Fan Fiction ❯ Trials and Tribulations ❯ T&T (5) ( Chapter 5 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: MercuryGoddess 
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 12.04.2003 | Pages: 7 | Words: 7.9K | Visits: 515 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 12.04.2003 | Pages: 7 | Words: 7.9K | Visits: 515 | Status: Completed
Author Notes: O_O Look at all the reviews I got in such a short amount of time! Jeez, you guys are great. Since I got so many reviews at once, I decided to reward you guys for your efforts by making an extra long chapter. So, without further ado, the fifth - extra long - installment of Trials and Tribulations.
Special Thanks To: Kairi099, Elle King, Heather Christi, myredraincoat, Kurai Kaiba, rikuluver, Uzumaki-sama, Aisalynn, Sillie, ice cream sandwich, RC2, angel voice samurai, Rock-Howard-17, Kylie Norris, silvermoonstar-tenshi, onlyHAUNTED, Princess of Mirrors, That Person, and of course my Mediaminer reviewers: Pyrokitsune, Karna, and yamichaos!!
Disclaimer: If I owned Kingdom Hearts, I would be filthy rich right now!! So, get off my back!!
Warnings: This is a yaoi, or to plainly put it male x male relationships! If you don't like it, don't read it!! I don't want to see flames on this subject because I plainly put my warning here!
Reminder:
"..............." Means talking
(...............) Means author notes
*..............* Means an action
~..............~ Means thinking
'...............' Means past sayings
>.............< Means a place
[..............] Means a microphone is being used
^............^Means song
Trials and Tribulations
Chapter Five
Part One
The two boys stayed where they were until Sora broke the tense silence that passed among them. Deciding to talk to Riku later about this, Sora said: "What did you want me for, Taiyou?"
The light brown haired boy seemed to snap out of his dazed stupor and peered at Sora with saddened amber eyes. "Well, Kairi wanted to know what was taking you so long so she sent me to come and get you."
"Oh, well let's go." Sora walked over to Taiyou, then turned around. "Riku, are you coming?"
Riku shifted his gaze off of Taiyou and onto Sora momentarily. "I think I'll pass."
Sora crossed his arms. "Oh, come on! You were suppose to help me with Japanese Lit., remember?"
"I will, but I have to go."
"Alright, I guess," Sora said sadly, not bothering to hide the disappointment in his voice. Trying to cheer Riku up, he put on a bright smile. "See ya later, alligator!"
Riku blinked, wondering where that statement came from. "In a while, crocodile." he replied, deciding to play along.
Smiles formed on both of the boys' faces. Riku turned around and steadily began to walk away.
"Bye, Riku."
The said boy paused, turning around enough to see the two other boys out the corner of his eye. Anger flickered in his eyes - which didn't go unnoticed by Sora - before he walked away, quickening his pace with each step. Taiyou let out a deep breath that he seemed to be holding for quite some time and headed in the direction of the cafeteria. He shuffled as he walked as if he had some huge burden placed on his shoulders. Sora watched the two older boys go their separate ways, and he teemed with suspicion. What was the relationship between Taiyou and Riku? Was it similar to his and Kairi's case where they were best friends, but grew apart? Or was it something more?
These questions bombarded his mind while he headed after Taiyou. It didn't take long for the Sora to reach him since the boy seemed to walk like he was apart of a funeral line. The urge to scream, "What the hell did you do to Riku?" coursed through his body, but of course, he pushed it down in the deep recesses of his mind. "So, you're a friend of Kairi's?" he asked instead.
"Yea," he answered short and quick while straightening up his hair.
Sora frowned at the reply, but didn't let Taiyou see it. Frankly, he couldn't care less if he was so he decided to get straight to the point. "How do you know Riku?"
Taiyou stopped in the middle of pulling his hair into a neater ponytail, overwhelming sadness washing over him. He opened his mouth to say something, but decided against. A few moments passed between them before he answered. "From freshman year."
Absorbing in this new piece of knowledge, Sora readied himself to ask another question, but the pair of boys had already reached the cafeteria and were approaching the bustling table. Kairi was in the center of table, talking to Garnet who sat beside her. A girl with unnaturally long cyan hair pulled into a braided ponytail and royal blue eyes sat across from Garnet and Kairi. Beside her, a girl with shoulder length purple hair and crimson eyes listened in on the conversation. Finally, detached from the group of girls, a medium-height boy with short sandy brown hair and indigo eyes had his head propped up on his forearm, a bored expression on his face. Sora looked to Taiyou, who smiled when he spotted the boy. Walking over to him, Taiyou sat down and looked into the eyes of his friend. "I'm sorry I left you here with the girls."
The boy looked up in annoyance. "I'm sorry? These stupid girls have been talking about the Four Keys Concert this whole time!! I'm damaged for life." He let out a dramatic sigh and buried his head in his arms. Taiyou only laughed and patted him on the back before scooting over to Kairi. "Sora's behind you."
Kairi turned around, a bright smile on her face. "Hey, Sora, come over and sit here."
She patted the now empty space that seemed to magically appear. Sora hesitantly sat down and looked over everyone. "Hi."
"Well, hello," the cyan-eyed girl said, leaning forward. "My name is Nami."
Sora smiled briefly. "Sora."
"Yea, I've heard so much about you," she replied, looking over at Kairi. "He's pretty hot, Kairi, why didn't you tell me?"
Kairi looked away and tried to hide her blush. This didn't go unnoticed by Sora. Nami only laughed and pointed to the girl next to her. "This girl is Sakura."
Sakura only smiled meekly while mumbling her greeting. Nami laughed at her friend's timidity. "You always get this way when a boy other than those two are here."
Her friend blushed heavily and cast her eyes downward. Kairi gave a disapproving look to Nami. "Stop teasing her."
"Yea, I mean you got pretty tongue-tied when Riku was talking to you." Garnet added.
A wave of jealously washed over Sora, but he didn't show it. Nami blushed crimson. "T-that w-was...oh shut up!"
The group of girls laughed. Kairi turned to Sora, sensing he was a little left out. "So, Sora, are you ready for the concert?"
Sora mentally groaned. ~No, not the concert....~
"Oh no you don't!"
Everyone turned to the boy at the end of the table. "I have suffered, and I admit I deserved it, but don't do it to him. Sora, come here."
Sora got up almost too enthusiastically. He rushed over the sandy-haired boy, who held his hand out. "I'm Jiro."
When he grabbed the hand, Sora leaned in close. "Thank you."
>Courtyard<
Riku entered a circular dome with held a cascading waterfall in the center of a large, clear lake. A canopy of tree branches hid the area well, but sunshine still peeked in, reflecting off of the lake. Rare, but beautiful sun-kissed flowers grew near the edge of the water and not a single animal roamed in this mini paradise. A figure stood at its shore, only wearing loose black pants that hung off of his waist sinfully. The figure turned slightly, his amber eyes twinkling mischievously. His light brown hair swayed in sync with a mysterious wind as Riku walked up to the lone figure. He opened his mouth to say something only to have his mouth closed by a finger was placed upon his lips. The taller boy stared deep into his eyes before turning around and diving into the water. When he emerged, he motioned Riku to follow. Riku took off his shirt and dived in. The two began to swim under the waterfall and swam down a long tunnel. Both of them soon made it to the end. The boy came up to the surface first with Riku right behind him. Riku couldn't help but be amazed at the sight. The two had entered another lake with a wider waterfall on their left side. This area was completely underground. The boy climbed up on a ledge near the entrance and helped Riku up, pulling him into an embrace and kissing him softly on the lips. "Taiyou..."
"Hey, Riku?"
The scenery abruptly vanished as Riku bolted up, surprising the person who called him. Running his hand through his hair, Riku sighed and buried his face in his hands. ~No, no, no...~
"Riku?"
Cloud bent down and looked at the boy next to him. He then looked up, motioning Leon to bend down also. Leon reluctantly agreed, staying as stoic as always. "Riku, what happened?"
Riku leaned back against the tree. "Taiyou happened."
Cloud winced as the name escaped his lips. "When...?"
"Today before lunch. He was looking for Sora..."
"So, how long has it been?" Cloud asked cautiously.
"Two years," Riku replied angrily. "It has been two fucking years!"
Cloud sat next to Riku, watching his distressed friend. "Now he goes to this school! Cloud, what am I going to do?"
"Just confront him."
Cloud and Riku turned to the silent teenager who decided to speak. "Running away is going to get you nowhere and you know it."
He sighed. "This isn't something that I can solve by talking to him."
Riku instantly closed his mouth. He knew that this was something he would have to do himself. Now that Taiyou is here, he is forced to deal with a problem that he pushed aside two years ago. He thought that maybe forgetting could heal, but all it's done is bury itself deep inside his heart. He should have known that this would reemerge, and he still has to sort his feelings for Sora. Clasping his hair, Riku growled in frustration. ~Damnit!~
"Then, do what you have to do. Thinking about it won't make it go away."
