Title: Pieces that Fall into Place
Author: Maho Kiwi
Rating: R. Language and implied themes.
Pairing: Sora x Riku
Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts is a valuable facet of Disney and Square and I thank them very much for (unknowingly) letting me borrow them for a bit.
A/N: I must have too much time on my hands. I've written something. I've been kicking this around for a day or two and it wont let me be. Hopefully this will appease it. Odd little snippet of time... takes place somewhere past the ending of KH, I'd say about a year, so they're still young. I don't know how Riku got back, nor do I feel like trying to figure it out. This is what my muse gave me. I know they live on a tropical island, but let's just assume, for my sake, that it gets chilly there. I've seen it be 40 degrees in Florida, which is pretty damn chilly. Just play along, okay? It's "winter" on Destiny Islands, which I set up as blustery, gray and wet.
***
From my perch on the staircase I watched my mother bustle back and forth from room to room in a frenzy of bushy hair and waving hands, my father trailing behind her, both talking a mile a minute. "Now, don't forget to turn off the lights when you go out, and turn the heat down-I know it's getting late in the season, but we can't afford to heat this place if no one is in it-"
"Honey, if we don't get going-"
"And please try and keep the house looking somewhat habitable-where are my gloves?- I know it's a horrible pain for you to actually pick things up off the floor but if you could-I /just/ had them-"
"Sweetheart, he's a big boy now and I really think that if we don't leave-"
My parents were going away on vacation. It was their wedding anniversary, and they had decided to go somewhere warm for the season. I had thought that they'd want to go somewhere with weather that was completely unlike home. True, the weather was crap now, but 9 months out of the year it was tropical paradise. Then again, that's probably why my parents chose to live here. They liked warm weather.
"There's leftovers in the fridge and I left you some spending money, frozen pizza in the freezer-don't forget to turn the oven off if you use it-try and eat something healthy every now and again-"
I propped my head up in my hands and watched as my mother left and returned to the front room for the 57th time. Every time she left she returned with a new forgotten item, which she would then stuff into her already over- packed bag. My father was attempting to get her to abandon the never-ending process of remembering all her items and just leave.
"Really, honey, the boat leaves in-"
"That's it!" my mother declared with a sudden clap of her hands, coming to a stop in the middle of the room. "I've decided. We wont be going!"
My father did a take. "Excuse me? But, really, Sweetheart, we've already bought the tickets, and the boat is leaving-"
"No! No, I can't leave my baby boy here alone! How will he manage? No, it's completely unacceptable I just-"
I rolled my eyes and watched my father do the same. I tuned my mother out. She did this every time they left to go somewhere; even if was only down to the store. You'd think that being the Keyblade Master and saving the known cosmos would earn me a little standing in her eyes, but to Mom, I would always be "her baby boy".
My father began speaking, saying the lines that he said every time they left.
"Why don't you call up one of those friends of yours, Sora? See if they'll put you up for a couple of days?" He turned to my mother. "How about that, Sweetheart? That'd be okay, wouldn't it?"
"Sure, Dad. I'll call Riku .I'm sure his mother wouldn't mind if I stayed for a while." I sighed out my lines. I think Mom needed this pageantry to feel safe on her trips. Knowing that if every trip began the same way, then maybe they would all end the same way; them coming home to find me safe and sound and the three of us continuing on in the way we always had. I would never forget the sight of my mother crumpled on the floor, sobbing, as I stood there in the living room, Keyblade in hand, telling her I was home.
"I thought you were gone for good."
***
I waved goodbye as their car /finally/ pulled out of the drive, on the way to the Marina. I shouldered my bag and started the walk to Riku's house. Halfway across the island I was accosted by Tidus, who wrapped an arm around my shoulders and grinned. "Hey, Sora."
"Hey, Tidus. What's up?" I grinned back.
"Oh, you know, the usual. The 'rents finally ship out?" He dropped his arm from my shoulders and fell into step next to me.
"Yeah, finally. Mom had to go through the motions of telling me to not burn the house down in her absence before deciding that I'm not old enough to stay home alone."
"Think you'll ever be?"
I looked round at him. "Be what?"
"Old enough. To stay home alone." I shrugged.
"Prob'ly not. So, are you gonna tell me?" It was his turn to look at me.
"Tell you?" a smile twitched awkwardly on his lips. "Tell you what?"
"Ohhhhh c'mon Tidus. The others always say it: 'Sora and Tidus, you can read those two like they were an open book!' And you know what? They're right." I gave him a gentle poke in the ribs. "You know you wanna tell me something!"
He sighed and placed his hands behind his head-sometimes I swear this boy was me-looking at the sky. "Fine, I guess I did want to tell you something." I smiled. I love being right. Such a warm fuzzy feeling.
"Sooo. the other day, I was like. yanno. talking."
"uh huuuuh." I volunteered. Good God, at this rate he'd never get to the point of this story. It seemed he really didn't want to tell me this thing that he wanted to tell me. Or he wanted to tell me but thought he shouldn't.
