Phew~! I feel busy!
Axel: And that's a good thing?
In my case, yes.
Kairi: Well she is doing a lot. A comic for AkuRoku Day, this story, planning another one on her list.
Xemnas & Saïx: That list is evil!
Oh you're only saying that 'cause the one I have planned for you two is based off an old show. I own nothing~!
The room was filled with the sound of keyboard keys meant to sound like violin strings plucking accompanied by the sound of hair gliding across wire and a quiet voice.
"Nureta hitomi no oku aoi tsuki wa
shizuka ni kobore ochite yuku"
The blare of an electric guitar joined the melody along with the poundings of drums. The guitar quieted for the moment but the drums continued as the voice began again.
"Azayaka na sekai wa oto mo naku
shizuka ni yami ni kiete yuku
Byou yomi no naka kake meguru yami no naka o
soshite arata naru toki o mukae ima ..."
All sound stilled accept for the keyboard then everything blared to life again. The lyrics, the drums, the keyboard mimicking violins, the electric guitar, all melding to sound like one powerful sound.
"Kizutsuita kuroi tsubasa tsuki no akari ni
terasarete utsukushiku maiagare
Shinkou no kuchidzuke ga ima kokoro no oku ni
nagare komu soshite yume no naka e ..."
The guitar began screaming in its own sound that went so well with the constant rhythm of the other instruments as the voice quieted again. The scream died away slowly, turning into a steady strumming as the lyrics flowed around again.
"Chinmoku no sora kiete yuku senritsu no
MERODII ni ima inori o komete"
Then it was the keyboard alone again until the soft echoing of drum set cymbals built slowly only to stop to let the keyboard and the singer continue.
"Tozasareta yume no tsuzuki sagashi mo tomete
itsumademo aruki tsuzukeru"
The drums picked up again along with the guitar and the voice sang loudly and strongly.
"Kizutsuita kuroi tsubasa tsuki no akari ni
terasarete utsukushiku maiagare
Shinkou no kuchi zukega ima kokoro no oku ni
nagare komu soshite yume no naka e ..."
The guitar began screaming again as the song was coming to a close, all the instruments going strong filling the song with power and passion until it completely stopped.
"That was totally wicked!" Sora cheered.
"Ya think so?" Riku asked setting the guitar on the stand.
Kairi laughed from her place behind the keyboard, "Riku, Sora thinks anything you do is good."
"Hey," Sora said seriously getting everyone's attention "Not everything."
"Oh, right. Sorry." Kairi said quietly.
"Well all that aside, what do you plan on calling this one Riku?" Tidus asked getting up from behind the drum set.
Riku thought for a moment. Thinking of a name for a song with such lyrics proved itself quite difficult "I honestly don't know." He said shrugging.
"How about Eden?" Sora quipped making everyone look at him "I-I dunno, I think it fits." He said looking to the floor.
Smiling Riku ruffled his spiky hair, "I like that a lot Sora, thanks." He leaned a little closer to whisper in his ear, "You too Roxas."
'Of course he would figure it out.' The brunette thought to himself.
Tidus went over to the table that had a bunch of papers in stacks on it and picked up a stack with scarlet writing on it, reading it over "Hey Riku, what's this song?" he asked.
Riku walked up beside him and looked it over "I'm calling that one Cendrillon. It's something I thought up a while ago, before Sora and I left." He explained.
"Hm, it's seems a little deep. Where'd you get such an idea?" Tidus asked.
"A dream." Everyone looked at the silverette in curiosity "I can't really explain it; I saw so many events going on at the same time between two people. I never saw their faces and I could never figure out their genders, all I knew that was going on was that they seemed to be at each other's throats and trying to reach each other's hearts all at the same time. I had the dream so many times that I decided I should write it down so I could look into it, see what it was trying to tell me. When I started writing it came out in those words instead of what I was seeing." He said.
Sora looked over Tidus's shoulder and read over the lyrics, "They are deep. Riku, can I talk to you privately please?" he dragged his friends out of the room leaving behind a confused Kairi, Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie.
"So what other songs has Riku written? I wanna see!" Selphie said skipping over to the table with the many sheets of music.
Wakka shook his head, "Really Selph, you'll just make a mess ya!"
"Will not!"
