dedication: neurotic seduction
a very late birthday and holiday fanfic for my dear. she deserves it! i loved the plot and whatnot. so uh..enjoy? i apologize for typos. leave a review, please.
concoction
It was something about July that Sora absolutely loved.
Perhaps it was the lack of school and homework that begged to be completed. Or maybe it was the long nights staying up on the computer, staring in amusement at his most commonly visited websites. Or, just maybe, it was the amazing sleepovers he and his best friend had during the course of the hot, sticky month. The two best friends had had a tradition for countless years—spend at least two nights at each other's house during the summer. Most of their sleeping over took place in July—during August Riku went away for a week and a half with his family. And June was just way too hectic. Over all, Sora adored the month of July.
The lanky, young teen stared out his bedroom window at the wide, blistering hot world around him. On the Islands it was not abnormal for the temperature to exceed one hundred degrees Fahrenheit—roughly thirty-eight degrees Celsius. On these especially hot days the islanders would usually lock themselves up in their homes and crank the air conditioner onto full blast on its coolest setting.
Sora, though, enjoyed the blazing days. The searing heat didn't bother him—it just gave him all the more reason to stay at his house and keep his mind preoccupied. Besides, hot days meant a colder house and loads of fun. Like going in his neighbor's pool and drinking freezing beverages that he found in the fridge afterwards for relief.
On this specific Tuesday in July, though, Sora had managed to scrape up last minute plans. His best friend was coming over for the entire day, and night. Riku, who had just graduated from High school a month ago, was soon leaving for College. The Islands did not host a college so it was normal for seniors to depart for a few years to finish their education. Now, more than ever, did Sora strive to stay connected to his best friend.
Usually during their annual sleepovers the boys would swim in Tidus' pool, natter aimlessly about things, play games until their eyes bled, and just act like teenage boys. Though, now that Sora was seventeen and Riku was eighteen, Sora was uncertain as to just what Riku wanted to do anymore. The silveret had grown out of his cocky, ignorant stage and was a bit more introverted. He did have his snappy, perverted moments, but without those Riku wouldn't be himself. It was just…ever since the last few months of his senior year, Riku had turned serious. Was college really that big of a deal?
Sora did not bother trying to figure out just why his best friend changed. It was a small change for the better. A respectful Riku was better than an arrogant one, after all.
The ringing of his cell-phone caught Sora off guard. His reveries were cut short as he lunged across the bedroom to pick up the phone. Once done, he lifted the blue device to his ear. "Hello?" he said, his voice laced with an unidentifiable emotion.
"Hey," answered the baritone voice. "I'll be over in ten. Mom's been lecturing me all day about college. I didn't have time to pack." An uneasy laugh followed. "Sorry about that, Sora."
Sora shook his head to the side, his phone slightly crackling from the movement. "Nah, that's fine. I have to quickly do a few chores myself before my mom flips." This time he was the one to produce a somewhat shaky laugh. "I'll see you in a few, then."
"Yep," Riku agreed and promptly hung up.
Sora sighed audibly and snapped his flip-phone shut. Blue eyes wandered across the room. Chores. Psh. I never have chores other than to clean my room. Sora absently licked his lips and took a seat on his bed, feet swaying back and forth over the edge. If College is really that big of a deal…then should I start preparing myself? Should I try and be more serious like Riku?
He shook his head, dismissing the idea. "I can be serious and myself! I mean, I don't have to turn into a total workaholic to succeed," he told himself with a bright smile. If there was one thing Sora detested, it was change. More importantly, unnecessary changes.
The brunet young man got to his feet and scuffled out of his bedroom, gently closing the door behind him until it clasped shut. He turned his attention towards his dimly lit hallway. The sun was hitting the other side of the house currently, leaving this section of his house a few degrees cooler. It was pleasant.
After having traversed down the hallway, Sora stopped in the kitchen. His eyes raked over the empty counters. Snacks. What snacks should we have tonight? I think Mom bought some chips or something. I wonder if she… He meandered over to the cabinet and curiously opened it. The brunet popped his head in and peeked inside. "Yes!" he proclaimed with a wide grin. "We have Wheat-thins!"
Obviously Riku's favorite.