"So, like, there I am. talking, and stuff. When Riku says-"
"Ah, so you were talking to Riku, not just randomly talking" I cut in, amused.
"Yeah, Riku. So he says, 'so. Sora.' And I'm like, 'Sora?' and he's like, 'yeah.'" Christ. I swung my hands back and forth and waited for him to get on with it.
"And then he's like. um. well. we were talking and he just sort of mentioned it, you know how it is. When you're talking and you just say something, yanno? You didn't mean to, or maybe you do but then you, well, you just kinda say stuff? You know? Yeah?" I looked at him, raising my eyebrow.
"Tidus, none of that made any sense. All I can tell is that you were talking to Riku and he said something about me. Will you, please, try and tell me what he said, and do it so I can understand?"
He slowed his pace and looked at his feet. "Yeah. I guess." I waited.
"He said he likes you." Mumbled.
"I know he likes me. We talked about this, he's sorry, I'm sorry. We're all forgiven. The darkness is behind us, it's done and over. We're friends again." I rolled my eyes. Was that all?
"No. Not like that. He /likes/ you. You know." My step faltered.
"He. Likes me?"
"Yeah."
I sat down where I was, completely caught off guard. Riku. Liked me? Tidus slowly lowered himself down next to me. "I. Didn't know if I should tell you. "
"Why did you?" I stared at the hard gray dirt "I'm on the way to his house, be there for a week. did you really need to tell me now?" I looked at him.
"Well. Maybe not. But I knew that you'd be staying there-you always do-and I thought I'd. You know. Give you the heads up. Just in case."
"Just in case?" I scoffed and made a feeble attempt to touch the ground-too far away. "Just in case what? He tries to make a move on me? Now I'll just be. Jumpy and paranoid. Wonderful. Thanks a bunch." He looked hurt.
"Hey now. I just-" I cut him off.
"I know. Sorry. Not your fault." I sighed again and stood. "Well. they're expecting me. Better be on my way."
"You could always stay with me yanno." Tidus offered. I shook my head.
"No. I always stay with him. Always."
And with that I was off to face my fate. No problem. It'd be just the same as always. Just the same. Yup. So Riku liked me. No big deal, right? I mean, we both used to have huge crushes on Kairi and we all still hung out together-hey now, if he liked me, what was all the jazz about sharing a Paopu with Kairi? Not that I remembered that. 'Cause he was just joking. I wouldn't remember something silly like that. Never-This would be just like that. Just the two of us, hanging out together. Alone. Fine. Great. Good. No problems what-so-ever. Not a one.
Oh God.
Author: Maho Kiwi
Rating: R. Language and implied themes.
Pairing: Sora x Riku
Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts is a valuable facet of Disney and Square and I thank them very much for (unknowingly) letting me borrow them for a bit.
A/N: I must have too much time on my hands. I've written something. I've been kicking this around for a day or two and it wont let me be. Hopefully this will appease it. Odd little snippet of time... takes place somewhere past the ending of KH, I'd say about a year, so they're still young. I don't know how Riku got back, nor do I feel like trying to figure it out. This is what my muse gave me. I know they live on a tropical island, but let's just assume, for my sake, that it gets chilly there. I've seen it be 40 degrees in Florida, which is pretty damn chilly. Just play along, okay? It's "winter" on Destiny Islands, which I set up as blustery, gray and wet.
***
From my perch on the staircase I watched my mother bustle back and forth from room to room in a frenzy of bushy hair and waving hands, my father trailing behind her, both talking a mile a minute. "Now, don't forget to turn off the lights when you go out, and turn the heat down-I know it's getting late in the season, but we can't afford to heat this place if no one is in it-"
"Honey, if we don't get going-"
"And please try and keep the house looking somewhat habitable-where are my gloves?- I know it's a horrible pain for you to actually pick things up off the floor but if you could-I /just/ had them-"
"Sweetheart, he's a big boy now and I really think that if we don't leave-"
My parents were going away on vacation. It was their wedding anniversary, and they had decided to go somewhere warm for the season. I had thought that they'd want to go somewhere with weather that was completely unlike home. True, the weather was crap now, but 9 months out of the year it was tropical paradise. Then again, that's probably why my parents chose to live here. They liked warm weather.
"There's leftovers in the fridge and I left you some spending money, frozen pizza in the freezer-don't forget to turn the oven off if you use it-try and eat something healthy every now and again-"
I propped my head up in my hands and watched as my mother left and returned to the front room for the 57th time. Every time she left she returned with a new forgotten item, which she would then stuff into her already over- packed bag. My father was attempting to get her to abandon the never-ending process of remembering all her items and just leave.
"Really, honey, the boat leaves in-"
"That's it!" my mother declared with a sudden clap of her hands, coming to a stop in the middle of the room. "I've decided. We wont be going!"
My father did a take. "Excuse me? But, really, Sweetheart, we've already bought the tickets, and the boat is leaving-"
"No! No, I can't leave my baby boy here alone! How will he manage? No, it's completely unacceptable I just-"
I rolled my eyes and watched my father do the same. I tuned my mother out. She did this every time they left to go somewhere; even if was only down to the store. You'd think that being the Keyblade Master and saving the known cosmos would earn me a little standing in her eyes, but to Mom, I would always be "her baby boy".
