Sora stretched as he woke up, rubbing against something warm. He yawned loudly and splayed his arms everywhere, thwacking against something beside him.
"Dammit!" Riku growled sleepily as he rested next to Sora. "Hit me again in your sleep and I will wake you up with a splash of cold water all over your face and you'll regret ever having set foot into this bed!" Riku's outburst did nothing to the younger boy, other than have Sora pull him closer and moan in his sleep. Riku's body began to weaken with sleep and warmth, and he began to relax despite his best friend waking him up all night with hits and jolts.
Not that he minded. Riku was often lost in nightmares, and Sora always pushed him out of them with a shift or bump. He wondered if the boy did it on purpose, or if he even realized what he was doing.
" 'S not my fault you're so cuddly at night..." Sora wrapped an arm around Riku, and Riku shifted uncomfortably until he turned to face Sora.
"I... do you mind if we rest like this instead? I... don't like anyone at my back..." Riku looked down, towards Sora's arm on him.
"Yeah. It's fine, 's long as ya don't go licking me like that dog or something..."
"Licking you?" Riku's eyes widened in surprise as Sora's eyes blinked closed yet again.
"Yeah... the one that was chasing me around the merry go round- 'cept we were running the wrong way since the carousel was turning against us, and it seemed like I wasn't runnin' anywhere at all..." Sora's words slurred and Riku rolled his eyes. The boy was delirious with sleep, and anything said now was utter nonsense.
Riku lifted Sora's arm off of him and got off the bed, ready to cook them a breakfast that would top the food last night. Sora's arm caught him again. "Wait... don't go... Riku..." Riku leaned in close to catch the words Sora had muttered. "I don't wanna... be alone... anymo..." Sora began to snore slightly and his arm fell down, still aimed toward Riku.
Riku lay back down in bed. It was cold and empty in the house. The least he could do was keep his guest warm...
...
Sora had woken first, and even had time to take another strawberry scented shower before he got out and saw Riku heading for the door. He leaped toward the boy, determined.
"No. I will not eat whatever devil's food you may have planned for me. I will not be incapacitated again- besides, it's unhealthy to sleep right after food. I'll cook today!" Sora bounced ahead of Riku and covered the door. He glanced out the hallway and exited, leaving Riku alone. Sora popped back into the room. "Actually... if you would lead me to the kitchen..." Riku chuckled at the lost boy.
"Only if you admit that you need me." Riku's inner sadist was out to play. The boy was irritatingly cute when he was asleep, and Riku hated how that made him feel.
Like he actually had a family.
"I need you." Riku grinned- it had made him far too delighted at those words for it to be healthy... "And while I cook, you can shower; but don't worry- I won't peek like you did." Sora winked and walked out into the hallway, leaving Riku behind.
"Wrong way, Sora." Sora hid his blush and followed after Riku through the maze of his house.
...
Sora prepared the meal and Riku stepped outside the house, not wanting to crowd or pressure the younger boy. There was no way Sora was going to beat Riku's cooking skills, he thought proudly. If they were stuck on a small island together, Sora would be completely dependent on him. Riku smiled smugly, then shook his head. What was he thinking? That boy was getting inside his head...
...
Flick.
A blue flame gazed out at Riku, enveloping his vision and narrowing it down to that single, beautiful light. It danced back and forth with the wind, shrinking and rising.
Not enough air, and it would die out. Too much air, and it would be blown out.
He had the lighter customized. The flame would always be blue. It's colors wavered from sky blue to the blue of Sora's eyes, or the darkest depths of the oceans depending on the environment. He loved that lighter- engraved on it's side was a single blue rose against the silver coating.
Blue roses. The desire of the unattainable.
Blue, like his father's eyes. Blue, like his mother's lips once she was dead.
No, that was wrong. He didn't love that lighter. He needed it, to remind him that the world was cruel, and harsh, and would never stop being beautiful despite that.
If he had a father to offer him a ride to Sora's house that day, Ansem wouldn't have had the chance to...
Riku sighed and pulled the lighter to his lips, igniting a cigarette. He inhaled the dirty air and leaned against the rail on his porch. He watched the smoke lift off of his lips and float into the world, disappearing in the sky.
He didn't always smoke. He had resisted it at first- he hated the way the smoke curled inside his lungs and burned him internally. As time flew by and he continued to suck down the air, it became easier.
There wasn't anyone to tell him not to. He tapped the ash off the cigarette and breathed in a bit more of death. He puffed out again, forming his lips so that the smoke came out as a ring. The tricks amused him.
"Dinner!" Sora called out from inside.
Riku shed the last of the ash before he put the lit part of the cigarette on his tongue. His mouth tasted of ash as the cigarette flamed inside of him, but his saliva turned it off.
Once the burning cooled, he headed inside and disposed of the remains of the cigarette. Riku's tongue ached, and he rubbed it against the roof of his mouth.
He could feel the phantom cigarette laying in his mouth backwards, burning his flesh. The sizzling sound of his skin being cooked. The stench of a body- his body- being burned alive.
Riku didn't mind.
It made him truly feel alive.
...
"What is this? On what planet is something as disgusting as THIS considered food?" Sora huffed angrily as he lay the plate in front of the boy. The food almost masked the smell of something distinctly... bitter... cigarettes? Since when did Riku smoke?
"You smell like cigarettes. You know they're bad for you, right?" Riku rolled his eyes.
"And you smell like strawberries. You know people eat those, right, little girl?"
Sora hissed. "I AM NOT A LITTLE GIRL! I AM A FULL FLEDGED MANLY MAN!" Riku burst out laughing.
"Seriously, what is this food?" Riku hoped that Sora didn't notice the change in subject from his smoking as the boy set the table, preoccupied. Riku wasn't that worried though- the Sora was practically ADD. Riku tentatively took a bite and sat back in his seat when a wonderful explosion of flavors erupted in his mouth. "Damn... this is pretty good!" Riku wondered if the boy had had much practice cooking...
Sora smirked. "I told you so! Don't question the ultimate adventurer! Who knows, maybe that food will save me from a King that was planning to execute me but let me live because I could cook like this!" Sora eyes lighted up with excitement.
"Yeah, and you'd be stuck being his chef forever. Would you rather live to serve him, or accept the execution?" Riku immediately regretted the words. The light in Sora's eyes faded as he sat down next to Riku.
"I- I don't know." Riku shifted uncomfortably in his seat, then smiled at Sora brightly.
"Don't worry- if that ever happened, you could distract the King with your food and I'd kidnap you to safety." Sora smiled, and the food on his plate steamed over his face and his cheeks blushed with heat. "C'mon, let's finish eating and we can find something else to do. "
Riku finished the food and sipped a bit of Paopu Fruit Juice. They say that when you share a bottle, you're destined to stay together. Riku wondered if Sora realized this- or, for the matter, how expensive the tiny bottle was. He chuckled, and then remembered what Sora had said before. Riku wondered if he would choose the execution either way, even if Sora had managed to rescue him. His thoughts melted away when Sora smiled and began to clean the table up.
...
Imagine what it's like for me. Sitting here, wondering what disgraceful thoughts you're thinking about this.
You know what's worse than knowing what cruel things you're thinking?
Not knowing.
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