Co-write: OpaL LighT
Pairings: Riku x Sora , Leon x Sora
Warnings: the usual. boylove. swearing. suggestiveness. you know the drill.
more to be added...
Incubus
T
he silver haired teen was pushed to the center of a wooden stage, his bare feet screeching against the polished boards."Our next exhibit is Riku Karada, a seventeen year old male. He has a clean past, he never smoked and doesn't drink on a regular basis," the old man with gray hair and maroon suit announced, gesturing towards the young male standing with his eyes cast down in the center of the stage, trying to maintain his balance.
"He has just graduated, and was sold by his mother. Fit both as a servant and a concubine, with his exotic eye and hair color, and athletic physique," the man called, getting a hammer in his free hand. "Bids starting off 50 thousands!"
Quickly, numbers started filling the air, shooting one after another. Riku barely managed to rise his head up… His head was pounding, and his body and mind were fuzzy and slow. And if that wasn't enough, he was handcuffed.
Wearing a pair of jeans and an unbuttoned grey office shirt, the only thing Riku could remember was that he was kidnapped by a pair of tall man wearing sunglasses, and a sharp pain in his side, probably from a needle of a sort. He could vaguely recall his mother being there too, holding a large suitcase and looking at him with a stone cold expression. But all that seemed so far away right now… One hundred and fifty?... What? Where was he? An auction?
"One hundred and fifty! Sold to Mr. Kayaki!" the man cheered, slamming his hammer against a small wooden board and ordering a tall, official looking man to take Riku off the stage and then to his new owner.
"Cheer up, kid," the tall man reasoned in a deep voice. "You got yourself a good master. At least he's not interested in having sex with you," he hummed, leading Riku on.
The teenager only offered him a distant look in return. The man sighed and shook his head. Oh, what's the point… The kid had too many drugs in his blood to walk straight, let alone listen!
Riku wanted to rub his head in confusion, but the handcuffs ceased any of his attempted movements. All he could do was numbly saunter forward after the guard-like man who was dragging him to his new 'owner'. Owner…He wasn't aware that people still owned people?
Riku didn't say anything as he stumbled towards the tall, lanky brown-haired man that was beaming. Owner. All right, that apparently was his new owner. His mind being as fuzzy as it had been initially, Riku stared dumbfounded at the man, as if hoping that by staring at him the answer to why he was here would come. Where were his parents? Was he kidnapped or something?
"He doesn't look that lively," remarked the brown-haired 'owner' who eyed the tall silver-haired teen up and down. "I can see why his mother sold him, though. He's quite easy on the eyes."
Was that a compliment? Riku didn't dare to figure that out. All he could think about was the swirling cloud that kept swishing in his head. Where was he? Who were these people? Why was he in handcuffs? His mother? What about her? Did they know her? Hazed, aquamarine hues remained fixated on the brown-haired man.
"It's not polite to stare, you know," said Mr. Kayaki who folded his arms pleasantly over his chest after having handed the 'guardsman' a suitcase. A suitcase? Filled with what? Clothes? Papers?... Riku didn't even bother to think that he was in a twisted exchange of money.
Riku stiffened the slightest when he heard a weak holler from his right. Before he could turn to see who had produced such a horrid noise, his body was sent spiraling forwards. Someone had pushed him—that much he was able to figure out. Instead of falling into someone, he fell head first into the ground, face making hard contact with the frozen ground beneath him. Winter. It must be winter…
And he felt like blacking out. Anything would be better than this pain and confusion. So black-out he did. His mind fell away as he fell into a slumber himself, all the screams and murmurs of people slowly fading out.
It wasn't until morning before Riku opened his eyes again; a wet napkin was settled on his forehead. He was laying on some sort of soft surface… Probably a bed, he figured. Slowly looking to the side, Riku noticed he was in a well-lit room with a high ceiling.
He quietly reached to take the napkin off his head and sit up. Damn… His head hurt so bad. He frowned and rubbed his forehead, groaning and leaning back against the wall behind him. He soon noticed a bowl of fruits and a pitcher of water with some ice cubes in it and a clean glass nearby.
Riku quickly took the glass and shakily filled it, gulping the water down and sighing. He couldn't remember anything from last night… Only that he was handcuffed and he had some… Owner? Was he sold to someone? A small frown made it to Riku's face as he poured himself another glass of water, drinking it and taking a moment to examine his surroundings.
He was inside a well designed room, decorated with cream colored walls with classic patterns, half transparent white curtains, a small white closet decorated with copper colored handles, a desk with a lamp, a few chairs and a small stand beside his rather large bed, with the fruits and water on it.
"Where… The hell am I?" Riku whispered, rubbing his head again and sighing.
Riku wearily set the glass back down on the bureau beside him. Cautiously, his aquamarine hues wandered down to his outstretched arms. His wrists…they were burned. Or appeared to be burned, anyway. Red marks encircled them. So the handcuffs had been real… The silver-haired male stared down in mortification at the remnants of where the handcuffs had earlier been. And his body ached, still.
