Sora yelped as the hot wax seared his skin, dropping the stick and the container on the ground. The sudden blackout in the South Seattle neighborhood was definitely something to be shocked about. Although it rained almost every day in the city during the autumn and winter seasons, it was rare power outages to occur.
"Are you okay?" Riku's concerned voice broke through the silence.
"Yes, love!" Sora responded, muttering curses to himself as he peeled the spilled wax from his chin and felt for the matches he stored in the drawer.
"You sure? You're not hurt?" Riku asked again, with a more urgent tone.
"Yes."
He rolled his eyes at his partner's overzealous penchant for concern, finally finding the matchbox and letting muscle memory take over in the darkness to light one. Grabbing the halfway used candle on the counter, Sora lit the mushroom wick allowing the cheap cherry blossom aroma to mix with the gunpowder scent from the dying match.
"Riku, is my phone in the living room?"
"Yup, except it's dead!"
After cleaning the wax from the bathroom floor, Sora made his way to their living room, careful not to put out the candle with any sudden movements. Spotting his partner's silver hair, his head bowed, he placed the candle on the kitchen counter and snuck up close.
Blowing - ever so softly, Sora teased his partner with a light breathe to his nape.
"Babe, you know that doesn't affect me anymore," Riku warned, playfully reaching backwards for his partner's arms. "But I won't let you off that easily…"
Sora was then dragged over the back of the couch by his much stronger half and pinned roughly down on their cheap foam couch. Fingers seemed to appear everywhere on torso, eliciting hearty laughs that soon turned into breathless ones.
"UNCLE! UNCLE! YOU WIN!"
And with that, Riku stopped lightly resting the entirety of his body weight on his much smaller half, taking a big whiff of the familiar scent of his body odor mixed with skin products at his neck. Sora, trying to catch his breathe from the leftover giggles, wrapped the bigger body on the of him in an embrace, hands splayed and feeling out his shoulder blades down to his waste.
"I feel like you only worry about me, so that you can be the one to torture me," Sora whispered in Riku's ear, his hands settling around his waist, locking his hands on his wrist.
"Not true…" Riku whispered back, lifting Sora's shirt slightly, tracing the line of his pelvis. A slower inhale and exhale came from Sora eyes closed and his embrace on Riku's waist tightening.
Interrupting their teasing, Riku lifted both of their bodies from their embrace, laying Sora down next to him effortlessly and grabbing a wool blanket to cover him and his partner. Settling in on Riku's side, Sora lift his legs, so they rest over Riku's that were propped on the ottoman.
It was moment like these that Sora treasured the moment where both boys weren't doing anything for their careers and were able to relax with the candlelight in the corner. And just like any of these similar moments, the aroma of artificial cherry blossoms enveloped their living room, soothing both Sora and Riku.
"Sometimes, I forget how much noise there is in the house when the heater is running and the washing machine is swirling, and the refrigerator- oh my god our food!" Sora perked up, grabbing onto Riku's shoulder.
"Chill, there's extra ice in the freezer. I saw on the news, unlike you, that there might be a possibility of a power outage due to strong winds or whatever. And most of the stuff in the fridge isn't perishable," Riku assured him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "There's not much we can do now, so there's no point of stressing about it."
"But what about-"
"What did I just say?"
"Okay, okay I get it!"
Surrendering, Sora closed his eyes, comforted by the knowledge that Riku was always prepared in situations like this. He wished that the moment would last forever, breathing in the scent of cherry blossoms an interlocking his finger's with Riku's. Whenever moments like this would happen, he would remind himself how precious it is that the silence in the presence of his person did not seem so loud.
It was gentle.
"Hey, remember the summer party when we were still in high school?" Riku asked, opening his eyes in a groggy manner.
"Which one?"
"You know 'the one'." Emphasis heavily placed.
Sora's eyes opened widely at the memory. Looking up at Riku, he gave a questioning look, knowing that he would not be asking him in the manner that he was if it did not have a follow up.
"Yes, of course I do, why?"