Riku looked into the cold stormy eyes of his stoic friend. Even though he doesn't show it, his eyes reflected the concern he felt for the Riku. He was appreciative that he had good friends like Leon and Cloud. "Thanks."
The school bell indicating that lunch was over sounded, causing everyone to pack up and prepare for their next classes. Getting up and brushing himself off, Riku waved to Cloud and Leon before headed to the cafeteria. They only watched him go.
^*^
The four days went by slowly, and the students at Kado High School were ready to burst at the seams. Even the teachers seemed to be mocking them, giving them extra homework and projects despite the big concert. Nevertheless, Friday arrived and the school occupants were anxious to leave.
Over the course of the four days, Sora, Taiyou, and Jiro had become a trio. Even though Sora still had troubles with the trust issue, he still managed to get along great with the other two boys. His fear of rejection and betrayal had been temporarily forgotten; he still wasn't happy though. Riku had withdrawn himself from Sora even more - going to the library instead of coming at lunch and walking straight home instead of waiting for him -, causing Sora's suspicion to sky-rocket. Something had happened between Taiyou and Riku. He was going to find out today at the concert.
"So, Taiyou, Jiro, are you guys going to the concert?" Sora asked while closing his locker.
Taiyou as well as Jiro nodded. "We're taking Nami and Sakura." Jiro responded. "You're going with Kairi, right?"
"Yea."
"Garnet going with that kid named Riku, right? What's the deal with him anyway?"
This question got him glares from both Sora and Taiyou. Jiro put his hands up in defense. "Just asking, jeez."
The three boys walked to their next class, which they happened to have together, in silence. The innocent question had left two of the three boys in deep thought. Sora: ~I wonder what's going on. Riku...~
Taiyou: ~How can I face him now? He probably hates me...damn.~
A few moments passed and the boys arrived at their destination: 6th hour, English, Mrs. White.
The two-minute warning bell just went off when the boys took their seats in the back of the room. Sora was seated behind Taiyou while Jiro was next to Sora. Riku was already seated behind Sora. He turned around and greeted Riku with a bright smile only to be returned with a watered down smirk. "Ok, class, let's get started."
The redheaded, green-eyed woman who stood in front of the class opened her teacher's edition of the textbook. "Please turn to page 34 in your books."
The students worked mechanically; taking out their books, and flipping to the page as instructed. Sora let out a yawn and he leaned his head against his hand to prop himself up. Soon, he lost track of what the class was doing, his thoughts focused only on Riku. Since the day Taiyou and him met, Sora has been noticing the small, mediocre things about Riku that still seem magnificent. He cursed himself for thinking so dumb thoughts. The truth of the matter is he could never have Riku. Even if Riku was willing to be with him, how would they deal with the trust factor? Sora would probably be to paranoid to let him go to college. The last thing he wanted to do was hinder Riku from his hopes and dreams for the future. "...ra?"
Sora looked up at the annoyed teacher's face lazily. He rubbed his eyes, realizing he dazed off in the middle of class. "Sorry, Mrs. White."
"Just read this passage in English." his teacher snapped before she headed back to her desk. Sora sighed, found the right page, and proceeded to read the passage, unaware of the gaze from Riku.
^*^
*BING BING BING*
The end of the day school bell was music to the students' ears. Most had been anticipating the concert of a lifetime: The Four Keys Concert. It's not everyday that celebrities come to the small chain of islands. In fact, the last celebrity who visited Destiny Islands came almost 20 years ago. It was going to be a great night: listening to your favorite singers then go partying afterward. This was great for the parents too since the kids would be out and they could have the house to themselves. All was to go well tonight...
"I can't wait!!"
Garnet, Kairi, Nami, and Sakura walked to the school's entrance. Each had there own thoughts about the concert tonight, but Nami's was more vocal. "I'm so excited! I bought this new outfit and everything. I managed to get an outfit that matched my hair and my eyes perfectly!"
While Nami, Sakura and Garnet talked about outfits, Kairi was deep in thought about the special events that are suppose to happen tonight. She was going to do the ultimate thing for love: sing in front of thousands of people to Sora and beg for his forgiveness. Surprisingly, her mother had supported the idea as well as her father. Each of them had gone to great lengths so that she would be able to do that. Thank goodness her father knew the Four Keys. Kairi wiped a thin sheet of perspiration off of her forehead, her heart pounding and her breath coming in short quick intervals. She never had a problem with singing in front of people before and that's not really what she is worried about. It's Sora; what if he doesn't like it? What if he rejects her? What if he thinks this is just a joke like the one in middle school?
So many thoughts hit her a once that she felt dizzy and had to stop. The others stopped as well, looking at her questioningly. "Kairi?" Garnet asked, concerned.
"I'm fine." Kairi said while flashing a weak smile. "Come on, let's go."
The group of girls continued to walk on outside and soon, they met up with Sora, Jiro, Taiyou, and Riku. They waved them over. "We're meeting at Destiny Palace at 7:00pm, right?" Taiyou inquired.
Kairi nodded. "Don't meet in the front. Go to the back where the large double steel doors are."
"So, Sakura, I'm picking you up at what time?" Jiro asked.
"It takes 45 minutes to get there so come at 6:00pm." she replied.
"You gonna drive her there yourself?" Taiyou asked in mock-exasperation. "We don't want her to die now you know."
Jiro glared at Taiyou and walked over to Sakura. Taking her hand, he proceeded walking her home. "See ya later."
Nami and Garnet said there goodbyes and parted their ways since they were helping each other get ready for the concert tonight, leaving Kairi, Sora, Riku, and Taiyou. The group of friends walked home together in an uncomfortable silence. Sora played with his crown necklace while Taiyou took his hair out of a ponytail and let it fall. Kairi just looked around, avoiding eye contact with Sora, and Riku stared blankly ahead, sorting out his thoughts and feelings.
In a matter of ten minutes, the quad reached Kairi's house. Kairi said her goodbyes to Taiyou and Riku, then walked up to Sora. "My dad insisted on driving us so I'll pick you up at 6:00?"
Sora nodded. Kairi then smiled and placed a small kiss on his cheek. "See ya later then."
She ran over to the porch and quickly let herself in the house. Sora unconsciously touched his cheek, staring at the now closed door. This was what he wanted, right?
"Hey, Sora, let's go!"
Sora turned around and faced Taiyou and Riku, then nodded slowly. He noticed Riku glaring at Kairi's house, somewhat amused and somewhat confused. Shrugging it off, Sora continued down the street with the two older boys. He saw his house soon appear, causing him to fill with jealously. ~I don't want them alone!~
Instead of caving into his thoughts of staying until Taiyou went home, he turned to his two friends and flashed them a watered down smile. "See ya guys at the concert."
They both said their goodbyes and watched Sora enter his house. The two walked along as soon as Sora's door shut and in a matter of minutes, they reached Riku's house. He made a right into the walkway. "Koneko..."
"Don't call me that." Riku spat out angrily, slightly turning around.
"Riku, please listen to me."
"There is really nothing to talk about, Taiyou."
Riku felt himself be grabbed and pulled against a well-built chest. He struggled half-heartedly; half of him wanting to pull away and the other half wanting to get more comfortable. "Let me go, Taiyou."
"Not until we talk. It's been two years, koneko..."
"I know how fucking long it's been and don't call me that!"
Taiyou sighed and began to stroke some locks of Riku's hair tenderly. Riku's eyes widened, for he didn't know that Taiyou actually remembered the way to calm him down. He felt his body release its previous tension at the simple gesture. ~Damnit...~
Leaning down to the said boy's ear, Taiyou whispered: "I've missed you, koneko. Not one day went by when you weren't on my mind, despite my father's wishes."
Riku let out a dry laugh. "So, now you decide to go against your father's wishes?"
"My real father died, Riku. I have a step dad now."
Riku instantly fell silent. Even though he had burning, passionate hatred for the man, Taiyou's father was not that old to just die. "What happened?"
"Heart attack. The doctors said it was stress and his damn cigars." Taiyou laughed bitterly. "He never went a day without his cigars."
Riku smiled weakly at the statement. It was true; Taiyou's father wasn't seen without a cigar in his mouth. It clearly defined him. He frowned. "Throwing this sob story at me isn't going to win me back, Taiyou. You had your chance and you deserted it."
Even with his rising anger, Riku made no move to part from the embrace of Taiyou. It was almost as if they were back as freshman, cuddling each other in each waking moment. But the past is the past, and it is to be forgotten. "I know that the decision I made was wrong, Riku. I wasn't as brave as you were. While you were willing to risk it all, I cowered under pressure." Taiyou's embrace tightened. "I was scared of the opinion of my father and his wealthy associates and in the process of keeping their high opinion of me, I completely disregarded yours."
