Disclaimer: All characters in this fanfiction are 18 years of age or older.

For readers who are 18+ ONLY:

To read the uncensored, explicit, extra-sexy version of this chapter, please visit my author profile for links.


Sleeping Late & Lying Awake

Chapter 3: Soul Mates


Sora froze. The sound of rain all around them filled his senses. It felt as if he were slowly being submerged in water.

Did he really just hear that?

Did Roxas really just say…?

He turned to look at Roxas, whose fingers were now knotted in his bangs. The other man was trembling all over, as if struck by a cool breeze. His crystalline eyes, swimming with gold, were fixed on Sora. It was the only part of him that seemed steady, the only part that was brimming with sureness.

Completely floored, Sora had to swallow down the rising "What?" crawling up his throat. He knew exactly what Roxas said. Even under the sound of the rain, the shuddering thunder, his own slamming heartbeat…

And Roxas' brain went completely blank as he took in all of Sora's golden glory. There was no panic, though his body was rattling with a kind of adrenaline he'd never known until now. The more still he tried to stand, the worse he trembled. It was like his body was stuck between dimensions: the path that diverged before him once was now coming together at last.

All day he'd felt stuck in a kind of love-limbo with the brunet. Every moment they spent felt like a hammer striking a nail in his heart. He wanted to say something at the concert, at the top of Twilight Tower… hell, he practically obeyed when Olette responded to his Snap with TELL HIM HOW YOU FEEL. He'd have to give her grief for almost ruining the moment… as well as him almost dropping his phone into the depths below Twilight Tower.

Now, Sora and Roxas were here, and the secret had been freed from the prison of his heart. It was like his soul had finally reached the next phase of enlightenment, and now the onus was on Sora for whether they would enter nirvana.

Roxas readied himself, let the adrenaline flow through him the way electricity streaks through a wire. In that very moment, anything was possible.

Then, Sora's hands unclenched the balcony railing.

The brunet straightened, and took one slow step toward Roxas.

Then another…

And then Sora was close enough that Roxas could smell his own soap on the other man. It made his heart shudder, practically punching the air from his lungs from the inside.

In the meantime, Sora's knees felt like they could buckle, so he did something he wished he'd done that night under the fireworks. His arm went up and he laid a hand on the balcony door frame behind Roxas' head. They were unbelievably close now.

Roxas' fingers disentangled from his bangs. Sora could smell the vanilla on the blond's breath. Their faces were level, with eyesight unbroken.

"Roxas, I need to tell you…" It was all cascading now for Sora, just like the downpour outside. Doubt didn't have a chance to surface because the brunet continued with, "I'm in love with you, too."

A wave of something beyond Roxas' comprehension flooded him. It was relief and joy and fear and want all rolled into something that his most lascivious dreams couldn't fabricate. Roxas wasn't sure whether he should laugh with joy or cry in relief or scream in amazement or lean forward and…

Sora leaned forward, his nose brushing against Roxas'.

"Can I…?" Sora's feather-light words trailed off, as if he were somehow too nervous to ask. It amazed Roxas to think about Sora, of all people, being nervous about anything.

"Yes," Roxas whispered.

The s of the Yes barely left Roxas' mouth when Sora tilted his head and captured the blond's lips in a firm kiss. It was all Sora could do not to press himself completely into the other man. He had to hold every part of himself back, focusing on working their mouths together in a slow synchronicity. Roxas' hands reached up and came to rest on the back of Sora's head, fingers tangling through still-damp tresses.

Suddenly, the blond pulled back.

"Wait," He breathed, "Is this a dream?"

Blinking in surprise, Sora had to consider this for a moment. It couldn't be a dream, as he didn't really have dreams anymore… he'd also never been this close to Roxas in a dream before. And everything felt pretty real, so surely this was reality.

"I'm pretty sure it's... not?"

Roxas nodded, saying, "That's good enough for me," before crashing his lips back into Sora's.

Sora couldn't help himself, then. His arm snaked around Roxas' waist and he pulled the other man in flush against his body.