"I'd better monitor her then." Kairi said following their friend.
X_X_X_X_X
Sora dragged Riku down three halls before he stopped and released him, "I wanna know the true inspiration for that song."
"I told you, a dream." Riku said.
"Riku!" Sora stamped his foot and put his hands on his hips with a scowling pout which Riku only found adorably funny.
But he withheld his laughter by clearing his throat, "Sora, would I lie to you about a song?"
"Well no. But you do lie about dreams! Now explain!" Sora demanded.
"I wasn't lying about the dream either. If anything the reason I couldn't tell who they were was because they were wearing the Organization XIII coats. That the answer you want?" Riku said.
"Organization XIII coats?" curiosity took hold of the brunette "Do you think they could have been Axel and Roxas?" he asked.
Riku blinked, "What makes you think that?"
Sora shook his head, "It's just… Well Roxas told me that before he left the Organization, he and Axel we having a few issues. They would fight over the stupidest things then make it up to each other. The description of your dream sounded like that. You had those dreams before everything happened?"
"Weird huh? You remember those days you would see me writing furiously at random times when we were at the Play Island or something? I was writing about that dream. I don't know why it came out as a song though. It still bugs me to this day." Riku said rubbing his forehead.
"Maybe, you did see Axel and me. Maybe your dream came out as a song because you couldn't describe the dream in the words you wanted because others wouldn't have been able to understand it." Roxas said manifesting himself beside Sora.
Riku looked at the blonde with a distant expression that didn't go unnoticed by the counterparts, "Maybe…"
Sora's face was overtaken with confusion and Roxas looked skeptical "Riku? You okay?" Sora asked.
"Roxy… My Roxy…" the silverette said sadly, still looking at Roxas.
"Riku?" Sora called.
Riku shook his head looking lost, "Um… What happened? I blanked out."
"Is that your excuse for calling my Nobody 'my Roxy'?" Sora asked feeling rather miffed.
"I said what?" Riku exclaimed then ran for the nearest bathroom which was just down the hall.
Sora raced after him pressing his ear to the door and hearing Riku shout, but he didn't know what he was saying because the hand dryer was drowning out the sound of his voice "Damn you Riku for using your head." Sora growled.
"Sora, that wasn't exactly Riku who said that." Roxas said.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Sora asked looking as his Nobody.
"Remember that day you first told him you wanted to ask Kairi out, he was acting strange that morning? It's like that, as if he's sharing his body with someone." The Nobody explained.
Sora stared at him, "Who do you think it might be, if he is sharing his body?"
Roxas was silent for a moment just staring at the door to the bathroom, the sound of the hand dryer still loud and strong as it muffled Riku's voice "The feeling I got when he said that… And that morning a while back… And when he read that paper to your class… I only felt that feeling when I was with Axel." Roxas said.
X_X_X_X_X
Upon getting into the bathroom Riku immediately activated the hand dryer so his voice wouldn't be too audible to the people who may pass by outside "Axel! Show your stupid ass right now!" he said.
Axel manifested himself in front of his host, a guilty expression on his face, "Riku I'm sorry. Seeing Roxas… I couldn't help myself. I'm getting to desperate to be with him again."
"Just what the hell possessed you to do that? You better have a good explanation." Riku growled.
"The dream… You were talking about your dream, then Roxas said something about it. I remembered how things were between us before he left. Sometimes he couldn't stand to look at me, other times we would be asleep in the same bed, only I would just lie awake looking at him and I'd cry because I was afraid to lose him. You know how I feel Riku, I know you do. As if it were any different when you and Sora were kids." The redhead said.
Riku stared at the other then looked to the floor releasing a shaky breath, "You're right… You're right… But you can't do that at random Axel, you don't want Roxas to know and that almost gave you away. I can barely keep up the façade of not being in love with Sora! I'm sorry, but it would only be harder if I had to make the extra effort in keeping you a secret. I'm sorry, I really am."
"I know. I'm the one who should be apologizing like crazy since I'm being so selfish right now. Riku, I just have one request. Convince Sora to let Roxas use his body to perform that song Cendrillon, and allow me to use yours to sing it with him. He won't even have to know it's me. That will be enough for me, after the Paopu Festival I'll stay in your mind only and never let myself be known again unless it's Naminé." Axel pleaded.