Riku listened silently, absorbing the heartfelt speech from Taiyou. "I was a fool. A fool mechanically programmed to act as my father did. Even if it cost me my own happiness."
Taiyou turned Riku around so that they were staring each other straight in the eye. "I love you, Riku. I have never stopped loving you since the day I lay my eyes on you. I want the entire world to know."
He faced the empty street. "I LOVE RIKU," he screamed at the top of his lungs, "WITH ALL MY HEART! WE'RE BOTH GUYS! DOES THAT MATTER? NO!!"
He turned back around to see silent tears streaming down Riku's face. Immediately, he ran over and kissed his tears away, then caressed his cheek gently. "My koneko, my sweet koneko..."
At that moment, Taiyou pressed his lips against Riku's, kissing him with as much passion as he could muster. To his extreme delight, Riku started to respond.
(Koneko - Kitten)
^*^
Part of this is a songfic so bear with me. Enjoy...
^*^
Trials and Tribulations
Chapter Five
Part Two
Sora paced frantically, his stomach tied in several knots. His nervousness was literally devouring him whole, only leaving his shaking bones. It had only been a few minutes after the doorbell had rung, causing him to be a bundle of nerves. "Sora!" his mother called. "Kairi is waiting. Hurry up!"
The cinnamon brown-haired boy checked himself for the last time in the mirror, straightening out the tiniest of wrinkles. He was clad in black and khaki; baggy khaki pants with a simple short-sleeved shirt and matching black shoes. The same crown pendent gleamed dimly off of his chest. "Ok," he whispered to himself, "here goes."
Taking in a deep breath, Sora opened his bedroom door and headed down the stairs. Kairi stood waiting for him, a weak smile adorning her face. Sora's breath caught in his throat momentarily as he looked Kairi over. She sported gray, black, and red; her long sleeved shirt - the bottom of the sleeves black, middle of the sleeves gray outlined with two thin strips of red, and top of the sleeves red along with the rest of the top - cut off above her belly button, proudly flashing her small, but noticeable belly button ring. The number 53 was patched on her shirt, colored black and outlined with gray. To finish off the outfit, she had on tight gray flared pants and white gym shoes. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and two locks of it were set in the front for bangs. "Hey, Sora."
"Hey." he managed to choke out. "Sorry for keeping you waiting."
"No problem." She said shrugging. "We do have to go though. It's 6:10."
"Alright, bye mom." Sora said while headed out the door. His mother waved and shut the door behind them.
*
The car ride was pretty uneventful. Kairi's dad tried to catch up with Sora, and he asked questions about Kairi and his relationship. It was pretty annoying, considering the fact that he had to lie to Kairi's father because he didn't want Kairi to get in trouble. He really didn't want to go to the concert feeling guilty. "We're here." Kairi's father announced.
Kairi seemed to leap out of the car, shutting the door behind her quickly. When Sora got out of the Mercedes and her father drove off to park, Kairi let out a deep sigh. "I'm so sorry about that, Sora."
Shrugging it off, Sora looked around and soon spotted Tidus and Selphie. He grinned broadly and made his way through the large crowds of people to get over there. "Hey guys!"
The couple looked Sora's way, Tidus flashing him a smile and Selphie waving excitedly to him. Tidus was wearing a black velvet sleeveless jacket zipped halfway down his chest with the letter "T" in yellow on his left side. Baggy black velvet pants outlined with yellow - pockets on each pant leg - yellow shoes, and a black visor outlined in yellow completed his outfit. Selphie had her hair straightened out completely; its total length reaching the middle of her shoulder blades. She had on a simple yellow sweater and yellow pants with a black belt and black gym shoes. "You guys look great!" Sora exclaimed.
Selphie spun slowly, showing off her new outfit. "Dontcha like it? I like it too."
Tidus laughed. "She dragged me into the mall yesterday to get these matching outfits."
"So that we don't lose each other." she stated matter-of-factly.
Sora chuckled, missing his old friends' ways. "I didn't know you guys were coming to the concert."
"Yea, we thought about inviting you to join me, Selphie, Zidane, and Eiko, but I thought you wouldn't like this group. By the way, who are you with?"
"Kairi, Riku, and some of Kairi's friends."
Selphie and Tidus looked at Sora in disbelief. Selphie was the first to recover. "You're...here with her?"
"Yea. That reminds me," Sora said looking behind him. He spotted a now large group of people surrounding Kairi. "I better go. See ya guys later."
Not waiting for them to respond, Sora made his way back through the crowd. He immediately spotted Riku, who was talking Taiyou. Sora almost stopped and stared. A huge smile was on Riku's face, his hands moving wildly to emphasize what he was saying. He looked...back to normal. But how? What happened that made him go back? "Sora!"
Sora blinked and looked at the approaching Riku. His strides were long and prideful, the same way they were when they first met. His felt his jaw drop as he eyed Riku. Clad in gray and a shade of silver that matched his hair perfectly, Riku had on slightly baggy silver pants with matching tight short-sleeved muscle shirt, a sleeveless gray shirt underneath. Gray and silver shoes and a silver chain around his neck completed the outfit. "Like what you see?" he teased, a smirk on his face.
Sora glared at him to play off his staring. Walking by him, Sora turned around. "I'm glad you're in better spirits, Riku."
Riku didn't respond and went back over to the boys. Sora wondered why, but shrugged it off and walked to Kairi. She was talking to Garnet, who enthusiastically showed off her new outfit, courtesy of Nami. It was completely black; her top was off the shoulder that cut off slanted, showing her stomach. Her pants were tight, flared, and black, covering her knee-high boots. Her long black hair was pulled into a clip with one large lock of hair set in front for bangs.
"So, Sora, how do I look?"
Sora turned to Nami, who was to Garnet's left, sporting a tight cyan one-piece body suit that covered her matching short boots and was outlined in silver. It was zipped down partially, and the suit was sleeveless. A thin silver belt was around her waist, matching her silver hoop earrings and the outline. Her long hair was let down and curled at the ends. Sora gave her two thumbs up. "Hot."
Nami smirked with triumph. "Good. Now if I can get other guys to feel the same way..."
Sora couldn't help but laugh at that statement. "I sure you won't have any problems, Nami."
"Yea, you look great." Sakura piped up. She had on a long-sleeved amethyst button up shirt with a short black skirt. Amethyst knee-high boots covered most of her longs legs. Her hair was left down.
"So do you."
The girls continued their conversation about outfits while Sora walked over to Taiyou, Riku, and Jiro. Wearing, a cream sleeveless turtleneck with light brown slacks and cream shoes, Taiyou had his hair down neatly, going for the simple look. Jiro had on a navy blue sweater and matching sweatpants and shoes, going for an even simpler look. "We should be heading in." Jiro said while walking toward the chatty group of girls. The rest of the boys nodded and followed him. Sora soon caught up to Jiro and started his own conversation while Riku stayed with Taiyou. The two boys seemed to be the best of friends - from the corner of Sora's eye - and talked endlessly about life in general. Sora almost growled at the sight.
"Guys! Back here."
Upon hearing Kairi's voice, the four boys turned to the left, back to a small alley-like pathway. Two large double steel doors were at the end. The group of teenagers moved along the path and headed into the entrance, Kairi leading the way. They had just entered a crowded room. It was cluttered with costumes as well as the tools needed for dress fitting. Several people moved back and forth from room to room, their faces etched with annoyance, anger, or extreme delight. The group took the time to look around, but didn't stray because of the adults who eyed them warily. Kairi led them through quickly and before they knew it they were in the actual concert hall. All the winding paths and staircases they took landed them near front row center. Thousands and thousands of people were there. Most of their faces had a look of pure bliss while a few had annoyed looks on their faces because of seats. Screams for the Four Keys were loud, and signs for the Four Keys to marry them were held high. Sora looked around, amazed at the capacity of the concert hall. For such a small chain of islands, this was a very large concert hall.
The group of teenagers got to their places, joyfully looking at the stage in front of them. The band was doing the finishing touch up on setting up, and the microphone stands were placed front and center, each adjusted to the height of each member. Nami turned to Kairi. "Kairi, these seats are amazing! Your dad must know them well!"
"Yea, he does. I guess this is the only advantage to having connections."
"What's the disadvantage?" Sora asked, confused.
"The more people are connected to your parents, the more you are watched and monitored." Kairi explained.
"She's right." Taiyou added in. "They expect you to be like your wealthy parents and in turn, critique your every move."
Kairi smiled at that. "I guess it isn't so bad, though since you get to meet a lot of kids like you."
