best friend.
"Don't be a coward, Sora," Riku said, trying to sound like is normal self.
"I'm not a coward," replied the younger boy with an unsure face still on him.
"Just go," Riku said with one last push. "I'm sure she likes you too." /After all, who wouldn't/
Sora was still a bit shaky and nervous but decided that his friend was right. Surprisingly, he suddenly felt excited as if he knew he would be able to do it. He ran now, his goal: Kairi's house. He waved back at the cerulean-eyed teen saying thank you.
Riku turned around instantly after he saw Sora out of sight.
What has he done? He asked himself. He had just encouraged the love of his life to confess his feelings for another person. This hurt, it hurt really much.
Tears ran down his face without him even blinking, it just overflowed. He could think of a way to stop it. It was just too much. To lose Sora was worse than losing his life or his heart.