Frantically, Riku attempted to get off the bed and exit the room, but the realization that his leg was shackled down to the bottom of the bed came. And it struck hard. Fear, something new to him, began boiling up in his stomach as he began jostling his right leg about, trying to free it from its fettered position.
"What the hell?!" Riku demanded, his voice quavering as he shook violently from apparent nerves. Fear. All he could think about and feel was fear. Pain no longer existed. All there was was fear.
"Don't do that! You'll hurt yourself!"
Riku froze, his leg freezing. The limb remained suspended in the air, a few inches off the bed. The shackle that bound his ankle to the bed remained outstretched, visible to anyone who was looking that way. Sea-green eyes cautiously looked around the room. Had someone just spoken to him? "Hello?!" the silveret said, his voice cracking towards the end.
"Please, don't move your leg, you'll only hurt yourself," said the voice again, only a fraction reassuringly. "It'll dig into your skin."
Riku frowned and sat back on the bed, looking around himself. "Who are you? Show yourself!" he growled, growing tense by the moment.
"I'm sorry… Here, let me help you…" A maid dressed in a long navy-blue skirt and an office white shirt with a small golden lion logo on the sleeve quickly entered through the door, closing it behind her and releasing Riku's shackle. "I'm sorry… We had to cuff you so you won't try to run away… The house is surrounded by dogs that will tear you apart if they spot a stranger." She sighed, placing the key back in her pocket and smiling at Riku.
"Where am I?" the teen demanded quietly. "And why am I held captive?"
"You're at the Kayaki manor… You see, the Master of the house bought you as a gift for his son so he won't be lonely… Not too long ago the family moved here and Master Kayaki decided to not send his son, Master Sora, to a school, and hire tutors instead," the maid explained, bowing to Riku once.
"I was bought?" Riku cocked a brow, squeezing the mattress between his fingers and frowning at the maid.
"Yes. At an auction, your mother sold you there, as far as I know," the maid explained politely. "During your stay you will be given food and clothes, and will study together with Master Sora and serve as his best friend." She nodded, offering Riku a tiny smile. "If you have any further questions, please note the red button near the door. It will connect you to the employee quarters. The blue one will allow you to speak with Master Sora."
"…This is absurd…" Riku shook his head, frowning. "Selling people is illegal!"
"I'm sorry, but I must go now," the maid answered curtly, bowing once again. "I shall lock you now. Behind your desk is a bookcase, please feel free to read some fine literature until Master Sora comes to visit you." And with that, she made her way out of the room, ignoring Riku's questions and locking him inside.
Riku groaned and began massaging his ankle distractedly. Now was a time to sit back and evaluate the facts. One, he had been bought by some rich, studious family. Two, his mother had sold him. The motive? He didn't know, and frankly he didn't want to know. Just thinking about his mother doing something that horrendous made him feel like throwing up. And Riku was quite surprised he didn't. The taste in the back of his mouth was horrible.
The seventeen year old continued rubbing his sore ankle. Riku didn't bother getting up and off the bed. He'd rather just sit here and recover as much energy as possible. Now was the time to devise an escape plan. He'd get to know the people here, find out their routines, discover a weak-spot in their defenses, then slip out without anyone knowing. It was perfect. Well… a rough kind of perfect.
"Why the hell would my mom do something like that?" Riku whispered hoarsely as his gaze settled down onto his tattered clothing. Small specks of blood appeared on various parts of his clothing. There had been a struggle, he supposed. A struggle he couldn't remember. So…that meant he had been drugged as well. No wonder he was having difficulties remembering anything from these past few days.
"This is so ridiculous," muttered Riku as he laid back down, his limbs aching intensely. "I didn't do anything wrong, damnit," Riku swore under his breath, closing his eyes, refusing to stare at the white ceiling any longer.
It must have been only five minutes before an unlocking noise registered in Riku's mind. The silver-haired teenager sat up quickly, his eyes dancing across the room, over to the opening door.
Perhaps he could run over and tackle whoever it was, then demand to be let go while holding them hostage? Feral thoughts entered Riku's mind as he watched numbly as a skinny looking boy locked the door behind him. Sadly, Riku did not see where the brunet boy had put the key. God knows where that thing could be…
Cautiously, the short brunet turned to look at the other teenager who was sitting on the bed. Nervous blue eyes met dangerous aquamarine ones. The brunt visibly gulped, swallowing down a huge lump of nerves.
"…Hi," greeted the small, brown-haired boy as he meekly waved at Riku, almost quivering as he stood before him. Oh yes, he certainly knew how pissed Riku was.
