- The Little Bookshop -
Disclaimer- No I do not own the rights to Kingdom Hearts or any of it's characters. I am only here to put them in stories and situations that I feel the need to write about and if I did own the rights to Kingdom Hearts and its characters, well, everyone would be gay. o-o
Main Parings- Riku/Sora, Maaaaybe in later chapters Leon/Cloud :)
Warnings- AU, Yaoi/shounen-ai, MAJOR FLUFF (and a bit of crack! 8D)...and a lot of OOCness..please don't kill me O-o
Thinking
"Dialogue"
- Fortunate Mishaps-
Gusty winds that were quite chilly, said that fall was fading into winter. The trees didn't protest, seeing as how they dropped all their leaves assuming that nature would take its course. And that it did, thought one particularly absent-minded boy, sighing as he stared out at the pale sky through the glass of the door on his right. As if on cue, the door opened, and with it was the pleasant tinkling of an old, well worn bell. A small gust of wind briefly followed the entrance of a silver haired boy, and peering at him closely he looked to be no older than seventeen at the most. The absent-minded boy, who was actually five or six months short of seventeen, sighed heavily from behind the checkout counter, scanning the various bookshelves. They were all too familiar to him because he had spent day after day inside the shop looking at the same things. By now he had memorized everything there was to see in this little bookstore. Like how the bookshelf nearest to the counter had one shelf that look misplaced from the others and how the little display table in the centre of the chop was standing on a book for leverage because one leg was sadly too short and would never reach the ground.
But there was one thing that could take getting used to. It was the decorations. Right when he got used to the autumn leaves that sat on each shelf, as if blown in by the breeze from some naked tree, and the scent of spiced pumpkins wafting around the shop from the constantly lit candles at the front counter, he had to switch them in time for the changing seasons. Now there were snowflakes that seemed to endlessly rain atop the bookshelves in little heaps and the scent of holly berries churning around the shop to look forward to for the next couple of weeks. Even then, there was still January to go through and after he'd change them again for February.
Ahh...February...that means Valentine's Day... mused the boy silently, almost dreamily. Then that would mean little paper hearts strewn around the shop and love books and the scent of roses...
A soft smooth voice, like caramel, he thought, pleasantly jumped him from his thoughts.
"Do you think you could help me with something?"
"Hn?" The boy's azure eyes met with aqumarine ones.
It was the silver haired boy who came in the store only minutes before. Now that he got a look him close-up, he was almost...angelic looking. Silver tresses of hair fell softly onto leather-clad shoulders whereas, the azure-eyed boy at the counter was graced with chocolate brown locks that stuck up at odd angles right above his ears. It wasn't even close to his shoulders. The shoulders which were covered in a maroon turtleneck to be exact.
"Sure," said the brunette warmly, "What can I help you with?"
Gesturing for him to follow, the angelic looking boy led him over to the cooking section that was very close to the display table. The silver haired boy chuckled and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly before asking,
"Could you please get that book down for me?" He pointed a pale, slender finger at the spine of an orange book that was on the fourth or fifth shelf up.
"I'm afraid I'm not tall enough to reach."
He's so pale, thought the brunette studying the boy's finger and comparing it to his own sun kissed complexion.
A smile formed on his face. Being about four or five inches shorter than the other, he knew as well as anyone else, that if the other boy couldn't get it, he surely couldn't.
That's exactly why he simply walked to the end of the aisle, stood a couple steps up on the rolling ladder, and propelled himself toward the boy. Coming to a dead stop right where he needed to be, the brunettes fingers brushed the orange book and slid it out of the bookshelf. Turning it over and looking briefly at the cover, he was surprised.
Most kids my age that come in here either get comics or porn, but this one wants a cookbook? he thought positively puzzled.
Descending the ladder and setting his feet rightfully on the carpet, he faced the other boy and handed him the book.
"Pumpkin Pie eh?" he said, a light smirk upon his lips.
The silver haired boy looked up at him curiously.
"I've always liked it but never made it before hence-" he waved the book in his hands slightly.
"Well," started the brunette, "I remember making it all the time with my mother when I lived at home," he folded his arms lightly and looked up, his eyes glazing over, caught in an apparent memory, "hers was better compared to anything you could find in a book or pre-made at the store. Heh I still have the recipe if I remember right."
The other boy listened with interest, wondering to himself. For meeting a total stranger, he's pretty open-minded... Not that he minded in the least. This boy's memory was actually pretty touching, like something you'd see at the movie theatre and choke up to.
"And getting an excuse to ride on those rolling ladders is more than enough to make my day." he added shamelessly grinning huge.
The other boy laughed. How ironic
One second he could bring you to tears, the next, he could bring you to tears for a whole different reason.
"Glad to be of help-" he glanced to the left side of the brunettes chest where a nametag read,"-Sora."
Sora beamed.
"You're welcome-"
"Riku." Has a nice ring to it, he thought inwardly.
"-Riku." He tested the name out.
Sounded good to him. Sora turned around bowing courteously, took three steps forwards, and smashed into the display table, causing all thirty some books to fall onto him as he toppled over backwards with a loud 'FWUMP!'
A groaning sound was coming from the heap of books. Riku looked stunned. He had seen the whole entire thing. He dropped his orange covered book to the ground and rushed over to Sora who was reduced to a pile of books and limbs. Frantically, he pulled book after book off of Sora. Removing 'My Christmas ABC's' seemed to show that this pile of books had a face. A rather defeated face at the moment being.