Sora closed the cabinet and folded his arms to his chest. We'll go swimming at Tidus' first, then come back here and make dinner…then hang in my room until we pass out. Sounds like a plan to me. The first sleepover of the summer He was elated.
A knock of the brunet's front door caused Sora to scramble out of the kitchen and towards the entryway. Abruptly, Sora yanked the front door open and warmly smiled. Standing on the other side, expectedly, was his best friend. The towering teenager mirrored Sora's smile, though his was a bit more mysterious. His green eyes met Sora's blue for a moment before wandering off. The silveret proceeded to gesture to the bag he held in his grasp.
"Can I come in and drop these off?" Riku wondered knowingly, a smirk creeping onto his lips.
"Nah," Sora responded, rolling his eyes as he stepped aside. "I'm just going to make you stand out there the entire night in the heat."
Riku feigned a pout and entered the home, shooting the other a smirk. "You wouldn't do that, now would you, Sora?"
Sora stuck his tongue out dauntingly at his friend and nudged the front door shut. Impatiently, he followed after his taller friend. "Oh but of course, Riku!"
"I always knew you were a sadist," the silver haired young adult hummed. He trekked through the familiar halls of Sora's quaint home and made his way towards the stairs that lead upstairs. "I take it we're going to go swimming before dinner?"
Sora nodded and perkily followed his friend. "It's up to you. I'm game," he made known as they clamored up the somewhat creaky stairs. Sora's father had never gotten around to fixing the bothersome steps. Oh well. A job for another day.
"That's fine," Riku responded. "It's good to see you, by the way."
"I know! It's almost been a month!" Sora drawled, a frown appearing on his lips.
Silence fell upon the pair as Riku paused near the end of Sora's hallway, right outside the boy's bedroom. Aquamarine hues cast themselves down to the ground. "I'm sorry, Sora. I've just been trying to prepare for college. I guess I've been neglecting you guys, huh?"
"Well duh!" Sora chimed, placing an eager hand onto his friend's shoulder. "Kairi and I haven't seen you since graduation! We were worried that you left for college already without telling us goodbye."
Sora regretted saying that at once. "I mean!"
Riku shrugged. "I know what you mean," he said hardheartedly.
Sora pretended to shrug away the harshly spoken words. He bit down on his lip to keep himself from pouting at his older friend. He needed to appear mature…after all, Riku, now, was one of most judicious in his life. Sensible and wise to the last word—though he had not always been like that. But that was in the past.
"You did bring swimming trunks over, right?" Sora prodded as Riku transported his bags into the bedroom.
Riku glanced over his shoulder and stared audaciously back at his friend. "What if I didn't? You gonna make me brave the heat wave to go get them?" A rare glimmer of humor appeared in his endless eyes.
"I'm not that mean," Sora chuckled in response. "I'm just… oh what's the word…"
"Vindictive?" the silveret guessed, arching a brow as he unzipped his bag, tossing it onto Sora's bed. He began to busily sort through it.
Sora's smile fell. "There you go again with your big, fancy words, Riku," he murmured, arms folding to his chest. "I'm not impressed."
Riku snickered as he extracted his black trunks from the bag. "Well, those big, fancy words got me into college. Says a lot, doesn't it?"
The brunet rolled his eyes on the unprompted cue. "Well, I'm going to be a senior so yeah. I don't know." Sora laughed despite his pathetic comeback. Hell, it couldn't even be considered one. Unlike Riku, Sora was not quick on his feet with words. Wittiness and Sora were not synonyms at all.
"You should start looking into scholarships," Riku advised as he turned around, fingering the waistband of the black undergarments. "The earlier you start, the better." He brushed past Sora and pointedly jutted his hip out, hitting Sora's.
Sora blanched and then grumbled embarrassedly, "You did that on purpose, jerk…"
"You going to cry over it?" asked Riku, a drip of teasing pulsating from his voice.
"Nah. I don't cry over people that are smaller than me," the brunet teased and promptly brushed past Riku this time, jostling his way out of the bedroom. Riku's cough caused him to pause, though, once in the hallway.