"I… I'm Sora Kayaki… I uh…" He swallowed again, gaze averting Riku's. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience I don't know what my father was thinking when he did whatever he did but… He won't let you go even if I ask him to set you free so… I'm sorry you got here. Can we be friends?" he offered weakly, mustering up a hesitant smile as he reached his hand for Riku to take. "If you need anything, just ask!" He nodded, feeling a bit more safe now.
Riku quietly examined Sora's hand, and then his face. Friends? he thought bitterly, narrowing his eyes at Sora. "Why should I be your friend?" he huffed, crossing his hands over his chest.
"I know there is no reason but…" Sora scratched his nape with his free hand, expression quite miserable. "I thought it may be for the best if we do… You'll be staying here for a while and basically… I'm gonna be your only real company." He sighed. "I don't want to cause you any harm… Please?" he tried again, hand still outstretched at Riku's general direction.
Riku glared at the hand. "You're asking the person who your father just bought to be your friend? What makes you think I'll even think about accepting that fact?" Riku muttered cynically.
Sora sighed miserably. "I didn't do it. My father did… I can't be held responsible for what he did. If I could, I'd let you go."
"Then sneak me out. Pay him off. Do something. I don't want to be here so why don't you save us both the trouble and get me out of here?" Riku snapped as he glared at the other boy. There was no way in hell that he was going to throw himself at the boy and offer his friendship. Hell no.
"I can't!" Sora replied, appearing a bit flustered and distressed. The skinny teen reached upwards and yanked at his own brown, spiky locks of hair. "I can't do anything to convince him to let you go! I don't know why he thought I'd be happy if he bought me a friend, but he was mistaken!"
Riku snorted in mock amusement. "Buy you friends. Man, you must be quite the loser then."
Sora frowned deeply at this. "I offer you friendship and you start yelling at me! What's your problem?!" the brunet boy hollered, staring at Riku with ultimate confusion. "Aren't you supposed to like accept my help?!"
"I don't do things conventionally," Riku murmured and looked away from Sora. "Listen, I don't need your sympathy, kid. I just want to get out of here. My head hurts, my body hurts, my stomach is killing me, and I don't know what's going on. I don't need some snobby kid wanting to be my friend because he feels bad."
"Do you have anywhere to go to?" Sora murmured after a long moment of silence, eyes averting Riku's. He tried his best to disguise his hurt feelings, but some of the tone managed to leak through anyway.
"…No," Riku admitted quietly, closing his eyes with a small sigh. Hell… How could he know?! He didn't even know where he was, he didn't have any means of communication, and no money at all. As much as he hated admitting it, the spoiled little brat had a point.
"See? It's better if we become friends!" Sora suggested, offering Riku a tiny smile.
The silver haired teen narrowed his eyes and shot Sora a look of pure disgust and hatred. "Only because I have to," he muttered, taking Sora's outstretched hand in his and squeezing it once before quickly returning it to his side.
Sora sighed and crossed his hands behind his head. "So… Tell me about you… I don't even know your name!" He grinned, cocking his head slightly at Riku.
Riku sighed. At least he was on the boy's good side. Perhaps he could earn the other's trust then slip away when he wasn't paying attention. The last thing Riku really wanted to do was stick around some place where he was someone's property. Riku detested that idea with everything he had. It was like slavery.
"My name's Riku," the silveret said distantly as he offhandedly looked over at Sora. Boy, that look the brunet was giving him was starting to bother Riku. So full of life. So eager to learn. It crept the older out. A lot.
"That's a cool name!" Sora commented chirpily. Without asking, Sora sat down peacefully next to his new friend, smiling warmly at him.
Riku cringed, just the slightest. "It's not," Riku deadpanned and looked off to the right. Staring at someone that happy made him feel even more flawed. It was best that he just keep his eyes to himself. "And yours is…Sora, right? Do I have to call you Master?"
"Nope!" Sora replied happily. "Only when daddy is around though…he might think you're disrespecting me or something…" Sora trailed off and sighed heavily.
"I see," Riku muttered and laced his hands wearily in his lap. God. He had so many blisters and red spots. Perhaps it was better he didn't remember how he ended up here. It must have been a brutal battle.
"Oh… Do you want me to call one of the maids to treat your wounds or give you some pain killers?" Sora offered all too happily, grinning at Riku. "It'll make you feel better!"
The older teen sighed. "I'll be fine. It's just a scratch."
"Weeeell… My mom used to get me band-aids for my scratches when I was little… I know there wasn't much to heal, but it still felt better." The brunette nodded, smile never once leaving his face. Ooh! His new friend was way cool! He looked really tough, too!
Riku rolled his eyes and sighed. "No. That's okay, you don't have to, Master," he huffed mockingly, jaw tensing.
Sora's bottom lip stuck out. "You don't have to be so mean you know. It's not as if I'm trying to make you feel uncomfortable or treat you as a slave… I'd much rather think you're a guest or a friend staying over…" He sighed, rubbing the back of his head.