Roxas didn't realize how difficult it was to multitask in the middle of kissing. His brain kept switching between working his lips against Sora's mouth, relishing the taste, and trailing his hands across all the places he hoped to touch—which was everywhere, really. His fingers were trailing hearts, dotted lines, and exclamation points across the brunet's shoulders, back, and arms. Every inch of exploration left him greedy for more. He wanted to plunge his hands up into Sora's shirt and feel across his chest and stomach. He always wondered what lay beneath the places he couldn't see.

In Roxas' touch-craze, he hadn't noticed Sora's hands were firmly planted on the blond's hips. The other man's thumbs were edging underneath the hem of his shirt.

"Is this okay?" Sora whispered between kisses.

"Mmhm," Roxas muttered against the other man's lips.

Pulling back, Sora asked, "Are you sure? I don't want to make you uncomfortable…"

Roxas couldn't help but smile. Typical Sora, always putting others before himself.

"I promise it's okay. Besides, I've been waiting way too long for this."

Sora chuckled as his hands slid up Roxas' sides, slowly lifting his shirt, "Oh yeah?" He teased, "How long?"

Roxas sheepishly admitted, "A very, very long time… but it got especially bad after my birthday last summer."

Sora responded with another chuckle, "No shit? That's… the same with me, Rox."

The blond flushed at his nickname, then shook his head, "There's no way. Are you for real?"

"I'm being for real," He said with a quiet voice, "I've had a crush on you for so long. I'd been flirting with you over GummiChat for a while, too."

The other boy groaned and put a palm to his forehead, "So you were flirting with me! Zeus, I'm clueless…"

Sora laughed, "And I was worried I was coming on too strong! Well, when I finally got to join you for your birthday, that's when I really knew… but I didn't know how to tell you. I didn't think you felt the same way, and I didn't want to ruin our friendship." A laugh bubbled from him, sweet and airy. "This whole night was all so I could confess to you! But now," He moved Roxas' palm away and left a peck on the blond's forehead. "Here we are."

"Wait… is that why dinner was so amazing?"

Sora pulled back slightly and looked into Roxas' bemused eyes. "Handcrafted by moi," Finally, a French word that Sora got right on the first try, "To fit your tastes."

I knew it, Roxas thought, then asked, "The tickets, too?"

Sora grinned, "All of it. Just for you. Just for this moment."

Roxas stared at him, gobsmacked by the sheer reality of it all. Sora was enjoying every second of it… he loved nothing more than to give. And if it was for Roxas, it was all the more worthwhile.

It took a long moment for the blond to finally find his voice: "Are you sure...this isn't a dream?"

"I'm positive."

"Then we're both a couple of idiots, aren't we?"

The two grinned in agreement at one another. Then, they closed the distance once more.

Sora's fingers were pressing into the small of Roxas' back, the sensation making the blond's heart thrum in his ears. The brunet caught Roxas' lower lip between his teeth before a playful tongue flicked across it. The brunet began to gently lift Roxas' shirt again, and the two parted momentarily so it could be removed.

Sora took the opportunity to look over Roxas' torso. The smooth skin looked beyond perfect and had the odd sun-spotted freckle here and there. He thought about how long it took them to get Roxas this body, to finally give his heart a home. He traced his palm along the smooth space along Roxas' side again, and watched delightfully as the goosebumps popped up along the blond's flesh.

Sora breathed, "You are a masterpiece."

The blond gave a coy smile, then Sora leaned back in to leave a string of kisses across Roxas' cheek. He worked his way over the other man's chin, down his neck...

All of a sudden, Sora's hands were reaching for the back of Roxas' thighs and he was lifting the other man's legs. It made Roxas gasp in surprise and wrap his arms around Sora's neck to balance himself. Sora pressed Roxas into the balcony door frame, the blond's legs straddling his waist.

"Is this okay?" Sora whispered into the blond's ear. It made another chill take him.