"I just wanted to let you know that I wasn't all that tough, and that Jecht scared the shit outta me," Riku giggled, which earned him a soft punch on his shoulder and a scoff from Sora.
"I'm not really surprised, but what even happened that night? I've only ever heard bits and pieces from our favorite red head," Sora teased.
The small gathering that was promised to the guests had gone out of control. Angsty testosterone from teenage boys was overflowing in the party and red solo cups were paving the carpet floor. Riku's conversations with Kairi had turned into a shouting mess after the second hour of the party. Initially Kairi and Sora had invited Riku to come with them, but one of them had gotten separated in the craze.
"Look! The Flag Boy! DAMN he got moves!"
Riku and Kairi turned their heads at the shout. Moving in double time, they followed the announcer into the living room, seeing a very drunken Sora dancing, a bottle of soju on one hand and a cracked phone screen in the other hand. His eyes closed and his tan skin reddening around his cheeks and ears. The music was being turned and up and the LED lights were set to flash in different colors.
Shocked to see his new friend completely wasted at the 'innocent' gathering, he tried to push his way through the crowd, only to be stopped by Kairi.
"Wait! Let me get a video first!" Kairi shouted over the music laughing and took her out her phone.
"Sora was right! You are evil!" Riku laughed and waited until Kairi let him go.
Finally fighting his way through, Riku grabbed the bottle of soju from Sora's hands and snatched his phone in the other. Careful not to touch anywhere inappropriate, Riku carried Sora's smaller body out, much to the crowd's dismay and boredom. He marched through the red solo cups on the floor and alcohol-doused with a playful Sora hammering his fists on his back in protests.
"Hey, Riku, thanks. This is kind of embarrassing – usually I'm the one taking care of him like this," Kairi apologized as soon as they had made their way out.
"You're handsome, and you smell good…" Sora whispered drunkenly in the bridal carry he was transferred into.
Ignoring the comment, a blush painting his cheeks, Riku tentatively responded, "No problem. You guys have been so nice to me this past summer and showing me around the town. It's the least of what I could do. I will, however, take you up on that date some other time!"
"Sounds good. Well, toodles and drive safe please," Kairi giggled. "And I'm sorry again. Please take care of him"
Bidding their goodbyes and a quick kiss on the cheek from Kairi, Riku placed Sora in the front seat of his Honda civic, and buckling him in carefully. The snide comment very drunk boy had made clouded his mind as his he tried to focus driving in the darker roads leading to Sora's house. Riku slowed down significantly once he knew he was close and took the time to curiously observe Sora's complexion in the light of the full moon.
Riku looked at Sora's sharp, feminine nose. His tan skin. His smaller shoulders. His dainty hands. His spiky brown hair and the bright blue from his eyes that peeking through closed lids. Riku thought, at that point, the boy could be considered cute.
Before he knew it, he had almost passed Sora's house, distracted by his observation of the smaller boy's body. Taking a deep breath and snapping himself out of his trance, he exited his car and walked over to the passenger's seat, collecting a completely asleep and peach soju scented Sora in a bridal carry. The sound of a door opening and closing and the whirring of his car was all Riku heard before he was met with a very tall, muscly man in a power stance, angrily looking at him from Sora's house.
Sora shivered slightly as the hot air contained from the heater began to dissipate. Automatically, Riku tightened his hold, in attempt to make his partner warmer.
"Kairi always tells me this story and always says that she probably shouldn't have trusted you with me alone and drunk," Sora fake scolded, pointing a finger at his partner. "Stranger danger!"
"If she came, then I wouldn't have checked you out!" Riku teased, side-eyeing Sora. "But seriously, I didn't look scared, but I was shitting my pants when I saw your uncle at the door. Thought I was dead!"
"Well, if someone brought my nephew home absolutely wasted, I'd also be pretty pissed. Also, I'm certain he already knew about you. I wasn't exactly quiet when I'm talking to Kairi on the phone," Sora mused at his antics.
"What do you mean was? You're still loud!" Riku protested jokingly.
"In bed."
"You're immature as fuck."
"But you still love me."