Riku growled quietly and sucked a deep breath in. "Okay… Sorry, whatever. Sora. I still don't need a band-aid."
Sora's expression softened slightly as he relaxed back and hugged his knee. "Okay… If you say so Riku…" He sighed. "So… Tell me a bit about yourself?" he hummed, leaning his cheek against his knee and swaying back and forth on the bed.
Riku sighed and shrugged his shoulders a bit despondently. "There's not much to tell. I'm seventeen and was sold by my mother. That's really all there is, I guess. Now, at least. It's not like I'm a person anymore," he grumbled under his breath.
"Don't say that!" Sora urged and shook his head violently. "Of course you're a person. You're just…tied down for awhile. I'm really sorry this happened to you but please, try to make the best of it?" Sora suggested meekly, uncertain if he should be afraid or offended.
Riku rolled his eyes and then sighed exasperatedly. "I guess…"
"Then tell me about what you were like before this," Sora suggested and cautiously poked Riku in the shoulder, hoping to gain the other boy's attention. Sora gulped when Riku turned his head, anger still in his eyes. It wasn't rage, just constant anger.
"I used to be part of an amateur band." Riku huffed, rubbing his forehead. "Is that good enough?"
"Oooh.. What was the band's name?!" Sora grinned. He knew tons of band names, really! He did!
"Eight fingers up the ass." Riku shrugged, half expecting Sora's squeak of embarrassment.
"…Wow, that must hurt." Sora frowned and gulped, a tiny blush making it to his face.
"The band's name was Shadows of Oblivion," Riku sighed, letting his body relax.
"…Oh," Sora replied, quite bluntly, and pursed his lips. "And you were?"
"Singer and bass," Riku quickly answered. "No, I can't play a song for you."
"I wasn't asking you to…" Sora rubbed his nape. "Anything other than that?" he hummed, tucking his hair behind his ear. Oooooh… That Riku guy was so super cool!
Riku shrugged. "Nothing really. I'm not that exciting of a person," Riku answered lamely and eyed Sora with growing curiosity. Why was the brunet acting like a four-year old? Riku didn't know what to say, or think for that matter. So he remained silent for a long while. "Well then, what about yourself?"
Sora fidgeted a bit, glancing around the room with another out of character shrug. "Dunno. I don't really have any friends seeing I don't leave this place much. I like to draw and sing and write and stuff…and I talk a lot, apparently. My maids have told me that when I goaded them into telling me my weaknesses and stuff."
Sora was like an open book, ready to explain all of its twists and lies to you. "I see," Riku responded vaguely, nodding a bit slowly. "I guess you don't like it here?"
"Not really," Sora answered honestly. "I want to get out sometime and see the world. But that's kinda impratical, huh?" Sora said and then chuckled uneasily shortly afterwards. "Oh well…"
"No… I guess not." Riku sighed, crossing his hands behind his back. "You said you liked singing…"
"Yeah! It's kinda embarrassing but we have a karaoke machine down at the basement… My parents don't know it, but I sometimes sing there and pretend my friends are with me… Um… Well… Kind of," he chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.
"I see…" Riku hummed quietly, slowly removing his hand off his face.
"I'm better at drawing though. I used to draw on my own, but then daddy got me a teacher… I didn't like him. He tried to force me into drawing boring, traditional things. I hate that," he huffed, crossing his hands over his chest. "Besides, if I wanted some money, I could just inherit my dad's business." He nodded to himself, scrunching his nose.
"What business?" Riku frowned, tensing slightly. Well… If he was bought at some auction or a sale… It couldn't be something good, right?
Sora laughed apprehensively and rubbed the nape of his neck, glancing right to left uneasily. "Er, well you see, daddy sort of has this shady business. I mean, it's not that shady. Just like, ruthless, maybe. He buys and sells land. Sometimes he scams people, convincing them a piece of property is worth more or less than he is aiming for. It's kind of deceitful so I really wouldn't wanna do that for a living."
What was Sora? Five or something? "I wouldn't either," Riku concurred.
"You agree with me?" Sora asked, appearing quite surprised. "Everyone said they would want to do that! That they'd love the money! Wow! You're the first person to say they wouldn't!"
"…Okay?" Riku mumbled. Perhaps the shackles and handcuffs were better than this kid rambling on and on. No wonder his father needed to buy him a friend. Good grief. Riku was getting a damn headache.
"Do I talk too much?" Sora suddenly asked, eyes widening with fear glittering in them.
And Riku had two options. One, tell the truth and risk being tortured by the boy's father for upsetting his darling son, or he could lie. And the con with that was that Sora just kept rambling on. There was no happy medium in this situation. "No," Riku said, deciding upon the latter. Oh well.
Sora sighed and smiled warmly at Riku. "Thanks… You're cool and nice! I like you!" he chirped, hugging his knee closer.