"Yea, that's the way we meet," Taiyou said, laughing softly. "At a business meeting that we both had to be dragged to."
Sora crossed his arms, not amused at the conversation. 'You get to meet a lot of kids like you.' ~That doesn't mean you desert the ones you have.~
[Ladies and Gentleman, the concert you all have been waiting for!]
The crowd went wild as the announcer walked across the stage. [They're known around the world and have taken the time to visited Destiny Islands...Welcome the Four Keys!"
Screams echoed throughout the dome as the stars jumped out onto the stage, blowing kisses to their fan girls below. The four boys began immediately into their first song.
^Mou dore kurai aruite kita no ka
Machikado ni natsu wo kazaru himawari
Mendou na koi wo nagedashita kako
Omoidasu tabi ni setsunasa tsunoru
Isogashii mainichi ni oborete
Sunao ni narenu naka de
Wasureteta taisetsu no nanika ni
Yasashii hi ga tomoru
Yagate kuru
Sorezore no kousaten wo
Mayori no naka tachi tomaru kedo
Sore demo hito wa mata aruki dasu
Meguri au koigokoro donna toki mo
Jibun rashiku ikite yuku no ni
Anata ga
Soba ni ite kuretara
Ah yume kara sameta
Kore kara mo
Anata wo ai shiteru^
(How far have I walked?
The sunflowers that in summer decorate the street corners
I invite sadness when I remember the past
In which I threw away troublesome loves
I'm drowned in the hurry of everyday life, and I can't be meek
A tender fire is lit in an important something that I forgot
Soon we each come to our crossroads
We lose our way and stop
But even so we keep walking
A chance meeting with the awakening of love
I always try to live like myself
If you are by my side
Ah, I awake from a dream
From now on I'll love you)
The crowd began to sway to the smooth voices of the band before them. Sora watched his friends. The girls were completely engrossed into the song while Jiro complained about 'stupid boy bands'. It was Taiyou and Riku that interested him the most. Both of them seemed to be paiyng close attention to the song, their hands intertwining unconsciously. A large pang stuck Sora's heart at the sight, forcing him to look away and listen to the song once more.
The Four Keys had begun to walk off the stage, visiting different aisles as they finished the song.
^Tanjun na kokoro no yaritori wo
Naku shita toki no naka de
San do me no kisetsu wa
Utakata no koi wo ai da to yonda
Itsu no hi mo
Sarigenai kurashi no naka
Hagukunda ai no kodachi
Hohoemi mo namida mo uketomete
Toozakaru natsukashiki tomo no koe wo
Mune ni daite omoi wo yoseta
Ikutsuka no deai
Ikutsuka no wakare
Kurikaesu hibi wa tsuzuite yuku
Yagate kuru
Sorezore no kousaten wo
Mayori no naka tachi tomaru kedo
Sore demo hito wa mata aruki dasu
Meguri au koigokoro donna toki mo
Jibun rashiku ikite yuku no ni
Anata ga
Soba ni ite kuretara
Ah yume kara sameta
Kore kara mo
Anata wo ai shiteru
Ah yume kara sameta ima ijou
Anata wo aishiteru^
(The exchange of a simple heart
In those times I've lost, the third season
Called an ephemeral romance love
Someday in my casual life
There is a grove of trees of the love we raised
That will accept both laughter and tears
I hold in my heart
That nostalgic voice of a friend that has gone far away
And collect the memories
A few meetings, a few partings
Those repeating days will continue
Soon we each come to our crossroads
We lose our way and stop
But even so we keep walking
A chance meeting with the awakening of love
I always try to live like myself
If you are by my side
Ah, I awake from a dream
From now on I'll love you
Ah I awake from a dream
Now more than ever I'll love you)
The audience gave a standing ovation for the group that returned to the stage. They flashed brilliant smiles as they walked to the edge of the stage and shook some of their fans' hand. [We have a special presentation for you all!]
Sora turned to his right to see if Kairi knew about the presentation, only to see her empty seat. ~Wha..?~
"Where is Kairi?" he asked Nami. She only smiled and shrugged her shoulders.
[A friend of ours asked for a favor and we couldn't have been happier to comply. So without further ado, Kairi Tatewaki!]
It was as if that very moment had froze when Sora looked at the stage. Kairi walked up and hugged each one of the Four Keys, then headed to the front. [I just wanted to sing a song for someone who I hurt very much in the past in hopes of forgiveness.] She looked directly at Sora. [I know this doesn't justify what I did, but I will do anything to make it up to you.]
Sora stared into her eyes, struggling with an inner battle of believing this was happening. All of his friends had their eyes on him, amazed at the lengths Kairi had gone for his forgiveness. [Sora...I dedicate this song to you.]
^Some day out of the blue
In a crowded street or a deserted square
I'll turn and I'll see you
As if our love were new
Some day we can start again, some day soon^
She kept her eyes on him as if he were the only one in the room. He couldn't help but stare back, not noticing the angry gaze from his silver-haired friend.
^Here comes the night
Here come the memories
Lost in your arms
Down in the foreign fields
Not so long ago
Seems like eternity
Those sweet afternoons
Still capture me^
Cordless microphone in hand, Kairi descended the stairs with the Four Keys behind her - they were singing as back up voices - and headed towards Sora. Her eyes never left his as she walked forward.
^Some day out of the blue
In a crowded street or a deserted square
I'll turn and I'll see you
As if our love were new
Some day we can start again, some day soon^
She reached her destination. Stretching out her hand, she sung with passion straight from the heart, willing to lose it all.
^I still believe
I still put faith in us
We had it all and watched it slip away
Where are we now
Not where we want to be
Those hot afternoons
Still follow me^
Riku watched Kairi like a predator ready to kill. His vision began to fill with crimson red; his muscles tense and ready for a fight. She had him captured in her cunning web, and was ready to wrap him up tight, showing the world that he was hers. It pissed him off.
^Some day out of the blue
Maybe years from now
Or tomorrow night
I'll turn and I'll see you
As if we always knew
Some day we would live again, some day soon^
^I still believe
I still put faith in us
I still believe
I still put faith in us^
Taiyou felt his hand being squeezed and looked at Riku. His sea-green eyes were lit with undeniable rage, and his body was literally trembling because of it. He frowned, knowing the exact reason that caused this. He looked back at Sora, who was captivated with the singing Kairi before him.
^Here comes the night
Here come the memories
Lost in your arms
Down in the foreign fields
Not so long ago
Seems like eternity
Those sweet afternoons
Still capture me^
With a powerful burst of confidence, Kairi poured her heart and soul into the conclusion of the song.
^Some day out of the blue
Maybe years from now
Or tomorrow night
I'll turn and I'll see you
As if we always knew
Some day we would live again, some day soon
Some day out of the blue
In a crowded street or a deserted square
I'll turn and I'll see you
As if our love were new
Some day we can start again, some day soon^
Toning it down to a whisper, Kairi leaned forward as if they were sharing their own little secret.
^I still believe, I still put faith in us
I still believe, I still put faith in us
I still believe, I still put faith in us
I still believe, I still put faith in us
I still believe, I still put faith in us
I still believe, I still put faith in us^
The audience was in shock as she finished the song. As soon as she sung the last word, the entire crowd stood, clapping wildly at the brave teenage girl. Whistles and catcalls from her new fans rung through the air, causing Kairi to smile brightly and looked around, her face expressing pure bliss. She turned to the Four Keys and gave them a hug once more. Handing them her cordless microphone, she turned to Sora, who was petrified in place. She walked up to him and embraced him. The television screens high above displayed the two. "I'm so sorry, Sora. Will you please forgive me?"
The crowd held their breaths in anticipation as Sora looked down at Kairi. He nodded once, causing the audience to erupt into a joyous applause. Kairi sighed and threw her arms around Sora, hugging him tight. Sora hugged her with as much intensity as she did, burying his face into her shoulder. She grabbed his chin and looked deep into his eyes before giving him a fierce kiss. He responded all the same, and Sora was unaware of their surroundings, drowning in his fulfilled desires. ~This is the way it is suppose to be.~
^*^
Ok, before you grab your guns and your long ass knifes and come after me shouting, "You tricked us and said this was a Riku/Sora fic," well, it is. I mean come on people. Look at the title. If you didn't expect bumps in the road, then you shouldn't have read this. This arrangement is only temporary, but there are many more problems for our star couple ahead.
That was one helluva chapter! This is my longest chapter ever so be happy. You guys caught me off guard with the reviews. I passed ten on the second day it was up! Oh yea, Elle King. I didn't take what you said to offense at all. In fact, you're right. It does seem a little conceited. So I'm not going to do that anymore. *stretches out hand and hits it* Bad! Bad!