"Yes," Roxas replied, delighting in the way Sora's mouth worked backwards from its previous path up to his lips again.

This time, things felt more fervent. Mouths were more eager, tongues were sweeping and swirling… Sora kept biting the blond's lip, so Roxas responded by grabbing fistfuls of brown hair and digging his fingers into Sora's shoulders. The blond started pulling at the fabric of Sora's borrowed shirt, silently willing the piece of apparel off.

The next time they broke apart, Sora said, "Hold on to me."

Roxas obeyed, re-circling his arms around Sora's shoulders. Sora lifted them off of the wall, carried Roxas to the bed, and gently laid the blond down. Roxas disentangled himself from Sora, who stood at the end of the bed.

Sora's shirt came off, and Roxas ' eyes were immediately drawn to the pale shapes littering Sora's chest and arms. They were very stark against his deeply tanned skin.

"I didn't realize you had so many scars," Roxas marveled. The other man looked absolutely stunning with them. The chiseled abs and toned arms certainly accentuated this fact.

"You'd be amazed how vicious those Heartless and Nobodies can be. Curaga only does so much for really deep wounds."

Roxas' fingers traced the pale edges of a crescent shape on his ribcage. Sora trembled under the touch.

"That was a Bandit," He sighed.

Roxas' fingers danced away to prod another marking, "And this one?"

"That was a Beserker. Oh! Let me show you my favorite." Sora lifted his hand between them, and Roxas could barely see the thin lines across the knuckles where Sora's glove would be. "This is when I found out Bulky Vendors could bite. The thing practically took my fingers off."

Sora laughed and Roxas smiled. Seeing Sora's scars like this made his heart rattle. He didn't realize just how many of them were present on the brunet, and seeing them made him consider how many close brushes with mortality the other man had. It was a very vulnerable perspective to have of the galaxy's hero, one that very few would ever witness. It made Roxas feel honored to see this side of Sora. It also made his heart throb ever more eagerly.

Roxas lifted Sora's scarred hand to his lips. He wanted to kiss every single scar eventually, but for now, he would start with Sora's favorite. He placed even pecks across the lines. On the last one, he looked up and felt Sora's other hand pressing into the back of his head. Leaning down, the brunet kissed him again, tenderly. Sora had the commanding kisses of a foolish boy who grew into a carefree man.

The brunet's mouth started to move fervently across Roxas' lips, cheeks—down his neck, across his collarbone—a flick of the tongue, a nip of the teeth—the blond absolutely melted into all of it. Soon Roxas' neck and shoulders were dusted all over with little love marks. Then, Sora was leaning more into him, pressing all across him.

Sora paused in nibbling at Roxas' earlobe to say, "I'll stop if you want me to."

The hot breath whisking into Roxas' ear made his bulge twitch, and he was sure Sora felt it. Pressing his own mouth to Sora's ear, he whispered back, "What if I don't want you to stop?"

Sora suddenly lifted himself up so he was leaning on his hands to fully look down at Roxas. His eyes were asking for confirmation, as if he couldn't trust his own ears.

This was the moment Sora had been waiting for. It made him feel a little guilty and dirty to be so invested in such a sight, but he couldn't help himself. It had tickled at the edge of every fantasy he had of Roxas, and now it was finally becoming his reality. He almost had to wonder if he was dreaming now.

Meanwhile, Roxas was considering his own past fantasies. He couldn't believe this was really happening in real life…

Real life.

Roxas' eyes flicked upwards. Sora's flustered and amazed face was surely mirroring the emotions he was feeling at that very moment.

This is real life. He thought to himself.

"I need you." Sora said.

"I need you." The blond whispered back.

Their breath and spit and sweat and heat mingled, tying them up in a wet mess that both weighted them down and elevated them skyward. At the end of it all, the sound of rain made its way back into their senses: a symbol of the outside world they'd forgotten in the haze of one another. The hypnotic sound sent them both drifting into a dreamless sleep that would leave them waking up way late.


Three Months Later


Any minute now… it would happen.