Riku sighed. God. Please, let him die quietly already… He had the biggest headache ever on one hand, and blabbermouth Sora on the other. Could it get any worse? At least Sora didn't start talking to him about girly stuff like movie stars or something.
"Hey Riku, who's your favorite movie star?" Sora hummed, grinning. "Mine is this Demyx guy. You know, the blonde one? He's funny!"
Yes, that was indeed a whimper that escaped Riku's mouth.
"…I don't like movies," Riku finally growled, stifling a small yawn.
"Oh… I'm sorry." Sora cleared his throat quietly. "I… Guess I should leave you some time to recover… Must've been a rough journey for you." He offered a tiny, warm smile and squeezed Riku's hand gently, delicate fingers warping around Riku's wrist. "I'll see you at dinner then?" he hummed, smile never once leaving his face.
Riku frowned quietly and nodded. How could this boy possibly be so happy, and kind? It annoyed him, yet was somehow fascinated. Oh well… He was tired anyway.
"I'll close the curtains then… Sweet dreams Riku." Sora nodded and closed the heavy dark brown curtains, making them dangle from the ceiling and block out the light. "If you need anything, just call… I'll be in my room um… Doing stuff."
Riku nodded and waved Sora off. The brunet lingered near the entrance of the room, eying Riku for a long while. The brunet swayed back and forth on the bottoms of his feet, his hands digging into his jacket pockets. "Um…thanks for being my friend and all, Riku. You seem really nice and I'm sorry you were forced to come here. I wish I could something to help you. Anyhow, see you at dinner," Sora whispered, his words turning softer by the moment as he neared the end.
Once done, Sora exited the room and softly shut the door behind him, almost forgetting to lock it.
When Sora left, Riku exhaled peacefully and laid back down onto the bed. Wearily, the silveret began fiddling with the pillow behind him. It wasn't that bad of a room—it was better than the one his brother and he shared back at his own house. And Sora wasn't that cruel—he didn't order him around or anything.
It was just a matter of morals, Riku supposed. He did not like the fact that he was labeled as slave by everyone except that Sora boy. Even then, to some degree, Sora acted like Riku was below him. Locking him in a room. Yeah, Sora sure did respect him.
Riku grumbled and grabbed the pillow from behind it, squishing it down onto his tired and scraped face. His body still ached of countless cuts and bruises. The teenager desperately tried to remember what had had happened but he came up empty.
What could possibly make a human being sell their own child for money? Riku growled. He didn't want to think about that anymore. Regardless, the silveret loosened his tense muscles and attempted to sleep. Anything would be better than laying there in this restless state. Perhaps even death would be better…
A few hours later, Riku was awakened by a clear sound of a bell. Groaning, he pushed himself up and rubbed his eyes. "It's time for dinner, Mr. Karada, please take a shower and change into something more suiting from the clothes in the wardrobe. I will accompany you to the dining room." The maid bowed politely, her hands clasping together before pointing at a slim, white door not too far from Riku's bed. "This is your bathroom. You have everything you need inside," she informed him shortly. "When you're done, please call the red button." And with that, she left.
Riku sighed and rubbed his head. So he had his own shower, huh? Oh well. It's not as if it was bad.
Standing up and stretching, Riku made his way to the bathroom, pushing the door open and discarding his old clothes, entering the shower and opening both hot and cold water at once, waiting under the cold stream for it to regulate. He liked it like that… Feeling the water slowly warming up.
The water here felt different. Back home they had a well, as some people did nowadays. Well water was a lot harder on the skin. This water, however, felt buttery soft and downright relaxing. The comparison was shocking, yet at the same time pleasing. Regardless, Riku made quick work cleaning his body and hair.
Yawning, Riku went to snagging whatever clothes he found acceptable in the dresser in his bedroom. The silver haired teen slipped them on with ease, pleased that they covered all the soon-to-be scars that plagued his body. No one really needed to see those—though, he wouldn't mind displaying them to the foul man who bought him…
Once Riku was fully clothed, he made haste at pressing the red button, as earlier instructed. As he waited, the silveret scratched behind his head. I get to eat dinner with them, huh? I thought slaves were condemned to their rooms. Or was that just back in the old days? Has the twenty-first century turned slave-owners soft? Riku snorted amidst his thoughts.
Shortly afterwards, the maid reappeared at the door, having unlocked it moments prior. In her hands was a pair of handcuffs. Oh fun.
"It's a precaution, sir," she stated simply, not bothering to wait before she clamped the male's arm with hers. The maid no attempt in showing him where the key was.
Sighing, Riku groaned and followed the maid out of his room, dreading what was to shortly come. Could this possibly get any worse?
As soon as they arrived, the maid released him and made her way out of the room. Near his empty seat, there was Sora, waving at him and smiling warmly. On his opposite there was an elegant looking, slim blonde with blue eyes and ivory skin. Her hair was neatly collected in a pin that matched her deep green dress.