This doesn't mean that there aren't any more cliffhangers, though.... ^_^
The songs were: Glay - Beloved and Elton John - Someday Out of the Blue. Sorry about the Elton John song, but I thought the lyrics were appropriate for this situation.
Alrighty peoples, you got your chapter - and a long one at that - so review! Constructive criticism is welcome.
~MercuryGoddess~
Special Thanks To: Kairi099, Elle King, Heather Christi, myredraincoat, Kurai Kaiba, rikuluver, Uzumaki-sama, Aisalynn, Sillie, ice cream sandwich, RC2, angel voice samurai, Rock-Howard-17, Kylie Norris, silvermoonstar-tenshi, onlyHAUNTED, Princess of Mirrors, That Person, and of course my Mediaminer reviewers: Pyrokitsune, Karna, and yamichaos!!
Disclaimer: If I owned Kingdom Hearts, I would be filthy rich right now!! So, get off my back!!
Warnings: This is a yaoi, or to plainly put it male x male relationships! If you don't like it, don't read it!! I don't want to see flames on this subject because I plainly put my warning here!
Reminder:
"..............." Means talking
(...............) Means author notes
*..............* Means an action
~..............~ Means thinking
'...............' Means past sayings
>.............< Means a place
[..............] Means a microphone is being used
^............^Means song
Trials and Tribulations
Chapter Five
Part One
The two boys stayed where they were until Sora broke the tense silence that passed among them. Deciding to talk to Riku later about this, Sora said: "What did you want me for, Taiyou?"
The light brown haired boy seemed to snap out of his dazed stupor and peered at Sora with saddened amber eyes. "Well, Kairi wanted to know what was taking you so long so she sent me to come and get you."
"Oh, well let's go." Sora walked over to Taiyou, then turned around. "Riku, are you coming?"
Riku shifted his gaze off of Taiyou and onto Sora momentarily. "I think I'll pass."
Sora crossed his arms. "Oh, come on! You were suppose to help me with Japanese Lit., remember?"
"I will, but I have to go."
"Alright, I guess," Sora said sadly, not bothering to hide the disappointment in his voice. Trying to cheer Riku up, he put on a bright smile. "See ya later, alligator!"
Riku blinked, wondering where that statement came from. "In a while, crocodile." he replied, deciding to play along.
Smiles formed on both of the boys' faces. Riku turned around and steadily began to walk away.
"Bye, Riku."
The said boy paused, turning around enough to see the two other boys out the corner of his eye. Anger flickered in his eyes - which didn't go unnoticed by Sora - before he walked away, quickening his pace with each step. Taiyou let out a deep breath that he seemed to be holding for quite some time and headed in the direction of the cafeteria. He shuffled as he walked as if he had some huge burden placed on his shoulders. Sora watched the two older boys go their separate ways, and he teemed with suspicion. What was the relationship between Taiyou and Riku? Was it similar to his and Kairi's case where they were best friends, but grew apart? Or was it something more?
These questions bombarded his mind while he headed after Taiyou. It didn't take long for the Sora to reach him since the boy seemed to walk like he was apart of a funeral line. The urge to scream, "What the hell did you do to Riku?" coursed through his body, but of course, he pushed it down in the deep recesses of his mind. "So, you're a friend of Kairi's?" he asked instead.
"Yea," he answered short and quick while straightening up his hair.
Sora frowned at the reply, but didn't let Taiyou see it. Frankly, he couldn't care less if he was so he decided to get straight to the point. "How do you know Riku?"
Taiyou stopped in the middle of pulling his hair into a neater ponytail, overwhelming sadness washing over him. He opened his mouth to say something, but decided against. A few moments passed between them before he answered. "From freshman year."
Absorbing in this new piece of knowledge, Sora readied himself to ask another question, but the pair of boys had already reached the cafeteria and were approaching the bustling table. Kairi was in the center of table, talking to Garnet who sat beside her. A girl with unnaturally long cyan hair pulled into a braided ponytail and royal blue eyes sat across from Garnet and Kairi. Beside her, a girl with shoulder length purple hair and crimson eyes listened in on the conversation. Finally, detached from the group of girls, a medium-height boy with short sandy brown hair and indigo eyes had his head propped up on his forearm, a bored expression on his face. Sora looked to Taiyou, who smiled when he spotted the boy. Walking over to him, Taiyou sat down and looked into the eyes of his friend. "I'm sorry I left you here with the girls."
The boy looked up in annoyance. "I'm sorry? These stupid girls have been talking about the Four Keys Concert this whole time!! I'm damaged for life." He let out a dramatic sigh and buried his head in his arms. Taiyou only laughed and patted him on the back before scooting over to Kairi. "Sora's behind you."
Kairi turned around, a bright smile on her face. "Hey, Sora, come over and sit here."
She patted the now empty space that seemed to magically appear. Sora hesitantly sat down and looked over everyone. "Hi."
"Well, hello," the cyan-eyed girl said, leaning forward. "My name is Nami."
Sora smiled briefly. "Sora."
"Yea, I've heard so much about you," she replied, looking over at Kairi. "He's pretty hot, Kairi, why didn't you tell me?"
Kairi looked away and tried to hide her blush. This didn't go unnoticed by Sora. Nami only laughed and pointed to the girl next to her. "This girl is Sakura."
Sakura only smiled meekly while mumbling her greeting. Nami laughed at her friend's timidity. "You always get this way when a boy other than those two are here."
Her friend blushed heavily and cast her eyes downward. Kairi gave a disapproving look to Nami. "Stop teasing her."
"Yea, I mean you got pretty tongue-tied when Riku was talking to you." Garnet added.
A wave of jealously washed over Sora, but he didn't show it. Nami blushed crimson. "T-that w-was...oh shut up!"
The group of girls laughed. Kairi turned to Sora, sensing he was a little left out. "So, Sora, are you ready for the concert?"
Sora mentally groaned. ~No, not the concert....~
"Oh no you don't!"
Everyone turned to the boy at the end of the table. "I have suffered, and I admit I deserved it, but don't do it to him. Sora, come here."
Sora got up almost too enthusiastically. He rushed over the sandy-haired boy, who held his hand out. "I'm Jiro."
When he grabbed the hand, Sora leaned in close. "Thank you."
>Courtyard<
Riku entered a circular dome with held a cascading waterfall in the center of a large, clear lake. A canopy of tree branches hid the area well, but sunshine still peeked in, reflecting off of the lake. Rare, but beautiful sun-kissed flowers grew near the edge of the water and not a single animal roamed in this mini paradise. A figure stood at its shore, only wearing loose black pants that hung off of his waist sinfully. The figure turned slightly, his amber eyes twinkling mischievously. His light brown hair swayed in sync with a mysterious wind as Riku walked up to the lone figure. He opened his mouth to say something only to have his mouth closed by a finger was placed upon his lips. The taller boy stared deep into his eyes before turning around and diving into the water. When he emerged, he motioned Riku to follow. Riku took off his shirt and dived in. The two began to swim under the waterfall and swam down a long tunnel. Both of them soon made it to the end. The boy came up to the surface first with Riku right behind him. Riku couldn't help but be amazed at the sight. The two had entered another lake with a wider waterfall on their left side. This area was completely underground. The boy climbed up on a ledge near the entrance and helped Riku up, pulling him into an embrace and kissing him softly on the lips. "Taiyou..."
"Hey, Riku?"
The scenery abruptly vanished as Riku bolted up, surprising the person who called him. Running his hand through his hair, Riku sighed and buried his face in his hands. ~No, no, no...~
"Riku?"
Cloud bent down and looked at the boy next to him. He then looked up, motioning Leon to bend down also. Leon reluctantly agreed, staying as stoic as always. "Riku, what happened?"
Riku leaned back against the tree. "Taiyou happened."
Cloud winced as the name escaped his lips. "When...?"
"Today before lunch. He was looking for Sora..."
"So, how long has it been?" Cloud asked cautiously.
"Two years," Riku replied angrily. "It has been two fucking years!"
Cloud sat next to Riku, watching his distressed friend. "Now he goes to this school! Cloud, what am I going to do?"
"Just confront him."
Cloud and Riku turned to the silent teenager who decided to speak. "Running away is going to get you nowhere and you know it."
He sighed. "This isn't something that I can solve by talking to him."
Riku instantly closed his mouth. He knew that this was something he would have to do himself. Now that Taiyou is here, he is forced to deal with a problem that he pushed aside two years ago. He thought that maybe forgetting could heal, but all it's done is bury itself deep inside his heart. He should have known that this would reemerge, and he still has to sort his feelings for Sora. Clasping his hair, Riku growled in frustration. ~Damnit!~
"Then, do what you have to do. Thinking about it won't make it go away."