Riku searched for the younger's hand and clasped it firmly, hoisting the small boy to his feet. A rather rumpled and disgruntled Sora shook his head and brought both his hands to his face shielding it but the only problem was that his right hand was still holding Riku's. Upon feeling someone else's hand touch his face along with his own, Sora looked down at their hands.
"Guess we never let go?" he chuckled softly letting go of Riku's hand.
Riku on the other hand didn't quite mind having his hand on the brunette's cheek. It was warm compared to his cold hand.
"Aw...crap..." Sora muttered, visibly sinking. "Fourth time today I have to clean this up!"
The mess wasn't horrible, but it wasn't neat and tidy either. The display table was on it's side, having the book knocked from under the stubby leg, the snowy table cloth was in a crumpled pile with the little plastic display card saying 'Winter Releases!' in gold and silver lettering sitting atop it, and of course all of the books were scattered around within a five foot radius. Sora trudged over to the table and to his utter relief and surprise Riku followed and helped him set the table upright, and having kicked the old worn book under the stubby leg of the table; he took a step forward and reached for the table cloth.
Surprise! That thing you stood on wasn't the floor, it was a book!
It's like Sora's own brain was being sarcastic.
"Woah-!"
The brunette slipped and fell face-first - into something that wasn't the ground. And it wasn't a something. It was a someone. That someone had strong arms, smelled really good, and was very comfortable. And instead of eating carpet for the fourth time, yes he had slipped and fallen each time he had tried to pick up this display, he was eating a leather jacket, and it didn't smell too bad either.
Sora looked up only to see Riku looking down.
"You okay?" he asked setting the boy upright again.
"Y-yeah," said Sora rubbing his left shoulder with his right hand and immediately occupying himself with picking up one half of the table cloth. Riku proceeded to pick up the other half and they unfurled it, spreading it across the table. Each of them split up within the five foot area and picked up books, stacking them on the table according to size. There was only one book left in the center of the floor in front of the display table and as Riku came up with the book Sora came down to it and this ended up, naturally, them going nose-to-nose. Sora's breathing became heavier as he was only centimeters away from Riku's mouth.
"Boo." Riku whispered, his breath tickling Sora's nose.
No. Not now. OH JESUS! Shitshitshitshitshitnoooooo-
Sora pulled back leaving a confused Riku, did he look hurt? Bent his head low and sneezed all over Riku's shoes.
The brunette was mortified.
Riku on the other hand was more or less stunned than anything else.
"I'm. So. Sorry." Sora said still staring at Riku's shoes.
Riku snickered.
"It's alright. A bit of snot never hurt my shoes before." he said bending down so he could be eye-level with Sora.
A faint hue of pink spread like wildfire across Sora's face.
"Now," Riku stated standing up to his full height and letting his eyes roam around the store," who put up all these decorations?"
Sora looked dumbfounded. This guy almost kissed him, almost being the key word since Sora sneezed at that exact moment, and now he's focused on the decorations?
Guess he likes to switch to something new when something awkward happens...not that I mind at the moment, he brooded.
"I did." Sora said picking up some of the powdery snowflakes off of his turtleneck.
Riku spun around, eyes wide.
"Are you serious?" he breathed.
"Yah, I've kind of done it about every year of my life." the brunette said, awkwardly shifting from foot to foot.
"Wow."
Riku's eyes seemed to glisten in the hanging lights protruding from the ceiling, the garland attached to each one shimmering off of those aquamarine orbs.
"Hey, you know the only reason I could do that every year was because my father used to own this place but he handed it down to me so.." Sora trailed off looking at the decorations, inhaling the sweet fragrance of holly berries.
"Really?" asked Riku turning to face the boy.
"Yes," replied Sora,"he and my mom owned this place for a long time. Even before I was born."
Riku looked around the shop again, pondering.
"So this is like a family owned shop?" he asked, turning to face the boy.
Sora looked up at him, a small, heartbreaking smile on his lips.
"Well ever since dad and mom died, it's really been a me owned shop." he answered quietly.
Sora's brain was currently on overload.
I seriously don't know why I can talk to him about my parents like it's the evening news! his brain was screaming.
He plainly disregarded it as he looked up at Riku who was currently embarrassed as well as shocked.
"I'm really sorry I brought it up," Riku apologized hurriedly.
Sora waved a hand in front of him indifferently.
"It's really okay actually. Haven't spoken of them in months since now, so it's a nice change..." he trailed off wordlessly, tilting his head up.
They stood side by side in front of the display table for a moment, just thinking to themselves as they enjoyed each other's company.
The stillness didn't last too long though.
"Hey Riku?" the brunette asked, putting both his hands behind his head.
"Hm?"
"Wanna go have some coffee with me at the Cafe' down the street?"
Riku surveyed the boy.
"What about the shop?" he asked motioning to the place they were standing in with a slight tilt of his head.
It was nearing six o'clock and the skies outside were slowly turning orange from the on-coming sunset.
"I'll lock it up early today," the boy said smiling, as he turned around to look at the front counter.
Authors Note- Yah...this was randomly inspired by the on-coming holiday season because it's my favorite time of the year :)
Some of the parts in this fic were though of by one of my friends Ally who helped me get out of writers block numerous times. And the name of the fic and the name of the chapter were half mine because my good friend Celeste helped me brainstorm.
I know it seems plotless at the moment but I swear it has some meaning to it! XD
Just need to get the details worked out and actully have them meet eachother before I really get into the story.
Yes so click that button down there and review! Because this is my first fic and I need major feedback if I am going to write another chapter. o-o
And besides, I know you all are dying to know what will happen next!
So REVIEW! And I'll maybe add some more major fluff and smut!
-Klakie
:D