Riku nodded without hesitation feeling he owed the Nobody that much, "I will."
Axel nodded his thanks and went back into Riku's mind as the hand dryer shut off. Riku decided he'd have to face Sora sooner or later about the whole thing so he decided to leave the bathroom finding a solemn looking brunette on the other side.
"Sora, what is it?" he asked.
"Huh?" Sora looked up seeing his friend "Oh, hey Riku. Um, look, forget about earlier okay. Let's just head back so we can do some more practice okay." He said with a smile.
Riku looked at his friend gently, but sternly "There's something you're not telling me." He commented.
Sora waved a hand dismissively, "It's nothing, don't worry about it. Just Roxas thinking too much. Really."
Riku grabbed his wrist, "Tell the truth Sora. Remember that promise we made last weekend?"
The younger sighed in defeat, "Roxas said… He said when you spaced for a second he felt like Axel was around. Like I said, he's thinking too much!"
"Maybe, maybe not. It's possible he just thinking about Axel so much he thought he was here." Riku commented.
"Maybe… I can't help but feel sorry for Roxas, separated from the one he loves." Sora said sadly.
"I know how he feels." Riku responded looking at Sora forlornly.
"Sora! Riku! There you two are!" Selphie shrieked as she ran up to them.
"What is it?" Sora asked.
The girl held up a small stack of papers, "I wanted to know about this song." She held them out to Riku.
The silverette took them and looked them over, "Oh. It's one of my new ones, written out of boredom. Nothing special. I won't perform it."
"Lemme see." Sora said taking them and looking them over "Riku you have to perform this one! It's great!"
"Sora you think all my songs are good, that doesn't mean I have to perform all of them." Riku said flatly taking the papers back.
"What if I sang it with you? Kairi too! C'mon it'll be great! Please?" Sora begged with his hands clasped and a pleading pout on his face.
Riku rolled his eyes sighing in defeat, "Alright! I talk to Kairi about it and see what she thinks about the idea. Now let's get back, we have to get in as much as possible and you and I still have a project to do at my house Sora!"
"Yay! Thanks Riku!" Sora said following after his friend with Selphie as they made their way back to the gym where they were practicing.
X_X_X_X_X
"Great job everyone. Meet back here tomorrow so we can practice more." Riku said as they finished putting up the instruments they were using.
"Hey Wakka, are we gonna see your new girlfriend at Kairi's party?" Sora asked their friend as they walked towards the school's front gate.
Wakka got a dreamy smile on his face at the mention of his girlfriend, "For sure ya. You guys are gonna love her."
"Not as much as you do I bet." Tidus teased.
"Nope! But still." Wakka said.
"She's kinda scary, but she has the cutest dolls." Selphie explained.
"She throws them at you too if you piss her off." Tidus added.
"Only you though, Tidus." Wakka laughed.
"Ooh! I like her already!" Kairi smiled.
"Me too." Riku added.
"I'm afraid of her." Sora pouted.
"Aw don't worry; I won't let a doll hit you." Riku said ruffling the brunette's hair and his hand was batted away.
"See you guys tomorrow." Kairi said waving as they split up, she, Sora, and Riku walking down their street while their friends went toward the square.
"Hey Kairi, are you free next Saturday?" Sora asked.
"Yeah, why?" the redhead answered.
"I was thinking you and me could do something." Sora said with a light blush.
Kairi immediately glanced at Riku and saw he looked emotionless, "Um," she licked her lips nervously "W-would it be okay if Riku came along?" she asked.
"Whoa! Hey don't let me tamper a date between you two!" Riku said immediately.
"Oh it isn't like that! I thought it'd be nice if we all did something fun, just the three of us. Besides my birthday this weekend the only time we'll spend fun time together since we're getting ready for the festival, and the festival itself! C'mon you guys we need the free time together!" Kairi pleaded.
"You know what Riku, she's right! Next Saturday is a day for all three of us! No way you're getting out of it!" Sora said jumping onto the silverette's back.
"Hey no fair! Sora you always get piggyback rides from Riku! Get down, it's my turn!" Kairi demanded pulling on the brunette.