Riku looked into the cold stormy eyes of his stoic friend. Even though he doesn't show it, his eyes reflected the concern he felt for the Riku. He was appreciative that he had good friends like Leon and Cloud. "Thanks."
The school bell indicating that lunch was over sounded, causing everyone to pack up and prepare for their next classes. Getting up and brushing himself off, Riku waved to Cloud and Leon before headed to the cafeteria. They only watched him go.
^*^
The four days went by slowly, and the students at Kado High School were ready to burst at the seams. Even the teachers seemed to be mocking them, giving them extra homework and projects despite the big concert. Nevertheless, Friday arrived and the school occupants were anxious to leave.
Over the course of the four days, Sora, Taiyou, and Jiro had become a trio. Even though Sora still had troubles with the trust issue, he still managed to get along great with the other two boys. His fear of rejection and betrayal had been temporarily forgotten; he still wasn't happy though. Riku had withdrawn himself from Sora even more - going to the library instead of coming at lunch and walking straight home instead of waiting for him -, causing Sora's suspicion to sky-rocket. Something had happened between Taiyou and Riku. He was going to find out today at the concert.
"So, Taiyou, Jiro, are you guys going to the concert?" Sora asked while closing his locker.
Taiyou as well as Jiro nodded. "We're taking Nami and Sakura." Jiro responded. "You're going with Kairi, right?"
"Yea."
"Garnet going with that kid named Riku, right? What's the deal with him anyway?"
This question got him glares from both Sora and Taiyou. Jiro put his hands up in defense. "Just asking, jeez."
The three boys walked to their next class, which they happened to have together, in silence. The innocent question had left two of the three boys in deep thought. Sora: ~I wonder what's going on. Riku...~
Taiyou: ~How can I face him now? He probably hates me...damn.~
A few moments passed and the boys arrived at their destination: 6th hour, English, Mrs. White.
The two-minute warning bell just went off when the boys took their seats in the back of the room. Sora was seated behind Taiyou while Jiro was next to Sora. Riku was already seated behind Sora. He turned around and greeted Riku with a bright smile only to be returned with a watered down smirk. "Ok, class, let's get started."
The redheaded, green-eyed woman who stood in front of the class opened her teacher's edition of the textbook. "Please turn to page 34 in your books."
The students worked mechanically; taking out their books, and flipping to the page as instructed. Sora let out a yawn and he leaned his head against his hand to prop himself up. Soon, he lost track of what the class was doing, his thoughts focused only on Riku. Since the day Taiyou and him met, Sora has been noticing the small, mediocre things about Riku that still seem magnificent. He cursed himself for thinking so dumb thoughts. The truth of the matter is he could never have Riku. Even if Riku was willing to be with him, how would they deal with the trust factor? Sora would probably be to paranoid to let him go to college. The last thing he wanted to do was hinder Riku from his hopes and dreams for the future. "...ra?"
Sora looked up at the annoyed teacher's face lazily. He rubbed his eyes, realizing he dazed off in the middle of class. "Sorry, Mrs. White."
"Just read this passage in English." his teacher snapped before she headed back to her desk. Sora sighed, found the right page, and proceeded to read the passage, unaware of the gaze from Riku.
^*^
*BING BING BING*
The end of the day school bell was music to the students' ears. Most had been anticipating the concert of a lifetime: The Four Keys Concert. It's not everyday that celebrities come to the small chain of islands. In fact, the last celebrity who visited Destiny Islands came almost 20 years ago. It was going to be a great night: listening to your favorite singers then go partying afterward. This was great for the parents too since the kids would be out and they could have the house to themselves. All was to go well tonight...
"I can't wait!!"
Garnet, Kairi, Nami, and Sakura walked to the school's entrance. Each had there own thoughts about the concert tonight, but Nami's was more vocal. "I'm so excited! I bought this new outfit and everything. I managed to get an outfit that matched my hair and my eyes perfectly!"
While Nami, Sakura and Garnet talked about outfits, Kairi was deep in thought about the special events that are suppose to happen tonight. She was going to do the ultimate thing for love: sing in front of thousands of people to Sora and beg for his forgiveness. Surprisingly, her mother had supported the idea as well as her father. Each of them had gone to great lengths so that she would be able to do that. Thank goodness her father knew the Four Keys. Kairi wiped a thin sheet of perspiration off of her forehead, her heart pounding and her breath coming in short quick intervals. She never had a problem with singing in front of people before and that's not really what she is worried about. It's Sora; what if he doesn't like it? What if he rejects her? What if he thinks this is just a joke like the one in middle school?
So many thoughts hit her a once that she felt dizzy and had to stop. The others stopped as well, looking at her questioningly. "Kairi?" Garnet asked, concerned.
"I'm fine." Kairi said while flashing a weak smile. "Come on, let's go."
The group of girls continued to walk on outside and soon, they met up with Sora, Jiro, Taiyou, and Riku. They waved them over. "We're meeting at Destiny Palace at 7:00pm, right?" Taiyou inquired.
Kairi nodded. "Don't meet in the front. Go to the back where the large double steel doors are."
"So, Sakura, I'm picking you up at what time?" Jiro asked.
"It takes 45 minutes to get there so come at 6:00pm." she replied.
"You gonna drive her there yourself?" Taiyou asked in mock-exasperation. "We don't want her to die now you know."
Jiro glared at Taiyou and walked over to Sakura. Taking her hand, he proceeded walking her home. "See ya later."
Nami and Garnet said there goodbyes and parted their ways since they were helping each other get ready for the concert tonight, leaving Kairi, Sora, Riku, and Taiyou. The group of friends walked home together in an uncomfortable silence. Sora played with his crown necklace while Taiyou took his hair out of a ponytail and let it fall. Kairi just looked around, avoiding eye contact with Sora, and Riku stared blankly ahead, sorting out his thoughts and feelings.
In a matter of ten minutes, the quad reached Kairi's house. Kairi said her goodbyes to Taiyou and Riku, then walked up to Sora. "My dad insisted on driving us so I'll pick you up at 6:00?"
Sora nodded. Kairi then smiled and placed a small kiss on his cheek. "See ya later then."
She ran over to the porch and quickly let herself in the house. Sora unconsciously touched his cheek, staring at the now closed door. This was what he wanted, right?
"Hey, Sora, let's go!"
Sora turned around and faced Taiyou and Riku, then nodded slowly. He noticed Riku glaring at Kairi's house, somewhat amused and somewhat confused. Shrugging it off, Sora continued down the street with the two older boys. He saw his house soon appear, causing him to fill with jealously. ~I don't want them alone!~
Instead of caving into his thoughts of staying until Taiyou went home, he turned to his two friends and flashed them a watered down smile. "See ya guys at the concert."
They both said their goodbyes and watched Sora enter his house. The two walked along as soon as Sora's door shut and in a matter of minutes, they reached Riku's house. He made a right into the walkway. "Koneko..."
"Don't call me that." Riku spat out angrily, slightly turning around.
"Riku, please listen to me."
"There is really nothing to talk about, Taiyou."
Riku felt himself be grabbed and pulled against a well-built chest. He struggled half-heartedly; half of him wanting to pull away and the other half wanting to get more comfortable. "Let me go, Taiyou."
"Not until we talk. It's been two years, koneko..."
"I know how fucking long it's been and don't call me that!"
Taiyou sighed and began to stroke some locks of Riku's hair tenderly. Riku's eyes widened, for he didn't know that Taiyou actually remembered the way to calm him down. He felt his body release its previous tension at the simple gesture. ~Damnit...~
Leaning down to the said boy's ear, Taiyou whispered: "I've missed you, koneko. Not one day went by when you weren't on my mind, despite my father's wishes."
Riku let out a dry laugh. "So, now you decide to go against your father's wishes?"
"My real father died, Riku. I have a step dad now."
Riku instantly fell silent. Even though he had burning, passionate hatred for the man, Taiyou's father was not that old to just die. "What happened?"
"Heart attack. The doctors said it was stress and his damn cigars." Taiyou laughed bitterly. "He never went a day without his cigars."
Riku smiled weakly at the statement. It was true; Taiyou's father wasn't seen without a cigar in his mouth. It clearly defined him. He frowned. "Throwing this sob story at me isn't going to win me back, Taiyou. You had your chance and you deserted it."
Even with his rising anger, Riku made no move to part from the embrace of Taiyou. It was almost as if they were back as freshman, cuddling each other in each waking moment. But the past is the past, and it is to be forgotten. "I know that the decision I made was wrong, Riku. I wasn't as brave as you were. While you were willing to risk it all, I cowered under pressure." Taiyou's embrace tightened. "I was scared of the opinion of my father and his wealthy associates and in the process of keeping their high opinion of me, I completely disregarded yours."
Riku listened silently, absorbing the heartfelt speech from Taiyou. "I was a fool. A fool mechanically programmed to act as my father did. Even if it cost me my own happiness."