Riku, knowing his partner's weakness, connected their foreheads together, nose to nose and stared Sora down, considerately wrapping the blanket around him tighter. With their warm breaths mixing and blushed cheeks getting warmer, Riku whispered, "I love you."
When time felt like it would freeze in this moment Sora would break, any previous expression on his face eased into one that only Riku was allowed to see. It was similar that he would show when he was performing a dancing or singing specifically for him. An expression that didn't need words to convey the feelings he aimed to exude and absolute surrender of his vulnerability to his partner.
"You know that's cheating," Sora said in a half-meant angry tone. "But it makes me wonder why you chose me over Kairi when I was so lost and had no drive…"
"I love you," Riku repeated. "I chose you because you're you."
"You're a damn sap," Sora breaking eye contact with Riku and escaping from his grip. "I know there was the moment in homecoming, but that was more like you realizing you didn't like Kairi like that."
"Accurate take."
"So when was it really?"
"C'mon guys hurry up! I really don't want to go home at all right now, so let's hurry to this new karaoke place!" Sora excitedly said, pulling both Kairi and Riku through to the counter, with his cousin Roxas and Kairi's cousin Namine following closely behind.
Hurriedly ordering non-alcoholic drinks and choosing a private room, Sora shoved each and every one of them into the room, making a silly face in an attempt to pacify their annoyed looks.
"Okay, both Kairi and I grew up with you, so what's wrong?" Roxas snapped, going straight for the serious questions.
Sora's dropped his feigned smile and stopped searching through the song book. He sighed, took a seat on the leather couch next to Riku and simply said, "I told my uncle."
"Told him what?" Kairi inquired, knowing what it could be.
"That I'm, you know –"Sora made a gesture with his hand.
"Gay?" Namine clarified. "You don't have to censor it with that dumb hand thing, honey. It's not a bad thing."
"Yeah… I guess," Sora deflated. "But I ran away before he could respond, and good old Friendly Neighborhood Riku was waiting for me outside to pick you guys up. I hope he isn't mad. If he kicks me out at least I had fun beforehand.
"You know he won't do that," Roxas rolled his eyes, "Now give me that songbook."
"He's gonna like me even less now because you did that," Riku whispered in Sora's ear to which he was met with rolling eyes.
Once Roxas had found his go to song, the party had started rolling and overpriced average tasting food was ordered, multiple songs were queued, and many stories were shared. Overall, the trip Sora spontaneously planned was turning out to be a success. They even got the notoriously quiet Namine to share a bunch of her stories.
"Hey, besties, Sora and I still have color guard practice tomorrow in the morning, so let's not stay too late. It's already around midnight!" Kairi announced, daintily stuffing her face with fries.
"Yes, Mom!" Sora exclaimed; his nose buried in the songbook.
"Aha!"
"Found it?" Riku asked, his hand nervously creeping to snake around Sora's waist.
"This one's for you," Sora announced, queueing the song, grabbing the mic from Roxas and looking directly at Riku. To ease the nerve, Sora grabbed Riku's nervous arm and pulled it completely around his waist.
On the screen, La Vie En Rose was being counted down.
3….2….1….
"Isn't it ironic that the candle scent that we always buy is cherry blossom?" Sora chuckled, lost in deep reminiscence.
"It's as if you're suggesting something?"
A punch to the shoulder. "Ow! Work on the left shoulder why don't you! My right one is bruising!"
Riku's protest then once again lead to another one of their small wrestling matches. Sora with his smaller body was once again pinned down, arms above his head, chest heaving up and down from the fierce fight he put up against his partner. On the contrary, Riku had no problem, barely putting effort into fending him off.
"It's not fair! You're half a foot taller than me and you gain muscle so easily!" Sora whined in between breaths.
Ignoring his words, Riku observed the lithe figure underneath him, gazing at features he had observed an innumerable number of times in the years that they had been together. The bright blue in his partner's eyes dancing and flickering with the reflecting flame of their candle. He thought about how those eyes have been immortalized in his mind, their specific color of blue burned into his very being – the first things he see in the morning and the last he sees at night.