Sora tightened his hold on Riku's neck and waist "Nnnnnnooooooooooooo! Riku only gives me piggybacks! You no can ride!" he whined.
"Just what the hell am I here? Gimme a break you guys! Sora, get off my back!" Riku said trying to pry his friend's arms and legs from around him.
"No! You're my ride to your house! Now mush!" instead of "mush-ing" Riku dropped onto the ground with his arms crossed "Aw c'mon Riku! No fair!" the younger boy whined.
"Off or I'll lay back." Riku warned.
With a meep Sora immediately jumped to his feet and hid behind Kairi, "Meanie."
"Yeah. So, shall we get the Princess home so we can finish our project?" Riku said.
"Oh! Right, let's go!" Sora said and he started walking again with his friends following.
"Oh right, Riku I was wondering if you could write some music to go with these lyrics?" she held out a paper to him "I wrote them up last week."
Riku looked them over with a judging expression, humming a little, "How do you want it to sound?"
"Oh nothing to great, a little lively but befitting of the words you know?" she answered.
"I'll see what I can do."
"Great! And I want Sora to sing it!"
"What about me?" Sora asked upon hearing his name.
"You are gonna sing the song I wrote!" Kairi declared pointing at him for dramatic emphasis.
"You're gonna make me sing by myself? I'm gonna fail." He pouted.
Kairi scoffed rolling her eyes, "Oh Sora if you're so worried then during practice days I'll give you vocal lessons while Riku works on music. Will that make you feel better?"
Sora crossed his arms still pouting like a child, "Yeah, I guess."
As they were nearing Kairi's house they saw Del walking in their direction not seeming to notice them until they were a few feet away from each other. She scowled at the sight of Sora and Kairi with Riku and was about to comment about it but Riku beat her too it.
"Back the fuck off Del! Jenn's already on my list, don't make it worse for him!" the older boy snapped as they walked past her.
"You can't talk to me like that!" she shrieked.
"I think I just did!" Riku responded and they kept walking until they reached Kairi's house "Sorry about that Kai, but she really pisses me off." He said.
Kairi rolled her eyes, "Who doesn't she piss off?"
Sora giggled, "Hearing you cuss is funny."
The redhead shrugged with a smile on her face then went to her door with a wave.
Sora and Riku started walking again headed for Riku's house as the sun was setting, casting shadows and a fiery glow around them "So what all do we have to do for the cake?" Sora asked breaking the silence.
"Not too much. We gotta make the batter, put it in the pans, put the pans in the oven, then when they're done and cooled we can set them up so that the filling can go in then we can frost it." Riku listed.
"If any is left over we can eat it right?" Sora said hopefully.
Riku chuckled, "Yeah Sora. Since it'll be after dark when it's done I'll order us some take- out too."
"Let's get burgers and stuff this time. Lots of fries and giant milkshakes. And cheese cake!" Sora cheered.
"Burgers sound cool. But let's get the chili cheese fires instead. I can make the milkshakes at my house and I have the stuff to make s'mores." Riku said.
"Even better! Boy am I glad we skipped lunch today, we're gonna have a huge meal!" Sora jumped up and down happily at the thought of the night they were going to have.
X_X_X_X_X
Sometime after night fell Sora found himself having trouble getting the cake filling for Kairi's cake to set right in dip of the layer he was assigned to, "Dammit all…"
"How's it coming Sor?" Riku asked.
Sora looked back at his friend with a defeated expression, "You already finished yours huh?"
Riku sighed, "What's the problem?"
"The filling hates me." Sora grumbled glaring at the rouge colored whipped substance.
Riku stepped up behind his friend to see what he was doing and shook his head, "Sora, did you stir up the filling before you put it in so it could soften up more, or did you just go straight to scooping and spreading?"
Sora bit his lip and laughed sheepishly, "I'll take choice two."
Riku grabbed the bowl that had the filling in it and picked up a fork so he could start stirring the filling. Sora watched his friend as he scraped the whip off the sides so it could be mixed with the rest of it.
"Get that strawberry juice from the fridge would you? The mango too while you're at it." Riku said not taking his eyes off the bowl for an instant.
"What will the juice do?" Sora asked as his did what he was asked.
"Soften the filling and frosting, and give a little more flavor." Riku explained.