Taiyou turned Riku around so that they were staring each other straight in the eye. "I love you, Riku. I have never stopped loving you since the day I lay my eyes on you. I want the entire world to know."
He faced the empty street. "I LOVE RIKU," he screamed at the top of his lungs, "WITH ALL MY HEART! WE'RE BOTH GUYS! DOES THAT MATTER? NO!!"
He turned back around to see silent tears streaming down Riku's face. Immediately, he ran over and kissed his tears away, then caressed his cheek gently. "My koneko, my sweet koneko..."
At that moment, Taiyou pressed his lips against Riku's, kissing him with as much passion as he could muster. To his extreme delight, Riku started to respond.
(Koneko - Kitten)
^*^
Part of this is a songfic so bear with me. Enjoy...
^*^
Trials and Tribulations
Chapter Five
Part Two
Sora paced frantically, his stomach tied in several knots. His nervousness was literally devouring him whole, only leaving his shaking bones. It had only been a few minutes after the doorbell had rung, causing him to be a bundle of nerves. "Sora!" his mother called. "Kairi is waiting. Hurry up!"
The cinnamon brown-haired boy checked himself for the last time in the mirror, straightening out the tiniest of wrinkles. He was clad in black and khaki; baggy khaki pants with a simple short-sleeved shirt and matching black shoes. The same crown pendent gleamed dimly off of his chest. "Ok," he whispered to himself, "here goes."
Taking in a deep breath, Sora opened his bedroom door and headed down the stairs. Kairi stood waiting for him, a weak smile adorning her face. Sora's breath caught in his throat momentarily as he looked Kairi over. She sported gray, black, and red; her long sleeved shirt - the bottom of the sleeves black, middle of the sleeves gray outlined with two thin strips of red, and top of the sleeves red along with the rest of the top - cut off above her belly button, proudly flashing her small, but noticeable belly button ring. The number 53 was patched on her shirt, colored black and outlined with gray. To finish off the outfit, she had on tight gray flared pants and white gym shoes. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and two locks of it were set in the front for bangs. "Hey, Sora."
"Hey." he managed to choke out. "Sorry for keeping you waiting."
"No problem." She said shrugging. "We do have to go though. It's 6:10."
"Alright, bye mom." Sora said while headed out the door. His mother waved and shut the door behind them.
*
The car ride was pretty uneventful. Kairi's dad tried to catch up with Sora, and he asked questions about Kairi and his relationship. It was pretty annoying, considering the fact that he had to lie to Kairi's father because he didn't want Kairi to get in trouble. He really didn't want to go to the concert feeling guilty. "We're here." Kairi's father announced.
Kairi seemed to leap out of the car, shutting the door behind her quickly. When Sora got out of the Mercedes and her father drove off to park, Kairi let out a deep sigh. "I'm so sorry about that, Sora."
Shrugging it off, Sora looked around and soon spotted Tidus and Selphie. He grinned broadly and made his way through the large crowds of people to get over there. "Hey guys!"
The couple looked Sora's way, Tidus flashing him a smile and Selphie waving excitedly to him. Tidus was wearing a black velvet sleeveless jacket zipped halfway down his chest with the letter "T" in yellow on his left side. Baggy black velvet pants outlined with yellow - pockets on each pant leg - yellow shoes, and a black visor outlined in yellow completed his outfit. Selphie had her hair straightened out completely; its total length reaching the middle of her shoulder blades. She had on a simple yellow sweater and yellow pants with a black belt and black gym shoes. "You guys look great!" Sora exclaimed.
Selphie spun slowly, showing off her new outfit. "Dontcha like it? I like it too."
Tidus laughed. "She dragged me into the mall yesterday to get these matching outfits."
"So that we don't lose each other." she stated matter-of-factly.
Sora chuckled, missing his old friends' ways. "I didn't know you guys were coming to the concert."
"Yea, we thought about inviting you to join me, Selphie, Zidane, and Eiko, but I thought you wouldn't like this group. By the way, who are you with?"
"Kairi, Riku, and some of Kairi's friends."
Selphie and Tidus looked at Sora in disbelief. Selphie was the first to recover. "You're...here with her?"
"Yea. That reminds me," Sora said looking behind him. He spotted a now large group of people surrounding Kairi. "I better go. See ya guys later."
Not waiting for them to respond, Sora made his way back through the crowd. He immediately spotted Riku, who was talking Taiyou. Sora almost stopped and stared. A huge smile was on Riku's face, his hands moving wildly to emphasize what he was saying. He looked...back to normal. But how? What happened that made him go back? "Sora!"
Sora blinked and looked at the approaching Riku. His strides were long and prideful, the same way they were when they first met. His felt his jaw drop as he eyed Riku. Clad in gray and a shade of silver that matched his hair perfectly, Riku had on slightly baggy silver pants with matching tight short-sleeved muscle shirt, a sleeveless gray shirt underneath. Gray and silver shoes and a silver chain around his neck completed the outfit. "Like what you see?" he teased, a smirk on his face.
Sora glared at him to play off his staring. Walking by him, Sora turned around. "I'm glad you're in better spirits, Riku."
Riku didn't respond and went back over to the boys. Sora wondered why, but shrugged it off and walked to Kairi. She was talking to Garnet, who enthusiastically showed off her new outfit, courtesy of Nami. It was completely black; her top was off the shoulder that cut off slanted, showing her stomach. Her pants were tight, flared, and black, covering her knee-high boots. Her long black hair was pulled into a clip with one large lock of hair set in front for bangs.
"So, Sora, how do I look?"
Sora turned to Nami, who was to Garnet's left, sporting a tight cyan one-piece body suit that covered her matching short boots and was outlined in silver. It was zipped down partially, and the suit was sleeveless. A thin silver belt was around her waist, matching her silver hoop earrings and the outline. Her long hair was let down and curled at the ends. Sora gave her two thumbs up. "Hot."
Nami smirked with triumph. "Good. Now if I can get other guys to feel the same way..."
Sora couldn't help but laugh at that statement. "I sure you won't have any problems, Nami."
"Yea, you look great." Sakura piped up. She had on a long-sleeved amethyst button up shirt with a short black skirt. Amethyst knee-high boots covered most of her longs legs. Her hair was left down.
"So do you."
The girls continued their conversation about outfits while Sora walked over to Taiyou, Riku, and Jiro. Wearing, a cream sleeveless turtleneck with light brown slacks and cream shoes, Taiyou had his hair down neatly, going for the simple look. Jiro had on a navy blue sweater and matching sweatpants and shoes, going for an even simpler look. "We should be heading in." Jiro said while walking toward the chatty group of girls. The rest of the boys nodded and followed him. Sora soon caught up to Jiro and started his own conversation while Riku stayed with Taiyou. The two boys seemed to be the best of friends - from the corner of Sora's eye - and talked endlessly about life in general. Sora almost growled at the sight.
"Guys! Back here."
Upon hearing Kairi's voice, the four boys turned to the left, back to a small alley-like pathway. Two large double steel doors were at the end. The group of teenagers moved along the path and headed into the entrance, Kairi leading the way. They had just entered a crowded room. It was cluttered with costumes as well as the tools needed for dress fitting. Several people moved back and forth from room to room, their faces etched with annoyance, anger, or extreme delight. The group took the time to look around, but didn't stray because of the adults who eyed them warily. Kairi led them through quickly and before they knew it they were in the actual concert hall. All the winding paths and staircases they took landed them near front row center. Thousands and thousands of people were there. Most of their faces had a look of pure bliss while a few had annoyed looks on their faces because of seats. Screams for the Four Keys were loud, and signs for the Four Keys to marry them were held high. Sora looked around, amazed at the capacity of the concert hall. For such a small chain of islands, this was a very large concert hall.
The group of teenagers got to their places, joyfully looking at the stage in front of them. The band was doing the finishing touch up on setting up, and the microphone stands were placed front and center, each adjusted to the height of each member. Nami turned to Kairi. "Kairi, these seats are amazing! Your dad must know them well!"
"Yea, he does. I guess this is the only advantage to having connections."
"What's the disadvantage?" Sora asked, confused.
"The more people are connected to your parents, the more you are watched and monitored." Kairi explained.
"She's right." Taiyou added in. "They expect you to be like your wealthy parents and in turn, critique your every move."
Kairi smiled at that. "I guess it isn't so bad, though since you get to meet a lot of kids like you."
"Yea, that's the way we meet," Taiyou said, laughing softly. "At a business meeting that we both had to be dragged to."
Sora crossed his arms, not amused at the conversation. 'You get to meet a lot of kids like you.' ~That doesn't mean you desert the ones you have.~
[Ladies and Gentleman, the concert you all have been waiting for!]