"First, I'm taller than you. Secondly…I'm assuming you were talking about the metaphoric meaning but…if you meant it literally… want to find out?" Riku ragged, a warm grin on his lips as he mockingly waggled his brows. When Sora shook his head hastily, Riku chuckled. "I can assure you that I am 'bigger' than you, Sora."
Sora glared as Riku walked down the hallway; leaving the brunet alone once he entered the bathroom to change. He huffed loudly and went to change in his bedroom. There he goes again… but it's good to see he hasn't changed entirely. He's still pompous when he has to be. B-but… why does he have to be so perverted? It gets kind of awkward lately…
xxxxXxxxx
"Well, look who it is! It's lover boy and his kitten!"
Sora grumbled something incoherent under his breath as he tightly clutched at his towel he held. Blue eyes watched as Riku suavely smirked at Tidus, patted him on the head, then murmured something Sora could not hear. He scrunched his noise up but brushed it off. It was probably something perverted, knowing Riku. Without another thought, Sora pushed past the chattering Tidus and Riku who lingered near Tidus' ingrown pool. And then he lunged in, head first.
"I swear, he's a fish!" Tidus confirmed. The blond watched in enjoyment as Sora swam about, happily laughing. "He's adorable, isn't he?" he asked, nudging Riku in the side.
Riku, who had been spacing out, spared a glance over at his friend. "Why do you say that?"
Was that a defensive retort? "Just wondering what you thought, that's all," Tidus explained calmly, waving his hands to dismiss the awkwardness. "I mean, he is your best friend and you do spend a lot of time with him. Hell… if I spent that much time with him I wouldn't be able to keep my hands—"
"You're his neighbor!" Riku barked. Either he was pointing out that Tidus had a great situation on his hands or he was yelling at him for coming onto Sora. It was hard to tell.
"So?" Tidus laughed. "Whenever we hang out he does not shut up about you. It's like…like Al Gore talking about global warming. No matter what, he does not shut up."
Riku laughed dryly. "How long have you been sitting on that simile?"
"Awhile, actually," Tidus responded with a smile. He gestured to Sora who was swimming. "You never answered my question though, loverboy. Do you think he's adorable? I've already stated my opinon…sorta. What about you?"
Riku shrugged and avoided Sora's gaze as he swam. "Tidus, what do you think?"
"I don't know, actually. You're a pretty secluded person. I mean, you only had one girlfriend. You're… very private, I suppose." Tidus ambled closer to the pool and gingerly placed his foot in. His nose scrunched up instinctively when it touched the cold water. Still, it felt better than the hot air around them. Much better.
"Sora's my best friend," Riku deadpanned, hand falling down to rest on the fringe of his own towel.
"So it must be tearing you up inside," Tidus decided as he sat down on the edge of the pool, dangling his feet into the cold water. Casually, he waved to Sora. He turned back to Riku after a moment pause. "Going off for an entire year…not being able to see him for so long. That's probably killing you, isn't it?"
Riku frowned. "Whatever," he grumbled and got into the pool.
He decided to end this conversation before it got too emotional. The last thing he needed was Tidus playing investigator. Especially when Riku wasn't sure of the things Tidus was investigating in the first place.
xxxxXxxxx
"How long do you think the pizza will take?" Sora wondered as he jabbed the oven, glaring at the frozen pizza inside. Swimming around in Tidus' cold pool, having fun with two of his best friends was a lot better than standing around, staring down a pizza, coaxing it to cook itself.
"Awhile," Riku responded coolly as he leaned against the kitchen wall, a dazzling smile on his lips. His hair was still dripping wet but for the most part he was dry. "Maybe we should get changed before we eat? Unless you're up for eating half-naked."
Sora's cheeks turned a hot red. "You just want to see me naked," he retorted smartly, pressing his nose to the glass wall of the oven. Stupid Pizza.
"Oh yeah, Sora," Riku chuckled. "I so want to run my hands all over your body. Almost as much as I want to rock you into your bed, fucking you senselessly."
Sora shivered and spun around on his feet. "Your mind…is very perverted, my friend."
"Whose isn't?" Riku wondered absently as he grinned over at Sora. "Come on now, Sora. Use your brains before you start asking stupid questions."