At the head of the table sat a full and rather intimidating man with brown hair and brown eyes. He was carefully dressed in a business suit and wore a tie… As did Sora, actually.
Quietly taking his place beside Sora, Riku cleared his throat and closed his eyes. Somehow, wearing a pair of jeans and a long sleeved shirt made him feel very… Inappropriate.
"So Riku, tell us more about yourself. We've heard good things from Sora, we want to know more." The woman smiled, straightening her stylish glasses over her nose and taking her fork in her hands.
"I don't really have much to tell." Riku frowned, glaring at his plate filled with very… Very good smelling food. Gods his mouth was watering.
"Mom… Let him be. Riku's hungry!" Sora chuckled, grinning at his mother. "Let him eat, then if he feels like it, he'll talk. Right Riku?" he offered with a grin, hoping he could win some good points by that little display he pulled in front of his mother.
Why were they treating him like their son's friend? Did these people not know how slavery worked? Riku scoffed under his breath, paying careful attention to not let anyone else hear it. The silveret shifted a bit in his seat, being careful not to allow his eye-contact to fall over to his 'owner's' son. "Yes, sir," Riku said laconically under his breath, just tossing in the sir for good measure. Who knew how they wanted him to address Sora…
"All right," the woman said and returned to eating, offering a sad smile across the table at the two boys.
"Hey, Riku?" Sora murmured under his breath, poking the food on his place with a constant smile. The brunet's blue eyes glanced over at the silveret, expecting a prompt and concise answer.
"Hm?" Riku wondered, barely making a sound, as if not to draw attention to themselves. Sora's parents were too engrossed in their meal's to notice the two boy's talking under their breaths, thankfully.
"You will talk later, Riku….right?" Sora mumbled quietly, pretty blue eyes glimmering hopefully at the silveret, acting as if his family had done nothing wrong. If the situation were different, Riku might have felt a tinge of remorse.
"Maybe," Riku muttered.
Sora grinned and went back to his food, munching on his baked potatoes. "You wanna come back to my room later? I have some video games and movies…" he whispered, offering Riku a tiny smile as he squeezed the silver fork with his fingers.
Riku kept quiet for a few moments before sighing quietly. "I don't have any other choice, do I?" he murmured, closing his eyes and shoving another piece of chicken past his lips.
"You can go back to your room but… I figured you might be bored or lonely, because you don't have anything interesting there…" the brunette reasoned, a tiny frown making it to his face. "Besides, I want to know you better."
Riku eyed his plate cautiously and swallowed his chicken piece. "…Fine. I'll come."
Sora grinned and hunched his shoulders with excitement, expression positively happy and anxious.
God, he's like an open book… Riku thought bitterly, closing his eyes again. Very fine… He'd come to his room and worm his way into Sora's heart so the boy would convince his father to set him free and let him go back to his past life… Maybe even drive him there. Riku was a smart kid; he could find a job easily and live on his own. It would not be as if he'd miss his mother anyway… The damn woman sold him to slavery. Riku was lucky enough to not end up in some old perverted man's house, that thought seventeen years old were a mere tool to please themselves.
"By the way," Sora whispered, making sure not to catch his father's gaze. Apparently the two adults at the table had begun having a conversation amongst themselves. The details were not known. "If you wanna have like a sleepover or something after we play games, I'd be up for that." Another, tiny smile.
"I don't think your father would approve," Riku lamented lamely. The silveret jabbed a piece of chicken with the prongs of the fork. "I mean, I doubt he'd want me anywhere but in my locked room."
Sora barely picked up on Riku's cold tone. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind. I mean, he bought you for me so…" Sora paused and then quickly said in a whisper to Riku, "which I still don't approve of, by the way. But I just…"
Riku wanted Sora to stop talking. Right that instant. "I understand," he lied.
"Good," Sora said and then sighed in obvious relief as he resumed eating his dinner.
The rest of the evening went by quietly; they finished their meals, had orange cake for dessert, and went back to their rooms, with Riku following Sora to his own place.
"We're here," Sora sighed, opening the door to his huge room and slumping on the king-sized double bed.
Riku took a moment to soak the sights in. It was designed more like a child's room, with pastoral tapestries striped with sky and navy blue, and the ceiling made entirely out of glass, so the sky could be seen when you looked up. There were numeral shelves filled with comic books and figurines. A big screen TV with not one, but four different consoles connected to it, not to mention the DVD and VCR. If Riku were in a normal condition, he would drool.
Sora quickly slumped down on the floor and pulled out a box shaped as a treasure chest. "Have any video game you like?" he grinned, gesturing Riku to come closer.
Riku cautiously did such and took a seat beside the brunet, observing him all the while. How one, lonely person could be so optimistic and jovial was beyond Riku's understanding. Then again, having your own personal slave that had been bought for you could rise any dampened moods, Riku assumed. "Not really," Riku answered honestly with a dismal shrug.