Feeling his partner shiver, Riku collected the blanket that had fallen on the floor amidst their roughhousing and once again enveloped them in wooly warmth.
"I can't believe I completely fell for you over a basic ass French song," Riku teased.
"I'm glad you did because I didn't know what else to do to get you to love me," Sora stated plainly, a hint of sadness in his voice, "I didn't exactly have anything special to show."
Riku stayed silent, staring straight, holding Sora tighter. A reassuring kiss on the cheek was all he could do to best convey his feeling when it came to his partner's self about. He had never really been good with his words, and for Sora, that was enough. Although he wished for sweet nothings and affirmations to always be said to him, Sora knew it was better to try and understand what huge, small gestures really meant.
That was enough for him.
"You know what I am surprised about?" Sora asked, lifting Riku's hand and playing with his fingers.
"Hm?"
"How you and Kairi were able to talk during karaoke night."
Riku hurriedly ran under the overarching roof of the school as the rain had caught up to him after sneaking out of the building for some outside lunch. His bright silver hair turning a darker shade as it was soaked in water. Wringing his jacket, he checked the inside of his plastic bag to see if anything had fallen out in his rush from his car.
"Did you get Sora some popcorn chicken?"
Alarmed by the familiar voice, Riku threw his head up, sending water flying from his damp hair and was met with an expressionless Kairi leaning on the gray metal entrance to their school. She had her arms crossed, her signature pink hoodie keeping her warm from the rain.
"Yeah, I didn't forget. I'm so sick of the school food," Riku responded, relaxing and attempting to stand next to Kairi.
Instinctually, Kairi inched away, turning her head the other way.
"Uh….sorry."
"Good job, you actually said a word instead of giving me a punch on the shoulder," Kairi responded flatly. "But I reserve the right to be disappointed for now. However, I'm not mad. I'm happy for my best friend."
"I feel differently for Sora… I think?" Riku questioned, looking down on his plastic bag filled with snacks and grocery store meals.
"Being bisexual is a thing, Riku."
"I know."
The awkward tension persisted as the rain fell harder. Riku was glad the silence could be filled with the sound of falling rain. It was one of those moments he was thankful he wasn't dealing with the weather from the eastern side of Washington.
"Don't leave Sora hanging like you did with me, okay?" Kairi warned, her voice shaky. "I'm used to being disappointed by my parents, so it doesn't bother me as much when people don't show up, but if you hurt Sora…"
"I won't. I'm just trying to figure things out," Riku argued.
"Figure them out faster because it's not fair to him," Kairi spat back, turning her head to try and catch Riku's eyes with her glistening ones.
"Hey-"
"He likes the smell of cherry blossoms and sweet things and he's really touchy and he likes to perform for people he loves and he's my best friend, so don't play around with him just because you think you're curious because he's making you feel things."
Kairi wiped her eyes on her hoodie sleeve, crossing them again to preserve the warmth inside. Riku then did a very stupid thing.
He hugged her, causing the tears to fall. And on the other side of the door, Sora had been peeking through the window, patiently waiting for Riku's arrival.
"Even though I know exactly what happened that day, I will never forget feeling like you played us," Sora snickered at the bitter memory.
"You know I've never done that." Riku sighed, running a nervous hand through his hair.
"I know, but that moment still caused one of Kairi and I's biggest misunderstandings…" Sora feigned sadness in his voice. "Must've been such an achievement to cause such a rift between us!"
"Now you're just rubbing salt in the wound."
"Good!"
They were overcome with laughter as at each other's teasing of the misunderstandings in the advent of their relationship. Until their noses had gotten used to the scent of cherry blossom in the air and the rain and wind grew even louder. The amber color of the candle setting a space for even more stories to satisfy the craving of nostalgia and reminiscent unlocking of stored old memories. Enveloped in their embraces Sora and Riku stayed until eventually their candle had ran out.
"Watch where you touch," Sora warned in the pitch-black darkness, craning his neck to further expose it to Riku's advances.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah…"
"Be gentle or we'll be staying at Uncle Jecht's tomorrow…"
"Mhmm…"