Sora½
By
Phoenix Hoshika
Chapter 8
It had been some time since Riku had his hair cut and now he felt completely exposed and violated. When was the last time he even looked at his own reflection? Still feeling completely disgusted with himself it had been over two years and he honestly had no clue what his own face looked like. Not even before his hair became a veil over his face did he dare look upon his own image, but before didn't matter. He didn't care if Sora and the others saw face and the regret that looked back at them because he knew they accepted him and loved him despite his obvious flaws. The Tendos only saw a mask of made of hair the face he had come to show everyone due to the fact he was still not able to forgive himself for the things he had done. He didn't want them to know he still held such contempt for himself and in turn feel their affection was wasted on him, so he hid behind that mask knowing no matter how straight a face he kept his eyes would always betray him telling the truth. He sat on his futon with his knees to his face which was red from crying. He had been silently sobbing for while. What now could he use to hide those horrible feelings? They held him down and forced him to expose what he had rather kept hidden.
"Hey Riku are you okay?" Sora asked walking into his room.
"Get lost," he groaned.
"I know you're a little upset right now but don't you feel better?" Sora said still trying to be cheerful.
"If you weren't a girl I'd…" Riku started the words getting caught in his throat.
"You'd what?" Sora said taking a fighting stance.
"Never mind just go away." Riku said sighing.
"Riku." Sora said sitting down beside him. She stopped short of what she was going to say when she noticed his damp face. "I'm sorry." She said heavily sighing pulling her knees to her face as well feeling horrible for what she did now knowing how much it upset him.
"You should be." Riku uttered without thinking.
"Hey, I'm trying to apologize." Sora said getting riled up.
"Riku looked up at her a snappy come back on the tip of his tongue until he noticed the sudden change in her expression as she stared him directly in the eyes and quickly turned away from her.
"I thought he was just mad at me for getting everyone to gang up on him like we did but he seems so sad. Is he really that broken up over getting a little hair cut?" Sora wondered to herself. "Riku…" Sora began not really knowing what to say.
"What?" Riku replied sharply.
"You don't seem yourself. That's what I want to say but I can't. Or maybe he is himself and I just haven't noticed something was wrong all this time." Sora thought falling silent.
"If you didn't want anything why are you-" Riku stopped mid sentence when the girl suddenly took hold of his hand tears streaming from her eyes onto his skin as she held it close to her face head bowed.
"Oh man…" Riku thought at a loss for words. "Pull yourself together. What are you crying for anyway? You aren't the one who just got beat up by a bunch of girls."
"I know. I just, I just." Sora stuttered unable to say what she really wanted to say.
"Come on no sense in feeling guilty now." Riku said while half heartedly trying to pull his hand from her. "I'll get you back sooner or later."
"Huh?" Sora thought wiping the tears from her face with the back of her arm. For some reason those few words set a fire in her. She looked up to catch a brief smile before he turned from her taking his hand out of her grasp wiping the tears that fell on it on the side of his jeans.
"What was that 'if you weren't a girl' crap about then, huh?" She asked her temper suddenly flaring.
Riku looked over his shoulder at her and grinned. "I changed my mind you aren't a girl you're a demon with breasts."
"What did you say?" Sora said practically burning up. While she didn't care for being turned into a girl she really didn't appreciate being called a demon. Without thinking she raised a first and swung at him.
"Too easy." Riku said grabbing her wrist. Sora suddenly found herself being slammed on the floor and pinned down. "You're just like a friend of mine. You two are a couple peas in a pod." He said grinning as she struggled to get free.
"How so?" She asked twitching in frustration.
"You're both a couple of wusses." Riku answered with a smile.
"If that's all you have to say get off me." Sora ordered still struggling.
"I don't have any scissors to cut your hair with so I guess you'll just have to do a couple of things before I think about letting you go." Riku said thoughtfully.
"Ha! Exactly what am I going to do while your sitting on me?" Sora said out of breath.
"Glad you asked. How about…" Riku started then whispered something into her ear.
"I'm not saying that. Not in a thousand years."
"Do it or else." Riku said twisting her arm.
Sora sweat dropped. What he did hurt terribly, but she wasn't going to let him know that. "Go jump off a cliff!"
"What was that?" He said applying more pressure.
"Riku is the king of the universe!" Sora shouted unable to take the pain.
"Is that so?" Akane said from the door way. The two looked up at her surprised.
"Not that I care but does anyone ever knock in this house?" Riku thought as Sora withered in pain. "That's the price your ring leader here has to pay. Care to join her?" Riku asked sadistically.
"Ring leader? Since when was Sora my boss?" Akane said ready to fight.
"What's going on here? Better pull her away before she does something we're all going to regret." Ranma thought walking down the hall after taking a shower. "Don't mind her she just gets a little cranky when she's tired. We'll leave you two to get back to whatever it was you were doing. Come along now you know how you are when you don't get your ten hours." He said waving as he pulled Akane from the door and closed it.