"None at all?" Sora frowned a bit and began sifting through the games in the chest, a determined look on his face.
As he searched, he shifted up and onto his knees and nearly lunged into the massive box. Riku arched a brow as he witnessed this bizarre way of looking for a game. The brunet stuck his tongue out of the corner of his mouth, biting on his bottom lip simultaneously. It appeared to be a habit for the brunet when he was determined or working.
"What about this one?" Sora wondered as he sat back down on his backside, motioning towards the game in his hand. "It's a new one. I don't think it's hit stores yet…" Sora trailed off and surveyed the game cover for a long moment.
"That's fine," Riku responded distantly, as if not impressed or amused by the brunet's plethora of video games.
Sora frowned once again. "…Can you please cheer up?" Sora requested softly, setting the game down beside him as he eyed Riku closely. "Pretty please?... Is there anything I can do to cheer you up? More dessert?... Anything?..."
Riku shook his head with a sigh. "Let's just… Play this game, okay? My mind is on too many things." He murmured, rubbing his forehead.
Sora nodded and gently placed the disk inside it's slot, turning to look back at Riku. "I could get you something to drink, or give you a backrub. I'm not bad at backrubs, or so I have been told." He offered a tiny smile, hands on his hips.
Riku took a deep breath in. Told you were great by whom? His parents? He thought bitterly, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"Come on! I'll give you a backrub!" Sora chirped, quickly taking his position behind Riku, so before the older male had any time to protest or move away, Sora was already massaging his shoulders.
Riku shivered a bit at the touch, instantly tensing his shoulders. Is he purposely being overly friendly? He should really stop touching me. Riku scrunched his nose a bit out of instinct, wanting to move away from the brunet, but found himself immobile. "What are you doing?" Riku said through gritted teeth.
"Relax your shoulders a bit," Sora instructed, poking Riku's shoulder with a pout. "If you don't relax it won't feel as good." Sora rolled his palms down against Riku's shoulders, closer to his neck, and then back to the peaks once more.
Riku, involuntarily, relaxed, his eyes fluttering shut for some reason. "Why are you doing this again?"
"To make you feel better," Sora smiled as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, the heels of his hands rolling against the tense muscles.
Riku sighed and leaned on his elbows, for once letting himself enjoy the treatment. He was stiff, and it wasn't as if he could really turn Sora down, now could he?
Sora slowly moved his hands to Riku's shoulders, then back to his neck in a short cycle. He wasn't all that bad, actually… Watching those oriental women massaging his parents at the spa and studying their movements was useful.
"Man.. I wish we had some oil in here," the brunette exhaled, squeezing Riku's shoulders and taking his seat beside the older boy, stretching. "That way I could give you this full massage thing."
Riku frowned and shifted his shoulders. Damn… The kid actually made him feel better! Heh, maybe he underestimated him. Only a bit though.
"Mmm… Perhaps." The older male sighed and rubbed his head. "So, are we gonna play this?"
"Yeah, sure," Riku stated a bit despondently as he folded his arms to his chest. "You can play first," Riku offered, leaning back against the nearest object as he watched the brunet with only a hint of interest. The game had already bored him—to be honest, he was not even a game person. His mother usually never let him buy them. And he didn't like them that much either, so it all worked out.
"Was it good?" Sora asked in the midst of playing, his thumbs tapping buttons repeatedly on the control. Blue eyes glanced over at Riku, expecting an answer.
"Was what good?" Riku asked curtly, aquamarine eyes hidden behind thick silver bangs. Even now, his voice contained a dashing of coldness to it. Sora figured he'd just have to get used to that.
"The massage," Sora reminded, turning his attention back to the game. The brunet was doing that tongue thing again. He must have been really into that game.
"I suppose," Riku said simply, staring up at the ceiling for no real particular reason. If I do get out of here, where exactly do I go? Do I go the bank and see if I have any money left in my account? Do I get a job and an apartment? Do I even risk going to see my mother? Riku groaned mentally at the dreary thoughts.
Sora sighed and shoved the remote to the side, eyeing the 'game over' screen briefly before crawling to Riku's side and leaning against the bed beside him. "You miss your home?" he murmured quietly, a tingle of hurt evident in his voice.
Riku lowered his look with a frown. "I would if I knew for sure I had a home to come back to…" he sighed, rubbing his head. Still can't believe my mother sold me… He mentally groaned, running his fingers through his hair.
"And your friends?" Sora's voice seemed… Pained, actually, Riku noted. What the hell was bothering the kid? He got everything any other boy his age would dream of…
"I guess I miss them." Riku hummed thoughtfully, hand remaining tangled in his hair.
Sora pursed his lips and swallowed. "Well… I guess the situation is worse than I thought." He bit his lip, folding his knees to his chest.
Riku shot him a quizzical look in return.