"Well…you're stupid!" Sora remarked, hands falling to rest on his hips. Sora was not defenseless, nor was he willing to lose a battle to Riku. He had always been the type to fight to the end…no matter how bad the outcome might be.
"And your trunks are still very wet," Riku decided, his gaze falling upon Sora's hips. "They're clinging to your body like a leech." A snicker appeared.
Sora subconsciously glanced downward. He squeaked, realizing that he was getting the floor wet. Not only that, but due to their wet state, the trunks were doing a wonderful job at showing off his body. If they were a bit thinner, his friend probably would be able to see every single curve of his body. Sora thanked the heavens above that this was not the case. Sora was…to say the least…uneasy about his body.
"I'm going to get changed," Sora concluded with a nervous laugh.
"Go ahead," Riku said, gesturing towards Sora's stairs.
"And what about you?" Sora wondered, raising his gaze from his trunks over to Riku.
"What? You want me to help you change?" Riku cocked a curious brow.
The brunet scowled. "No," he drawled. "I was just thinking that maybe you didn't want to eat dinner 'half-naked', as you so kindly pointed out a few minutes ago. Don't you remember?" Sora stuck his tongue out at his friend lazily.
The silveret rolled his eyes. "I'm rather proud of my body," he argued, extending his arms to mockingly flex.
Sora rolled his eyes yet again and averted his gaze. "You look like a giraffe."
"Giraffes are hot," the older teen argued.
Sora gaped and then shot Riku a steady glare. "Their necks are way too long and they're not hot at all! You…animal rapist!"
"…Sora, you're … I'm not even going to comment on that," Riku said and turned his back to the brunet. "I'm going to get my clothes from upstairs and change. When I'm done you can change. I'm the guest after all." He paused. "Unless you want to change with me."
Sora sighed audibly. "Go. Go before the pizza's done and I eat it all by myself."
"You wouldn't dare," Riku chortled, glimpsing over his shoulder as he was about to leave the kitchen to attend to his duties.
"I would," Sora pointed out and beamed happily at his friend.
The ice was melting. The old Riku was still there and he was shining through. Sora liked when Riku was this natural around him. It reassured the brunet that he wasn't losing his best friend to college. It was a very settling feeling—one that Sora hadn't felt for the past three months.
xxxxXxxxx
Riku and Sora's sleepover was mostly composed of witty verbal fights, video gaming, and beating each other senseless with pillows at random. Not only had Riku returned to his amusing, witty self (minus the cocky part. The only time he seemed the least bit cocky was only pretend…which was to Sora's great pleasure) but they seemed to be getting along a lot better than they had the past year at school. Things were just going great. Damn, Sora adored July.
"I beat you again," Riku declared, triumphantly setting down his game controller. The teen leaned back, resting his back against the small, plush chair he sat in. Sora, who was sitting beside him on a beanbag, shot his friend a pathetic pout.
"You cheat," Sora decided, setting down his own controller. "I don't get how you can win every time. It's...impossible! You must cheat!"
"I'm just amazing," Riku disputed with a brash snicker. "You're just one of the many to succumb to my amazingness."
Sora rolled his eyes inwardly. He tended to do that a lot when he was around the older. "Oh yeah, Riku. That's totally it." He got to his feet after speaking.
"Where are you going? You just went to the bathroom," Riku stated, getting to his feet as well. His curiosity had been peaked by the sudden standing up.
"Going to make some kool-aid, that's what," Sora informed Riku, a childish glimmer in his eyes. "I haven't had it sense last summer. We drank a whole pitcher. Remember?"
"I do," Riku said softly and ruffled his friends hair. Sora stuck his tongue out. "But come on, Sora. Kool-Aid? That guy on the little packets looks like a rapist."
"He's not a rapist!" Sora growled, nudging Riku in the shoulder. "You think everyone is a rapist. You…rapist!" He giggled and hummed as he drifted out of his bedroom and into the hallway. Riku followed in hot pursuit, spitting out random retorts all the way down to the kitchen.
When they arrived, Sora went straight for the cabinets. He quickly gathered the small Watermelon packet and snagged a pitcher to which he handed to Riku and told him to fill it. Sora smiled graciously when Riku returned a moment later with the full pitcher of lukewarm water. Expertly, he snipped open the Kool-Aid container and dumped the contents in, watching in childish elation as the contents dissolved, coloring the water a pretty pink hue.