The crowd went wild as the announcer walked across the stage. [They're known around the world and have taken the time to visited Destiny Islands...Welcome the Four Keys!"
Screams echoed throughout the dome as the stars jumped out onto the stage, blowing kisses to their fan girls below. The four boys began immediately into their first song.
^Mou dore kurai aruite kita no ka
Machikado ni natsu wo kazaru himawari
Mendou na koi wo nagedashita kako
Omoidasu tabi ni setsunasa tsunoru
Isogashii mainichi ni oborete
Sunao ni narenu naka de
Wasureteta taisetsu no nanika ni
Yasashii hi ga tomoru
Yagate kuru
Sorezore no kousaten wo
Mayori no naka tachi tomaru kedo
Sore demo hito wa mata aruki dasu
Meguri au koigokoro donna toki mo
Jibun rashiku ikite yuku no ni
Anata ga
Soba ni ite kuretara
Ah yume kara sameta
Kore kara mo
Anata wo ai shiteru^
(How far have I walked?
The sunflowers that in summer decorate the street corners
I invite sadness when I remember the past
In which I threw away troublesome loves
I'm drowned in the hurry of everyday life, and I can't be meek
A tender fire is lit in an important something that I forgot
Soon we each come to our crossroads
We lose our way and stop
But even so we keep walking
A chance meeting with the awakening of love
I always try to live like myself
If you are by my side
Ah, I awake from a dream
From now on I'll love you)
The crowd began to sway to the smooth voices of the band before them. Sora watched his friends. The girls were completely engrossed into the song while Jiro complained about 'stupid boy bands'. It was Taiyou and Riku that interested him the most. Both of them seemed to be paiyng close attention to the song, their hands intertwining unconsciously. A large pang stuck Sora's heart at the sight, forcing him to look away and listen to the song once more.
The Four Keys had begun to walk off the stage, visiting different aisles as they finished the song.
^Tanjun na kokoro no yaritori wo
Naku shita toki no naka de
San do me no kisetsu wa
Utakata no koi wo ai da to yonda
Itsu no hi mo
Sarigenai kurashi no naka
Hagukunda ai no kodachi
Hohoemi mo namida mo uketomete
Toozakaru natsukashiki tomo no koe wo
Mune ni daite omoi wo yoseta
Ikutsuka no deai
Ikutsuka no wakare
Kurikaesu hibi wa tsuzuite yuku
Yagate kuru
Sorezore no kousaten wo
Mayori no naka tachi tomaru kedo
Sore demo hito wa mata aruki dasu
Meguri au koigokoro donna toki mo
Jibun rashiku ikite yuku no ni
Anata ga
Soba ni ite kuretara
Ah yume kara sameta
Kore kara mo
Anata wo ai shiteru
Ah yume kara sameta ima ijou
Anata wo aishiteru^
(The exchange of a simple heart
In those times I've lost, the third season
Called an ephemeral romance love
Someday in my casual life
There is a grove of trees of the love we raised
That will accept both laughter and tears
I hold in my heart
That nostalgic voice of a friend that has gone far away
And collect the memories
A few meetings, a few partings
Those repeating days will continue
Soon we each come to our crossroads
We lose our way and stop
But even so we keep walking
A chance meeting with the awakening of love
I always try to live like myself
If you are by my side
Ah, I awake from a dream
From now on I'll love you
Ah I awake from a dream
Now more than ever I'll love you)
The audience gave a standing ovation for the group that returned to the stage. They flashed brilliant smiles as they walked to the edge of the stage and shook some of their fans' hand. [We have a special presentation for you all!]
Sora turned to his right to see if Kairi knew about the presentation, only to see her empty seat. ~Wha..?~
"Where is Kairi?" he asked Nami. She only smiled and shrugged her shoulders.
[A friend of ours asked for a favor and we couldn't have been happier to comply. So without further ado, Kairi Tatewaki!]
It was as if that very moment had froze when Sora looked at the stage. Kairi walked up and hugged each one of the Four Keys, then headed to the front. [I just wanted to sing a song for someone who I hurt very much in the past in hopes of forgiveness.] She looked directly at Sora. [I know this doesn't justify what I did, but I will do anything to make it up to you.]
Sora stared into her eyes, struggling with an inner battle of believing this was happening. All of his friends had their eyes on him, amazed at the lengths Kairi had gone for his forgiveness. [Sora...I dedicate this song to you.]
^Some day out of the blue
In a crowded street or a deserted square
I'll turn and I'll see you
As if our love were new
Some day we can start again, some day soon^
She kept her eyes on him as if he were the only one in the room. He couldn't help but stare back, not noticing the angry gaze from his silver-haired friend.
^Here comes the night
Here come the memories
Lost in your arms
Down in the foreign fields
Not so long ago
Seems like eternity
Those sweet afternoons
Still capture me^
Cordless microphone in hand, Kairi descended the stairs with the Four Keys behind her - they were singing as back up voices - and headed towards Sora. Her eyes never left his as she walked forward.
^Some day out of the blue
In a crowded street or a deserted square
I'll turn and I'll see you
As if our love were new
Some day we can start again, some day soon^
She reached her destination. Stretching out her hand, she sung with passion straight from the heart, willing to lose it all.
^I still believe
I still put faith in us
We had it all and watched it slip away
Where are we now
Not where we want to be
Those hot afternoons
Still follow me^
Riku watched Kairi like a predator ready to kill. His vision began to fill with crimson red; his muscles tense and ready for a fight. She had him captured in her cunning web, and was ready to wrap him up tight, showing the world that he was hers. It pissed him off.
^Some day out of the blue
Maybe years from now
Or tomorrow night
I'll turn and I'll see you
As if we always knew
Some day we would live again, some day soon^
^I still believe
I still put faith in us
I still believe
I still put faith in us^
Taiyou felt his hand being squeezed and looked at Riku. His sea-green eyes were lit with undeniable rage, and his body was literally trembling because of it. He frowned, knowing the exact reason that caused this. He looked back at Sora, who was captivated with the singing Kairi before him.
^Here comes the night
Here come the memories
Lost in your arms
Down in the foreign fields
Not so long ago
Seems like eternity
Those sweet afternoons
Still capture me^
With a powerful burst of confidence, Kairi poured her heart and soul into the conclusion of the song.
^Some day out of the blue
Maybe years from now
Or tomorrow night
I'll turn and I'll see you
As if we always knew
Some day we would live again, some day soon
Some day out of the blue
In a crowded street or a deserted square
I'll turn and I'll see you
As if our love were new
Some day we can start again, some day soon^
Toning it down to a whisper, Kairi leaned forward as if they were sharing their own little secret.
^I still believe, I still put faith in us
I still believe, I still put faith in us
I still believe, I still put faith in us
I still believe, I still put faith in us
I still believe, I still put faith in us
I still believe, I still put faith in us^
The audience was in shock as she finished the song. As soon as she sung the last word, the entire crowd stood, clapping wildly at the brave teenage girl. Whistles and catcalls from her new fans rung through the air, causing Kairi to smile brightly and looked around, her face expressing pure bliss. She turned to the Four Keys and gave them a hug once more. Handing them her cordless microphone, she turned to Sora, who was petrified in place. She walked up to him and embraced him. The television screens high above displayed the two. "I'm so sorry, Sora. Will you please forgive me?"
The crowd held their breaths in anticipation as Sora looked down at Kairi. He nodded once, causing the audience to erupt into a joyous applause. Kairi sighed and threw her arms around Sora, hugging him tight. Sora hugged her with as much intensity as she did, burying his face into her shoulder. She grabbed his chin and looked deep into his eyes before giving him a fierce kiss. He responded all the same, and Sora was unaware of their surroundings, drowning in his fulfilled desires. ~This is the way it is suppose to be.~
^*^
Ok, before you grab your guns and your long ass knifes and come after me shouting, "You tricked us and said this was a Riku/Sora fic," well, it is. I mean come on people. Look at the title. If you didn't expect bumps in the road, then you shouldn't have read this. This arrangement is only temporary, but there are many more problems for our star couple ahead.
That was one helluva chapter! This is my longest chapter ever so be happy. You guys caught me off guard with the reviews. I passed ten on the second day it was up! Oh yea, Elle King. I didn't take what you said to offense at all. In fact, you're right. It does seem a little conceited. So I'm not going to do that anymore. *stretches out hand and hits it* Bad! Bad!
This doesn't mean that there aren't any more cliffhangers, though.... ^_^
The songs were: Glay - Beloved and Elton John - Someday Out of the Blue. Sorry about the Elton John song, but I thought the lyrics were appropriate for this situation.
Alrighty peoples, you got your chapter - and a long one at that - so review! Constructive criticism is welcome.
~MercuryGoddess~