Sora got out the two juices and put the mango on the counter. He opened the strawberry and waited for Riku to give him further instructions.
"Pour slowly while I stir. I'll tell you when to stop." Riku instructed.
Sora started pouring trying hard to keep his hands from shaking as he performed his task. When Riku told him it was enough he stopped and Riku stopped stirring. Setting the bowl down he brought Sora in front of him so that they were both facing the cake. Putting a spreading spatula in Sora's hand he guided him in scooping up some of the filling and spreading it in the dip made in the cake layer.
"If you do it like this in a horizontal motion it'll spread evenly all the way through so it doesn't ooze between the layers." The silverette explained whilst resisting the urge to press his body against the younger.
Sora though felt himself blushing at the close proximity; the warm touch of his friend as he guided him and the smooth voice in his ear made him shiver in a pleasant way, and he only hoped Riku didn't notice. When Riku's hand motion stopped and he stepped back Sora turned to face him, both their expressions unreadable as they studied each other silently.
Sora's gaze rested on Riku's eyes, he remembered how Riku's eyes were such a deep ultramarine blue and how they reminded him of the ocean when the sunlight hit just right to give the water a shine without glare. They were aquamarine with the slight green tint that was mixed in now, that happened at some point during their first journey when Riku had blindly sided with that witch Maleficent and she gave him his dark powers. But Sora thought they were nonetheless beautiful.
He mentally slapped himself, where the hell in Kingdom Heart's name had that thought come from? But still, he felt it was true, he would just have to keep it to himself.
"So do you wanna stay the night again, or do you want to go home?" Riku asked breaking the silence.
Sora looked at the clock on the kitchen wall, 8:45. It would be well after nine by the time they finished the cake completely and his mother would most likely be in bed so she could go to work, "I'll stay the night. If it's okay with you."
"I won't mind the company." Riku said casually.
The brunette smiled, "Okay. I'll go call my mom to let her know. Thanks Riku!" he went into the living room and called his mother to explain everything to her when the door opened.
Riku's father walked in clumsily hiccup-ing and he sniffed the air, "The hell izat *hic* smell? Like a damn b'kery." His sight fell on Sora who looked a little afraid "What?" he snapped.
"Uh yeah Momma, I'll be home tomorrow. Night, I love you." Sora hurriedly hung up the phone and ran back in the kitchen "You dad's home." He whimpered.
"I heard." Riku said taking a plate out of the microwave "I'll be back. Meanwhile finish that layer so we can put them together." He said heading out into the living room.
Sora did as he was told, humming to himself quietly he listened in case yelling broke out but all he heard was the soft click of a door and muffled footsteps as Riku entered the kitchen again "He didn't do anything?" Sora asked.
"No, I told him I saved some food for him and he took it to his room. We just gotta be quiet." Riku said picking up the layer he was working on "Ready?" he asked.
"Yeah." Sora smiled.
Riku brought his layer over and readied it near Sora's layer. He counted down in his head then flipping it so that it sat on top of Sora's layer of the cake, the two lining up perfectly "Well that's done. Let's frost it." He said.
"Okay." Sora nodded.
After Riku added the mango juice and mixed it in with the frosting he and Sora used the spreading spatulas to put on the mango frosting, their hands kept bumping in the process which made them both blush. Luckily the colored faces went unnoticed.
Once the angel food cake was covered in orange-yellow Riku declared that they were gonna call it a night and that they would put on any finishing touches the next day before they had to meet everyone at the school for more practice.
As Sora lay awake that night he watched Riku sleep, unable to help but notice even the tiniest detail about his friend. The moonlight streaming in through the glass of the window cast a soft glow on Riku's face making his pale skin illuminate and his silver hair seemed to reflected the beams with a radiance that, in Sora's opinion, put the moon itself to shame.
Unable to help himself Sora raised a hand to run the long strands between his fingers; they felt soft to the touch. If anything, he thought Riku looked more beautiful than even Kairi… Then he shook his head and slapped himself, determining he was thinking too much.
Heehee, thinking too much. A likely excuse Sora.
Once again the song is Eden by To Destination from Yami No Matsuei. As for the songs Kairi and Selphie were referring to, wait for future chapters to find out. Sorry.
The awkward cake situation idea was given by my dA friend LovelessHyde.