My father began speaking, saying the lines that he said every time they left.
"Why don't you call up one of those friends of yours, Sora? See if they'll put you up for a couple of days?" He turned to my mother. "How about that, Sweetheart? That'd be okay, wouldn't it?"
"Sure, Dad. I'll call Riku .I'm sure his mother wouldn't mind if I stayed for a while." I sighed out my lines. I think Mom needed this pageantry to feel safe on her trips. Knowing that if every trip began the same way, then maybe they would all end the same way; them coming home to find me safe and sound and the three of us continuing on in the way we always had. I would never forget the sight of my mother crumpled on the floor, sobbing, as I stood there in the living room, Keyblade in hand, telling her I was home.
"I thought you were gone for good."
***
I waved goodbye as their car /finally/ pulled out of the drive, on the way to the Marina. I shouldered my bag and started the walk to Riku's house. Halfway across the island I was accosted by Tidus, who wrapped an arm around my shoulders and grinned. "Hey, Sora."
"Hey, Tidus. What's up?" I grinned back.
"Oh, you know, the usual. The 'rents finally ship out?" He dropped his arm from my shoulders and fell into step next to me.
"Yeah, finally. Mom had to go through the motions of telling me to not burn the house down in her absence before deciding that I'm not old enough to stay home alone."
"Think you'll ever be?"
I looked round at him. "Be what?"
"Old enough. To stay home alone." I shrugged.
"Prob'ly not. So, are you gonna tell me?" It was his turn to look at me.
"Tell you?" a smile twitched awkwardly on his lips. "Tell you what?"
"Ohhhhh c'mon Tidus. The others always say it: 'Sora and Tidus, you can read those two like they were an open book!' And you know what? They're right." I gave him a gentle poke in the ribs. "You know you wanna tell me something!"
He sighed and placed his hands behind his head-sometimes I swear this boy was me-looking at the sky. "Fine, I guess I did want to tell you something." I smiled. I love being right. Such a warm fuzzy feeling.
"Sooo. the other day, I was like. yanno. talking."
"uh huuuuh." I volunteered. Good God, at this rate he'd never get to the point of this story. It seemed he really didn't want to tell me this thing that he wanted to tell me. Or he wanted to tell me but thought he shouldn't.
"So, like, there I am. talking, and stuff. When Riku says-"
"Ah, so you were talking to Riku, not just randomly talking" I cut in, amused.
"Yeah, Riku. So he says, 'so. Sora.' And I'm like, 'Sora?' and he's like, 'yeah.'" Christ. I swung my hands back and forth and waited for him to get on with it.
"And then he's like. um. well. we were talking and he just sort of mentioned it, you know how it is. When you're talking and you just say something, yanno? You didn't mean to, or maybe you do but then you, well, you just kinda say stuff? You know? Yeah?" I looked at him, raising my eyebrow.
"Tidus, none of that made any sense. All I can tell is that you were talking to Riku and he said something about me. Will you, please, try and tell me what he said, and do it so I can understand?"
He slowed his pace and looked at his feet. "Yeah. I guess." I waited.
"He said he likes you." Mumbled.
"I know he likes me. We talked about this, he's sorry, I'm sorry. We're all forgiven. The darkness is behind us, it's done and over. We're friends again." I rolled my eyes. Was that all?
"No. Not like that. He /likes/ you. You know." My step faltered.
"He. Likes me?"
"Yeah."
I sat down where I was, completely caught off guard. Riku. Liked me? Tidus slowly lowered himself down next to me. "I. Didn't know if I should tell you. "
"Why did you?" I stared at the hard gray dirt "I'm on the way to his house, be there for a week. did you really need to tell me now?" I looked at him.
"Well. Maybe not. But I knew that you'd be staying there-you always do-and I thought I'd. You know. Give you the heads up. Just in case."
"Just in case?" I scoffed and made a feeble attempt to touch the ground-too far away. "Just in case what? He tries to make a move on me? Now I'll just be. Jumpy and paranoid. Wonderful. Thanks a bunch." He looked hurt.
"Hey now. I just-" I cut him off.
"I know. Sorry. Not your fault." I sighed again and stood. "Well. they're expecting me. Better be on my way."
"You could always stay with me yanno." Tidus offered. I shook my head.
"No. I always stay with him. Always."
And with that I was off to face my fate. No problem. It'd be just the same as always. Just the same. Yup. So Riku liked me. No big deal, right? I mean, we both used to have huge crushes on Kairi and we all still hung out together-hey now, if he liked me, what was all the jazz about sharing a Paopu with Kairi? Not that I remembered that. 'Cause he was just joking. I wouldn't remember something silly like that. Never-This would be just like that. Just the two of us, hanging out together. Alone. Fine. Great. Good. No problems what-so-ever. Not a one.
Oh God.