"I wish I could really be your friend Riku…" Sora hunched his shoulders, smiling somewhat sadly. Oh… There he goes again… The older teen sighed inwardly. "I mean, you're really cool and awesome and even though I guess you hate me, if we met in another situation… I'd like to be your friend." Sora swallowed quietly, placing his cheek on the edge of the bed. "Though you probably wouldn't take interest in me.." He chuckled and shook his head. "I'm a boring person."
"You're not boring, per say," Riku corrected as he scratched the back of his neck diligently. The silveret arched a brow when Sora made a somewhat guttural noise. "What was that?"
"I was laughing," Sora murmured and then shrugged. "I mean like, mock laughter, you know? I'm not boring. Right." Sora tapped his chin with his fingers and then offered Riku a fake smile. "It's fine, you don't have to lie. It's not like I'm going to punish you or something."
Riku frowned deeply at this. "Listen…I don't know what's suddenly up with you, but you're not boring… It's just I'd really rather not be here in this goddamn situation, so excuse me for being so distant and contemplative. All I want to do is go home, and it sucks that when I actually think about it, I can't go home. Which is so damn sad," Riku complained angriliy, narrowing his eyes out of instinct at Sora.
"I didn't do anything to you, though!" Sora pointed out with a large pout, eyes widening. "I didn't tell my dad to do what he did! He just did."
Riku exhaled deeply and lifted his hand in the air. "Listen, let's just drop it. It's uncomfortable for the both of us. I'm sorry I yelled at you. I'm just still not in a good mood, and I doubt I ever will be."
"…I see," Sora whispered softly, eying Riku with a hint of remorse. "If it counts for anything, I still think you're cool…"
Riku murmured a small 'Thanks' and raked his fingers through his hair.
"So… Did you ever date someone?" Sora propped his chin on top of his folded hands, faint traces of sadness lingering in his voice.
"Mmm." Riku frowned and rubbed his head. Dated? Well… "Once." He nodded, "But that was a really long time ago, and I don't like remembering it." Mostly because in the same relationship Riku was crashed, dumped, and neglected.
"Really?" Sora smiled softly. "How was it?" He hummed, scooting a bit closer.
"Horrible." Riku shrugged, closing his eyes.
"Ouch… Did she dump you?" Sora scrunched his nose, toes curling by instinct.
She?.. More like a 'He'. Not that he needs to know that. Riku cleared his throat. "Yeah."
"I'm sorry to hear that…" The brunette sighed and shook his head.
"It's okay. It was a long time ago." Still though, Riku never did get over it… Ever since he was dumped by that blonde he decided to not get into any relationship. Not a serious one, at least.
"Did you love her?" Sora asked quietly, his eyes transfixed with Riku's expression. Big, emotional blue eyes stared deeply at Riku, as if attempting to decipher just what was swirling around in Riku's own hues. There could be so many things going on in the silveret's mind and Sora hadn't the faintest idea on what any of those things could be.
Riku stiffened the slightest at the question. When he was prompted for an answer, his eyes averted themselves from Sora's almost immediately. "Does it matter? It was in the past. It's not like any of that matters now."
"So I take it that's a yes, huh?" Sora asked softly, puzzlement glimmering in his youthful eyes. "I'm…sorry," Sora apologized. "I'm sorry that she broke your heart if you loved her."
Without warning, the jovial brunet leaned closer and wrapped the taller and older of the pair into a gentle hug.
Riku frowned and shook his head, gently prying the brunette away. "I told you… It's nothing," he murmured, closing his eyes. "It's none of your business anyway."
Sora bit his lip and nodded, lowering his gaze quietly. "I understand…" he lied. He would not interfere any further. After all, Sora had never been dumped before, nor was he in love. He only had the promise of his parents to get him a nice fiancé when he turns twenty-one.
Riku leaned his head back and sighed, eyes remaining open. "I'm sorry, I'm not really being talkative and that I'm boring… But can I go back to my own room now?" He didn't like Sora's room… He didn't like big rooms in general… They felt cold.
"Sure," Sora whispered a bit brokenly, but hid the awkward sentiment with a forced, goofy smile. "If you need anything, the button's there in your room. I'll…see you tomorrow, then?"
Riku offered a distant nod and got to his feet, making sure not to trip over anything in the process. "Tomorrow, yeah." Frankly, Riku didn't want tomorrow to come, nor the day after. He didn't want to remain here at all. Perhaps even the rabid dogs outside the house seemed like a better fate than what laid in store here.
"Goodnight, Riku," Sora said as he dared to look up at the standing teen, blue eyes shimmering with a dash of sadness. "Have sweet dreams, okay?..."
"Yeah," Riku stated simply and left the room, figuring that Sora could at least trust him to make his way back to his own room. Sora did nothing to stop the silveret, nor did he pry any more conversation from the silveret. Sora just remained in his bedroom floor, watching as Riku closed the door behind him.