Hello Kingdom Hearts Fandom. I've been kind of lurking you for a while, flirting with the possibility of joining you. But when you've got plot bunnies running around and shooting each other, it's kind of hard. But then this came along, and damn am I proud.
So, this story is titled Carry this Picture for Luck, titled after the Dashboard Confessionals song. Each chapter of this story is based off a song or songs. Whoever guesses the core song gets pimped.
Carry this Picture for Luck
Chapter the First
Sora checked the focus of the lens before he snapped another picture. Riku struck a pose.
"Riku!" Sora exclaimed. "You ruined the photo! I'm taking candid pictures. Candid."
"But Sora," Riku whined, "I like to pose." He arched his back, tossed his hair, and winked at the photographer.
Sora threw up his arms. "I give up! If you won't just sit still and study for me, I'm never getting this project done in time!"
"No wait," Riku protested suddenly as Sora stormed toward the apartment door. "I can be serious about this Sora!" He hastily stood up, hitting his knee against his desk and knocking his psychology textbook to the floor. "Sora!"
"I'll be back later, camera whore." The door slammed shut.
Camera whore was usually a term of endearment. But this time, Riku just felt bad.
--
Sora wandered the streets a while, camera in hand. He took pictures.
Here, a lamp post standing tall in the crowd of people around it. There, a floating page of newspaper dragging along, alone in the gutter.
Through the glass, a pretty red haired girl serving coffee in the coffeehouse.
Sora lowered his camera for a better look at her. She had a gorgeous smile.
--
"Welcome to Leon's Coffeehouse. How can I help you?" the redhead greeted. Her nametag read Kairi.
"Hi," Sora greeted softly. "Uhm, I'd like…" He scanned the wall menu quickly. "I'll get a hot chocolate." Because Sora hated coffee.
"Coming right up!" Kairi grinned. Sora's heart skipped a beat.
He slid over to the pickup counter and watched Kairi as she worked. "Whipped cream, sir?" He nodded mutely. She eventually began to blush, once she noticed that Sora's eyes followed her everywhere. "Here's your hot chocolate, sir."
"Sora," he blurted.
"My name's Sora. I'm going to uni right now, photography major, so we're around the same age—no need to call me sir. I—can I take your picture?" It was Sora's turn to turn red. His mouth had run off without him! And would Kairi think he was weird for asking to take pictures? Because that was creepy, and—
"Sure," Kairi replied unhesitatingly. "Uhm, what do want me to do? Should I pose or anything?"
"Just work. Pretend I'm not here." Kairi did as she was told, occasionally glancing at the camera but not stopping from taking orders or pouring coffee. Sora checked the focus of the lens before he snapped another picture.
--
Sora was busy developing pictures when Riku snuck into the dark room. "I thought you'd be here," the older boy said quietly. "Where were you last night? You didn't call."
"I was with Kairi," Sora told him. "I spent the night at her place, and look at all these pictures! They turned out really great."
Riku quietly looked at the pictures dripping with developer in the red light. There was a portrait of Kairi, reading glasses slipping down her nose as she read the morning paper. One of her curled up in bed, naked but for bed sheets. There was Kairi, putting on the necklace Riku had helped Sora pick out for the happy couple's sixth month anniversary. The charm was a heart shaped locket, intricately detailed silver patterns. "You're really happy, aren't you?" he asked.
"Yeah." Sora smiled fondly at the next one as he held it up with his tongs. Kairi brushing away fringe from her eyes and smiling as she greeted a customer. "Yeah, I'm really happy."
"Then I'm happy too."
Sora didn't turn around until he'd hung the photo up to dry. When he did, Riku was gone.
--
"It's true," Roxas admitted when Sora passed on what Riku said. "You were in a dark place, so mopey all the time since what's-her-face dumped you. You took up photography like it was your life, spent hours everyday at the lab at the uni. We were all worried about you, especially Riku. I mean, you guys do share that student apartment."
"What are you trying to say?" Sora furrowed his brows. "That we were together or some weird shit like that? Just because you and Hayner are doesn't mean—"
"Not what I meant at all!" Roxas protested. "You guys are best friends, you know? And I know, you've got a few best friends, but you're the only one Riku's got, and that means double to him. You don't even want to know how he got after you stopped taking pictures of him and started taking pictures of Kairi instead."
Sora looked away guiltily. It was true, he knew, that he meant much more to Riku than the other way around, and Riku had been oddly jealous of all the time he spent with Kairi when they first met. He was guilty of not balancing his time between his best friend and his girlfriend very well. He spent almost all his time with Kairi, and even now he rarely saw Riku unless the other sought him out, like he had in the photo lab that morning.
"Do you love her?" Roxas asked abruptly.
Sora's eyes widened at the sudden question, and he found himself unable to say yes.
Roxas smiled grimly.
--
"I love you," Sora told her, kissing her cheek. Kairi giggled.
"I know," she replied, her hand on his, his arm wrapped around her waist. On Saturday nights, they walked slowly to her car, his car, or Roxas' car if neither were in working order. "Did you like the movie?"
"It was cute," Sora admitted, "Though chick flicks aren't really my thing."
"You put up with them for me though," Kairi laughed. She kissed the tip of Sora's nose then his lips. "I love you too."
"My place or yours?" Sora murmured into her lips.
"Yours; Selphie's throwing a party tonight, and I don't want to deal with the headache right now." Her hands wandered.
--
On mornings after, Kairi always got out of bed earlier than her boyfriend. Sora sometimes woke up earlier, but when he did, he just grabbed the camera from the nightstand and snapped photos of her sleeping. It was cute of him.
Riku was in the kitchen, making eggs and toast. He glanced at the redhead, took in Sora's blue plaid boxers and her pink camisole before he returned to his breakfast foods. "You should be careful of what you wear around other guys," Riku announced wearily. "Aren't you embarrassed at all?"
"No," Kairi replied flippantly. "I know you're not mentally undressing what little clothing I have on."
Riku froze for so long, Kairi had to step in to keep the eggs from burning.
"Riku, doll, it's not that hard to guess that you're gay," she told him sympathetically. "And it does help that I have friends like Axel."
Riku groaned and slouched into a chair, dropping his head onto the table. Axel Kaze had picked up Riku at a disreputable night club a month before; Riku didn't know they knew anyone in common. "Told Sora, didn't you?"
"Of course not." Kairi huffed as she set his plate down in front of him. "You're his best friend. You have to tell him yourself."
"I don't think I can," Riku almost whispered. "I can't."
"Why not?" she asked softly.
"Because I don't want him to hate me. I can't have him hate me. I love him too much." Riku's eyes watered and he looked away embarrassed when Kairi gave a small gasp in shock. "I don't know why I'm telling you, his girlfriend. I mean, he loves you the way he'll never love me. I'm so jealous of you, Kairi."
"Oh Riku, I'm so sorry, I didn't know… If I knew…"
"You wouldn't have started dating him? Please." Riku frowned, and pushed his plate towards her. "He told me it was love at first sight. If you turned him down, I would have strangled you in your sleep. He's happy and in love, that's all that matters."
"You don't really believe that, do you?" she asked, pained. "You don't really." Riku didn't answer her. His lack of response hurt more.
chapter end