"You're so corny," Riku chuckled as he leaned against the counter, watching as Sora watched the Kool-Aid.
"What? This Kool-Aid is ten times cooler than you'll ever be," Sora hummed teasingly and swayed back and forth on the balls of his feet. After a moment, Sora took the pitcher over to the fridge. Carefully, he plopped roughly twenty ice cubes into the pitcher and screwed the top back on. Perhaps not tight enough…
"Now to shake!" Sora declared boisterously as he began jumping up and down, shaking the pitcher mercilessly. His arms flailed about as he attempted to finish fixing the Kool-Aid. However, the poor boy failed miserably as the top came flying off. Moments later the liquid shot everywhere, coating Sora and the area around him in a bath of pink rain.
"No!" Sora screeched as he tightened his grip on the Kool-Aid, preventing any more from falling.
"Wow," Riku commented, a few feet away as he stared at the now drenched Sora. "You're… so smart," he chuckled and walked over to his best friend, taking the pitcher from him without hesitation.
"…Why do I screw up everything…" Sora grumbled to himself angrily as he stood there. Being coated head to foot in Kool-Aid was not a good feeling.
"You do not," Riku refuted, reaching for a towel. Proficiently, he grabbed one and walked soundlessly over to his friend and began drying Sora's now readily sticky face. When the towel began sticking gently at the boy's skin, Riku sighed, utterly defeated.
"I'm going to have to take a shower now…" Sora murmured, a small blush creeping up from Riku's gesture of kindness. He wouldn't deny that the touch had been gentle and it felt amazingly good. He also wouldn't deny that his mind wandered off, wondering just how great it would feel if those tentative touches were elsewhere. His breath caught in his throat, cheeks turning a darker red at the mere mental image. Okay, not good. You do not think about those things when Riku's over!! Y-you think about that when he's not here, stupid!
"Nah. You just need to get a damp cloth," Riku reasoned, setting the towel on the counter.
Sora expected his older, cooler, taller, more mature friend to dampen the towel and hand it to him but what happened next came as a startling surprise. Riku's dexterous, thin fingers had begun tracing the contours of his face. Their gazes met and Sora was speechless, mostly due to the fact that he had no idea what to say or how to react.
"You're all sticky," chortled Riku as his palm pressed delicately to Sora's tanned cheeks. "It's kind of putting us into a compromising situation." Another laugh, though this one was uneasy.
Sora flushed once more. "Riku…" His heart jerked violently, his mind numbing. "Please…don't leave…" I can't lose you. I can't go an entire year without seeing you. Not now. Not…when I'm just so close. Please don't do this. He had kept it all in. And thousands of words of wanting Riku to stay came out in three simple ones.
Riku's heart visibly broke. His gaze widened and then shimmered with what appeared to be clouding eyes. "You know that I can't just not go to college, Sora…I'd stay here if I could."
"Then wait a year!" Sora stated weakly, willing himself to stare sternly at his friend though all he wanted to do was slam his door and retire to his bedroom—alone. He needed alone time after such a shaky statement. "Wait until I can come with you, Riku!"
"Sora, you're my—"
"Damn it, Riku!" Sora stomped his foot down, vaguely aware that he was still incredibly sticky. "Why don't you get that I don't want you to leave? You're the only person here who understands me! Who actually will put up with me for longer than five minutes? Don't you get it, you jerk? I'll be nothing without you."
That statement was almost like saying, 'I like you'.
Riku stood there, shell-shocked for a moment. A smile crossed his lips as his fingers began swiping sticky bangs out of Sora's eyes. "I mean that much to you, huh?" Was that a blush on the taller's face?
"Don't act like you didn't know," Sora mumbled cutely, looking away. "You always tell me that I'm obvious…so I don't see why that wouldn't be obvious as well."
"I'm honored," Riku stated honestly, his free arm hooking around the younger's waist. "Utterly honored," he corrected and gently stroked his friend's cheek, his fingers somewhat sticking to it.
Sora scorched a dark red. "Well, what are you waiting for? Are you thinking of a sappy remark before you kiss me or what?" He blinked up at Riku, a shy smile on his lips.