Sitting semi-sprawled together, Sora plucked another flower from blond spikes with a chuckle. "She sure put a lot of these in here…"

The sweet night air and gentle swish of the waves was the only sound around them. All the kingdom was hushed for this celebration, which endured with a new and joyous feeling since the beloved princess had returned all those years ago.

Roxas plucked a flower from brunet spikes.

"Rapunzel did for you, too."

Their rowboat bobbed in the water, with its ornate bow and stern curling skyward.

Then, Sora squeezed his shoulder, "Look."

Both men sprang up, rocking the hull as they adjusted themselves to gaze up toward the castle's skyline. The first lantern was drifting upwards, merely a tiny orb in the sky from their view. They knew it had been freed by Rapunzel herself. Roxas' eyes followed its slow ascent… then, he saw it. The real magic of the night.

A grandiose golden glow spread out from the kingdom like the release of a deep breath. There were several tiny orbs… then many, then hundreds… suddenly, they were blanketed in artificial daylight as thousands upon thousands of lanterns danced in the sky.

Sora's voice came to him, quiet and soft, "Beautiful, right?"

Roxas was spectacularly starstruck. It was better than all the photos and descriptions Sora had given him, and then some.

"More beautiful than I could have imagined," The blond responded, "And I finally get to see it with you."

A tan hand rested on Roxas'. He looked to see Sora holding a single lantern between them. "For you and me," Sora explained with a grin. He instructed Roxas to hold it while he cast just a little bit of Fire to light it. Then, together, they released it into the sky. Both men followed its journey heavenward, watching it mingle with the other lanterns as the cloud of gold drifted onward.

Then, two pairs of blue eyes met. Both men, sitting across from each other on the small rowboat, watched the light dance in one another's eyes.

"Roxas," Sora said, "I love you."

Roxas responded, "I love you, Sora."

And, for one long second, both men simply smiled–still not quite used to speaking this truth out loud to the other. Nevertheless, it was a relief and a joy. When they were both satisfied in that brief silence, they leaned in to kiss.

Roxas wondered how much more of their lives together would be defined from finding light in the darkness.


Exeunt.


A/N: Congratulations, beautiful readers! I really hope I was able to continue with the persistent theme of tension in this chapter. There's nothing quite like those first intimate moments with the person you've been pining over, especially after finding out they had the same strong feelings for you. I really wanted to try and explore that magic here, which is part of why it took so damn long to bring this chapter to life. I had to really think about the emotions of every single second so it all felt even more perfect and, most of all, REAL.

I also hope that the consistent communication and consent involved proves to you that those things can be, and are incredibly hot. In fact, communication and consent are some of the hottest things that you can give someone! Don't settle for any less. To find more information, visit my profile and look under "Additional Resources" for more information.

As for the story itself, I don't know why I love the ideas of parallels so much in stories like this. This was something I played with in my RikuRoku fanfic as well. I like the dramatic irony that there's so many similar thoughts and coincidental feelings shared between two clueless people.

ALSO. I forgot that one of the SoRoku themes for 2020 was kabedon and it STILL made it into this story WHATTTTTTTT. In fact, this chapter is kind of a combo of most of the themes, but I went with Soulmates because… they're soulmates. It's obvious. Even Nomura himself is too scared to admit it. But the OTP is forever ours and we know it's real. 3

Anyway, thanks for coming with me on this long journey! I can't believe I published this story right before the COVID-19 pandemic really popped off… it's such a weird feeling. The fact that the Kingdom of Corona is referenced in the first chapter? Super weird. This ending, with Sora and Roxas visiting to see the lanterns, is always how I planned on finishing this story. I think now more than ever, it's very symbolic of how far we've all come. I hope wherever you are, you and the people you care about are safe. I hope this fanfic can give you a momentary reprieve from whatever is stressing you out. Most of all, I hope this was worth the wait. I appreciate you and your viewership! Check out my profile for a smattering of additional fics released with this chapter, including a fic requested by someone on my tumblr!