"And what was that about?" Akane asked fuming?
"Haven't you and that girl picked on him enough? "If you ask me she's getting what she deserves." Ranma said walking away with hands in his pockets only to have his stride cut short by a foot to the head.
"And you're getting what you deserve!" Akane declared and stomped off to her room.
"I'm so embarrassed." Sora said into the tatami floor sweat dropping.
"Why, when only a couple of people heard you? Now say it louder and like you mean it." Riku directed.
"Eat dirt." Sora said then started laughing as Riku tickled the bottoms of her feet with a long white feather he pulled out of nowhere.
"Had enough," Riku asked as Sora's laughing became labored gasps for air.
"Is this supposed to be torture," she asked wheezing in between bouts of laughter then suddenly yiped when he brought his knuckles down on the bottom of her feet instead of the feather.
"Again, louder, like you mean it." Riku commanded."
"RIKU IS THE KING OF THE UNIVERSE!!" Sora screamed at the top of her lungs.
Down stairs Soen was reading a periodical while Genma was stuffing his face with the leftovers, food that was meant to be Riku's dinner but since he didn't come down to eat it Genma felt he had to make sure it didn't go to waste. The two looked up from what they were doing when they heard the loud declaration. "Just ignore it Saotome, just ignore it." Soen advised as he continued reading.
"Up stairs Riku was rolling over with laughter as a dejected Sora sat shooting daggers at him with her eyes too exhausted to carry out the beating she was imagining herself giving him. After a while they both calmed down and just sat in silence. "Are we even now?" Sora asked not bothering to turn in his direction.
"Maybe." Riku answered unable to resist teasing her.
"Is that how it is?" Sora questioned becoming irritated.
"No, just kidding we're even." Riku said reassuringly.
"So we're cool then?" Sora asked.
"You tell me." Riku said looking over at her for a second.
"Yeah, we're cool." Sora admitted.
"You're just like him." Riku murmured. "Too forgiving."
"What?" Sora said spinning around.
"Nothing. Good night." Riku said laying down.
"Yeah. It is late. Sora said standing up to go turn off the light. Then dropped the extra futon in the room by Riku's.
"You aren't sharing a room with Akane anymore?" He asked rolling over to face her.
"No way she's probably still mad at me. Even if she isn't have you forgotten the complete fool you forced me to make of myself just a little while ago?" Sora said staring hard at Riku's shadowy outline.
"Do what you want." Riku said rolling back over. "Wuss." He uttered under his breath somehow knowing if Sora heard him it would have started a fight he was too tired to finish.
After falling asleep Riku spent the remainder of the night in a restless slumber as he dreamed he was running in an endless dark field toward daylight. There was no divide of dawn or sunset between the two, just day and then night. "Sora! Where are you!" he repeatedly shouted, but no one answered. "It's no use." He finally said huffing and puffing as he came to a stop.
"Were you even trying that hard to find me," Sora's voice questioned.
"Where are you," Riku asked looking around expecting to see the boy right beside him, his voice sounding near by.
"Closer than you think," Sora replied.
"Where?" Why are you hiding? This isn't funny." Riku said the worry evident in is voice.
"Of course it is. I'm right in front of you." Sora said.
"Where?" Riku said looking around wide eyed still expecting to see his friend. Squinting he peered into the distance.
"Thanks a lot. I'm right in front of you and you don't even realize it, but maybe it's better this way." Sora said his initially dejected response turning optimistic.
"What are you saying? I don't get it." Riku said franticly. "No, yes I do. I'm sorry. I haven't been looking for you at all lately. I've been living like nothing existed before I came to this place." Riku said the tone of his voice suddenly very solemn.
"Maybe that's because your heart knows where I am just like I know where you are." Sora's voice said in reply.
"Heh, you talk like this isn't a dream. I'm just making this up to feel better about slacking off."
"This isn't a dream!"
"Then why haven't I seen you? Where are you?" Riku demanded, but there was only silence. "Sora? Sora?" Riku uttered waking up. Sitting up he wiped the sweat from his forehead then looked over at the girl who was soundly sleeping just a little ways away from him. "Just a stupid dream," he said falling back onto the futon.
"Good morning your highness," Nabiki greeted Riku sarcastically as she stepped out the front door.
"Oh, so you heard the announcement?" He replied with a slight grin.
"Everyone did. What you do is your business, but at least try to keep it down next time."
"What?" Riku said gritting his teeth realizing the implication behind her words.
"Morning," Akane's cheerful voice boomed as she entered the scene unaware of the brewing hostility. "Where's Ranma and Sora?"
"Who knows?" I have business to take care so catch you all later." Nabiki said trotting off leaving Riku to silently fume.
chapter 8 end