"Nah. Just trying to keep my mind from picturing you naked in the shower with me," Riku corrected his friend before chuckling and leaning close.
He clasped his lips onto Sora's upon request, locking the pair into a searing, mind-blowing kiss. It was gentle at first, both testing the waters. The waters that they had both readily avoided for a year. After all, confessing that you were gay in high school was a huge, shaky step to approach. It was even harder acting upon those feelings. And now that it was summer… now that they were alone and the idea that Riku was leaving very shortly, things drastically changed. There was need. There was desperation.
The kiss began as a soft kneading of lips. Sora rose on his tip-toes to tangle his sticky arms around his best friend's neck as Riku's arms fell around Sora's waist. The brunet's eyes fluttered shut and he pressed closer, his lips shyly meshing continuously up against Riku's.
The kiss remained gentle, loving for a few moments. Breaths were taken between the small kisses until a rather bold move was taken by the silveret. The silver haired male took a step forwards, nudging Sora backwards. Confused, but still entirely enthralled in the kiss, Sora obediently backed up. After a moment his back hit the counter and he felt Riku's hands beginning to wander along his back.
"Gonna stop kissing me anytime soon?" Sora asked in a quiet, hushed tone.
Riku groaned a response; capturing Sora's speaking lips once again in a kiss. The taller's lips tentatively nipped at Sora's bottom, evoking a surprised gasp from the brunet who only clung closer in response. The wantonly kissing continued for what seemed like hours before Riku's lips fled from Sora's.
The brunet sucked in a shaky breath but soon after mewed in utter surprise and downright pleasure when he felt those velvet-soft lips at his neck. "You…" he sighed, hands threading into Riku's hair, giving a gentle tug. "Riku…" he whined as his friend's lips kissed chastely down along his tanned skin.
His legs felt wobbly and his mind reeled about. How many times had he dreamt about his? The thoughts now only seemed like blurs as Riku's wonderful lips continued their inexperienced wander along Sora's neck, conveying the things he had banished from his thoughts for that entire year. Now that high school was over for Riku… his emotions just went haywire. He just didn't care about his reputation anymore.
"You…if you keep doing that any longer…two things are gonna happen," Sora stated in a quick murmur as he arched his neck lovingly, adoring how Riku kept licking, sucking, and kissing his neck. "One…we're gonna get stuck together and two…two you're gonna turn me on a lot." The last word was a cross between a moan and a gasp as Riku's teeth grazed the pressure point near his shoulder.
"Now…that turned me on," Riku decided as he moved his mouth away from Sora's neck. The silveret stared at his flustered friend for a long moment. Their lips were puffy and bruised and both were incredibly aroused.
"Riku…" Sora whispered, his eyes heavy from lust. Lost in his pleasure, Sora's hand lifted to lovingly stroke Riku's hair, smiling at him.
"Go take a shower," Riku ordered, a rare smile on his just as rare puffy lips. "A cold one, preffably," he said and grinned, kissing Sora's lips chastely.
Sora clung to the older, returning the kiss. When Riku pulled away, Sora stared at him with confusion. "Huh?"
"Too… turned on," Riku admitted and averted his gaze. "Need time to cool off before I let the hormones take over."
Sora cracked a smile and laughed, reaching up to peck Riku's cheek. "Fine. I'll go take a shower and cleanse myself of the stickyness." He laughed and leaned up further on his feet to Riku's ear. "By the way, Riku…I never said you couldn't let the hormones take over… even if just for a few moments."
Sora shot his friend a seductive look before marching away, humming pleasantly to himself.
Riku gaped and watched as Sora left the kitchen. Watched as his best friend walked down the hall, swaying his hips sultry-like. Riku swallowed thickly and rubbed the back of his neck, sucking in a deep breath. "..I wonder if…cold drinks work as well as showers do…"
He wasn't going to survive the night. He knew that… but hey…now that he had a boyfriend…maybe he could wait a year to get off this island. Maybe he could wait…just for Sora. Yeah, that sounded amazing. Riku smirked to himself and touched his lips, a beautiful smile taking its place. Who knew that Sora could be so assertive sometimes?